Henry Holt & Co. – Page 3

Middle School, Non-Fiction, Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Riveting nonfiction from two powerhouse authors

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy, by Kenneth C. Davis, (Oct. 2020, Henry Holt), $19.99, ISBN: 9781250205643

Ages 13+

Historian Kenneth C. Davis, best known for his Don’t Know Much About… series, takes a deep, disturbing look at authoritarianism and the fall of democracy by examining the reigns of five of history’s most brutal dictators: Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein are each profiled in Strongman: a term used for leaders who use control by force of will and character or military methods. Profiles of each dictator, timelines of their lives, and a look at the roots of democracy place readers in history. A chapter on a “New Generation of Monsters” is what I can only hope is a wake-up call to the dangers of extreme nationalism, “othering”, and attacks on our everyday freedoms under the guise of “draining swamps” and “making great again”.

Black and white photographs throughout accompany solid research and Kenneth C. Davis’s powerful writing. Profiles on each dictator’s past helps uncover clues that may have led to the murderous tyrants each figure became, both in childhood and historical context. Relevant and readable, with back matter that provides a base for further reading and research – bibliographies, notes, and an index – Strongman is essential reading for teens and adults.

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team, by Christina Soontornvat, (Oct. 2020, Candlewick Press), $24.99, ISBN: 9781536209457

Ages 10-14

In June 2018, a group of 12 young soccer players and their assistant coach entered a cave in northern Thailand, looking for an adventure to pass the time after practice. The heavy rains were still weeks away, and Coach Ekkapol Chantawong had been promising to take them out. But the rain has arrived early, and the cave begins to flood as the team and coach are still inside. What began as an after-practice adventure became a 17-day ordeal as the world waited and watched the rescue operation take place, hoping that the group would emerge all right despite having no food or clean water, and existing in total darkness. Award-winning author Christina Soontornvat tells the Wild Boars’ story in All Thirteen. Meticulously research and reading like a taut thriller, Ms. Soontornvat goes through a day-day-by, moment-by-moment retelling of the boys’ ordeal and rescue and includes interviews, color photos, maps, and detailed source notes. Callout sections on the country and on calming techniques like meditation and Buddhism, the faith followed by most of the boys, help readers understand how the boys drew on their inner strength to survive. Source notes, a bibliography, and full index make this a great addition to your nonfiction collections and fantastic reading for any of your readers who loved and possibly aged out of the I Survived books and wants more books about true-life survival.

All Thirteen has starred reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, Kirkus, BookPage, The Horn Book, and Publishers Weekly. Publisher Candlewick offers a free, downloadable educator’s guide and sample chapter.

Fantasy, Historical Fiction, History, Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Tween and Teen Fiction that keeps readers on the edge of their seats

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m at that odd moment when my TBR and my HBR (have been read) piles are toppling. Which is a good problem to have, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that I’m constantly catching up to something, be it reading or reviews. Let’s take a look at some YA, including a book that’s being touted for middle grade, but I feel would work much better for older tweens/teens.

They Threw Us Away, by Daniel Kraus/Illustrated by Rovina Kai, (Sept. 2020, Henry Holt BYR), $16.99, ISBN: 9781250224408

Ages 12+

I’m going to kick things off with the book I feel is better for older tweens. They Threw Us Away is being billed as “Lord of the Flies meets Toy Story”, and it’s a pretty accurate description. A blue teddy bear wakes up in a garbage dump and frees himself; he notes his name tag, which says his name is Buddy, and he sees other boxes of teddies on the pile and works to free the others before rats, seagulls, or a terrifying machine gets to them. Together, Buddy and the other teddies – Sunny, Sugar, Horace, and Reginald – put their memories together: they were in the Store, waiting for children to take them home and love them. Once they are loved by a child, teddies fall into the Forever Sleep. So what happened? The group sets out to get some answers, but they learn that the world is a scary place; even scarier than the Dump, and that the answers they seek may not be the answers they want to hear.

The first in a planned trilogy, They Threw Us Away is bleak and often brutal. There are graphic depictions of teddy bear death, which, when I say it, may sound like something to laugh off, but reading it is pretty horrific. Younger readers and more sensitive readers may be upset by the unrelenting danger and horror. Black and white illustrations throughout reinforce the story. There are some loose ends that we can expect future books to pick up on. Each Teddy has a distinct personality and struggles with their circumstances accordingly: Buddy is kind and gentle; the peacemaker and ersatz leader; Sugar, whose damaged box meant she suffered some bumps, too, is flighty and quirky; Sunny is a conflicted character with flashes of rage and a desire to keep the group together; Reginald is a serious, sagelike teddy, and Horace is fearful. Give this to your dedicated horror fans, and save it for your higher elementary readers and middle schoolers.

