2017 Picture Book Summer Reading Roundup

Summertime is the perfect time for some fun picture book reading and here is a roundup of some of our favorite books that we have been repeatedly reading this year:

And Then Comes Summer by Tom Brenner, illustrated by Jaime Kim
2017, Candlewick Press, 32 pages, age 4+

This lyrical ode to summer captures everything that is wonderful about this favorite season. Once school is out and cubbies are cleaned of cookie crumbs, “the days stretch out like a slow yawn,” according to our narrator, an unnamed boy in a blue striped shirt. Summer is filled with lemonade stands, hide-and-seek, biking, parades, fireworks and ice cream. Summer is topped off with a family trip to the lake for fishing, old friends and, of course, a campfire to cozy around. Brenner has managed to encapsulate the essence of the perfect summer, evoking memories of my own childhood and that of my Kiddo. Jaime Kim’s acrylic and digital illustrations are done in a happy summer palette of greens, blues and yellow, with lots of Johnny-Jump-Ups sprinkling the pages like sprinkles on an ice cream cone. This is the book that reminds me each time I’ve read it to the kids just how much and why I love summer (as do my young readers).

Jabari Jumps written and illustrated by Gaia Cornwall
2017, Candlewick Press, 32 pages, age 4+

A child’s very first jump into a pool can be an exciting moment though often it is not without a little trepidation beforehand. Now that Jabari has finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, he tells his dad that today is the day he is going to jump off the diving board - after all,  he’s not the least bit scared. But as Jabari approaches the ladder leading to the board, some of his bravado seems to fade, as the lets other kids go ahead of him as he thinks about what kind of dive to do. Sensing his fears, dad suggests doing some stretches. But when Jabari decides to jump the next day instead, wise dad tells Jabari it’s OK to be scared, and offers just the kind of advice his son needs. Does Jabari jump? You bet he does. I loved this book. Cornwall has absolutely caught that milestone moment in a child’s life when they do something they are afraid of doing and it works out better than they ever expected. What a feeling! I also love the tender relationship between Jabari and his very patient dad. The pencil, watercolor, and collage illustrations really reflect Jabari’s experience, from the height of the diving board to the depth of the water, and every moment in between. 

Think Cool Thoughts by Elizabeth Perry, illustrated by Linda Bronson
2005, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 32 pages, age 4+

It seems this summer has been particularly hot all over the country. In this picture book, Angel, 7, is also suffering with the heat, unable to sleep at night, and not even after her mother tells her to think cool thoughts. In the morning, Angel’s mom and visiting Aunt Lucy start reminiscing about sleeping in the roof another summer when it was too hot, and sure enough, that night a mattress, sheets and pillows are carried upstairs and outside. That night, Angel slept on the roof between her mother and her aunt, and when she wakes, something’s different. Angel realizes she isn’t hot anymore, just as cooling raindrops begin to fall. After a scramble to get the bedding inside, Angel, mom, Aunt Lucy all return to the roof to simply let the welcome rain cool them down. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who actually did sleep on the roof of their building on a hot summer night, but I suppose it could happen, though beyond a fanciful picture book, I wouldn’t recommend it. And I did like this book. It is a nice family story about pulling together to solve a problem while creating tender memories. Linda Bronson acrylic and oil stylized illustrations are perfect for a story about hot nights in colors that go from hot reds to cool blues. A charming story for the dog days of summer.  

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever written and illustrated by Marla Frazee
2008, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 40 pages, age 6+

This is a delightful tongue in cheek picture book about two friends, James and Eamon, who are signed up for a week at Nature Camp and who will be staying with Eamon’s grandparents Bill and Pam during camp. Bill is a real nature lover whose biggest desire is to go to Antarctica, but try as he might, he just can’t get “Jamon” (as he called the boys) interested beyond the coffee ice-cream icebergs with hard chocolate sauce on top that Pam gives them to eat. And when Bill invites Jamon to see a penguin exhibit, the boys opt for quiet meditation in front of video games in the basement. Careful readers will soon notice that all the text and illustrations plus speech balloons tell two different stories. The title of this book, A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, may seem rather ironic, but once camp is over and the boys have so free time, they decide to do something especially for Bill, so may the title isn’t so off-base after all. Complimenting the story are Frazee’s humorous illustrations that really brings out the boy’s close friendship, their energy, their interests and disinterests, all of which will probably remind you a of few boys you may know. It is also a wonderful intergenerational story that I suspect all elicit a chuckle or two from grandparents recognize themselves in Pam and Bill.

