Category Archives: Reviewer’s Library Type

Parker Grows a Garden by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry

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While visiting her Nana, Parker says that she wishes she had a garden too. Her family helps her prepare the garden and her Nana brings her tulip bulbs to plant. It is hard to wait all winter for her garden to grow. In the spring, her other grandma, Mom Mom, helps her plant vegetables. Soon they are able to enjoy tulips and crunch cucumbers from her garden.

This is a Ready-to-Read Level One book. The type is large with 1-2 sentences per page. The plot is simple while celebrating family working together to meet a goal. The illustrations are bright and colorful.

Sprinkles and Swirls: Oh, What a Show by Lola M. Schaefer

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Sprinkles and Swirls are cupcakes. Swirls wants Sprinkles to sign up for the talent show with her, but Sprinkles feels like she does not have a talent. Swirls helps Sprinkles try out different things to find her talent. Eventually Sprinkles decides that she will dance with Swirls in the talent show. Sprinkles is a brown cupcake with dark brown frosting hair and Swirls is a pinkish tan cupcake with pink swirl frosting hair.

This is a Ready to Read Graphics Level 1. I appreciate that the first two pages explain how to read a graphic novel; explaining speech bubbles, thought bubbles, panels, and how to read the panels. There are 1-2 panels per page and minimal words on each page. The graphics help tell the story and are bright, colorful and engaging. This is great for students who are learning to read and want to read a graphic novel.

The Talk

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Racial bias necessitates children of color receive “the Talk” while children of “White Priviledge” do not.

Jay, Jamal, Eboni, and Bryant love running and jumping and racing around in their childhood neighborhood. Hearing stories of Olympic Game heroes, getting their chubby cheeks pinched by Nana, and getting measured on the growth chart by mom. Eventually, mom determines (while seeing a TV news cast of street violence) it is time she and the adults of Jay’s family sit Jay down for “the Talk”. The Talk of how adults in society will look upon Jay and his friends with eyes of suspicion for reason of the color of his skin. Briana Mukodiri Uchendu illustrates this in seven wordless scenes of avoidance, hurt, anger, and police pat downs set in shades of purple. THOUGHT PROVOKING conversation starter! The talk ends in a loving family embrace. Life goes happily on, but now Jay is prepared for the future of being a person of color.

Written for Annette McQueen by Mary Pong

You’re invited to a Creepover: Truth or Dare, by P.J. Night

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Truth or Dare . . . The Graphic Novel (1) (You're Invited to a Creepover: The Graphic Novel)

This graphic novel is the story of a group of friends who are haunted by a girl who died the year before. At first it seems like it might just be a prank, but there are too many coincidences and the group begins to be truly frightened. The ghost seems to be upset that her crush is moving on to one of the new girls. This is the perfect book for Goosebumps fans or those that enjoy a pre-teen graphic novel with a bit of a creep factor. Slumber parties, text messages, and school crushes all play into the storyline. The friends are all diverse characters which I liked. I was a little confused by the visual similarities between the main character and the ghost. I was confused by that for a while in the story. Perfect for upper elementary students and 6th graders, this is a pretty “mild” scare of a book.

The Bird Feeder

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Find out how a bird feeder, a grandchild, and hospice combine to make a loving generational story in THE BIRD FINDER. “Grandma’s been staying with us since she got sick. That means now I can visit with her anytime I want. She brought her bird feeder. It’s my job to fill it.” So begins this touching tale of time shared with grandma before she enters a hospice center. The time between the grandchild and grandma is spent watching the birds flocking around the bird feeder through grandma’s window, drawing birds, and chatting. First at home and later at hospice. Grandma sleeps and sleeps more and more until finally she is gone. Though sad at her passing, the grandchild will continue to remember grandma whenever filling the new bird feeder at their home.

The sadness is not over the top, but realistic, filling a needed niche in an extended family’s life cycle.

Illustrator Dorothy Leung’s grandchild, perhaps 8 years old, is drawn in such a way it could be either a girl or a boy.

Reviewed for Annette McQueen by Mary Pong

Who We Were In the Dark

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I tried! I tried really hard to get into the YA novel Who We Were in the Dark by Jessica Taylor.  The setting of the novel is in the mountains of northern California near Truckee where the infamous Donner Party tragedy occurred. The element of suspense and potential horror sets an expectation of possible mystery and intrigue. Unfortunately, the interruption of the storyline with numerous changes of season and place makes for confusion and labored reading. The characters each have an “unknown” about their past, or their family, or their “real” life but the hints are not strong enough to carry the reader forward.  We are supposed to care but we don’t because each individual character is so underdeveloped.  The only clear message of this book is that we really are not able to know another person, even ones we consider friends or may even be in love with.  Therefore I would not be quick to recommend this book.  It is too much work for too little return.

A Cat About Town

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Written and Illustrated by Lea Decan

This lovely book follows the adventures of a housecat who wanders to different place every day of the week. While there is only one owner for this adventurer, many know the cat well. Every day is a different experience with a different neighbor. This is a great book to introduce days of the week. The art is bold and appealing. All cat lovers would enjoy this book. As it seems oriented to such a young audience, I would recommend it as an extra purchase.

This Book is NOT a Present

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Written by Max Greenfield, Illustrated by Mike Lowery

This big print, humorous book focuses on how kids would not want a book as a gift for any holiday. It caters to the child who is always on the go and not wanting to sit at any time, let alone to read a book. As I read, I kept waiting for the twist at the end saying something to the effect of “huh, I guess I did enjoy reading a book and getting a book as a gift” but alas that never occured. I had mixed feelings about this book being in an elementary library and thus, I searched for other reviews online. There were many 5 star reviews that seemed to be from parents. Theses parents found this book to be hilarious and their children would want them to read it over and over again. After much thought and consideration, I would not recommend this purchase for a school library where funding is limited as it could discourage reading although it seems to be a hit for a bedtime story.

When You Take a Step

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By Bethanie Deeney Murguia

A short and sweet picture book that reflects on moving forward in life. It is a gentle book reflecting on peace and mindfulness as you walk your own path. The mostly black and white images are soft with pink shoes on every page showing how one can be curious, kind and thoughtful with every step on makes. This book would be a great extra purchase for any socio-emotional school curriculum.

I am Superman

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Written by Brad Meltzer, Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos

Brad Meltzer has added the series “Stories Change the World” to his repertoire after the success of the “Ordinary People Change the World” books. It is about the story of Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El. This book gives the backstory of Superman in a thoughtful way, explaining how what makes makes him an incredible person isn’t what he can do and how strong he is. It’s what is in his kind heart. The illustrations are what you would expect, remarkable! The pictures will attract emerging readers as well as older readers who want to read something quick and fun. I would recommend this fun and thought provoking graphic to all elementary grades. This is one of three books in this new series including Wonder Woman and Batman.