This posting is a varied collection of grown-up and children literature books that I read throughout July. The eleven titles are a mixed bag of poetry, essays, memoir. fantasy adventure, graphic text, folktale and fiction – and an iconic classic.

 

July 3

 SHOUT OUT!!!! 

THE RED COURT: Shattered Skies, Volume I,  by Matthew Hastie (YA)

This novel was given to me in manuscript edition. It is not yet published but, crossing fingers, it will be released someday so that lovers of fantasy adventures can enjoy this thrilling book. The author is a great storyteller and expertly creates other world characters and plots of good and evil. He cleverly alternates the narratives between chapters featuring 1. Grayson 2. Violet and keeps readers guessing, ‘What happens next?’

Kudos to Matthew Hastie for presenting a wild ride of a book. His ease with language, his invention of contemporary and other worldly characters and his use of sharp dialogue, (and his wit) contribute to mighty fine read.  Rick Riordan must be sitting on Hastie’s  shoulders (Matthew read all is books) and there is no doubt that the twists and turns of Marvel comics (Matthew is addicted to these) have helped shape the action of The Red Court. Matthew Hastie pours his imagination onto the page and offers readers  exciting cinematic events (particularly the many battle scenes), sure to engage readers who love entering a world of  doors that transport to other universes, magical deeds,  bloody combats,  powerful swords, premonitions, dreamscapes, tyrants, elves, dwarves, dragons, minotaurs,  evil parents, friendships – and yes,  romantic relationships!!!

The Red Court is a remarkable accomplishment! 

Here is the back cover synopsis:

When a group of estranged friends reunite five years after the disappearance of one of thei own, they each find themselves on separate paths.

Burdened with guilt, Grayson will stop at nothing to find their lost friend. While Gray finds himself in an otherworldly conflict, Violet and the others uncover a conspiracy that dates back to their towns foundling

As connections form between these two disparate conflicts, it becomes clear that they’re fighting on two sides of the same war. But with their enemies consolidating power, time is running out, and the fate of two worlds hangs in balance. 

DISCLAIMER #1: Fantasy Adventure is not my genre of choice. Also, I’m not usually fond of books that are more than 600 pages. But I really enjoyed this one and I was given honoured to be given the chance read it

DISCLAIMER #2: The author of this book is 23 years old. He is my nephew. How proud I am for the mammoth effort Matthew put into writing this debut title. Amazing! 

Here is the dedication to the book, (which made me weep!)…
“Dedicated to my Uncle Larry, who never let me stop reading!”

July 5

BANNED BOOKS: The World’s Most Controversial Books, Past and Present / DK Penguin Random House

Page by page, this book provides a document of controversial, provocative, and revolutionary literature whose publication has been been curtailed at some point in history. An overview and description of titles that have been  is provided in 1-3 pages, with illustration. Some titles include The Canterbury tales, Frankenstein, Ulysses, 1984, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, I Know Why the Caged Bird sings, The Handmaid’s Tale, and more recently The Kite Runner, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism. Fascinating (and frustrating) that so many  are banned (the majority of banning occurs in school boards) for obscenities, religion, sexuality, race, politics etc. etc. 

“Restricting access to a book serves only to create. best seller, because everyone wants to read a book that is forbidden.” (Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn)

 

July 8

SHOUT OUT

CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that write it was a terrific friend of your and you cold call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.” (page 18)

Catcher In the Rye is one of my all-time favourite reads and if stuck on a desert island this would certainly be on of my novels of choice to keep me company. I try to read this book every ten years or so and I admire it as much in my 70’s, as I did when I first read it in my 20’s. I think I love it more now.  J.D. Salinger’s iconic title is not without harsh critics, but for me Holden Caulfield is a hero who examines his inner world and the world around him with acute scrutiny. Judgemental, vulgar at times, alienated, adventurous, Caulfield is filled with angst, rejecting  the superficiality of the ‘phony’ adult world. The book was first published as a novel in 1951 and has been on many lists for best books of the century. Though written for an adult audience, Catcher in the Rye was one of the most popular titles used in schools across North America and ironically one of the most banned/challenged books in school districts (swearing, sexual adventures, drinking, disrespect of adults etc.).  Even though it was written 70 years ago, I would say every generation of adolescents can identify and learn from Holden Caulfield’s funny, observant, critical, anxious, uniqueness as he embarks on a two day episodic adventure in New York city.  Holden’s dream is to protect youth from the fall of innocence (to catch them in the rye). It is a book that inspires ‘getting into groups and discuss’.  There are a multitude of YA novel characters that stand on the shoulders of Holden Caufield and though rich, privileged and white, there is no doubt he is an iconic literary character. I will read this book again. And again. 

 

July 11

THE COVID DIARIES: Spoken word poems & visuals by Robert Pomerhn

Released in 2023 (Highest Hurdle Press), this publication, in magazine-sized format provides,  a “study to postmodern poetry and contemporary art” according to in a letter written by the author. The majority of this collection features collages  in which the juxtaposition of visual images can be considered humourous, strange, mysterious, dark, or filled with pain. These illustrations, after all, represent a diary of a time when the world was confused, fearful, strange, mysterious, dark or  filled with pain.  Viewers can make of these images what they will just as they might when they read Pomerhn’s spoken word poems about a time when the “silent killer” forced the world to wear masks. The poet conjurs up feelings, confusions and realities of a time when we were “spinning out of control on a carousel”(p.71).  Yes, Spoken word poems need to be heard through the ear but reading these poems independently, invites a reader to lift the words off the page and hear the voice of this gifted poet. (“And like the devil  / Tempting Jesus / This upper respiratory disease is Free to come and go as it pleases” p. 46). Pomerhn deserves his personal claim that he is an ‘artistic innovator’.

Note: I was also given a copy of LETTERHEAD, Volume #1 (2007)  a collection of works by poets from across the United States. One section of this volume of selections from  deceased poet Harvey Goldner and visual collage images and rap poems byRobert Pomerhn and a third section includes work by Buffalo Poets. The 131 page volume is an engaging read for poetry lovers  of diverse poetry styles with diverse themes  with such poem titles as ‘The Revenge of Poets’ by Arnold Skemer; ‘Screamo’ byErin Thomas; ‘Suddenly Death Won’t Kill’ and Saran Wrap’  by Robert Pomerhn.  

for further information contact the author: pomerhn.robert@gmail.com

 

July 16

SPARE by Prince Harry

When you tell people that you are reading Spare, they (many) tend to roll their eyes. But Daniel Pennac, author of the Readers Bill of Rights claims that we have ‘the right to not defend our tastes’. Why do feel I need to defend my reading of this autobiography? Why do folks make such strong judgements about Harry’s book without having read it? Why argue with 3 million+ purchases of this book which the Guinness World Book of Records claims was the fastest nonfiction title ever?  All that being said, I liked the book. I was intrigued. I respected that the Prince now had the chance to tell his story. Granted, kudos must go to the ghostwriter  J. R. Moehringer who listened carefully and then shaped and presented the anecdotes and ‘in-the-head’ thoughts of Prince Harry with clarity. We are definitely given an inside glimpse of the royal family. We absolutely come to recognize that Prince Harry was /is haunted by the death of his mother. We absolutely believe that he is strongly devoted to his wife, Meghan and his children. And there was no doubt (for me) that media and the paps (Paparazzi) haunted the members of the Royal Family and especially interfered with Harry’s happiness. There’s trouble in the Harry’s relationship with father, brother, sister-in-law and many of the Royal staff but this is Harry’s story to tell and I believe his truths and understand why he needed to rebel and remove himself from what was expected of him.  Spoiled? Rebellious? Contentious?  Brave? Loyal? Get into groups and discuss. 

 

July 23

OLD GOD’S TIME by Sebastian Barry

Tom Kettle, a recently retired  policeman, has settled into a lean-t0 attached to a castle overlooking the Irish sea. Living alone, seems satisfied to only catch glimpses of his eccentric landlord and a young mother who lives next door. Fond memories of his wife and two children help to pass the days and lift Tom’s soul, until the day two former colleagues tun up hoping that he wil help them solve a decades-old unsolved case.  Tom makes the decision to revisit his life as a detective  and help solve the mysterious killing of a priest. Old God’s Time is more than a detective story. The ghosts of Tom Kettle’s past haunt him and the dark narratives of child abuse, suicide, and murder unfold in dreamlike memory. Sebastian Barry’s writing is exquisite with crafted sentences,  poetic images and disturbing events that stagger the reader*. I found myself reading this novel rather slowly, often pausing to reflect on the protagonist’s mental health and stream of consciousness where things may or not be quite what they seem.. This is the first novel I’ve read by the Irish novelist I’m sure I’ll check out some other of his honoured  titles including  Days Without End, The Secret Scripture and A Long Long Way. 

*Excerpts

“The eternal fight of the solar system between night and day was being waged above him, he supposed, and it was dark as dark could be now, night was winning, but still, it was ridiculously early to be abed.” (p. 142)

“Who will read the liturgy of the dead? God posts you your fate, the envelope is opened and the page blank but everything is written there. He supposed that was true.” (p. 191)

“Never entered her mind to tell the truth. That her brain was boiled cabbage with grief.” (p. 234)

 

July 24

THE SKULL by Jon Klassen (folktale)

Award-winning author Jon Klassen (I Want My Hat Back, This is Not My Hat, The Rock from The Sky) presents his own version of a traditional folktale. Otilla is a runaway girl (we never really know this background story) and when she comes upon a house in the woods she meets up with a Skull and the two become friends. The Skull warns Otilla about a headless skeleton who is desperate to obtain the Skull.  This adventurous tale is blends humour, creepiness and friendship to provide an entertaining retelling (told in five  parts), accompanied by Klassen’s masterful, rather monochromatic visual interpretations of text. A terrific read aloud and as I read it, I thought of The Skull as a terrific resource for igniting lessons for a range of comprehension strategies. 

 

July 25

WELCOME TO ST. HELL: My Trans Teen Adventure by Lewis Hancox (graphic autobiography) YA 

In this frank graphic autobiographic, Lewis Hancock tells the story of heartbreaking and often funny, journey as a trans male. We are given a first-hand account of what it means to hate your body and be be confused about what to wear, who to snog and how to convince family and friends about what it means to fight for the truth of your gender identity. This is an honest story, a hopeful one that will bring comfort to many who question who they are and who they need to become. In this book, Lewis has a conversation with his younger self (as Lois) surviving hellish years in high school  and college trying to figure out what it means to be ‘normal’. Comic art work is presented in black and white graphic panels. Thank you for sharing your story Lewis. 

 

July 26

YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT WAR IS by Yeva Skalietska (Ages 12+)

This diary by a twelve year old Ukranian girldocuments the horrors that she and her grandmother encountered when the city of Kharkiv was suddenly under attacked. The journal begins on February 24, 2022 and records the journey she and her grandmother from sheltering underground, escaping the  Ukraine, passing through Hungary and finally settling in Ireland. Her entries are straightforward tellings of what Skalietska, her neighbours and friends encountered as bombs destroyed her city. Readers learn about the realities of the conflict of the war raging around innocent people. The journal describes long train rides, the experience of in an overcrowded refugee centre as well as the kindness of strangers and the media who helped Yeva and her family forge a new life and dream of returning HOME. 

Prologue

Every knows the word war. But very few people understand what it truly means. You might say that it’s horrible and frightening, but you don’t know the scale of fearit brings. And so, when you suddenly find you have to face it, you feel totally lost, walled in by fright and despair. All of your plans are suddenly interrupted by destruction. Until you’ve been there, you don’t know what war is. 

 

July 28

UNCLE OF THE YEAR & Other Debatable Triumphs by Andrew Rannells

Andrew Rannells, is a musical theatre star, a television actor and a writer (Too Much is Not Enough). The 20 personal essays in this collection are drawn from his life as a struggling and successful actor, as a sometimes shaky and sometimes successful boyfriend, as a friend, son, and uncle.  He is a great storyteller letting readers partake in his experiences attending award-shows, going to many auditions, working with therapists,  dating, and going through the process of ‘adulting’. Now at 44 years of age, Rannells tries to make sense of his personal and professional life and reflect on milestones and expectations of what it means to be an adult. Readers are likely to be charmed and entertained by the humour and honesty of this celebrity.  He seems to be a guy you’d want for a best friend – and fun uncle!

