Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Annie B is Made for TV!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Annie B, Made for TV!, by Amy Dixon, (June 218, Running Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9780762463855

Recommended for readers 7-10

Annie Brown is an 11-year-old who always seems to come in second to her best friend, Savannah. Savannah seems unable to do any wrong: she wins the big awards at school, she’s the MVP of the school track team, and she’s a straight-A student. Savannah tries to be a supportive best friend, and when a local web show called The Cat’s Meow holds auditions, Savannah just knows that Annie has to try out! After all, no one comes up with wacky “As Seen on TV”-type products like she does! Annie’s own dad calls them her “wrinventions”, and they include things like Apology Armor (extra padding on those knees). But Annie freezes at the audition… and Savannah lands the role of announcer, which causes a rift in their friendship – even when Annie is brought on as a show writer. Can Annie outfit herself in some Apology Armor and patch things up with Savannah?

This is one of those middle grade novels that so many readers will understand! Who hasn’t felt jealous of a good friend, especially if they seem to have it all? Who hasn’t felt the disappointment of missing out on something like being cast for a school play, or making a sports team? Amy Dixon captures realistic scenarios and real feelings in the form of a spunky, funny protagonist who wants to be Lucy, but maybe is a little more Ethel. Annie B. Made for TV reminds me of Sarvenaz Tash’s Belle of the Ball, a great story from the anthology The Radical Element. It’s not always about being the one in the spotlight, but about knowing your strengths and how to work them. This one’s a fun, smart read for middle graders, and is filled with black and white line drawings of Annie’s best “wrinventions”.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Snail Mail celebrates the art of letter-writing!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Snail Mail, by Samantha Berger/Illustrated by Julia Patton, (May 2018, Running Press), $17.99, ISBN: 978-0-762462-51-3

Recommended for readers 4-6

This adorable story celebrates the special touches that correspondence sent by “snail mail” – mail sent (GASP!) without electronic communication. Real letters! Birthday cards! Letters to Santa, postcards, and love letters! In Samantha Berger’s latest book, four snails (Dale Snail, Gail Snail, Colonel McHale Snail, and Umbérto) trek across the country to deliver a special letter from a Girl to her friend, a Boy. As they travel, they take the time to explore the country; the deserts, canyons, rainbows and sunsets, experiencing beautiful and not-so-great weather, until they arrive in a giant city and find the Boy.

Snail Mail is a love letter (wink) to slowing down and enjoying life. It’s about a handwritten letter and why they’re so much nicer than emails and texts; it’s about taking the time to write a letter, see a sunset, road trip across the country and experience life. As the author writes, “Although it took much longer, everyone agreed that some things were just A LITTLE more special when they were delivered by Snail Mail.” The snails each have their own personality, and work together to bring the Girl’s letter on a journey to its recipient, always uttering their Snail Mail Promise, “Neither rain, nor snow, nor heat, nor hail will stop a snail from bringing the mail.” Letter delivered, the snails are rewarded with their own mail: medals and a congratulatory letter; “something they could have only gotten through Snail Mail.”

Snail Mail is a thoroughly enjoyable story that would be adorable to follow or start off a program on letter writing and pen pals. I found this cute graphic organizer on This Reading Mama that would be great for teaching the parts of a letter to younger readers, and Reading Rockets has a nice introduction to letter writing for kids. has a starred review from Kirkus.

(Pair this with Dashka Slater’s Escargot and discuss: are Escargot and Umberto related? They share a common fashion interest!)

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

What beast does your anger look like?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Simon and the Big, Bad, Angry Beasts: A Book About Anger, by Ian De Haes, (Apr. 2018, Flyaway Books), $16, ISBN: 9780664263553

Recommended for readers 4-7

Simon is a little boy with a BIG temper. And when his temper flares, he feels like different animals: a ramming goat, a roaring lion, even a giant dragon! At first, it feels wonderful to have that kind of control over people’s reactions, but eventually, who wants to worry about someone’s bad temper? Simon finds himself feeling pretty lonely until he learns how to tame some of those big, bad, angry beasts.

Simon and the Big, Bad, Angry Beasts is a smart, visual way to start a discussion about anger and anger management. Simon’s anger manifests as exceedingly larger animals as his temper runs unchecked, and his anger gives him a feeling of power: “It was great, it was marvelous, it was magical…” until his anger alienates everyone around him. Kids will enjoy and understand the powerful feelings that come with anger, and the illustrated beasts help with visualization, and can help kids communicate their feelings when tempers flare. Repetitive phrases like “it was great…” reinforces understanding – anger can make someone feel big and powerful, especially a child who may feel otherwise powerless – while leading into the moment where “it” is no longer great, marvelous, or magical, it is lonely; the story encourages readers to seek out meditation and relaxation practices to help, like Simon, control the beasts. A section for parents and educators at the end discusses anger management in children.

