Category Archives: Recommendation

A Catalog of Burnt Objects by Shana Youngdahl

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As stated in the author’s note, this book is based upon a real fire tragedy that devastated one small California town in 2018 – this book is set in a fictional town, but based upon the authors feelings having experienced that devastation.

Main character, Caprice (Capri), feels like the peacekeeper of her family. Her brother is recently home from rehabilitation for an alcohol addiction – although he’s the one trying to build back his trust with family and find new friendships – Capri is the one who often feels responsible for his happiness and wellbeing even if that means disregarding her own.

New to town, environmentally conscious, River, is Capri’s most recent love interest – but he’s also now also a friend of her brother’s, meaning they are constantly battling for time with him. Just when things are looking up for Capri and Winter’s relationship – wildfire begins to rip through their small town. Now they, along with the whole community have to make some really tough decisions about what to save, who to go back for, and when to get out.

This is a strong example of what happens when we are faced with extreme moments of life and death – we learn quickly who we can run to for safety.

The book moves quickly and has complex characters that most will be able to relate to.

Whale Eyes: a memoir about seeing and being seen

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by James Robinson

Documentary filmmaker, James Robinson tells his story of growing up with misaligned eyes and his quest to have people understand him and his condition. He starts the book trying to help readers understand what he sees and the struggles that caused growing up in sports and school. He guides the reader through his life of attempted fixes, solutions, and many frustrations. Documentary filmmaking became a way to visually share with audiences (& potential future employers) how to get past the awkward moments of staring at someone whose eyes don’t track the way we’re used to them doing. He coined the term “whale eyes” because we generally have a positive response to the giants of the deep who see like he does out of one side separately from the other. His 12 minute film can be found at whaleeyes.org/watch. I loved the way Robinson gently guides the reader to see like he sees. To reframe the way we look at people who view the world in a different way from the majority. The book is full of simple illustrations. Pairs of pages occasionally turn to be read in a flip book manner. Chapters are short. It was an informative and very readable book. 
Because of the success of Robinson’s film, many other folks connected with his ideas – those with strabismus (misaligned eyes),  prosopagnosia (face blindness), stuttering, and more. People who shared his struggles to communicate all wanted his help with films about their conditions so they could be better understood. Because of that, I think many readers will be able to connect with his book. And the format is perfect for middle grade readers who can sometimes still need concrete examples to understand concepts. A lovely, readable memoir.

Eat Like a Bear

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Written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated Steve Jenkins

The life of a brown bear from month to month is detailed in text and illustrations in this informative picture book. In April, the bear awakens and wonders what to eat, because she is famished after a long hibernation. Each month, new foods are available from cow parsnips and dandelions to ants and trout. Finally, in November, the bear goes into her den to hibernate. Midwinter brings a surprise – two cubs. And, the seasons continue. The end of the book includes numerous facts about bears and an author’s note.

Beautiful collage illustrations pair with short, repetitive sentences to present solid information about the diet, life and habitat of a bear in fictional form. Kids will be enthralled with the variety of her diet and her determination, even when she doesn’t get the meal. You can almost feel her fur in the illustrations and hear the crunch as she munches the cones and moths. Buy this book for your nonfiction collection. The kids will love it! Highly recommended.

A Hat for House One Storm, Many Helpers

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Written by Audrey Perrott and illustrated by Druscilla Santiago

House was hanging out and minding his own business when a strong gust of wind came in and literally ripped his hat (roof) off. This was terrible! He felt exposed and scared. The oak tree was the first to offer help by stretching its leafed branches over house. But, another strong gust of wind blew it back. The squirrels and birds helped by adding twigs, leaves and tufts. But, ugh – more wind. Neighbors came in next and secured a large brown tarp over the house. While it wasn’t pretty, it did the job during a rainstorm and House was thankful. Finally, some roofers come in and added a nice, sturdy and colorful roof, which made the House happy. In the end, another wind came up and the House bravely said ” Don’t even think about it!”

Illustrations are bright and clean. The story is told from the House’s perspective with accompanying illustrations conveying its feelings through its windows (eyes) and door (mouth). Neighbors that come help are diverse and the weather (rain and wind) blanket the pages with their soggy power.

This rather humorous take on the effects of a natural disaster is just right. The story is a sweet reminder that community comes together after a catastrophe and things will get better! Recommended.

I’m Sorry You Got Mad

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Written by Kyle Lukoff and illustrated by Julie Kwon

Jack has to write an apology letter to Zoe, because he knocked down her block castle. Over several rewrites, Jack works through his feelings, sharing with his teacher along the way as she guides him through the process. He finally arrives at the right words to use and Zoe accepts his apology. The story ends with Jack’s new letter to Zoe, saying how much fun he had playing with her in her new castle along with hopeful plans for tomorrow.

This book is a treasure! It methodically moves along with a young character as he opens up about why he did what he did and shows a growing empathy for the girl he hurt by destroying her block castle. Told through his repeated attempts at writing an apology to his classmate, Jack becomes a better friend and his feelings are acknowledged as well. Illustrations provide additional “oomph” to Jack’s feelings as he writes and his frustration and eventual calm are shown in the use of color and expressions. Characters are diverse. In the end, it was a deeper story and a satisfying conclusion for all concerned. Highly recommended.

Let’s fly : Barrington Irving’s record-breaking flight around the world

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Written by Barrington Irving and Chana Stifle; illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice

Barrington Irving is the first Black man and (at the time) the youngest person to complete a solo flight around the world. His life and inspirational flight are detailed in this picture book biography. Barrington, born in Jamaica and living in Florida, played football in school as a way to move past the “badgering” of his classmates. One day, his life changed when he met a Black pilot at his parents’ bookstore. The pilot, Captain Gary Robinson, asked “Have you ever thought of becoming a pilot?” This changed Barrington’s life. Captain Robinson gifted him his first lesson and after that Barrington worked hard, studied hard and practiced, earning his pilot’s license. Captain Robinson challenged him to help others like he had helped Barrington and he created an after school STEM program. He didn’t stop there, though. He wanted to inspire kids even more. So, he decided to fly solo around the world. It was hard to get the plane, plan the trip and find the funding to do it all. But, he persevered and succeeded, culminating in a record-setting flight of 26,800 miles in 97 days.

In addition to the story of his life and flight, this book shares more details such as a two page spread of the a cockpit with labels, a map of his flight path with stops, a timeline, facts, bibliography and some great quotes from Barrington. Given the extras, this book is a great fit for a variety of ages and reading levels. Illustrations are crisp and fit the text nicely.

Add this to your biography section and it will fly off the shelf! Highly recommended.

Game On!

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Written by Maria Le and illustrated by Clarice Elliott

Kids play games all over the world and this book shares a variety of those games. Games are separated into chapters that highlight ball games, board games and playground games. Three or four games are described in each chapter and include their place of origin and a sentence or two about the game. Accompanying illustrations serve to enhance the short paragraphs on each page/two page spread. Unfamiliar words are italicized and a glossary is at the front. A fun addition is at the back where readers are instructed to create their own board game.

Characters are diverse in the illustrations and there is a nice mix of cultures/countries included in the chapters. Interestingly, football is used instead of the Americanized soccer to denote that game. It makes sense, since football is the more universally accepted name. But, it might confuse some young readers. Purchase this book for your younger readers as a nice introduction to other cultures and games. They might even want to learn some of the games as well! Recommended.

Being Home

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Written by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Michaela Goade

A young Cherokee girl, her mom and her dog pack up and leave the city to return to their ancestral home. She leaves behind the crowded streets, quick pace and lack of family to a place where there is room to roam, a different tempo, and that connection to her family now and from the past. Her travels are documented in her drawings as her mom drives toward their ancestral lands. When they arrive, they are surrounded by family who happily help unload their belongings, they visit and play. The tempo is slower and she is home.

Spare text and richly hued illustrations convey the warmth and excitement of the this change. The depth of her connection to her family and home is shown in the final pages as she happily engages with her relatives and her place. Sorell (Cherokee Nation) and Grade (Tlingit and Haida) combine their considerable talents to create a special story. Highly recommended.

En Los Naranjales

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by Andrea Cruz Floren

Clara travels with her parents to her extended family’s orange groves in California. She listens to family stories around the table with her cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents. Wanting to make her own memories with family, she hides in her grandpa’s truck when he leaves for the fields. After she reveals herself, they spend the day there together making those memories that she needs to connect to her family there in California. He shares the family history with her, mostly good but some painful.

Based on the author’s own family history, this is a sweet story of generational connections and strong family roots. Written in Spanish with lovely illustrations and a strong message of family. Add this one to your collection. Recommended.

Dinosaur Friends!