 

July 31 

SHOUT OUT

WHY FATHERS CRY AT NIGHT by Kwame Alexander

This is a memoir presented as a series of love [oems, letters, recipes and remembrances. I am a Kwame Alexander fan and am always eager to buy a new publication by this celebrated Black author of children’s literature. He has received the Caldecott (The Undefeated) and the Newbery awards (The Crossover). (I have a hunch that his new title An American Story is destined for 2023 awards.).He is a poet extraordinaire and with this new book, Alexander presents a non-traditional memoir, sharing the journey of his parents as newlyweds, the ups and downs of his own two marriages, and his relationship with his daughters.  He also provides insights into his writing journey. His connection to the poet (and professor) Nikki Giovanni, is a powerful story. This is a multi-genre presentation of the author’s life and it is one filled with an honest, open heart.  The book jacket blurb announces that the book defines ‘the whirlwind woes and wonders of love.”  In the epilogue to this book, Kwame Alexander informs readers that writing Why Fathers Cry at Night provided him with an artifact that forced hime to have ALL of those hard talks (with father, wife, children). It is obvious that the memoir sparked “difficult and necessary conversations that ultimately make us much better. With our loved ones and with ourselves”. A stellar publication that will be at the top of my list for 2023.

Excerpt: How to Read This Book (p. 10)

Let these humble meditations and musings

carry you close, permanent, abreast – a wave.

Go, raise a toast.

Sip

Swallow 

all the words

that hold you

hopefully inspiring

a sea of new ones.

Now trust your heart

and the ocean of sweet possibility

brewing inside. 

This posting highlights TEN TERRIFIC TITLES (most published in 2023) , varied in topics (e.g., surviving war, mental health, coming out, neighbourhood activism, the menstrual cycle, school shootings) varied in settings (e.g., an urban park, farmyards, an elephant sanctuary, a remote island, an urban NY community, a concentration camp) and varied in genre (narrative fiction {middle years and YA} graphic biography, short story),

 

BARNEY THE HORSE: and other tales from the farm by Michael Morpurgo(3 short stories) (ages 7-9)

This book presents three short stories by master storyteller, Michael Morpurgo, who founded a charity, Farms for City Children  that offers urban British young people the opportunity to live and work on a real farm. The story of a missing sheep (and a missing boy), the story of a boy, obsessed with birds, who is in paradise when visits a farm and saves the life a baby swallow, and the story of a young girl who is enamoured with horses and is thrilled when she has the chance take care of a farm horse named Barney are great read-aloud narratives (or ideal for independent readers ages, 7-9). Hooray for ‘Farms for City Children’. Hooray for Mr. Morpurgo!

 

CALLING THE MOON: 16 Period Stories from 16 BIPOC authors by Aida Salazar & Yamile Saied Mendez (Editors) / Short Stories

This is a collection of 16 short stories, each featuring a young adolescent girl’s first experience getting her period. Each of the stories is written by a BIPOC author, thus giving the stories a range of narratives – and celebrations – centred on different cultures (e.g. Cuban, Indigenous, Pakistani, African). For sure,  young girl readers will identify – and learn – from the menstrual experiences of the fictitious characters in these stories. They will likely connect to the physical and emotional self-discovery experiences of these girls whether they are prepared or left in the dark about this important passage into womanhood.  The stories, about 20 pages in length offer engaging narratives of family and friends. Three stories are told in free-verse.

 

JULIA AND THE SHARK by Kiran Millwood Hargrave; illus. Tom de Freston

Julia and her family are spending the summer on a remote island.  Her father is doing work on a lighthouse and her mother, a marine biologist is searching for the Greenland shark, an elusive rare creature that might be older than the trees. At first, Julia isn’t thrilled with this trip but she develops, friendships on the island and finds that it is a place to her love of nature and her  knowledge of the sea. When her mother becomes disappointed and despondent of her quest, Julia is determined to prove that the shark is real. This is a story of family ties, the environment, bullying and mental health.  First perusal of this book with text and illustrations reminded me of the A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness; illus. Jim Kay. The tone of Julia and the Shark is indeed similar to A Monster Calls as a pre-teen deals with the a parent’s failing health. The black and white illustrations (with splashes of yellow) that appear throughout add to the atmosphere and the poetic telling of Julia’s tale. A moving, heartfelt story.

 

THE LIBRARIAN OF AUSCHWITZ: the Graphic novel, based on the book b Antonio Iturbe (ages 12+)

The bestselling novel by Antonio Iturbe tells the storof fourteen-year old Dita who was, along with her mother and father imprisoned in Auschwitz. For Dita, the horrors of the concentration camp were counterbalanced when she was asked to become the librarian of Auschwitz and take charge keep safe, the 8 books that were smuggled past the guards. The books along with real stories told by prisoners educated the children in the camp, even though they discovery of the books in Block 31, the children’s camp would prove to be dangerous, perhaps resulting in execution. Iturbe’s story is based on the true story of Dita Kraus, a Holocaust survivor. This graphic novel adaption synthesized the 400 pages of the original novel by presenting historical facts and  powerful narratives. The strong images  illustrated by Loreto Aroca along with the narrative captions and dialogue match the power of the original novel in presenting another haunting historical account of the Holocaust. Novel: Spanish author, Antonio Iturbe; adapted by Salva Rubio; translated by Lligt Zekulin Thwaites; illustrated by Loreto Aroca.

 

THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY by Katherine Applegate

We first met Ruby, the young elephant and her friends Ivan, the silverback gorilla and Bob the mutt and now she is part of an elephant herd at the  sanctuary.  Ruby’s tusks are starting to sprout and there will be a celebration, called ‘Tuskday’ to mark this right of passage.  Ruby is not happy about the event, knowing that elephant tusks can bring . For a large portion of this novel, Applegate has has Ruby  recount  her early story of live on the  African savanna and her separation from family.   Not only does the award-winning author weave in information about elephant populations, (“An elephant alone is not an elephant”, but she offers another brilliant anthropomorphic narrative that invites readers to reflect on the questions: “What gifts did the world give you today?” “What gifts did you give the world?”  The format of the book is presented with generous white space paragraphing and appealing black and white illustrations helping to make this another  ‘winner’ from the one and only Katherine Applegate.  I loved this book!

 

TIME OUT by Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner with Carlyn Greenwald (ages 12+)

Barclay Elliot, basketball hero,  wakes up on his 16th birthday and is excited about his decision to announce that he is gay during the school pep rally. A brave thing indeed. But coming out sets off a challenging journey for Barclay, particularly when forces him to quit his school basketball team. Homophobia abounds from teammates and within the community of Chitwood, Georgia. Barclay struggles with family and friendships as well as the loss of his grandfather who was so much a part of his life. Barclay’s life gets purpose when  participates in a mission to join his good friend, Amy, in a voting rights group. He also meets up with handsome Christopher who is writing a news report of Barclay, uncovering some truths that Barclay keeps hidden.  Barclay must always make choices about being faithful to himself, his community, his friends and his team. But basketball is part of his soul and one of his strongest decisions is whether to re-join the team despite the antagonism (homophobia) from bully players. Time Out is absolutely a worthwhile contribution to titles that deal with the complexities of coming out which will support teenagers to make decisions about their announcing to the world of being a game. It is also a strong story of  being a part of a team. A great YA read!

 

THE UMBRELLA HOUSE by Colleen Nelson

This is a story for middle age readers about gentrification. The setting is the East Village in New York. A real estate mogul wants to tear down the six-story apartment building known as Umbrella House. It was once the residence of squatters who needed a place to live and a group of dedicated individuals turned the building into a home of eighteen units. Roxy and Scout, best friends, now reside in the building and when they learn what is going to happen they take action to save the building. When they hear of a contest inviting young people to create a documentary for a local news station, they work together to gather stories from residents, neighbours, and artists who can help them with their mission. Roxy is one determined activist who  bravely voices her opinion at a City Council meeting and Scout is a talented photographer who can bring artful vision to the cause. Yes, The Umbrella House is a story about gentrification, but it is a mighty story of community (note; the word UNITY is in community), of  a strong friendship and an account how young people can take action for what they believe in. It is also a story about the power of art. Nelson presents a fast-paced narrative with strong caring characters.

 

SIMON SORT OF SAYS by Erin Bow

Simon O’Keefe is dealing with trauma – he was the only survivor in a school shooting. His mother (an undertaker) and his father (a Catholic deacon) have moved the family to Grin and Bear It Nebraska, a place where the Internet is banned, a place where Simon hopes to keep his past a secret (which is more or less kept hidden for the first 100 or so pages of the novel).  Filtered throughout the book, the author presents funny incidents which counterbalance the horrific story that Simon hides. A screaming peacock, chaos with alpacas,  goats giving birth, a drunken dog, a tornado, a Jesus squirrel, a loving service dog, a lost cadaver and a plot to listen for signs of life from alien creatures in space all add to the comedy this intriguing story. Award-winning (Plain Kate) author Erin Bow is a great storyteller, with  sharp insights into science, relationships and the heart.

 

WHO OWNS THE CLOUDS? by Mario Brassard; illus. Gerard Dubois (ages 12+)

This book when published in French, was the winner of the Governor Generals’ Literary Award. This fairly short graphic memoir has now been translated into English. It is the heart-squeezing story of  young girl named Lisa who’s childhood memories of being caught in the web of war have overcome her. The dreams that Lina has blur the lines of the reality of imminent war. Clouds serve as metaphors for her painful remembrances as well as dreams for a better future. This is a story of trauma, healing and hope. The monochromatic illustrations add to the sombre mood of the narrative. Spots of scarlet red and robin-egg blue skies occasionally interrupt Gerard Dubois’s evocative black and tan art work. Who Owns the Clouds? is a special Canadian publication, worthy of its award recognition.

 

SHOUT OUT

THE EYES & THE IMPOSSIBLE by Dave Eggers

In this novel, readers accompany Johannes, a free dog, a fast  (very fast) dog, a brave, philosophical, loyal dog,  on his day to day adventures in an enormous urban park by the sea.  Johanne is ‘the eyes’ that sees all around him.. He is entranced (and enters) the mysterious new building the humans have built; he has rescued an infant from drowning, he is captured by a group of scheming humans (he escapes). He is dedicated to his bird, raccoon and squirrel friends (i.e., ‘The Assistant Eyes’) who join in his escapades. When the dog encounters a herd of ever-hungry goats, he is enamoured with the friendship of a female goat who is different from the others. Johannes is especially worried about the three ancient bison who are fenced in and along with his companions, he embarks on a scheme to set the bisons free on a  journey to the main-land beyond the park. Shout out to the richly coloured landscape paintings that appear throughout the book, each a classic work of art in which illustrator Shawn Harris added Johannes to each scene. This is a mighty fine publication for readers young and old, destined to be a classic sitting alongside other titles of animal heroes. A gem!

 

 

 

The ten titles listed in this posting include FICTION (4) and NONFICTION (4), a graphic biography (1)  and SHORT STORIES (1) and a shout out to my new professional release, Stop the Hate for Goodness Sake. from Pembroke Publishers. Most of these titles were published in 2023.

 

NONFICTION

 

THE BEST STRANGERS IN THE WORLD by Ari Shapiro

Because i don’t listen to NPR, I wasn’t familiar with Ari Shapiro, who is the host of the flagship news program All Things Considered. I recently attended a concert entitled Och and Oy where Shapiro and his buddy Alan Cumming and was entertained by his singing talent, his stories and his joyous connection with Mr. Cumming and with the audience. This book of essays intrigues as Mr. Shapiro recounts stories of coming out as a gay man, of his marriage to his partner, of his singing with Pink Martini. Much of the book is centred on his investigation of international news stories travelling around the world to dig into stories of war-torn countries, political protests, the plight of refugees etc.  The subtitle of this book is “Stories from a Life Spent Listening’.  What a life Ari Shapiro has lead/ leads! What a treasure he is for listening and for patiently and bravely discovering and sharing truths.  Reading this book provides readers entry into the world of activism, humanity, and healthy relationships.

