Eric Smith along with Alanis Morisette, Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard have taken the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical by the same name and novelized it for a high school audience. This is a grand-salami story from five teen voices where perspectives are not always what they seem and choices have repercussions. The main storyline focuses on the Healy family who tries to be picture-perfect but the frame slams to the ground. There are so many, many layers as the jagged little pill dissolves — people exploring their sexuality, people learning to trust themselves, people taking a social stand, people learning how relationships work. “Harder” pills of rape, drug addiction, and mental health issues will also push a fast-paced plot that includes text message conversations for audience appeal. Jagged Little Pill has a broad audience and will be an easy sell when book-talked. Highly recommended.
I AM NOT A TIN CAN!
When is a robot more than a robot and become more of a person? A little boy and Number 808 banter back and forth along the lines of what it takes to be more than a ‘tin can’ / robot. Number 808 can play music, do strange things with his arms, and do math. But Number 808 does not have a brain or a heart points out the little boy. The little boy is won over to Number 808’s point-of-view in the end.
Geraldine Pu and Her Lucky Pencil, Too!
So glad this is part of a series! Geraldine Pu is a cute rambunctious little Asian American girl with a story to tell. This time her story evolves around writing a story about her family for part of an assignment at school. She discovers her everyday family members have a history she does not know about neatly stored in boxes and scrapbooks down in their basement dealing with the family’s immigration from Taiwan.
Geraldine gives helpful instructions on to how to read a graphic novel ( from box to box), for first time graphic novel readers, Then at the end of the book, Geraldine gives readers helpful instructions on “HOW TO MAKE A SCRAPBOOK” like the ones she discovered in her family’s basement.
My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding
Sajni Patel gives readers a fast-paced behind-the-scenes experience of a highly ritualized, richly flavored, visually stimulating, and overly hectic Indian wedding week as Zurika Damani’s older sister ties the knot in an Atlanta, Georgia suburb. Zuri is a gifted violinist who wants nothing more than to please her parents while this week unfolds. The problem is that she has the opportunity of a lifetime — to compete for entry to a prestigious music school the same weekend as the wedding. And as the families converge, Zuri meets Naveen, the groom’s South African cousin, who also will compete for a spot. Competition will turn to flirting as the two navigate the well-scheduled week. Zuri’s own cousins will work behind the scenes to have her sneakily escape to the competition. But of course she’ll get caught and its the resolution that ties a nice, big bow to this story of family love. Much like Crying in H Mart but without the heartache of a death, My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding will be a fun romp around the foods, the feels, and the flaunting of the families who have enough money to throw a lavish affair. I highly recommend this book for upper elementary through high school young adults.
Pig Makes Art
Written by Laura Gehl Illustrated by Fred Blunt
This book is an “emerging reader” book about a pig who creates art but leaves out the cat from the picture. The cat gets bored and takes a nap so the pig makes art on the cat while it’s sleeping. This makes the cat angry. In the end, pig and cat both make art together as friends. This book contains a list of word families, sight words and bonus words. It also has questions about the book on the last page.
Astrid the Astronaut: The Astronomically Grand Plan
Astrid, a lover of all things outer space, is excited to start the new year with a new after school club at school, The Shooting Stars. Being in the group is step one to her goal of becoming the first astronaut that uses hearing aids. She is a determined young lady with a great deal of grit although because of her focus on becoming an astronaut she ignores her best friends desire to be an artist assuming she wants to go to space camp as well. This short book is a wonderful starter into reading chapter books. It not only discusses goal setting, working as a team and being kind, but also being a good listener and friend. I would recommend this book for emerging readers.
It’s Diwali! By Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal
This counting book teaches you about the Indian holiday of Diwali through simple text and vibrant illustrations. Archaea Sreenivasan’s illustrations really pull you in and show you the joy of this holiday, which is about light triumphing over dark.
Each page counts up two and then adds an event, food, or tradition that has to do with celebrating Diwali. This is a perfect book to read to preschoolers and kindergarteners who will enjoy counting to ten forwards and back, but it also includes sidebars defining each tradition, food, or event which could appeal to older kids as well.
This book is a beautiful addition to any library – full of light, representing the holiday so well.
If Your Babysitter is a Bruja by Ana Siqueira
I received this book in English and in Spanish – I am not fluent in Spanish, but with the background I do have and the English book next to me, I read through the text.
