How can a book this short be this powerful? I can see why it's getting award nominations and accolades because this is a powerful story about a girl lHow can a book this short be this powerful? I can see why it's getting award nominations and accolades because this is a powerful story about a girl learning about the history of her family in which they were sent to residential schools and stripped of their way of life, culture, language, hair, and ideals but through deeper connections, she discovers what people digging around the residential schools are finding-- bodies and stories hidden.
Taking place in Alberta over the summer where Summer's family spends time on a ranch, Summer's learning deepens with her dreams and her conversations with family. The frustration of what happened to them in the past needs to be healed but they are living in the present, which I value in the story as well.
Getting into the spooky season, I figured I'd borrow this book now because Boynton was a favorite when I read to my kids, I love her Instagram, and wiGetting into the spooky season, I figured I'd borrow this book now because Boynton was a favorite when I read to my kids, I love her Instagram, and will always stop to read a new book (or an oldie I missed).
This rhyming story about everyone dressed up as other things/animals but in the end, it's only Halloween. ...more
Celebrating books, a girl dives into books and gets to travel, experience, and enjoy all that the world of books have to offer folded inside the pagesCelebrating books, a girl dives into books and gets to travel, experience, and enjoy all that the world of books have to offer folded inside the pages of books.
A bit of a throwback. I remember having a few of them though I don't much remember playing with them or the stories around them however this edition iA bit of a throwback. I remember having a few of them though I don't much remember playing with them or the stories around them however this edition includes a contemporary story, a throwback story, and a mix of another short story to make it a bit of a collection of stories to bring a new generation back to My Little Pony.
Beautifully colored illustrations, uncrowded panels and pages, and a nifty little story. ...more
**spoiler alert** Isabel feels invisible because she's overstimulated by the busyness of her household between her siblings and parents. She's startin**spoiler alert** Isabel feels invisible because she's overstimulated by the busyness of her household between her siblings and parents. She's starting to notice these stomachaches appearing more frequently and that ramp up now that school has started. She's just not clicking with the girl friend group in her classroom and ends up being left out of a birthday party of Monica's though because it's a middle grade story, ends with a hopefulness that warms the heart including how to get help and keep focused rather than letting overwhelming feelings get in the way.
Not only was the stomachache a part of her neurodiversity but she ended up actually have surgery because of a burst appendix that coincided with her needing to get some help.
It's sweet and inclusive and written in a verse format to make it even more palatable.
"Isabel told Mama even more. / She explained about the Too-Muchness- / when all the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches / of the world / did a dizzy dance in her head / and unbalanced her into bewilderment. / Mama listened / and listened / and listened some more."
And the brainstorm pages about things she could do like moving her desk or writing down homework, belly-breathing, or teaching about sportsmanship and having assigned seating at lunch are all applicable in so many ways without the intensity even that Isabel has to need them. They're all useful strategies for everyone....more
And now this one about the bugs made me excited to know and learn more tidbits about bugs because she's exceptionHello, super big fan of Gravel here.
And now this one about the bugs made me excited to know and learn more tidbits about bugs because she's exceptionally in love with bugs and wants everyone else to love them too which she does with humor and facts. She shares antennae names and wing shapes, strong bugs and ones that look like sticks and did you know that the praying mantis is the only insect that can turn it's head?
I put these up there with the "Welcome to the Museum" series for visual learning! ...more
Gravel's humor and science mashups are the type of thing to get a kid excited about the topic of creepy crawly critters but her infectiousness lends iGravel's humor and science mashups are the type of thing to get a kid excited about the topic of creepy crawly critters but her infectiousness lends itself to simply being curious and excited about anything in science and finding a way to share it out. In her world, she loves insects and bugs and crawly things and designs humorous short books about the subject.
In this collection, she focuses on worms, flies, and spiders. She shares what she finds fascinating about them and illustrates an anthropomorphized version of their lives.
