Throw a Valentine’s Day Party

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Written by Christina Leaf

Express!: Party Time! is a six-book series that introduces holidays and their history. Then, gives directions for some simple decorations, foods and activities. Everything has step-by-step directions with illustrations and a list of extra materials over those noted at the beginning of the books. Each project is introduced with some information connecting it to the history of the holiday. There are Table of Contents, Index, Glossary and “To Learn More” section with extra resources. Particularly helpful are the “Top Tips” scattered throughout each book. Color illustrations are engaging and the text is accessible.

Throw a Valentine’s Day Party shares information and projects related to the holiday. Foods, decorations and other crafts are presented, beginning with a short history or description of the relevance of the project to the holiday. Kids will love reading about the origin of the heart-shaped box of chocolates and candy hearts. A fun addition to the holiday is that several cultures celebrate Friendship Day on this date as well. This book gives directions for making a friendship bracelet for a friend in honor of that aspect of the holiday. All in all, this is a great resource for budding party planners as well as kids that are curious about the holiday and its origins. Add this to your library!

Throw an Earth Day Party

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by Christina Leaf

Express!: Party Time! is a six-book series that introduces holidays and their history. Then, gives directions for some simple decorations, foods and activities. Everything has step-by-step directions with illustrations and a list of extra materials over those noted at the beginning of the books. Each project is introduced with some information connecting it to the history of the holiday. There are Table of Contents, Index, Glossary and “To Learn More” section with extra resources. Particularly helpful are the “Top Tips” scattered throughout each book. Color illustrations are engaging and the text is accessible.

Would you like to have an eco-friendly celebration of Earth Day? Take a look at Throw an Earth Day Party, a part of the Express!: Party Time! series. In this book, you learn about the history of Earth Day and directions for a variety of party decorations and foods for the celebration. The decorations rely on recycled items, which most people should have access to at home. Foods are healthy, using items readily available in most grocery stores. This book has very accessible activities and readers will enjoy preparing for a fun Earth Day party. Highly recommended.

Throw an Independence Day Party

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by Elizabeth Neuenfeldt

Express!: Party Time! is a six-book series that introduces holidays and their history. Then, gives directions for some simple decorations, foods and activities. Everything has step-by-step directions with illustrations and a list of extra materials over those noted at the beginning of the books. Each project is introduced with some information connecting it to the history of the holiday. There are Table of Contents, Index, Glossary and “To Learn More” section with extra resources. Particularly helpful are the “Top Tips” scattered throughout each book. Color illustrations are engaging and the text is accessible.

Throw and Independence Day Party has all the red, white and blue that one would expect for this holiday. Projects range from decor and food and drinks to games and party hats. Readers learn about the history of this day and the symbolism of the colors, Stars and Stripes and fireworks. One fact that I learned was the Thomas Jefferson had his own ice cream recipe – yum! Many of the projects use easy-to-find materials. “Top Tips” are located throughout to help make the process easier or different. For example, one tip suggests that you can make a sweet version of the veggie dip flag using cut fruits and yogurt dip of the same colors. This is a nice addition to your holiday books.

A Dump Truck’s Day

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Written by Betsy Rathburn and illustrated by Mike Byrne

Blastoff! Missions: Machines at Work is a series of ten narrative nonfiction books that explore different large machinery led by “Blastoff Jimmy”, a cute cartoon astronaut. Each book has mission goals that enhance the reading adventure. Readers learn facts about the large equipment and unfamiliar words are bolded within the text and defined in the glossary at the back of the book. Bright, engaging illustrations are labeled and each book has an index, table of contents and “To Learn More” section. The machines’ jobs are noted and a diverse mix of workers are happily working with the equipment.

Young readers will be surprised by this book, because it isn’t about your everyday dump truck. This dump truck is used in pit mining and is huge! Besides the huge tires, there are ladders to climb up into the cab, which gives you perspective in size. Most kids have probably never seen a dump truck of this size. Therefore, it should be a high interest topic and a fun read! One illustration that really stands out is of an open pit mine with dump trucks way down inside driving along the roads. The mine is absolutely enormous, because the dump trucks look tiny in comparison. Readers will find this book an engaging read. Highly recommended.