There Might Be Lobsters by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by Laurel Molk
2017, Candlewick Press, 32 pages, age 3+

The beach and the ocean can be a scary sight when you’re just little dog like Suki. But his owner Eleanor is determined to get her dog on the beach and into the ocean for some fun, despite all the excuses he might be able to think up to avoid the beach. After all, you can’t be too careful, and there might be lobsters. After being carried to the shore’s edge, and even with his favorite toy, Chunka Munka, by his side, Suki is scared - of the big beach ball, the salty, wet waves, lobsters. So, Suki just sits on the beach watching everyone else having a good, until, uh-oh, a big waves comes and take Chunka Munka right out to sea. Will Suki find his courage and be able to save his faithful companion before he sinks to the bottom of the sea, lost forever? Yes he does, and Suki feels pretty good about it, too. This is a wonderful story for kids who might be feeling a little trepidation about the beach and the ocean, especially after rooting for Suki to save Chunka Munka. Readers will find plenty of humor in Molk’s semi-silly watercolor, acrylic, pen and ink illustrations, and maybe even a few lobsters, but it’s all in good fun. Pay particular attention to the sea gulls doing exactly what sea gulls do - stealing people’s food all through the story. Do let your young readers count the number of times sea gulls succeed.

Sneakers, the Seaside Cat by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Anne Mortimer
1955/2005, HarperCollins, 32 pages, age 4+

Kids can join Sneakers, a very curious black and white cat, as he discovers all the interesting things to explore on his first visit to the beach with his boy and his parents. The seaside, Sneakers discovers, is a virtual smorgasbord of sensory experiences, from the smell of the fish in the ocean, to the cold, wet water on his paw; from the sound the seagull’s scree to sharp feel of the crab’s claw, there are just so many wonders. And then the fog rolls, big gray clouds hiding the sun. Margaret Wise Brown has really captured the way an animal must perceive the world without the benefit of language, and it is a great book for introducing and getting kids to talk about how they experience the world with regard to their own senses. Sneakers also is a bit of a rapscallion that is sure to amuse young readers. The lovely watercolor illustrations by Anne Mortimer also capture and reflect the wonder, the surprise and the curiosity of Sneakers’ different moods and feelings. Sneakers, the Seaside Cat may have been written in 1955, but it is a gentle story still holds up for today’s children.

The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Wendell Minor
1992/2017, Charlesbridge, 32 pages, age 3+

How do you describe the seashore to a person has never been there? Make it a sensory experience, but using descriptive language instead of actual sensory experience. When a young boy asks his mother what the seashore is like, she begins with the break of day and the changing colors of sky and water as the sun come up. At the beach, there are treasures for him to explore - shells, seaside creatures, a gulls lost feather. The cold ocean “makes you skin feel like peppermint” and the noonday sun tires you out. In the afternoon, there is an airplane to run after, twirling in the sand, and the walk home. After a wonderful, busy day, it impossible to stay awake to even notice the on/off beam of the lighthouse. Zolotow’s lyrical descriptions perfectly reflect the sights and sounds of a day at the beach, transporting mother and son so vividly that it almost feels as though they had been there. Added to this imaginary experience are Minor’s soft gouache and watercolor illustrations in a palette of blues and yellows that will leave the reader with the sensation of hot sun and sand countered with the coolness of the ocean’s water. This reissue is a welcomed delight.

