It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is 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 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. #IMWAYR

I've been somewhat out of commission the last few weeks due to some computer related problems like tech neck, shoulders, arms, and wrists. I have done some blogging but mostly I've just been reading.

This past week I read and reviewed:

🌞A Roundup of Picture Books for a Hot Summer Day

and a wonderful book about the ocean

Ocean: Secrets of the Deep by Sabrina Weiss, 

illustrated by Giulia De Amicis

I read but haven't reviewed:

The Good Luck Cat by Joy Harjo,

illustrated by Paul Lee

Joy Harjo is the United State's newest and first Native American Poet Laureate 

Greenglass House by Kate Milford 

and now can't wait to read The Ghosts of Greenglass House

Honeybees and Frenemies by Kristi Wientge

War is Over by David Almond,

illustrated by David Litchfield

David Almond is one of my very favorite authors

Right now, I am in the midst of reading:

A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata

My next book to read and review is:

Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai

That's my reading week, what are you reading?

🌞A Roundup of Picture Books for a Hot Summer Day

It's been a pretty hot summer for most of us so far, and it's only half over, so the real dog days of summer still loom. What better way to cool off than spending some time reading a few favorite summer related books at the beach, or the park, the lake, or even inside at home or the library. My young readers and I like to read in one of the many New York Public Libraries, which are also cooling centers for people who don't have their own AC. We cooled off while we read some good books and even made some new friends. 

Camp Tiger by Susan Choi, 

illustrated by John Rocco

2019, G.P. Putnam's Sons BFYR, 40 pages

At the end of summer, just before beginning first grade, a young boy, our unnamed narrator, his older brother and their parents go on their annual camping trip in a beautiful, remote area. It's clear our narrator doesn't want to go on to first grade, kindergarten was so much better because it was so familiar and comfortable. While setting up camp, a tiger suddenly steps out of the woods. It's not a great big tiger, only about the size of a German shepherd, but the boy isn't afraid. The tiger asks him if there's an extra tent to sleep in, and while the family sets it us, the tiger grooms itself. That night our narrator curls up and sleeps with the tiger. The tiger stays all weekend, hiking and fishing with the family. On the last night, boy and tiger take a canoe and go star gazing together on the lake, and to his surprise, the boy is about to finally steer the canoe. It is a weekend of growth for the young narrator, and by the end of the story, he is ready to face first grade and the unknown, even as he quietly bonds with his brother. The end of the weekend marks transitions - summer into fall, dependence into independence, fear into courage. This is such a lovely coming-of-age story. The language is so lyrical and John Rocco's watercolor and wash-pencil are just stunning, some even breathtaking. Sometimes an imaginary friend is just what a kid needs to help them over the hard stuff.

Summer by Cao Wenxuan, 

illustrated by Yu Rong

2019, Imprint, 48 pages

It's a pretty hot day on the parched grasslands and the seven animals living there are desperate to find some shade under which to cool off just a little. Suddenly, a jackal spots a tree in the distance and he, along with an elephant, a rhino, a brown bear, a leopard, a lynx, and a mouse race to find relief in the shade of that tree. And even though the tree is barely alive and has few leaves in the hot summer, all the animals fight over who reached the tree first. Because of his size, greedy elephant wins the fight, but as the angry animals creep away, they all start to laugh. There is no shade under the elephant's tree, so no one really gets to cool off. When a boy and his father walk by, the animals stop laughing and notice how the boy walks in the shadow of his father to keep cool. Yu Rong has cleverly depicted how the animals provide shade for each other, and as they stand over each other in size place, the pages go from 3 1/2 inches and the lynx shading the mouse to 10 inches and the elephant shading them all. The animals are all rewarded for learning to share and showing kindness towards one another in the form of a big gray cloud that cools them all off. Cao Wenxuan is quickly becoming one of our favorite writers. He is genius at telling a story in such melodious language that his fables are fun and so easy to enjoy that the moral is just received as if through osmosis. Artist Yu Rong's cut paper and pencil illustrations really capture the hot grasslands with a big yellow beating down, and making her whimsical animals so uncomfortable. This is a story that is sure to be read again and again.     

Hum and Swish 

written and illustrated by Matt Myers

2019, Neal Porter Books, 40 pages

On a warm, breezy, sunny summer day, humming while the waves swish, Jaime begins to build something right near the ocean's edge. "What are you making there?" asks a couple walking by with a dog. "I don't know," Jaime says. As she works, more people pass her by - an older man, a lady, a little boy, two tween girls in bikinis, her dad bringing her more sunscreen, her mom bringing her a juice box - all receive the same vague answer when looking at what she is working on and asking about it. Finally, along come a lady, with easel, paints, and canvas. She sets it up and begins working while Jaime watches. "What are you making?" Jaime asks. "I don't know yet." the lady answers. Satisfied, Jaime and the lady quietly work side by side until both decide they are finished with their projects. And what these two artists create is the surprise ending, sure to make you at least smile. With just one line of simple text on each page, Myers' lets his beautifully detailed acrylic and oil painted illustrations tell most of the story. The sea is done in a palette ranging from deep blue to white, so realistic you can almost feel and smell the ebb and flow of the ocean's waves, while the beach is rendered in a palette of golds, browns and grays. I love how Myers captured the wind in Jaime's blowing hair. This is a lovely story about the importance of quiet time to play, imagine and create - for both children and adults.  

Sea Glass Summer by Michelle Houts,

illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

2019, Candlewick Press, 32 pages

Thomas is spending a summer at his grandmother's island cottage. One morning, she gives him a magnifying glass that had been his grandfathers, and pretty soon, Thomas is looking at all the shoreline has to offer through it. When his grandmother shows him a beautiful piece of glass, worn smooth by the sea, Thomas then begins to collect pieces of sea glass that appeal to him. His grandfather had believed every piece of sea glass had a story and Thomas begins to dream what their stories might have been. Night after night, he dreams a new story for each new piece of glass, until his visit was over and it was time to head home. When the ferry suddenly lurches in the trip to the mainland, Thomas drops his grandfather's magnifying glass on the boat's deck and it shatters into pieces, which he than throws into the sea. Years later, a young girl named Annie finds a bit of sea glass along the shore, and brings it to show her Paw Paw Tom, who thinks it looks strangely familiar. "Just imagine what tale this glass could tell," he says to her and she does, that very night. Guess what her dream is about. There is something very satisfying about this story and how Houts connects past and present to the three generations in this book. Ibatoulline's detailed realistic watercolor illustrations depict Thomas and Annie's world in full color reminiscent of Maine's rocky shorelines, and the dream sequences in a grays and white. The story is a bit magically tinged, but will get your young readers imagining stories behind other found objects. There is an Author's Note reminding readers to recycle rather than dumping trash in the ocean. It might make for fewer pieces of sea glass, but nowadays almost everything is plastic anyway, and that is very bad for our seas.  

Waiting for Chicken Smith 

written and illustrated by David Mackintosh

2019, Candlewick Press, 32 pages

A young unnamed boy and his family have arrived at the beach for their summer vacation. But while the boy's younger sister Mary Ann goes off to the beach and has fun, he stays behind awaiting the arrival of his vacation friend Chicken Smith. While waiting, the boy recalls all the things Chicken Smith can do so well, and all the activities they've shared. Mary Ann keeps interrupting these memories of Chicken Smith, urging her brother to come and have some fun, but he is just too busy waiting. This year, he has brought Chicken Smith a special shell, but even though his sister collects shells, shells aren't as good as whales, and he and his friend have always gone whale watching at the lighthouse, searching for one using Chicken's binoculars. But this year things at the beach are different, and the For Rent sign where Chicken stays never comes down. Suddenly, Mary Ann is calling, "Just hurry up!" Following her to the lighthouse, they see a whale, watching it until it gets dark. Maybe summer vacation with his sister can be fun after all, even without Chicken Smith. This book does two things and does them so well. First, it tackles dealing with change and moving forward. As the young narrator notes, the beach feels different this year, and it's not just Chicken Smith's non-arrival. The boy's inability to move forward is subtly represented by his standing in from of their rental house, waiting and unable to move. His decision to finally go to the beach is his first step in moving on. Second, it addresses a problem a lot of kids have - taking a backseat to another child they've idealized. Our narrator learns he can have fun with or without Chicken. Mackintosh's stylized mix-media illustrations are perfect for putting a little distance between reader and story, and getting his carpe diem message across.

1, 2, 3, Jump! written by Lisl H. Detlefsen,

illustrated by Madeline Valentine

2019, Roaring Brook Press, 40 pages

In this picture book about that first scary swimming lesson, an off-page narrator tries to encourage a very reluctant young girl to take that first plunge. After getting suited up, the girl stands at the pool's edge with her swim class while the swim teacher begins by teach pool safety and etiquette. Then it's time to jump into the water, but our protagonist remains behind, afraid the cold water will turn her into a kidsicle, not liking the smell of the chlorine, afraid of the pool's filter - what if it's really a creature? The narrator gently explains away all these fears, while the swim teacher allows the girl time to conquer each one. So she sits at the pool's edge and practices blowing bubbles and kicking while the other kids learn to do this in the pool. What finally gets our girl to jump into the pool? Reassurance that her teachers will catch her, and the promise of trying out some flippers. Patience and humor win the day in this sweet story about overcoming fear. The playful cartoon-like pool illustrations are done in shades of chlorine blues surrounded by white tiles against the colorful bathing suits of all the swimmers, including the supportive older women doing water aerobics. Pair this with Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall and Saturday is Swimming Day by Hyewom Yum for a nice collection of learning to swim/conquering fear books.

