Tag: grief and loss

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Mood Swing taps into highs and lows

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Mood Swing, by B.R. Duray/Illustrated by Momes, (June 2024, Moon Tree Studios, LLC), $19.99, ISBN: 979-8989710317

Ages 4-8

A boy named Peter suffers the loss of his father and discovers a magical swing in this touching story about grief. The swing, tethered to a Moon Tree, allows Peter to go on adventures that reflect his emotions: a happy Peter ventures into outer space, his parents by his side; a year after losing his father, the swing plunges Peter into quicksand, mirroring the drowning feelings of grief and loss. His mother helps Peter learn to find balance and enjoy riding the swing, just as he must learn to navigate the ups and downs of life after loss. The rhyming storytelling falls into a soothing cadence and the colorful illustrations bring readers on fantastic and emotional journeys. A good addition to social-emotional collections and collections that help soothe children experiencing loss.

As an somewhat related aside, I’ve just gotten off my own mood swing. I had to take a brief hiatus as I got used to Nana Life (SO awesome!) and looking for a new home for our family (not entirely awesome). Long story short, my granddaughter is amazing, my family is healthy and happy, and we’ve finally signed the lease on a new place to live. The blog marches on!

 

Posted in Graphic Novels, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Adrift on a Painted Sea is a touching memoir

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Adrift on a Painted Sea, by Tim Bird with paintings by Sue Bird, (Oct. 2024, Avery Hill Publishing), $18.99, ISBN: 9781910395820

Ages 16+

Sue Bird was an artist who “filled the house with her art”. Her son, Tim Bird, created this graphic memoir as a tribute to her.  Told in flashbacks, Bird touches on his relationship with his mom and her art. Bird incorporates Sue Bird’s art, art research, and photos in his story, fitting his illustrations and narration around all of it with skill and feeling. Chapters are organized into weather reports and illustration, the titles framing the journey of Bird’s grief and loss. Bird fills this memoir with lessons learned, particularly around one of Sue’s paintings, ever-present in his home, whose origin may differ from the story he grew up hearing: “There are always mysteries – big or small – that go unanswered even when you think you know everything about someone”.

A warm, heartfelt piece on love and loss that works as a crossover graphic memoir for YA collections.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Elephant Touch is about healing and resilience

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Elephant Touch, by Susan R. Greenway, (Sept. 2024, SparkPress), $14.99, ISBN: 9781684632688

Ages 9-13

Animal lovers and fiction readers will immediately know there’s something special about this meditation on grief, loss, and healing. Quinn is a girl grieving her mother’s loss; she and her aunt visit a Thai elephant sanctuary in hopes that helping care for elephants will bring them some healing. Quinn initially resists the experience, but bonds with an abused elephant, Sumana, who lovingly rests her trunk on the girl. The sanctuary welcomes a baby elephant, Lee Lawa Dee, who witnessed her mother’s death at the hands of poachers and has stopped eating. Quinn, desperate to help save the elephant, insists that Sumana can help Lee Lawa Dee, but is rebuffed by the staff. Using her connection to the elephants and powered by her grief and desire to save a life, Quinn takes matters into her own hands – which may bring consequences for Quinn and her aunt. Greenway writes with empathy and feeling that will leave readers rooting her Quinn, Sumana, and Lee Lawa Dee. It’s an emotional read: Quinn’s reactions to the abuse endured by the elephants before arriving at the sanctuary are a stand-in for the reader. Readers invested in the characters will rejoice at the story’s end. A sweet crush on another volunteer, a boy named Hunter, adds interest. Animal fiction readers who loved books like Ali Benjamin’s The Thing About Jellyfish (2015), and Alina Chau’s Marshmallow & Jordan (also about elephants, 2021). Get this one on your shelves!

