Surely Surely Marisol Rainey written and illustrated by Erin Entrada Kelly

 

Surely Surely Marisol Rainey (Maybe Marisol Book #2)

written and illustrated by Erin Entrada Kelly

Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, 2022, 160 pages

Eight-year-old Marisol Rainey and her best friend Jada George love to make lists of their favorite and their least favorite things. They don't always have the same things on them, but it's still fun to compare their lists. But there is one thing that is on both of their least favorite things and that is gym class. Sure, it can be fun sometimes, like when Coach Decker lets them play hopscotch, but when it comes to things like baseball or basketball, Marisol never hears him yell out things like "Nice try, Marisol" or "Great Effort, Marisol" because Marisol just doesn't do well in these sports.  

So on the Thursday afternoon that Coach Decker announces that starting Monday and for two weeks they will be learning how to play Kickball, "Marisol's belly plummets to her sneakers." Marisol has never played kickball and her dad, who works on an oil rig off the Gulf of Mexico coast isn't around. He can only come home once a month for a week, but not during the two weeks of kickball. To make matters worse, braggy nemesis Evie Smythe is a great kickball player and never lets Marisol forget it. And if that isn't enough to get Marisol's brain train of negative thoughts going, her brother Oz is a great athlete and soccer star. 

When her friend Felix explains that he learned to talk to animals by sleeping with a book about them, Marisol decides to try sleeping with a soccer ball to see it Felix's technique will work for her. But when it doesn't work, and not wanting to let her teammates down, Marisol finally decides she needs to take real action and talk to her brother Oz. 

This is Erin Entrada Kelly's second Marisol Rainey book. It is a stand alone story and is every bit as delightful as Book #1, Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey. It is told in the third person present from Marisol's point of view giving readers a window into what she is thinking. The chapters are short, and there are lots of black and white illustrations done by the author that perfectly harmonize with the text. Like many kids her age, Marisol is a worrier, but they are the kinds of worries and anxieties that those readers can relate to. Luckily, Marisol has a supportive family and friends to help her work through her fears and worries. 

Erin Entrada Kelly has a way of zeroing in on the things that kids thing and worry about, exploring themes like siblings, friendships, courage, solving problems, and, of course, facing fears. I really enjoyed reading this second Marisol Rainey book and look forward to Book #3. 

My Life Begins! by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrations by Daniel Miyares

 

My Life Begins! by Patricia MacLachlan,

illustrated by Daniel Miyares

Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, 2022, 128 pages

Jacob, 9, is an only child, and while he thinks his picture hanging on the living room wall by itself looks lonely, he's pretty sure that loneliness could be cured with a litter of puppies. Instead, he is reminded that soon there will be new babies in the house - three little ones named Charlotte called Char, Katherine called Kath, and Elizabeth called Lizzie, or the Trips as Jacob refers to them. 

At school, his teacher announces that Jacob's class will be learning to do research and that each student should choose something that interests them, which could even be "a subject that is surprising and new." Since the finished project isn't due until two weeks before school ends, Jacob decides his topic will be "A Litter of Trips - From Birth On," diligently observing and recording how the triplets change and grow over the school year. 

Seeing how tired caring for his sisters has made his parents, Jacob becomes not just an observer but a real helper, quickly learning how to change diapers, warm bottles, and can even pick up and comfort a crying Lizzie. Eventually, Jacob's parents hire a nanny, a French woman named Mimi who brings experience, peace and order to the chaos of having triplets. And it is Mimi who helps Jacob understand the importance of names, calling him dear Jacob, which he loves. The triplets calls their mother Mama, their father Da, but what will they call Jacob? What will be the forever name they give him, and what will be the forever name he calls them? This turns out to be the most important part of his research project and it is Lizzie who gives him the answer.

  

What is interesting about this small chapter book is not so much how the triplets change and grow, but how the experience of observing and recording their first year changes Jacob as he goes from being an only child to being a big brother. MacLachlan has poignantly captured the way Jacob's sibling relationships form and grow depending on the personality of each of his sister's, inviting readers into Jacobs thoughts and feelings to show how all this all unfolds. 

However, the first year of the triplets lives may feel somewhat unrealistic at times. The babies are unusually happy, Jacob has no sibling jealousy, although he continues to hope for at least one puppy, if not a litter, and those sweet little girls never get sick, throw up, or produce one of those unforgettable poopy diapers. But young readers won't care about these things. The story uses simple language age appropriate for Jacob, the chapters are short yet full of information told from Jacob's point of view, and it is all complemented with Daniel Miyares rough sketches in black and white ink.  

My Life Begins! is a very sweet, very tender story about family and sibling relationships and is sure to bring on more than one smile and perhaps a tear or two. It is an excellent choice for a read aloud, at school or as a family book, and will definitely appeal to fans of Kevin Henkes' Billy Miller series. 