This is an adorable bedtime story to read around Halloween. I loved how the English version of the story includes Spanish words, and lets the reader translate through context.
If you like the type of books that follow a patterns, have repetition of syntax – then you’ll love this book. This book begins each new funny, witchy activity in the same style of the title, “If your babysitter is a bruja….” At first the little girl is seemingly running away from her babysitter, the bruja, trying to escape before she can cast a witchy spell. But, slowly, along with the little girl, you realize they’re both having a good time, going down slides, flying through the night, and being tossed in a vat of crocodiles, I mean a bath.
The illustrations by Irene Freitas are fantastic, colorful, fun and full of adventure. Each time I read the story, I found something new to look at and notice.
¡Ay, Caramba! You’ll enjoy this book!
Wednesday Wilson Fixes All Your Problems by Bree Galbraith
Wednesday Wilson’s morning is not off to a good start. Her mom made egg pizza for breakfast again, she spilled her brother’s orange juice all over his family tree project, her favorite marble hit the principal in the head and her brother locked himself in the bathroom at school. To get her brother to come out of the bathroom, Wednesday’s classmate, Emmett, says he needs a worry stone. And this leads Wednesday to her next business adventure: selling her marble collection to students to solve their problems. This short chapter book is book two in the Wednesday Wilson series, but you can read it without feeling like you are missing too much from the first book.
Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind
Written by Monica Silvie Illustrated by Elina Ellis
You Should Meet Yayoi Kusama
This leveled book is at the top of the Ready-to-Read difficulty level with longer, more complex sentences; wider, more challenging vocabulary; and up to a paragraph of text on a page. It includes a table of contents, two one-page bios of other famous women artists, a list of areas of study involving art, information about Japan, and a quiz about the text.
The text does a great job of conveying a straightforward summary of the life of Yayoi Kusama highlighting her struggles over the course of her long life, and how she eventually became regarded as a celebrity with her exhibitions selling out instantly. The theme focuses on how dedication and belief in yourself can lead to dreams coming true.
As Kusama is famous for her extensive use of polka dots in her art, the illustrations have polka dots on many pages. The bright palette of her artwork is reflected in the illustrations.
This book could be an inspiration to young girls who want to pursue an art career.
A Bird Will Soar
A Bird Will Soar by Alison Green Myers is a tender read about Axel, a bird-loving autistic boy who loves to figure things out. Between all the varieties of birds, the mysterious relationship between his parents, and the disappearance of his dad, Alex has a lot to figure out. I like how birds were symbolically and metaphorically part of the setting, the plot, and the characters. The author was clever to include Axel’s special quirks without making it a big deal. While Alex is a middle school student, some of the themes and symbolic overtones will appeal to high schoolers.
How Not to Fall in Love
How Not to Fall in Love by Jacqueline Firkins is a quick read and romance. Harper, the cynical protagonist, is healing from last summer’s heartbreak, and Harper frequently witnesses demanding bridezillas in her mother’s wedding bridal gown shop. Harper must confront her more recent romantic past, as well as issues with her mother and Harper’s early childhood. Harper’s childhood friend and neighbor, Theo, is there to support her and challenge her, but ultimately, Harper thinks she can teach Theo how not to fall in love. It was a bit predictable for the reader, but with just enough uncertainty to keep the pages turning. Overall, I like how Harper must reconcile her definition of love.
School of Phantoms
This book is a solid addition to the current craze for scary books for younger children. Former elementary art teacher Kory Merritt does a great job of tapping into some of our deepest fears and weaving them into the plot and his illustrations. Let’s review. The fear of disappearing and no one noticing you are gone (not even your parents)? Check! Your fear of that creepy house on the edge of town that just doesn’t seem right? Check! The fear of scary looking snowmen getting closer whenever you aren’t watching? Check! Unidentifiable, weird creatures coming out of the walls? Check! A dark basement full of alienesque creatures? Check!
The format is a true hybrid, seamlessly going back and forth between sections with a half page of text with one large picture to a graphic novel. In lesser hands this style can be distracting, but Merrit uses it to build energy and suspense as well as signal moves between different locations and plot lines. The main character Kat is using her phone to film a documentary on the strange goings on in their small town. The result has a Blair Witch Project meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibe.
The characters feel like real people and are relatable. From the distracted school principal to the cool science teacher to the janitor who seems a bit out there, each person adds a layer to the story. If you pay close attention to the janitor’s dialog, you will recognize nods to some films like The Princess Bride.
The strongest part is the illustrations. From the students gathered in the cafeteria to an all out otherworldly invasion, the pictures are powerful. They are what keep you turning pages. The story however goes deeper than what you might expect. This could be a great way to engage reluctant readers of novels to dig deeper and learn about plot devices, character development, or satisfying endings,to name a few. Merritt cleverly builds his narrative across the entire story. While there is a resolution at the end, you also realize the story is not over yet. You are wondering about what will happen next.
This is the second of three books planned for the series. I hope Kory Merritt continues to offer kids great adventures.
Forty Winks: a bedtime adventure
The rhyming verse and adorable yet silly illustrations celebrate the nightly childhood rituals of bedtime, by seeing them through the lense of a family of mice. When there are 38 little ones to be settled, the feeding and bathing and brushing and dressing and reading and drinks take a while. The rhymes are fun and the illustrations are full of personality, and the topic is so familiar. I can see kids wanting to read it again and again.
Poopsie Gets Lost
I really like this one, and can see it being great as an interactive read-aloud. The illustrations a fun and full of personality, and the text is written as an interaction between the narrator, who is giving some very bad advice, and the main character, Poopsie, an adorable and pampered house cat living a rather sedate life. That is until our narrater dares her to venture out into the world, where she tangles with snakes and crocodiles and tigers. When put to the challenge, Poopsie shows she’s got some real spunk, but in the end chooses to return to her to the safety and simplicity of home, turning her back on the pushy narrator who got her into that mess.
Tortoise and Hare: a fairy tale to help you find balance
It’s a new spin on an old folktale, with a new message. Instead of “slow and steady wins the race,” the moral of this one is that “sometimes it’s good to be fast and sometimes it’s good to be slow, but mostly it’s good to have a friend to help you find the balance.” It gives us a bit more pre-race background on our main characters, showing how their usual ways of going about things creates problems for both. During the race, when Hare stops for a nap, Tortoise catches up, but instead of continuing on, the two spend some time star-gazing together and then finish the race together, with Tortoise riding piggy back, getting a chance to experience the joy of speed, and the two become fast friends who help each other find balance when they need it. It’s a bit long, and some may find it preachy, but I liked it.
Clementine and the Lion
It’s okay. It’s a version of the classic “kid thinks parents are ogres and would rather live without grown-up interference” trope. In this case mom got snatched by dragons and dad is lost at sea in a bottle. When an aunt shows up and tries to take over, Clementine invents an invisible paint to hide the house and get rid of the aunt. When she accidentally leaves the door open one day she ends up with a lion as a houseguest and must find a way to make peace with it and carry on in case her parents come back some day. On the one hand, a lot of kids can relate to the living-without-adults fantasy, on the other hand, it seems a bit disjointed.
Stick and Stone: Best Friends Forever!
This picture book is a rollicking, rhyming celebration of friendship and what being a family means. Ostensibly, Stick and Stone are off looking for Stick’s family tree, but when the adventure turns from fun to frightening to hopeless Stone tells Stick that he is his family and Stick agrees.
The delightful end papers have stick sprouting leaves of many different trees, which tie in with an illustration in the book. The humor around a stick looking for his family tree, which literally is a tree, remains funny throughout. The sunny illustrations reflect the energy between the two friends. The palette temporarily becomes darker when things get tense, but returns to vibrant color after help is received from another friend. Emerging readers will be successful with the repetition and simplicity of words and the short sentence length.
This book might be an especially good fit for young children who are adopted or, for whatever reason, are unable to make a connection with their heritage or ancestry.
The Care and Keeping of Freddy
The only thing I would change about this book is the title. I kept looking for a connection, but Freddy remained a minor character.
This story does a fabulous job of showing what can happen to kids when they are let down by adults who are supposed to care for them. Georgia’s mom leaves suddenly the same day she buys Freddy, a bearded dragon, for Georgia. She returns with a new husband and a baby over a year and a half later. Georgia is thrilled. . .or is she? Georgia’s best friend and aspiring writer, Maria has parents who happily retreat to the camper behind the garage all summer leaving her Abuela and six kids to pretty much fend for themselves. New kid in town Roland (Roly) is in foster care with the very religious Farley family because his dad is incarcerated and his mom was declared “unfit”.