Summer Days and Nights 

written and illustrated by Wong Herbert Yee

2012, Henry Holt and Co., 32 pages

It's a warm summer day, and as the sun lights up her room, a young girl gets up, gets dressed, takes her butterfly net and sets off to explore the day. Creeping through a meadow of daisies, sitting under an oak tree, drinking lemonade to cool off, she wonders what else can keep her cool on a hot summer day. How about an afternoon splash in her backyard pool, watching the insects busy in the flowers. Late in the evening, there is a picnic in the park with mom and dad. A game of hide and seek with dad, and a visit to the playground, followed by dinner on a blanket in the grass, Back home, it's too hot to sleep, so she and dad go exploring the world at night - finding a tiny mouse, a hooting owl, a shiny moon, lots of fireflies, and even a croaking frog. It's been a busy summer day, but now it's time to sleep. This is a sweet book, told in gentle rhyme. The soft focus illustrations are done in Pismacolors and in a palette of summery pastels, and rhyme and images really invoke a summer day. If this young girl looks familiar to your young readers, it's because we've met her before in Who Likes Rain? and Tracks in the Snow. These three books are real favorites with my young readers.

Blackout

written and illustrated by John Rocco

2011, Disney-Hyperion, 40 pages

This has always been one of my favorite summertime books and I love sharing it with young readers. Set in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, it's "a normal summer night." It's loud and it's hot and inside one apartment, a family is busy doing their own solitary thing and no one has any inclination to play a game with the young boy in this family of four. So he heads upstairs with his dog and plays a video game. I love the picture of Thomas Edison giving side-eye as the kid plays his solitary game. It's like he's thinking "this isn't what I had in mind for electricity." Ironically, in the next image, the lights suddenly go out - all over the city. With nothing working, the family is thrown together, and decide to go up to the roof to cool off. And to their surprise, there were people having a blackout block party up there, under a sky full of stars. Downstairs on the street, the same thing is happening - the fire hydrant is turned by the FDNY, there is free ice cream and people are enjoying each others company. The young boy and his family sit on the stoop, eating ice cream, and enjoying each other's company. Blackouts don't always bring out the best in people, but in this blackout, in this neighborhood, it certainly does. But then, just as suddenly as they went off, the light come back on. Is this then end of family time? Not if our young protagonist has his way, and it turns out to be a simple matter of turning off the lights. The language in the story is simple and extraordinarily sparse, relying on the illustrations to really carry the events along. And the rich, full color illustrations are done in good-sized graphic novel panels, ranging from small to full page images. This is an important book that reminds us to sometimes put down our devices, and enjoy each others company.

What are your favorite summer book and where do you like to read them? 

Ocean: Secrets of the Deep by Sabrina Weiss, illustrated by Giulia De Amicis

Ocean: Secrets of the Deep by Sabrina Weiss,

illustrated by Giulia De Amicis

What on Earth Publishing, 2019, 72 pages 

What to do on a hot, hot weekend? Go to the ocean, of course. But if you can't get to the actual ocean, reading about it is the next best thing. So, as Sabrina Weiss says in her introduction to Ocean: "Take a deep breath and let's plunge beneath the waves!"

We are taught that there are five oceans in the world, each with its own distinctive characteristics as you go from place to place, but according to Weiss, they are actually connected to each other, forming one huge, global ocean, and holding 96.5% of all the water found on earth. But how much do we really know about the ocean? Not much, it seems.

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Weiss begins her ocean explorations by introducing readers to the five different ocean zones - the sunlight zone, the twilight zone, the midnight zone, the abyss, and hadal zone. Zones are based on depth and the amount of sunlight that reaches them, or doesn't reach them, as the case may be. Weiss describes what is known about each zone, and the names and characteristics of the sea creatures that inhabit each zone.

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From zones, Weiss looks at the ocean's different ecosystems. An ecosystem consists of the living and non-living things needed to support it, including animals, plants, organisms, and soil, plus air, water, rocks, and sunlight. Each element has its own part to play in supporting an ecosystem. Polar seas, coral reefs, deltas, salt marshes, mangroves, and kelp forests are all examined, including the different species that inhabit them.

