Elem. – The Brand-New, Never-Used, Perfect Crayons

Hatch, Leanne. The Brand-New, Never-Used, Perfect Crayons. Illustrated by Leanne Hatch. Margaret Ferguson Books, 2023. 978-0-823-45230-9. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-2.

Violet is in a store and sees a big box of 84 perfect crayons with every color she will ever need. She dreams of all the things that she can create and draw using all those colors. However, when she gets the crayons home she can’t bring herself to use them. She puts off using them day after day, even when her little sister Marigold asks her if she can use them. Instead, Violet gives Marigold her box of old, broken crayons and Marigold makes drawings with no care. One day, Marigold gets into Violet’s brand new crayons and uses them which makes Violet extremely mad. However this causes Violet to reevaluate her brand-new crayons, and the book ends with the sisters drawing together.

THOUGHTS: This is a sweet story that shows a more realistic sister relationship with a lovely lesson woven throughout the book. This would be a great read aloud for an art class or just as a read aloud to share with a class.

Picture Book

Elem. – Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love

Mir, Saira.  Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love. Illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani. Simon & Schuster, 2023. 978-1-665-90156-7. Unpaged.  $18.99.  Grades 1-3.

Raya and Samir are young siblings who are eagerly awaiting the birth of their new sister. Her name will be Nura, which means “beautiful light” in Arabic. The brother and sister discuss all the wonderful plans they have for her. They will play dress-up, eat ice cream, take her on piggyback rides and watch cartoons together. One day their parents go for a checkup with the doctor and are very sad when they return. Mama and Baba gently break the news of the pregnancy loss to the children, telling them that Nura will not be coming home. Understandably, older sister Raya is sad and confused.  Her parents console their daughter and suggest that she share the love she feels for Nura with others. So Raya draws pictures and participates in a group counseling with other children who have experienced loss. Together the family plants a tree in the baby’s memory.  The tree reminds them that Nura will always have a place in their hearts. The softly colored chalk pastel and watercolor illustrations by Maydani create a comforting and reassuring tone. In the author’s note, Mir explains that her reason for writing this book was her own family’s experience with pregnancy loss. She hopes that this story will provide support for children who are also suffering with such a loss.

THOUGHTS: This poignant story is an important contribution to bibliotherapeutic literature for those who are grieving. The text handles the topic in a sensitive and approachable way for young children. Share this one with counselors, teachers, or parents. 

Picture Book

YA – The Blood Years

Arnold, Elana K. The Blood Years. Balzer + Bray, 2023. 978-0-062-99085-3. 390 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

Based on events in the life of her own grandmother, Elana K. Arnold’s The Blood Years is a masterful and deeply moving work of historical fiction for teens. Spanning the years from 1939 to 1945, it follows the experiences of Frederieke Teitler’s teenage years in her beloved hometown of Czernowitz, Romania. “Rieke” lives with her depressive mother and headstrong older sister Astra (their father has abandoned the family) until her beloved grandfather, Opa, brings them to his apartment. It is the first of many times that Opa will shield Rieke from life’s cruelties. First introduced as a typical thirteen-year old attending school and dance classes with Astra, Rieke goes on to experience the stripping away of Jewish peoples’ rights as she moves through her teen years. Her situation changes dramatically as first the Russians and then the Germans occupy her city, and as a persistent cough leads to a dire diagnosis. As the circumstances in Czernowitz worsen for Jews, Opa’s ability to shelter his girls is pushed to the limit.

THOUGHTS: In her latest novel, Arnold truly proves that what is most personal is also most universal. The dehumanization of Jewish people during WWII is portrayed through the experiences of one young woman; Rieke’s trauma and resilience will not soon be forgotten by readers.

Note: The Blood Years contains anti-Semitic slurs and depictions of sexual assault.

Historical Fiction

Elem – Sisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood

Marshall, Linda Elovitz. Sisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 978-0-593-37759-8. Unpaged. Grades 2-5. $18.99.

Although many are familiar with the scientist Marie Curie, few know the accomplishments of her older sister Bronia. The girls grew up in Poland and loved learning. They even went to a secret university, since women were not allowed to attend college at that time. Eventually, they were accepted at the Sorbonne in Paris, but they could not afford to go together. The siblings made a pact and agreed that Bronia would go first to study medicine and after her studies were finished, it would be Marie’s turn. Marie loved her time in Paris and enjoyed studying chemistry, physics, and math. After graduation, she shared a laboratory with another scientist, Pierre Curie, and they eventually married. Together they ascertained the process of radioactivity for which the couple and another scientist won the Nobel Prize in Physics. Later the widowed Marie won her second Nobel Prize, this one in chemistry, for discovering two new elements.  Bronia and her husband returned to Poland and opened a hospital. Then Marie invented the X-Ray machine, which both she and Bronia used during WWI to help soldiers with their gunshot wounds and other injuries. After the war, Curie opened a Radium Institute in Paris and later another one in Bronia’s hospital in Warsaw, both designed to treat patients with cancer. These two sisters made a pact and overcame adversity to make advancements in both science and medicine. The back matter includes a timeline, a list of suggested print and digital resources, and an author’s note. Interestingly, the illustrations were created by Anna and Elena Balbasso, who happen to be twin sisters from Italy. The award-winning pair uses a variety of media in their detailed drawings, which help make the storyline come alive. 

