Picture books for everyone

 

Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free by Alice Faye Duncan

Picture books are a great way to explain a concept or a bit of history to a young audience. In the case of this book, Duncan is doing more than just explaining the history of Juneteenth to the audience. While the exact bit of history that the holiday recognizes is certainly a part of the story, the larger part of the book is focused on Opal Lee herself and exploring the experience of freedom. It looks at protest and social movement, the efforts people go through to have struggle and history recognized. In that way Juneteenth becomes more than an historical event. It's a symbol of the desire for social change. This book that will grow with young readers, reaching them at different levels as their social awareness changes.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Aint Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round

 

Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round by Kathlyn J Kirkwood

If your school experience was anything like mine, you heard just a few stories about the Civil Rights Movement every February: Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., school integration, and that was about it. I certainly was never taught about the movement to make Martin Luther King Day a holiday. Kirkwood presents her own experience with activism throughout her childhood and into her adulthood. Her story is presented in narrative form using the verse novel format. This means that it tends to be more about emotions and impressions than actions and may help young readers connect with these ideas on a more personal level. The text is accompanied by photos from the time period, adding to the atmosphere. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Song of the River

 

Title: Song of the River

Author: Gill Lewis

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Rescue at Lake Wild by Terry Lynn Johnson

                      Music for Tiger by Michelle Kadarusman

Rating:

 

simple, with heart

Summary (provided by publisher): Times are tough for Cari and her mum. A violent storm has flooded the valley where they live, destroying their home and café business.
Things seem bleak – but hope appears in the form of a plan to reintroduce beavers into the area, as the changes that these amazing animals make to the waterways might prevent another flood.
Cari knows that she has to get involved. But with the project facing resistance from locals, can she convince them to give the beavers a chance – and will it be enough to save her home from being destroyed for a second time?

My opinion: This is a construction we see sometimes in fiction: a family completely uprooting their life in the midst of grief. They make a drastic move, taking emotional upheaval and compounding it with practical upheaval, forcing everything to come to a head. In this book, Cari is furious while her mother is fixedly optimisitc. The ecological issues they face force them both to look beyond themselves. The story is pretty simple but includes a few interesting details about keystone species. A decent choice for kids gaining confidence in independent reading.

More information: Song of the River releases February 3.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

A pair of puppets

 I think what I like best about sock puppets is that there is no end of ways that you can personalize them. With this duo I decided to go pretty basic. They are just people, though I did give the guy a bow tie and goatee and the lady a necklace and earrings.

Book review - Disappearing Act

 

Title: The Disappearing Act

Author: Katrina Moore

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Jo Jo Makoons series by Dawn Quigley

                     Cookie Chronicles series by Matthew Swanson

Rating:

 

a solid example of the genre

Summary (provided by publisher): Bessie Lee might be the teeniest in her first-grade class, but with the tap-tap-tap of her wand, some glitter, and a little magic . . . she’s going to dazzle the crowds to win the school talent show.
But when a trick goes disastrously wrong, Rufus, the class hamster, disappears!
Can Bessie find a way to bring him back in time? Or is Rufus truly gone forever?
Teeny Houdini, also known as Bessie Lee, is an overly excited, mischievous first grader who bounces off the walls—and off the page—with her volume, enthusiasm, and grand ideas, which are just too big for her tiny frame. Bessie’s multigenerational Chinese American family is the warm center of the stories, from exasperated but loving big sister Bailey to the always encouraging and understanding Gramma.

My opinion: Teeny Houdini follows in the tradition of Junie B Jones and Ramona: a quirky, well meaning kid who doesn't always think things through, often misunderstood by family and peers. Her tendency to act on instinct often gets her in trouble but her good heart means things always work out in the end. The story is clear and easy to follow and the characters are pleasant and believable.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: Multiple perspectives

One of the best things about fiction is the way that it opens up your world to perspectives you wouldn't otherwise understand. It's even better when a single book gives you multiple perspectives at once. Here are six book published in the past six months that are presented from more than one perspective.

6 new multiple perspective narratives

1. The Other Side of Luck by Ginger Johnson
2. We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley
3. Call Me Athena by Colby Cedar Smith
4. The Monsters of Rookhaven by Padraig Kenny
5. Before We Disappearby Shaund David Hutchinson
6. Wayward Creatures by Dayna Laurentz

Non-fiction book review - How Big is Your Paw

 

How Big is Your Paw? Forest Animals by Kristin J Russo

Personally, I've always had problems visualizing scale. Telling me that an animal weighs up to a ton means very little. I do much better with comparative size and I know that is true of small children as well. It's much easier to imagine the size of an animal when we can see the size of it's paw print compared to a human hand. Pair that comparison with a paragraph of basic information on the animal and you have a solid book for young readers.