Picture books for everyone - Big Bertha

 

Big Bertha by Amanda Abler

If you are dealing with a kid who loves big machines, this is a unique story to read them. Instead of the standard dump trucks and excavators, this is the story of a boring machine. Presented in a narrative style we follow the impetus for the tunnel, the engineer behind the project, the problems that arose, and the public sentiment for the project. It's an easy to follow narrative that uses accessible vocabulary. Heavily illustrated it includes back matter for more in depth information and a few photos.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Not Another Banned Book

 

Title: Not Another Banned Book

Author: Dana Alison Levy

Genre: Realistic fiction

Similar books: Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes

                      Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

Rating:

takes some interesting turns

Summary (provided by publisher): No matter what was going on in Molly's life at home, she always had book club at school. Whether she's dealing with a death in the family or her parent's breaking the news they want to move she is able to read a new book and escape life...even if it is just for a little bit. 

But when someone anonymously notifies school boards about a controversial book in the classroom, her favorite teacher Ms. Lewsiton is suspended...and book club is a banned for the immediate future. 

With weeks until graduation, Molly has never felt more lost. She knows she needs to do something--anything--to prove to everyone that the books they read with Ms. Lewsiton are more important than the adults may realize. 

With her group of friends, Molly will fight to save her book club from writing their favorite author to protests on the football field. Molly will discover that standing up for what you believe in is only half the battle...but will she find she is fully ready to make a change for readers just like her?

My opinion: My first reaction to the idea of this book amounted to "not another banned-books book." There are an awful lot of books out there about kids fighting book bans. And if that's all this was it would be worthy of a weary sigh. But Levy doesn't just give us kids protesting an unfair decision. This book looks at a lot of context, both within the school system and in the character's lives, for the situation. Really, it's less about the book ban and more about Molly's motivation for fighting the situation. It asks what things are worth fighting and when you look for alternatives. This is a more complex, introspective narrative and is well worth reading and discussing.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

May the Best Player Win by Kyla Zhao - May loves playing chess. But when she's given a special award at a tournament her friend Ralph says something hurtful and the two find themselves in competition to prove which of them is best.

What did you recently finish reading?

Practical Rules for Cursed Witches by Kayla Cottingham - Delilah planned to use her Calling to break the curse on her family but her Calling is hijacked the curse on the Pelumbra twins. She dedicates herself to breaking their curse and saving her new friends. The rest of the Pelumbras, though, don't want the curse broken. And they'll stop at nothing to keep things the way they are.

What do you think you'll read next?

Danica dela Torre, Certified Sleuth by Mikaela Lucido

Listen with me

 

Something's About to Blow Up by Sam Blake

When you start a book with an explosion at a school and introduce the idea that the teen characters are investigating, the reader is going to expect a mystery/thriller. But that's not exactly what this book is. Instead, we get more of a slow exploration of the secrets that these kids are keeping. As the girls dig into their memories, find photos, and talk to peripheral characters, they discover just how much about what is going on they don't understand. While that means there aren't car chases or tense stand-offs, it makes for surprisingly compelling reading. Each character brings a different perspective into the mystery and the tight time frame keeps the plot moving even as most of the action takes place elsewhere. It may not be a thrilling book, but it is interesting and well worth the time to read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone - Barefoot Skateboarders

 

Barefoot Skateboarders by Rina Singh

At face value this is a very simple story of kids learning to skateboard and a sport opening up opportunities for a disadvantaged community. That is certainly an element at play here. An older child could read this book and prompt a discussion about cultural barriers and children leading the way for change. Or about not letting pride get in the way of a good experience. Being open to learning from others. The art and vocabulary are simple enough to be understood by young readers with little help and for older readers it may prompt some deeper exploration of topics.

More information: Barefoot Skateboarders releases September 17
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - All the Ways to Go

 

Title: All the Ways to Go

Author: Jessie Janowitz

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen

                      Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill

Rating:

compelling and unique

Summary (provided by publisher): Milo Bloom, chess prodigy, has a secret: he doesn't want to play chess anymore. If only he had the courage to tell someone. Instead, he blows a major chess tournament on purpose. If no one knows he wants to quit, no one can be disappointed in him.  

The problem is, winning that tournament was a ticket to chess camp, and the loss means his summer plans are shot. Enter Roxie, a girl he's never met, who shows up at his door uninvited to tell him all about how he and his mom will be spending the whole summer with her and her mom in the "cat room" in their New Jersey home…what?  

Surprise! Before Milo knows what's hit him, he's living at Roxie's house, where creepy cats rule, meat products are banned, and Roxie, who doesn't seem to understand the concept of personal space, won't give him a second alone.  

But when Milo and Roxie stumble across two people playing a fascinating game they've never seen before, they become determined to learn the ancient game of Go. Between late-night library adventures and creating a Go club at their summer camp, Milo and Roxie form an unexpected friendship, realizing they have a lot more to learn from each other than just the game of Go. That is, if Milo can face his fears and tell his mom how he really feels about chess so he can stop living a lie. 

My opinion: A story about a chess prodigy feels like it should have a narrow audience but that isn't the case here. Janowitz had captured a sort of universality in this narrative. Milo's story isn't one about excelling at something and losing how you define yourself. It's about losing your passion and feeling directionless. It's about fearing what people will think of you and being confronted by things that you hate on principle. Even as Milo makes choices that we know will turn out badly we root for him to find his way and we cheer as he slowly opens up to new experiences. With a small but compelling cast of characters this is a strong read for any kid who has ever felt lost and like an outsider.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Oh No They Didn't: Presidents

 

Oh No They Didn't: Presidents by Eric Huang

The construction here is a clear one - we are presented with an often repeated "fact" about a president and then the truth of the matter. Many of these corrections will be familiar but several were new to me. We don't get much beyond the correction in terms of historical context but as a quick entertainment it's a solid choice.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley