A wonderful introduction to Sun Wukong, the beloved "scoundrel hero" of 16th Century China.
The collected adventures of this mischievous hero as he becA wonderful introduction to Sun Wukong, the beloved "scoundrel hero" of 16th Century China.
The collected adventures of this mischievous hero as he becomes an Immortal legend in his search of excitement and enlightenment. Presented as a full-color graphic novel that succeeds in glorious splendor, this new translation rocks the mischievous monkey's escaoades,
Recommended classroom applications:
Compare this version with the deluxe (prose) edition by Wu Cheng'en (Penguin Classics, c2022).
Read the story of The Monkey King (any format), then read and compare the truthfulness of the Monkey King in Gene Luen Yang's Michael L Printz Award winning graphic novel, American Born Chinese (First Second/Roaring Brook Press, c2006).
A fascinating way to learn about the amazing history about one of the 7 Marvels of American Civil Engineering. The subtitle, "The Construction of HoovA fascinating way to learn about the amazing history about one of the 7 Marvels of American Civil Engineering. The subtitle, "The Construction of Hoover Dam and the Vanishing Colorado River", truly describes the depth and breadth of this book. It also provides a foundation for readers to understand why scientists predict that the next world war will be over water.
Divided into five sections, the book opens with details of the effects of the untamed Colorado River as its raging flow damaged crops down river and left behind deep gorges. It then introduces and fleshes out the people involved in building the dam, from the construction superintendent to various skilled workers and their families to the locals who helped them on a day to day basis. Every step taken to carve out and build the dam is detailed, including the extreme danger and risks taken on a daily basis, plus the inherent racism that workers of color experienced. Also included is the daily life of desperate families who tagged along and helped established nearby communities, making homes from their hovels. It closes with the water control creating Lake Mead and the residual effects that is leading to a water crisis in the Southwest.
Backmatter includes a timeline from 1901, with the first diversion of water for irrigation in the Imperial Valley to 2016/2022, with record low levels of Lake Mead; a list and map of dams built along the Colorado River system, source notes, sources consulted, photo credits, and index.
Boughton delivers quite the tale by weaving the history behind the building of the Hoover Dam, the pressures getting the construction done on time, and the social injustices experienced by the construction workers at the time. This narrative nonfiction reads like a novel, as emotional appeal is built-in. Comparisons help to build an understanding of the scale of the dam, frequent use of eyewitness accounts make this personal, and implied questions will build critical thinking skills. Strategically placed captioned B&W primary source images (such as photographs, advertisements, and maps) at key spots help to expand and deepen the reader's understanding of the text. Boughton pulls no punches as he includes mention of underhanded business dealings, microagressions, misogyny, prejudice, and racism against Black, Asian, and Indigenous people. Use of subdivisions, quotations, and sidebars help break up the informational text, making it more user-friendly. In place of a glossary, rich vocabulary words are defined seamlessly within the text.
Pair this title with Elizabeth Mann's Hoover Dam (Wonders of the World series) (Firefly Books, c2001) to young scholars who show an interest in STEM subjects such as architecture and construction, to history buffs interested in the effects of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, and to curious readers just because it is a fascinating slice of politics affecting life in the U.S.
Highly Recommended for grades 7-12. (Adults will enjoy this, as well!)...more
This bilingual English/Japanese book just hit my radar...and I am delighted it did!
Yuko-Chan, an orphaned girl who is blind, works in the Daruma TemplThis bilingual English/Japanese book just hit my radar...and I am delighted it did!
Yuko-Chan, an orphaned girl who is blind, works in the Daruma Temple, listening in on the lessons about Daruma-san in the (boys') school. She takes them into her heart and practices them when making choices. When a nearby volcano erupts and destroys the crops of the nearby villages, the people affected struggled to move forward. One day Yuko-Chan overhears a meeting of nearby leaders discussing how to recover from the disaster. She is determined to help them, and ultimately thinks of the idea of making and selling Daruma dolls.