THOUGHTS: The story of the lives of these sisters shows the power of science and working together. It is a good choice in science or STEM units and as a read aloud during Women’s History Month. Perhaps their story will inspire children to work hard to achieve their dreams. Highly recommended for elementary collections.

Picture Book Biography
540.92 Chemistry-Biography

Elem./MG – Squished

Lloyd, Magan Wagner. Squished. Illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter. Graphix, 2023. 978-1-338-56894-3. 246 p. $24.99. Grades 2-5.

Welcome to Hickory Valley, Maryland. Home to Avery Lee, her SIX siblings, and their parents. All Avery wishes for is her own room where she can spread out her art supplies and have some alone time before she starts middle school. This wish doesn’t look like it’s in cards though. When her parents announce they are moving to Oregon, Avery is angry. She doesn’t want to move away from the house, school, and town she has grown up in, and most importantly she doesn’t want to move away from the only friends she has ever known. Her brother Theo feels differently. Having been bullied by Avery’s best friend’s brother, Theo is excited to start over. Will Avery make peace with her family moving across the country?

THOUGHTS: This book by the author/illustrator duo who wrote Allergic, is a must for any school library. It’s everything fans of Raina Telgemeier are looking for in a graphic novel.

Graphic Novel 

The team that brought us the middle grade graphic novel Allergic in 2021 is back with Squished! Eleven-year old Avery Lee lives with her Korean American family in beautiful Hickory Valley, Maryland, where she luxuriates in having her very own, totally amazing room … at least, that’s the dream. In reality, she and her large family are squished into their house, and Avery shares her room with one of her six siblings … make that two of her siblings when two-year old Max moves in. Avery dotes on her brothers and sisters, but she also longs for privacy, space for her artwork, and a good night’s sleep. She devises a plan to earn enough money to renovate the basement into a bedroom, but one stumbling block after another foils her efforts. Along the way, friendships and Avery’s love/hate relationship with 13-year old brother Theo evolve as a potential family move to Oregon looms large. One quibble: the print in some of the panels is tiny, even for the young eyes of the intended audience. If only it weren’t so squished!

THOUGHTS: With an endearing main character and engaging illustrations, this book’s heart is bigger than the Lee family!

Graphic Novel

Fifth grader, Avery Lee, is one of seven children in a large Korean American family. Avery loves her neighborhood, has two best friends, and can’t wait for the upcoming summer fair. But life at home is chaotic and Avery is sometimes embarrassed by her large family. Not to mention, Avery has to share a bedroom while Theo, Avery’s big brother, gets a room all to himself. It’s so unfair! Resilient as ever, Avery comes up with a plan to make money to renovate her family’s basement so she can at least have her own bedroom. But nothing ever goes as planned in the busy Lee household, especially when Avery has to take care of her younger siblings. Then Avery finds out her parents are thinking about a move across the country, her best friend finds someone else to hang out with, and she’s struggling to find time for her art entry for the summer fair. Avery expresses difficult emotions after the loss of an important friendship and several missed opportunities, but in the end, she navigates these major life changes with grace and humor.

THOUGHTS: This story addresses strong feelings, family dynamics, and the importance of belonging. Fans of Raina Telgemeier will enjoy Avery’s story; however, the challenges and responsibilities Avery faces may feel unrealistic to readers that are not from a large family. In addition, the unusually large number of siblings make this story a bit of an outlier. I prefer Lloyd and Nutter’s earlier collaboration, Allergic (Graphix, 2021).

Graphic Novel

Elem. – Starla Jean Cracks the Case

Arnold, Elana K. Starla Jean Cracks the Case. Illustrated by A.N. Kang. Roaring Brook Press, 2023. 978-1-250-30580-0. 78 p. $15.99. Grades 1-3.

Meet Starla Jean. She has a baby sister Willa and a pet chicken Opal Egg.  Walking her chicken one day (can you really walk a chicken?), Starla and Opal Egg find a bead. They wonder who it belongs to and set off to ask her friends. The beads are not theirs, but they have all found a bead too! Now everyone is in on the task of finding the owner. They happen along their friend Dani who is looking forlorn sitting on a bench. Her necklace broke, and the kids have solved their mystery!

