Elem. – You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!)

Posted on April 26, 2024 by pslamediaselectionreview

Henson, Taraji P. You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!). Illustrated by Paul Kellam. ZonderKidz, 2024. 978-0-310-16059-5. $19.99. 32 p. Grades K-3.

Little TJ is so excited about her first day of school! She is dreaming about all the things she will learn, the activities she’ll get to participate in, the lunch room, and of course making a million new friends. However, when she arrives at school her first day jitters set in, and she ends up alienating her classmates and attracting a bully. Each day seems to go wrong, and TJ finds herself shrinking to avoid being bullied; she stops wearing her favorite clothes, eating her favorite lunch, and sharing her work in class. TJ confides in her grandmother who offers support, gives her advice on how to deal with a bully, and encourages her to find her confidence once more. The next day TJ feels more like herself again. During recess she finds her rhythm in the music room, and once the other kids see how much fun she is having marching to the beat of her own drum (literally) they come to join her. TJ even finds common ground with her former bully and makes a new friend.

THOUGHTS: With notes from the author about how to help your child deal with a bully, this book is great for parents whose child might be struggling at school. The lessons in this book would also resonate with teachers and could easily be used at the beginning of the school year to encourage classroom community. This picture book has fun, vibrant illustrations that will catch the attention of kids ages 4-8.

Picture Book

Elem. – Line Leads the Way

Posted on April 26, 2024 by pslamediaselectionreview

Salas, Laura Purdie. Line Leads the Way. Illustrated by Alice Caldarella. Capstone, 2024. 978-1-684-46928-4. $18.99. 32 p. Grades K-3.

Line Leads the Way introduces numerous topics to young readers including, shapes and their features, perseverance, bullying, and determination. In this colorful, shape-filled book each shape is on a mission to become the new treasure keeper; each shape journeys to the audition at the library exhibiting their unique features along the way. Line is not flashy like the other shapes and his journey is filled with obstacles including other shapes putting him down. As each shape boasts about why they would be the perfect treasure keeper, Line admits that he is in fact not perfect. His humility and honesty impress the librarian who recognizes that the perfect shape for this role is someone kind, open, and a little broken, as we all are.

THOUGHTS: This book provides many opportunities for learning, whether focusing on shapes and what features make each shape unique or discussing bullying and the fact that no one is perfect. I appreciated the simple text and colorful illustrations that will appeal to kids ages 4-8. I think this would make a great addition in any classroom or home library.

Picture Book

Elem. – The Dreams We Made

Posted on February 16, 2024 by pslamediaselectionreview

Bentley, Lisa. The Dreams We Made. Simon & Schuster, 2023. 978-1-665-91765-0. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PK-3.

At the center of The Dreams we Made is a little girl with a big imagination. Each night, her father helps her bring her ideas to life using found items. Each day, she holds tight to her daddy, wishing he didn’t need to go back to work. When he encourages her to keep dreaming while he is away, she does. Her dreams grow, and the little girl and her father begin their biggest project yet. One the eve of completing the project, Mommy delivers the sad news that her father has died and cannot complete their project. Together, the girl and her Mom find a way to continue dreaming and, over time, they put the pieces back together and begin feeling closer to Daddy once more.

THOUGHTS: The Dreams We Made is a beautifully illustrated and balanced picture book that combines imagination, love, and loss to create a story that successfully balances all three–accomplishing the unique feat of a story incorporating loss with the potential of broad appeal to picture book readers. The girl’s projects focus on her dreams of space exploration, and Lisa Bentley’s illustrations are dominated by this space theme, inviting children into an engaging world of creativity and imagination. Bentley’s depiction of the mother sharing the loss of the father with her child is gentle and loving, and the child’s expression of this loss (denial, loss of interest in her creations, and destructive anger) will feel real to both child and adult readers. Bentley does not rush her characters through grief, but rather gives her characters time to heal, first in imagination, then through their actions. This beautiful, wise book is highly recommended for all readers in the general library and also for guidance collections.

Picture Book

Elem. – Brainpower (Series NF)

Posted on February 5, 2024 by pslamediaselectionreview

Colich, Abby. Brainpower. Jump!, Inc., 2023. $18.95 each or $75.80 for Set of 4. Grades 2-5.

