Author Archives: Midge Livingston

Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name

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Written by Juvvie Ajayi Jones, Illustrated by Joey Spiotto

Luvvie is experiencing her first day at a new school. After she introduces herself to the class, Tommy teases her about her unique name. This upsets her and she calls him Dummy just as the teacher is walking by. After the teacher asks her to apologize she is upset for the rest of the morning.

This book is about a few common occurences that can happen in the classroom. In the end, the teacher helps to resolve the situation and all end up being friends.

Monsters in the Moonlight; A Yalda Night Adventure

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By Sina Merabian

Yalda Night is an ancient Persian celebration that occurs on the Winter Solstice. It is a celebration of darkness being defeated by light. Choori and Shooli are young divs (malevolent supernatural beings) heading out on their first Yalda Night to cause trouble and ruin families celebrations. When they join a family and try to ruin the night they only find that nothing can do that as long as loved ones are together.

This adorably illustrated picture book would need some explanation of this Persian holiday for those who may not know about it. It could also be an opportunity to introduce other cultural celebrations from around the world. I recommend this book as and extra purchase for elementary libraries that are interested in holidays and celebrations around the world.

Call Me Gray

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Written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen, Illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine

This Stonewall Honor and Ezra Jack Keats Honor Award book tells the story of how Gray talks to their father about how they no longer feel like a boy inside. They want to change their name and be recognized for what they identify themselves as and the acceptance their father has. This is a beautifully illustrated book that very kindly tells the story of the author and their father.

I would highly recommend this title for elementary school libraries as it explores acceptance and identity.

The Christmas Sweater

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By Jan Brett

Another wonderful book by Jan Brett. This one is about Ari and her person Theo go on a Christmas Eve walk through the forest only to get lost. Fortunately, the sweater that Ari is wearing gets caught on a tree and unravels. This is the way Theo gets back to town.

This book, like all others by this author has incredible illustrations that show another story on the sides of the main story images. I would recommend this book as a great way to refresh your Jan Brett collection. It is a sweet story about a boy and his dog and the adventure they take together.

Perla and the Pirate

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By Isabel Allende, Illustrated by Sandy Rodriguez

Perla is a well loved dog by her person, Nico. When Perla and Nico’s mom are late to pick him up from school, he decides to try to walk home on is own only to get lost. Perla, Nico’s sister and a new neighbor go in search of Nico. Will they find him safe and sound.

This is book two about Perla and their owner Nico. I would recommend this title as an additional purchase.

Planets

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By Sarah Jospitre

This non-fiction book at the 2-4 grade level is well written with current and very detailed information about the planets in our solar system. This title well defines more advanced words so there is clear understanding for younger readers. It also “fun facts” that make the reading more appealing.

I would recommend this book for elementary libraries that are in need of books in this content area as it is clear, concise, and current.

On Thin Ice

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By Jessica Kim

Twins, Phoebe and Dexter, are fierce competitors on the ice. When Phoebe’s partner is injured and Dex is cut from the star hockey team neither knows what to do. Dexter agrees to pair up with his sister so she can still compete but is there enough time for him to learn the routine? Let alone be successful? While these two and their mother are still reeling from their dad’s death from cancer, they have become further apart from each other and their friends. Will they reconnect? Will their mother be okay? This middle grade fiction will be enjoyed by many who are interested in sports, school stories as well as family tales.

I would strongly recommend this book for upper elementary and middle school. There is a light crush in this book as Phoebe gets to know her brother’s replacement on the team but nothing that would be concerning for younger readers.

Natural Wonders

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By Katie Chanez

This non-fiction series is one that will expose readers to a variety of natural wonders of the world. While some like the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef are more familiar, others are not. This series has many benefits. There are suggestions for parents/teachers on how one can read or support reading at the beginning of the book. They explain the science behind the creation of these wonders and also include any legends that local cultures may have about them. Where they are in the world is shown on clear maps that are understandable. There are questions throughout the books as well, encouraging more thought and curiosity to look further into the subjects. At the end of each book there is a glossary and index as well as quick facts and tools. There is also a “To Learn More” area giving online resources at an appropriate reading level to look into these unique areas of our world.

I would recommend these books for elementary library. They have stunning images, interesting maps and charts and encourage interest and further learning.

Extreme Sports Series

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By Tracy Vonder Brink

Every library can use more books about sports and this set is full of unique activities that may be harder to find at a reading level for emerging readers. The photographs are appealing and vibrant and thus lower level readers will also improve their reading level with these titles. Each book is organized the same way with beginning chapters explaining different ways athletes do the sport and what equipment they use. Chapters also explain parts of the equipment and how one stays safe doing the activity. What makes these books more interesting is that there are scientific explanations on how one does the activity successfully including the use of: physics, gravity, absorbing of energy, momentum, etc. The final pages of the book also have a glossary and an index but in every book there is a science activity that can be easily done to better explain the science of the sport.

I would particularly recommend these for intermediate/elementary level but they could also become very popular at the lower middle school level as well.

Blastoff! Readers: Wild About Cats!

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By Shannon Anderson

These wonderful non-fiction books about wildcats for intermediate readers will be a hit with cat lovers in your library. These titles are four of ten in the Bellwether Blastoff! Readers Level Three: Wild About Cats! Series. This series is at level three and thus second through fifth graders will enjoy the reading content most although many lower readers will enjoy the beautiful photography on each and every page. They all have a Table of Contents and Chapters that are consistently the same in each of the books and thus, are helpful for readers and teachers as they can create consistent research questions from all books in the series. There are some words are in bold. These are in a Glossary in the back of the book with helpful definitions. The end of the book also has basic facts, other book recommendations to read and learn more, an index, and web information on how to get more information at a simple reading level. Some interesting text features in these books are: maps of where they live, what the name of their babies is, images of their preferred habitats and if they are at risk of extinction.

I would highly recommend these books for any library that provides informational books for primary leveled readers.