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by Peter Curtis

Dinosaurs of all sizes romp together in this easy reader. With names like Squeak, Whack and Thud (to name just a few), these dinosaurs are friendly and full of fun. They explore the rainforest of their home, the island Paleos. Most pages introduce another dinosaur by name, with their italicized scientific names and physical attributes (attached to their names). For example: Snap is a Spinosaurus who has very sharp teeth. Whack is a Stegosaurus with a tail that can knock over the other dinosaurs. In this book, dinosaurs play chase, but they never eat each other. Who would eat their friends?

Boldly drawn dinosaurs in vivid colors explore their island home, Their cartoon-like faces are always smiling even when they have very large teeth! Each page has minimal text that early readers will enjoy. A glossary at the beginning of the book details each dinosaur’s imaginary name, scientific name with pronunciation guide and physical attributes. Young readers will enjoy going back to that glossary more than once. Add this to your collection if you need some lower level dinosaur storybooks with the bonus nonfiction content.

From Rain Clouds to Rainbows

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Written by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated by John Wallace

Three short nonfiction stories about rain, clouds and rainbows are together in one early reader book. Each story gives information in short, simple sentences, introducing scientific words and concepts along the way and ends with “Facts about…” that topic.

“Rain” starts with two children under a hot sun. The grass is dry and the flowers are wilting. But, then a gray cloud covers the sun and the rain comes. After it stops, the sun comes out and the puddles dry. The clouds build up again and the rain returns. This quick trip through the water cycle mentions that the small drops of rain come together to make the clouds, growing larger and finally falling. The facts at the end are interesting and noteworthy.

“Clouds” describes the three kinds of clouds, what they are made of and everything they do. They give us shade during the day, keep us warm at night by blanketing the earth and bring us rain, snow and thunderstorms. Facts at the end include this cool one – “Even a small cloud can be as heavy as ten large elephants.” Wow!

“Rainbows” starts out with rain and clouds, moving into that first peek of a rainbow. Colors are noted we learn that a rainbow is actually a circle! we don’t see the full circle from the ground because the Earth gets in the way. What!?? How cool is that?

Colorful illustrations move the spare text along and the points woven into each story are enriched even further by the added facts at the end. Kids will learn so much about rain, clouds and rainbows without even realizing that they are learning. And, the adults in the room will learn some cool facts right along with them! Pick up this book to add to your weather section. Highly recommended.

Wake Up, Moon!

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By Lita Judge

After a winter storm, Squirrel awakens his friends for a fun romp in the new snow. Squirrel, along with Fox, Owl and Bear, take advantage of the clear moonlit night and play together. They slide and glide and build a snowy bear. They smile and laugh and play some more. Finally, the friends become drowsy and return to their woodland homes to sleep, cozily snuggling in for a well-deserved snooze.

The text is simple and rhythmic and the watercolor/colored pencil illustrations add personality and fun to the animal friends at play. Their friendship is noted and their exuberance is clear. Such a lovely book! Recommended.

Cold

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written by Tim McCanna and illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki

What is “cold”? It is many things – a desert at night, a bat-filled cave, a deep ocean or a meadow with snowflakes falling. it is a feeling and a promise. And, it is a place where animals and humans live and can thrive.

Told in eloquent rhyming prose and accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, the concept of “cold” is described in a way that draws in the reader, who can imagine the feeling of being cold as they turn the pages. The story is calm and the detailed illustrations convey that gentleness in a beautiful manner.

Explanations of cold and climate change are added to the end, giving some good scientific information in short, accessible paragraphs. Why we have winter and how animals are adapted to the cold weather is clearly noted. The notes on climate change are concise and factual and the empowering suggestions for helping to fight it are realistic for kids and their adults.

This book will be a great addition to your library as a sweet wintertime read aloud as well as a start to a winter weather or climate change lesson. Highly recommended.

Hap-Pea Valentine’s Day

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by Keith Baker

Peas in many shades of green share the love in this book that is chock full of hearts of all kinds. Peas are shown in various scenes, happily sharing valentines and love. There are chocolate hearts, candy hearts, heart flowers, heart spaghetti and so much more. Vocabulary is heart-themed and rhymes (most of the time).

Illustrations are confection-colored with vivid splashes of green hues, which draw the eye in to the details, of which there are many.Tucked away on each two page spread are a sweet cupid pea and a ladybug, adding to the fun of this Valentine’s Day book.

Add this book to your holiday collection and prepare to purchase the other books by Keith Baker. Your young readers will be asking for more! Recommended.