WE SHOULD NOT BE FRIENDS: The story of a friendship by Will Schwalbe

I very much enjoyed reading two recent publications by Will Schwalbe. In this memoir, the author examines the friendship between two improbable friends. Will, a literate gay student,  first met Chris Maxey, a fairly boisterous jock while enrolled in Yale University. The seeds of a friendship were planted in secret society that had been established at the school. Though different in demeanour and interests there was some connection.  The story of this friendship is presented over the decades as Schwalbe and Maxey phoned each other and occasionally met up.  As the two reached their fifties and sixties, the friendship seemed to strengthen as they discussed ambitions, relationships, and health. Maxey’s commitment to establishing an independent school in Eleuthra thra is very much part of the narrative in the final half of the book. This is a story that helps us think about our friendships, the truths we share, the secrets we withhold (“You didn’t ask me!”) and the devotion that can emerge through commitment and trust story also helps readers to think about  encountering possibilities and the need to find  strengths to meet challenges and dreams through our work and our family – and our friendships.

 

Two stellar biographical titles by Michael Rosen (see SHOUT OUT)

MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF LOVE: A story of Life, Death and the NHS by Michael Rosen

GETTING BETTER by Michael Rosen (2023)

 

FICTION

IN MEMORIAM by Alice Wynn

The first part of this book is set in an idyllic boarding English boarding school. We learn of  the close friendship between Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood.  When Gaunt becomes overwhelmed with his infatuation with the poetic Ellwood, he enlists in the army. The novel immerses readers in the horrific events of World War I. Ellwood eventually follows and the two men find solace with each other even though they are surrounded by death and fear that they could be next.  Alice Wynn has done a remarkable job of researching and vividly and cinematically portraying wartime. Moreover, she takes us deep into the hearts of two men in love with each other. For its story of forbidden love, the novel reminded me of John Boyne’s wonderful book The Absolutist and for its wretching images of combat, I was reminded of the recent  German film All Quiet on The Western Front. There have been many stories about the First World War (Michael Morpurgo’s books are treasured narratives for young people (e.g., War Horse; Private Peaceful). In Memoriam is gut-wretching, heartbreaking, brutal and poetic. In Memoriam is a  stellar contribution of wartime sagas.

THE LIBRARIAN OF AUSCHWITZ: the Graphic novel, based on the book by Antonio Iturbe (ages 12+)

The Librarian of Auschwitz is a bestselling novel by Spanish author, Antonio Iturbe, and for those who admired this book, a new graphic novel verson has been created. Iturbe tells the y fourteen-year0old Dita who was, along with her mother and father imprisoned in Auschwitz. For Dita, the horrors of the concentration camp were counterbalanced when she was asked to become the librarian of Auschwitz and take charge keep safe, the 8 books that were smuggled past the guards. The books along with real stories told by prisoners educated the children in the camp, even though they discovery of the books in Block 31, the children’s camp would prove to be dangerous, perhaps resulting in execution. Iturbe’s story is based on the true story of Dita Kraus, a Holocaust survivor. This graphic novel adaption synthesized the 400 pages of the original novel by presenting historical facts and  powerful narratives. The strong images  illustrated by Loreto Aroca along with the narrative captions and dialogue match the power of the original novel in presenting another haunting historical account of the Holocaust. Novel: An

LOVE LIDA by Mark Hyatt

Poor Leda. He is so unhappy with life. He relies on the kindness of strangers (older gay men, divorced women)  who feed and cloth him, helping him  to escape from complete homelessness.  And he is unfortunately obsessed with Daniel, who as a man of the Lord, will never love Leda. The setting is 1960’s London. Coffee houses, house parties, and outdoor trysts abound. This book is a curiosity. I feel that the story , thought set in Soho (pre-dating the Sexual Offences of Act of 1967) could have been written by any generation of gay men in the past 60 years. It was written in 1988 but only now published to give readers insights into queer London and the vagabond life of one working class chap who seems to get through life day by day but has little hope for what life has dealt him. (“I turn my head for dreams and lost sunsets and my own fears.” / “My head is beating like a clock, going around in continuous circles.” / “I live sheerly for myself, and not for other people’s thoughts.” The novel likely autobiographical. The author, Mark Hyatt committed suicide in 1972.

OPEN THROAT by Henry Hoke

Here is the opening line of book blurb: “A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign. Opening line of the novel “I’ve never eaten a person  but today I might.”.   Readers who embark on the journey with this rather short (156 pages) novel are in for a strange, poetic novel told from the point of view of yes, a queer mountain lion who overhears hiker conversations, protects those in a homeless encampment, who early in the narrative observes an S&M encounter and later witnesses two men having sex.  in lion. Mountain lion craftily observes ‘ellay’ (L.A.) life, with citizens who complain of  therapy, gender identity and the spreading of fire. Having read many children’s novels, I am ‘in tune’ with – and very much admire -novels with anthrapromorphic voices (Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White),  Abel’s Island William Steig, The One and Only Ivan trilogy (Katherine Applegate) and the wonderful 2023 release, The Eyes for the Impossible by David Eggers.  I was prepared and intrigued to read this new  highly praised review . However, I can’t seem to join in the rave comments received for Hoke’s book (‘unwilling to put down’, ‘my favourite book of the century so far’, ‘an instant class classic’, ‘a bloody masterpiece’, ‘fantastical’. But there’s no doubt that Open Throat is inventive and animal witness to the behaviour of humans. I loved the free verse style.  (practically every sentence gets a stand alone stanza). I loved the brevity of chapters. I was intrigued with the atmosphere, the feral views of life. At the same time, I was sometimes puzzled by events and not completely in tune with the observations and commentary of ‘ellay’ life, even if it was from the point of view of a gay mountain lion.

THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Early in the 20th century Belle de Costa Greene is hired by JP Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts and artwork to by displayed in the Pierpont Morgan Library. Her talents and wisdom have taken her to galleries and auctions in New York, Paris and Italy  as she builds a remarkable worLd-class collection for the remarkable, powerful JP Morgan. Belle quickly becomes immersed in New York City Society and her journey over the years shows her impeccable taste and negotiating skills as the decades unfold. However, Belle’s secret as a Black American women who was forced to hide her true identity and passer  as a white woman is fascinating. At all times, through her encounters with family, friends and ‘the rich’ as well as an impassioned love story with a married man. Belle remains steadfast and faithful as Morgan’s personal librariaN. This is a wonderful, compelling  piece of historical nonfiction. It has inspired me to make a visit to the Morgan library on my next trip to New York.

SEVEN EMPTY HOUSES by Samanta Schweblin (short stories)

Translated from the Spanish version, Seven Empty Houses,  issmall collection of short stories. Actually 6 of the stories are fairly short (10-20 pages) One story, “Breath from the Depths” is 82 pages, is about a cantankerous senior citizen named Lola who is difficulty breathing and severe back problems. Dealing with grief, and a pesky neighbour, Lola patiently preparing for and, and awaiting death). In “It Happens All the Time in This House” a woman tosses her dead son’s clothing into her neighbour’s yard and sends her husband to retrieve them. One character says ‘the whole things is ‘nutso’. ‘Nutso’ can be used to describe elements in each of Schweblin’s stories. In None of That a woman drives around her neighbourhood, rearranging furniture and plants at her whim (“None of That”). In “Parents and Children” a woman brings her children and new love interest to visit her ex-husband’s grandparents who enjoy frolicking around nude in their backyard.  Nutso. Cukoo. Strange. Each story presents a slanted sense of reality whether it involves a fight, a vision, trespassing, a death plan, when in truth, nearly everyone has a story about the bizarre behaviours of others. The world is nutso. I found these stories to be both weird and believable, humourous but sad. Seven Empty Houses is an anthology about belonging and the strange connections we have with others. A gem!

 

SHOUT OUT

MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF LOVE: A story of Life, Death and the NHS by Michael Rosen

Shout out to Chris Ridell’s illustrations that introduce each of the 8 sections.

Stricken by coronavirus, British writer Michael Rosen hospitalized with an induced coma for six weeks and weeks then spent weeks of rehab and recovery. This is the story of that time period. How does he get to tell remember his experiences, when in a coma? The first part of the book presents transcripts of emails that his devoted wife Emma had written to friends and family reporting her husband’s progress.  Also, a notebook was kept by his bedside where the nurses who provided him with care wrote letters of hope, support and love. h of the book is presented as remarkable prose poems, where Rosen writes about his near-death experience and he many different kinds of love that spurred him on to survival. This is a beautiful beautiful book about the  that life might send our way, the trauma  of death hanging over our heads and the indomitable spirit and care of the National Health Service and especially the important people in our lives that carry us through dark times. This is a book of Health, Hope and Heart.  each with a capital ‘H’.  It is a sobering read that should be put in time capsule paying tribute to the resilience of those who suffered through Covid-19. This poetry memoir (published in 2021) is absolutely at the top of the list favourite reads this year.  You are a hero, Michael Rosen. From the back cover:

A doctor is standing by my bed

asking me if I would sign a piece of paper

which would allow them to put me to sleep pump air into my lungs.

‘Will I wake up?’

“There’s a 50:50 chance.’

‘If I say no?’: I say.

‘Zero.’

And I sign.

GETTING BETTER by Michael Rosen 

Michael Rosen was appointed Children’s Laureate (2007-2009) in the UK and is a renowned poet, performer, and broadcaster. Loss has been a part of Michael Rosen’s life. He has lived with a chronic hypothyroid  illness grieved over the loss of his mother and over the sudden death of his son due to meningitis (meningococcal septicaemia). During the Pandemic, Rosen was in a coma for 40 days and 40 nights, facing death in intensive care for 48 days in a London hospital and then recovering in rehab for three weeks.  Getting Better provides essays of how Michael Rosen, struggled to recover from trauma and grief and helps readers understand how we can find it within ourselves to live well again, during and after dark times.  The subtitle of this book is Life Lessons on Going Under, Getting Over it and Getting Through It.  What a brilliant writer, Michael Rosen is!. What a courageous soul. Michael Rosen  is so grateful for his writing, so grateful for getting through life’s shit that came his way. so grateful for the loving care of family and friends.  He may consider himself to be lucky. We are lucky to have him and his writing, especially for helping us  take a journey on the path to being better, getting better.

 

SHOUT OUT! SHOUT OUT!

STOP THE HATE FOR GOODNESS SAKE by Andrew B. Campbell and Larry Swartz (professinal resource)

The topics and issues in these new picture books are varied: the friendship of a bear and a bird; a naked little boy who enjoys wearing his mother’s make-up, a fantasy alphabet; the life of a dung beetle. A shout out also goes to four publications from PLUMLEAF PRESS, each rich in narrative and illustration. 

 

AT THE HEIGHT OF THE MOON: A book of bedtime poetry and art by editors Alison Baverstock, Matt Cunningham, Annette Roeder  (poetry)

This is an exquisite collection of poetry and paintings. It’s a curiosity too for it is labeled a book of bedtime poetry and art. Whose bedtime I ask? This book, first published in Germany, is intended, I believe for adult to read to child before bedtime. Great that poetry gets into the ears of children and reading two or three poems before bedtime provide comfort, curiosity and perhaps send young people off to dreamland. But these poems, for the most part, do not seem to be intended for children, even though they are intended as read-alouds and the listener will ‘get out of the poems, whatever, they get out of the  Who am I to say what young readers will ‘get from the words of Ted Hughes, Robert Browning, Lord Alfred Tennyson, William Wordsworth and Walt Whitman about 1/4 of the book feature the names of familiar names for those who are poetry afficinados. eThe book is organized into six sections each with a title (e.g., Twilight, Dreamland, Moonlight Menagerie, Creepy Crawlie and Things That Go Bump Into the Night.The words, poem images and themes are quite sophisticated and do not seem accessible. I would say there would be few children who would respond to these poems without conversation and ‘analysis’. And who wants analysis before bedtime? The editors, however, have done a WOW! job of choosing art works to match the verbal text (sometimes literal matches, sometimes not).  Taking the children to an art gallery is a fantastic thing, and the art in this book (e.g., Henry Rousseau, Paul Klee, Georgia O’Keefe, Vincent Van Gogh, are some of the more familiar names),  beautifully reproduced, is certainly, page by page, a wonderful journey into landscapes, portraits, still life etc. Together, poems and arts, make for a staggering, rich collection of words and images.  For me, this was a wonderful bedtime book… but I’m over 70 years old. Am exquisite publication.  