The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep: Voices from the Donner Party, by Allan Wolf, (Sept. 2020, Candlewick), $21.99, ISBN: 9780763663247

Ages 13+

This novel in verse is the latest retelling of the Donner Party and their fate in the Sierra Nevadas during the winter of 1846-1847. Poet Allan Wolf gives voice to members of the ill-fated party in his book: James Reed and George Donner, leaders of the doomed caravan; Baptiste Trudeau, a 16-year-old orphan taken under George and Tamzene Donner’s wing; Salvador and Luis, two Miwok Indian guides; Ludwig Keseberg, a haunted man; Patty and Virginia Reed, two of James Reed’s children, and more are all here, telling their stories in haunted verse. Hunger narrates the story, giving readers familiar with Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief a familiar touch. Hunger is dispassionate and yet evokes emotion in the narration. Beginning as the party begins experiencing misfortune, the voices grow more desperate and the verse, more haunting, as the snow falls; the party’s desperation is palpable. Moments dedicated to the snowfall include names of the fallen sprinkled in with the repeated word, “snow”. Comprehensive back matter includes an author’s note, biographies, statistics, a timeline of events, and resources for more reading and research. It’s an incredibly detailed work of historical fiction and nonfiction all at once.

The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep has starred reviews from Booklist and BookPage.

This is Not the Jess Show, by Anna Carey, (Nov. 2020, Quirk Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781683691976

Ages 13+

I am DYING to talk about this book, but there’s so much I can’t say because I CAN’T SPOIL IT. So here are the main details: Jess Flynn is a 1990s high school junior wears babydoll dresses and watches Party of Five. She’s developing a crush on her childhood best friend, Tyler. Her sister, Sara, is suffering from a blood disease and has been getting worse. Things are in constant flux for Jess, and things have been getting weird in her home town of Swickley, too: half the population has been hit by a mysterious flu. Her dog goes from lavishing attention on her to growling and hiding from her. She hears strange chanting, and people either stop speaking when she enters a room, or she catches glances that people around her give one another. And what the heck is that black device with an apple on it that fell out of her friend’s backpack? Things are weird in Swickley, and Jess means to get to the bottom of it.

I LOVED this book! The ’90s vibe, the pacing, the overall story, everything is so well crafted and paced. Jess is a smart character who is sensitive enough to her surroundings to know something’s up: this is the constant in a plot that keeps trying to shift her world around. What I can say is that Jess gets a crash course in what people are willing to do for selfish reasons; what she does in response to that fact keeps the story in motion. ’90s pop culture references make this even more fun. Hand this to all your teens, and booktalk Grady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism, for it’s awesome ’80s references, too. Tell ’em to read them with their parents.

picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Next stop: Happy County!

Posted on March 19, 2020March 19, 2020 by Rosemary Kiladitis

This morning, we met the residents of Bustletown, courtesy of Rotraut Susanne Berner and Prestel Publishing. I figured I’d turn today’s posts into a road trip; now, we’re entering Happy County, courtesy of Ethan Long and Henry Holt and Company.

Hello, World!, by Ethan Long, (March 2020, Henry Holt & Company), $18.99, ISBN: 978-1-250-19175-5

Ages 3-5

“Welcome to Happy County, where every day ends on a happy note.” With that, we’ve got another new series of interactive picture books in the spirit of Richard Scarry. In Happy County, readers get some concept work in while enjoying the antics of the townspeople, many of whom we meet on the endpapers: Farmer Del and L’il Beaky, a pig and chick that run throughout the book; naturalists Mr. Grzzles and Ms. Green; Dottie, the Dog Walker, Monkey Mantle, the ballplayer, and more. Stories bring in concept activities: helping bird watchers identify and spot birds; letter lessons; shapes and colors; and counting dogs with a dog walker are only a few of the fun challenges that come up in Hello, World!’s storytelling. All of the citizens are pencil and digitally illustrated animals, making this an eye-catching book for younger readers.

Sun and Moon Together, by Ethan Long, (Aug. 2020, Henry Holt & Company), $18.99, ISBN: 978-1-250-19174-8

Ages 3-5

Welcome back to Happy Town! The endpapers introduce readers to some more residents, and some we’ve already met (Farmer Del is still trying to get L’il Beaky. This time, we’re learning about the Sun and the Moon, with fun lessons about the water cycle, photosynthesis, phases of the moon and the moon’s effect on tides, and solar power. In between there’s a funny rhyming story about Grammy Tammy, a lamb visiting from Miami; a paneled story about Sssonny the snake, who wants to grow some sunflowers; and loads of seek and find challenges.

Ethan Long books are so much fun to read! He’s a Theodor Seuss Geisel award winner and a creator of children’s programming, including the short film, Farm Force; Tasty Time with Zefronk for Disney Jr.; and an online interactive series for PBS Kids, Scribbles & Ink. He also hosts a bunch of activities and coloring sheets on his webpage. Check out the activity kit here, too! The Happy County series is shaping up to be big, learning fun for littles.

Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads

All hail Doug, King of the Mole People!

Posted on September 7, 2019September 7, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

King of the Mole People, by Paul Gilligan, (Aug. 2019, Henry Holt & Co.), $13.99, ISBN: 978-1-250-17134-4

Ages 8-12

Doug Underbelly just wants to be a normal seventh grader, but the fates are stacked against him: he and his dad live in a house that looks straight out of a scary movie, and the only meals his dad makes are from the eels that are plentiful around the house grounds; the weird girl at school follows him around, too. And it doesn’t help that he’s covered in mud and worms most of the time… but that’s what happens when one is king of the mole people, as Doug is. He doesn’t really want to be their king, but it was thrust upon him, and even though the throne is awfully uncomfortable and his royal advisor most definitely is plotting against him, he’s doing his best. But there’s trouble rumbling down below: the Slug People are getting fidgety and fussy, and it looks like the Mushroom Folk and the Stone Goons are going to get involved, too. What happens when giant worms start rising up and wrecking everything above ground? Doug has to get things under control, and quick – and maybe that weird girl will be more of a help than he expects.

This laugh-out-loud middle grade book is the first in a new series that kids are going to devour. It’s got gross-out humor, there’s some touching moments, and Doug is the underdog character that we all love to cheer for (and laugh at). He’s got a fatalistic yet snarky outlook on life, and his attempts to be normal – from signing up for sports and drama, to deciding he’ll crush on a popular girl, because everyone else does – are sweetly hilarious and painfully relatable. Magda, the “weird girl”, is a goth girl with brains and depth, and she keeps Doug on his toes. Doug’s royal entourage/mole people buddies are sweetly literal and not terribly bright, but loyal.

Kirkus says it best: “The Wimpy Kid’s got nothing on the King of the Mole People—he’s got more laughs and more mud”. Betsy Bird has a fun interview with author Paul Gilligan on School Library Journal, and you can find an excerpt, trailer, and downloadables – including your own crown – at the publisher’s King of the Mole People website.

From Macmillan’s website

Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

ER for the weird: Saint Philomene’s Infirmary for Magical Creatures

Posted on June 9, 2018June 9, 2018 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Saint Philomene’s Infirmary for Magical Creatures, by W. Stone Cotter, (Jan. 2018, Henry Holt & Co), $16.99, ISBN: 9781627792578

Discover the secrets of Winterhouse!

Posted on December 23, 2017December 23, 2017 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Winterhouse, by Ben Guterson/Illustrated by Chloe Bristol, (Jan. 2018, Henry Holt & Co), $16.99, ISBN: 9781250123886

Can our favorite Book Scavengers figure out The Unbreakable Code?

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Unbreakable Code (Book Scavenger #2), by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, (April 2017, Henry Holt & Co. BYR), $16.99, ISBN: 9781627791168

Dear Hank Williams: A young girl copes with life through letters.

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Dear Hank Williams, by Kimberly Willis Holt (April 2015, Henry Holt & Co.) $16.99, ISBN: 9780805080223

Recommended for ages 9-13

Tate Ellerbee is a sweet kid living in rural Louisiana in 1948. She’s a big fan of Hank Williams, a country-western singer she’s started hearing on the radio show, Louisiana Hayride, so she writes him a fan letter, telling him that she’s chosen him to be her pen pal in a class project introduced by her teacher. She lives with her aunt and uncle – her mother’s siblings – and tells Hank Williams all about her life as she waits for him to respond.

The thing is, things aren’t as wonderful for Tate as she initially lets on. Writing these letters to Hank becomes a kind of journal, helping Tate cope with events in her life. Through these letters, we see a vulnerable but determined young lady emerge, someone who’s dealt with more than most children should have heaped on them, but who’s determined to push back and smile at life.

This book started out, for me, as a cute piece about a young fan developing a one-sided crush on a celebrity – totally relatable! – and became much deeper than that. We get a view of a celebrity on the rise from the fan’s point of view, and we see the impact of history on a younger community that didn’t fight the war, but were affected by it – the kids. One of Tate’s classmates is excited to have a pen pal from Japan, which doesn’t sit well with another classmate or, initially, with Tate. There’s solid character development and storytelling here, with three big elements: Tate’s story, Hank Williams’ rise to fame, and the pen pal project – all blending together to tell a good story that will satisfy fiction readers.

Hank Williams is experiencing a resurgence in popularity, with the biopic I Saw the Light hitting theatres later this year. It’s a great time to start talking up this book and playing some of Williams’ music – Tate mentions a few in Dear Hank Williams that could serve as a nice link back to the book.

Kimberly Willis Holt is an award-winning author of children’s literature, including a National Book Award for When Zachary Beaver Came to Town. Her author website offers teacher resources for many of her books, writing tips, and school visit information.