 Sadly, Patricia MacLachlan passed away on March 31, 2022 at age 84 a few months before the release of My Life Begins!

Juana & Lucas Muchos Changes written and illustrated by Juana Medina

 

Juana & Lucas: Muchos Changes

written and illustrated by Juana Medina

Candlewick Press, 2021, 96 pages

I've read the previous two Juana & Lucas books, Juana & Lucas and Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas, a number of times to my young readers and they love the stories. So naturally, when I heard about Juana & Lucas: Muchos Changes, I knew it was time to revisit this favorite young South American girl and her faithful  dog. 

You may recall that Juana had a big surprise when her Mami told her that she and Luis were to be married. Juana wasn't very excited about it at first, but it has all worked out and now, she really likes living with him and Mami in there new apartment in Bogotá, Colombia. And now, Mami has another surprise for Juana - she and Luis are having a baby and Juana is going to be a big sister. Juana isn't very excited about the baby, but she is excited to be on her school break, weeks of reading, resting, exploring and playing with best furry friend Lucas, visiting her abuelos and her Tia Cris, maybe even some sleepovers. Or maybe not.

Mami and Luis have bought Juana a pair of skates and signed her up for skating camp and she is determined not to like it. But when Mami asks her to try skating camp at least five times, Juana agrees. At camp, she worries about not knowing anyone but after taking a bad spill, at break the other kids in the beginner group share their snacks with Juana and maybe, just maybe they will be her new amigos. 

But when Luis picks Juana up from camp instead of Mami, she learns that there is a complication in her mother's pregnancy and she must stay in bed until the baby is born. As her school break continues, Juana and her new amigos get better at skating and she gets to spend more time with her abuelos and Luis. Then one day, her abuelos pick her up and take Juana to the hospital, where her Mami has given birth to Juana's baby sister, born prematurely and in an incubator. Now, Juana has to wait patiently until baby María comes home and she can be a proper big sister. 

In fact, Juana's whole summer has been about learning to have patience. Patience learning to skate, patience becoming a hermana. And while there are lots of changes in Juana's life, she has lots of people who can help her adjust to them. Not only are Mami and Luis there for her, her abuelos are always willing to offer their support and guidance, and her new friends are willing to share their experiences of a new baby in the house, and Lucas is always there to lend a ear when Juana needs to talk about things. It's really nice seeing this supportive network of people who care about Juana and want to help her. I think that is one of the things my young readers have always like about the Juana & Lucas stories, plus so many of them have gone or are going through similar changes. Along those lines, I really like that Luis is such a great stepfather. So often, stepparents are stereotypically portrayed rejecting their new spouse's children.

As with all the Juana & Lucas books, there are the same lively, colorful cartoon-like watercolor illustrations and Spanish words sprinkled throughout. And there are more detailed digressions of important things in Juana's world. 

Juana is the same wonderfully appealing character she as in the earlier books. Consistency is important to young readers and it's disconcerting to them when a character changes too much from one book to the next, but my young readers still think that Juana and these books are "just about perfect." And so do I.

Thank you to Candlewick Press and Edelweiss+ for providing me with a digital copy of this book for review. 

The Secret of the Magic Pearl by Elisa Sabatinelli, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno, translated by Christopher Turner

 

The Secret of the Magic Pearly by Elisa Sabatinelli,

illustrated by Iacopo Bruno, translated by Christopher Turner

Red Comet Press, 2021, 92 pages

Set in a seaside village somewhere on the Italian coast, our young narrator Hector tells readers that he comes from a family of deep-sea divers, and he cannot wait until his eight birthday so he make his very first dive. He also tells us that his hero is the red watch cap wearing Jaques Cousteau, hence, Hector's red cap. He has grown up listening to his grandfather's stories about the sea, most of which came from his imagination. The one exception is the story about the Pearl. The Pearl lives in the sea, and is the "rarest, whitest, and purest pearl in the world. A pearl that can light up a whole room." (pg 5)

Hector's family had always lived in the Marina, a place that attracts tourists and offers lots of sea-side attractions and things to do, but they were pushed out by a shady businessman named Amedeo Limonta and his complex called Rivadoro, charging tourists less money that anyone else for dives and boat rides. Limonta has a daughter named Carlotta, and Hector's best friend Richard has a big crush on her. 

Finally, Hector's birthday arrives and after cobbling together a deep-sea diving suit for himself, he and his father head to the sea. Sure enough, on his first dive, Hector discovers the Pearl and brings it home. Soon, it is an attraction drawing tourists, newspapermen, and even television reporters. One visitor even asks to be alone with the Pearl, but after his visit, Hector notices the Pearl begins to lose it luminescence. It appears to be dying. But why? Now, everyone thinks Hector pulled a fast one on them, accusing him of lying to them. Hector decides the Pearl needs to return to the sea to hopefully get back some of its magic. It doesn't take long to figure out what has happened, but if the lone visitor has taken the real Pearl and left a fake substitute in its place, how can Hector return the real Pearl to the sea? 

Hector narrates his story in simple declarative but very expressive sentences, which may sound boring but is far from it. In fact, it allows him to smoothly and seamlessly introduce family past and present, friends, and enemies, and the part they all play in the mystery of the Pearl. 

Since the setting seems to take place somewhere between reality and fantasy, it just stands to reason that the timing of the story is somewhere between long ago and today all at once. But perhaps Hector explains it best when he says he lives "...in a small but ancient village where one day time decided to stop for a cup of tea and never got started again." (pg. 69)

There is so much to be culled from this book besides a good story. Right from the start, there is a two page spread of maritime signal flags, alphabet and numbers, used for signaling other ships. Each chapter is introduced with the chapter number using these flags, so you begin to recognize them pretty quickly.

But wait, there's more. Not only are readers treated to the nautical flags, there is also a 2-page spread of the parts of an old-timey diving suit, the kind not many kids might be familiar with.

So you can see that this is definitely a book to spend time with, not just reading but thoroughly combing through the illustrations, relishing all the details from beginning to end. Done in a colorful palette of nautical colors, the full page illustrations are clear and sharp, and completely harmonize and extend the story and there are lots of colorful spot illustrations throughout the book as well. 

After readers are done being charmed by Hector's story, they can download an activity kit utilizing the nautical flags HERE

The Secret of the Magic Pearl is a chapter book that combines past and present in a magical story. It will enchant readers in the same way that stories by Kate DiCamillo does. 

The Secret of the Magic Pearl will be available October 12, 2021.

This book is recommended for readers age 7+

This book was gratefully received from Red Comet Press and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media

Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey written and illustrated by Erin Entrada Kelly

 

Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey

written and illustrated by Erin Entrada Kelly

Greenwillow Books, 2021, 160 pages

Marisol Rainey, 8, lives in Getty, Louisiana with her Filipino mom, her brother Oz, 12, and her white American dad who is an electrician and works on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Three days a week, dad checks in with his family on the computer and one week a month he helicopters home to visit. Marisol is in the habit of naming things, for example, the refrigerator is named Buster Keaton, an old timey actor from a silent film Marisol watched. In the backyard is a tall magnolia tree named Peppina, named after another silent film called Poor Little Peppina, starring Mark Pickford. Peppina the tree is perfect for climbing, or at least that's what Oz and Marisol's best friend Jada George say. Marisol wouldn't know though, because she is afraid to climb Peppina. Well, really she is afraid of falling out of her. But maybe, just maybe Marisol will someday find the courage to climb that inviting tree.

Actually, Marisol has a great many fears and worries, and wonders why she is so scared of everything when it seems that no one else is. Luckily, she also has a best friend who never makes fun of her for being scared. Jada doesn't even care that Marisol has never climbed Peppina, although Jada climbs her all the time and dangles her foot from a comfy branch. Marisol is especially dismayed when finds out that her mother had climbed many trees back in the Philippines when she was a girl, the kalachuchi tree being her favorite. Will Marisol ever find the courage to climb Peppina and see the world from that new perspective?

Jada

But one day, just before Jada has to go home, she climbs Peppina higher that usual and discover a bird's nest with a feather and a pink ribbon. Marisol wishes she could see the bird's nest, too. Will this be the incentive she needs to gather her courage and climb Peppina?

This is Erin Entrada Kelly's debut chapter book. Not only did she write it, but she also illustrated Marisol's story with black and white spot illustrations throughout, and the result is just delightful. Told in the third person from Marisol's perspective, the chapters are short, with lots of white space between sentences, perfect for older elementary and younger middle grade readers. And I suspect that readers will find Marisol's worries, anxieties, and challenges completely relatable to their own. She also does have a nemesis of sorts, Evie Smythe, a girl who knows just how to put Marisol down and get under her skin to her make her feel bad (and make herself feel superior). But lest you think Marisol is ALL worry and fear, Kelly endows her with a loving family, lots of interests, curiosity, empathy, and she's really good at getting stuffies out of the claw machine. 

There is no maybe about it, Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey is a book you won't want your young readers to miss. It is a appealing story exploring age appropriate themes like biracial families, siblings, friendship, courage, and facing fear. You might even want to think about pair it with Lenore Look's Alvin Ho series and Katie and Kevin Tsang's Sam Wu is not afraid of...series. 