BEAR AND BIRD: THE PICNIC AND OTHER STORIES by Jarv

Standing on the shoulders of Frog and Toad, and George and Martha, and Piggie and Elephant, Bear and Bird are two friends who understand each other, amuse each other, and are devoted to one another. There are four short stories in this  warms-the-heart chapter book each describing an amusing adventure and tale of the friendship bond between bear and bird (Bear forgets to pack items for a picnic outing; Bird pretends that he didn’t know (The Picnic): Bird gets trapped in a flower and Bear rescues him (The Flower); Bird discovers thatBear has more of an artistic talent than she does, but bear diplomatically shows his appreciation (The Painting): Their friendship is tested when Bird discovers that Bear would rather snuggle up with a blanked he named Suzie (The Blanket). Kindness abounds!   

COMMUNITY SOUP by Alma Fullerton 2013/2032

In a school garden in Kenya, Aa group fo children work together to harvest the vegetables they have grown in order to make a soup they will share with the community.  Unfortunately, mischievous goats cause chaos when they invade the garden. The narrative is modelled on the nursery rhyme. ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’. Fullerton’s paper collage illustrations are remarkable throughout. This new edition of the book, originally released in 2013, contains aded pages and discussion questions. 

EVERYTHING & EVERYWHERE by Marc Martin

This book intrigued me because of its full-page spreads of places around the world.  I was interested in seeing how places I’ve been to have been represented (New York City,  Reykjavik, Rio De Janeiro) but is also a great inspiration to visit places cities I’d love to visit someday (Tokyo, The Galapagos Islands, Alice Springs. This is a terrific travelogue book with detailed illustrations and labelled information about people, places, and natural life to discover around the world.  A  fantastic non-fiction picture book!

FRED GETS DRESSED by Peter Brown

Little Fred likes to run around the house naked. Left on his own to get dressed, Fred tries on his father’s clothes but they don’t seem to fit.  He has no trouble putting on his mother’s blouse, scarf and pair of shoes. With loving support and encouragement from Mom, Fred learns to apply makeup and do his hair. An amusing and heartfelt story about discovering who you are and being accepted for your choices. This is  terrific book to sit the shelf alongside other  gender identity titles.  (e.g.,Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress; Julian the Mermaid)

THE IMAGINARY ALPHABET by Sylvie Daigneault

 I love alphabet books. I love books that celebrate words. I love books with illustrations that enrich curiosity, wonder and imagination. this is a triple crown winner for me.  On one side of the page we see an alphabet letter adorned with visual images (‘C’  features cactus, ‘L’ features lemons) and each letter is accompanied with playful alliterative sentences. On the right hand page, Daigneault ‘illustrates’ the whimsical sentence in addition to a number of pictures that start with the same letter as the one featured in the large illustrations.  At the conclusion of this book there is a sit of about 300 words that have been ‘hidden’ throughout. 26 letters. 26 whimsical alliteratuve descriptions to accompany the letters. 300 words and one glorious trip to an art gallery with Sylvia Daigneault’s exquisite, fantastical illustrations. This is a WOW! of a book (to be released in September 2023 from Pajama Press.

G = Grumpy Gorillas Guarding the Garden Gate. Can you spot the gargoyles, gerbils, giraffe, gravel ground and gold hidden in the picture?

REMEMBER by Joy Harjo; illus. Michaela Goade

U.S. poet laureate, Joy Harjo is a member of the Mvskoke Nation. Michaela Goode is a Caldecott Medalist winner (We Are Water Protectors). This beautiful publication encourages readers to think about their place in the world they are born into. Poetic words and staggering paintings connect together to help us remember on how everyone on Earth is connected. Wow!

Remember you are all people and all people are you.

STEVE THE DUNG BEETLE ON A ROLL by Susan R. Stoltz; illus Melissa Bailey

Steve the dung beetle is on a mission to roll a ball of poo home and meets a cast of animal characters  (a giraffe, a warthog, a lion, a hyena) who each ask, “Why are you rolling that ball of poo?” A story about POO will likely appeal to many young readers and as they join in Steve’s journey they will learn some interesting facts about this fascinating insect as well as information about environmental uses of dung. 

What is the dung beetle’s favourite number?

Number 2

SHOUT OUT

SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE A RIVER by Danielle Daniel; illus. Josee Bisaillon

I’m very fond of Danielle Daniel’s book Sometimes I Feel Like a River and was thrilled to get this companion text in which the author and illustrator, through simple poems and lively colourful illustrations celebrate the natural world of moon, rain, forest clouds, ocean and mountain that  are made for us. Each spread helps reader to think about the beauty of the world that surround us.  Author’s note: “We are connected to the natural world through our biology, our ancestors and our hearts. 

Sometimes I feel like a mountain,

mighty and strong.

I reach for the sky with ice-covered peaks

as silvery mist brushes past me. 

 

SHOUT OUT

FOUR splendid CANADIAN titles  PLUMLEAF PRESS

 

I AM NOT A GHOST: The Canadian Pacific Railway by David Bouchard with Zhong Yang HUang; Illus. Sean Huang

This is a beautiful beautiful publication with a rich narrative and rich pictorial images that illuminate a period in Canadian and Chinese history.  The story (collaboratively written by David Bouchard and Zhong Yang Huang) is told in the voice of an elderly Chinese grandfather recounting (to his granddaughter) his countrymen’s legacy as builders of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Perhaps an unknown piece of history is the fact that the Indigenous people helped Chinese newcomers to survive life-threatening conditions. This picture book is a testimony to the roots that are part of our identity and culture and the essential need to pass  stories on to future generations. I Am Not a Ghost is a historical account of racism, a tribute to the courage and tenacity of Chinese immigrants from 100 years ago, a story of forgiveness and a story of never forgetting. Such stories help readers to understand the past and support us in moving forward to combat obstacles that we encounter. As far as picture books go, this is a work of art in words and illustrations. 

This book is vital  “as a starting point for gathering your own knowledge of the history of Chinese Canadians. Make it a doorway to opening up new perspectives on how we must all remember and share our stories.”

from the Foreword by Dr. Brandt C. Louise, ninth Chancellor of Simon Fraser University.

Special note: The book includes a two page spread of Historical notes, summarizing the harrowing plight of Chinese workers who were about three-quarters of the workforce on the CPR>

 

ROUND & ROUND THE GARDEN Nursery Rhymes and Songs; illus. Olivia Skelhorne-Gross

This  collection of sixteen classic and contemporary rhymes can sit proudly on the poetry shelf of treasured nursery rhyme anthologies.  Some selections include Itsy Bitsy Spider, Hickory Dickory Dock  Zoom Zoom Zoom Sippity Sippity Sup. Exquisite hand-embroidered illustrations accompany each of the verses. WOW!  This is a gift of a book. This is book to give as a gift. 

TWELVE IN A RACE by Catherine Little; illus. Sae Kimura

This story provides a background narrative to how the Chinese zodiac came to be.  Twelve animals answer the emperor’s call to participate in  the Emperor’s great race. Each spread, through rhyming couplet describes the animals characteristics (e.g. “Rabbit was fourth so gentle and kind, Blown forward by strong winds that came from behind.” Each full page spreads beautifully capture the animals in action and the environment they race through. The Chinese translation of the animal name is bonus. This book brilliantly blends elements of folktale, rhyme, ordinal numbers, adventure and information. I love this book! (PS. I am an OX, what Chinese Zodiac animal are you?

WATER LOVE by Natalie Hodgson & Rajean Willis; illus. Sahle Robinson

Imagine that a young Black girl who loves water is told that swimming is not a Black Sport. This book is told in spoken word helping readers to consider ways to overcome discrimination, stereotyping and peer pressure.

“Black fear of water

our ancestors on slave ships

chained, suffered, thrown off

legacy of generational injury”

The ten titles listed below are recent purchases of fiction and nonfiction titles for middle years’ readers.  These titles were published in 2023 (except for 1).

 

FREEWATER by Amina Luqman-Dawson (2022)

Freewater is the winner of the Newbery Medal 2023. There are many fine pieces of historical fiction that deal with the plight of slavery and the escape to the North (e.g., Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis; The Gospel Truth by Caroline Pignat) but Luqman-Dawson has done remarkable research to tell the story of those who lived deep in the swamps, societies created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children. The author has presented a rich cast of characters who lived in the mythical maroon community of Freewater.  Homer and his sister have fled the Southern Plantation and are determined to be reunited with their mother who remains a slave; Sanzi is a brave freeborn citizen of Freewater who, Nora, a daughter of the plantation owner, wants to fight for justice even through the social events of her sister’s wedding. The chapter titles help to organize the different points of view of stories of enslavement.  This wouldn’t have been my choice of Newbery winner, but having said that, this adventurous debut novel is a rich contribution to stories of courage and survival of Black slaves. 

NOTE; secret communities like the ‘Freewater ‘were known as ‘maroon communities and the people who resided in them as ‘maroons’. Tbis novel tory is drawn from the history of the Great Dismal Swamp and the enslaved souls who found refuge within its confines.

 

THE IN-BETWEEN: A memoir in verse by Katie Van Heidrich

This is a heartfelt (and often a heartbreaking story) about a young adolescent girl who is caught in between two homes when her parent get divorced. Her mother is out of a job and strives to keep her family together and do her best for her three children. But for Katie, being forced to live in a cramped hotel room is a harsh reality. Her father, now remarried, has good intentions about caring for his children but Katie, Josh and Haley hope that he could do better. That this story is based on true incidents in the author’s life make this story particularly poignant. The free verse style and journal notes enrich this reflective stance of Katie Van Heidrich’s, memoir. Reading the author’s bio (she graduated from Brown University, was a fifth-grade teacher, and is an assistant principal today) make The In-Between a special story of perseverance, resilience and hope.

 

THE MANY ASSASSINATIONS OF  SAMIR THE SELLER OF DREAMS by Daniel Nayeri (historical fiction)

OVERVIEW

MONKEY: a 12 year old orphan who joins a caravan of traders and becomes servant to SAMIR

SAMIR: a corrupt swindler who lives on lies and dreams, a huckster trade merchant whose dealings arouse anger in every village he’s passed through

A COLLECTION OF MURDERERS (as listed in the book jacket) a Viking berserker, a Rogue legion, a Persian mystic, a Bedouin clan, A Mongolian gunner, a Chinese ablutionist and a mythic terrifying killer known as ‘Cid”

SETTING: The Silk Road which Nayeri in the Afterward describes as “the most magical place I can imagine. I have dreamed of it for most of my life.

THE PLOT: attempted assassinations on Samir and Monkey and how they survived them

I was quite eager to read this novel, since I was knocked out by Nayeri’s award-winning autobiographical book Everything Sad is Untrue: A true story. The Many Assassinations the Seller of Dreams reveals the author’s storytelling potential, but alas, the narrative didn’t grab me (and with al of Monkey’s and Samir’s adventures, and escapes from assassinations, it should have. This book is recommended for Middle Age readers and I have a bit of a problem with that. Not that there won’t be some keen readers of this age group who will be drawn to this expansive, rather exotic tale.but I think it it’s appeal is  for a narrow audience of 9-14 year olds.  I myself was wowed by the way Daniel tells a story but found alas I wasn’t as intrigued in the Silk Road adventures as I hoped to be. 