A Fire Truck’s Day

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written by Lily Schell and illustrated by Mike Byrne

Blastoff! Missions: Machines at Work is a series of ten narrative nonfiction books that explore different large machinery led by “Blastoff Jimmy”, a cute cartoon astronaut. Each book has mission goals that enhance the reading adventure. Readers learn facts about the large equipment and unfamiliar words are bolded within the text and defined in the glossary at the back of the book. Bright, engaging illustrations are labeled and each book has an index, table of contents and “To Learn More” section. The machines’ jobs are noted and a diverse mix of workers are happily working with the equipment.

Kids love fire trucks and this book will explain all about them, including how they are used for fighting fires, why they are red or yellow and how they respond to a fire or accident. I love that the firefighters are diverse in gender and ethnicity. Young readers will see themselves in this book and envision their future as firefighters as well! Highly recommended.

A Backhoe’s Day

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written by Betsy Rathburn and illustrated by Mike Byrne

Blastoff! Missions: Machines at Work is a series of ten narrative nonfiction books that explore different large machinery led by “Blastoff Jimmy”, a cute cartoon astronaut. Each book has mission goals that enhance the reading adventure. Readers learn facts about the large equipment and unfamiliar words are bolded within the text and defined in the glossary at the back of the book. Bright, engaging illustrations are labeled and each book has an index, table of contents and “To Learn More” section. The machines’ jobs are noted and a diverse mix of workers are happily working with the equipment.

The backhoe has a big job and many tools to use move dirt, level surfaces and dig a trench. Readers learn about all the functions of the backhoe and why it does some of its work (what are those trenches used for after the backhoe makes them?). The female operator is having a great time as evidenced by her smile as she works. Young readers will want to try it out! Highly recommended.

Parker’s Big Feelings by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry

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Parker is new at her school, and everything seems to be going wrong. She has a disastrous day, is missing her best friend, and just wants some alone time when she gets home. When her siblings make that impossible, Parker’s mom helps her come up with ways to turn her day around. Kids will connect with this relatable story and also gain ideas for working through big emotions. 
From the New York Times bestselling authors of Parker Looks Up, the simple sentences in this Ready-to-Read level one book will be accessible to younger readers and valuable to all kids.

Critter-Cam Monkey Cam by Margie Palatini

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This energetic pre-level one reader follows a monkey as it zips around and encounters other animals. The pages juxtapose the reader’s view of the monkey’s interactions with the monkey’s point of view through the monkey-cam strapped to its head. Most pages contain only one or two words, making it a great book for beginning readers.
This author and illustrator also team up for the adorable Kitty-Cam and Shark-Cam, so kids can enjoy the opportunity to compare the videos the animals are creating.

See Otto Say Hi! by David Milgrim

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Otto the robot is desperately trying to befriend Tweet the bird. He tries everything from offering a full bag of chips to baking a lovely cake for Tweet. Otto eventually finds more success than he could have imagined. The book is a pre-level one reader with short sentences that use common sight words. Other words are either decodable or come with a picture clue, making it a great choice for beginning readers. This engaging and accessible book is part of “The adventures of Otto” series.

A Bulldozer’s Day

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written by Harriet Loy and illustrated by Mike Byrne

Blastoff! Missions: Machines at Work is a series of ten narrative nonfiction books that explore different large machinery led by “Blastoff Jimmy”, a cute cartoon astronaut. Each book has mission goals that enhance the reading adventure. Readers learn facts about the large equipment and unfamiliar words are bolded within the text and defined in the glossary at the back of the book. Bright, engaging illustrations are labeled and each book has an index, table of contents and “To Learn More” section. The machines’ jobs are noted and a diverse mix of workers are happily working with the equipment.

A Bulldozer’s Day takes the reader through a typical day on the construction site. The bulldozer and other large machines are introduced and then the bulldozer gets to work. It uses several accessories to do the various jobs on the site and, eventually, completes the task of preparing the site for a building. This won’t stay on the shelves long. What kid doesn’t love a bulldozer?

A Tractor’s Day

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written by Lily Schell and illustrated by Mike Byrne

Blastoff! Missions: Machines at Work is a series of ten narrative nonfiction books that explore different large machinery led by “Blastoff Jimmy”, a cute cartoon astronaut. Each book has mission goals that enhance the reading adventure. Readers learn facts about the large equipment and unfamiliar words are bolded within the text and defined in the glossary at the back of the book. Bright, engaging illustrations are labeled and each book has an index, table of contents and “To Learn More” section. The machines’ jobs are noted and a diverse mix of workers are happily working with the equipment.

