Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Susan B. Anthony, Inner Lights, and owning your voice: Susie B. Won’t Back Down

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Susie B. Won’t Back Down, by Margaret Finnegan, (Oct. 2021, Atheneum), $17.99, ISBN: 9781534496361

Ages 8-12

Susie Babuszkiewicz is a fifth grader with a lot to say: she’s worried about polar bears, she’ll let you know it’s not fair that she’s got to be called Susie B. now that there’s another Susie – one who spells her name all cool, like Soozee – in her school, and she really dislikes the Usual Geniuses who always get called on in class and get picked for cool things in school. Kids like Susie, who have “butterflies” in their brain? They never get called on unless it’s to criticize or ask if they’re paying attention, and she’s tired of it! She and her best friend, her spark, Joselyn, decide to run for seats on the student council to give “normal” kids a chance. Susie wants to be student council president so that she can raise awareness for polar bears and “get to be the boss of everyone… AND eternal glory”. Susie B. doesn’t seem to have the biggest grasp on 5th grade politics just yet, but that’s okay: aspirations are good!

The elections serve as the backdrop to Susie’s growth trajectory; the main focus of the novel. Written as journal entries to Susan B. Anthony, the topic of Susie’s hero research project, Susie learns that our heroes are human to a fault, friendships can be fleeting, and eternal glory may not be within reach by fifth grade, but learning to love yourself and advocate for yourself is. Brilliantly written in the first person, Susie B. has a sense of humor and pathos that readers will love and see themselves in. There is a strong subplot of Susan B. Anthony, and other “heroes of history”, having human foibles – and how we can appreciate the good that they do while not shying away from – not whitewashing over – the human failings.

Positive portrayals of neurodivergent characters, great pacing, and high relatability makes Susie B. Won’t Back Down a great book for classroom discussions and pleasure reading. Don’t miss this one.
Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Blog Tour and Giveaway: I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

“I am, because you are.”

Ubuntu is more than just a word; it’s a philosophy. It’s an African ideal that speaks to the concept of community as a building block of society; we share a bond as humans that connects us all. Author Refiloe Moahloli and illustrator bring that idea to life in their picture book, I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu.

I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu, by Refiloe Moahloli/Illustrated by Zinelda McDonald,
(Feb. 2021, Amazon Crossing Kids), $17.99, ISBN: 9781542035668
Ages 4-7

Originally published in South Africa in 2020, I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu is filled with inspiring, powerful messages that all come back to an essential element: I am you. I love you, and I love myself. By caring for you, I care for myself; to hurt you is to hurt myself. Refiloe Moahloli tells her story in simple, uncomplicated, evocative verse, repeating this simple and dynamic idea. Zinelda McDonald’s digital illustration shows children of all color interacting with one another; they hug, they ride bikes, they share laughs, warmth, and friendship, illustrating the idea of caring as community. A breathtaking spread shows a tree hosting life above and below ground, and a child hugs it, becoming part of nature’s web: we are connected to each other, and that includes every living thing.

An essential book for readalouds and collections, I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu is a gentle voice encouraging unity in an increasingly divisive time. A gorgeous marriage of verse and illustration that you and your readers will turn to again and again. Read it to babies, read it to children, read it to adults.

I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu has a starred review from School Library Journal.

Amazon Crossing Kids aims to increase the diversity of children’s books in translation and encourage young reading from a range of cultural perspectives.

★“[Refiloe] Moahloli’s work makes for a stunning picture book for young readers and their grown-ups that focuses on our shared sense of community…. Celebrates our shared humanity and the strength in treating others with love and respect. A recommended first purchase.” ―School Library Journal (starred review)

“An edifying, unifying picture book that’s much needed in these divisive times.” ―Kirkus Reviews

 

Refiloe Moahloli is a bestselling South African picture book author. She is passionate about writing stories that bring out the best in the human spirit. She spent the early part of her career in the corporate world, but an eye-opening assignment to Mumbai led her to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time writer. She currently lives and works in Johannesburg. Learn more at refiloemoahloli.com, and follow her on Instagram @RefiloeMoahloli.

Zinelda McDonald is an award-winning South African illustrator who lives in Wellington in the Western Cape of South Africa. She has illustrated numerous children’s books and is also a well-known designer and illustrator of children’s book covers. Awards for her work include the Alba Bouwer Prize and the Exclusive Books IBBY SA Award. Follow her on Instagram @Zinelda.

