How cute this? There’s a book trailer for Once Upon a Camel, by Kathi Appelt!
Good for you, good for the planet, Green Kids Cook!
Green Kids Cook: Simple, Delicious Recipes & Top Tips, by Jenny Chandler, (Aug. 2021, Pavilion), $23.95, ISBN: 9781911663584
Ages 8-14
You have to love a cookbook that teaches kids to cook and to be good global citizens al at once. Green Kids Cook has over 50 recipes, organized into 5 areas: Breakfast and Brunch, Snacks, Soups and Salads, Mains, and Sweet Things. There’s an intro for kids and adults, focused on food and cooking area safety and having a balance of food on your plate: vegetables and meat can share the same space! There are spreads throughout on reducing food waste and plastic use (smartly referred to as reducing our “foodprint”); crafts like making your own cook’s apron and beeswax wraps rather than relying on plastic wrap, and creating a welcoming table. Colorful photos accompany tasty-sounding recipes, and each recipe includes tips on adding variety and swapping in alternatives, like less spicy options, more vegetables, and additional tasty treats to excite palates. I’m ready to dive into the Halloween Hummus, made with pumpkin; Indian Chickpea Salad, and flatbreads. Originally published in the UK earlier this year, there’s also a glossary for us US folk that call tea towels “dish towels”, kitchen paper “paper towels”, and cornflour “corn starch”. Recipes include measurements for grams and ounces, too.
Grab this one for sure! My library system isn’t doing in-person programming and we tend not to do food programming with kids, but if your system differs, there are plenty of no-bake recipes here to try, including the Super-Cool Smoothie Bowl that only calls for some quick prep on your end.
Luna Loves Dance… You should, too!
Luna Loves Dance, by Joseph Coelho/Illustrated by Fiona Lumbers, (Sept. 2021, Kane Miller), $12.99, ISBN: 978-1-68464-273-1
Ages 4-7
Luna is a little girl who loves to dance, but loses faith in herself when she stumbles at a dance tryout. Convinced she’s not “really” a dancer, Luna’s family works to show her that it’s the love of dancing that makes you a dancer at heart, not perfection. Facing fears, embracing joy, and knowing that you are good enough are beautifully conveyed. Luna is an adorable little girl of color with a white mom and a dad of color; we meet her grandparents, also people of color, who love to dance the Charleston, Crazy Legs, and Heels and play old jazz records when they dance with Lulu. There is colorful, joyful artwork throughout, including a vibrant Carnival street scene that opens into a gatefold spread. Endpapers show Lulu and a variety of diverse children putting on their dancing shoes and dancing in different styles: a girl in hijab spots roller skates; a white boy in ’70s bell bottoms and a patterned shirt strikes a Travolta-esque disco pose; a boy of color goes on pointe in ballet shoes. Embrace joy and read this one to your little ones.
Originally published in Great Britain earlier this year, this is the third Lulu adventure, all available in the U.S. from Kane Miller. They are also available in Spanish, which means I’ll be loading up another cart for my library kids!
Essential school year knowledge: How to Be Cooler Than Cool
How to Be Cooler Than Cool, by Sean Taylor/Illustrated by Jean Jullien, (July 2021, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536215298
Ages 3-7
A cat finds a pair of sunglasses, dons them, and immediately pronounces herself “cooler than cool”. She really is… until she decides that she’s so cool, she can go down the slide backwards, to look “cooler than cool… WITH EXTRA COOL ON TOP”! When she falls and her glasses get knocked off, Cockatoo and Pig each find the glasses, adapting the same “cooler than cool” stance, until they, too, try stunts that end much like Cat’s. The glasses were supposed to make them cooler than cool; what happened? Chick stops by to teach them the best lesson: having fun and not being worried about looking cooler than cool? That’s the coolest thing of all. A smart, laugh-out-loud funny story about being concerned with appearances, kids will love and see themselves in How to Be Cooler Than Cool. I say this as a mom who’s seen my own kids hold punching contests, sliding sandwich contests (using the slide to slam into the kid before you, piling on and on until someone eventually goes flying), and, for some reason, deciding against wearing a sweatshirt or jacket when it’s chilly out, all in the quest of looking eternally cool. Jean Jullien’s bold ink illustrations capture the spirit of the story, with hilarious posing and the aftermath of “being cool”.
An excellent readaloud choice, make sure to don your own supercool glasses (or not, it may be too dark to read, and that will certainly NOT be cool).
I think, therefore I am: a chick ponders her world in Ergo
Ergo, by Alexis Deacon/Illustrated by Viviane Schwarz, (July 2021, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536217803
Ages 3-6
There’s something for everyone in this philosophical primer for little ones. Ergo is a chick who wakes up, deciding to explore her world. She wiggles her toes, flaps her wings, gives a tentative peck with her beak, and decides that “I am the world and the world is me”… until she realizes that the world, her world, is far more complex than that.
I had to mention this to my 18-year-old, whose mind was blown by the fact that the author created a kid-friendly story of Plato’s Cave. And that’s exactly what Ergo is! Kids will love the story of a chick discovering its egg, and the existential freakout when she realizes that she isn’t as in control as she previously thought. Viviane Schwarz’s simple ink and watercolor illustrations translate the message, giving life and meaning to Alexis Deacon’s story, with an adorable wide-eyed chick who wants desperately to figure it all out.
Me? I’d give this one as a baby shower gift, too. Adorable, hilarious, perfect. Engage your littles with a post-storytime craft by letting them create thumbprint Ergos of their own.
Indie author/publisher spotlight!
It’s time for another independent author/publisher spotlight!
Ms. Flygirl and Sky Daisy, by Miho Madarame, (Sept. 2020, Independently Published), $7.99, ISBN: 979-8684124501
Ages 6-8
The first in a series, Ms. Flygirl and Sky Daisy is a collection of six short stories about a widow named Ms. Flygirl who takes to the skies in her yellow helicopter, Sky Daisy, where she has all sorts of adventures. She saves a tree, eats a lot of sweets, does a fox’s laundry, and more. Each story begins with a colorful illustration, and the stories are told in short sentences. Kids will get a kick out of the situations Ms. Flygirl finds herself in. A cute first outing.
Adventures with Divot & Swish in Costa Rica: The Superpower of Courage, by Beth Brown, PhD/Illustrations by Charlotte Strickland, (Jan. 2021, Divot & Swish Publishing), $17.95, ISBN: 9781735170008
Ages 5-7
This adorable outing is also the first in a proposed new series, starring Divot – a golf ball with a little tuft of grass around their middle – and Swish, a net with a basketball for a head. In this first book, the friends head to Costa Rica for surfing lessons with Sammy the Surfer, who teaches them the mechanics of surfing, and the courage to face their fears of not being perfect on their first outing. The rhyming story teaches readers about overcoming fears and embracing new challenges: “It’s important to know / That you can do it afraid / If you never had tried / On shore, you’d then stayed”. The Costa Rican countryside is host to this story, but really only serves as a backdrop. I’d love to see future Divot and Swish adventures have some fun facts about their locations pop up at the end of the story, giving kids a little more information about their literary friends’ globe-trotting.
Nat Geo Kids has some fun facts about Costa Rica, as does Kids World Travel Guide. Lonely Planet has some fun suggestions for traveling with kids in Costa Rica, which you can use as a jumping-off point for some armchair travel programs. Visit Divot & Swish’s website to sign up for updates!
Signal Boost: Submit a Proposal to Host Jason Reynolds in Spring 2022
Today’s a big news day, huh? Just on the heels of my post about the Kids’ Book Awards Finalists, Every Child a Reader announced that not only is Jason Reynolds extending his term as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for an additional year, but that they are accepting proposal submissions from schools interesting in hosting an event with Mr. Reynolds! Events are likely to be held in April/May 2022, as Mr. Reynolds will be holding in-person events. The press release is here and you can read full details on the Every Child a Reader website.
If you’re not a school library, please consider getting in touch with schools nearby and collaborate with them on submitting a proposal. Other criteria, from Every Child a Reader, are as follows:
- Audience for events should be in the 5th-12th grade range.
- The location should have a system in place for how they will select two student interviewees in advance of the event.
- Jason’s goal for the Ambassadorship is to visit small, underserved communities that don’t often have the opportunity to host authors.
- Events must be private/available to students only.
- Please complete this google form with your event proposal no later than December 1, 2021.
Good luck!
It’s that time of year again… The CYBILS are back!
Yup, it’s that time of year again, my friends… get your nominations in order, because the CYBILS (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers) are gearing up to start taking nominations again. Have a bunch of books but can only nominate one per category? Add your choices to the CYBILS Padlet, to help other folx out if they’re stuck on a category.
The CYBILS have been great to me over the last several years. I discovered the site when I was still in library school, and it was an exciting chance to get involved with an awards committee. Over the years, I’ve been a Round One judge (READ ALL THE BOOKS!) and a Round Two judge (read the finalists, vote on the winner) for Middle Grade Speculative Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction, and now, Graphic Novels. It helps keep my Readers Advisory skills sharp, keeps my Collection Development radar strong, and I meet all sorts of fun new friends who l get to talk books with.
All that said, here are the panelists and judges and the categories for this year. Look through your GoodReads and reading journals, get your nominations ready, and visit the Padlet to contribute your suggestions!
Graphic Novels (one category; we will choose finalists for YA, Elementary, and Middle Grade)
Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction
Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
Easy Reader/Early Chapter Books
Give some love to the panelists and judges, follow them on social media, and cheer us on as we get ready to read!
Children’s Book Council announces Kids’ Book Choice Awards Finalists
I apologize for the uneven posting schedule these days. I’m trying to get back on a more regular schedule again – trust me, it isn’t for lack of books – and get back into a routine overall. Thanks for sticking it out with me.
Okay, now for the good stuff! The Children’s Book Council announced their Kids’ Book Choice Awards finalists today! This is a great list for Readers Advisory and Collection Development, because it’s chosen by kids and has 15 great categories. Here, you’ll find categories like Favorite Book Cover; Favorite Illustrated Character; Best Book of Facts, and Best Books of the Year, broken out by grades, so every group gets their say. You can find the list of finalists, by category, here.
Readers – kids and teens – can vote at EveryChildaReader.net/vote. Grownups – librarians, educators, parents, caregivers – can vote for the kids in their care, or collect votes from a group (your classes, reading groups, groups of kids at your library) and submit them into a group ballot. Voting is open from now until November 14 and this year’s winners will be announced in early December.
If you haven’t visited the Children’s Book Council site before, I really urge you to click over. There are great reading lists and reader resources promoting diverse and inclusive reading to be found. The companion site, Every Child a Reader, is the place to go to find out about the Kids’ Book Choice Awards, Children’s Book Week, Get Caught Reading, and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature (this year, it’s Jason Reynolds!). Plus, there printable bookmarks, coloring sheets, challenges, and more!
About the Kids’ Book Choice Awards
The Kids’ Book Choice Awards (previously the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards) are the only national book awards voted on solely by kids and teens. Launched in 2008 by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, the awards provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them. The 2021 program relaunch includes a new name, logo, and categories with finalists selected through nationwide long list voting.
Louder, for the people in the back: When We Say Black Lives Matter
When We Say Black Lives Matter, by Maxine Beneba Clarke, (Sept. 2021, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536222388
Ages 5-9
There’s been a lot of histrionics over the Black Lives Matter movement and meaning. Some folx will counter with the dreaded “all lives matter” response, and some will panic and try to accuse BLM of being terrorists. Certain school districts have gone so far as to attempting banning books that show positive portrayals of people of color. Award-winning writer and slam poet champion Maxine Beneba Clarke takes up the charge with her picture book in verse, When We Say Black Lives Matter; it’s a quiet, inspirational, powerful talk between caregiver and child, explaining the need for understanding and recognition. Loving words, like “little one”, “little love”, and “darling” lead into the many ways we can share the message: calling out Black Lives Matter; singing, screaming, sobbing, even laughing the words, and what they communicate: “When we whisper / Black Lives Matter, / we’re remembering the past. / All the terrible things / that were said and done, / we’re saying they trouble our hearts”. Each verse examines the Black Lives Matter message and what it means, throughout history, to this moment. Watercolor pencil and collage artwork inspires introspection and joy; colorful endpapers show demonstrators holding signs calling for “Love” and “Black Lives Matter”. The book celebrates Black Lives and encourages you to celebrate them, too. An essential book for all library shelves, whether they’re in your library, your classroom, or your home.
When We Say Black Lives Matter has starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal.
Mom Read It 