Every Monday Mabel does the same thing. Mabel thinks Mondays are the best day. She drags her chair down the hall and outside to make sure she does not miss her favorite thing. Her family doesn’t seem to understand, but Mabel doesn’t want to miss it and neither does Mikey and many more people. The illustrations are bright and colorful. The changes in font, the onomatopoeia, and the illustrations make you feel the excitement of Mabel about her Monday routine. I can’t wait to read this book aloud and maybe because I was one of those kids excited about the garbage truck!
Category Archives: Highly Recommend
Maybe Just Ask Me! by Katie Mazeika
On Mazie’s first day at her new school, she put on her favorite scarf and prettiest eye patch. She was nervous but ready. The other students whispered stories about her. Maybe she was in the circus. Maybe she joined pirates. Maybe she lost her hair being scared by a shark or a tiger. Finally she has had enough. She tells them that they just needed to ask and she tells the story of what really happened. The illustrations of the book are bright and colorful. Mazie’s emotions show on her face.
The book is based on the author’s real life experience of having cancer and 3 and having her eye removed. She talks about why people may be afraid to ask and just look away, but to her this feels ruder and makes her feel invisible.
Shell Song: Based on a True Family Story
By Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson
Shell Song is a wonderful reflection upon a family’s story that occured at the beginning of WWII when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese. Told from the viewpoint of a granddaughter this is a tale that discusses a love of two countries as well as internment. Shigeki Fujimoto survived the Sand Island and Honouliuli Internment Camps where prisoners were subjected to extreme weather and living in tents. He collected shells and saved them. This collection is now a family heirloom.
This book is insightful as well as nicely illustrated. Many ages could read it and enjoy it at many levels. I would highly recommend this book and feel deep discussions could be created.
I am NOT Your Hat!
By Lisa Bentley
This is a story about friendship and how it is not always as it seems. An outgoing bird has a shy friend, Dot, who sits on their head. No one seems to notice this pink character that is hiding something for Bert. They think Dot is a hat. At first, Dot doesn’t mind as they don’t necessarily want to be noticed but eventually, they get frustrated exclaim that they are not a hat and fly away only to leave Bert’s secret out in the open for all to see.
This is a fun story about friendship and how being shy or outgoing is okay. It also a tale of forgiveness and saying sorry. I would strongly recommend this quirky yet insightful tale for young readers.
Kersplash! A Cloud Bursts
Written by Jessica Kulekjian, Illustrated by Zoe Si
This is a wonderful non-fiction title about the water cycle that is well written and with clear illustrations for young readers. Any teacher would be excited to see this book in the library for check out as it is easy to read and gives opportunities for smooth transitions to discussion on the topic. I would highly recommend this book for any elementary library.
The Keeper of Stories
A library is
a keeper of stories.
A keeper of memories.
A keeper of hope.
Founded in 1893, the library at New York’s Jewish Theological Seminary collected the stories of Jewish people from around the world. These stories and the information preserved in this building were particularly precious because historically so many Jewish stories have been erased through war and suppression. The top level of the library’s tower caught fire in 1966, endangering the whole collection. Despite efforts to protect as many of the books as possible, water damage was catastrophic. Neighbors and strangers alike gathered “Operation Booklift” to hand over hand pass the books out of the ruined building. Many methods were tried to safely dry the books until volunteers finally found that repeatedly placing paper towels between every other page dried the books. Ultimately, 70,000 books were turned to ash, but 170,000 books were saved.
A Keeper of Stories is a reminder that even in times of devastation, when individuals work as a community, much can be saved. A library is a keeper of stories, but we are the keepers of stories too.
Mistaco
A Tale of Tragedy y Tortillas
By Eliza Kinkz
Izzy is having a terrible day. She’s the self-proclaimed “President of Mistakes,” and though we don’t know right away what she’s done, it’s clear she believes it’s a big one. As she visits family and helps make tortillas, her frustration only grows as nothing seems to go right. Eventually, the truth of her mistake spills out, leading to a sweet moment of connection as she and her lito make “mistacos” together. Soon, the whole family joins in, and Izzy begins to feel lighter.
This is a wonderful SEL story. Many kids will relate to Izzy’s frustration and the sense that everything is going wrong. Kids will find her big confession hilarious, and Kinkz’s bright, expressive illustrations add charm and humor to every page. At its heart, this story is a reminder that talking about our feelings is often the first step toward feeling better.