One lucky winner will receive a copy of I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu, courtesy of Amazon Crossing Kids (U.S. and Canada addresses).  If you’ve won a Rafflecopter giveaway in the last six months, please don’t enter again: give someone else a chance! Thanks so much! Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway here!
Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Happy Book Birthday to Amah Faraway!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Amah Faraway, by Margaret Chiu Greanias/Illustrated by Tracy Subisak (Jan. 2022, Bloomsbury Children’s Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781547607211

Ages 3-6

Intergenerational relationships, the Chinese diaspora, and childhood anxiety come together in a family story with a wonderful literary device. Kylie is a young girl living in San Francisco with her mom. Her Amah – Taiwanese for grandmother – lives in Taipei. The two connect over videochats, but when it’s time to visit Amah in Taipei, Kylie is worried. Videochats are fun, but in person? In a different country? That’s very different! Kylie is initially shy and hesitant, but a day at the hot springs changes everything, and Kylie joyfully embraces Amah and Taipei; so much that, when it’s time to go home, Kylie wants to turn right around and come back soon! Author Margaret Chiu Greanias shows the shift in Kylie’s thinking by using the same lines of the story from beginning to middle and middle to end, reversing them so that we can see how they touch differently, once Kylie has her “aha!” moment at the hot spring. It’s a wonderful literary device, brought to life with Tracy Subisak’s colorful mixed media illustration. Endpapers feature words in English and Chinese, with pronunciation and Hanzi. Illustrations move between picture book spreads and comic book word bubbles to capture dialogue. Amah Faraway beautifully captures the growing relationship between a child and a grandparent on two separate shores. Back matter includes notes from the author and illustrator and a note on Taipei.

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Working Doggos!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

You have to love doggos with jobs! Here are two books about hard-working pups.

Major Makes History: From the Shelter to the White House, by Jill Twiss/Illustrated by Maribel Lechuga, (Sept. 2021, HarperCollins), $18.99, ISBN: 9780063118768

Ages 4-8

Narrated by President Biden’s First Dog, Major Makes History is all about Major’s humble beginnings, how he “rescued” Joe Biden, and became a hard-working Presidential dog, giving a nod to his mentoring by (now-departed) Biden’s other dog, Champ. Major takes readers into the daily duties of a First Dog: defending their home against the evil vacuum cleaner; having afternoon tea (out of a toilet bowl, but still… refined), even playing fun games like “Guess Who Hid My Very Favorite Toy in Your Bed?” The story touches on well-known moments from the Bidens, Champ’s, and Major’s time together, even touching on Major’s biting incident, when he mentions that he “had a friend help me to learn to behave myself a little better”. Joe and Jill Biden feature throughout the book, and Joe Biden sports his trademark aviator glasses as he strolls the grounds with Major at his side. The book has a light, fun spirit that appeals immediately to dog lovers and pet people, and Jill Twiss gives Major a funny, lovable voice that illustrator Maribel Lechuga brings to life in her colorful, lively spreads. Back matter includes a word on past Presidents’ pets and resources for adopting a shelter pet. Red, white, and blue endpapers feature stars and silhouettes of Major. Pair this with Joy McCullough and Sheyda Abvabi Best’s Champ and Major: First Dogs; for more on working dogs, consider displaying with National Geographic Kids’s Doggy Defenders series.

 

Pooper Snooper, by Jennifer Keats Curtis & Julianne Ubigau/Illustrated by Phyllis Saroff, (Nov. 2021, Arbordale Publishing), $10.95, ISBN: 9781643518237

Ages 5-8

Detective doggos at your service! These poop-sniffing dog detectives are instrumental in helping researchers track and learn more about endangered animals. Sampson, the star of Pooper Snooper, is a shelter dog adopted and trained to catch the scent of wild animal poop, so researchers can track and research them without trapping them. Sampson can locate the scat for a pocket mouse – about a third the size of a human eyelash! – much more easily than a researcher can; when he finds what he’s looking for, he gets his reward: a shiny red ball! Trained to track different animals, Sampson works in all sorts of conditions, and stays focused on his task so he can enjoy his toy. Illustrations focus on action shots and close-ups of Sampson’s nose catching a scent. The For Creative Minds section offers information on the Pacific Packet Mouse, previously believed to be extinct; a word on dogs’ senses of smell, and a Q&A with a research scientist. An interesting look at a different career!

You can preview Pooper Snooper at Arbordale’s website, and get copies of the title’s For Creative Minds supplement.