 

ON AIR WITH ZOE WASHINGTON by Janae Marks

Eighth grade student, Zoe Washington is a fighter. Zoe Washington is determined to fulfill her dreams and is committed to finding ways to accomplish her goals. One character says of Zoe “You can do anything you put your mind to. You have the power to make change.”When we first met Zoe in the book From The Desk of Zoe Washington she put forth a mighty effort and succeeded to get her biological father exonerated from prison for a crime he didn’t commit. . In this sequel, Zoe dreams of becoming a baker of renowned, opening a restaurant with Marcus, of having a successful podcast (“On Air With Zoe Washington”)  to bring the struggles of the exoneree experience to light and raising $30 000 on Kickstarter fundraiser so that Marcus can open up a food truck.  Knowing that what Zoe wants, Zoe gets doesn’t make the ending of this novel a surprise. How this ‘take action’ teenager gets there is the fun of the book as readers cheer her on. 

 

PENGUIN DAYS by Sara Leach; illus. Rebecca Bender (chapter book/ grades 2-4)

This book is one of the titles in a series by Sara Leach (Slug Days; Duck Days) that features the endearing character of Luaren who lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder and is mostly comfortable with routines. Her social skills are sometimes lacking but she is forthright and honest even when she has trouble  understanding the jokes that people tell.   In this story, she is assigned the role of flower girl in her aunt’s wedding. A scratchy dress, meeting strange cousins and an encounter with cows add to her stress, but Lauren strives to control her anxieties and make the most of adventures that come her way.  Young readers may see themselves or come to understand the thought porcesseces and behaviour of this young girl with ASD.  This chapter book was first published in 2018 but the paperback version was released in 2023.

 

THIRST by Varsha Bajaj

The world of poverty in Mumbai India is at the centre of this story about a young girl named Minni who is thirsty for clean water for her family, thirsty for a good education, and thirsty for justice to thr water mafia who are stealing water from ls, pipelines and tankers and are getting away the crime by bribing authorities. Narrative events that include caring for her sick mother, working as a maid for a rich family, preparing roti properly, winning a scholarship to a computer class and following the school rules are likely to engage readers who will cheer on this heroic young teenager. 

The author writes that “a staggering 784 million people world-wide live without basic access to clean water.” With Thirst, Varsha Basha encourages readers to learn more about the water situation and equitable water distribution in India and across the globe.  

 

SHOUT OUT

YOU ARE HERE: Connecting Flights edited by Ellen Oh (Short Stories)

In the past few years, I’ve been collecting titles that deal with Anti-Asian racism.  The Front Desk series by Kelly Yang, Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee, and the Many Meanings of Meilan by Andrea Wang are particularly noteworthy. The newly released collection of short stories by 12 Asian authors, drawing from their own experiences, is worthy of a shout out. The setting is a crowded Chicago airport, where due to weather conditions, flights have been cancelled. Each story is centred on a character, who are themselves distinctly American,  awaiting departure to visit family (mostly to their parent’s homeland). We meet a Grandma who is held up in security when she tries to bring through a can of her husband’s ashes in a tin to take to Taiwan (Pink Lady whispers loudly, “Just our luck that we’d get stuck behind these people. They slow everything down). , a boy who is challenged with bringing his electric guitar through security (“Look there’s no way he plays guitar… Maybe piano.. or like violin. But not guitar.” ) Each story ignites with an incident of racism that encourages the characters to think about their identities, their heritage and what action they would take to confront racist comments. What should these young people do when they hear such gut-wrenching comments as “Nobody can hear you through those filthy masks”; ” Why is your Mom Chinese?… No, she’s Filipino; “If dude’s family is so broke, then how’d they even get to the United States? They stow away on a ship or something?; “Go back to where you came from.”These young adolescents have been advised by parents “Don;t make a scene. Don’t bring undue attention. Don’t cause trouble.” (p. 224) but how can the world change if we don’t disrupt, or confront racism. Editor Ellen Oh does a fantastic chop of interweaving the narratives of characters  from one story emerge in other stories. Stellar. 

 

SHOUT OUT

SUPERPOWER?: The Wearable-Tech Revolution by Elaine Kachala; illus. Belle Wuthrich

This is an engaging, informative book that provides middle years’ readers with everything they need and want to know about wearable technology a phenomenon that  in recent years has improved the lives of Canadians and  how such inventions Brain Computer Interfaces (BCs) and Virtual Reality (VR)I as have changed the way we live. The author effectively outlines ethical questions surrounding technology and the importance of responsible design. The resource also gives focus to Steve Mann, the Canadian inventor who started the field of wearable computing.  Kachala reminds us that “technology is moving faster now that at any time in history” and young readers are sure to be fascinated – and well-informed – about wearable technology that’s on, in, or attached to the body.  Some wow facts are presented under such headings as “Helping People with Disabilities”; “Skin Interfaces”; “Fashion + Tech” and “Mind-Melding”. 

This is a terrific terrific specimen of a nonfiction title. Text features include  Table of Contents, appealing chapter organization of main ideas, colourful illustrations, an abundance of photographs accompanied by brief informative text, Clear headings and Subheadings (in coloured font); a glossary, and Text Boxes (i.e., “Text Bytes” and  “Move Slow + Think Human”)

Superpower? The Wearable-Tech Revolution is a new title in the Orca Think nonfiction series presenting issues that inspire curiosity, raise questions, and inspire action for a better future. Some titles include: Finding Home: The Journey of Immigrants and Refugees; Shelter: Homelessness in our Community and Fresh Air, Clean Water: or Right to a Healthy Environment.

 

 >>> SHOUT OUT <<<

THE WINDEBY PUZZLE by Lois Lowry

Inspired by the true discovery of a two-thousand year old Windey bog body in Northern Germany, award-winning author Lois Lowry transports readers into the Iron Age World with both facts and fiction to explain the what happened – and what might have happened – in the bogs. The unique hybrid format of this book is astonishing. In sections entitled HISTORY, the author presents fascinating research that inspired her to write two short novellas. Estrild’s Story, tells of a strong character who is determined to become the first girl warrior in her village and Varick’s Story relates the story of an orphan boy with a twisted back and a sharp mind . Each section  of the book is prefaced with  vivid black and white illustrations and photographs at the back of the book provide further information about this period in time.  Especially noteworthy is Lois Lowry’s reflection on how and why she came to write this book and her metathoughts (“Part of me is a storyteller…” / “I could have selected…”/ “I had to guess at possibilities…”/”Isn’t it interesting that the word history can be wrenched apart to become ‘his story’? (or hers?)…

         There is a saying that when people die, they continue to live as long as someone remembers them. I would add: “and tells              their story.” (p. 186)

Lois Lowry has written some fantastic books (Number the Stars, The Giver) and is a two-time Newbery Medal Winner. The Windeby Puzzle is the best of the best and I vote for a third medal honour for this special author. I love this book!

This posting presents fiction and nonfiction titles  for middle years readers that are matched up in pairs because they can be connected by theme, content, or genre. 

 

GOING GRAPHIC x 2:  13 year old boys goes on a school trip to Europe

A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING by Dan Santat

Picture book author and illustrator of novels ,Dan Santat (After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again); The Adventures of Beekle The Unimaginary Friend (Caldecott Medal, 2015) takes a journey into his past in this graphic memoir depicting his life as awkward eighth gradel student.  The story is an artful recollection of a 17 day school day trip to Europe where encounters many firsts: drinking Fanta, eating Fondu, going to a nightclub and a venture into first love. Told with humour and heart, this autobiography will be enjoyed by middle readers who can identify with being teased, with trying to fit in, and with having their world open up as they take baby steps and giant steps into the passage of growing up. 

SCHOOL TRIP by Jerry Craft

Jerry Craft is a terrific graphic novelists. He is the author of New Kid (2020 Newbery Medal winner) and has since written two companion titles, Class Act and School Trip where we meet middle-school students who attend Riverdale Academy Day School. In this third book, Jordan Banks and a group of school mates go a school trip to Paris, France, where they navigate the sounds (and tastes) of this magnifique European city. The thirteen to fourteen year old boys and girls also find themselves navigating their friendships, worries and  class and race differences that they encountered back home. Jordon, the main protagonist of Craft’s series hopes that this trip will help him figure out WHO he is, and what he REALLY wants. He has just received admission to an art school and needs to decide whether he will pursue the dream of becoming an artist even though it means he will be the ‘new kid’ once again. I particularly like the black and white chapter interludes that cover such topics as ‘Tips for Not Shaking Hands’ ‘Airplane Etiquette’; and ‘Attack of Thumb-downers’.  For discerning graphic readers, there’s sure to be a laugh found within every spread. This is another great story that illuminates the awkwardness and concerns of being a middle-age student. Formidable! P.S. Thanks to Mr. Craft for including my birthday date (hidden in a billboard sign). 

 

FICTION x2: British Authors

THE CATS WE MEET ALONG THE WAY by Nadia Mikail (ages 12+)

Not satisfied with her family’s lifestyle or the prospect’s that await, her, June leaves her family home. But when news that the end of the world is imminent, June’s sister, seventeen-year old Aisha embarks on a journey through Malaysia in a campervan accompanied by her mother, Aisha’s boyfriend, his parents and a cat named Fleabag, to reunite with her sister. Though there is the calamity of the world ending in nine months time, this is not a typical  ‘dystopia’ science fiction story. The narrative by debut author, Nadia Mikails is a stirring account of grief, loss and healing.

THE NIGHT BUS HERO by Onjali Q. Rauf

British author, Onjali Q. Rauf (The Boy at the Back of the Bus) has written a story that connects the menace of a mean bully with the plight of homelessness. Told from the bully’s point of view, we learn of Hector’s mean tricks he plays on others (extortion); stealing the trolley of a homeless man. Hector seems to have no remorse until the day he gets caught in the mission to find out who is stealing items from some important monuments in London (the fountain in Piccadilly Square, Paddington Bear’s statue). In the later part of the story Hector seems to be ‘turning around’ after volunteering in a soup kitchen and after listening to the background stories of homeless characters. A wild adventure plot unfolds when Hector and the homeless Thomas embark on solving the thief problem. A rather engaging story where a bully becomes a hero but, more importantly, an eye-opener for readers to reflect upon the plight of the homeless and perhaps take action to find out more of homeless people in their own communities.

Both authors’ books have been recognized by Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize: The Cats We Meet Along the Way  by Nadia Mikail(2023); The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf(2019)

 

FICTION x2: British author, Katherine Rundell

THE GOOD THIEVES by Katherine Rundell

Rundell is a great storyteller who wraps the readers up in mystery and adventure and imagination. The setting is 1920’s in Manhattan. Vita is the central character of this story who learns that her grandfather’s mansion has been taken from him. To get justice, Vita is fiercely determined to fight a powerful real estate tycoon.  She is joined by a pickpocket and some circus friends who  get caught in a web of escapades, escaping danger chapter by chapter as they move closer to solving the mystery of a hidden jewel and get back what rightfully belongs to Vita’s grandfather. A compelling read. 

ROOFTOPPERS by Katherine Rundell

Rooftoppers is the winner of several book awards, including Waterstones Children’ Book award and Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. In the  opening pages of the book readers meet Sophie, survivor of a shipwreck floating in a cello case in the English Channel. She is rescued by an eccentric bachelor who gives her a unique cultural and literary education, much to the who threaten to send Sophie to an orphanage. Charles and Sophie, escape to Paris. When Sophie encounters a group of orphaned children who survive atop Parisian rooftops, she sets off an adventure hoping to fulfill her dream of being  reunited with her mother whom all believe to be dead. Nighttime rooftop adventures fill the last part of the story  that will engage readers who enjoy magical narratives. (I preferred reading about her life in London the early part of the novel). “Never ignore the possible” is Sophie’s mantra in life” that spurs her – and readers -on. Shout Out to Terry Fan’s spot ‘circular’  illustrations that introduce each chapter. 

 

FICTION x2: Robot Characters

ROBODOG by David Walliams; illus. Adam Stower

Another year, another great release from bestselling author David Walliams who hasn’t yet lost his sense of humour or sense of mischief. This is yet another wild ride with the Walliams and Stower team with the invention of Robodog, the newest recruit at the Police Dog School, the perfect hero for helping police solve crimes in the town of Bedlam, one of the most dangerous places on earth filled with villains, i.e. cat villains, Velma (a dog-hating feline who belongs to the chief of police and her partner), Slash (the most terrifying), Codger (the oldest) and Pavarotti (the biggest). 