You can download a useful Teaching Guide for Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey HERE

This book is recommended for readers age 8+

This book was gratefully received from Madison Ostrander at SparkPointStudio

Billy Miller Makes a Wish by Kevin Henkes

Billy Miller Makes a Wish 

written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes

Greenwillow Books, 2021, 192 pages

It's June, school is out, and Billy Miller is a rising third grader. It's also Billy's eight birthday and just before he blows out the candles on his cake, he wishes that something exciting would happen. Ten minutes later, a police car and an ambulance arrive on his street for the first time in Billy's life. Could it be that his wish came true so quickly? But when his elderly neighbor is taken away on a stretcher, Billy wonders if this happened because of his wish. Suddenly, Billy has an uneasy feeling, especially knowing his Papa would be going away the next day to adult art camp for a week. And when the neighbor, Mr. Tooley, passes away, a very distressed Billy is sure it is his fault. When his Papa reassures Billy that Mr. Tooley dying had nothing to do with him, Billy feels immensely relieved. Maybe now he can begin to enjoy his summer vacation.

But as the first week of summer progresses, more exciting things happen. First, there's the bat in the basement incident. Billy had just been thinking about bats while helping his Mama clean the basement when suddenly there was a real bat flying around. Then, there are the old letters written by his Mama and Papa to each other that Sal, Billy's little sister, finds in the basement and decides to play postman with, delivering them to all their neighbors. Imitating their postman, Sal also decides to give herself some purple tattoos using Billy's new birthday permanent markers. This is followed by the fire that starts in the fireplace when Mama tries to burn the letters that the neighbors have kindly returned, and why is Mama so tired all the time? It's only the first week of summer vacation and Billy is wondering whether all this excitement could be because of that one birthday wish that is causing a lot of guilt and regret for this caring, sensitive boy.

Billy Miller Makes a Wish is an interesting look at Billy's reactions to events that are out of his control and how, without Papa being there to reassure him, he feels responsible for what happens anyway. I think Billy is such a wonderfully drawn character. He's optimistic, kind and very patient with his little sister Sal, who is a really rambunctious little girl. As calm and introspective as Billy is, Sal is energetic and impulsive, a sister that knows her brother will let her use his new birthday markers even before he uses them himself. Mama and Papa are also patient and understanding and they form a family that just might be modeled on Kevin Henkes' own family. 

Like its predecessor, Billy Miller Makes a Wish is a gentle, funny, and relatable chapter book. And like that first book, the story slowly unfolds so that each of the twenty chapters read like an episode, yet they form a coherent whole and are perfect for young readers transitioning to chapter books. To add to the story, Henkes has included black and white spot illustration throughout the book. And yes, there is a surprise ending, though adults sharing this book with kids may figure it out long before the end, and maybe it promises more Billy Miller stories while he is still at this young, innocent age. 

If you enjoyed the first Billy Miller book by Kevin Henkes, The Year of Billy Miller, and even if you didn't read it, you are sure to like his newest adventure, which can also be read as a stand alone chapter book. 

You can find an Educator's Guide for both Billy Miller book HERE

This book is recommended for readers age 7+

This book was an eARC gratefully received from NetGalley

Knight of the Cape (Definitely Dominguita #1) by Terry Catasús Jennings, illustrated by Fatima Anaya

 

Knight of the Cape (Definitely Dominguita #1)

by Terry Catasús Jennings, illustrated by Fatima Anaya

Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, 2021, 144 pages

There's a new chapter book series in town and it's all about a girl with a great big imagination. Cuban American Dominguita Melendez loves to read even more than playing with the other kids in her class during recess. Lately, she's been reading Don Quijote, a book her grandmother loves, to feel closer to her abuela who has recently moved to Florida. But when the class bully, Ernie Bublassi, demands to know why she's reading it, she tells him she's studying to become a knight. Throwing the book into the playground dirt, he tells her girls can't be knights, making Dominguita all that much more determined to do exactly that and go questing for adventure...and to help people in distress.

Dominguita turns to her older brother Rafi for help. Maybe he could write a book about her knightly deeds to send to their abuela? Rafi agrees after finding out that one of the Bublassi bullies is behind Dominguita's idea - he has had run-ins of his own with Ernie's older brothers. The Bublassi's are the biggest bullies in otherwise quiet and friendly Mundytown.

Before long, Dominguita has acquired a lance, a helmet, some armor, and a cape and is transformed into Dom Capote. She also adds a squire named Pancho Sanchez and a trusty steed/stray dog named Rocinante or Roco for short, but will they find adventure on their quests besides rescuing stray bunnies from cats? Yes, indeed. Leave it to the Bublassi bullies to help Dom and Pancho find a new addition to their quests - Stephanie, after one of the Bublassi takes her leg brace. The three new friends roam around Mundytown and perform good deeds, but can they finally put an end to the Bublassi's bullying once and for all? 