A Tractor’s Day details the hard work that this piece of machinery throughout the seasons. Driven by a female farmer, the tractor and its extra implements prepares the soil in the fall, plants the seeds in the spring and looks forward to the harvest at the end of the summer. After a quick clean up by the farmer, the tractor is back in the barn and ready for its next job. This will be a hit with your youngest readers!

An Airplane’s Day

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Written by Harriet Loy and illustrated by Mike Byrne

Blastoff! Missions: Machines at Work is a series of ten narrative nonfiction books that explore different large machinery led by “Blastoff Jimmy”, a cute cartoon astronaut. Each book has mission goals that enhance the reading adventure. Readers learn facts about the large equipment and unfamiliar words are bolded within the text and defined in the glossary at the back of the book. Bright, engaging illustrations are labeled and each book has an index, table of contents and “To Learn More” section. The machines’ jobs are noted and a diverse mix of workers are happily working with the equipment.

In An Airplane’s Day, Blastoff Jimmy leads the reader through the day of an airplane and its crew. Starting with leaving the hangar, fueling up and loading cargo and passengers and ending with a completed trip and preparations for the next one, this book does a fantastic job of giving the reader a general idea of the work done with an airplane. Text is accessible for young readers and the labeled illustrations are really helpful. Give this book to young travelers or kids that love airplanes. They will love this book!

Sam’s Super Seats

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by Keah Brown and illustrated by Sharee Miller

Sam is excited – her mom is taking her school clothes shopping at the mall with her two best friends, Sarah and Sydney. She starts the morning with her dad, singing and brushing her teeth and then saying four things that she likes about herself that day. Her mom joins in the fun and they end up downstairs where we meet Sam’s couch, Misty, names after famed African American ballerina, Misty Copeland. Sam often rests on Misty, because she has cerebral palsy and her legs get tired at times. Her other favorite seat is Laney, the jokester back seat of her mom’s car. She and her friends giggle and chat in the back seat as they head to the mall, where they try on some amazing school outfits, including Sam’s cute adaptive clothing. They take a break on a new bench called Maya and then are on their way back to Sam’s house and a final fashion show. Sam is really excited for school to start now!

Colorfully drawn illustrations enhance a story that embraces and celebrates differently abled children. Characters are diverse. Sam and her parents are Black, Sarah is Asian and Sydney is a red-haired white girl. This is a sweet story that normalizes differences. It’s a winner!

The Cozy Home: Three-and-a-Half Stories

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Ame Dyckman & Mark Teague

Three friends (Bat, Cat & Rat) are introduced in this book containing three (and a half!) short stories centered around their move into a new home. Personalities are evident from the start. Cat unpacks books and is somewhat serious. Rat unpacks a bunch of joke and prank stuff (he’s the funny one) and Bat is smart and able to turn the tables on jokester Rat in one story. Stories are short (up to sixteen pages) with simple text and few sentences on each page. This accessible book is filled with Mark Teague’s cartoon–like illustrations, colorful and bright. Young readers will feel very accomplished after reading three-and-a-half stories about three friends that live together and care about each other. Highly recommended.

The Spooky Story

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by Amy Marie Stadelmann

Paige is a fact collector and carries around a handy notebook in which to write her facts and solve mysteries. Along the way, she engages the reader by sharing her notebook pages and insights. One might notice that she seems to be using parts of the scientific process in her methods. In “The Spooky Story”, she and her friends, Penn and Karla, investigate the mysterious ghostly occurrences at Karla’s home. Karla shares a house with her grandmother, who teaches music to a collection of interesting characters that were introduced in the first book of the series. In this case, there are ghostly footsteps on the stairs, an upstairs door that slams shut and eery shadows that show up. Paige and friends are able to use their keen senses to determine that the occurrences can be explained with observable facts, although Penn is still a little caught up in the notion of ghosts. Paige remarks, “Even when you have fully investigated, made clear observations, and proven the facts, some people still come to their own conclusions”. Hmm…that rings true even with adults, doesn’t it?

There are color illustrations throughout and glimpses of Paige’s notebook pages help explain her reasoning as the story moves along. The cover of the book calls this story “a graphic novel chapter book”, which should hook your graphic novel readers AND your easier chapter book readers. Highly recommended.

Kelp Finds a Way to Help!

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Fans of the original Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima are sure to like this Pre-Level 1, Ready to Read early reader. Kelp meets up with his friend Pixie to help walk Crabbie. When Crabbie gets lost, Kelp and Pixie use their problem solving skills to find him. Characters are also in the Netflix adaptation of Not Quite Narwhal.The text uses short sentences with easy text. The cute and colorful illustrations mimic the animation from the Dreamworks series.

