Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give Kathryn’s (at Book Date) “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” meme a kidlit focus, reviewing books in children’s literature (picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, or anything in the world of kidlit). If you enjoy this type of reading, join us every Monday to share what you’ve been reading!
This week I finally finished my final post for my #MustReadin2019, so if you’d like to see my final tally toward my 2019 goal, check that post out HERE. Is there a #MustReadin2020 community meeting up, this year?
It’s been a stressful week and I think we’re only in for more stress in the coming weeks. We thought we would be making an offer on a house today, but something came up last minute and we now might have to wait for more information. Sometimes it feels like one step forward, two steps back when house hunting.
ETA: Today is an exciting day as we watch the live coverage of the ALA Youth Media Awards!! If you want to keep up with the results, check updates out HERE.
I hope you’ve had a great week of reading! Here’s what I was able to finish…
Lifeboat 12
Susan Hood
September 4, 2018
Simon Schuster Books for Young Reader
After reading Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of “The Children’s Ship” earlier this month, I really wanted to see how this historical fiction novel of the same experience, compared. From the perspective of one of the young survivors of the ship, this novel in verse was quite satisfying. There were many details shared between the two books, but this one felt far more personal since the reader is allowed inside the mind of thirteen-year-old Ken Sparks. It was devastating to sit in the lifeboat with this crew and feel the sense of hopelessness, day after day. The storyline was more emotional for me than Torpedoed, for sure. Highly recommend!
You can add it to your Goodreads list HERE.
If you do not have a local bookstore, you may purchase it through IndieBound HERE.
You may also choose to purchase it through Amazon HERE.
Black Girl Unlimited:
The Remarkable Story of
a Teenage Wizard
Echo Brown
January 14, 2020
Henry Holt & Company
Oh, my. This one is so powerful and yet quite painful. It deals directly with depression, sexual violence, racism, sexism, poverty, and so much more. I read that it is part autobiographical intermixed with magical realism. But I think it’s something that has to be experienced (by the YA and adult crowd) to understand how hard-hitting the storyline is. There’s such gravity and sincerity found within the two mother/daughter relationships.
Many people have called my mother strong–relatives, neighbors, friends, teachers. Those same people have called me strong, too. They have said wizards are unbreakable, but I’m not sure anymore. They call us warriors because we survive it and they call us strong because it doesn’t topple us. They call us magic because we manage to make miracles out of it. “Wow! Look at her take it all! She’s so strong!” But for us, it’s not a victory. It’s a blood bath. What happens after the blood bath, when we finally fall?
I am always so pleased when an audiobook is read by the author, as is the case with Black Girl Unlimited. The inflection in the narration provided such depth — including the Acknowledgements section where Brown’s voice was just on the edge of breaking into sobs as she named friends and family members who’d touched, inspired, and supported her. Yes, even then I cried.
You can add it to your Goodreads list HERE.
If you do not have a local bookstore, you may purchase it through IndieBound HERE.
You may also choose to purchase it through Amazon HERE.
Remarkably You
Pat Zietlow Miller
Patrice Barton, illustrator
February 5, 2019
HarperCollins
In rhyming text, this inspiring picture book encourages children to change the world, regardless of their personality type or interests. Everyone can make a difference by solving problems and sharing their gifts with the world. The soft, soothing illustrations are absolutely stunning and change enough between page spreads to keep the reader looking from face to face after each page turn. I also appreciate the fact that the artwork showcases diverse characters ranging from young to old and including a variety of ethnicities. The only thing I did not see among the 86 individuals illustrated was a child with a noticeable disability. However, I’d say this book is one of my very favorite picture book reads from 2019! Beautiful!
The illustrations in this book were created with pencil sketches and mixed media, assembled and painted digitally. I’ll provide one page spread as an example, below:
You can add it to your Goodreads list HERE.
If you do not have a local bookstore, you may purchase it through IndieBound HERE.
You may also choose to purchase it through Amazon HERE.
Max Explains Everything:
Soccer Expert
(Max Explains Everything #2)
Stacy McAnulty
Deborah Hocking, illustrator
February 19, 2019
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books
Has Stacy McAnulty written a bad children’s book? I think not. This is book #2 of the Max Explains Everything series. Max has been playing soccer for three whole weeks, so he kinda knows a lot about the game. He definitely knows about cleats and shin guards and how to stretch and how to tell who the ref is. But when it comes to actually playing the game, Max is noticeably distracted by ladybugs, posing for the camera, the clouds, the birds, Jose’s haircut, a loose dog, and even his own fingers! Max Explains Everything: Soccer Expert is an adorable little book that will be enjoyed by young and old, including any new soccer players in your life!
The illustrations in this book were created with gouache and colored pencil on Arches watercolor paper, then digitally manipulated. I’ll provide one page spread as an example, below:
You can add it to your Goodreads list HERE.
If you do not have a local bookstore, you may purchase it through IndieBound HERE.
You may also choose to purchase it through Amazon HERE.
Bird Watch
Christie Matheson
February 26, 2019
Greenwillow Books
Bird Watch is a lovely watercolor-based picture book that gives children something to look for on each page. Whether they’re hunting for sparrows or spying the stripy tailed wrens, they’ll be using their counting and i-spy skills. The back matter includes much more about birds and birding, so don’t forget to turn past the last page of the story!
The full-color art in this book was created with watercolor paints and collages. I’ll provide one page spread as an example, below:
You can add it to your Goodreads list HERE.