Your Brain When You’re Angry. 979-8-885-24140-3.
Your Brain When You’re Happy. 979-8-885-24143-4.
Your Brain When You’re Sad. 979-8-885-24146-5.
Your Brain When You’re Scared. 979-8-885-24149-6.

The Brainpower series discusses what happens to the brain when an individual experiences strong emotions, such as anger, happiness, sadness, and fear (being scared). The reviewer read the book Your Brain When You’re Sad. Your Brain When You’re Sad discusses what happens in your brain when a person experiences sadness, the chemical releases and reactions to the emotion, and ways to help cope and manage sadness. The book utilizes photos and diagrams to discuss certain parts of your brain and what occurs at that time. Complete with brightly colored illustrations and goals, this book series helps establish emotions and why they occur.

THOUGHTS: The addition of Grow with Goals included in this series is a fantastic way for young readers to help establish ways to cope with strong emotions. A great beginning series for young readers to learn about their brain and emotions.

152.4-155.4 Emotions

Elem. – Wants vs. Needs vs. Robots

Posted on February 5, 2024 by pslamediaselectionreview

Rex, Michael. Wants vs. Needs vs. Robots. Illustrated by Michael Rex. Nancy Paulson Books, 2023. 978-0-593-53009-2. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-2.

Wants vs. Needs vs. Robots teaches children the difference between wants and needs. The book uses the robots to show the things that the robots need such as arms, oil, and legs. It also shows the things the robots want such as jelly bean tacos and unicorn hats. The book shows one robot putting his wants ahead of his needs and what happens to him, after which it goes back and shows the robot showing the difference between his wants and needs. It also shows how the robot gets what he wants without sacrificing his needs.

THOUGHTS: Overall, this would be a great book for an elementary guidance counselor to use with young students discussing wants vs. needs. Students who are obsessed with robots might want to read this due to the characters within the book, but this book will be most effective when used with a lesson.

Picture Book

Elem. – Rivka’s Present

Posted on January 24, 2024 by pslamediaselectionreview

Wallmark, Laurie. Rivka’s Present. Illustrated by Adelina Lirius. Random House Studio, 2023. 978-0-593-48207-0. $18.99. 40 p. Grades K-3.

In 1918 on New York’s Lower East Side, Rivka enthusiastically proclaims to all who will hear that it is her first day of school. Heartbroken, Mama tells Rivka, that she cannot begin school. Papa has influenza, and Mama must work to support the family. Rivka must care for her little sister. Upset, Rivka tears out of the apartment, crashing into a sandwich board in front of the grocery store. Apologizing to the shop owner, Rivka admires the writing on the board, and asks the grocer to teach her how to write. Mr. Solomon carefully explains he is too busy to take on teaching Rivka how to write. But when Rivka bargains to help around the shop in exchange for writing lessons, Mr. Solomon agrees and even allows Rivka to bring her little sister along. Papa is no better, and Mama works long hours. By the time the leaves fall from the trees, Rivka knows her alphabet and can sound out basic words. While running an errand at the tailor’s shop, Rivka admires Mr. Cohen’s ledger of neat arithmetic. Offering to make deliveries in exchange for math lessons, Rivka quickly begins learning a new skill. Unfortunately, Papa has shown little improvement. When the first snow falls, Rivka helps a neighbor across the hall with baking and cleaning. She discovers that Mrs. Langholtz is studying to take her citizenship exam. Rivka politely asks Mrs. Langholtz to teach her about American history. By the time spring rolls around, Rivka can name the states and sing the anthem. One day Papa is well enough to join the family at the dinner table. As the flowers begin to blossom, Papa sends Rivka on an errand. When she returns to the apartment, she is surprised to find Mr. Solomon, Mr. Cohen, and Mrs. Langholtz, who have all arrived at the apartment for a party to honor Rivka and all of her hard work. Each neighbor brings Rivka a present that she will need to finally begin her first day of school.

THOUGHTS: Rivka is plucky and eager to learn. This is an adorable story about hard work and determination in the face of great challenges. Beautifully detailed painted illustrations by Adelina Lirius add to the wonder and delight as Rivka spends the seasons learning new skills.

Picture Book