This is a charming story about a young girl's adventures and how she finds new friends. Dom had also hoped that asking Rafi to help her write her adventures who serve to bring them close together again. Ever since he began high school, Rafi has had not time for Dom and they used to have so much fun together. 

I liked that both of Dominguita's parents and her brother Rafi are supportive of her adventures, though they encourage her to make new friends, too. Mundytown is such a friendly place to live. Even when Dom can't pay for her lunch at Pancho's uncle's restaurant, he gives her a job to do to work off the cost instead of getting mad. And the grocery store owner, Mr. Kowalski, is more than willing to go along with things and knight Dom with his heirloom sword. 

This is the first book in a new series, and like all first books, much of this one is spent setting the premise for future books. In fact, Book #2, Captain Dom's Treasure is already available (watch this space) and in August, Book #3, All for One, will also be available. These are sure to provide some good reading for younger elementary school kids looking for some fun books.  

And just in case you are wondering, yes, Knight of the Cape does include a windmill.  

This book is recommended for readers age 7+

This book was an ARC gratefully received from Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media

🕎A Dreidel in Time: A new Spin on an Old Tale by Marcia Berneger, illustrated by Beatriz Castro

 

It's the last night of Hanukkah and Devorah, 12, can't to finally open her present. To make it happen faster, she convinces her brother Benjamin, 9, that it will be alright if they light the eight menorah candles and say the blessing while they wait for their parents to come home from work. But Mom isn't too happy to see what they have done, and Devorah isn't too happy when she learns she will have to wait even longer to open her gift - grandparents Bubbe and Zayde are coming over with a very special gift. 

But Devorah's excitement turns to disappointment when she learns it is a gift she must share with Benjamin, and she feels letdown even more when the present turns out to be a large, lopsided old dreidel with red and gray speckles. Encouraged to play the dreidel game with it, Devorah and Benjamin don't notice when they surroundings being to fade as the dreidel spins. But when the stops, the dreidel falls on the Hebrew letter Shin ש. Devorah knows it's not a good spin, Shin means the player loses what is in the pot. 

And indeed, they have lost something. No longer at home, Devorah and Benjamin suddenly find themselves in an unknown place. When they meet siblings Simon and Shoshana, they learn they are in ancient Modi'in and that the Macccabees are leaving to escape the cruel Syrian ruler King Antiochus so that they can practice their Jewish religion in peace. Antiochus had ordered his soldiers to kill anyone observing Jewish traditions. 

Arriving at the Maccabee camp, Devorah and Benjamin, mistaken for Antiochus' spies, are taken to the leader of the Jews, Mattisyahu. Already knowing what happens, they warn Mattisyahu of a coming attack. Mattisyahu orders the children held while his sons Judah and Jonathan investigate this information. Luckily, the old dreidel appears again, and this time, the spin lands on Nun נ, meaning the player neither loses nor gains from the pot. 

Everything looks the same as before, but two years have passed. Simon is now 15 and Shoshana is 12, yet Devorah and Benjamin haven't aged at all. When they learn that the Maccabees are losing to the Syrian soldiers because they are outnumbered, Benjamin remembers how George Washington fooled the British into thinking he had more soldiers than he actually did. Washington's plan is relayed to Mattisyahu's sons Judah, now the leader of the Maccabees after the death in battle of his father. Judah accept the plan, but when Benjamin is too impatient to see if it worked, he gets captured by the Syrians. The original plan is called off and a another strategy is found, one that would rescue Benjamin. 

In the midst of battle, Devorah spins the dreidel, which lands on Hey ה, meaning the player gets half of what would be in the pot. A year has passed, and the Maccabees have been victorious and are now returning to their temple in Jerusalem. But when they get there, they discover everything in the Temple has been destroyed. They spend days cleaning it up, and finally the saved menorah is brought out for the Temple's rededication.  But there is no oil for the menorah. A search is made and Devorah finds a small jar of oil, enough for one night. But the dreidel has once again appeared and it is time for another spin. 

The last spin lands on Gimmel ג, meaning the player gets everything in the pot. For Devorah and Benjamin, it means a return to home in the present and a much better understanding of the history and meaning of their Hanukkah traditions.  

A Dreidel in Time is a fun retelling of the Hanukkah story. And a great way to remember that holidays like Hanukkah and Christmas are not only about the gifts, but are more about the reason why we celebrate them in the first place. Berneger has included all the important parts of the Hanukkah story including how the Jews brought gifts to the rededication of the Temple, which is how the tradition of gift giving began. 

How the dreidel game is played isn't explained at first, not until 15-year-old Simon asks about it and, hearing Devorah's explanation and that the meaning of the four Hebrew letters is "a great miracle happened there," to which Simon responds "Your story is nonsense. There's no holiday called Hanukkah." 

