Category Archives: Recommendation

Sunrise Sail by Charles Trevino

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Sunrise Sail follows a boy and his grandfather as they set out on a sailing adventure. During their trip, they discover a stowaway and face a storm that creates unexpected challenges. What makes this book unique is that every word in the story begins with the letter “S.” The creative wordplay and alliteration make it a fun read-aloud and a good choice for teaching letter sounds and language patterns. While the story is enjoyable, I would not recommend this title for most elementary school libraries. The book is best suited for preschool and primary-aged children, and the alliterative text may have limited appeal for older elementary students. Libraries serving younger audiences may find it useful, but it is unlikely to attract a large readership in a K–5 elementary collection.

Gwei the Hungry Ghost by Emeline Lee

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Gwei the Hungry Ghost by Emeline Lee is a sweet story about a ghost who cannot seem to fill his empty belly. During Ghost Festival, Gwei searches for the perfect food, but nothing satisfies him. When he meets another hungry ghost and decides to share his food, he learns that friendship can be just as important as a good meal. The story introduces readers to Chinese folklore and features warm, colorful illustrations. This book shares a meaningful lesson about kindness, generosity, and friendship.

Searching for Mr. Johnson’s Song by Ariel Vanece

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This heartwarming story follows Caius as he tries to help his elderly neighbor, Mr. Johnson, remember the rest of his favorite song. Even though Mr. Johnson struggles with memory loss, music continues to bring him comfort and joy. Caius searches through library books and recordings, determined to find the song and help his friend. The story explores important themes such as kindness, helping others, aging, memory loss, and living with physical challenges. It also introduces young readers to topics like Alzheimer’s disease and the importance of supporting elderly members of the community.

I recommend this title as an additional purchase for elementary libraries. The book presents valuable messages about empathy, service, and understanding people with memory loss in a gentle and age-appropriate way. The inclusion of characters experiencing Alzheimer’s disease and using a wheelchair helps promote awareness and inclusion. However, the story feels somewhat incomplete, lacking the details and cohesiveness needed to fully connect the plot and characters. At times, it seems as though important pieces of the story are missing, which may leave readers wanting more development. While the themes are meaningful and worthwhile, the overall storytelling is not as strong as the message it aims to deliver.

Loch Ness Monster’s Unbelievable Science by Anne Appert

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This funny graphic novel by Anne Appert follows the Loch Ness Monster as he tries to explain why certain birds have unusual colors. While Ness tells exciting stories, Puffin repeatedly points out that the stories are not based on real science. Throughout the book, readers are introduced to actual facts about birds and learn about the importance of telling the difference between facts and misinformation. The colorful illustrations and humorous characters will appeal to many young readers.

I recommend this title as an additional purchase for elementary libraries. The book offers opportunities to discuss science, misinformation, and critical thinking. However, the graphic novel format and talking animal characters may make it difficult for some younger readers to distinguish between the fictional stories and the factual information. While the real science content is included, it can sometimes be overshadowed by the humorous narrative. Libraries looking to strengthen collections on media literacy and evaluating information may still find this a useful supplemental title.

Llama Llama Graduation Day by Anna Dewdney

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Llama Llama Graduation Day by Anna Dewdney is a heartwarming story about celebrating an important milestone. As the school year ends, Llama Llama is excited to graduate but also nervous about saying goodbye to his teacher and friends. With support from his family and classmates, he learns that change can be scary, but it can also lead to new adventures. This sweet book is perfect for young readers who are getting ready for their own graduation or other big changes. Consider adding this to your collection of Llama Llama stories.

Napesni Renegade: A Bison’s Journey

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By Marcie R. Rendon; Illustrated by Sam Zimmerman

Napesni and Renegade – the two names given a young bison calf transported with 6 other bison from South Dakota to Minnesota as part of a multi-tribal partnership to nurture bison as a traditional food source. The story is based on a real calf who escaped an enclosure when a storm hit the first night at his new Minnesota home. The calf earned his name Renegade for his ability to avoid capture. Just before hunting season was to begin, Renegade calmly entered the enclosure to join his mother. The themes of Native tribal stewardship and ecological repair by native species are clear in this animal story.

Author Marcie Rendon also wrote Stitches of Tradition and Powwow Summer as well as a number of titles for adults. Illustrator Sam Zimmerman draws on Anishinaabe traditions and ancestral connections in his art.

Call Me Gray

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Written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen, Illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine

This Stonewall Honor and Ezra Jack Keats Honor Award book tells the story of how Gray talks to their father about how they no longer feel like a boy inside. They want to change their name and be recognized for what they identify themselves as and the acceptance their father has. This is a beautifully illustrated book that very kindly tells the story of the author and their father.

I would highly recommend this title for elementary school libraries as it explores acceptance and identity.

The Christmas Sweater

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By Jan Brett

Another wonderful book by Jan Brett. This one is about Ari and her person Theo go on a Christmas Eve walk through the forest only to get lost. Fortunately, the sweater that Ari is wearing gets caught on a tree and unravels. This is the way Theo gets back to town.

This book, like all others by this author has incredible illustrations that show another story on the sides of the main story images. I would recommend this book as a great way to refresh your Jan Brett collection. It is a sweet story about a boy and his dog and the adventure they take together.

Perla and the Pirate

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By Isabel Allende, Illustrated by Sandy Rodriguez

Perla is a well loved dog by her person, Nico. When Perla and Nico’s mom are late to pick him up from school, he decides to try to walk home on is own only to get lost. Perla, Nico’s sister and a new neighbor go in search of Nico. Will they find him safe and sound.

This is book two about Perla and their owner Nico. I would recommend this title as an additional purchase.

Planets

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By Sarah Jospitre

This non-fiction book at the 2-4 grade level is well written with current and very detailed information about the planets in our solar system. This title well defines more advanced words so there is clear understanding for younger readers. It also “fun facts” that make the reading more appealing.

I would recommend this book for elementary libraries that are in need of books in this content area as it is clear, concise, and current.