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I found the sections on Marine Life very interesting. Ocean life is teeming with activity and Weiss gives readers an excellent overview of who's who, where they live and what they eat, and includes information of unusual friendships or schools of fish, because everyone, including fish, knows there's safety in numbers when traveling. Budding marine biologists will discover how marine animals communicate with each other, how to tell the difference between male and female fish, and those sea creatures that are masters of disguise. One thing I discovered is that a symbiotic relationship exists between some species when they visit cleaning stations like coral reefs. They swim in for a cleaning, and other species will pick off and eat parasites, dead skin, algae and slime off that have accumulated on the visitor's body.. It sounds gross but everyone benefits from it, and as Weiss points out, it's like a day at the spa.

It would be irresponsible if a book like this didn't discuss how our ocean is in peril. Pollution, overfishing, climate change, warming water temperatures, dying coral reefs, and an ocean full of plastic are all putting our ocean and the marine life living there in jeopardy. Weiss not only discusses these perils, but she also give some suggestions for how we can all help protect the ocean.

One of the things that makes this book so wonderful to explore are the graphics. Every aspect of marine life is authentically illustrated and identified. The art is as lovely as it is informative, and will no doubt elicit a lot of exploration and conversation.

Another one of the interesting parts of this book is the four-page spread devoted to myths and legends about the ocean, including historic speculation about the whether Atlantis really existed and if it did, where it might have been.

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This is a book that is chockablock with information, but as Weiss concludes, there is so much more to explore, so much more we don't know and maybe, just maybe a young reader out there will be the next person to discover more of the oceans's secrets.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was gratefully provided to me by Media Masters Publicity

Fly Me to the Moon: A Picture Book Roundup That's Out of This World!

There are lots of new books about the moon this year in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. It's hard to imagine what it must have been like for Neil Armstrong, the first and only human to ever be on the surface of the moon for 19 minutes before being joined by Buzz Aldrin. Yet, as momentous an event as the Apollo 11 and the subsequent six others moon landings are, the moon remains a rich source for our imagination, speculation, and even information. Here are some of the new books that my young readers and I read and enjoyed.

Field Trip to the Moon 

written and illustrated by John Hare

Margaret Ferguson Books, 2019, 40 pages, age 4+

If you're looking for a very serious information book about the moon, this isn't it. But if you are looking for a fun story about the moon, look no further that this book. In this wordless story, a class piles into a yellow space bus for a trip to the moon, and yes, one little astronaut lags behind, then goes their own way once they arrive. Quietly drawing in a sketchpad, the child falls asleep and misses the space bus home. Waking up and realizing what has happened, they continue sketching, when suddenly they realize they are not alone. But soon child and moonarians are happily drawing together, until the space bus arrives to take the youngster home. Set against a black background of the lunar sky, this is a delightful, whimsical story. My kids loved it because it was a fun tale that basically reminded them of school, yellow space bus and all. And since it's wordless, there was lots of speculating about what was happening and what could happen. The minimally colorful illustrations are done in acrylics against a grey moonscape, black sky and white spacesuits.  Interestingly, there is no indication as to what the gender of the child is.

The Moon Book: New and Updated

written and illustrated by Gail Gibbons

Holiday House, 2019, 32 pages, age 4+

When my Kiddo was young, and it became apparent that she was probably not going to grow up and become a scientist, science fair time was a bit stressful in my house. When she was in second grade, we used this book to make an informative project about the moon. It obviously wasn't a groundbreaking project, but we both learned a lot. And this book gives a lot of information about the moon: what it is, how it may have come into existence, its orbit, its phases, the difference between a solar and lunar eclipse, how its gravitational pull affects the ocean's tides, and of course, the lunar landings. The writing is clear and simple, and the text, which runs across the bottom of the page, is complimented and enhanced with simple, full-color illustrations that take up most of the page. Back matter includes Moon Milestones, a timeline of moon-related information, and Moon Legends and Stories, most of which will be very familiar to young readers, and finally More Moon Facts, interesting tidbits, such as what a blue and harvest moon are. I am very happy to see that this book has been reissued in an updated and revised edition in time for 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. It will be a welcome addition to any home or classroom library.

Moon! Earth's Best Friend by Stacy McAnulty,

illustrated by Stevie Lewis

Henry Holt & Company, 2019, 40 pages, age 4+

This is the third book in McAnulty's Our Universe series, and I can honestly say, it is every bit as good as the first two books - Sun! One in a Billion and Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years. This is a playful information book narrated by the moon, who tells us that because earth is never without moon they qualify as BFFs. Kidding aside, there is lots of basic moon information to be found here, I particularly liked how moon differentiated itself as earth's only natural satellite, as opposed to all the man-made plastic and metal satellites "not exactly best-friend material." Distance from earth, phases of the moon, how gravity works on the tides are all covered, as is the weight differences between the two are all covered mixing humor with information. The illustrations, done with color pencils and digital tools, depict earth and moon as two friendly female faces, and are done in the same light-hearted manner as the text. This is a really informative, entertaining moon book with some very interesting lunar facts in the back matter. I shared this with my young readers, who didn't understand everything in it, but certainly began to learn and appreciate the universe around them more.