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, picture books

Fen’s Drop of Gray colors her whole world

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Fen’s Drop of Gray, by Brian Wray/Illustrated Shiloh Penfield, (Nov. 2021, Schiffer Kids), $16.99, ISBN: 9780764362194

Ages 5-8

A hedgehog named Fen loves to paint with bright colors, but one day, a drop of gray gets into her paints and colors her entire world: her paintings and everything around her lose their color, slowly turning gray and adding to her sadness. It’s not like Fen doesn’t want color in her world: she looks through her mother’s art books and tries to find rainbows in the rain, but the gray persists until her mother gives her new, colorful paints. With the color back in her life, Fen takes back her happiness and knows that when the gray tries to take her colors away again, she’ll be ready. A gentle story about how depression can sneak up on us, Fen’s Drop of Gray is Brian Wray and Shiloh Penfield’s latest intuitive story about managing emotions. Using the metaphor of a drop of gray finding its way into our colorful worlds is a great way of explaining those unexplainable “sads” that can show up unexpected, stripping the color in our lives. Try as she might, Fen can’t find her colors and she doesn’t know how to ask for help. Sometimes, all we need is someone – in Fen’s case, her mom – to reach through the gray. It’s not a cure-all, but knowing that someone is there to listen and help is the important message. It’s also important that Fen knows the gray may try to come back, and creates her own coping mechanisms for when that happens.

An important acknowledgement of childhood depression, Fen’s Drop of Gray is another must-have to put into your social-emotional collections and a good starting point for discussion.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Calm your hurly-burly hullabaloo! Meena’s Mindful Moment

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Meena’s Mindful Moment, by Tina Athaide/Illustrated by Åsa Gilland, (Nov. 2021, Page Street Kids), $17.99, ISBN: 9781645672869

Ages 4-8

Meena is a little girl who is excited to visit her Dada (her grandfather) – and so is her hurly-burly hullabaloo, the imaginary character that takes on the excited, can’t-sit-still feelings that Meena feels. Once she arrives in her Dada’s South Asian village, she runs rampant, cartwheeling and causing a ruckus. Dada’s neighbors aren’t happy, but he quietly sends them away and teaches Meena how to quiet her hullabaloo through mindfulness and meditation: and introduces Meena to his hullabaloo, too! Meena’s Mindful Moment is a sweet intergenerational story about mindfulness; that moment when excitement and new experiences just take over and can get a little out of control, and empowers kids to take back that control while letting kids know that we adults get the hullabaloos, too. Set in Goa, India, characters are shades of brown. The digital illustrations have texture and movement, with vibrant colors and lively fonts to denote action. The hullabaloos take on playful imaginary monster personas; Meena’s is turquoise with black and pink striped arms and legs; Dada’s is white with pink and white striped arms and legs. Endpapers show colorful mango plants, which ties into the story’s opening. A fun story about embracing your hullabaloo, but letting them know when there’s a time to be calm. A nice addition to yoga and mindfulness storytimes.

Author Tina Athaide’s website has links to educator guides for her books, including Meena’s Mindful Moment.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Arbordale Publishing’s Compare and Contrast books get readers thinking

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I haven’t written about Arbordale books in about a minute, but I am remedying that right now. The folks at Arbordale were kind enough to send me some of their new books to look over, and I love the colorful artwork and photos, interesting factual writing, and the thought-provoking activities at the end of each book. They also publish in English and Spanish, which is aces for my library kids. I’m starting off with their Compare and Contrast series, which takes a topic and encourages learners to think about similarities and differences.

Natural or Man-made? A Compare and Contrast Book, by Arbordale Publishing, (Sept. 2021, Arbordale Publishing), $10.95, ISBN: 9781643518244

Ages 4-8

Opening with an explanation of natural resources, Natural or Man-made? uses straightforward writing to explain natural resources and how we use those resources to create other resources. A tree, for instance, grows food, like nuts and fruits; we also use trees to make lumber, and build homes with them. We use plants and animals for clothing and food; we use sunlight and air by converting it to energy. Thought-provoking questions and color photos encourage readers to think about the different ways we use our natural resources. The Creative Minds section has four activities to expand on reading, you can find a PDF for Natural or Man-made‘s For Creative Minds section here, with permission for non-commercial use. (Psst… great for grab-and-go programs!)

You can find a PDF preview of Natural or Man-made on the book detail page at the Arbordale website.