Learned stuff about praying mantises that I didn't know before-- namely that the females DON'T actually eat the males after they copulate and that theLearned stuff about praying mantises that I didn't know before-- namely that the females DON'T actually eat the males after they copulate and that their front legs have stabby nobs as they clutch their pray and eat them with their visible mandibles.
I haven't felt the immense need to skim just so I can get to the resolution because I was eagerly anticipating knowing the answers to all of the burniI haven't felt the immense need to skim just so I can get to the resolution because I was eagerly anticipating knowing the answers to all of the burning mysteries in a while. The pacing of the miles with the few bits of flashback to "zero miles" and understanding what that was about which disrupted intense action was perfectly interjected.
This nature thriller I will definitely push with teens who LOVE this type of book- we're seeing a resurgence of outdoor thrillers and nature mysteries and I'm in love with this glut. More please!
The two narrators, cousins Katie and Aster, are on a hike in the Moab but there is a disruption that is doomlike. Yet there's also some baggage from before to figure out in addition to the current situation they're in. Of course there is natural disaster and human disasters that muddy the waters of what will happen and what the resolution might be. Intense!...more
Safina wrote about Alfie in his adult novel and now brings it to a children's audience as they found a matted, beat up little Alfie and decided to carSafina wrote about Alfie in his adult novel and now brings it to a children's audience as they found a matted, beat up little Alfie and decided to care take for the owl and watched Alfie grow into a fantastically amazing owl who partnered up with Plus-One and had several broods of owlets while still calling the place around the Safina's home home.
It's not quite a picture book, not quite a middle grade but somewhere in between. The only thing that was frustrating was the action pictures that were more blurry than clear so I would have preferred to have them left out as they didn't add much to the story however I did like several of the diagrams (like an owl's internal bone structure) and the various pictures of Alfie in her nest boxes put up around the home. ...more
This one gave a bit more context to our "villainous" main character who on his days off truly checks out and does the things that he loves doing whichThis one gave a bit more context to our "villainous" main character who on his days off truly checks out and does the things that he loves doing which is eating cool foods and relaxing. But my love is starting to wane because it didn't have the telltale features of the first volume that I loved so much....more
I've already read this one in the series but see that they have kawaii how-to draw books for different ages. I borrowed a digital version of this one I've already read this one in the series but see that they have kawaii how-to draw books for different ages. I borrowed a digital version of this one and will DEFINITELY use it next year during my club after school to do some adorable sketches! I like that it offered one-page or two-page drawings limiting or expanding the number of steps.
Accompanying Messner's first book, How to Read a Story, she picks it up with how to write one including exploring all of the best features about why wAccompanying Messner's first book, How to Read a Story, she picks it up with how to write one including exploring all of the best features about why writers write and readers read. The how to manual is accompanied by lovely illustrations that bring life to the art of writing a story. ...more
Being a wordless picture book always excites me because when done well, it's a captivating experience that leads readers on an adventure with action aBeing a wordless picture book always excites me because when done well, it's a captivating experience that leads readers on an adventure with action and emotion pulled together with amazing illustrations.
Lam's book does just that-- the magic of being transformed into anything you want to be when you put on a suit-- is it an astronaut suit or is it a snowsuit? Did the kid encounter a crater on another planet? Does an elevator transport someone to another universe? All neat questions to explore in the book. ...more
I'm constantly bowled over by the tidbits of information I learn in the Who HQ series for each person that I read about the Michael Phelps' is the samI'm constantly bowled over by the tidbits of information I learn in the Who HQ series for each person that I read about the Michael Phelps' is the same way not only about his storied swimming career (and subsequent bad decisions before a comeback) but also his physical body which made him a stellar swimmer.