If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon

by Joyce Lapin, illustrated by Simona Ceccarelli

Sterling Children's Books, 2019, 40 pages, age 6+

Birthdays are always fun and what could be better than a birthday party on the moon, after all, one day there lasts 706 hours, compared to earth's mere 24 hour day. After a 3-day ride in a rocket ship to the moon, the birthday child, with friends and dog, arrives. As everyone disembarks wearing spacesuits and party hats, because there is no breathable air on the moon, the first thing they notice is the moon black's sky, and earth shining in the distance. But now let the party begin. No need for a bouncy house thanks to the moon's weaker gravity, partygoers can just jump and slide all over the moon's surface. Playing ball is great - a ball can be hit much higher and further then on earth; the candy and other prizes will fall so slowly from a piñata, you can easily find your favorites before they hit the ground. Explore the moon's craters, make moon dust angels that will last forever, play a game of scavenger hunt for all of the things man has left behind, or collect of moon rocks, but be careful, they will weigh much more on earth than on the moon. And finally, have you cake and pizza inside the rocket before heading home. This is a fun birthday/moon story, but it is also an interesting information book. There are easy to understand explanations about everything that the partygoers see and do on the moon compared to doing and seeing those same things on earth. The earthlings are depicted as very colorful in the cartoon-like digitally created illustrations, and are in sharp contrast to all the greys and blacks of the moon's environment. Back matter includes a Glossary, Selected Bibliography, Suggestions for Further Reading, and internet links of astronauts on the moon.                   

Luna: The Science and Stories of Our Moon

by David A. Aguilar

National Geographic Kids, 2019, 64 pages, age 10+

This is a beautifully put together book that covers just about everything a young reader might want to know about the moon. Beginning with its theoretical creation and evolution, and ending with projects kids can do, including making a 3-D of lunar craters, this book is chockablock with more information about the moon. Each topic is age-appropriately informative and includes full-color illustrations or photographs that compliment the text. I particularly liked that Aguilar covered things like the different names for the moon (supermoon, harvest moon, strawberry moon), and talked about some of the different cultures whose festivals and religious holidays are determined by the moon. Another favorite chapter was on the great hoaxes and other mysteries surrounding the moon, all of which were new to me. I did like that Aguilar invites readers to explore the moon with a telescope, suggesting best viewing times and including a map of the moon to help understand where and what different places on the surface are. This is followed by an in-depth look at the moon's most prominent features. The moon continually fascinates us and this is the kind of book that curious kids will return to again and again, and each time they will find something they didn't notice before, so the in the end, young readers will gain a great deal of new information about the moon and its relationship with earth. This would be an excellent addition to home, school, and classroom libraries, or just a great book for kids interested in space.  

Blog Tour: The Spacesuit: How a seamstress helped put a man on the moon by Alison Donald, illustrated by Ariel Landy

Watching the first moon landing in 1969 unfolded before our eyes on TV, yet most people probably didn't  think much about all the behind the scenes work that went into making it a success. And one of the most important things was keeping the astronaut who would be first person to step foot on the moon safe.

And if you are going to take a walk on the moon, which has no gravity which means no breathable air, and has extremes of hot and cold temperatures, you want to make sure you have on a spacesuit that can successfully protect you. And for the July 20, 1969 moon walk, it turns out that the proper spacesuit was the work of a dedicated seamstress named Eleanor "Ellie" Foraker.

Ellie loved to sew when she was young, and as an adult, she sewed for a company called Playtex (yup, the bra people). One day, an engineer asked her if she would like to enter a competition to make spacesuits instead of underwear, spacesuits that could go to the moon and back.

Of course, Ellie jumped at the chance, and with the help of her fellow seamstresses at Playtex, they set out to create a winning spacesuit:

The challenge was how to make a soft, comfortable spacesuit? 21 layers of fabric held together with stitches only 1/64th of an inch long and without the benefit of pins to hold it all together is how. A pin hole, after all, could leave an astronaut vulnerable to the moon's poisonous gases. But when the judges received their spacesuit, a zipper was broken. Luckily, the spacesuit was fixed in time.

And yes, Ellie and her team of seamstresses won the competition. Now, when you see pictures of the Apollo 11 astronauts, and there will be lots of them this week, think of Ellie and her team and the hard work that helped make the moon landing possible. Who knew sewing could be so exciting?

