Category Archives: Highly Recommend

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.

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.

Enter the Body by Joy  McCullough

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Reviewed by OHS substitute, Victoria O.

Juliet. Ophelia. Cordelia. These are names you are likely already familiar with, as they are among the most iconic heroines to ever grace the pages of William Shakespeare’s famous tragedies, all of whom suffer grisly ends by the time the final curtain falls.

In “Enter the Body,” these ill-fated women and girls are given new life by author Joy McCullough, who allows each to retell her story from her own perspective, reclaiming their well-worn tales to create a vibrant new narrative, teeming with righteous fury, unresolved trauma, and a deep desire to be heard.

Each chapter focuses on a different character, alternating between stark prose poetry in which one heroine narrates the sad trajectory of her life before shifting back to a mysterious, liminal space occupied by Shakespeare’s other unfortunate leading ladies. This space takes the form of a dimly lit, below-stage purgatory with a trap door through which each girl comes crashing down every time they are forced to (once again) relive their harrowing experiences on stage. As the heroines take turns telling their stories, the others look on, recalling their own past lives and how the pain, violence, and heartbreak suffered by each is often echoed in the others. 

Reading this book is like watching a series of searing monologues steeped in female rage and driven by a deep sense of historical injustice for women who were permitted little control over their own bodies, much less an ability to direct their own lives. Highly recommended for those who enjoy Shakespearean drama updated for a modern audience and retold through a darkly feminist lens. 

Dinosaur Roar!

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Written and Illustrated by Paul and Henrietta Stickland

In a fun and well illustrated way, this book simply discusses opposites. First, what kid doesn’t like dinosaurs? Second, it’s cartoon-like nature will attract all. With two simple sentences on each page such as, “Dinosaur weak, dinosaur strong” as well as rhyming throughout, this book will attract all emerging readers. This will also be a great and short read-aloud for for any librarian or family member.

I strongly recommend this book for libraries who serve preschool and primary readers.

Snow Is… by Laura Gehl

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“Snow is the feeling the moment you wake. Snow is a stillness before the first flake.” Through rhyming text, this book takes a look at the joy found in snow as a young boy and his family enjoys a day in the snow. The main colors in the illustration of blue, gray and white take on the feeling and look of snow, while the pops of red in the family’s house and clothing stand out. A sweet celebration of snow.

Roar-Choo by Charlotte Cheng

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Dragon tries to explain how fierce and frightening they are, but everytime the roar, they sneeze. Each sneeze becomes more powerful and dangerous. Phoenix tries to get Dragon to rest, but Dragon persists. Eventually Phoenix ends up sneezing too. The colorful, expressive cartoonish pictures bring the characters to life. The author’s note at the end explains the Dragon and Phoenix significance in Chinese mythology.

May the Best Player Win

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by Kyla Zhao

May Li loves to play chess. After a competition where she won a trophy at the California State Middle School Chess Championship for being the top female up-and-coming player, winning and being on top gets a whole lot more stressful. Her school’s chess club has their sights set on Nationals, her teammate suddenly becomes her rival, and life gets more complicated when she becomes friends with a soccer player. May has to find her love of the game again and not just her nerves about always being on top. This sweet story is not only for those interested in chess, but also for anyone who puts too much pressure on themselves to meet others’ perceived expectations of us. I liked that May found balance in her life as she learned to re-embrace the sport she had loved since she was young. For those who also play chess, there is plenty of chess play, vocabulary and strategy in the pages of this book, too. The book confronts sexism in sports – both chess and soccer – and reminds readers that gender has nothing to do with whether or not you can play chess well or kick soccer goals! A great addition to a middle school library.

Hummingbirds (Pollinators)

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by Martha London

Hummingbirds describes the life and importance of hummingbirds. Facts are presented with accompanying photos and QR codes are interspersed throughout with added videos, activities and information. Unfamiliar words are bolded and colored with a glossary at the back of the book. There is a page of connections to consider, an index and further information as well.

This book packs a lot of information into 32 pages and the extras via QR codes make it a fantastic addition to your science collection. Photos are clear and brilliant, a timeline of the lifecycle is well-done and text spacing all make this book accessible for many readers.

It is part of a series called Pollinators and should be a first choice when updating your collection. It is geared toward upper elementary, but will prove useful (with guidance) for the younger readers. Free teaching resources are included. Highly recommended.