If you do not have a local bookstore, you may purchase it through IndieBound HERE.
You may also choose to purchase it through Amazon HERE.
This Little Piggy
James Serafino
January 8, 2019
Philomel Books
This picture book chronicles the mishaps of one very messy kid who made a promise to clean up their mess. But when the child seeks out a dog to help, it doesn’t work out. The goat can’t help, either. And not even an elephant can help. Ah, what about this little piggy? With a surprise ending in store for young readers, we all learn that perhaps it’s best to learn to clean up your own mess!
The artwork in this book was done in watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, milk and cereal crumbs on 300 lb. Lanaquarelle hot press paper. I’ll provide one page spread as an example, below:
You can add it to your Goodreads list HERE.
If you do not have a local bookstore, you may purchase it through IndieBound HERE.
You may also choose to purchase it through Amazon HERE.
Just Like My Brother
Gianna Marino
April 30, 2019
Viking Books for Young Readers
Awww! The sweet little giraffe in this picture book ADORES her big brother. He’s tall and spotted and fast and he’s very, very brave. In the end, she must consider the fact that she also has many of the same qualities that she admires in her big brother. ❤ These images are absolutely adorable!
The book doesn’t share how the artwork was created, but it looks like some pages with watercolor. I’ll provide one page spread as an example, below:
You can add it to your Goodreads list HERE.
If you do not have a local bookstore, you may purchase it through IndieBound HERE.
You may also choose to purchase it through Amazon HERE.
To Be Read:
I’m currently listening to A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (and translated by Henning Koch) on audiobook. I hope to finish reading at ARC of Chirp by Kate Messner and I plan to start reading an ARC of The Eye of Ra by Ben Gartner.
Reading Challenge Updates:
Goodreads Challenge 2020 – 26/200
I love all of Stacy McAnulty’s books, too! The artwork in Just Like Me Brother is beautiful! Have a great week!
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YES! The animals in Just Like My Brother are just the cutest. The eyes are so expressive! Thanks for visiting, Lisa!
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Added a few to my cart – Max and This Little Piggie. Thanks!
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Max is so sooo funny (but also pretty realistic for kids his age). I hope you enjoy, Clare!
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I’ll get to Lifeboat12 sometime, maybe not too soon as I just read Torpedoed, but I will! Thanks for the others, too, Shaye, most new to me. I loved Remarkedly You!
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Yeah, I could have used more time between Lifeboat 12 and Torpedoed. There was a lot of overlap of details (like how the survivors were told to suck on buttons to get saliva going in their dry mouths), so I could tell they had some of the same sources of information. But my goodness, what a tragedy. 😦 Thanks for dropping by, Linda!
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I am sorry about your house hunting troubles! We are getting ready to wade into these waters ourselves in the coming months. The YMA’s were so much to watch this morning! It is always so exciting. I will have to check out Remarkably You. Have a good week!
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It’s so hard to please everyone in the family, especially when we’ve lived in our current home for 14 years (two of my children were actually born in this house). We felt we’d finally found something we all loved, so it’s been a great disappointed to run into a brick wall. I still have a little hope left, but I think it’s time to start searching again. Boo! Thanks for swinging by, Rebecca!
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I also really enjoy Stacy McAnulty’s picture books, and Lifeboat 12 was a book I really enjoyed. Most of your picture books were new to me and they all looked really great. Have a great reading week, Shaye.
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Totally agree on McAnulty’s picture books. I also ADORED her Miscalculations of Lightning Girl. What a talented author. Thanks for visiting, Aaron!
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Lots of good books here. I had a bad experience with A Man Called Ove when I read it — the beginning scenes were more tragic than funny for me. But I eventually came around!
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I just finished A Man Called Ove and I have very mixed feelings. After I finished it, I saw the preview to the movie and the music and acting seemed comedic. Somehow I think I missed out on this fact during most of the book.
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Congrats on getting your reading goal completed! I just posted my #MustReadin2020 list.
Stacy is so prolific with how many good books she manages to put out each year!
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Thanks, Earl! I didn’t get my #MustReadin2020 list posted in January, so now I’m in limbo. LOL Did the community have a link-up this year?
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I just started reading Chirp last night. So far I love it. I’ll be interested to see what you think of it, too. Hope things start looking up in your house-hunting. I know it can be very stressful!
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Yes! LOVED Chirp! And now I want to try a cricket and post the hashtag. LOL And thank you for the well wishes, Jana. It’s been distressing to feel the home we were settled on slip from our grasp. 😦
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Love all the books listed but definitely want to check out the first two.. and there is something about novels in verse..
also, in addition to my IMWAYR link post, i wanted to let you know you are one of the blogs I mentioned here https://www.ladyinreadwrites.com/bloggers-that-make-my-day/
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Awww, thank you for including me in you list of “Bloggers that make my day,” Vidya! What an honor it is — and how excited I am to learn of more great blogs. Have a wonderful week!!
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wow, Lifeboat 12 sounds so good, thanks for presenting these great books. And the birding one is so gorgeous! Have a nice reading week
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Lifeboat 12 really was so good — but it’s so hard to realize it was based on real life. That ship really did sink with so many children and others who drown or froze to death quickly. I can hardly imagine (I don’t want to) sending my children across the ocean to safety only to discover their ship sand barely a week later.
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I loved Remarkably You and shared it at one point, I believe. I am excited to find out your thoughts about Backman. I super loved his Beartown and Us Against You, and I will definitely read Ove this year for our #ReadIntlLit2020. 🙂
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