Seki delivers this fresh tale that has the feeling of folklore by adding cultural touchstones, setting it in Japan during the Edo Period (early 1800's) both in the simple text and the colorful illustrations. The English text is thoughtfully drafted with kindness built in. The art feels very inspired by ukiyo-e, however is decidedly more modern in nature with dark black borders and lines showing movement. In the story, one of the monks is depicted using a Zen garden rake while Yuko-Chan is nearby feeding the koi in the garden pond. Yuko-Chan (female) is always shown outside the door's threshold when serving the leaders (all male) tea and praying, however she breaks this rule when she enters the classroom (of boys) and beats the taiko. Women and children in the town are seen in their traditional kimonos and obis, while men are depicted in either hakama and hanten or in kimonos and happi. All wear zori sandals on their feet and very traditional hairstyles styles. Kids will relate to Yuko-Chan with her backpack, even though it is woven from bamboo, and to creating something using papier-mâché. Seki includes a page of cultural notes in back that detail a bit more about all things Daruma, plus a couple of other Japanese customs.
Useful for studies about Japan, this could also be included in units on modern folktales. Recommended for grades K-5....more
My apologies to the Laceras. I thought I had posted a review for this title months ago. Not sure where it went, so am rewriting a new one...
From the cMy apologies to the Laceras. I thought I had posted a review for this title months ago. Not sure where it went, so am rewriting a new one...
From the creators of Zombies Don't Eat Veggies comes a whole different look at superheroes.
Valentina and her 3 friends form a diverse kid's club called The Wild Ones. Obsessing over monsters, they gather together and describe their own culture's mythical monster. When their apartment building is scheduled to be torn down for redevelopment, they vow to work together to fight the developer. Each summons their respective monster and are surprised at the result.
What a joy-filled romp for kids that comes to a satisfying conclusion. Not only are the kids empowered to become activists for their home, they learn about each other's culture in a non-didactic way. The Laceras work so well together. The digital artwork uses a couple of art styles to add energy an appeal. Limited white space is filled with brilliant colors that pop off a dark background.
Great for a unit on heroes, cultural diversity, advocacy, and friendship.
The third book about Jacob, this one explores use of self-identifying pronouns.
Jacob and his classmates are putting on a school play. Ari, oone of theThe third book about Jacob, this one explores use of self-identifying pronouns.
Jacob and his classmates are putting on a school play. Ari, oone of the children in the class, is adamant about self-identifying with the pronoun "they" rather than "he" or "she". Jacob rationalizes and internalizes this as Ari is all forms of water in the play - the brook, the lake, and the rain. When it comes to his time to speak in the play, Jacob forgets his line. Instead, he says, "Our class is just like a farm. We all help each other grow, and everyone grows up to be what they're supposed to be. Everybody in their own way."
This book comes across as being a bit didactic of the three books with its message of acceptance. The authors add more characters to the story, leaving the reader to figure out each child's role/agenda. It took me (an adult) a couple of times to reread the 3rd 2-page spread that introduces Noah to figure out which child was Noah as there were 5 students and the teacher. Also, the illustrations of the kids is nebulous enough it is hard to determine just how old these kids are. Kindergarten? 1st grade??? They are definitely young (they are shorter than the teacher's waist), yet relate to each other as if they are older. There are a few wordy pages where the text could/should have been edited out for the intended audience.
Chris Case is the same illustrator as in the other two books about Jacob. There is a consistency to the look of each character throughout the series.
While this might be a good option for counselors to use when trying to explain the concept of self-identifying pronouns, depending on your community, I would look around to find another title to explain this difficult concept to young children.
This is a beautiful story about fitting in, yet being true to yourself and your roots.
Loosely based on her own story, Bo Lu tells of an immigrant girlThis is a beautiful story about fitting in, yet being true to yourself and your roots.
Loosely based on her own story, Bo Lu tells of an immigrant girl who wants to fit into her new community, yet appears to be held back by Mama. When Bao is caught shoplifting a doll from the store, the distance between mother and daughter gets larger. Bao apologizes to Mama and explains why she wanted the doll, she really listens to her mother's story of growing up in a children's home without material things. Together, the two open Mama's box of treasures and use its contents to make a doll for Bao - one filled with Mama's bittersweet memories and Bao's love. An Author's Note on how this story mirrors hers is touching.
Lu's gentle, lovely text is well-matched with her illustrations created with Procreate. Heavy use of pinks and reds on white paper when Bao is happy and with her friends is in stark contrast with the dark red and dark blue when Bao and Mama do not relate to each other. The bold red of the page where Bao is caught red-handed is shocking and forces the reader to an abrupt stoppage.