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Stephen Gammell
2001, Richard Jackson Books, 32 pages, 3+

The excitement of an anticipated visit from relatives living far away is almost of summertime tradition and Rylant understands this completely. Driving from Virginia in an old station wagon with an ice chest full of pop and bologna sandwiches, a carload of relatives drive all day and night to arrive at their destination, where they are heartily welcomed by…their relatives.  After lots of hugs and even a few tears, the relatives go inside the house, welcomed with a big family style feast. And they stay, for weeks, helping out in the garden and fixing things and sleeping wherever there was spot. Then it was time to pack the ice chest and return to Virginia. The relatives missed their relatives, but they also knew, they would visit with each other again next summer. This has been a favorite in my family since my Kiddo was little and there was a lots of relative visiting back and forth, and all so reminiscent of this book. In fact, I’ve never read it to a child who didn’t have relative stories to add to our discussion. They usually love the illustrations of the family meal and the sleeping arrangements, even if that isn’t their experience. Gammell’s jolly color pencil illustrations done in a colorful summertime palette of bright colors add so much to the whimsy and fun of the text. This book came out in 1986, but, like Sneakers, it also holds up well for today’s readers. 

What are some of your favorite summertime stories?

A Different Pond by Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui

In an age that is seeing an increase in the number of refugees fleeing their countries seeking safety comes a simple, but powerful semi-autobiographical story from poet Bao Phi. Phi, his parents and siblings were refugees from Vietnam who came to the United States in 1975. And as with most refugees, those early years were difficult. 

Early one morning before the sun has even risen, Phi's father wakes up his son from a sound sleep to go fishing. His father has already made bologna sandwiches and packed up their fishing gear. After loading the car, they stop at the bait store and then on to the pond. Sometimes when they fish, they run into other fishermen - usually a Hmong man, a black man. This morning, they are alone.

But these fishing trips is not done as a fun sport. Even though his father has taken a second job in order to support his family, any fish caught will help feed them. As his dad explains, “Everything in American costs a lot of money.”

But fishing is also an opportunity for father and son to bond. Phi’s father is gentle, protective, and encouraging with his son. When Phi doesn’t want to bait the fishing hook with live minnows, his dad just smiles, and there is a compliment when Phi builds a fire, lighting it with one match.

As they eat their sandwiches, his dad tells Phi about fishing with his brother in a different pond in Vietnam, about fighting in the Vietnam war with his brother who didn’t return from the war. After catching two large fish, they head home, knowing there will be dinner on the table that night. 

This may be Bao Phi’s first children’s book, but he has written one that is destined to become a classic. Phi is a poet, and his prose lyrical, really capturing the difficulties faced by immigrants when they migrate to another country, and have very little money and resources. A close reading reveals just some of the things refugees must do to survive beside working more than one job, or fishing for dinner. Notice the No Trespassing sign by the fishing pond, the mention of the callouses on Phi’s father's hands indicating hard, physical labor, the mention of his dad’s broken teeth and his poor English and what these things tell us about his life. Their life may be hard, and yet, the last page shows a happy family sitting about the dinner table. 

Complimenting Phi's story are Thi Bui’s illustrations. She has used both graphic novel panels and full page illustrations done in deep blues and browns and beiges to capture the early morning light and highlight father and son. 

Sometimes, these days, I feel like my spirit needs a little renewing and then I read this book. It certainly gave me a new appreciation of what my own father went through when he came to this country. 

A Different Pond is a beautiful, elegantly written story about the importance of family, of hope, of tradition, and the challenges faced by refugees.  

A Different Pond will be available August 1, 2017.

This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was provided to me by the publisher, Capstone 

Spirit Hunters (Book 1) by Ellen Oh

It’s early summer and Harper Raine, 12, isn’t very happy about the family’s move to Washington, DC. Older sister Kelly thinks the move is all Harper’s fault because of starting a fire at school and then having a terrible accident at Briarly, a psychiatric hospital, that left her with both arms broken and two broken ribs. Harper, however, has absolutely no memory of either event

The new house is unbearably hot because of broken air conditioning, except for 4 year-old MIchael’s room, which is unnaturally cold. And Michael claims to have made a new friend in his room named Billy that no one else can see. Slowly, Harper begins to see her brother change from a sweet, loving little boy to a mean, violent child who only wants to stay in his room with Billy. 