It is a well-written book with humorous black and while illustrations that should appeal to young chapter book readers.  

This book is recommended for readers age 7+

This book was borrowed from the Brooklyn Public Library 

If you are wondering how to play the dreidel game, Scholastic offers simple instructions you can download HERE 

You can also download a template for making a paper dreidel that can be printed out, colored and glued together HERE

MCBD2020: Lily and the Great Quake, A San Francisco Earthquake Survival Story by Veeda Bybee, illustrated by Alessia Trunfio

 Lily and the Great Quake: 

A San Francisco Earthquake Survival Story 

by Veeda Bybee, illustrated by Alessia Trunfio

Stone Arch Books, 2020, 112 pages

On the night of April 17, 1906, Lily, a Chinese American girl living in San Francisco's Chinatown, is celebrating her 12th birthday with her family, mother, father and younger brother Lee and baby sister June, friends and neighbors including elderly Mr. Quan. As a big surprise, Lily is given a copy of her favorite book, The Wizard of Oz and that night, she reads some of it to her brother before bed. But early the next morning, the earth begins to shake, and it keeps shaking as Lily and Lee crouch under the kitchen table while their home begins to fall apart and crumble around them. An earthquake is a scary experience, and this one was a big one, but as Lily and Lee wait to be found, trapped and in darkness, she reminds Lee about the cowardly lion who found needed courage within himself.

Finally, their father locates the siblings and together they dig out of the debris. No one is seriously hurt, except their mom has a badly sprained ankle. It is agreed that Lily and Lee will go ahead with Mr. Quan to the Ferry Building where they will all meet up and take the ferry across the bay to Oakland. The going is slow, partly because everyone else in San Francisco has the same idea, and partly because they are going with Jade See Young, a young women who has bound feet. 

As the city of San Francisco burns around them, and people push pass them to escape, Lily and Lee quickly lose sight of Mr. Quan and Jade. On their own now, Lily and Lee are faced instances of racism, with people who push them out of their way, and others who are happy to see Chinatown razed and would like the Chinese people to go back to China. More and more, Lily reminds herself and Lee about how the lion, the scarecrow, and the tinman from her book also had to deal with adversity as they traveled to the Emerald City. But inside, even Lily is worried. Will they be able to find Mr. Quan and Jade? And will they be able to find their parents at the overly crowded Ferry Building, with everyone else trying to get on a boat to get to safety? 

Lily and the Great Quake is the fourth book in the Girls Survive series. It is a wonderful chapter book that is filled with information about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, as well as instances of Chinese culture, but it also doesn't shy away from dealing with issues of racism towards Chinese people. 

There are plenty of black and white illustrations throughout the book that really capture the destruction an earthquake can cause. Back matter includes an Author's Note, with photographs of San Francisco in the aftermath of the earthquake, a Glossary, and suggestions for reader to Make Connections. 

Lily and the Great Quake is the perfect book for celebrating Multicultural Children's Book Day, a great book to read anytime, and to share with other young readers. I can't recommend this book highly enough.  

I was gifted this book to review for MCBD2020.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.  

Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.

MCBD 2020  is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board

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Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings, 

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Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls, 

Gold

Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS : A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,

Silver

 Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,

Bronze

Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books,  TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books,  Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales

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Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship:

Stories from India

by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy

Candlewick Press, 2018, 192 pages

I love reading folktales from other countries and so when this one came my way, I was very excited. And what a pleasure it is to read. Originally published as two separate books with four stores each under the titles A Dollop of Ghee and a Pot of Wisdom and A Jar of Pickles and a Pinch of Justice, they have been combined in this volume of eight stories altogether.

The stories center on Prince Veera, the son of King Breema, who ruled over his small Indian kingdom with fairness, kindness, and wisdom, and Suku, the son of a farmer who had won a scholarship to study with Prince Veera. Naturally, the two 10-year-old boys have become the best of friends.

As a kind and just king, the people in his kingdom knew they could come to King Breema with their problems and disputes and he would always find a way to help them. One day, when the King falls ill, Prince Veera and Suku ask if they may hold court that day instead of sending the people away. The first few cases they hear are simple and easy for the two boys to resolve, but as the day goes by they become more difficult. Once case involves a maker of sweet treats who wants to charge the man who stands outside his shop smelling the delicious scent of his sugary, buttery treats but who never buys anything. Another case involved a man who sold his well to another man, but now wants to charge the buyer for the water in the well.

Prince Veera and Suku both enjoy running the court whenever King Breema allows it, and the King is quite impressed with their collective wisdom. But when the Prince Veera's strict, elderly granduncle Raja Apoorva comes to visit, he is not impressed and thinks it is wrong from his young grandnephew to hold court, and especially with Suku, the lowly son of a farmer. When granduncle, who doesn't like crows one bit, puts their talent to the test challenging them to count the number of crows in the kingdom, have Prince Veera and Suku been outsmarted or can they outsmart the old uncle?