THE SUPERTEACHER PROJECT by Gordon Korman

Mr. Aidact has been assigned to teach at Brightling Middle School and students are wowed by his talents to remember song lyrics and trivia as well as his skill at coaching the girls’ field hockey team. Teachers at the school admire him because he takes over bus, detention and cafeteria duties.  Oliver Zahn, renowned rule-breaker and spitball champion becomes suspicious of Mr. Aidact’s background and when they learn that he is a robot, he and his sidekick, Nathan Popova, embark on a mission to protect this popular teacher, especially when the parent community is up in arms and want to get rid of him. Once again, Mr. Korman presents a plot filled with hi-jinx, mischief and the world of middle age students. The narratives of each chapter are presented through alternating voices. Another super read from the superauthor, Gordon Korman. 

 

SHOUT OUT x 2

BIG TREE by Brian Selznick

Big Tree is a big book. At 525 pages, it may seem to be a daunting read for middle-age readers. However, in Brian Selznick’s masterful style, the story is mostly told through black and white graphite pencil illustrations  Even some of the verbal passages are less than 1/4 page, some being only one-sentence in length.  Imagine a story told about two brave seeds. Louise and her brother, Merwin hope to settle down one day and become trees. A forest fire forces the two seed siblings to be separated from their mother and they are catapulted into a world of the unknown where they encounter, dinosaurs, meteors and volcanoes. Will they ever find a place to take root, settle down, and grow into trees? Will these two wee sycamore seeds be the salvation of the natural world from the Cretaceous Age into the future? As with other Selznick stories (The Invention of Hugo Cabret; Wonderstruck) text and visuals work together to tell a story. A captivating read filled with science, planet protection,  anthropomorphic heroes, and hope. WOW!

FINALLY SEEN by Kelly Yang

Lina Gao has been living in Beijing under her grandmother’s care. Her parents and younger sister have been living in California and have finally made plans for reunite with Lina. Although she will miss the special times she had with her grandmother, Lina is excited to be living in the United States. Kelly Yang coneys the trials of being an ELL student, the hardships of being an immigrant family who struggle to pay the rent, the challenges of being teased and confronting racism. But Lina is resilient and eagerly joins in her mother’s plans to establish a worthwhile business of selling bath bombs. She slowly discovers the hard work life of her father who helps out on a local farm with hopes of getting a green card. Kelly Yang’s gives her characters (and her readers) and optimistic outlook on life, even though living the American Dream may be but a dream. As one caring teacher tells Lina, “Your dreams matter. You Matter. Never forget that.” (p, 181).

“You’re the daughter of first-generation immigrants. Your blood is made of iron will and determination. Your backbone is uildt from the sacrifices and impossible decisions of all those who walked before you.” (p. 235)

I first encountered Kelly Yang’s talents with Front Desk and though I’m not usually fond of reading sequels, I continued to be enamoured with her engaging style and her depiction of Asian American identities in the Front Desk series. I was aggravated to read that her book Front Desk was getting banned in some school districts because it was considered ‘divisive’.  Are you kidding me? (The issue of conquering book banning is beautifully conveyed in this new novel ) I was surprised (and very pleased) to discover a new 2013 release. It seems that I just finished reading New From Here and Room to Dream. Prolific she is too. Kelly Yang is the amongst the best of the best contemporary authors for middle-age readers. Her books need to be read! 

 

 

Here is a list of ten titles, various genres, recently read by Dr. Larry

 

AT THE HEIGHT OF THE MOON: A book of bedtime poetry and art by editors Alison Baverstock, Matt Cunningham, Annette Roeder  (poetry)

This is an exquisite collection of poetry and paintings. It’s a curiosity too for it is labeled a book of bedtime poetry and art. Whose bedtime I ask? This book, first published in Germany, is intended, I believe for adult to read to child before bedtime. Great that poetry gets into the ears of children and reading two or three poems before bedtime provide comfort, curiosity and perhaps send young people off to dreamland. But these poems, for the most part, do not seem to be intended for children, even though they are intended as read-alouds and the listener will ‘get out of the poems, whatever, they get out of the  Who am I to say what young readers will ‘get from the words of Ted Hughes, Robert Browning, Lord Alfred Tennyson, William Wordsworth and Walt Whitman about 1/4 of the book feature the names of familiar names for those who are poetry afficianodos. eThe book is organized into six sections each with a title (e.g., Twilight, Dreamland, Moonlight Menagerie, Creepy Crawlie and Things That Go Bump Into the Night.The words, poem images and themes are quite sophisticated and do not seem accessible. I would say there would be few children who would respond to these poems without conversation and ‘analysis’. And who wants analysis before bedtime? The editors, however, have done a WOW! job of choosing art works to match the verbal text (sometimes literal matches, sometimes not).  Taking the children to an art gallery is a fantastic thing, and the art in this book (e.g., Henry Rousseau, Paul Klee, Georgia O’Keefe, Vincent Van Gogh, are some of the more familiary names),  beautifully reproduced, is certainly, page by page, a wonderful journey into landscapes, portraits, still life etc. Together, poems and arts, make for a staggering, rich collection of words and images.  For me, this was a wonderful bedtime book… but I’m over 70 years old. Am exquisite publication.  

BIRDS by John Moir (paintings)

A gallery of 100 British bird paintings (1/ page) accompanied by latin names and succinct bits of fascinating information.  I was familiar with some of the names (Barn Owl; Buzzard; Cukoo; Greenfinch, Puffin, Raven), but was glad to meet some new feathered friends (Crested Tit; Hawfinch, Lapwing, Redshank, Wheatear).  Exquisite!!!

Kestrel: Falco tinnunculus: a kestrel’s eyes can see ultra-violent light. This enables them to pick out the shining yellow urine trails left by mice and voles, so they can track and kill them more effectively. 

 

DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver (fiction)

Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this is the story of an orphaned boy who has met his shares of troubled times but  seems to carry on being  after passed from home to home, being forced into child labour and struggling at school.  Like, Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, Copperhead is a survivor of poverty. I was on vacation and started reading  this Oprah’s Book Club Selection (2022) and was rather enjoying the book.  I like books with young characters and what a character Demon Copperhead is.  However, after 300 pages I was in a slump and lost interest. I put the book aside and though I don’t often do this, I returned to finish the novel that I once put down.  I’m not good with 500+ page books but I really admired Kingsolver’s style and ended up finishing the book.  The last part of the book deals with heavy addiction and disastrous love and I found myself cheering Demon on to a better life. 

 

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by Willian Strunk Jr. and E.B. White (nonfiction)

“If those who have studied the art of writing are in accord on any one point, it is this: Teh surc, est way to arouse and hold the readers attention is by being specific, definite, and concrete.” (p. 28)

I was reading an article the other day and mention was made of this seminal book, first published in 1935, that has been read by multitudes of English majors and journalists. ‘Why hadn’t I read it before?’ I asked myself and decided to get myself a copy consider how I might write better. .  There are 5 chapters, each providing information and a guide to being a better writer: Elementary Rules of Usage; Elementary Principles of Composition; A Few Matters of Form; Words and Expressions Commonly Misused; and An Approach to Style with a List of Reminders. There are  things I think I do right but this book has advised me that  there are things I needed to pay better attention to. (Damn those commas!).  The test of this book depends on how I apply Strunk’s Elements of Style to whatever writing I embark upon in the future.The book is offers great advice, and is a great guide worthy of its popularity for decades and decades.  I’m glad I finally got around to reading this treasure. (I’m sure I’ve made a dozen boo-boo’s in this paragraph alone.)

 

I’M TOO YOUNG TO BE 70 (and other delusions) by Judith Viorst (poems)

Judith Viorst’s claim to fame (one of them) is the picture book Alexander and the Terrific Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. She has written a series of slim, illustrated poetry volumes for adults celebrating life each decade (e.g. It’s Hard to be Hip Over 30; How Did I Get to be 40?) and most recently (Nearing 90). I’m too young to be 70 are humorous and sometimes tocuhing poems exploring this stage of life. The book is divided into sections that include such headings as: Still Married, The Children and Grandchildren, The Rest of It. Some poem titles include ‘As Time Goes By’,,’Body Heat, ‘They May be Middle Aged, But They’re Still My Children’, and ‘Still Dieting After All These Years’ and Too Young to be Seventy’. Judith Viorst  was born on February 2, 1931 (92 years old). 

In the life that I’m living I’m / Too young to be seventy. The woman I see in the mirror is not the real me./ When I elevate my chin, When I stick my stomach in, When I throw my shoulders back,/ When I tighten all that’s slack,/ I can’t be any more than/ Sixty-one. And a half?

 

KIMBERLY AKIMBO by David Lindsay-Abaire (script)

Kimberly has a lot to contend with: an alcoholic father who stinks at fulfilling fatherly duties, a pregnant mother who is a hypochondriac and a crazy aunt who’s a scam artist with a new plan that involves a stolen mailbox and forging cheques. Most of all, Kimberly has a rare genetic condition that causes her body to age faster than it should thus giving her the appearance of an elderly woman. This play was first in 2001 and then opened in New York in 2003.  Kimberly Akimbo has now evolved into a terrific musical which moved from Off-Broadway to Broadway in 2022. The comedy of the original script remains now woven into a great score. A staggering performance by Victoria Clark as the ‘teenage’ Kimberly  makes this a production worth seeing. 

 

LETTERS FROM MAX: A poet, a teacher, a friendship by Sarah Ruhl & Max Ritvom (epistolary nonfiction)

Playwright, Sarah Ruhl and Max Ritvo first met when he became a student in her playwriting course at Yale University. Over the course of four years, student and teacher exchanged letters and poems. Ritvo, a brilliant poet, and Ruhl a brilliant playwright support and mentor each other as they discuss their work and their outlook on life.  Max Ritvo bravely battles cancer and the written exchanges are honest and direct as the two ‘teachers’  write about life, love and the writer’s craft.  The conversational letters take us into a triumphant journey that intertwines heart and mind, art and mentorship. It matters not that the meanings of Ruhl’s and Ritvo’s  overwhelmed (confused) me. Letters from Max is moving account of a poet, a teacher, a friendship.

 

MOUTH TO MOUTH by Antoine Wilson (fiction)

Jeff Cook meets up with an old acquaintance and they chat together in an airport lounge while waiting for a delayed flight. . Actually, Jeff does all the talking as he describes a harrowing event where he once saved the life of a swimmer. Jeff has kept his heroism a secret -up until now. Jeff recounts his experiences of living in LA, of pursuing the man who’s life resuscitated, of joining a renowned art gallery owned by Francis Arsenault (the man who  almost drowned) and of his growing relationship with Chloe, who turns about to be the daughter of said Francis. Much of the book takes us into the life of an art gallery operations and shenanigans.  I should have liked this book more than I did because I like short books (178 pages) with short chapters and apparently it was one of Barack Obama’s favourite books of 2022. An intriguing, sort-of-athriller read, but not a favourite of mine. 

 

OLD BABES IN THE WOODS by Margaret Atwood (short stories)
I haven’t read Atwood titles in a long while and was intrigued to read her new collection of short stories. I usually tend to read short stories in chronological order and as always, some are better than others. This happened while I read through these 15 titles. Lengths of stories varied from 8 to 20 pages.. And one or two didn’t reallhold my interest. I gave up halfway through ‘Metempsychosis’ (something about a snail and the journey of the soul . The book is divided into three parts. Part One introduces a seniors couple named Tig and Nell and Part Three ends with 4 stories under the heading Nell and Tig. The stories I liked best were Tig and Nell selections when characters looked back on life and contemplate the future. (‘Wooden Box’; ‘Old Babes in the Wood)’.’ First Aid’ was rather funny and quite educational (about first aid techniques). “My Evil Mother’ tells the story of a relationship between daughter and a witch (not a typo) of a mother. And oh-so-clever Atwell presents an interview with George Orwell (‘The Dead Interview’). Did I like this collection of short stories?…not always. but wow! can that woman write!