When Harper mets Dayo, a Jamaican girl who lives a few blocks away, they become instant friends. Days knows some of the odd history of Harper’s new house, and tells her it has always been considered to be haunted.

As something evil and malicious takes over Michael more and more, Harper and Dayo research on the house’s history and discover some really frightening information. And it helps when Harper reconnects with her old friend Rose, a ghost who lives in a family mirror, and who can help figure things out. At the same time, Harper begins to remember more details about the fire and her accident at Briarly. And she is beginning to see glimpses of Billy, the boy possessing her brother. But what can two 12 year-old girls and a sweet ghost do in the face of such evil?

Luckily, Harper’s estranged grandmother lives nearby and shows up suddenly.  Grandma Lee is a Korean mudang or shaman, and her belief and work in the spiritual world is what has alienated Mrs. Raine from her mother. She immediately accesses the situation with the house and especially with Michael, who by now is almost totally possessed by Billy. And she informs Harper that she too is a mudang, and it is up to her to exorcise the house and her brother. But does Harper’s understand her newly uncovered ability as a spirit hunter enough to go up against such a strong malevolence.

Spirit Hunters is a fast read simply because you can’t put it down, the need to know what happens next is just too great. Even though the story covers only 10 days, Oh manages to build the tension slowly, beginning with a playful insinuation of creepiness and working up to almost full scale horror. Some of the tropes she used are a bit cliché, like oozing, bleeding walls, or floating ghosts, but these by no means diminish the delicious pleasure of the story for fans of scary tales.

Oh's writing is friendly and pretty straight forward, but I liked that in-between the third person narrative are Harper’s first person journal entries. These allow the reader to directly know and understand what she is feeling and thinking, and which also slowly reveal the blocked events surrounding the fire at school and the accident at the psychiatric hospital as they resurface in Harper's memory.

And I liked the way Oh introduced Harper’s Korean identity on her mother’s side of the family (her father is clearly not Korean). In Spirit Hunters, Harper begins to explore more fully this part of who she is and, I hope, it will expand subsequent books in this new series. 

Spirit Hunters takes place in Washington DC and you couldn’t ask for a better ghost story location (except maybe New Orleans). There’s just something about those old homes, the sidewalks inlaid with bricks, and the heat and dense humidity of summer that can be cut with a knife that all just lends itself to a well-done scary story.

If you want a good hair-raising scare this summer, do pick up a copy of Spirit Hunters and enjoy.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from Edelweiss Plus

The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts by Avi

One of the things I like about reading a novel by Avi is that I can (almost) always count on it being an interesting work of historical fiction and his latest novel is no exception.

The story begins on the morning of November 12, 1724. Oliver, 12, wakes up to discover that not only has a violent storm flooded his home and his town of Melcombe Regis on the Dorset coast, but his father is also missing, and Oliver has no idea where he might be. His father left a note telling him where he went, but it is too waterlogged to read.

Left with no money and no food, Oliver heads outside, and discovers a shipwreck on the beach. He decides to explore a little even though he knows that taking anything at all from a shipwreck is a death-by-hanging offense. Still, when he discovers 30 shillings, he decides to “borrow” 23 shillings, which he figures is more than enough money to live on until his father returns.

Unfortunately for Oliver, his lawyer father has managed to offend pretty much everyone in Melcombe Regis, so when those in authority discover that he is alone and his father missing, they decide the best place for Oliver is in the poorhouse.

After hiding his ill-gotten shillings, and figuring the poorhouse is at least good for food and shelter, Oliver lets himself be taken to there with plans on remaining for only two weeks. But escaping it takes longer and is harder than he had anticipated. But escape he does, and decides to travel to London, where his older sister Charity lives and works and who may know something about what happened to their father.

The road to London, however, is paved with one setback after another for Oliver, including a gang of ruthless highway robbers, led by one notorious Captain Hawkes. Kidnapping Oliver, Hawkes already knows about the shillings he stole from the shipwreck, and decides that since Oliver is already a thief, he can be used for more highway robberies.