The eight stories included in Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship are basically light and easy, told in a very straightforward way and each has a simple moral that never feels preachy. The relationship between Prince Veera and Suku is one of affectionate companionship and respect, and although Suku is the son of a farmer, class isn't an issue here. Prince Veera loves to visit Suku's welcoming home as much as Suku loves going to the palace. This is a lesson we could all use.

Although there are not any notes about these stories and where they came from, they still have an authentically Indian quality to them culturally, and that is supported by the wonderful black and white spot illustrations by Uma Krishnaswamy.

Young readers will certainly enjoy these trickster tales and seeing how the two young friends deal with the often cunning disputes brought to them. Additionally, all the stories stand alone, making this a useful book for some great read alouds.

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship is a solid collection of folktales that are sure to please young readers who are already enjoying chapter books. 

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was gratefully received by me from the publisher, Candlewick Press

🐸🐸Best Buds Under Frogs (Book 1 of The Rizzlerunk Club series) written and illustrated by Leslie Patricelli

There's nothing worse than being the new kid in school, especially if you are a shy, introverted kid like fourth grader Lily Lattuga. But luckily, that first day, Lily is invited to play four square with three other girls, and things go well, until she throws her lunch up in the middle of the game. She is quickly escorted to the nurse's office by another girl, who introduces herself as Darby Dorski.

Darby is as outgoing as Lily is shy and with a bit of a devil may care attitude. She seems to want to befriend Lily, but Lily wants nothing to do with her. Eventually, though, the two girls do become friends and have lots of fun, including trying to get some of the many frogs on Darby's side of the lake they both live on to settle in on Lily side, where no frogs live.

Lily is also the kind of kid who never does anything that gets her in trouble, but learns that Darby had a best friend named Jill, who always seemed to get only Darby in trouble. Jill had moved to London because of her mother's job eight months ago, and Darby is relieved she's gone. - no more getting in trouble. Soon Lily and Darby form the Rizzlerunk Club, of which they are the only two members. That is until Jill's return, complete with school uniform and British accent. Jill insists on not only joining the Rizzlerunk Club, but also being Queen of it.

Before Lily knows it, she and Darby both seem to be under Jill's spell and together they are carrying out Jill's pranks and schemes, and landing in trouble all over again, while Jill acts like she had nothing to do with any of them. Ultimately, Lily realizes the person she has become under Jill's influence is not who she really is and makes a decision that could cost her her friendship with Darby.

Patricelli, author/illustrator of those some wonderful board books, has presented a realistic portrayal of how fourth grade life, friendship and peer pressure dynamics can work in Best Buds Under Frogs. Fourth grade is a real transition year for kids, and can be particularly hard to navigate, and worse when you are the new girl and care about what people think about you, as Lily does. And Darby, for all her self-confidence when Jill isn't around, seems to be putty in her hands when she returns. It's an interesting reaction to Jill, considering that Darby's family has a somewhat loosey-goosey approach to life in general and child rearing in particular, and that they come across as a close, loving, intact family, leaving one to wonder why she needs Jill in the first place. I never felt like I found a satisfactory answer for it. Lily's family is just a close and loving, but a little stricter - for example, TV and sweets are both limited by their health-conscious mother. Both girls have siblings, but so far, their troubles are only school and friend related.

Both girls (and Jill) live on a large lake, and although they always wear life vests when in their pedal or rowboats, they are always in them without an adult, even in rainstorms. I had kind of a problem with that or am I being overly parental about it? Because then, I thought of things I did at that age, like riding the subway alone, or going to Prospect Park lake with my best friend and catching tadpoles and the occasional frog (none of which we kept) by ourselves.

For the most part, I found this book to be very funny, and I enjoyed Lily's cartoon-like illustrations that Patricelli peppered throughout the book. I thought this is a good transition book for kids ready to move on from chapter books, but not ready for middle grade stories or for students in fourth grade, and whose reading level is at a second or third grade level. I always found in my classes that books at that level didn't interest them. This would have been an ideal story for them.

I'm looking forward to reading Lily and Darby's next adventure.

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Candlewick Press

Lola Levine and the Halloween Scream by Monica Brown, illustrated by Angela Dominguez

This is the 6th Lola Levine book (and my first), so fans already know all about her, but others new to the series may not. Indulge me while I introduce Lola. Lola is multiracial - her father is Jewish and her mother is a Peruvian Catholic. She has a younger brother named Ben, and her best friend is Josh Blot, the principal’s son. Lola and Josh are in second grade, and their teacher is named Ms. Garcia. Lola also keeps a diary - Dear Diario - with entries scattered throughout her stories.