 

Renewable or Non-Renewable Resources: A Compare and Contrast Book, by Arbordale Publishing, (Sept. 2021, Arbordale Publishing), $10.95, ISBN: 9781643519807

Ages 5-9

Continuing on the resources theme, we have Renewable or Non-Renewable Resources. Beginning with an age-appropriate explanation about natural resources and how they replace themselves: “within a period of time usually shorter than a person’s lifetime”, versus nonrenewable resources, which “cannot be easily replaced as it takes much longer than a human lifetime to make new”, the book elaborates on how natural resources replenish themselves and how nonrenewable resources, like oil, rocks, and minerals, lead humans to create synthetic materials to replace them when they run out – and how that impacts our planet. There’s a discussion on recycling nonrenewable resources and a cautionary word on not taking our resources for granted. A smart, respectful discussion on conservation, recycling, and being environmentally aware. Color photos throughout show a variety of renewable and nonrenewable resources; this is a great book to introduce in younger STEM classes. Create scavenger hunts and games by asking readers to find renewable versus nonrenewable resources! Find a PDF preview on the book detail page on the Arbordale website.

Donald Baiter on TeachersPayTeachers has a fun card sorting game on renewable and nonrenewable resources; Karen Jordan has a very cute song that helps with sorting the two concepts, and The Magical Gallery has natural resources clip art!

 

Penguins: A Compare and Contrast Book, by Cher Vatalaro, (Nov. 2021, Arbordale Publishing), $10.95, ISBN: 9781643519876

Ages 4-8

Penguins! Kids love penguins, I love penguins, Cher Vatalaro loves penguins! Penguins: Compare and Contrast is all about the 18 different species of penguins and where they live: and most of them live in warm climates, not cold ones! Colorful photos of each type of penguin, paired with informative text, let learners learn what makes each type of penguin alike and different, from colorful feathers to differently shaped beaks. Readers will be able to tell right away that these are all penguins, and standout features like orange and yellow patches make King and Emperor penguins very similar, yet wildly different from Macaroni and Rockhopper penguins, who sport colorful feathers around their eyes. A fun activity invites readers to match different penguins with their area of the world.

There is so much fiction and nonfiction available for penguin fans: make a great display! TeachersPayTeachers has loads of free penguin clip art available, including this Penguin Life Cycle Clip Art from Sylph Creatives. Education.com has a wealth of free penguin resources: worksheets, coloring sheets, crafts, even lesson plans. Preview Penguins: A Compare and Contrast at Arbordale’s book detail page.

 

Otters: River or Sea? A Compare and Contrast Book, by Cathleen McConnell, (Nov. 2021, Arbordale Publishing), $10.95, ISBN: 9781643519784

Ages 4-8

Otters are like puppies of the water. Look at those boopable noses! Otters: River or Sea? A Compare and Contrast Book, like Penguins, is about the similarities and differences between river and sea otters: their habitats, their physiology; appearance; eating habits, and social habits. Readers will love the colorful photos of otters at play, with their babies, in groups, and in action, and fun facts and easy-to-read writing make this a fun way to learn. There are fun otter books – fiction, like Laurie Keller’s Do Unto Otters and Lisa Connor’s Oliver’s Otter Phase; nonfiction, like NatGeo Kids’s Sea Otters and Susannah Buhrman-Deever’s If You Take Away the Otter – that will form a display that features something for everyone. Education.com has free otter worksheets and coloring sheets; National Geographic has a webpage with facts and information. You can see a preview of Otters: River or Sea? A Compare and Contrast Book at Arbordale’s book detail page.

Extra shout-out: Arbordale features a free multilingual ebook every month. Check out their website and bookmark it. Find all sorts of free resources, including downloads for each Arbordale book’s For Creative Minds section, at the Arbordale website.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Lila Lou’s Little Library gets love from Twinkl!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m so excited! My post for Lila Lou’s Little Library got some love from educational resource site, Twinkl (I posted about Twinkl around Christmas, to share their free resources for Robin, Robin)!

I love a good library story, and Lila Lou’s love of sharing books is all about passion, advocacy, and activism. I’ll repost the review here, and make sure to find me on Twinkl’s list of best children’s books of 2021!