Just when you think that Oliver couldn’t possibly have more adventures and misadventures, Hawkes takes him to London, and next thing Oliver knows, he is reluctantly involved with the (real life) criminal Jonathan Wild. But will he ever find Charity and his father and get out of this mess?

The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts is a very exciting story. Each chapter ends with such a strong cliffhanger, that I couldn’t help but turn the page and keep reading. And I did finish the book in one sitting because of that. 

Avi is really a master at placing his characters in difficult situations, and then following them step-by-step as their story plays out. In this way, it makes it so easy and rather understandable as we watch Oliver’s life spiral into crime.

Oliver narrates this engaging tale in language that authentically reflects the time in which he lives, but not so much so that it will put young readers off. Besides, Oliver is just too appealing to leave him to his fate without taking the journey with him.

I also feel that some of the novel's real strength lies in the vivid descriptions of life in early 18th century England. The abusive treatment of even very young children is part of Oliver’s experience in the poorhouse, where cold, underfed regimented children are forced to do hard, menial work for long hours and faced cruel punishment for any act of disobedience. 

    

In Melcombe Regis and in London, there are depictions of the farce of 18th century "justice" as practiced in the Old Bailey and the prisons of the period (where prisoners are charged for the privilege of being incarcerated).

All in all, The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts is an exciting adventure. It is the first book in a series and I personally can’t wait to read Book 2 and see what else life holds for Oliver Cromwell Pitts.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was provided to me by the publisher, Algonquin Young Readers

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is a weekly event hosted by Shannon Messenger at Book Ramblings, and Plenty of Shenanigans

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2018

When I was growing up, every year a book was published called Information Please Almanac and I couldn’t wait to get a copy and spend the rest of the year reading all the difference kinds of information bytes that were included in it. So I was pretty excited to receive a review copy of National Geographic’s Almanac 2018.

Fans of previous Almanac’s will be happy to see this newest edition, and newbies to it are in for a real treat. Beginning with some interesting and cool things to expect in 2018, the Almanac goes on to looks at eleven more chapters that are chockablock with interesting and fascination information. There is a chapter on explorers and Awesome Exploration, on Amazing Animals, Going Green (very important for today’s world), Engineering and Technology including inventors and their inventions. The Wonders of Nature includes weather, gardens and life zones. 

Chapter Seven could be seen as a seventh inning stretch. It includes boredom-busting jokes, games, puzzles and other fun stuff. This is followed by a chapter on Space and Earth, then one on Culture Connection, where, for instance you can discover which Chinese Zodiac you are based on the year of your birth, and explore holidays around the world. And lastly, there is a chapter on Life Science, History Happens and Geography Rocks. There are also pages in each chapter with fun quizzes, funny-fills, and homework help suggestions, like the one on how to write an essay. 

The National Geographic Kids Almanac 2018 has so much information in it, it is sure to keep kids busy and entertained all summer long, and who knows, maybe something found inside will spark a deeper interest in something. Just in case that happens, there a list at the back of the book for kids who want to learn more. And one of the things that makes this a really nice book is that it is interactive.

July 14th is Shark Awareness Day and although that shark on the cover is pretty formidable looking, lots of kids are fascinated by these large creatures of the deep anyway. You can find lots of information in the Almanac about sharks because the 2018 Almanac Newsmaker Challenge is about saving them. Kids can find more information about this and about sharks, including a shark mask to color and cut out and two posters that can be downloaded HERE.  My personal favorite shark is Mary Lee the Shark, a great white that is tracked by OCEARCH who likes to cruise the East Coast. I like to see her travels as she swims the Atlantic Ocean. You can find Mary Lee on twitter @MaryLeeShark and track her pings along with the scientists. There is also a nice article about Mary Lee and sharks in general in the New York Times that may be of interest to budding sharkophiles. 