Vulture View

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written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Steve Jenkins

Take a look at the daily life of a vulture from its graceful soaring flight to its meticulously clean feathers. This species provides a great service by cleaning up after everyone by eating what no one else really wants. Carrion eaters are an important part of nature’s food web and vultures do a great job of it. End matter and author’s notes have been updated and reflect the newest information available about these often maligned scavengers. Illustrations have been color enhanced as well.

Add this award-winning book to your nonfiction section. It will become a favorite among students, who will delight in the daily life a this majestic bird. If you already have it, I suggest an update. It’s worth it! Highly recommended.

And Tango Makes Three

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written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell and illustrated by Henry Cole

Roy and Silo are a penguin couple. They build a nest of rocks together just like the other penguin couples at New York’s Central Park Zoo. But, unlike the other penguin pairs, they cannot produce an egg – they are both males. They try to hatch a rock, which doesn’t result in a chick. Their keeper, Mr. Gramzay, solves that problem by giving them another couple’s second egg to hatch (penguins will only hatch one egg, but sometimes lay two). Little Tango hatches and is loved by her parents.

This story is based on a true occurrence at the Central Park Zoo, where Roy, Silo and Tango made their home for many years. This is a gentle reminder that there are loving, diverse families in the world and acceptance of those differences is natural. In this case, it is a family of a tiny penguin chick and her two loving fathers, who “knew just what to do” as they take care of their adopted offspring.

Accompanying illustrations are softly hued watercolors and add to the gentleness of the story. Originally published in 2005, this book is still fresh and necessary. It is a very organic approach to tolerance and the notion that diverse families exist everywhere, even in a penguin colony. New additions include educator notes and afterward by author Eliot Schrefer. Highly recommended.

As You Wish

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by Nashae Jones

Eighth grader, Bernadette (Birdie) Nkrumah has been best friends with Deve Banerjees since they were young. Birdie has always been just a little low on the social pyramid at school, mostly because she struggles to keep her overprotective mother under control which makes her just a little bit weird sometimes. This year she has PLANS! This is the year she’s going to get a boyfriend and be more normal. Deve does not understand this plan – he likes her just as she is. Birdie quickly learns that her family is related to an ancient family from Ghana who achieved the trickster god Anansi’s favor. Periodically down her family line, Anansi appears and grants the person 3 wishes. Wisher beware because Anansi never grants a favor without a hidden trick hiding in the fine print. Birdie thinks she’s being clever, but with every wish, the consequences get more tangled. I really enjoyed this book. Birdie’s older cousin was the protagonist of Nashae Jones’ other book Courtesy of Cupid and makes several appearances in this story. It is a completely separate story, and unnecessary to have read the other book first or at all. (Their families sure have been blessed – cursed?- by the gods, however!) 

A wonderful, magical, gently romantic book of finding one’s person who might just be standing right in front of you. I also really enjoyed the mythological character of Anansi in this story. Perfect book to put in the hands of a middle school reader looking for romance that is not at all over-the top. There’s not even any kissing.

Radiant

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by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

This heart-felt verse novel takes place in 1963. Cooper Dale, the main character, wants to be RADIANT! She wants to be a success! In her integrated class, she’s the only black girl, which sometimes causes her problems. Her nemesis is a white boy, Wade Carter, who needles and bullies her constantly. Her life gets more complicated when her mother goes to work cleaning the Carter house because the family is dealing with an illness. Cooper begins to feel torn between her hatred for Wade and her increasing sympathy for his family situation. Her strength and resiliency carry the book as she struggles to find forgiveness in her heart for her worst enemy, all the while catching Beatles fever herself (along with most of the female population of the time). This lovely verse novel gives us a glimpse into the civil rights struggles of the 1960s through Cooper’s eyes. She learns how to be radiant through the difficult times with the support of friends, family, her church, and her community. I enjoyed this book a lot and I think my readers of verse novels will enjoy this historical piece.

Space chasers

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by Melvin, Leland, illustrated by Alison Acton

This inspirational space science graphic novel tells the story of five students, two dogs, and an inspired real world astronaut who conceives of training and sending a young team of diverse people to a space station orbiting the earth. I loved the tension between individual characters’ story arcs and the idea of inspiring students to potential careers in space. I did find the premise a bit unrealistic, but once I got past that, the story had action, adventure, pitfalls, solutions, and ultimately (spoiler) a happy ending. I tried to imagine the kids who got stuck temporarily in this book in the same situation that the adults in real life faced last year while they were really stuck for much longer than their intended time aboard the space station. I guess that’s the part that felt unrealistic. I cannot imagine NASA allowing children alone in space. Or even dogs! I did like the diversity represented by the student astronauts and how each struggled to feel confident and adjust to everyone’s individual weaknesses. Artwork was colorful and appealing, though that is always such a personal choice. Clear expressive features on faces help convey emotion. I think students will enjoy this and be anxiously awaiting the next one in the series – out in February of 2026.

