Jacqueline Woodson, Newbery Award winning author, has used a simple rope connecting generations of family history.  For three generations that rope is first used as a jump rope, then passed down as a rope to secure suitcases onto a car for a big move from South Carolina to New York City, then as a clothes line, a pull toy and a string to hold up a sign at a family reunion.  Even though this is a work of historical fiction, the story is based on the Great Migration that her family, and six million other African Americans, experienced over generations from the early 1900’s until the mid 1070’s.  The rope is a symobl of “Hope.”  Written with such insight and poetic grace, this thoughtful and moving piece of storytelling will linger in the hearts of the readers for a long time.  So will the beautifully done James Ransome illustrations.

Alex the Ant Goes to the Beach is a delightful adventure story that both entertains and educates the young listener or reader. Facts about ant natural history, such as scent trails, scout ants, and their diet of ‘Yummy mold’ grown on decaying wood, are introduced seamlessly. While the book teaches knowledge and facts about ants, it is also playful and engaging for young readers, including sound play, interesting word choices, and some suspenseful moments. Appealing, fun illustrations make this book a gem!

In this idealistic vision of our world as run by children, the Dillons envision a world of peace, fairness and kindness, where everyone’s basic needs would be met. No one would be hungry, and everyone would have a place to live. Sick people would have medicine, and good schools would be universal. Unsurprisingly, this world is populated with smiling, happy children of many skin tones, wearing clothing from all corners of the world and representing a variety of religions. The figures on each spread are painted against a bright white background, making the children pop off the page in contrast. Well-meaning but saccharine, it feels like a gesture rather than a call to action. Sentiments such as “No bullying would be allowed” and “Kids would love school” reveal a wistful adult rather than an enthusiastic child.

Excellent introduction to the history of the Washington Monument .  Discusses a short history and geography of Washington , D.C., and then tells about the lengthy time it took to build and complete it, and how it was built.  Includes pictures, glossary, more books to read and critical thinking questions using Common Core.

Have you ever had the feeling of frustration when you almost reach your goal?  In Absolutely Almost, Albie has that frustration all day every day.  He almost gets it but not quite.  The frustration turns to pain when his parents don’t understand why things are so hard for him, and that’s just at home.  Their expectations for him are high and they compare him to themselves and how they did at school.  There’s an ideal he can never live up to yet hears every day.  At school he is constantly teased and bullied because he doesn’t ‘get it’.  He isn’t one of the ‘cool’ kids, for sure, and he doesn’t even have a friend.  He is suspended from an elite private prep school because he doesn’t meet their rigorous academic standards (this is in NYC), and starts anew in a public school.  Once there, it’s the same thing all over again, but another throw-away kid, one with a defect, such as a stammer, becomes a lunch companion.  Albie’s life, as seen from his perspective, is a sad one indeed.  The book is sometimes funny to read, but it’s more sad when you realize Albie is just one of the many kids in schools who have trouble learning in the traditional way, and is unpopular because of it, and whose best friend moves away.  Life is a continual struggle for them.  Albie’s in fifth grade and because his parents have busy jobs, he has a nanny named Calista.  Albie thinks he’s too old for a babysitter, but Calista becomes much more than that.  Calista is the first person to really listen to Albie, to learn of his fears, and she gives him the confidence and strategies to overcome those fears and to learn to speak up for himself.  This is such a touching story, and Albie is a likeable character, that this book would make a great classroom read aloud with followup discussion on bullying,  and how to handle stress and painful situations.

When the late night talk show “Stranger Than Fiction” starts talking about a devil-boy that sneaks into the bedrooms of young girls and steals their dreams in a small Appalachian Mountains town, Violet thinks she might have located her missing boyfriend, River.  River hasn’t been heard from since he left last summer and now it’s Christmas.  Thus begins a road trip that will takes Violet and her friends from the Appalachian Mountains to the North Carolina coast and then to Colorado.

This is a haunting thriller that suggests that the devil may be found in 17 year old River Redding and maybe his half-brother Brodie.  This is the sequel and supposed conclusion to Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.  The ending makes me suspect that there might be yet another book in this series.