 

THIS OTHER EDEN by Paul Harding (fiction)

My friend and I were browsing in a bookstore and the sales clerk suggested that I read this book which he considered ‘the best book of the year’. The intriguing title, the beautiful cover and the fact that the author, Paul Harding is the winner of a Pulitzer Prize (Tinkers) – plus the fact that it was only 220 pages – intrigued me. My friend bought me a copy. Based on true events, the story takes place at the beginning of the twentieth century. The settling is Apple Island a small fishing enclave off the coast of Maine where a small group of black, white and mulatto citizens meagerly survive from day to day. At one point in the story, officials come to ‘cleanse’ the island by evicting the residents from their homes, sending a group to the school for the feeble-minded. Harding’s writing about generations, about daily chores, about art, about religion, and about racism, justice and  humanity is rather exquisite.  Well, not the best book of the year of me, but it’s wonderful to read wonderful writing. “The smells of his paints and the spirits on his hands and in the rough clothes and the sweat on his skin swirled in her nose and behind her eyes and through the tight space inside her head between her brain and skull, but she was not afraid.” (p.137)

 

The ten books listed in this posting are newly purchased titles, each published in 2023 (except for two).
 

ALL THE BEATING HEARTS by Julie Fogliano; illus. Catia Chien

From the book jacket: “This poignant, powerful book is a celebration of self-acceptance and a potent reminder that, even in our uniqueness we are divided.” This is a book about reassuring that most of our days are filled with goodness. Sometimes they are not. We carry on.  The book ignites wonder and reflection of dreams and hopes and a curiosity of our connection to others and our place in the world and.  I so love the wonderful wonderful, colourful and poetic illustrations that often dance on the page our hearts beat. 

the beats of our heart, strong, and steady and sure is

“a reminder

that we are here and alive

together but apart

the same but exactly different.”

 

AT THE DROP OF A CAT by Elise Fonentaille; illus. Violeta Lopez

A young boy loves spending time with his Spanish grandpa Luis who is known for his gardening “The Earth is my mother”, his cooking )”There is always something baking or simmering.” his knowledge of bird language” and his talent as an artist (“Dad says Luis is as good as Henry Rousseau”). When he talks to the chickadees, thy talk back.” Grandpa Luis had a hard life running away from a terrible war in Spain until he settled in France. He never went to school, worked hard in the fields and never learned to read or write. This is a beautiful,  beautiful  story of the relations relationship between grandfather and grandson (“He says I am ‘the apple of his pie’, which means he really likes me.”)This picture book has been translated from the  French with rich, detailed illustrations by Spanish illustrator Violeta Lopez,  each image inviting close scrutiny. 

 

A FLOWER IS A FRIEND by Frieda Wishinsky; illus. Karen Patkau

Master nonfiction author Frieda Wishinsky helps readers think about the way that flowers care for those around it. In spare text, Wishinsky explains how flowers are friends because they ‘dust a bumblebee’; ‘Burst with color’; ‘Kiss a butterfly’ an ‘Drink the rain’. Each page of text features a question that helps readers think about the wonders of nature and the beauty of flowers. Full page, close-up illustrations by award-winning illustrator Karen Patkau are spectacular. In an afterward to the book, succinct information about each of the animals we have met throughout the book. This is a gorgeous gem of a nonfiction title. Hooray for Frieda Wishinsky! Hooray for Karen Patkau1 Hooray for flowers!

 

THE KINDEST RED: A story of Hijab and Friendship by Ibtihaj Muhammed with S.K. Ali; illus Hatem Alythe 

The team that created The Proudest Blue now present a story of a young girl named Faisah who is excited to wear a red dress that has been passed down from Asiya, her older sister and before that from her mother. Asiya looks beautiful in her class picture but she is worried when it comes to the sibling photo, that her clothes does not match her sister’s.  Faizah’s teacher gives the class (and the reader) the big question: What kind of world do you want to create? Being kind, she says, helps us to make a difference.  Faizah’s classmate presents her dress’s red sash to match Asiyah’s hijab. The Kindest Red is an endearing   story about the bonds of family and the place of being kind to others when they are troubled. 

“What do I want?

A world where there’s always a friend nearby.

 

HAPPY by Miles Van Hout (2011/2023)

I was as terrifically pleased to see that this terrific picture book from Pajama Press (2011) has been released in a 2023 edition. This is the ideal picture book for recognizing and naming different emotions. Each emotion is depicted in expressive font and colour matched by the image of a  single fish swimming on each spread. This is a book that helps build a vocabulary of emotions (e.g furious, glad, content, afraid, startled) facial expressions and love of illustration. A winner of a book. Great to visit these fish friends again! Thank you Miles Van Hout. Thank,  you Pajama Press.  

 

ONCE UPON A BOOK by Kate Messner; illus. Grace Lin

A young girl named ALICE is bored with staying inside and when she discovers a book, Alice has adventures in wonderland by entering into the picture book and visiting the homes of birds, a desert, the ocean, clouds,  and the moon. In the end she discovers that ‘there’s no place like home’. The illustrations by award-winning illustrator, Grace Lin are exquisite. The narrative pattern of Kate Messner’s story carries readers into the magical world, that can only happen once upon a book. 

“That sounds like our home,” said the clouds. “Turn the page and come in…”

So she did. 

 

TOO MANY PIGS and ONE BIG BAD WOLF by Davide Cali; illus Marianna Balducci (2022)

A  colourful book with lots and lots and lots of pigs . This picture book offers  some mathematical fun figuring out the number of pigs that the hungry wolf has eaten, whether my rainbow colour, by alphabetical names or one a day for a month.

“Once upon a time there were three little pigs. Then the wolf ate them. THE END”  (and that’s only the first page!)

 

WHAT’S YOUR NAME? by Behanie Deeney Murgulia (2022)

I have a nice little collection of stories about names (The Name Jar by Yabsook Choi; Your Name is a Song by  Jamila Thompkins-Bigelow; Thao by Thao Lam)  by and am pleased to add this title to my bookshelf inviting kids to celebrate their own names. Using a rhyming pattern (and an abundance of graphic speech bubbles), Murgulia’s book invites readers to think about the story about their own names – and nae smtories and identities of other people in their lives. 

A name can be common,

familiar and known.

A name can be rare, 

unique all your own. 

 

SHOUT OUT

MY BABA’S GARDEN by Jordan Scott; illus. Sydney Smith

They dynamo creators of  the special picture book, I Talk Like A River have thankfully joined together once again to offer another beautiful beautiful book about the relationship between grandmother and grandson.  Scott pays tribute to the special times he spent with his beloved Baba. Baba loved to cook, she loved to garden and she enjoyed collecting worms on rainy days to nourish vegetables grown in her garden.  If I were judge for best picture book of 2023, this would absolutely be a contender. Thanks for sharing your memories Mr. Scott. Thank you for your glorious illustrations, Mr. Smith that compliment the voice of a child reminiscing. 

“My mom says that my Baba didn’t have very much food for a long, long time. I eat everything in the swimming-pool bowl, and my Baba walks me to school.”

 

 SHOUT OUT

AN AMERICAN STORY by Kwame Alexander; illus. Dare Coulter

This is a picture book about slavery unlike any other written before.  In 32 pages  Kwame Alexander, a Newbery Medal-winning author, presents a narrative of the history of slavery in America told in staggering verse. Most pages have text that is less than 20 words. It is. a sory of struggle, strength, horror, hope and survival. Added to the brilliance of this book, are pages (yellow background) where a teacher questions her ability to tell the story to her students (“I don’t think I can continue./ It’s just too painful. I shouldn’t have read this to you/ I’m sorry children.”). The children’s voices spur the teacher on to speak the truth, even when it’s hard. Yes, this is an American story of slavery. It is a story of the past and of now that gives honour to Black Lives Matter. Astonishing!

The powerful illustrations  by artist Dare Coulter that appear throughout the book are mixed media created with a combination of spray paint, acrylic paint, charcoal, graphite, ink and digital painting on wood panels, watercolour and Adobe Photoshop.  The sculptures are both ceramic and polymer. I doubt there will be a picture book this year with dynamic and dramatic images that appear in this book.  Hello Caldecott committee 2024!

How do you tell a story that starts in Africa and ends in horror?

… a story of struggle about bold men and women jumping into the sea?

.How do you tell a story about strenght and pride and refusing to be broken?

 

HISTORICAL NONFICTION

The following 11 titles recount true stories of  Jewish citizens trapped under Hitler’s power. Each book is a powerful story of survival, strength and hope. 

 

ALIAS ANNA by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson (Free verse)

Zhanna (alias Anna) , a young Jewish girl, living in the Ukraine when it was invaded by Germans during World War II is forced to l her entire family when the Nazis force them out of their home. Zhanna has strong musical talent and a promising future as a pianist. When her father bribes a guard, Zhanna is fortunate to take and hide  a treasured sheet of Chopin music.  This historical fiction title, told in verse, tells the story (one of hundreds) of Jewish children who were forced to give up their names and hide their identities. The author, along with Zhanna’s son, Greg Dawson recount the true, moving story of how two piano prodigies, outplayed their pursuers while hiding in plain sight.  Like The Children of Willsesden Lane and Hiding Edith this is a remarkable story of resilience and perseverance set during the Holocaust. 

“I don’t care what you do, just live.” (Zhanna’s father)

 

THE CHILDREN OF WILLESDEN LANE: A True Story of Hope and Survival During World War II by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen adapted by Emil Sher (Historical Fiction)

This story of courage and hope recounting the experiences of teenager Lisa Jura’s life in England during WWIi. Lisa was chosen for the Kindertransport, the rescue effort to relocate Jewish children to great Britain. Separated from her family and left unaware of their fates, Lisa finds company in the refugee home on Willesden Lane. A musical prodigy, Lisa Jura is devoted to practicing piano, receiving a scholarship to the Royal Academy and giving concerts. It is music that gives her hope and helps her to keep her promise to her mother ‘to hold on to her music.”  Her daughter Mona Golabek a celebrated concert pianist, along with journalist Mona Golabek recounts Lisa Juras’s experiences. This version is a Young Readers Edition adapted by Emily Sher. The Hold On To Your Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization which has created a series of Willesden Reads across North American. Recently, copies of this historical fiction have been donated to middle age readers throughout the GTA to read this inspirational of a courageous Jewish refugee survivor.  www.holdontoyourmusic.org

 

HIDING EDITH by Kathy Kacer

Kathy Kacer tells the story of a young girl Edith Schwalb who was caught up in the Nazi invasions of World War II. Separated from her parents and her family, Edith, forced to conceal her identity and faith,  is always hiding.  Even at the risk of losing their own lives, who can help? A French Jewish couple, Shatta and Bouti Simon, offer Edith a place of hiding to join other young people in their secret school for fugitive Jewish children. Oncle Albert and Tante Marie provide shelter and offer bounty even with the restrictions of ration cards.  Even the residents of Moissac, France conspire to hide hundreds of Jewish children.  This is an important  beautifully written story helping young readers understand what it meant for young people to survive during the Holocaust when armies are trying to hunt them  down. It is one story of hundreds of parents who were forced to find someone to hide their children and to recognize that there wer many Christian families who were brave enough to provide salvation and hope.

 

THE LIBRARIAN OF AUSCHWITZ: the Graphic novel, based on the book by Antonio Iturbe (ages 12+)

The Librarian of Auschwitz is a bestselling novel by Spanish author, Antonio Iturbe, and for those who admired this book, a new graphic novel verson has been created. Iturbe tells the y fourteen-year0old Dita who was, along with her mother and father imprisoned in Auschwitz. For Dita, the horrors of the concentration camp were counterbalanced when she was asked to become the librarian of Auschwitz and take charge keep safe, the 8 books that were smuggled past the guards. The books along with real stories told by prisoners educated the children in the camp, even though they discovery of the books in Block 31, the children’s camp would prove to be dangerous, perhaps resulting in execution. Iturbe’s story is based on the true story of Dita Kraus, a Holocaust survivor. This graphic novel adaption synthesized the 400 pages of the original novel by presenting historical facts and  powerful narratives. The strong images  illustrated by Loreto Aroca along with the narrative captions and dialogue match the power of the original novel in presenting another haunting historical account of the Holocaust.