THOUGHTS: This Level 3 chapter book is a great addition to any beginning reader section. Helpfulness and being a good friend and sister are all themes throughout this adorable read.

Beginning Chapter Book

Elem. – The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship

Muhammad, Ibtihaj, and Ali, S.K. The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship. Illustrated by Hatem Aly. Hachette Book Group, 2023. 978-0-759-55570-9. unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

On school picture day, Faizah’s teacher challenges the class by asking what kind of world they want. Faizah decides that she wants a kind world and spends her day being kind to her classmates by helping them out in various ways.  But when it comes time for a picture with her sister, Faizah is disappointed that they aren’t wearing matching clothes. Her classmates come to the rescue by sharing and being kind to her.

THOUGHTS: This sweet book is a perfect companion to The Proudest Blue.  A great story to share to show kindness.

Picture Book

MG -Finally Seen

Yang, Kelly. Finally Seen. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-534-48833-5. unpaged. $17.99. Grades 3-7.

When her parents emigrated to the United States with her young sister Millie, Lena Gao stayed behind in the “waiting city” of Beijing with her beloved lao lao (grandmother). In the opening pages of Finally Seen, Lena is on a flight to Los Angeles to be reunited with her family! But five years is a long time, and Lena has a lot to learn about her own family, not to mention the English language and American culture. Lena quickly realizes that nothing has been perfect for her parents in California either. Her dad works very long hours on an organic farm, back rent will be due in a few short months when COVID-19 rent relief expires, and their green cards are hung up in red tape. To make ends meet, Mom and Millie make bath bombs to sell on Etsy, and Lena happily joins in the family business. At school, Lena begins to learn English with the help of an empathetic ELL teacher and Flea Shop, a graphic novel that offers Lena a mirror of her own life. But Lena’s joy at being “finally seen” in a book also finds her caught in the midst of a culture war over what books are appropriate for students to read. 

THOUGHTS: Kelly Yang delivers another charming and relatable middle grade novel rooted in the real experiences of so many young people in the United States and beyond. Her Author’s Note describes the impact of attempts to ban her novel Front Desk, and her steadfast belief in the freedom to read books that offer windows, mirrors, and sliding doors.

Realistic Fiction

YA – After Dark with Roxie Clark

Davis, Brooke Lauren. After Dark with Roxie Clark. Bloomsbury, 2022. 978-1-547-60614-6. 341 p. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

The Clark women of Whistler, Indiana, are rumored to be cursed; they tend to die young, tragically, and memorably. With her popular ghost tour, After Dark with Roxie Clark, 17-year old Roxie puts her flair for the dramatic (and her penchant for all things gruesome) to profitable effect by showcasing stories from her unique family history. She only shares the stories that she’s painstakingly researched, fact-checked, and (okay) sometimes embellished for her customers. She’s less at ease discussing the still-unsolved murder of her older sister’s boyfriend, whose mutilated remains were found a year ago in one of Whistler’s many cornfields. Having dropped out of college, Skylar is now obsessed with solving Collin’s murder herself, leaving no one off the suspect list. She pulls a reluctant Roxie into her investigation, uncovering dangerous and painful secrets that make even the fearless Roxie Clark realize how vulnerable she is.

THOUGHTS: A genuinely cool lead character, slow-burn romance, and deft plot twists will have readers ready to hop aboard Roxie’s tour bus; her ghost stories are the star of this fantastic young adult thriller!

Mystery          Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD

YA – Castles in their Bones

Sebastian, Laura. Castles in their Bones. Delacorte Press, 2022. 978-0-593-11816-0. $18.99. 528p. Grades 9-12.

Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz are triplets, and from the time they were young, they have been raised to be the future rulers of Vesteria. Their mother, Empress Margaraux, has had this plan in place since before they were born. At sixteen years old, the sisters are leaving each other for the first time. Each is engaged to a prince so that they may infiltrate the kingdoms from within and use their talents to bring down each monarchy for their mother. However, when the girls arrive at their new homes, they begin to realize that the world is not quite the way described to them by their mother. Will the girls change the plan as they form new relationships and see the struggles of each kingdom, or will they stay faithful to their mother?

THOUGHTS: Castles in their Bones hooked me from the very beginning. Saphronia, Daphne, and Beatriz change so much throughout the novel when they are finally on their own. They have to navigate challenges they never anticipated, and their real personalities start to emerge as they spend more time away from their mother. Thanks to the cliffhanger ending, I’m impatiently waiting for book two in the duology.

Fantasy           Emily Hoffman, Conestoga Valley SD