Reposted from August 2021:

 

Lila Lou’s Little Library : A Gift From the Heart, by Nikki Bergstresser/Illustrated by Sejung Kim,
(Oct. 2021, Cardinal Rule Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9781735345116
Ages 5-7
A little girl who loves to read has too many books for her home, so she creates a Little Free Library for her community! A story of book love, library love, and literacy activism, Lila Lou’s Little Library is perfect for class visits and book-about-books storytime. It’ll inspire kids and grownups alike to share their love of books with their neighbors. Back matter includes tips on creating and curating your own little library, and that’s one of the things I love most about this story: it’s not just about loving books, although that’s certainly at the heart of the story; it’s about the love of sharing – the community starts to get involved, contributing to the library with their own books – and the love of librarianship. Lila Lou is a little Reader’s Advisor, selecting just right books for everyone who asks her for a suggestion; she shows readers what librarians’ real talent is. We listen, and we share information that readers want and need. Adults, children, Lila Lou is ready to help them all. It’s a very sweet story about gentle, but firm, literacy advocacy. Colorful kid-friendly artwork is eye-catching, and the storytelling will inspire readers to look over their own piles of books and share them with their friends, their classrooms, and possibly, their communities. Lila Lou’s tree stump reminds me of the librarian in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, who created a gorgeous Little Free Library from a hollowed-out tree in her yard, but there easier ways to share books with others. Talk about some of those ways, using the information at the end of the book, and the free, downloadable reader’s guide. Print out coloring pages to share, too!
I would love to see where Lila Lou goes next – maybe she’s got more book-related adventures to come?
Thanks again to Twinkl for the shout-out! Find me on Twinkl’s list of best children’s books of 2021!
Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

New school, new country, new beginnings: The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei, by Christina Matula, (April 2022, Inkyard Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781335424884

Ages 8-12

Holly-Mei Jones is a middle schooler who jumps at the chance for a new beginning when her mom announces that an exciting promotion comes with a major move: from their home in Canada to Hong Kong! But, as her ah-ma (grandmother) says, the bitter comes first, and then the sweet. Holly discovers that her new life in Hong Kong is not without its pressures: her mother’s new position comes with expectations and rules, and the most popular girl in her class is bossy and can be nice one minute, horribly mean the next. Determined to to get to the sweet part of her new life, Holly-Mei discovers that she has a lot to learn.

Holly-Mei has a big heart and a strong sense of justice which gets her into trouble and makes her such a lovable character. Kids will read all about her new life in Hong Kong with excitement and wonder – it’s like Crazy Rich Asians for kids! – and realize that in life, you have to weather the storms, no matter where you are, as they see Holly-Mei buckle under her mother’s shift into a more appearance and behavior-driven mindset. Supporting characters are there to move Holly’s story along, but have their own definitive personalities. Gemma, popular girl and Holly-Mei’s frenemy, has an interesting backstory that gives texture to her actions.

A compulsively readable book about middle school, rich with Chinese culture and likable characters, humor, and genuine feeling. Put this on your Newbery watch lists.

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books

The Faith of Elijah Cummings pays tribute to a giant

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Faith of Eljah Cummings: The North Star of Equal Justice, by Carole Boston Weatherford/Illustrated by Laura Freeman, (Jan. 2022, Random House Studio), $17.99, ISBN: 9780593306505

Ages 6-10

Congressman and civil rights advocate Elijah Cummings left an extraordinary legacy when he passed in 2019. Carole Boston Weatherford, whose numerous awards include a Newbery Medal and two NAACP Image Awards, along with NAACP Image Award winning illustrator Laura Freeman, to create a picture book biography that makes this giant of a man accessible to all ages. Beginning with the Congressman’s impoverished childhood and moving through his civil rights journey, focus on inner-city youth, and government work, we also see how Elijah Cummings’s faith and family was his anchor. Photorealistic illustrations are bold and eye-catching, and quotes from Elijah Cummings inspire readers as Carole Boston Weatherford’s narration concentrates on his humanity, choosing moments in his life like being tutored by librarians when his teachers said he would never be able to read or write well; his mother’s preaching, which inspired him to care for others in need, and the civil rights lawyer from his youth that inspired him to defend kids who needed defending. As a “Washington power broker”, he continued living in his Baltimore inner-city neighborhood and hung a campaign sign in his window so others could find him. Back matter includes an excerpt from the statement from the Congressional Black Caucus made upon the Congressman’s passing; a timeline of Elijah Cummings’s life; a bibliography, and the quote sources. Endpapers show Elijah Cummings, in profile, set against the American flag.

An incredible book for an incredible figure, and a must-add to your picture book biographies. The Faith of Elijah Cummings: The North Star of Equal Justice has starred reviews from Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly.

Carole Boston Weatherford’s author webpage is a treasure trove of information, with resources and links to media related to her books. See more of Laura Freeman’s illustration work at her website. Find a biography, bibliography, and committee assignments for Elijah Cummings at the House of Representative’s website; visit Congress’s website to learn more about the legislation sponsored or co-sponsored by him, along with his remarks in the Congressional Record.