Noodle and the No Bones Day

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Midge Livingston

Written by Jonathan Graziano, Illustrated by Dan Tavis

What a wonderfully adorable book about a pug and his person. This tale emphasizes that it is okay to have an “off day” every once in a while. Noodle and his person, Jonathan – the author, have busy and adventuresome days every day but when Noodle is feeling under the weather, Jonathan becomes concerned. Soon he realizes that there are days where one must just take the time to relax and be content to just be. A highly recommended tale for elementary students that really explains that it’s okay to have a “no bones” day.

The Moon from Dehradun: a Story of Partition

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Midge Livingston

Written by Shirin Shamsi Illustrated by Tarun Lak

This is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book about the partition of India in 1947. It follows a family that suddenly has to leave their home and move to what is now Pakistan where they find an empty house and move in (presumably because that family had to move to what is now India). While recommended for ages 4-8, this book would be a more relevant purchase for intermediate grades. The story will be relatable to individuals who have an understanding of refugees and individuals that flee from their homelands due to fear. This book also contains maps, a glossary as well as the author’s family experiences in the back that would better explain the story to more advanced intermediate readers.

Little Red and the Big Bad Editor

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Annette McQueen

The Big Bad ~~Wolf~~ Editor actually saves Little Red from being eaten fives times in this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Who could have guessed the wolf, turned editor, cared more about the rules of good composition than in eating his prey? When Red runs into the Wolf on her way to Grandma’s house with her basket of goodies, topped off with a thank-you note, the editor in the wolf wins over time and time again. Wolf is compelled to correct Red’s composition mistakes: no finger spaces between words, no capital letter at the beginning of each sentence, and no greeting salutation or signature at the end of the note.

Combine that with the ‘cool as a cucumber’ similes, onomatopoeia, and colorful verbs the wolf with his pencil behind his ear are doomed to not enjoy a human meal today. Who would have guessed the IMPORTANCE of a great thank-you note!

Little Red and the Big Bad ~~Wolf~~ Editor

Jagged Little Pill

Posted on October 11, 2022 by Kristi Bonds

Eric Smith along with Alanis Morisette, Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard have taken the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical by the same name and novelized it for a high school audience. This is a grand-salami story from five teen voices where perspectives are not always what they seem and choices have repercussions. The main storyline focuses on the Healy family who tries to be picture-perfect but the frame slams to the ground. There are so many, many layers as the jagged little pill dissolves — people exploring their sexuality, people learning to trust themselves, people taking a social stand, people learning how relationships work. “Harder” pills of rape, drug addiction, and mental health issues will also push a fast-paced plot that includes text message conversations for audience appeal. Jagged Little Pill has a broad audience and will be an easy sell when book-talked. Highly recommended.

I AM NOT A TIN CAN!

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Annette McQueen

When is a robot more than a robot and become more of a person? A little boy and Number 808 banter back and forth along the lines of what it takes to be more than a ‘tin can’ / robot. Number 808 can play music, do strange things with his arms, and do math. But Number 808 does not have a brain or a heart points out the little boy. The little boy is won over to Number 808’s point-of-view in the end.

Geraldine Pu and Her Lucky Pencil, Too!

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Annette McQueen

So glad this is part of a series! Geraldine Pu is a cute rambunctious little Asian American girl with a story to tell. This time her story evolves around writing a story about her family for part of an assignment at school. She discovers her everyday family members have a history she does not know about neatly stored in boxes and scrapbooks down in their basement dealing with the family’s immigration from Taiwan.

Geraldine gives helpful instructions on to how to read a graphic novel ( from box to box), for first time graphic novel readers, Then at the end of the book, Geraldine gives readers helpful instructions on “HOW TO MAKE A SCRAPBOOK” like the ones she discovered in her family’s basement.

My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Kristi Bonds

Sajni Patel gives readers a fast-paced behind-the-scenes experience of a highly ritualized, richly flavored, visually stimulating, and overly hectic Indian wedding week as Zurika Damani’s older sister ties the knot in an Atlanta, Georgia suburb. Zuri is a gifted violinist who wants nothing more than to please her parents while this week unfolds. The problem is that she has the opportunity of a lifetime — to compete for entry to a prestigious music school the same weekend as the wedding. And as the families converge, Zuri meets Naveen, the groom’s South African cousin, who also will compete for a spot. Competition will turn to flirting as the two navigate the well-scheduled week. Zuri’s own cousins will work behind the scenes to have her sneakily escape to the competition. But of course she’ll get caught and its the resolution that ties a nice, big bow to this story of family love. Much like Crying in H Mart but without the heartache of a death, My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding will be a fun romp around the foods, the feels, and the flaunting of the families who have enough money to throw a lavish affair. I highly recommend this book for upper elementary through high school young adults.

Pig Makes Art

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Midge Livingston

Written by Laura Gehl Illustrated by Fred Blunt

This book is an “emerging reader” book about a pig who creates art but leaves out the cat from the picture. The cat gets bored and takes a nap so the pig makes art on the cat while it’s sleeping. This makes the cat angry. In the end, pig and cat both make art together as friends. This book contains a list of word families, sight words and bonus words. It also has questions about the book on the last page.