Lawrence and Sophia by Doreen and Brian Cronin

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Lawrence is a boy who is scared to venture out of his yard. Sophie is a bird who is scared to venture down to the ground. One day Sophie is feeling brave and walks down to the end of a branch and finds Lawrence. They start spending time together in the yard – Lawrence on the ground and Sophie in the tree – sharing things they love with each other. Sophie moves her nest to be closer to Lawrence. Lawrence builds a tent to be closer to Sophie, but still neither will venture beyond their comfort zone. When a big storm hits, both are worried enough for the other to go beyond their fears to find and protect their friend.

By Doreen Cronin, the author of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type and Diary of a Worm. A precious story of how the strength of friendship can bolster someone to step into situations outside their comfort. Highly recommended.

Just Snow Already! by Howard McWilliam

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A young boy gets excited one morning when he’s told it might snow. He checks outside – nothing yet. He fixates on the idea of snow and all the fun he will have. Outside the house, the day goes on with increasingly exciting people and occurrences. The mail carrier spills her mail, the fire truck comes to get a cat from a tree, a Safari Park Truck crashes, and monkeys escape. The rest of the neighborhood is caught up in the excitement, but still the boy’s day is ruined because there is no snow. Finally, SNOW! The neighborhood has become a fun carnival, and at last, now that there’s snow, the boy is ready to dive in.

Impatience and fixation leads the young boy to miss all the excitement happening in his neighborhood. Colorful animated illustrations become increasingly entertaining. A fun winter read.

Prince in Comics

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The graphic novel Prince in Comics by Tony Lourenco is an odd mix. It is part of a publishing series about worthy topics that seeks to meld graphic novels, comics, and textbook prose/articles and in doing so results in an unsatisfying reading experience. The work is a distant though detailed act of storytelling that misses the visual vibrancy of a graphic novel and defeats the intent of the genre by relying deeply on long text. 

The book takes a painstakingly (and sometimes painfully) thorough tour of the commercial life of the artist once known as Prince. The detail is perplexing as it is a tedious slog filled with minor characters in Prince’s life who enter and quickly disappear. They discuss record deals or band deals but they become a blur and it is difficult to dissect just why their inclusion adds import to the story of Prince’s life. 

Prince is a worthy topic to explore. He led an interesting life and was an important artist. But that can be difficult to take away from this work. The book is cluttered with boring details and hampered by odd style choices. 

One value of a graphic novel is its visual vibrancy. But this work has contributions from many artists resulting in confusing visual inconsistencies. Characters drawn by different artists are difficult to recognize as the same character. Changes in visual style can be jarring and take the reader out of the story. 

Another value of the genre is to hear directly from characters. But this work relies so much on text over dialogue that the immediacy of the first person is lost. Even worse the comic format is interrupted by large sections of block text. Those who came looking for a graphic novel are confronted with pages of textbook-style paragraphs defeating the joy and purpose of the genre. 

Prince as a person never really comes through. The text and other characters talk a lot about him and his music but he speaks rarely himself. He seems more of a silhouette than an artist or a person. 

Unfortunately because of a reliance on contradictory design, style, and genre decisions the work fails in its purported aim – to bring Prince alive and show the meaning of his artistry, something he never failed to do.  – David Johnston, retired English teacher.

The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet

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By Jake Maia Arlow

Al is having a really rough school year. After a few close calls with needing to poop during the school day, her mortifying embarassment with this issue, and her own questions about who she’s crushing on, life has gotten really complicated. It doesn’t help that her mom is all in her business about her health and her diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. She’s also struggling with her best friend and neighbor who has taken a sudden interest in the drama club and balancing new friends in a IBS support group. This is a good book for anyone dealing with severe medical issues, particularly  the embarrassing poop-related ones, but also anyone trying to just feel comfortable in their own skin. Al learns to deal with her shyness with personal issues as she tries to be her most authentic self – not an easy task! I liked that it normalizes IBS and “poop” and shows someone struggling to come out of the silence to advocate for herself. Al also deals with coming to terms with her own sexuality and those of her friends and mother. I imagine all the poop talk will cause some readers to giggle or be uncomfortable, but in the end, I think it shows just how many hidden issues students are dealing with on any given day. Some may even see their own struggles in some of Al’s – especially her difficulties with communication with her mother and friends. 

Ever Since by Alena Bruzas

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This book was really difficult to read because of the content; it’s very powerful, but will need content warnings if added to a high school collection.