Giant Parsnip Soup

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by Daniela Sosa

Two friends discover a giant parsnip and think of all kinds of wonderful things to make – a rocket? A slide? A car? They decide on parsnip soup. The rest of this counting story includes the ingredients and growing group of friends that enjoy the soup at the end.

This lovely book is simply written and filled with colorful collage illustrations. Characters are diverse and text is accessible. Share this story with your younger students, who will delight in the active group of chefs that create a shared soup. Recommended.

Saturday Morning at the ‘Shop

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This book is a celebration of how a black barbershop plays an important role in the black community. The ‘shop is a sound booth, a gallery, a sports show, a comedy club, a playground, a showroom, a classroom, and a studio where community shares wisdom, joy, and love. Each spread begins with, “The ‘shop is our…” and continues with a description. Word choice and cadence reflect the culture of a black urban barbershop.

The illustrations are bright and cheerful and depict the shared experiences at the barbershop. Characters are mainly brown skinned boys and men with a variety of hair styles..

We Are the Builders!

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In We Are the Builders!, Ramla, a young woman wearing a hijab, walks through a diverse neighborhood identifying ways people young and old can make a difference in their communities. Each of ten identified community roles is described in poetic verse and includes an invitation to join in helping through that role. The book recognizes that improving a community requires the engagement of multiple roles.

The endpapers explain that We Are the Builders! is a picture book version of the authors social change ecosystem map. Through identifying the role that best fits our interests and strengths, we can change the world for the better.

Tricky Chopsticks

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Jenny Chow just can’t get the hang of chopsticks and everyone in her family knows it. Her struggle has her feeling like an outsider in her extended family. Jenny’s cousin is having a party featuring the family’s annual chopstick challenge. Some onomatopoeia and Chinese characters accompany her unsuccessful practice attempts. Jenny realized that trying the same thing again and again will not help her improve.

Jenny gains inspiration from a set of tongs and fashions her chopsticks with a rubber band and folded star; acting like a training wheels. Through persistence and practice Jenny successfully participates in the chopstick challenge, an important family tradition. Her family is there to cheer on her success.

Tricky Chopsticks is a story highlighting family traditions and ingenuity when faced with a challenge.

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Sourgrass

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Neighbors Sophia and May are best of friends who know they can always rely on each other to be there. One day their adventures together take them beyond their yards to a nearby field. There they find a wild blooming field of sourgrass. May shares, “My mom says it show up every spring, keeping a promise.” Sharing sourgrass becomes a sweet representation of their deep bond.

May moves away, straining their bonds of friendship, withering their joyful connection, and leaving Sophia with only their imaginary friends. Frequent letters soon dwindled to nothing. Sofia begins to wonder if she has been forgotten. Spring brings the promised return of the sourgrass and with it all of her wonderful memories. Inspired by the sourgrass’s promised return, Sophia reaches out again to May by letter hoping that the promise of their friendship will also be kept. The story ends with a return letter from May and a glimpse of a little redheaded girl who could fill the void of May’s absence.

Sophie is a dark skinned girl with cornrows and May, a light skinned girl with brown hair. Pastel illustrations convey the connection and the feelings of the two friends.

Bold words from Black men: Insights and reflections from 50 notable trailblazers who influenced the world

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curated by Dr. Tamara Pizzoli & illustrated by Desire Cesar “El’Cesart” Ngabo

Each beautiful, bold set of pages in this book share an inspirational quote and a brief explanation of the quote in context for these 50 trailblazers. Highlighted men in the book come from many fields: politics, music industry, film, sports, the arts, and civil rights activists. I am not a black man (or woman), but most of the quotes spoke to me as a human and I could relate to most of the inspirational thoughts. They address resiliency, self-awareness, inspiration, and many more very human needs. I found the artwork throughout gorgeous, bright swashes of color emphasizing a portrait of each man. Illustrations by Desire Cesar “El’Cesart” Ngabo make this book a treat to read cover to cover or just browse a few page. This book begs to be on display, perhaps opening to a different set of pages each day, until some intrigued patron scoops it up to read cover to cover! While it does not give much biographical information on each person, I think it will motivate readers to investigate more and exposes them to a nice breadth of modern & historic personalities.