In this book, it’s Halloween week and Lola couldn’t be more excited. She loves being scared and scaring other kids, especially her brother Ben. In school it’s a week of autumn fun. First, Ms. Garcia introduces the ways different cultures around the world celebrate autumn. Then, Lola’s class goes on a leaf gathering trip and everyone makes a leaf book with their findings. 

In the middle of the week, there is a trip to an apple orchard where kids get to pick their own apples. While there, the class learns about scarecrows, and Lola thinks maybe that is what she will be for Halloween. After all, she has been really wanting to wear a scary costume, but then, to Lola’s amazement, her friend Bella tells her she doesn’t like being scared by anything.  

Lola really doesn’t understand Bella’s feelings, but she is getting more and more excited about the costume parade on Friday now that she knows what she wants to be. It’s a great parade, especially since leashed pets can be part of it.  Afterwards, on Friday afternoon, sad that Halloweek is over in school, but looking forward to trick-or-treating on Sunday with Josh and Bella, Lola decides to surprise them with a scary joke as they leave school. But when the joke backfires, Lola learns an important lesson about listening to and respecting what her friend told her about not liking to be scared. Now, can Lola fix her mistake in time to still go trick-or-treating with Josh and Bella? Or will they still be mad at her? Can Lola come up with a way to tell them she's sorry?

This is a nice chapter book and a great addition for fans of series books like Ivy and Bean or Junie B. Jones. Lola is a well-meaning 7 year old, but still has a few things to learn (as do all these young protagonists). The problems they have or the situations they find themselves in, like learning to respect the feelings of other kids, are so relatable to that age group when excitement and enthusiasm can lead to some pretty keyed-up behavior and a few mistakes. 

Maybe this is a spoiler:

Lola’s parents are great - they’re understand and really there for Lola and Ben, involved in their children’s lives at home and at school. But when they take most of Lola and Ben’s Halloween candy, then hide it and sneak eat it - that just wasn’t right. When they caught, the candy was all thrown away. Why couldn’t they put it away, and take some out on special occasions to enjoy as a family? 

If you want to learn more about Lola and her friends and family, an Educator’s Guide chock full of learning activities is available from the publisher, Little, Brown. It only covers the first two Lola Levine books, but can easily be tweaked for any book in the series.

This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

Princess Cora and the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Brian Floca

When Princess Cora was born, her parents were overjoyed. Their perfect baby would someday be Queen.  But how to insure that she will be the best Queen possible? Her parents, the King and Queen, decide the way to do that is to teach her and to train her for the job. The King and Queen no longer saw their daughter as perfect and began to think about what was wrong with her. 

And so, they began to do nothing but teach and train her so that by the time Princess Cora is 7 years old, she does nothing but read dull, boring books, take endless baths, and exercise in the old castle’s prison turned exercise room. They even refuse her request for a dog - they are dirty and beside, Princess Cora has no time to spare for a dog. Tired of her life being macro-managed by her parents and having no fun, Princess Cora decides to write to her fairy godmother for help.

And help does arrive - in the form of a large, green crocodile who is about a different from Princess Cora as anything possibly could be. Putting on a mop wig and one of Princess Cora’s dresses, the two swap places for a day. 

While Princess Cora finally gets to have some free time, and go exploring without anyone telling her what to do or how to behave, her replacement in the castle wrecks havoc with the nanny, the Queen and even the King. When Princess Cora returns, she can’t believe what the crocodile has done, but maybe, just maybe, he has caused enough problems he has managed to open the parents eyes to the possibility that they had over-scheduled her life and some free time might be a good idea. But, does, Princess Cora get that puppy, after all?

Princess Cora and the Crocodile is a fairy tale that is bound to make young readers laugh out loud, given author Laura Amy Schlitz’s dry yet age appropriate wit coupled with her clear and and direct writing style, and well-structured plot. Brian Floca’s wonderfully humorous ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations compliments and extends the fairy tale quality of the story. Together, they have created a lighthearted tale though with some pretty serious undertones about the lives of some of today’s children.      

If you are looking for a excellent early chapter book, than look no further than Princess Cora and the Crocodile. Parents and their young readers will love at the crazy antics of the crocodile, while kids will definitely empathize with Princess Cora's plight and cheer her on as she takes some measure of control over her life. 

This also made a great read aloud story for my young readers. But, this time, we did something different.  I had thought this would make a great book for young readers read to their parents (and maybe they will take the hint about macro-managing the lives of their kids), especially over the summer when there is no school or any after school activities going on. It was quite successful when we tried it. The kids had fun, particularly when it can to the crocodile's dialogue and they got in some nice, lighthearted reading practice without feeling like Princess Cora. 

This book is recommended for readers age 5+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Candlewick Press