The main character, Virginia, is a victim of sexual assault and abuse – but she is keeping it hidden. Instead, she displays risky behaviors with drinking, drug use, and sex. As the reader, we are not made aware of the extent of the abuse, and the fact that there are multiple abusers, until much later in the book. Instead we follow Virginia’s journey of self-loathing desire to feel love.

As details about Virginia’s story unfold, other victims come forward – all of which are close friends of Virginia’s and all were groomed by the same abuser.

This book should be considered for high school libraries only.

It is set in Washington State and has some local references, which I always appreciate.

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Book Review of “Writing in Color”

Dreams of becoming a writer? Want to tell the real story of who you are, to share a fantasy world of your creation, or to write a family saga in your native language? Writing in Color is a collection of essays from 14 writers of color who have made that dream become a reality. Each entry is in the voice of a successful writer who has ‘made it’ and the consequences of that accomplishment. The book explores the craft of writing and publishing. The style of writing for each author is very unique. With hopeful encouragement, each author shares their experience of anxiety, nervousness, elation, and confusion. Reading the essays is like having a friend holding your hand to inspire and assist in making a dream come true. Writing in Color is especially aimed at high school teenagers in the choice of writers presented. A valuable resource to propel the reticent writer and it would be an excellent gift!

You: The Story. The Writer’s Guide to Craft Through Memory

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You: The Story. The Writer’s Guide to Craft Through Memory is a how-to guide for aspiring writers. The book draws from the author’s personal experiences as a writer and the methods they have used to add detail and depth to their characters, setting, and dialogue– specifically using personal memories to create the details and emotion that go with storytelling. The book covers eleven elements essential to storytelling such as plot, character development, developing a writer’s voice, perspective, setting, dialogue, how to do research for a story, surviving the revision process, and how to find the courage to tell your story. The author uses personal experiences to illustrate each element of the writing process. Chapters end with a recap of ideas and concepts presented in the chapter for easy reference, writing prompts to help initiate each part of the process, and a unique “Stories to Uncover and Discover” page where a little research about the person/group/thing could open a fountain of ideas to write about. Since Sepetys is famous for her historical fiction novels, it is so intriguing to see how she incorporates her passion for research into sparking creative opportunities for writers this way.

The book is easy to read. The chapters are not too long or short but provide the right amount of information without weighing the reader down with too many details. The book flows easily from concept to concept and provides sufficient detail to help new, reluctant writers understand the process, get started, and survive the writing and revision process. This is an excellent book for all libraries, and to give as gifts in this graduation season. It is highly recommended.

This review was written by William Grantham and edited by Kristi Bonds

Nina Simone in Comics

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The graphic novel Nina Simone in Comics, by Sophie Adriansen, dramatically tells the life story of the brilliant musician and political activist, Nina Simone. Using music as a “weapon” to express the pain and emotion of being black in America in the 1950’s and 60’s, Simone creates a unique life of meaning and substance. Her initial dream of being a concert pianist was thwarted due to the color of her skin. Forced to support herself, she begins performing in nightclubs and town halls where her amazing talent leads to fame, record contracts, and international recognition. Simone’s long life is a roller coaster of success vs failure, wealth vs poverty, romance vs abuse, acclaim vs obscurity. Her natural abilities as a musician, a singer, and a songwriter are motivated by her fierce determination to use her talents for social justice. She writes the anthem: ‘Young, Black and Gifted’. Her lifelong resilience is admirable. The graphic illustrations portray the vibrant, emotional aspects of jazz music and social unrest, and the text inserts clarify the historical timeline of those tumultuous times. This book would appeal to both middle school and high school students.

She Persisted: Deb Haaland by Laurel Goodluck

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“Deb Haaland (She Persisted Series)” by Laurel Goodluck is a captivating addition to elementary libraries. As part of the inspiring “She Persisted” series, this book introduces young readers to the remarkable life and achievements of Deb Haaland, the first Native American woman to serve as a United States Secretary.

Goodluck’s accessible storytelling bring Haaland’s journey to life, highlighting her resilience, determination, and commitment to making a difference. Through Haaland’s story, children are not only introduced to an influential figure in American politics but also encouraged to pursue their dreams and stand up for what they believe in.

With its empowering message and engaging narrative, “Deb Haaland” is a valuable resource for sparking conversations about diversity, leadership, and the power of perseverance. This book is sure to inspire young readers to embrace their own potential and make a positive impact on the world around them.