Kinkz also weaves Spanglish naturally throughout the text, creating a voice that will feel authentic and familiar to many readers. At the end, she makes a heartfelt plea for Spanglish to be accepted and celebrated, especially when spoken by children who are navigating two languages and cultures. This book would be a great addition to any home or school library.
Garbage Gulls
Written by Dorson Plourde and Illustrated by Isabella Fassler
Two brothers hatch a plan on a hot summer day that involves fries, ketchup, and a whole lot of waiting. The younger brother tries to fill the silence with questions, restless in the stillness, while the older brother insists they must stay quiet if they want the garbage gulls to arrive. Eventually, the gulls do come, whisking the boys away from the sweltering concrete of the parking lot.
Plourde’s poetic style makes this a delightful read-aloud, and kids will relate to both the sticky, endless feeling of a hot summer day and the longing to escape it. Fassler’s illustrations perfectly match the mood, encouraging readers to slow down and soak in that atmosphere of waiting. This is a perfect summer read and is ideal for sharing aloud in the classroom, either before the break begins or as kids reflect on it after returning to school.
School’s in Session
Written by Elizabeth Dennis and illustrated by Clarice Elliott
How do kids around the world go to school? What do they do when they get there? These questions and more are answered in this Ready-to-Read (level 2) book. Three short chapters the daily lives of school children worldwide. Chapter one shares kids walking, riding bikes, gondolas, boats, trains and buses and even a snow machine to school. Chapter two talks about what school looks like, i.e. where it’s held and who is there. Chapter three is about lunch, recess, homework and school day length. In the end, it’s noted that whatever school looks like around the world, it’s still kids learning just like the reader. A map and added activity (create your own school) are nice extras.
Three simple chapters have longer sentences and color illustrations. High interest vocabulary and unfamiliar words are bolded with pronunciation in parentheses. Characters are diverse and the schools span the world, giving a nice global perspective that is not Eurocentric. This interesting book will be a great addition to your library and a nice opening book for the new school year. Highly recommended.
Central Park Ghost
Written by Ellen Potter and illustrated by Sara Cristofori
Cordelia and Isaac receive a message via carrier pigeon from their friend, Fenton (a rat), asking for their help in Central Park Zoo. A mysterious creature is scaring the animals. This time, the sea lions saw the scary creature with glowing white eyes and the with pointy ears and a bushy tail. Cordelia offers to catch it. They meet Viola, the Central Park Zoo groundskeeper , and tell her all about it. She solves part of the mystery by telling them that the sea lions must have seen a coyote, the same one that has been spotted all around Central Park. She also shares that it is lonely, because it doesn’t have a pack. Cordelia and Isaac vow to help. They want to question other animals and decide to enlist Fenton’s help asking the dogs in Central Park if they know anything. After all, Fenton know s how to speak dog language. Princess Cha-Cha leads them to the coyote’s den after Fenton helps her dodge her owner by being chased by other dogs. They locate the coyote, named Ghost, and decide that the best way to help him find his pack is to take him to Viola. How to do that? Dress him up in Princess Cha-Cha’s spaghetti and meatball outfit and join a parade with dogs and baseball players. All goes well until the dogs realize that Ghost is a coyote and things get a dicey. Cordelia asks the dogs (through Fenton) to help Ghost find his pack – first, by protecting him from an approaching dog catcher. The dogs rally round Ghost and chase the dog catcher away and the parade resumes. Cordelia, Isaac, Fenton and Ghost finally make their way to Viola, who promises to help Ghost and plans to take him to a wildlife rehabilitation center where he can get the help he needs.
Cordelia, Isaac and Fenton end the day in the tree house in Central Park for a sleepover. Shakespeare, the squirrel, tucks them in and Cordelia thinks about her next adventures, knowing that wherever they take her, she’ll always come home to Central Park and the Squirrel that raised her.
This sweet story is the third in a series, Squirlish, about an intriguing young girl that lives in Central Park, knows squirrel language and helps her animal friends whenever they ask. This is a great book for younger readers that are moving into chapter books that are a little longer. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the story and chapters are short. Kids will love that Cordelia is not only a friend to animals, she can also speak to some of them! How cool is that? Add this to your library. It won’t stay on the shelves very long. Highly recommended.