This is a book that is relevant for our time. It is about a young person who realizes that in their heart and mind they are not a girl but a boy. When read it shows how a family and community can support someone when realizing this as well as explains what transgender means.
Set in the past and the present, this realistic/historical fiction book is based on the events surrounding the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York. Brandon is a young man who has gotten into trouble at school and thus, is visiting his father who works at the World Trade Center. When the attack occurs, Brandon is put into an obvious life or death situation. In an alternate storyline, Reshmina has grown up in war torn Afghanistan all of her life. She is a dreamer of peace but knows the reality that young men have when they must make the decision to be with the Taliban or not. These two storylines intertwine into a wonderful book where the present and history intersect. Readers will read not only the terrifying events as they occurred in New York on September 11, 2001 but also the effects of the United States being at war in Afghanistan to the normal everyday individual living through it.It is remarkable how Alan Gratz writes thought provoking literature for youth that will open the eyes of many. I highly recommend this book.
Peggy the pug is abandoned by her owner at a dog shelter when she is too much to handle. When there is no room for her there she is put in a foster home over Christmas. Chloe loves flying unicorns and thus starts the adventure of Peggy trying to become one. This is a great December story that can be read all year around. I would recommend it to students who are not quite ready for a full on chapter book. The story was sweet and fun. Anyone who likes dogs and warm family stories would enjoy this one.
This book is based on the words of a Syrian child refugee and human rights activist. Bana talks about what her name means in her native Arabic language – strong. She shows how she is strong and is a survivor. How war came to her home land and her family had to flee. She flies to a new place where she has to learn the language and make friends all over again. This is a very powerful picture book written from the voice of a 12 year old now living in Turkey with her family. I would STRONGLY recommend this book for students. As I once lived in Beirut, Lebanon, I saw many refugees from Syria. This book truly resonated with me.
Larry the Llama LOVES to dance. He is part of a herd and is “grey and unexciting”. He hides his love of bright colors and dancing from the rest but is sad as he cannot share this love with others. When others find out his secret he runs away and feels very alone and sad. After a while he finds a group hosting a carnival event where they dance and sing and have fun. He immediately feels at home. He wants to return home but what will the rest of his herd think? Find out when you read this book about how being different is exceptional.
As with the first 8 of the books in the series, book 9, Grime and Punishment will be popular with students who enjoy goofy humor and overall silliness. We meet up again with the half policeman, half dog only to find he has been fired from the police. With the help of his friends will he be able to become part of the again? With the creation of a personality amplifier helmet getting in the wrong hands of the evil Petey the Cat all chaos ensues. The entire town is attacked by not only Petey but a crazed, out of control, giant lunch sack!
This book is great for students who may not enjoy reading. It is an obvious must purchase if the series of popular at your school. With the multiple endings and flip animations elementary students who love graphic and comic books will enjoy this one.
When a family has their dinner and prepares for bed, what does a farm cat see and do? This picture book with rich colors, clean lines and pages where you see something new every time you read it is a lovely depiction of what a nocturnal pet can see while one is asleep. It also shows what an average family might do at night as well. With a clear progression from evening to bedtime, nighttime to morning, the author shows that life continues after one goes to sleep.
This book is another lovely, quiet, bedtime story. Parent will enjoy reading it to their student. Students will enjoy the readability and beautiful images.
Three good friends, a hippo, a worm and a lightbulb band together to form a secret society dedicated to their favorite animal, the rhino. They create a clubhouse and have meetings in order to work on becoming more “rhino-like” until one day Ivy knocks on the door with a plant delivery. Ivy is not the type of CHARGING, STRONG AND POWERFUL rhino they expect and they are surprised. When they invite her into the clubhouse for lunch they realize that what they truly enjoyed about their secret society was the making and sharing of snacks and sandwiches so they decide to open a sandwich shop instead.
This is a sweet story about three friends who realize they are creative individuals as they are and do not have to try to become something else in order to have fun and be successful.
Beetle is a goblin-witch who lives with her grandmother. She studies hard with her grandmother but does not attend school. Beetle is a lonely character who regularly goes to the mall and meets up with her ghost friend, Blob Ghost. BG is anchored in some way to the mall and cannot leave. When her childhood friend, Kat, returns from private witch school Beetle finds out Kat’s aunt is purchasing the land that the mall is on plans on tearing it down to build the family home on. What will happen to BG? Beetle has to solve the mystery as to why Blob Ghost cannot leave the mall. She also wants to reconnect with Kat and become friends (possibly more) again.
While this graphic novel is labeled grades 3 – 6 in Titlewave I would level it at grades 5 – 8 as there is a young romance between Beetle and Kat with kissing. This is a cute book that would be a nice addition to any middle school library.
Another sports fiction book from Mike Lupica for students to enjoy. The Turnover is a multi-generational sports story with a little mystery mixed in. Lucas is part of an all-star youth basketball team that is coached by his grandfather, a former college player himself. He thinks the world of his grandfather who has been a big part of his life since his father died when he was very young. While the story revolves around the success of the team and a possible championship future it is also intertwined with the story of Lucas and his Gramps. He is given an assignment to write a biography about someone who is not in Lucas’ immediate family and thus his Gramps is a perfect person to write about. Why is it then that Gramps does not want to be researched. What is in his past that he wants to keep secret?
Like most of Lupica’s books, I enjoyed this one as well. Titlewave recommends The Turnover to grades 4 – 6 but I feel that readers up to 8th grade, even reluctant ones, would enjoy this title, especially if they like basketball.