 

THE MISSING by Michael Rosen (Ages 11+) 

British author Michael Rosen had heard stories about his great uncles who were there before the war, but not after. Rosen embarks on research to discover the true story of his family in World War II and takes readers on an investigative journey to find about the disappearance of people lost during the holocaust. 

 

MORDECHAI ANIELEWICZ: NO TO DESPAIR by Rachael Hausfater (Ages 12+)
(translated by Alison L. Strayer) 

Set in Poland during the Holocaust, No to Despair is a powerful account of the final days of the life of Mordechai Anielwicz, the young leader of the Jewish Fighting Organization that led to the insurrection agains the Nazi control. Anielewicz was a revolutionary leader with resolve and immense strength of resistance with obligations to defend each other, no matter the costs. “The opposite of despair is not hope, it’s struggle.” This title is part of the “They Said No” historical fiction series from Seven Stories Press for young readers about protestors, activists and revolutionaries (e.g., Harvey Milk, Primo Levi, George Sand, Victor Hugo).

 

SHANGHAI EXPRESS by Kathy Kacer

When Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party made life unbearable for Jewish people, many desperately sought refuge. Lily Toufar and her mother and father was one family that travelled to Shanghai China to escape the horrors of war.  Unfortunately, all was not safe for the more thatwenty thousand Jewish refugees who moved to  Shanghai. The area was controlled by Japan, whose leaders supported Hitler. The local government ordered Jewish refugees to move into a poor area known as Hongkew where conditions were unbearable. Living spaces were crowded, food was scarce, and freedom was limited. For the Jewish people, it seemed that they were in as much danger in China as they were in Europe. Kathy Kacer tells Lily’s story from leaving her home in Vienna in 1938 to liberation in 1945, a life filled with danger, hanging on to hope. Shanghai Express is a Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers from Second Story Press.

 

THE UNDERGROUND REPORTERS by Kathy Kacer

This story takes place in Budejovice, a quiet village in Czechoslovakia, laws and rules were introduced to restrict the freedom of Jewish people during the dark days of World War II. As a form of resistance, some brave young people decided to create a newspaper, a magazine that would prove to themselves and their community that they were still creative, energetic, and adventurous. The magazine, Klepy (which means Gossip), was born on August 30, 1940, and over the following two years, twenty-two issues were created and circulated, thus giving the Jewish citizens a sense of connection and hope. John Freund was one of the young “reporters” who contributed to the magazine. In April 1942, John and the other one thousand Jews of Budejovice were deported to the Terezin ghetto. Most of these deportees were immediately sent on to Auschwitz and to their deaths. . Remarkably, copies of Klepy also survived. Author, Kathy Kacer,  had the opportunity to visit John Freund and Irena Stadler who survived the war and have them share their memories under Nazi power and with the publication of Klepy

 

>>>>>>>> PICTURE BOOKS <<<<<<<<<<

 

THE BRAVE PRINCESS AND ME by Kathy Kacer illus. by Juliana Kolesova

The story is set during the Second World War in Athens where Princess Alice, who was born deaf, lived. With the arrival of the Nazis in Greece, Jewish people were endangered. Tilda Cohen and her mother Rachel  were desperately seeking refuge and arrived on Princess Alice’s doorstep begging her to hide them. The brave princess agreed to conceal  the two Jews in her home but they were forced to go into hiding and never leave the house. When the Gestapo police came to the Princess’s house to search for hidden Jews, Princess Alice pretended that she didn’t understand them. The princess stood her ground and fooled the police who gave up and left.

 THE MAGICIAN OF AUSCHWITZ by Kathy Kacer; illus. by Gillian Newland

 The setting is in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. Young Werner Reich has been separated from his family and faces terrible circumstances from day to day. The young boy shares his bunk with a quiet man named Herr Levin who’s gentle manner seems out of place in the dire setting.  The older man was once famous for performing remarkable tricks as Nivelli the Magician in the great theatres of Berlin. At the Family Camp of Auschwitz, the prison guards learn of Nivelli’s talents and enter the barracks ordering Herr Levin to do his magic. The story of The Magician of Auschwitz centred on two prisoners who find friendship, hope, kindness and magic during frightening times. It is also the story of two Holocaust survivors and how perform magic helped each of them to thrive and live a happier life. An afterward to the book provides readers with information and photographs about how the story of these two heroes evolved and survived appalling conditions.

THE PROMISE by Pnina Bat Zvi and Margie Wolfe; illus.. Isabelle Cardinal

This picture book tells the story, based on true events, of two sisters, Rachel and Toby, who were taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp The narrative and strong visual images depict the constant danger the girls faced, especially when they were forced to separate. Three gold coins and a promise they had given to their parents keep the two sisters hopeful in their striving to survive. 

THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER by Heather Camlot; illus. Sophie Casson  (YA )

This is a stirring picture book of historical fiction.  In 1895, Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer was falsely accused of being a traitor to France by passing military secrets to Germany. Dreyfus as exiled to a prison on Devil’s Island. (“My only crime was to have been born a Jew.” Alfred Dreyfus). In 1898 writer Emile Zola’s powerful political letter was published declaring Dreyfus’s innocence and accusing those who were to really to blame. This picture book provides readers with the significance of The Dreyfus Affair in French and world politics. It is a story of antisemitism reminding readers about truth, justice and equality and the need to stand up and speak out against any prejudice they are faced with. Author Heather Camlot has done. brilliant job through lyrical, poetic text and alternate narratives to shine a light on this historical incident and to encourage readers to learn more about two heroic characters and see the relevance of their story in today’s world. Sophie’s Casson’s lightly coloured illustrations strongly support the verbal text.

NOTE: I am creating this posting on 23.01.23, 125 years since Zola’s 4000 word open letter to the president of France was published January 13, 

“The truth is on the march and nothing will stop it.. When we bury the truth underground, it builds up, it takes on such an explosive force, that the day it bursts, it blows up everything with it.” (From “J’Accuse)

 

FURTHER READING

 

TRUE STORIES OF HIDING FROM THE NAZIS

 

Alias Anna: A true story of outwitting the Nazis by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson (free verse memoir)

Catherine’s War by Julia Billet; illus. Claire Fauvel

The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank (also: All About Anne by Menno Metselaar and Piet Van Ledden / Anne Frank House)

Hidden: A child’s story of the Holocaust  by Loic Dauvillier; illus. Marc Lizano and Greg Salsedo (graphic story)

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Survivors of the Holocaust: True stories of six extraordinary children by Kath Shackleton (ed.); illus. Zane Whittingham (graphic story)

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

 

TRUE STORIES OF HIDING FROM THE NAZIS: Picture Books

 

The Boy Who Jumped Off the Train by Malka Adler

The Brave Princess and Me by Kathy Kacer; illus. Juliana Kolesova

Hiding from the Nazis by David A. Adler; illus. Karen Ritz

Hold on To Your Music: The inspiring true story of the children’ of Willesden Lane by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen (adapted by Emil Sher); illus. Sonia Possentini

The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren; illus. Fabio Santamauro

 

 

Below is a list of ten new picture books, each published in 2022,  that came my way. 

 

ALTE XACHEN (Old Times) by Ziggy Hanaor; illus. Benjamin Phillips

A young boy and his Bubbe (Jewish grandmother) wander the streets of New York collecting items for a Friday night dinner. Life for Bubbe ain’t what it used as the venture arouses memories of the way things were for her. A wonderful  graphic picture book!

“Bubbe, it’s not like that these days. Girls don’t need boys to validate them. They can wear what they want and do what they want.”

“Huh. What do you know?”

BLUE: A History of the Color as Deep as The Sea and As Wide as The Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond; illus. Daniel Minter

 A fascinating and  informative non-fiction book that explores the history along with the  natural, cultural and artistic significance of the colour blue.

“…blue has such a complicated history of pain, wealth, invention and recovery,
it’s become a symbol of possibility,
as vast and deep as the bluest sea…”

ENDLESSLY EVER AFTER: Pick your path to countless Fairy Tale Endings by Laurel Snyder; illus. Dan Santat

An original, humorous choose-your-path picture book of fractured fairy tales. 

“What’s next, Rosie? Are you really so afraid of magic?
To pass the thorns and enter a castle, turn to page 42.
To back away, turn to page 64.

I AM GOLDEN by Eva Chen; illus. Sophie Dao

A beautiful ode to the immigrant experience, particularly illuminating the issue of self-love for young Chinese American people.

“You are the lotus flower unfurling – triumphant and bright -in the darkest water. You are the first bamboo stalk, piercing the soil, that will overtake the sky.”

KNIGHT OWL by Christopher Denise

This Caldecott Honour book tells the story of Owl who has big dreams of becoming a real knight. What Owl lacks in size, he makes up in cleverness, courage and  optimism

“Knight School was hard, but Owl worked and worked. He graduated with honor, as all knights do.”

NIGEL AND THE MOON by Antwan Edy; illus. Gracey Zhang

A book to inspire young readers to consider the beauty in their every days lives and the importance of having big dreams that may be inspired by moongazing. 

“Back in his bed, he searches for the moon.
In the dark hue of the night, he finds it once more.
And there, between the moon and him, his dreams are waiting.”

PERCY’S PERFECT FRIEND by Lana Button; illus. Peggy Collins

Percy is the new boy in the classroom and feels uncomfortable and alone until he comes upon a cuddly plush cat he names Miss Petticomb. The toy keeps him good company until his classmates snatch the cat away for a party. A book that celebrates the importance of toys in child’s play.

…when he brought her fluffy cheek close to his, Percy felt a whisper in his ear. “Of course I’ll play with you,” he whispered back. “That’s what friends do.”

THE TALK by Alicia D. Williams; illus. Brianna Mukodiri Uchendu

An important book about race, family, and growing up and the need  ‘the talk’  to prepare young people for the realities or racism they (particularly black youth)  may encounter in the world. 

“No playing, no loud talking, and don’t put your hands in your pockets unless you are in an open space.”

TO CHANGE A PLANET by Christina Soontornvat; illus. Rahele Jomepour Bell

Through spare text and brightly colourful illustrations, this is picture book through that illumin ates the causes of climate change and the invitation to take action to make the world a better place to live. 

“Our planet has spun through eons of time, but this moment is the one that matters most…”

 

SHOUT OUT

THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER by Heather Camlot; illus. Sophie Casson 

A picture book for ages 12+

This is a stirring picture book of historical fiction.  In 1895, Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer was falsely accused of being a traitor to France by passing military secrets to Germany. Dreyfus as exiled to a prison on Devil’s Island. (“My only crime was to have been born a Jew.” Alfred Dreyfus). In 1898 writer Emile Zola’s powerful political letter was published declaring Dreyfus’s innocence and accusing those who were to really to blame. This picture book provides readers with the significance of The Dreyfus Affair in French and world politics. It is a story of antisemitism reminding readers about truth, justice and equality and the need to stand up and speak out against any prejudice they are faced with. Author Heather Camlot has done. brilliant job through lyrical, poetic text and alternate narratives to shine a light on this historical incident and to encourage readers to learn more about two heroic characters and see the relevance of their story in today’s world. Sophie’s Casson’s lightly coloured illustrations strongly support the verbal text.

NOTE: I am creating this posting on 23.01.23, 125 years since Zola’s 4000 word open letter to the president of France was published January 13, 

“The truth is on the march and nothing will stop it.. When we bury the truth underground, it builds up, it takes on such an explosive force, that the day it bursts, it blows up everything with it.” (From “J’Accuse)

 

FYI: CALDECOTT  WINNERS 2023

The winners of the 2023 American Library Association Youth Media Awards were annoUnced on Monday January 30, 2034.  The Caldecott Prize for most distinguished American picture book  for children were as follows:

Caldecott Medal Winner

HOT DOG by Doug Salati

Caldecott Honor Books

Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds; illus. Jason Griffin

Berry Song by Michaela Goade

Choose Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and EmMett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy illus. Janelle Washington

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise