Author Archives: Candy Ranney

About Candy Ranney

Candy is an elementary school librarian in Shelton, WA at the school where she was a student (so many years ago!). Her library is unique in that she brings her background and love of biology to her students in many ways. Not only does she have an awesome selection of science books; she also has a beaver, bobcat and mink sitting on her shelves and a variety of jarred specimens for her students to study. When she's not in the library, she is taking care of her baby trees on her tree farm and hanging out with her family and many pets.

Nugget and Dog: S’more than Meets the Eye!

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Nugget (a chicken nugget) and Dog (a hot dog) are so excited to have some fun at summer camp. Unfortunately, Dijon (yes, he’s mustard) has an evil plan to scare everyone! He and his sidekick, Crouton (self-explanatory) mess up their plan to scare everyone with the Mean Green Pine Thing, which ends up being Honey Dijon (Dijon’s cousin), who just wanted a little attention herself. Rounding out the cast of delicious campers is Fry and the grumpy camp counselor, Grizzle.

This beginning graphic novel begins with some simple information about panels, thought bubbles and speech bubbles as well as how to follow the story on a page. This is very helpful for those readers new to graphic novels. Illustrations are bright and text is simple. This is a nice introduction to graphic novels and is really humorous. How can it not be funny with a hot dog and chicken nugget as main characters? highly recommended.

Judge Kim and the Kids’ Court: The Case of the Missing Bicycles

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Bicycles are missing from Kim’s school and rumors are flying. Kids start accusing the new boy, Corey. So, Kim takes matters into her own hands and assigns her friends to gather facts and evidence. She convenes a “Kids’ Court” in the tree house that her dad just built, overcoming her fear of heights to climb the ladder for court. Kim handles the case with unusual maturity, which is not surprising since her mom is a judge and Kim’s been to her courtroom. The story ends happily with Corey’s explanation that he wanted to fix up his peers’ bikes in order to make friends and apologizing for stealing them to do so. His classmates forgive him and are thrilled with their newly fixed bikes.

The book begins with a short explanation about the correct way to read a graphic novel. This is helpful, because readers new to graphic novels will now know the difference between a speech and thought bubble and the direction of the story on each page. The story itself is fairly short and the text is very accessible. Illustrations are bright and characters are diverse. Highly recommended for those new to graphic novels.

Izzy’s Tail of Trouble

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Izzy and her friend, Zoe, love to dress up her dog in baby clothes and play “baby stealer” with Zoe’s older brother. It’s typically a giggle-filled screamfest when Izzy and Rolo are at Zoe’s house. Unfortunately, things are changing and it’s hard for Izzy. Rollo is growing into a big dog and the baby clothes are getting too small. He’s also getting into some big doggy trouble. Lionel, Zoe’s brother, is becoming a teenager. And, he is the epitome of a teenager – surly, pimply and no fun at all.

Izzy doesn’t like these changes and is determined to find out of there is some kind of cure for these two maladies. She and her mom take Rollo to obedience school and he doesn’t do well. Izzy works hard with him and uses some of what she learns to engage Lionel, which turns out surprisingly well.

Through some gently comedic adventures, Izzy works on these problems, realizing along the way that change is inevitable. But, the fun doesn’t have to end, it’s just different.

Readers new to chapter books will enjoy this story. Accompanying illustrations in black and white break up the text and provide extra giggles. Add this to your collection along with the first book, Izzy in the Doghouse. Recommended.

Itzel and the Ocelot by Rachel Katstaller

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Itzel lives with her nana on the edge of the jungle. Times are hard, because there has been no rain and the seeds her grandmother planted cannot grow without water. Her nana tells her a story about the great snake that brought the rainy season so long ago. But, people no longer believe and the snake retreated to the origin of water. Itzel wants to help her nana and decides to find this snake to bring back the rainy seasons. She enters the jungle and meets up with an ocelot, who agrees to accompany her on her quest. Other animals join along the way, because they too need water. They finally come to the dry riverbed and Itzel realizes that is no giant snake or water. Itzel sits down to play her flute, tears running down her cheeks. Suddenly, something crashes and bangs and the riverbed fills with water. Itzel and the ocelot are carried downriver and their animal companions on the riverbanks return to their homes. Itzel and the ocelot end up back with her nana and watch the rains come down. Her bravery and beliefs brought the rain back.

The story is eloquently told, with additional words in Spanish (word origin is Nawat, and indigenous Salvadoran language. This language is explained (with a glossary) at the back of the book along with an author’s note that gives information about folktales from this culture. Text is accessible and the glossary is helpful for those words that are unfamiliar. Accompanying illustrations are in a folk-art style, which is perfect for this story. Highly recommended.

Another Squiggly Story by Andrew Larson

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A young student has a problem. His teacher, Mr. Lopez, assigns the task of writing an autobiography. First of all, what is that? His classmates get right to work. His best friend, Marcus, loves hats and Alia wants to write about vampires, because she thinks about them all the time.

He is stuck! But, his sister comes to the rescue, telling him about her autobiography and reassuring him when he makes mistakes (it’s ok, you can edit). In class, the writing continues, with brainstorming , lists and first proofs. The boy continues his writing journey with a title, cover and more editing. The story ends with an addition to his list of “Things I Want to Be” – an author.

This is a fantastic book for kickstarting the writing process for young students. Appropriate vocabulary and simple illustrations make it a quick read and great discussion starter. I appreciate that the young boy works through his frustration and learns as he goes along. We have all been in that same place in our own writing journey. His friend, Marcus, adapts his autobiography into a comic style piece, noting that “drawing is easier than writing for me”. What a great representation of the reality of writing for so many kids. And, we can infer that the teacher is accepting of this change, since Marcus proudly shows his work-in-progress to the young writer. Use this book to introduce some of the elements of the writing process as well as the concept of autobiographies. Highly Recommended

Pugs Cause Traffic Jams by Jennifer McGrath

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Kirby, the pug, is missing! As his owner searches the town for her errant puppy, the reader sees Kirby causing all kinds of problems in the streets. Each page is full of color and life and different breeds of dogs. Kirby’s owner notes each breed’s characteristic. For example, “Huskies are singers”. And, “Samoyeds just smile and smile”. Finally, we find Kirby at the end, somehow turning all these traffic jams into a street party, complete with red carpet and cake.

This is a fun romp of a story with lots of dogs. Pugs are the current stars of many popular picture books and this one will be equally popular with younger readers. Busy illustrations are engaging and fun. And, the author is pretty spot on with the breeds’ personalities. Recommended.

When Whales Fly by Erica S. Perl

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Whale, Quail and Snail are hanging out watching the clouds when Whale states that she wishes she could fly. Snail, in a very matter-of-fact voice, tells her that she can learn to fly and that he and Quail will teach her. Quail is pretty dubious about this and states repeatedly that whales cannot fly. Snail believes it can happen and, eventually, Whale leaps (or flies) out of the water much to her delight and astonishment. Her big splash knocks Quail off the surfboard and Quail flounders, because he can’t swim. Whale offers to teach him how, because she’s a great swimmer…and pretty good at flying, too (according to Quail).

This Level Two reader has very accessible text and slightly longer sentences and simple chapters. Illustrations are bright and cartoon-like, filling the page with happy color. This is a fun story in a book that feels like a chapter book, perfect for young readers ready to move up a notch from picture books. Recommended.

Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship by Cynthia Platt

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Parker, a budding scientist, is so excited when her teacher announces a three part science competition. She knows that she and her coding-expert best friend, Cassie, can easily win and will set her on her path to be be as great a scientist as her heroes, Mae Jemison and Jane Goodall. Unfortunately, Cassie invites super shy Theo to be part of the team. Parker isn’t happy. Cassie asked him without consulting her and she’s worried that Cassie might have a new friend that come between them. Also, she is concerned. Will he contribute to the project when he can’t even speak loudly enough for her to hear.

Friendship and STEM come together in a nicely written story that is both realistic and humorous. Three teammates struggle to come up with the best science project ever while navigating the pitfalls of new friends and old friends working together. Parker’s idea of building guinea pig robots is perfect, right? Nothing can go wrong with that. Or, can it?

Illustrations are cartoon-like, full page digital artwork. The story packs some STEM fun into a friendship story that breaks some gender boundaries. Parker LOVES science and has her own Mad Science Lab. Her dad is a baker and her mom is a P.E. teacher, who both encourage her scientific enthusiasm. Give this book to your budding scientists. They will certainly connect with Parker and her friends! Recommended.

I Will! by Juana Medina

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This is a book of fourteen affirmations for young students. Each double page spread has hand-lettered words on one side and an accompanying illustration on the other. Characters are diverse in ethnicity and ability and the illustrations are digitally rendered in bright colors, which is very engaging for the target audience.

Affirmations are split between those that help others and those that are more self reflective. Examples include “I will help those in need and ask for help when I need it”. This book will be very useful for discussion with young children about being the best they can be to themselves and others. And, as the story says “I will join with you to make this a better world for everyone”. Recommended

Waiting for Mama by Gianna Marino

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This is a story about the life of an emperor penguin chick, mostly told from inside the egg. The chick and father await mama’s return from feeding with the egg mostly tucked under the father’s belly on his feet. The chick describes what he hears and feels from inside the egg until near the end of the story when he “CRACK” comes out of his shell to greet his father and returning mother.

This simple story with its warmly colored illustrations gives some great details about the emperor penguin interwoven with the flow of the story. Young students will be learning without even realizing it. An author’s note expands on the information given in the story, which will certainly lead to further research for many interested young penguin enthusiasts. Recommended

The Rainbow Hunters by Andrea Farotto

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Bill is on a rainbow hunt and as he begins his adventure, he is joined by three friends. Each adds something – butterfly net, candy and so forth. They travel in every direction yet don’t find the end of the rainbow or treasure. They do find something even better – a wonderful day with friends full of adventure (and a bonus white dog that they name Cheesecake, or is it Coconut?). The story ends with Bill setting out on another hunt, this time for Bigfoot and the story continues…

This wonderful story is all about the fun of being with friends and having an adventure outside. The goal, like the gold at the end of the rainbow, might not be achieved. But, it is the journey and its excitement that is the the memorable byproduct. Young readers will identify with the four friends as they turn here and there during their quest. And, they will certainly agree that the most fun part is is the hunt itself.

Text is appropriate for young readers and illustrations are simple and bright. Characters are diverse. Recommended.

Tide Pool Troubles by Ashlyn Anstee

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Shelby and Watts are “Planetary Investigators”, aka detectives with an environmental focus in this first book of a new graphic novel series. Shelby, a fox with a notebook, is a budding detective while her friend, Watts, loves facts and encyclopedias. They are called upon to investigate the disappearance of shells on the beach. Fred, a hermit crab in a very tight shell, is frantic. He needs a new shell for a home and protection, but there are aren’t any to be found. His pals are in the same “pickle” (“in a difficult situation” as defined by Watts).

So, Shelby get to work tracking down the shell thief. They follow several clues, all of which are noted in Shelby’s notebook. And, Watts adds in relevant facts about the beach and its inhabitants. They discover the missing shells and the so-called thief – Arty, the rhino, who was collecting beach shells and didn’t know the havoc he was creating in the hermit crab world. Shelby and Watts give some great tips about saving the beach at the end of the story, like “leave the beach cleaner than when you found it”.

This simple nine chapter graphic novel is a nice transition story. It is much shorter than its 94 pages appear, with several single panel pages. Color is vibrant and text is accessible. Interesting facts about ocean creatures are interspersed throughout and do not interrupt the flow of the story. Recommended.

The Great Candy Caper by JoJo Siwa

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Nickolodeon;s JoJo Siwa is invited to sing at the opening of a new candy-themed park, SugarPalooza, and takes her two friends, Grace and Kyra for a special tour before the show. The park’s owner’s daughter, Avery, and her friend, Jada, join the tour. Something’s not quite right, but JoJo can’t figure it out. Actually, there’s a lot that isn’t right, including a big mess of chocolate as the chocolate pumps malfunction. Candy is everywhere, rides are breaking down and Grace is missing! JoJo and Kyra spring into action to fix both calamities. The chocolate malfunction is fixed, thanks to help from Jada and their tour guide, Maddy. And, they locate Grace, who has a history with Avery (not a nice girl). But, Grace saves Avery despite their bad relationship, and Avery apologizes. The show must go on and, after a cleanup, the park opens and JoJo performs for the adoring crowds. Everything is sweet in this Candy Caper.

This graphic novel is full of color and a simple story line (girl drama that is fixed in the end). The font is fairly small. The illustrations are set in one to five panes per page. Fans of JoJo Siwa will enjoy this book and a wider audience might like the adventurous romp through SugarPalooza.

The Mystery Monster by Amy Marie Stadelmann

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Paige is a self-professed “Fact Collector” and she uses that skill in her new neighborhood. She writes facts, such as there are 73 windows on her streets, in her trusty notebook. She also writes some cool facts that she hears or reads, like “A wombat’s poop is cube-shaped”. One day, her new friend, Penn, states that there is a monster in their neighborhood and Paige is determined to discover if that is a fact. She needs to collect evidence to prove or disprove Penn’s claim. This leads the pair on a fact-finding mission that eventually disproves Penn’s statement. But, wait…Penn looks at the evidence and comes to another conclusion – the monster is real! Well, the real conclusion is that two people can look at the same evidence and come to different conclusions. It looks like more evidence is needed!

This book is billed as a graphic novel chapter book and has single and double paneled pages, as well as pages from Paige’s notebook. The nine chapters are short and easy to read. This mystery is a nice introduction to the genre and has some great facts as a bonus!

Strange Nature: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss by Gregory Mone

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I need to state right here, right now: BUY THIS BOOK!! Insect books for kids are wonderful and can often lead to further exploration. This book can turn anyone into a budding entomologist (and the book explains what that is).

Each two page spread includes a full page photo of an insect with added details and explanations. The second page for each insect includes size, habitat, facts and a sometimes humorous paragraph to bring it more inline with the intellect of a typical 10 year old. The back of the book includes a glossary and a link to the photographer’s website for more incredible insect photos and information.

Photographer Levon Biss went from a backyard foray with his son to an amazing photo exhibit of 37 insects from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. He called this work “Microsculpture”. Each insect was photographed thousands of times using special equipment and those pictures were combined to make these amazing photographic masterpieces. These photos were originally exhibited as ten foot tall art pieces and now, are in a book that is accessible to young entomologists. This book will not be on the shelf very long – it’s that good! Highly Recommended

Living Ghosts & Mischievous Monsters by Dan Sasuweh Jones

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This is a collection of 32 scary stories, collected and shared by Dan Sasuweh Jones, Ponca Nation. Each story is one to six pages in length with illustrations by Weshoyot Alvitre, Tongva. Stories are prefaced by their origin information (tribe, extra details) and are shared with the permission of those entities. Some stories are mildly creepy and others are downright shiver-inducing. They are a mixture of generations-old stories handed down to more contemporary experiences as told by individuals Mr. Jones has interviewed while traveling across the country in his research.

Readers who are fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark will enjoy this book, as will students of Native American culture. This is a great introduction to the horror genre and will not stay on the shelves very long.

The author’s introduction provides his insight as well as detailing his respectful omission of stories that are not to be shared outside particular tribes. Other sources and further reading are helpful for those looking for more information. Highly recommended.

The Forest Fairy Pony by Sarah Kilbride

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Princess Evie is worried. She starts a new school soon and wonders if she’ll make friends. Luckily, she has a stable full of magic ponies to take her mind off that worry. She saddles up Willow and heads down the magical tunnel of trees to an enchanted forest, where she meets her friend, Holly, the fairy. Holly is preparing for a new group of fairies, who will be taking her class. As Evie helps Holly prepare for the student fairies and takes part in the magical class with her fairy partner, she realizes that her new school will be a source of new friendships and adventures. She returns home in a better frame of mind for her first day at her new school.

Short chapters and numerous illustrations make this short book a nice transition book for young readers. The elements of magic, ponies and princesses will entice readers and they will learn something at the end with pony and phoenix facts as well as a short discussion piece to share thoughts and knowledge. Part of the Princess Evie series – recommended.

Elvis and the World As It Stands by Lisa Frenkel Riddiough

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This is the story of a kitten, his new animal family and the humans that adopted him. Elvis and his sister, Etta, have always been together. But, at a July 4th adoption event, Elvis is adopted by Georgina and her mother. Georgina seems sad and that is because her parents have recently divorced and things are so different now. So, Georgina immerses herself in her LEGOS, building famous structures that have some meaning to her family. She does so with the help of Mo, the hamster, under the watchful eye of Laverne, the goldfish, and Clementine, a grumpy adult cat.

Elvis wants to be happy. But, more than anything, he wants to see Etta. He tries to communicate with the humans and it doesn’t work. Ever-helpful Mo tells him that he can communicate, just in a different way. After a few nearly disastrous escapes in an attempt to return to the shelter to find her, he discovers on a visit to Georgina’s dad’s apartment that the shelter is across the street. Clementine opens up about her time there and her kittens that were adopted before her. Together, they attempt to start a LEGO shelter to help explain to Georgina and she understands their actions, taking them to the shelter the next day. Elvis finds out that Etta was adopted by a wonderful family that loves her and Clementine finds one of her kittens, who is added to the family right then and there.

While Elvis is not reunited with Etta, he knows she’s happy and he allows himself to begin to enjoy his life with his family. At the same time, Georgina and her parents start to find some peace with their new family life in separate homes. Along the way, 9/11 is gently discussed after Georgina builds the Twin Towers in homage to her parents’ visit so many years before.

Told from the perspective of a young kitten, Elvis and the World As It Stands is an animal story and so much more. It is a story of healing for families torn apart and things we don’t understand. Illustrations and occasional text messages help move the story along nicely. An author’s note at the end gives a little more information about 9/11 and details the author’s motivation for writing the story. Recommended

Princess Unlimited by Jacob Sager Weinstein

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In a major swerve away from your typical “princess” stories, Princess Susan is the heroine of the day. This young princess has very caring parents, who spend all the royal gold on sparkles and frilly dresses for her. Unfortunately, that means that their knights are woefully unprepared to fight the dragon that comes to town and destroys everything. All they have are hedgehogs, mops and other inadequate armaments. Princess Susan takes on a job as a scullery maid in the castle to earn gold for swords and stuff. But, there’s no gold to pay her, just lemons. So, she and her new friend, Eleanor (a real scullery maid), start a lemonade business. They get lots of gold, only to have the king and queen buy MORE frilly dresses and sparkles. Ever the problem-solver, Princess Susan takes Eleanor to take on the dragon themselves with some sparkles and a contract. All ends well, with the dragon joining their new business, providing dragon breath heat to a few thousand customers. Her parents are so thrilled that they get her some business cards.

Princess Susan is a spunky, bright royal, who doesn’t have a problem rolling up her frilly sleeves and getting to work. Her sidekicks, Eleanor and Max (her faithful pup) do a great job of keeping up with her and end up with their own business cards (so does the dragon). It’s nice to see a princess story where the princess saves the day. And, it’s even nicer to see her parents encourage her ingenuity and business acumen.

The story flows nicely and the accompanying illustrations are vibrant and move the story along. This book is a wonderful addition to school libraries, where young readers clamor for the newest “princess” books. It might just make them think outside the box just like Princess Susan did!

Kat Hats by Daniel Pinkwater

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Kat Hats Incorporated is a special training facility where special cats learn to be “living hats” for specific purposes. These cats are rented out to mountain climbers, Arctic explorers and other extreme adventurers. It is owned by Matt Kats, his wife, Glamorella, and their children, Pocketmouse and Lambkin.

Their most prized cat is Thermal Herman 67/8ths, who is the warmest cat ever known (a good thing, since over 90% of the the body’s heat is lost through the head). In this story, it’s a good thing he wasn’t on an expedition, because he was sent on an emergency mission – to find and help Thirdbeard’s mother, Chickarina (the witch), who walked off licking a fruitsicle. He was worried that she might get a brain freeze. So, Thermal Herman 67/8ths hurried up the mountain, encountered his own adventures on the way and saved Chickarina in the knick of time by pretending to be a witch’s hat. She put him on and warmed up enough to save herself!

This very silly story is engaging, helped along by the outrageously colorful illustrations. Young readers will need to spend extra time on each page, because there is so much going on. Kat Hats is a goofy book and is sure to make kids wonder why the notion of Cat Hats hasn’t been invented yet.

10 Spooky Pumpkins by Gris Grimly

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A little red haired girl steps out of her house on Halloween, dressed as a cute little clown and walks into a story that begins with “10 Spooky Pumpkins”. She saunters through the pages of the story as the countdown ensues through nine black cats, eight screeching bats and so on. The story ends when the moon scares them all off and the girl goes safely home to bed.

Reminiscent of “Five Little Pumpkins” and “Five Little Monkeys” in cadence and rhyme, the story is somewhat more eerie with its darkly humorous illustrations. Yet, the cute little clown breezes through each two page spread, adding a bit of lightness.

The author adds an artist’s note at the end of the book with information and background. Black and white drawings surround the note, giving readers another look at the spooky characters within the story. This is a nice addition to fall books. Recommended.

Before We Stood Tall: From Small Seed to Mighty Tree by Jessica Kulekjian

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The story of a deciduous tree’s life in reverse, beginning with the giant tree in the “kingdom of trees” is a unique change from typical nonfiction life cycle books. Told from the tree’s perspective and working backwards, the spare text explores each step of the tree’s life. Accompanying illustrations are from a variety of perspectives – looking up, down and even underground.

Young readers will enjoy this ‘counterclockwise’ life cycle book. There are just a sentence or two on each page. So, there is no chance of getting bogged down in facts. There is a fairly technical author’s note that goes much more in depth. This is better shared with an adult, who can explain some of the more difficult concepts. A resource list of books, videos and websites are also included for further exploration. Recommended.

The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson

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This story follows a brother and sister, who become bored one stormy summer day and start to argue. Their grandmother offers advice “Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing.” They come to realize that their imaginations can take them anywhere as they imagine themselves flying over their city, which is full of color. They relive this experience many times over through the fall and winter and they realize that they can use their imaginations in a wonderful way.

Grandmother “had learned to fly from the people who came before. They were aunts and uncles and cousins who were brought here on huge ships,their wrists and ankles cuffed in iron.” She reminds them “But, nobody can ever cuff your beautiful and brilliant mind.” 

They move to a new neighborhood and remember their grandmother’s advice when they feel lonely. They aren’t alone for long as they share with their new friends, who ‘One by one they too learned to fly.”

This is a poetic piece that reminds all of us to close our eyes and use our imaginations. There are so many possibilities and the challenges can be overcome. We have that power to look to a brighter future.

Text is accessible and accompanying illustrations are bold, bright and engaging. The author’s afterward gives credit to Virginia Hamilton’s “The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales” for her inspiration. The Main characters are Black and supporting characters are diverse. This is the second book by the author/illustrator duo of Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez (“The Day You Begin”) and it is just as richly created. Highly recommended.

A is for Oboe : The Orchestra’s Alphabet by Lera Auerbach and Marilyn Nelson

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“A is for Oboe: The Orchestra’s Alphabet” is a poetic journey through music and instruments. Each letter is on a page or two page spread with at least one musical word. Many are recognizable, such as drum and clarinet. Others are less obvious, like meter and motif. We are introduced to the notion that musical instruments can be a ‘he’ or ‘she’ or even somewhat gender-bending (glockenspiel) because to musicians the instruments are ‘beings’ with character and mood.

Illustrations are vibrant and full of detail, with a great diversity in orchestra members. Text flows and is rich in tone and meaning. This book, while not necessarily a quick read for a student, will be a wonderful read aloud for music teachers as an introduction to the orchestra and all its members/instruments. Recommended

Thunder and Cluck. Friends do not eat friends by Jill Esbaum

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Thunder and Cluck are an unlikely pair of friends. Of course, they don’t start out as friends, as told in this easy-to-read graphic novel. Big, toothy dino Thunder comes upon small, birdlike dinosaur Cluck and prepares to eat him. But, Cluck doesn’t do what he is supposed to do – run! A discussion ensues, with Cluck attempting to strike up a friendship and Thunder giving all kinds of excuses about how this can’t happen. Suddenly, another large, toothy dinosaur sidles up to eat Cluck and Thunder protects his “little buddy” (his words). He finally acquiesces to a friendship experiment, muttering something about hanging out with Cluck will be …interesting.

This beginning graphic novel is a perfect starting point for new readers. The book’s introduction explains how to read a graphic novel, describing panels and word versus thought bubbles. Each page has one to three panels on it and the colors are bright and bold. The main characters are cartoon dinosaurs – can it get any better? Buy this one for your youngest readers. They will be hooked! Highly recommended.