The Spacesuit offers young readers an accessible, friendly, and interesting look at one of the things that happens behind the headlines of a historical event, and also manages to put a woman in the spotlight for a change. The simple text and cartoon-like illustrations are clear and straightforward. All the steps that were taken to create the winning spacesuit are nicely detailed from idea to finished suit. Ellie and her team may have had a real advantage because they probably understood the properties of latex better than most after having sewn all that latex underwear for Playtex:

Back Endpaper

The Spacesuit is a great book with lots of interesting facts to be found scattered within the story, as well as the front and back endpapers. There is also a timeline of space travel from its beginning right up to the moon walk, and a glossary of terms used at the end of the book.

The Spacesuit is an inspiring book for young readers which adds to the body of literature about the Apollo 11 moon walk as well as adding to the history of women.

This book is recommended for readers age 5+
This book was provided to me by Myrick Marketing & Media

Meet the creators of The Spacesuit:

About Alison Donald: Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, Alison Donald now lives in Farnham with her British husband and 3 young children.  She works as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist and has over 10 years of experience helping children with special needs reach their potential. Her debut picture book, The New Libearian was previously published in the U.S. by Clarion Books.

About Ariel Landy: Ariel Landy is an illustrator and educator from New York City. Ariel began writing and illustrating stories as soon as she could hold a pencil and she never stopped. She currently lives in Harlem with her boyfriend and their dog, Sid.

Sunday June 14th: Unleashing Readers http://www.unleashingreaders.com/

Monday June 15th: Publisher Spotlight Blog http://www.publisherspotlight.com/blog/

Tuesday June 16th: YA Books Central https://www.yabookscentral.com/

Wednesday June 17th: Randomly Reading 

Luciana (American Girl: Girl of the Year Book 1) by Erin Teagan

It's been a while since I've read an American Girl book now that all my Kiddos are too old for them, and I don't think I've ever read a Girl of the Year book. We always stuck to the historical stories. So when I realized that we would be celebrating a big historical event this week - the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20 - I thought this would be a fun book to start the week off.

More than anything, Luciana Vega, 11, wants to be an astronaut and now she's just arrived at Space Camp. Luci has tried for a scholarship to Space Camp three times and finally won thanks to the essay she wrote about planetary geology. But Luci also has something else on her mind besides space - a baby named Isadora. She and her parents are hoping to adopt Isadora, an orphan in Chile, the country where Luci's parents grew up. Naturally, only child Luci worries about whether she will be a good older sister.

At Space Camp, Luci's bunkmates in Habitat 4b are Ella, 11, her younger sister Meg, 9, and cousin Charlotte, 11, as well as Joanna from Germany. There is also a companion boys Habitat. For their week at camp their trainers are Mallory, Alex, and Mallory's robotic dog Orion. Unfortunately, tension between Luci and Ella can be felt immediately, as well as between Ella and James, both highly competitive know-it-alls. But it is Luci who ends up as the team captain for the girls, and James for the boys. Besides space-related activities and exercises, each team will build a robot, complete with daily challenges to win bolts. The idea is accumulate a lot of bolts (which is the point system they use) and the team with the most bolts at the end of the week is the winner.

Unfortunately, Luci didn't read all the material sent to the campers and her impulsiveness causes her team to come in last place in the first challenge. Knowing her teammates are disappointed with her, Luci manages to come up with a plan to build their robot with junk parts that won't cost them any bolts. It's a good idea, and they even find and fix a motor module to build a walking robot. But when the part goes missing, Luci is sure that James took it to set them behind. And the plan she hatches for getting it back leads to disaster for James and his team. Can Luci ever fix the mess she made?

I thought this was a fun, typical American Girl book but I mean that in the best way. Sure, the main character faces challenges, makes mistakes, learns lessons from her mistakes and lands on her feet. Luci's real challenge is to learn how to be a team player and by extension, a good big sister, to think before she acts, and to not ignore preparation materials. Know-it-all Ella is the opposite of Luci and a great foil for her, because she also needs to learn how to be a team player in order to be a good friend. Each girl brings baggage with them and together they help each other become better team players. I actually wish we were given more of Ella's story instead of her merely being a plot device for Luci.

Although this is an introductory story for readers to get to know her, I wish that more of Luci's Chilean background had been included, but that seems to happen in another book. I did love the STEAM aspect of Luci's story and hope it has an influence on girls who might otherwise pass on STEAM-related activities, books, and ideas.

I received this book from Scholastic a while ago and it has been borrowed by three girls already, all of whom said they really enjoyed it, liked Luci as a character, and will read more of her story (and they really, really like the purple streak she has in her hair). I personally never thought much about robotics, other than supporting the kids in my family who are into them, but I did find the robotic element of the story very interesting ( especially Mallory's dog Orion) and I gained a whole new appreciation for robotics.