Simon and the Big, Bad, Angry Beasts is a nice addition to books on emotions and feelings. Similar books include Molly Bang’s When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry and Rachel Vail’s Sometimes I’m Bombaloo.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Bathroom Boogie puts some funk into bathtime!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Bathroom Boogie, by Clare Foges/Illustrated by Al Murphy, (May 2018, Faber & Faber), $16.95, ISBN: 9780571340453

Recommended for readers 3-7

Bathtime becomes funtime in this rhyming companion to 2015’s Kitchen Disco! When we go off to school and work everyday, do we really know what’s going on at home? Bathroom Boogie assures us that there’s a party in the bathroom as DJ Shampoo gets the beats thumping, Toothpaste gets funky, and Mouthwash busts a move. It’s funny, it’s fun, it’s just like one of my kiddo’s favorite books, Food Fight! by Carol Diggory Shields (2002). The toiletries and accessories go wild, make a mess, and clean it all up before we get home – whew!

There’s great rhyme and repetition: “It’s called the BATHROOM BOOGIE/And everyone’s invited!/So blow your whistles/Shake your bristles/Let’s get all excited!” and the drawings a bold, cartoony, and have big googly eyes and silly facial expressions that kids will love. The font looks almost marker-written, with bold, outlined words for emphasis and add to the fun, and the endpapers sport assorted bathroom graffiti (no phone numbers or limericks, this is a family book). This book is hilarious and fun, perfect for storytime reading and rapping – there’s even a book trailer to get kids raring to go:

Perfect fun for storytime reading, bedtime reading, anytime reading. Originally published in the UK, Bathroom Boogie debuts here in the States on May 15th.

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books

La Frontera: An #OwnVoices story in two languages

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis
La Frontera: El viaje con papá – My Journey with Papa, by Alfredo Alva and Deborah Mills/Illustrated by Claudia Navarro, (May 2018, Barefoot Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781782853886
Recommended for readers 6-10
This bilingual picture book tells the true story of the author’s childhood migration, with his father, from Mexico to Texas to find work and a better life. Young Alfredo and his family live in a small Mexican village, where his father, grandfather, and uncle work as laborers. When the labor becomes too difficult for Alfredo’s grandfather, Alfredo and his father must leave their village and cross la frontera (the border) to find work.
Based on the author’s true story,  La Frontera: El viaje con papá takes place in the 1980s, but resonates with readers today: a child and his father leave everything they know to come to the United States for a new life. The boy has to adjust to a new culture, new language, and new people; people who may not always be welcoming. Claudia Navarro’s artwork is expressive and warm at times, harrowing in others, providing an emotional punch to the story: the crossing itself, in particular.
The book is bilingual English and Spanish, which makes me so happy. These books build a bridge between two cultures by sharing a language; I loved having them at my last library, where most of my patrons are bilingual Spanish/English language learners. It works on an empathy-building level, too; sharing a story together can speak volumes to readers who may not understand another’s struggles. Here, a personal story with strong themes of family, separation, migration, poverty, and resilience can illustrate what a nightly news story may not. Back matter discusses the author’s background, borders, and immigration, and features photos.
 La Frontera: El viaje con papá has a starred review from Booklist and is a Junior Library Guild Selection for the 2018 elementary Spanish category. It’s a worthy add to Own Voices collections. Booktalk this with another powerful bilingual picture book, Somos como las nubes/We Are Like the Clouds, by Jorge Argueta.
Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds, Healthy Preschoolers!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve been loving the books that publisher Walter Foster Jr. has put out the last several months. They’ve been promoting writers, artists, and concepts that introduce kids to different ways of looking at life: different colors, languages, and songs, for a few. There are two more books out this month that speak to young readers once more; this time, addressing mental and physical health. Let’s take a look.