These eleven and twelve year old characters come to life as the reader experiences their friendship, struggles, and adventures. Georgia’s relationship with her clearly depressed but doing-his-very-best-for-his-daughter father is especially poignant. We see the emotional roller coaster and hurt Georgia and Roly endure. Georgia is determined to get her parents back together, but then she starts noticing the not-so-great things about her mom that she had forgotten about when her mom abandoned her.
There are no easy answers for anyone in this story, but there is hard won wisdom. It is an intense, emotional ride, but well worth the trip.
All Cats Welcome by Susin Nielsen
Calling all cat lovers! Do you ever wonder what your cat is saying to you when you leave the house? Do you wonder what they fill their days with? Leonard, the cat, loves his human. He joins him for dinner, hangs around his shoulders and sleeps with him. But, when his human leaves for work Leonard feels lonely. Leonard is quickly bored, until he spots a fellow feline home for the day. The other cat lives across the street in a parallel apartment and Leonard has an idea. He sneaks himself into his human’s instrument case and crosses the street to meet his new friend, cat to cat. Mariposa only speaks Spanish, but the language barrier doesn’t stop the two from having a great time playing with each other. In the evening, Leonard sneaks home through an open window. Leonard takes Mariposa on many adventures through the seasons until one day Mariposa’s human discovers Leonard in his apartment and, because of the cold, closes their apartment window leaving Leonard no way to get home.
This is a cute story of friendship between cats and between felines and their humans. You get to feel the sadness and joy right alongside the characters as the illustrations provide a colorful, emotional journey.
Cat lovers will adore this friendship story!
Out of a Jar
by Deborah Marcero
This picture book discusses feelings and when Llewellyn the bunny experiences tough feelings he puts them aside in a jar and locks them away. This works well for him for a while until suddenly, he isn’t feeling much of anything at all. One day, the jars all break. See what happens to Llewellyn when his feelings all get loose. This book is a good addition to your S.E.L. library. Younger students will enjoy and understand what happens when one does not express their feelings and keep them inside. I would recommend this book for elementary school (k-3).
M is for Monster by: Talia Dutton
Reviewed by OHS Student, Blaze
This graphic novel is a creative with an intriguing twist on a classic horror story (Frankenstein), a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys graphic novels. Fiction, Magic, Science, Psychology, and Coming of Age are blended well in this story as the author delves deep into grief and its consequences.
Summary: Frances Ai has failed in her attempt to bring back her sisters soul, instead creating a new mind in her sisters body. This new being, M, struggles with the pressure placed on her as Frances tries to find any hint of the sister she lost.
I believe that the mechanics of magic within the story were altogether unnecessary, as they did not serve as more than occasional mentions and did not serve much purpose. The story would have been perfectly fine without mentions of magic.
F.A.R.T.: Top Secret! No Kids Allowed! (1) (The F.A.R.T. Diaries)
The F.A.R.T. Diaries is an adventurous comedy that will entice anyone looking for some wacky fun! A diabolical plot by a group of parents and teachers (also known as F.A.R.T.) to brainwash kids into obedience is discovered by FP, and it’s up to a tween boy to figure out how to stop it. The boundless humor and wacky characters were bound to interest anyone who lay a finger on this book! This daring book takes the character vs. society conflict above and beyond with unmatched creativity! People who dislike reading could pick up this book and immediately be engrossed, dystopian readers will appreciate the challenge of authority, but all the action and comedy can be enjoyed by all!
Cloud Town by Daniel McClosky
Cloud Town by Danial McCloskey represents a dystopian world with monsters and crazy events. This book is perfect for readers that enjoy science fiction and exploring a whole different world. Two friends, Olive and Pen forever head each other backs, until a giant android that protects their town from huge monsters almost steps on them. Only one of them can drive the android to protect the townspeople. Their friendship then becomes threatened by abandonment, and feelings of betrayal. The miraculous creativity and imagination the author used to create this crazy adventure of a story were compelling. This Dystopian graphic novel mixes adventure, contemporary art, and ridiculous characters all to create this masterpiece.