The trajectory of his life as the winningest swimmer is a crazy feat and the image of him with the medals around his neck is a priceless photo. ...more
Why does everything Watson touch turn to gold? This poetry memoir of her coming of age is absolutely shiny, sparkly GOLD. Each page whether it had an Why does everything Watson touch turn to gold? This poetry memoir of her coming of age is absolutely shiny, sparkly GOLD. Each page whether it had an illustration on the opposite page or not, or whether it was an homage to an artist, or a tanka or haiku, was lush. Rich with emotion and feeling and realism. She walks through her coming of age.
"Altars: Every girl growing into woman / needs a porch or stoop / or backyard swing or altar. / Needs to learn how to be alone, / how to watch, / watch and wait. / Needs to learn how to be in harmony / with the music of her breath. / Every girl growing into woman / needs a teapot, a crockpot, / Needs to learn how to slow down, / slow down and wait. / Needs to learn how to steep, / how to take her time, simmer to a boil."
"Hiraeth: a Welsh word that has no exact English translation. It speaks to the longing for home- not in a simplified homesick way but a deep yearning for the place where your roots are. It's a mixture of nostalgia, grief, wistfulness for the place of your past. Hiraeth is also described as sorrow because home (past or present) isn't the place it should have been."
Other favorites include "Turning Sweet Sixteen"...more
In one morning, I was wholly entertained by another Gordon Korman middle grade novel for underdogs. Yash is a superstar athlete however, that status iIn one morning, I was wholly entertained by another Gordon Korman middle grade novel for underdogs. Yash is a superstar athlete however, that status is interrupted when the principal tells him his missing PE to go to the HS team's games to play on the team means that he has to take a summer PE class with the acronym PEE. He's appalled. There are other students who are now also having to take PEE for their own reasons including a girl with an injury that has made her swear off sports. Yet, they're all in PEE, nicknamed by the students, Slugfest.
What happens when they're brought together for the summer with an unlikely PE teacher who seems to be more interested in feeding them and having innocent fun rather than actually engaging in sport activities? Pure genius entertainment and a sweet message by the end- both revealing what the teacher's background was and her motivation for teaching the class, but also the internal drive, motivation, ambition, and heart of the kids in Slugfest.
Simple and to the point, I like that other authors have done the same thing that Myers did which is to add life stories and the stories that they wrotSimple and to the point, I like that other authors have done the same thing that Myers did which is to add life stories and the stories that they wrote to help encourage others to write as well.
So many tasks that can be done to add to a writer's repertoire to find time to write and focus on what's important to making a story....more
What a creepy story of the future (scratch that) present in many ways and how adult readers CERTAINLY can learn a few things, especially if they're paWhat a creepy story of the future (scratch that) present in many ways and how adult readers CERTAINLY can learn a few things, especially if they're parents about helicopter parenting using smart devices as the helicopter.
For the middle grade readers it's intended for, it's a straight up mystery and game adventure with Easter eggs about Wizard of Oz. Averil is a kick butt girl coder and so is the rich kid in her class. He hatches a plan to get in front of the creator of an app that is set to release an update making it even easier for parents to track what their kids are doing. But in order to get an audience with the "man behind the curtain" they have to solve riddles but find things even more different than they thought they would be.
It's feels dirty to read it (in all the best ways) and I applaud Parks for writing this book that doesn't get too complicated and because of that adds another ounce of ick-factor to figuring out whether technology is working for us or whether we're working for technology. ...more
There are graphic novels that are brain breaks and this is one of them. Read in a single sitting, this first volume with a cast of bunny and cat charaThere are graphic novels that are brain breaks and this is one of them. Read in a single sitting, this first volume with a cast of bunny and cat characters and now a new friend, Taro, a cat moves into town. Peaches wants to befriend this mysterious Taro who likes creepy things. Peaches wants to impress Taro so invites Taro over for a scary movie and food except Peaches can't even sit and watch the movie and is forced to confess that they don't even like scary movies and just wants to be friends.
At it's core it's a book about friendship, food, and books. Can you ask for anything better?
The color palette is delightful, adding a layer of fun to the already sweet story. ...more
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