ABC: Mindful Me (ABC for Me), by Christiane Engel, (March 2018, Walter Foster Jr.), $16.95, ISBN: 9781633225107

Recommended for readers 3-6

Christiane Engel’s ABC for Me series is so good for young readers and listeners. Her Baby Signs book illustrates the ABCs by introducing readers to simple sign language words that parents and children can use to communicate together; with ABC: Mindful Me, children learn the ABCs of being present and aware of themselves and the world around them. Using rhyme and child-friendly illustration, little ones learn about compassion and Zen; yoga and mandalas. There are even activities for caregivers and kids to work on together: make a mandala using found objects; make a gratitude tree, engage in some deep breathing and meditation. An index at the end helps us grownups refer to the 26 different “mindfulness pillars” introduced throughout the book. It’s a nice addition to young reader collections, and could be a good add to storytimes (especially yoga storytimes) and social discussions about empathy and kindness to ourselves and others.

 

My First Book of Pilates: Pilates for Children, by Rida Ouerghi/Illustrated by Elsa Fouquier, (May 2018, Walter Foster Jr.), $16.95, ISBN: 9781633225893

Recommended for readers 3-6

This is SO cute, and so perfect for my toddler/preschool yoga kids. An introduction to Pilates, this fits right in with books like Downward Dog with Diego, where kids learn simple yoga poses through animal illustrations. My First Book of Pilates offers a little more information, introducing readers to 12 Pilates poses, one per spread. On the left hand page, Rida Ouerghi and Elsa Fouquier use creative visualization to show us anthropomorphic explanations that make perfect sense to kids – imagine being a boat floating on the water; imagine rolling around like a hedgehog – and on the right hand page, an illustrated child recreating the Pilates pose, with simple instructions. There are some helpful tips at the beginning of the book to get your kiddos started. Absolute fun, and absolutely adorable! During a storytime, you can easily add some mindfulness practice in with the imagines, too: ask the kids to close their eyes and envision themselves floating on the water, rolling like a ball, or feeling their legs become strong, like trees.

Posted in Middle School, Non-Fiction, Tween Reads, Women's History, Young Adult/New Adult

House of Dreams looks at a classic author’s life

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery, by Liz Rosenberg/Illustrated by Julie Morstad, (June 2018, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9780763660574

Recommended for readers 10+

This illustrated biography of Maud Montgomery, the author of the Anne of Green Gables series, is a must-have for middle school and up biography readers. Her mother died when she was a toddler; her father left her in the care of her grandparents, and Maud grew up wanting more: passionate love and affection; education; a career as an author. She dealt with anxiety and depression throughout her life, and married for security rather than love. Drawing on correspondence and her unpublished journals, Liz Rosenberg draws a picture of a woman who led an often difficult life and who struggled against her circumstances to create one of the most memorable literary characters of all time.

It’s not always an easy read. Reading about Maud’s struggle against greedy publishers and her own gold-digging son can be rage-inducing, as is her fight to continue her education against the grandfather who refused to help her. Her callous uncle left Maud and her widowed grandmother to live in horrible conditions, waiting for his own mother to die so he could inherit her home, left to him by his father. But we also read about Maud’s devotion to her Prince Edward Island home, her lifelong love of writing, and her success at being able to sustain an income by writing.

L.M. Montgomery was a complex, conflicted woman and her struggles with mental health and financial independence make her more real, more three-dimensional, to readers who will understand and be inspired.

Posted in Graphic Novels, Non-fiction

Two more Science Comics coming your way this Summer!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Science Comics is adding two more titles to their line this summer, just in time for Summer Reading!

Science Comics: Rockets – Defying Gravity, by Anne Drozd & Jerzy Drozd, (June 2018, First Second), $12.99, ISBN: 9781626728257

Recommended for readers 8-12

In June, we get a deeper look at Rockets. Readers get a guided tour by an early rocket prototype in the form of a pigeon (nope, no joke) and take a trip through the history of gravity, force, acceleration, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and the history of rockets past, present, and possible future. Readers are going to love seeing the evolution of rockets from steam-powered to jet-fueled and beyond. The many animals that have been part of our space programs get their say, here, too: from bears, to chimpanzees, to dogs, and more, there are full-color spreads loaded with colorful illustrations and packed with information. Resources at the end of the book are ready to guide interested readers.

If you haven’t enjoyed Jerzy Drozd’s comics before, you are in for a treat. His work for the Marvel Superhero Squad game is great, and he’s got a kid-friendly webcomic, Boulder and Fleet, on his page. Anne Drozd is a librarian and space enthusiast, so you know she’s got the goods.