Although Luciana is 11, I would recommend this book for readers as young as 8 or 9. It's not a complicated story, there's just enough science to ignite curiosity and Luci's challenges and concerns are not specific to Space Camp. And her story is just good summer reading and you don't need to buy the doll to enjoy it.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Scholastic Press

Three for Friday: Power Forward, On Point and Bounce Back by Hena Khan, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

There is nothing like the comfort that comes from knowing that the character you have just met in a book will be back in subsequent books. One of our favorite series is the Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream trilogy by Hena Khan. These three chapter books are wonderful sports stories that are ideal for kids ready to move on from easy readers to longer, more complex stories, or even for reluctant early middle school readers. They are clearly written, narrated in the first person by the protagonist, the issues are age appropriate, and they are diverse. Yes, the Pakistani American Saleems - Baba, Mama, older sister Zara, Naano (grandmother), Nana Abu (grandfather), and Jamal Mamoo (uncle) - are a Muslim family, but this is also a basketball story. The Saleem's culture and religion are a big part of Zayd's family life, and readers are given a nice window into what that is like, but most of the conflicts and challenges he faces are the kind that any kid might be confronted with at that age, both within the family and in the outside world. 

Power Forward by Hena Khan, 

illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

(Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream Book #1)

Salaam Reads, 2018, 144 pages

Meet Zayd. He's a fourth grader who loves basketball way more than he loves playing the violin in the school orchestra. And all he really wants is a chance to tryout again for the winning gold team and play his favorite game with his best friend Adam. So when Adam encourages him to skip orchestra practice and practice basketball in the gym instead, Zayd is all for it...until his mother finds out and he is grounded from anything basketball related for two weeks. And that includes the gold team tryouts. Zayd learns an important lesson in this book, but it's not the one you might think it should be. It's even better. There's also a nice story line about Zayd's favorite uncle beginning to think about marriage, an event Zayd has no interest in, but it does present a dilemma for him. If Jamal Mamoo gets married, he'll probably be too busy to hang out, shoot baskets or play basketball video games with Zayd. How can Zayd find the courage to let his family know how he really feels about playing the violin, playing basketball, and possible abandonment by Jamal Mamoo?

On Point by Hena Khan,

illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

(Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream Book #2)

Salaam Reads, 2018, 144 pages

Yes, Zayd did manage to get to the gold team tryouts and he's finally part of this winning basketball team. Except, they aren't such a winning team anymore - they've lost their first two games and now Zayd's best friend and teammate is starting to play football with some other guys. Zayd is afraid that Adam may be blaming him for the games the team has lost. When Adam stops coming to practice and playing on the team altogether, Zayd worries that Coach Wheeler will also think that's his fault. But then, Coach Wheeler has him play point guard, Adam's usual position. Not feeling particularly confident in his new position, the team loses yet again. Meanwhile, Jamal Mamoo and the family are busy making wedding plans and Zayd is indeed feeling abandoned by his favorite uncle. These wedding plans offer readers a further window into Muslim culture and religion, but this time with lots of wonderful mouth-watering food descriptions thrown in (which means a trip to Sahadi's in Brooklyn for me). But when Adam has to stay over at Zayd's house, the two friends have a really serious talk. Can Adam help Zayd get past comparing himself on the court to Adam and become a great player in his own right? 

Bounce Back by Hena Khan,

illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

(Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream Book #3)

Salaam Reads, 2018, 144 pages

Adam's talk really helped boost Zayd's confidence and he's on fire on the court, thanks also to the new basketball hoop he and his parents went halfsies paying for. Maybe, just maybe Coach Wheeler will name Zayd team captain now. But as the team approaches the end of the season and looks forward to the playoffs and hoped-for-championship, Zayd has an accident on the court and ends up with a severely sprained ankle and no basketball for four weeks. Already feeling sorry for himself, he begins to feel jealous as he watches teammate Sam take over his spot and do a great job. When he starts skipping practice, Baba finally convinces him to start going again. Sitting on the bench, he can see exactly what the team does right and what it does wrong, especially Sam. Can Zayd put team over jealousy and say something to Sam? Meanwhile, Jamal Mamoo's wedding approaches and it is truly a family affair. But when Nana Abu has a heart attack, and falls into self-pity, it takes clever thinking by Zayd and sister Zara to get him up and moving again in time for the wedding. Jamal Mamoo's wedding offers a great introduction to Muslim festivities and traditions surrounding his pending marriage, and shows a family happily involved (maybe too much for Mamoo and Nadia Auntie, his fiancée) in all the preparations and the big day.

I loved this trilogy and was sorry to say goodbye to Zayd and his family. Khan did a great job of seamlessly weaving in so many details about Zayd's life as a member of a Muslim family, while also showing that other aspects of their lives are similar to all families. I especially like how Zayd's budding maturity over the three books was depicted by his ability to incorporate the lessons he learned about good sportsmanship into his life off the court. 

I can't recommend the books in the Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream series highly enough.