Use in units on immigration, mothers/daughters/family, diversity, and communication.
Full disclosure: I am probably biased for this book, as I had the honor of hearing Augusta Baker when I was in Library School at LSU sometime in 1978-Full disclosure: I am probably biased for this book, as I had the honor of hearing Augusta Baker when I was in Library School at LSU sometime in 1978-79. She was amazing and inspiring and had a huge effect forming my storytelling style.
Augusta Baker listened to the many stories her grandmother had to tell her. She packed those words with her when she went to college to become a teacher, and later a librarian. The narrative continues by detailing how she transformed her NYPL branch children's collection from a collection of prejudiced books into one that was filled with a wide range of Black voices and heroes for the children she served to see themselves. She was rewarded for this good work by being promoted to coordinator of children's services for NYPL and been an inspiration to many people after leaving the library to become a full time storyteller.
McDaniel's writing shows such high regard and respect she holds for Baker. She carefully checks her words and phrases so as not to offend anyone - which I am sure would have made Baker very happy. While some might feel McDaniel is a bit wordy with examples in the middle of the book, it is one of the strengths that supports the importance of the work done by the subject. Backmatter includes a timeline of Baker's life, a list of sources consulted, an Author's Note detailing running into her school librarian at a recent ALA Conference (and a photo of the two of them) with a photo of Augusta Baker talking to a young girl about a book.
CSK Honor winner April Harrison's mixed media collage/acrylic paint/artist pen artwork is stellar, as well. The cover illustration makes Baker's hands larger than life - which is perfect because she did alot of her storytelling with those hands! There is a quilt-feeling to the artwork; examples include the collage tree on the title page, the use of texture on the backgrounds throughout, the clothes of the children listening to Baker storytelling with library books on the shelves behind them, and her sitting at her desk with shelves of books behind her. The result is a cozy, warm blanket you want to wrap yourself up in and read a good story.
Include in units about libraries/librarians during National Library Week, Black history, women's history, National Share a Story Month, and biographies of community helpers.
My rating should be a 4.5, as I rate the text 5.0, art 4.0. I have chose to rate up to 5.
Lucas is proud and happy when he sees he got an A on a reportMy rating should be a 4.5, as I rate the text 5.0, art 4.0. I have chose to rate up to 5.
Lucas is proud and happy when he sees he got an A on a report he wrote for school. Once outside, he notices his life is filled with imperfections. That night he dreams of a perfect world - or is it? When he wakes up, he realizes that perhaps his world is not perfect, rather it is "the right kind of imperfect".
Matt de la Pena has a knack for telling a story that starts out seemingly insignificant, then grabs the reader makes them grasp the significance they should see. His pacing is perfect, as he takes Lucas's hand step-by-step and shows him how boring the world would be if everything was perfect. There is a sense of caring and love for humanity in each word he selects.
Illustrations by Paola Escobar were sketched and colored in Adobe Photoshop, using digital gouache brushes. Using a bright, colorful palette, Lucas' diverse world would spring to life - if Escobar had made a greater use of shadowing on images to make it three dimensional. Everything feels so flat on the page, almost cartoonish. Also, the shadows cast by the limited light of the candles feels off on those two pages with with his mother. They are not nearly as strong as the text.
This would be an excellent title for teachers and counselors to start conversations with students to build understanding that perfection may not be as great as you think it is - that you should look around you and appreciate what you have.
A stunning introduction to the photography work of Roy DeCarava.
A quote by DeCarava sets the tone for this beautiful picture book biography documentinA stunning introduction to the photography work of Roy DeCarava.
A quote by DeCarava sets the tone for this beautiful picture book biography documenting what might have been a typical day for him as he photographs the beauty he saw in Harlem back in the 1950's, when men wore coats, ties, and fedoras, ladies wore dresses, and kids innocently played in the streets. Other quotes by DeCarava are sprinkled throughout the text, set in an italic font. Backmatter includes a short biography about his life and brief discussion of his philosophy of photography, B&W photo of DeCArava, a timeline of his life in relationship to major events that happeed, a photo of his first camera, a bibliography of sources of information about DeCarava and his quotations used in the book, major U.S. art museums that own his work, and picture credits.
The stunning watercolor illustrations by E.B. Lewis are well-matched to the lyric text. I was happy to see Lewis chose to keep the pencil lines in, as they help add definition and shape to the work. Lewis is a master of using color and shape to give an idea of what something looked like. There is just enough abstraction to make the reader have that "good old days" feeling on each 2-page spread. The color palette he selected features browns, golds, and reds, with an occasional pop of blue, green, or yellow. My favorite illustration is the spread with the children playing in the water spraying from the red fire hydrant! Oh the joy that is seen on this page.
Two quibbles. The first is the crumpled soda can image appears to be a recyclable modern can, constructed of all-aluminum with the crimped top. This style can began showing up in the early 1960's. They replaced the soft drink cans of the 1940's and '50's, which were sold in steel or tin cans with flat ends crimped on both top and bottom.
The second is the use of a photograph taken of the front of an apartment building in Harlem sometime between 1935-1939 by an "unknown photographer". Couldn't you have gotten permission to use at least one of DeCarava's photos in the back of the book, perhaps one or two that inspired illustrations in the book? I found the girl in the white dress may have been inspired by "Graduation", 1949. The boy smiling so broadly with a spider web over his head could have been "David", 1964. The opening image of the man walking up the street passing by the white car could have been "Untitled, circa 1960", 1960.
Use in units on Black history, Black artists, photographers, New York in the 1950's, and just inspiration.
Regardless, I Highly Recommend this book for K-grade 6.
Seales' first book is filled with Black Joy as a young girl and her father wake up very early in the morning to ride their horses through the streets Seales' first book is filled with Black Joy as a young girl and her father wake up very early in the morning to ride their horses through the streets of their city.
With a text that is very personal, Seales walks the reader through every step of their joint venture - through the house where they are greeted by Abuelita, onto her daddy's motorcycle, and out to the ranch where the horses are stabled. The girl's joy in riding the horses with her father is found on every page, as she helps him groom her horse Clover, saddle her up and ride around the city until the sun is up and it is time to return to the stable and head home.
C.G. Esperanza's luminous artwork, created using oils on watercolor paper is bright, lively, and filled with action. It is clearly evident this is a loving, close-knit family. Smiles on are on nearly every illustration. The action is always moving forward on the page, leading the reader to turn the page to keep the rhythm of the text. Esperanza makes excellent use of the dark night to show off reflections of light on the horses, the moon, and faces of the father and daughter. There is pop and sizzle here on every two-page spread.
I found myself looking on the Internet to see where this book might have been set, as I knew about the black cowboys in Philadelphia and learned there are more in New York.
Include this intergenerational story in units on family, city life, Black history, horse stories, and father/daughter stories.
This book completes Jarrow's "Spooky Titles" trilogy of books (The Amazing Harry Kellar: Great American Magician and Spooked!). It joins her other serThis book completes Jarrow's "Spooky Titles" trilogy of books (The Amazing Harry Kellar: Great American Magician and Spooked!). It joins her other series of award-winning standalone titles, including The Deadly Trilogy (Red Madness, Fatal Fever, and Bubonic Panic), The Medical Fiascoes Series (Blood and Germs, Ambushed!, and American Murderer), and The Poison Eaters.
The subtitle pretty much sums up the contents of this informational nonfiction book: "How Magicians and Detectives Exposed the Ghost Hoaxes". Jarrow focuses on the history of mediums/spiritualists, tricks used during seances to scam customers, and ghost detectives and psychic frauds. Several chapters cover Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle's friendship/estrangement, Houdini's work in exposing fraudulant mediums, and Houdini's short-time colleague, Rose Mackenberg - who continued her career of being an undercover operative working on busting up fraudulent mediums after Houdini's death. It concludes with a chapter of modern mediums and psychics, as fraudulent mediums continue their scams today. The backmatter includes a timeline of important events surrounding mediums/spirituality in the U.S., a glossary of terms used, a bibliography of suggested titles and places to consult for more information about the topics covered in the book, an Author's Note on the background of the book, Source Notes, extensive list of sources consulted, Index, and Photo Credits.
Jarrow's conversational tone makes reading this book a pleasure - more like reading a fictional title than a history book. Liberal use of newspaper headlines, captioned B&W and full-color photographs, sidebars (in the form of partial-pages, full pages, and 2-page spreads) printed on color pages, and lots of white space make this book appealing to read cover to cover or just to browse. (When reading the chapter on contemporary mediums, I recalled a memory of my own visit to one in the early 1980's.)
Suggested follow up activities for students: 1. To "experience" a seance, older students may want to explore the first half of Gian Carlo Menotti's 1-hour, 2-act tragic operetta "The Medium". There are many videos of this production online. Or they may want to read the libretto (script) aloud: https://www.opera-arias.com/menotti/t... Written in 1945, the seance is in the first act. (Trigger Warning: in the second act, one of the characters is accidentally killed by a gunshot.) 2. Younger students may want to "experience" how mediums perform mind-reading questions in envelopes. Watch one or both clips from the 1947 version of the movie "Nightmare Alley" streaming; Stan performs his mind-reading trick in a night club twice (approx. 1:07:51-1:11:09 or 1:57:00-2:01:54). 3. A third is to watch video modern psychic medium John Edward. There are lots of clips of him on YouTube. Students should note that he charges $850 for a private reading and compare this with the pricing of mediums in the book.
Students interested in ghosts and mystics, criminal justice, and detective work will seek this one out!
Note: A typo was noticed on p.54, the second to last sentence. The sentence should read: "When Harry and Bess included the material in their act, the audience was amazed."
In their second outing after Caves, Beckerman and Kalen Chock have created a lovely overview about volcanoes forReviewed from an advanced reader copy.
In their second outing after Caves, Beckerman and Kalen Chock have created a lovely overview about volcanoes for young listening/readers.
Spare, poetic text by Beckerman discusses many aspects about volcanoes, including types of eruptions, indicators of volcanic activity, and where they are located. The inclusion of a paragraph with facts extending the text, making this useful for early elementary students. A change of font size is useful to readers to show what the author is emphasizing in each 2-page spread. My one quibble with the text: her mention that volcanoes "pop". They don't; they "erupt". The rest of the text is scientific in nature, so this pops out (pun intended). A problematic omission: while Beckerman mentions several volcanoes around the world, her text limits images of where volcanoes are located on Earth to the Ring of Fire. It does not map volcanoes in Hawaii, Iceland and the North Atlantic, those in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, and Indonesia and other islands in Southeast Asia. Also, she addresses 2 of the 3 types of volcanic emissions, omitting the viscous a'a lava that flows so swiftly it forms clinkers on its surface.
Backmatter includes an Author's Note explains her interest in volcanoes, a bibliography for Further Reading includes 4 current books and 1 website on volcanoes that may appeal to the upper range of readers for this book, a list of different kinds of volcanic eruptions and scale of volcanic strength, several FAQs about volcanoes, and 5 additional fun facts about volcanoes.
Kalen Chock's artwork is colorful and very dynamic. He does a great job of capturing both the beauty and danger of this force of nature, depicting faults, volcanoes blowing their tops, and other volcanoes oozing lava. Several look photo-real.
Recommended to use with preschoolers - grade 2 in units on volcanoes, the Earth, and as an early reader. ...more
Claire and Michelle are sisters about a year or so apart who used to have a great rapport between them, A fun summer read about family and friends....
Claire and Michelle are sisters about a year or so apart who used to have a great rapport between them, however have diverged as they entered grade school. Claire, the older, celebrates her Taiwanese American heritage; Michelle prefers to assimilate into the dominant culture at school. When summer arrives, their parents send both girls to a summer camp that focuses on Taiwanese culture. Since Claire had attended this camp in the past, she was selected to be a junior counselor; Michelle rejects the education given in the camp as she does everything she can to be invited to her BF’s summer party – including sending an unflattering photo of Claire to her friend that goes viral. Michelle finally comes around at camp and tries to make amends to Claire. Is it too late for these girls to mend the rift? No spoilers here. You will have to read it to find out.
The award-winning team of LaMotte and Xu (their first GN venture Measuring Up) have returned with a universal story about how sisters can be raised together, separate in their interests, and mend the rift that resulted. LaMotte tells the story with plenty of heart and in a realistic manner. The girls’ experiences at camp are just what you expect them to experience. Art by Ann Xu with colorization by Sunmi feels just right. Though Xu gives the two sisters different hairstyles throughout to help readers differentiate between them in the story, it can be challenging to tell them apart, especially in the camp section where the two are facing off. I appreciate the use of translated Taiwanese at the camp, particularly when singing. LaMotte and Xu combined to be very helpful in the explanation of the tonal sounds making a difference in the meaning of a word sound. Also fascinating was the many different ingredients used in Taiwanese shaved ice. Sunmi’s use of color lends an air of authenticity, as many of the dominant colors used (yellows, greens, browns, and reds) are colors often found in Asian art.
Themes found here: family, sisters, friendships, pride in your heritage, Taiwanese culture, and summer camp. Pair this with Vera Brosgol’s GN, Be Prepared.
In his debut book, Netz creates a fantasy story with shadow demons, mountains that walk and talk, and two brave girls out to save the world. Oh, and oIn his debut book, Netz creates a fantasy story with shadow demons, mountains that walk and talk, and two brave girls out to save the world. Oh, and one of them happens to get around in her wheelchair.
Ever since her father died a year ago, Jerry Blum has been on the move because her mother works as a hotel housekeeper in order to put a roof over their heads. One reason for this move? Jerry’s limited use of her legs due to a genetic disorder requires she must use a wheel chair to get around; she has been the victim of vicious peer bullying in school. She is now being homeschooled. When her mother lands a job at the rundown Slumbering Giant motel, Jerry’s life is about to change. Her mother returns from work with clothes covered in mud, lights blink off and on in the nearby woods at night, she listens to mysterious transmissions on her transistor radio, and she befriends Chapel Bell. A girl about Jerry’s age, Chapel lives in the same hotel and also experienced “othering” at school, as she is the only Black student. One night, Jerry’s mother doesn’t return from her evening “side-job” for the hotel. Jerry, her imaginary friend a dragon named Paul, and Chapel set out to track down Jerry’s mother – who went into the very woods she has been warned to stay away from – in order to bring her home.
Netz, who is a wheelchair user, has filled this curious story with plenty of action and reaction, twists and turns, and a heroine who doesn’t let her wheelchair keep her down. In fact, the wheelchair often becomes part of her “superpower” as she races down hillsides while evading the demons living in the woods. After a slow start building this world, it takes off with skirmishes with the beast-demons and step-by-step problem-solving by Jerry and Chapel on how to ultimately rid the woods of the monsters.
An excellent choice to see themselves or build empathy for people with disabilities, particularly for those who require a wheelchair.
In this bilingual collection of over 80 poems written in English with Spanish sprinkled in the text, readers can then flip the book over to read it inIn this bilingual collection of over 80 poems written in English with Spanish sprinkled in the text, readers can then flip the book over to read it in Spanish. Mexican-American novelist-poet Saldaña (author of The Jumping Tree and The Whole Sky Full of Stars) shares his youthful experience with books and writing. He opens with a poem with multiple responses to the question: “How do you become a writer?” by giving on that is snooty, distant, cold, and stupid, then responds with a genuine answer: “It’s complicated”.
Each poem is a vignette of an event or about a person in his life who has held great influence on him as both a reader and writer. They include his parents, his teachers and school librarian, other authority figures, friends and girlfriends, and life events such as his first (and last) kiss, music, running into Border Patrol, selecting books to read for school, and seeing himself in a book. While several poems such as “This Aine Nothing Like Reading” and “My Very First Car Worth Mentioning Was an Orange ‘57 Chevy” are riddled with fun and humor, others are tempered with the difficulties he or others in his family experienced such as the series of 10 numbered poems titled “Waiting Our Turn at the Border Patrol Checkpoint, Falfurrias, TX”. His interest and growth in learning to read and write is chronicled in a way that many non-readers will enjoy – particularly in “A Book, an Escape”.
Saldaña uses several types of poetry, including concrete, free verse, tercets, and couplets to tell his story. He includes several of his poems which have been previously published elsewhere. Note: The Spanish translation was not reviewed.
Include this in units on author studies and in Spanish classes.
This overview of the presidential elections process in the U.S. is very thorough and includes many fun facts that even I didn’t knowReviewed from ARC.
This overview of the presidential elections process in the U.S. is very thorough and includes many fun facts that even I didn’t know!
Divided into The Basics (a general review of how our government is set up), Running for President (the process of campaigning), Get Out the Vote (an overview of election day that includes information about gerrymandering), And the Next President Is… (the Electoral College, several election results, the transition process), Life in the White House (daily life in the White House), and Your Vote Matters! (actionable things kids can do). Backmatter includes a list of the Presidents with their political party and years in office, glossary (definitions not seen), and Index (not seen).
Katzman, a journalist who writes nonfiction for children, achieves a nice balance of spitting out facts with processing how they fit together to explain the election process in our country. Her writing is light and witty, with fun facts included as sidebars throughout the book. The format of the book will appeal to youngsters in upper elementary school today, as it is set up as chunks of information in a fun format. The timeline for the race for president is set up like a gameboard, with squares that proceed from the start on one page to the finish on the next.
While this will be a welcome addition for the November 2024 election, I suspect this will become dated quickly (within the next 4 years), as it includes current information and situations that may change with the 2024 election. Also, the section “Nobody’s Above the Law” could deliver incorrect information with the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.
An error was noted on p.36. Based on recent scholarship, William Henry Harrison died not of pneumonia, but of severe gastroenteritis caused by typhoid fever. (It is interesting to see that the White House Presidents website cites the two different theories on its website in different places!) The staff at the William Henry Harrison Tomb are stating “typhoid fever”.
In her debut children's book, Schultz has mixed results.
Tom the Bully yells out ugly remarks that make Lola and all the kids in the neighborhood thinkIn her debut children's book, Schultz has mixed results.
Tom the Bully yells out ugly remarks that make Lola and all the kids in the neighborhood think poorly about themselves. When the local bookstore owner (why not librarian????) empowers Lola to stand up to Tom, he collapses and admits he is new in the neighborhood and looking for attention.
Digital(?) illustrations by Sandy Rodriguez are bright and cheery, but not "special".
Celebrity Shultz tells a nicely paced story about how to deal with bullies. (But do we really need to have one more book about how to deal with a bully?) Bottom line: this is a message story....
This fictionalized scrapbook of a group of students who marched for their right to attend a segregated school in Ohio.
The backmatter includes 2 pagesThis fictionalized scrapbook of a group of students who marched for their right to attend a segregated school in Ohio.
The backmatter includes 2 pages of the 19 mothers who were instrumental in driving this group, an author's note about the march, a note from the illustrator, a note from the OH Humanities Council, a timeline, a current photo of several Lincoln School Marchers (as adults), a list of marchers. There is no verification/documentation for the quotes that appear in the book (I recall the author's note stating it was largely oral history used for the story), a bibliography of adult books, magazines, and a website consulted, and photo credits.
Artwork by Nypha Lilly (also from Ohio) is primitive and feels untrained as it is muddy-looking and poorly laid out on the page. It includes newspaper clippings, photos, drawings, Post-It Notes with messages on them. There does not appear to be a focus for each two-page spread. The text in the boxes feels choppy when reading it. Some of the boxes have captions, others none. The font used has a heavy top line in only the capital "D", making it feel top heavy and out of place.
Due to book layout, this will be a difficult book to share with a group of students and will be more useful in a one-to-one situation.
This ends up more like an homage to the mothers than to the students and suffers from poor book design.
Optional purchase for units on segregation, Ohio school stories, and diversity for grades 3-5....more
Tale of a boy from Puerto Rico who moves to New York City, leaving behind his beloved grandparents and pet frog. (Coqui translates from Spanish as "frTale of a boy from Puerto Rico who moves to New York City, leaving behind his beloved grandparents and pet frog. (Coqui translates from Spanish as "frog".). In his memory, PR is bright, colorful, and busy, with NYC not quite as bright (perhaps its luster has worn off over the years?), but just as busy. He spends much time comparing the two diverse places, finding many of the same things in both places including frogs in the City Park. Perez sprinkles in some Spanish in the text. Does anyone find the boy's very round head odd?
This will be a welcome addition to units on immigration and moving. Recommended for grades PreS-3...more
Written by an author who has a disability and is neurodiverse, this picture book biography tells of the life of one of the first superstars of women'sWritten by an author who has a disability and is neurodiverse, this picture book biography tells of the life of one of the first superstars of women's swimming.
Due to a medical condition, young Annette was unable to dance. As a result, her father took her to the ocean, where she learned to swim and dance there. She began performing for audiences around the world, designing a practical swimsuit in the process.
This is an engaging story with charming digital artwork that is colorful, with largely blue colors used (as she is in the water!).
Useful for units on sports, disabilities, Women's History, and persistence.
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