Going on a road trip with the family this summer? This is the ideal book to take along in the car, train, plane, or boat to keep the kids busy with all kinds of fun stuff.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was provided to me by the publisher, National Geographic Kids

Mapping My Day by Julie Dillemuth, illustrated by Laura Wood

I’d always found that summertime was the perfect time for teaching my Kiddo some life skills in between the fun stuff as she got older - things like how to tie her sneakers, how to cross the street, how to find her way around. This was a tough one because it turned out, my Kiddo didn’t have a great sense of direction. How I wish we had had Mapping My Day to make things easier.

In Mapping My Day, kids can follow Flora, a girl who loves maps, from sun up to sun set and learn the basics for understanding how to read maps and how to make their own. Beginning with the basics, the cardinal directions north, south, east, and west, Flora maps out the floor plan of her house. In the yard, Flora shows how to make a buried treasure map in case kids want to hid their valued possessions from younger siblings, and most important, how to find their buried treasure.

Flora manages to make a map for everything she does during the day. And shows us the different routes her parents take when they drop Flora and her brother off at school. There is even a map of her aunt’s backyard obstacle course for her dog. Each map teaches something new to readers so that by the end of the book, they know all about map symbols, the concept of scale, the use of legends, how to use landmarks and map out a route, the significance of a compass rose, and the importance of cardinal directions.

Mapping My Day is a great way to teach kids concepts of spatial thinking and problem solving. This book makes these things so much easier to learn by bringing these ideas to a level that kids can understand - their own lives. One of the things I did when I taught this to my Kiddo was to buy her an nice big compass, and taught her how to read it in relation to all these other ideas (I actually bought a nice easy-to-read Girl Scout Compass). 

At the end of the book, there are four pages of activities for kids to practice their newly acquired mapping skills. If you make copies of the Draw Your Own Map activity, kids can really map their lives in the same way that Flora does. You can also download these activities HERE.

Did it pay to teach my Kiddo these mapping skills? You bet, she has managed to find her way around the block, but also around Britain, Europe and China, even when the map she’s using isn’t in a language she knows. 

I can't recommend this book highly enough. And just in case you need a little more convincing about importance of teaching kids about maps, HERE is a recent article from PBS Parents about just that subject.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Magination Press

Cyclone by Doreen Cronin

Nora couldn’t wait to be tall enough to ride the Coney Island Cyclone, and now, at age 12, she is about to achieve her dream. It wasn’t easy talking her cousin Riley, 13, into going on the Cyclone with her, but Nora finally managed to do it, not really hearing Riley’s protestations and brushing aside her clearly apparent fear. And that ride was everything Nora dreamt it would be, right up until she and Riley were walking away and Riley collapsed on the sidewalk.

Rushed to a nearby hospital, Riley is treated for a stroke caused by an undiagnosed heart condition. Nora is riddled with guilt, convinced that she was the cause of Riley’s stroke with the ride on the Cyclone. After all, she did finally have to resort to blackmail to convince her cousin to get on the ride. Luckily, Riley is young and got to the hospital quickly, so her prognosis is somewhat hopeful that she will recover her speech and use of her paralyzed right arm and leg.

Riley’s mother Maureen, and Nora’s mother Paige are soon joined by their sister Elayne, but not Riley’s father. When he left, Riley had told Nora, he was as good as dead to her. But, as the family gathers at the hospital to support Riley, as Riley struggles to recover her ability to communicate, old family tensions mount as new ones are created, and secrets and truths are revealed. 

One of the things Cronin does really well in this novel is to look at problems of communication within this family’s dynamics, a dynamic Nora is just becoming part of when she uses blackmail to get Riley on the Cyclone. I liked that way she used Riley’s stroke to take them all back to square one and begin to learn how to communicate with each other openly and honestly. And it is through this process that Nora realizes the she needs to start listening to what people are saying to her and not be so wrapped up in herself. A case in point is Jack, a boy Nora meets in the CICU (Children's Intensive Care Unit) family room. Jack tells her he is there for his brother Colin, who has leukemia. But Jack is a boy she never really listened to until she is forced to learn his truth.

I did find the many, many footnotes a little annoying and a lot pedantic. But our narrator is Nora, a 12 year old, who tells the story of what happens in her youthful way. So, while I was able to skip most of them, I realize Nora, like most of her readers, would not have the experiential knowledge an older person has. And, the footnotes do serve to let readers appreciate the seriousness of what happens to Riley (and other hospitalized kids). 