Posted in Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak coming to paperback in August!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak, by Laura Taylor-Namey, (Sept. 2023, Atheneum Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9781665915335

Ages 12+

I am a latecomer to this one – my 2023 was a case study in “my spirit was willing but my reading ability was weak” – but you don’t need to be! Flora is grieving. Her mother has died after a long illness, and her grief is mixed with the guilt of feeling that she wasn’t there when her family needed her most. Overwhelmed by her emotions, and her family, who expects her to take on a greater role in their tea shop, she escapes to Miami, where she stays with soon-to-be sister-in-law Lila and her family. She accidentally ends up in the orbit of influencer Baz Marín, and finds that she’s caught between feelings Baz and one of her best friends, Gordon. Namey writes a moving meditation on grief and all the emotions that swirl – like a hurricane – inside those coping with it. The love triangle injects a little spark into the YA romance. A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak is the companion novel to 2020’s A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, which was a Reese Witherspoon pick. A good purchase for YA romance collections and where the first novel did well.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Happy World Storytelling Day! The Storyteller, by Lindsay Bonilla & Noar Lee Naggan

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It’s World Storytelling Day! Time to bring people (and animals!) together and weave a world of stories. Let’s start with Lindsay Bonilla and Noar Lee Naggan’s beautiful fable, The Storyteller.

The Storyteller, by Lindsay Bonilla/Illustrated by Noar Lee Naggan, (March 2024, Nancy Paulsen Books),
$18.99, ISBN: 9780593109588
Ages 4-7

Griffin’s grandmother is The Storyteller: she spins incredible stories that captivate her listener. From fairy tales and folk tales to family stories (with a big of tall tale), The Storyteller nourished Griffin’s spirit and soul with story after story, putting him in the middle of the most amazing tales. But Griffin sees what no one will tell him outright: The Storyteller is fading, and he must go on one last adventure with her. Buying “magic beans” and growing a beanstalk, he confides in his grandmother that he is scared. She promises him that they have faced far greater foes, and tasks him with keeping the stories alive before departing. This intergenerational tale of love and loss is moving and powerful. Naggan’s watercolor and pencil illustration give us a magical Storyteller with long gray hair and a colorful caftan; truly a magical person of wisdom. Griffin in his sweater and boots, is an eager student. Naggan places the two in our real, day-to-day world and in fantastic landscapes where we see Grandmother walking alongside a giant cat wearing boots, and Griffin, wearing a red cape with horns and looking like a mashup of Max from Where the Wild Things Are and Red Riding Hood, chasing a Big Bad Wolf through the woods. Bonilla’s narrative reaches that piece of us that needs stories like we need food: “The Storyteller fed him milk, fresh-baked bread, and all kinds of stories. Folktales, fairy tales, and legends”. Their goodbye is at once painful and beautiful, and we see how Storytellers leave their mark on us, and how we go on to become Storytellers ourselves. An incredible journey for readers, this is an excellent addition to collections.

On a personal note, I’ve just lost my own Storyteller, so this book meant the world to me.

The Storyteller has a starred review from Kirkus.

★“Brief but potent text is paired with illustrations that exude a sense of magic and the joy of storytelling. . . . Warmly and tenderly conveys the comfort of sharing the lore of days gone by.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred)

Lindsay Bonilla is a professional storyteller and author whose previous picture books include Parents’ Choice Award winner Polar Bear Island, I Love You with All of My Hearts, and The Note Who Faced the Music. She lives with her husband, two wild and creative kids, and her dog, Blitzen, in North Canton, Ohio. Learn more at lindsaybonilla.com.

Noar Lee Naggan (noarleenaggan.com) also illustrated Lilah Tov Good Night (by Ben Gundersheimer). Originally from Israel, with a background in animation and graphic design, he is now a full-time illustrator in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Hungry Ghost takes a deep dive into disordered eating

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hungry Ghost, by Victoria Ying, (Apr. 2023, First Second), $24.99, ISBN: 9781250766991

Ages 12+

Valerie Chu tries to be the perfect daughter. She’s studious and quiet; she’s an obedient daughter. Her mother’s obsession with food and being thin starts early, when she tells Valerie “don’t eat, just taste” a piece of her own birthday cake; she constantly monitors what Valerie eats. Val’s disordered eating mirrors most cases we hear and read about: she’s focused on being perfect, giving no one any reason to find a flaw. Val’s best friend, Jordan, has no such compulsion: curvy and confident, Jordan enjoys food and she enjoys life, earning Valerie’s mother’s quiet disdain. The two head off on a school trip to Paris where Valerie enjoys the taste of freedom, only to be called home for a family tragedy. As Valerie grieves, she has no time for perfection and her eating disorder is pushed to the side and gains her mother’s notice. Valerie must come to terms with her mother’s toxic ideas on beauty in order to move forward. Brilliantly written and illustrated with a haunting, ethereal beauty, Hungry Ghost is a heartbreaking look at the beginnings of body dysmorphia and how our families can create monsters within us. Back matter includes an author’s note and resources for eating disorders and recovery.

Hungry Ghost received a starred review from Kirkus.

Posted in picture books

Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Three Pockets Full

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A boy wants no part of wearing a traditional Cuban shirt to a wedding that he does not want to attend in this heartfelt story of tradition and family.

Three Pockets Full, by Cindy L. Rodriguez/
Illustrated by Begoña Fernández Corbalán,
(Sept. 2022, Cardinal Rule Press), ISBN: 9781735345154
Ages 5-7

Beto won’t wear a guayabera to the wedding. Nope! Nunca! Not going to happen! Told through notes between Beto and his mother and through omniscient narration, this touching story contains Spanish vocabulary and there are gorgeous cultural details in the illustration. Filled with chuckle-worthy moments – Beto decides that his dog looks better in the shirt than he would – and moments that will move readers as the reason for Beto’s retience becomes clear, Three Pockets Full beautifully captures not only a cultural tradition, but touches on themes of grief, loss, and moving on. Rich artwork pairs with bold, easy-to-read text and makes this an excellent collection addition.

Visit Cardinal Rule Press’s webpage for a free, downloadable readers guide and coloring pages.

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Multicultural Children’s Book Day so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

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Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

Tales from the TBR: The Kids Under the Stairs

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

More reporting as I continue scaling Mount TBR. Two years ago, I read BenBee and the Teacher Griefer; the first in a new series from KA Holt. The Minecraft-looking cover art and storyline drew me in – I’m a kids’ librarian and a mom, Minecraft and Roblox is allllll around me – and seriously, a KA Holt book is an exciting time. I loved BenBee, and finally made time to read the next two books in the series. Folx, I am a fan.

Ben Y and The Ghost in the Machine: The Kids Under the Stairs, by KA Holt, (Sept. 2021, Chronicle Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781452183213

Ages 10-14

The second Kids Under the Stairs book puts Ben Y on center stage: Ben Y, Benita, whose older brother, Benito, helped create Sandbox and communicated with her via Sandbox chat. and whose recent sudden death has her reeling. She still logs into chat to talk to him, but one night, someone responds. Who knows about Benito’s and Ben Y’s secret chat? Grief and recovery are major plot drivers in Ben Y and the Ghost in the Machine, and equally strong subplots about gender identity, dress coding, and journalism drive this brilliant story. Ben Y narrates most of the story, with appearances from the other Kids Under the Stairs: BenBee, Jordan, Javier, and Ms. J, the lovable teacher-turned-librarian who runs the “Newspaper Typing Club”, the new name for the Sandbox club. The introduction of a new character, Ace, keeps the narrative even more interesting and adds a drop of conflict. The story narrative pairs with Sandbox interactions to keep readers engaged. Ben Y’s writing is in verse, with other character interactions emphasized with italics and written in straight prose. Chat room interactions are presented as block text interactions and set off with black-framed pages. The Kids Under the Stairs is an excellent series that examines issues facing tweens and young teens and features brilliant portrayals of neurodiverse people. Download a free teacher guide to the book at Chronicle’s book detail page.

Ben Y and The Ghost in the Machine has a starred review from Kirkus.

 

 

Jordan J and the Truth About Jordan J: The Kids Under the Stairs, by KA Holt, (Sept. 2021, Chronicle Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781452183213

Ages 10-14

It’s Jordan’s turn, and I am psyched! Jordan’s energy and honest enthusiasm made this my favorite book in the Kids Under the Stairs series so far. Jordan loves a competitive dance show, Fierce Across America; as such, he obsessively talks about it and even writes a column about it in the school newspaper – it doesn’t go well, because Jordan is a little too honest in his opinions about the school’s dance team and where they stand in reference to Fierce Across America hosts and dancers. Things change when Fierce Across America tryouts come to the Kids’ town in Florida, and Casey Price – one of Jordan’s schoolmates – asks him to choreograph a winning routine to advance her through the competition. Subplots on Jordan and Javier connecting through an art class and family financial stress meet many readers where they’re at, addressing issues that they can understand and work through. Jordan’s voice is exuberant and sweet, hesitant and apologetic, as he navigates situations; storytelling takes place in Sandbox chat rooms, through notes drawn on artwork from the “old lady art class” Jordan and Javier take together, school newspapers, Jordan’s notes to his therapist, and Jordan’s own storytelling. Boo-yah!

Download a free teacher guide at Chronicle’s book detail page.

 

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Middle School, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

Frizzy unleashes curly hair power!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Frizzy, by Claribel A. Ortega/Illustrated by Rose Bousamra, (Oct. 2022, First Second), $12.99, ISBN: 9781250259639

Ages 8-12

Marlene is a tween who loves her books, her supercool Tía Ruby, and her best friend, Camila. What she doesn’t love? Her mother’s insistence on “growing up” and having “good hair”, which means Marlene is spending every weekend in the salon having her hair straightened. She hates every bit of it, and wishes she could have curly hair like her Tía, or like one of her favorite characters, Dulce Maria from Super Amigas; then, she wouldn’t be teased or forced into a hellish hair straightening torture session. Tía Ruby and Camila both come together to help Marlene appreciate and care for her beautiful hair – and Marlene and her mom have deep conversations about self-esteem and value. Ortega examines cultural attitudes, grief, and self-worth with a plot that reveals itself as the story moves along, keeping readers invested with every page. Marlene is a lovable character that readers will cheer for as she – and her hair – come into their own. Tía Ruby is a bright spark who shows Marlene the key to self-acceptance and hair care. Rose Bousamra’s realistic illustration work is filled with rich color and Afro-Latinx characters. A first-purchase that so many readers need.

Frizzy has starred reviews from Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly.

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate, Middle Grade

Coping with Loss: Burt’s Way Home

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Burt’s Way Home, by John Martz, (July 2022, Tundra Books), $12.99, ISBN: 9780735271029

Ages 6-9

Burt is an “intergalactic, transdimensional time traveler”. His parents, also time travelers, have been separated from him during a journey, and now he’s stuck on Earth, living with a woman named Lydia, until he can figure out the antiquated Earth technology and find his way home. Lydia, however, tells a very different story. A graphic novel created with two narratives, Burt’s Way Home is an aching look at a child in foster care, dealing with confusion and grief, and the caregiver who tirelessly works at understanding him, supporting him, and caring for him. Illustrated in two-color blue and white, with bold black outlines, John Martz creates an unfussy atmosphere that carries cartoon appeal while delivering a poignant message. This is a completely different story about grief and loss, and I want this in my collection first and foremost, for any child that may need it – for a child living in a foster situation, or for any children whose primary caregiver is not their parents: a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, an older sibling, a family friend – and to explain and engender empathy in others. Sensitive and respectful, this is a great book to have in your collections.

Burt’s Way Home was originally published in 2016 by Koyama Press.