 

Science Comics: Trees, by Andy Hirsch, (Aug. 2018, First Second), $12.99, ISBN: 9781250143105

Recommended for readers 8-12

In August, we meet a little acorn on his journey to become a mighty oak in Trees. Kids interested in nature and ecology will love this brightly illustrated, fact-filled journey through nature, learning about different types of trees and how they are living, breathing beings that work with and contribute to their environment. This volume has a fun sense of play about it, with a spunky little friend to follow through nature. I just wish this one were out earlier, so I could feature it when I start my planting program in a few weeks – the illustration and discussion on how seeds always know which way to grow is amazing!

If you enjoyed the Dogs Science Comic, or read Varmints, you may recognize Andy Hirsch’s work. You can also visit his website, A for Andy, for more illustrations.

 

Posted in Intermediate, Middle Grade, Non-fiction, Non-Fiction, picture books

Inspector Croc helps kids manage their emotions

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Inspector Croc’s Emotion-O-Meter, by Susanna Isern/Illustrated by Mónica Carretero, (May 2018, NubeOCHO), $22.95, ISBN: 9788417123079

Recommended for readers 7-10

Inspector Croc, the great emotion inspector, is here to help kids identify and manage their emotions in this entertaining and insightful book from NubeOCHO. Accompanied by Yippee, an Emi (emotion) from a large family of emotions, kids will learn what an emotion is, how to identify behaviors associated with emotions, and read through Inspector Croc’s case files; 10 cases where emotions came into play. He introduces his Emotion-O-Meter, allowing kids to identify whether they are feeling emotions on a low, medium, or high level of intensity, and gives kids the ability to put their feelings into words. Finally, we get “recipes” for working with both good and bad emotions, and the Inspector explains that sometimes, emotions like sadness are good and right for us to feel, but that we also have to learn how to let them go when it’s time.

It’s a smart book that addresses ideas that can be tough for kids to identify and express; author Susanna Isern respectfully talks to readers and uses empowering language to promote understanding and courtesy. Mónica Carretero’s animal artwork is cartoony and light, but don’t dismiss that: she illustrates, in detail, various emotions and uses facial expressions to illuminate the physical changes our emotions bring about. It’s a very mindful book, and encourages self-exploration. The book has a dust jacket with an emotion-o-meter on the back cover, but if this book is used in a classroom or library setting, it’s not going to last: do yourselves a favor, and make this a great class project/library program. This would go wonderfully with a viewing of Pixar’s Inside Out (2015).

Inspector Croc’s Emotion-O-Meter is also available in Spanish.

Posted in Fiction, Intermediate, picture books

Art inspires storytelling in Anna and Johanna

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Anna and Johanna, by Géraldine Elschner/Illustrated by Florence Koenig, (Apr. 2018, Prestel-Penguin/Random House), $14.95, ISBN: 9783791373454

Recommended for readers 5-10

Inspired by two of Dutch artist Jan Vermeer’s paintings, this story of two friends who discover a secret on their shared birthday spins a creative imagining and appreciation of art. Anna and Johanna are two girls, living in the 17th century, and celebrating their shared 12th birthday. Anna, the daughter of the master of the house, makes a lace collar for Johanna, the daughter of the housemaid. Johanna is making a lovely breakfast for Anna, complete with handmade chocolate. As the two prepare to spend their birthday together, Anna spies a note from her father, unveiling a secret about the two girls that brings them even closer together.

Vermeer’s paintings, “The Milkmaid” and “The Lacemaker“, inspired this story, as explained in the back matter, along with a discussion about Vermeer. The artwork is Vermeer-inspired, with beautiful blues, yellows throughout the story; the art looks hand-painted, with visible brushstrokes. I love how the text and artwork take Vermeer’s artwork and weave a story around it; while the story itself is inspired by “The Milkmaid” and “The Lacemaker”, guide readers to notice details from Vermeer’s Delft paintings, like “The Little Street” and “View of Delft“. The author and illustrator even draw an actual figure from Vermeer’s lifetime into the story, a painter named Carel Fabritius, and his work, “The Goldfinch“.

This isn’t a read-aloud book; there’s a nice amount of story to be told here. It is a wonderful addition to art history programs, where you can invite readers to create their own stories based on works of art. You can make it fun by bringing fandom into it! Show kids one of the many Star Wars mockups of Van Gogh’s Starry Night, for instance:

Source: MJTIllustrationLLC on Etsy

Or maybe a Sesame Street-style Great Wave Off Kanagawa is more your style:

 Source: Laughing Squid

The point is, art and imagination go hand-in-hand. Show kids that they can create a story from someone else’s story!