Cyclone is Doreen Cronin’s debut middle grade novel. I found her writing to be clear and straight forward, her characters are believable, and her plot well constructed, so much so, that I read the novel in one sitting. I also thought that using the Cyclone as a symbol for the ups and downs of family relationships was brilliant. This is a book I would recommend to young readers who are looking for good realistic fiction.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from EdelweissPlus

PS - if you like roller coasters, the Cyclone is one you shouldn't miss, if possible. It's not the biggest, but it is 90 years old, and made of wood, so it really does make the click clack sound as the cars go over the wooden track ties. I have ridden it three times in my life as a child while my mother was in the hospital giving birth to my brother. Years later, my brother proposed to his wife at the summit of the first drop. 

Where Will I Live? by Rosemary McCarney

Just as she did with her earlier books, Dear Malala, We Stand with You and The Way to School, Rosemary McCarney, the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, has authored another photo-essay, this time bringing to light the terrible refugee situation in the world today in a very age appropriate way.

Answering the question "where do you go if your home is no longer safe?" McCarney begins her book with a photo of a family fleeing their home in the middle of the night with the caption "Sometimes scary thing happen to good people." Using this as her starting point, and with minimal text on each page, she takes the reader on a journey through countries that are involved in wars, conflicts, terrorism or are dealing with natural disasters, and the families who have become displaced by these events. Some ride, some walk, some run from the danger and terror they suddenly find themselves in, carrying whatever they can, but leaving most of not just their belongings but their homes behind.

In the midst of these fleeing families are the children on whose faces one can clearly see their common question "But where will I live?" From Rwanda to Hungary, from Greece to Lebanon and Kenya, the children live in tent cities, wondering and hoping to find someplace where they and their family will be welcomed and to be able to feel safe again.

To someone with a safe home and intact family, it is hard to imagine life as a refugee, yet the stunning photographs in this book really brings home to young readers just how difficult, scary, and perilous seeking safety can be. And yet, these are resilient children who can still manage to make some fun for themselves, still make friends, and amazingly, still play and smile.

The stunningly revealing photographs shown on each page were taken by a variety of artists (each listed on the back page) and provided to McCarney by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (or UNHCR), and, it should be noted, that proceeds from the purchase of this book will be donated to refugee children's programs around the world.

Where Will I Live? is an excellent book for introducing children to the problems faced by refugees in the world today, and it should certainly generate some lively discussions, not to mention inspiring them to find ways in which they can help. Pair this poignant non-fiction photo-essay with any of the equally excellent fictional accounts of refugees for a richly comprehensive unit on refugees today. You can find some excellent suggestions from Today's Parent HERE

This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was sent to me by the publisher

July 4, 2017

WISHING YOU A SAFE AND HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is the original weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.  It's Monday! What are you reading? - from Picture Books to YA is a kidlit focused meme just like the original and is hosted weekly by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers .  The purpose is the same: to recap what you have read and/or reviewed and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. Twitter for #IMWAYR

I've been down and out with a whopping summer flu for the last two weeks and although I done some reading, I haven't really had the energy or brain focus to sit at the computer until now to write this post. I'm really hoping to be back to normal by the end of the week.

My only blog post last week was:

Princess Cora and the Crocodile 

by Laura Amy Schlitz and illustrated by Brian Floca

This is a fun story for both parents and kids about the dangers of trying to make your kids perfect by controlling what they learn and do and leaving them no time to enjoy life. It all told with lots of humor and great illustrations.

What I read this past week:

The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Cyclone by Doreen Cronin

The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts

by Avi

Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the 

Landmark Civil Rights Case by Particia Hruby Powell,

illustrated by Shadra Strickland

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever

written and illustrated by Marla Frazee

I am currently reading:

Letters from the Lighthouse by Emma Carroll

I am hoping to read these in the next week:

Refugee by Alan Gratz

Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh

I will hopefully have proper reviews of all of these books soon.

What are you reading?