These books are recommended for readers age 7+

These books were borrowed from the NYPL

It's Monday! What are you reading? Catching Up on my TBR 📚 Pile

It's Monday! What are you reading? is 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 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. #IMWAYR

The local branch of the New York Public Library that I use has been closed this past week due broken air conditioning. It meant all my holds are unavailable until they reopen and I decided it would be a good time to start reading some of the books I have on my TBR pile. 

This week I read and reviewed 

Nate Expectations (Better Nate Than Ever Book #3)

by Tim Federle

Air Raid Search and Rescue (Soldier Dogs Book #1)

by Marcus Sutter 

and I read but haven't yet reviewed 

Stolen Girl by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

This is a companion book to Making Bombs for Hitler and

The War Below

Can You Crack the Code? 

A Fascinating History of Ciphers and Cryptography

by Ella Schwartz

This is the Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream Trilogy 

by Hena Khan 

This week my young readers and I will be reading some picture books about summer and some about the moon landing. I will hopefully be able to continue to make a dent in my TBR pile, which seems to grow bigger by the day.

What have you read and what are you planning to read this week?

Nate Expectations (Better Nate Than Ever #3) by Tim Federle

So after running away from home to audition for E.T.: The Musical in NYC and landing a part in it, the sad news that the show is closing because it didn't get even a single Tony nomination has Nate Foster, now 14, saying goodbye to Broadway, his kinda sorta boyfriend Jordan, and his NYC guardian Aunt Heidi, and heading back to Jankburg, PA and a new high school.

But at least best friend Libby is there and happy to have Nate home again. And to his surprise, Nate isn't the target for bullies that he had been in middle school. Being on Broadway has given him some notoriety and, except for one homophobic name calling, the kids are pretty open and curious about his experience. Too bad the school has cancelled all "arts" classes, tearing down the auditorium to make a lacrosse field.

But that doesn't stop Nate from deciding to be creative for his English teacher, Mr. English, and planning a musical based on Charles Dickens' Great Expectations for his big English project (LOL - I read this my freshman year, too). With Libby's help, posters are made for auditions and lots of kids actually show up. The part of Miss Havisham is promised to shy Paige, the gym coach's niece in exchange for using the gym for the only performance of the Nate's musical.

Nate really throws himself into his production, while trying to keep up a long distance relationship with Jordan, who is part of the cast of a television show. At the same time, Nate meet Ben Mendoza, Mr. English's secret star student. Ben shows up at Nate's auditions, but doesn't want a part, just hangs around, filming stuff on his phone.

To make a musical requires music, so Nate and Libby decide to use some of Mr. English's favorite songs for the cast to lip-sync, song by people like Joni Mitchell, Elvis, Simon and Garfunkel. And it looks like Nate's musical version of Great Expectations is going to happen. And when Ben films the final dress rehearsal and posts it online, it gets so many hits, even Jordan in NYC watches it. Unfortunately, so do some lawyers representing the music Nate plans to use - and sure, he can continue to use those songs by those famous musicians for a mere $25,000 per song. Why? Because a ticket to the musical version of Great Expectations in the gym costs $5.00 and as any blogger knows, if you are making money, you gotta pay for what you use if it belongs to someone else.

It looks like Nate's show won't go on - or will it?

I was actually hoping Federle would write a third Nate book because between Better Nate than Ever and Five, Six, Seven, Nate! I just didn't feel as though Nate's story was over. So I was really happy to see Nate Expectations. Sure, he had a crush on Jordan and there was some kissing backstage, but Nate hadn't officially come out as gay by the time he returns home to Jankburg (well, except to Libby). But that part of Nate's journey is part of the focus in Nate Expectations and Federle does a great job of presenting it. And even though the tackles Nate's coming out, and even though he's a freshman in high school, this is still very much an upper middle grade fiction.

Nate again narrates his story, told in usual first person stream of consciousness that has all the energy, humor and snarkiness of a 14 year old, which can be a lot. I really liked the inclusion of Ben in this book because he's a much nicer kid and a lot more funk than self-centered Jordan. Nate and Ben both come from homes with some parental problems and hit it off almost immediately.  I almost wish there were a book about Ben, too, cause I would love to know his whole story.

I don't usually comment on book covers but I was really disappointed by the cover of this book compared to the first two:

Really?

I love theater and I've been going to see shows on and off broadway since I was in elementary school, so I really enjoyed reading this whole series, even when some of it was funny but a little far-fetched. And I could accept that - after all, Broadway is magical. So if your middle grade readers are looking for an entertaining trilogy this summer, you can't go wrong with the Nate books, especially if they are theater-struck the way Nate and Libby are.

This book is recommended for readers age 11+
This book was an EARC received from EdelweissPlus