Elem. – Gift & Box

Mayer, Ellen. Gift & Box. Illustrated by Brizida Magro. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 978-0-593-37761-1. $18.99. Unpaged. Grades PreK-2.

When Grandma places her granddaughter’s gift into a box, the gift and box become a package. Together, they take a voyage through the postal system. Throughout this journey, they encounter many obstacles, including bumps, seasickness, and smelly exhaust fumes. However, they eventually reach their destination and bring great pleasure and excitement to a young girl named Sofia. They say their goodbyes to each other, but are ultimately in for a delightful surprise.

THOUGHTS: Not only is this a lovely story of friendship, but it also provides readers with insight into how packages get from one place to another. It would be the perfect story to read before taking a field trip to the post office. Another idea would be to pair it with Antoinette Portis’s Not a Box (2006) or Kim Smith’s Boxitects (2019) and encourage students to come up with their own cardboard box creations, as Sofia does with the box at the end of the story.

Picture Book

MG/YA – Bravely

Stiefvater, Maggie. Bravely. Disney Press, 2022. 978-1368071345. $19.99. 384. Grades 7-12.

Merida of DunBroch is feeling a little bored with her life, but when two deities show up on her doorstep on Christmas Eve night, she learns that if she cannot bring change and progress back to DunBroch, her family and realm will be destroyed by Feradach, a god of destruction. In order to save her family, Merida embarks on three journeys and hopes to move her family away from stagnation. They need motivation in order to change, but Merida only has a year, and while she puts all of her energy into others, she forgets that she must also change herself.

THOUGHTS: Brave is one of my favorite movies, and Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors. Naturally, when I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it! It wasn’t quite what I expected it to be, but I loved it all the same. Stiefvater adds to the myth and magic already present in the story while focusing on each character in depth, and I especially loved reading about the triplets and their unique personalities. However, I would recommend seeing the movie first before diving into Bravely.

Fantasy          Emily Hoffman, Conestoga Valley SD

Merida of DunBroch, the Scottish princess featured in the Disney film, Brave, is now twenty years old and restless when Christmas Eve brings her an encounter with the god Feradach. Charged with rooting out and destroying entities that are stagnating, Feradoch has his eyes set on DunBroch, Merida’s beloved ancestral home. Only Merida’s quick thinking, and the sly intervention of the wily old goddess, the Cailleach, provide DunBroch a reprieve. Merida is granted a year to bring necessary change to DunBroch. She hounds, nags, and drags her parents and triplet younger brothers to explore opportunities and expand their horizons; to analyze and discover their true callings, to repair and improve the family home. But will a year be enough? Will DunBroch change enough? Fans of Stiefvater, a writer of ethereal fantasy fiction, may be initially disappointed with her prosaic writing, but with her solid grounding in Celtic lore, she crafts an engaging story with delightful character development. Readers with no familiarity with the movie will still be caught up in Merida’s quest and Stiefvater’s evocative world building. Merida is a compelling, sympathetic character who needs to learn at least as much as the rest of her family, but may not realize, until too late, that the biggest change is risking her heart. 

THOUGHTS: A Young Adult Disney princess tale, this a charming story with a limited audience. Stiefvater’s writing is aimed at a more inclusive age range than her Raven Boys and other series. Purchase where romantic fantasy is in high demand, or readers maintain a fondness for Disney. Hopefully this will lead readers to Stiefvater’s truly genius works. 

Fantasy          Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor SD
Mythology

Elem. – Girl on a Motorcycle

Novesky, Amy. Girl on a Motorcycle. Viking, 2020. 978-0-593-11629-6. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-5.

In 1973, a young woman in Paris dreams of seeing the world. So she gets on her motorcycle and takes off, becoming the first woman to solo circumnavigate the world on a motorcycle. This is the story of Anne-France Dautheville and her remarkable journey. Beginning in Canada, the 28-year-old white woman rides across North America, Japan, India, on to Turkey, back to Europe, and eventually, home. Anne-France’s magnificent style shines through the poetic text and gorgeous, soft-hued, yet bold illustrations. Her path leads her through myriad cultures and experiences. “I want the world to be beautiful, and it is beautiful. I want people to be good, and they are good.” This book will certainly ignite wonder and curiosity about the world and its people in readers, as well as deep admiration for Anne-France.

THOUGHTS: A beautiful book that does justice to a remarkable woman. In addition, it is a much needed reminder that the world is, indeed, beautiful and good. Highly recommended for elementary libraries.

Picture Book          Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor SD

Elem. – Little Red Sleigh

Guendelsberger, Erin. Little Red Sleigh. Sourcebooks Wonderland, 2020. $13.70. Unpaged. Grades K-3. 

The little red sleigh wishes to be something bigger, something stronger, something grander–Santa’s sleigh. Others tell her that this will never happen, but she is determined to make it to the North Pole and convince Santa that she can do the job. Along the tough journey, she is helped along by a beautiful, grand train and a bright yellow truck, who tell her that life happens one step at a time–she has the right spirit but must employ some patience, too. When a major snowfall hits, the sleigh stops in a village where she enjoys a wonderful day of sledding with a little girl. Ultimately, the little red sleigh decides that she must let her life happen one step at a time too, and she stays with the little girl (perhaps before going on to bigger things with Santa). An encouraging note from the big man in a red suit doesn’t hurt, either!

THOUGHTS: Elizaveta Tretyakova’s beautiful illustrations turn this basic but sweet holiday story into something bigger and more grand.

Picture Book            Lindsey Long, Lower Dauphin SD