Category Archives: Highly Recommend

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water

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By Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee’ Watson, Illustrated by nikkolas Smith

Immediately drawn to this book with the “1619 Project” in the title, I was delighted with the beautiful poems which make up the content of the book. Each poem is thoughtful, of content, vocabulary, rhythm and true to the story of the African American plight in the time of slavery. Vacillating between hope and joy and fear and loss, this book delivers many emotions and helps the ready to understand the feelings of the Africans during this dark chapter of United States history. The reader is taken on the journey from the contented villages of Africa, over the dangerous and deadly ocean, to the new world.

The story begins with a simple school assignment. Students are asked to trace their roots. The young girls asks her grandmother about their family story, but feels ashamed. The grandmother tells her the whole story, with poetry throughout the book, until the girl realizes she has so much to feel proud of.

The term “born on the water” refers to the people who were stolen from their homes, endured the hardship of the crossing of the ocean in the horrific ships, and landed on shore with a new life. Not the one they had been born to, but a new one they had been forced into.

Minus the illustrations, these poems heard by middle schoolers, would be a powerful read by a teacher or parent. The illustrations are bold acrylic, and the artists has a style which is easily recognized from other books. Although this style of art is not what I would have chosen for this poetry book, I honor the authenticity of the illustrator and recognize his talent and many successes.

Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima

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Hardly Haunted is a fun narrative from the perspective of the house. The house is a big wooden house with creaky hinges and squeaky floorboards and all this house wants is to be inhabited. It has a sneaking suspicion that it might be haunted and so it tries to be on its best behavior to entice people to come live in it. Jessie Sima does an excellent job of making this house come to life with windows that double as expressive eyes, overgrown plants that are hair, and even boards that appear to be cheeks and a mouth.

A class of second graders gave this book five stars because they like the ending, like the face on the house, the cat, and most of all the words!

Definitely pick up this book for a fun story of a sweet haunted house, who learns to enjoy all their haunted bits and finally, when she accepts being herself, finds the perfect family to move in.

Hardly Haunted: Sima, Jessie, Sima, Jessie: 9781534441705: Amazon.com: Books

We Shall Overcome by Bryan Collier

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Bryan Collier’s breathtaking illustrations of the Civil Rights protest song make this book an important addition to any elementary library. Each refrain is supported by the visual portrayal of the text with the current day children of color living and dreaming beside a black and white portrayal of historical events and figures important to the Civil Rights movement. The message is thought provoking and uplifting and celebrates progress while recognizing there is still change that needs to happen.

Since the text is based on the lyrics from the original gospel hymn, the breadth of the message is broadened beyond the repeated refrain most often part of Civil Rights protests.

The endpapers explain the origins of the hymn and provides details on the significance of the black and white historical events.

Bisa’s Carnaval

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Bisa’s Carnaval by Joana Pastro is a delightful picture book about Clara who is so excited to celebrate her favorite holiday, Carnaval, with her family. Her Bisa (great-grandma) helps Clara make her costume for the parade, but says she is too old to take part in the parade. Clara decides to take the parade to her Bisa.

The vibrancy of the illustrations and the different font sizes bring the feeling of excitement and joy of the Carnaval to the reader. The author and illustrator note’s at the end give personal perspective to Carnaval and the glossary at the end translates some of the Brazilian Portuguese words.

Earth’s Aquarium: Discover 15 Real-Life Water Worlds

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By Alexander Kaufman; illustrated by Mariana Rodrigues

This oversized book is both beautiful and informative. This book begins with the important aspects of many watery worlds and defines each: salinity, density, light penetration, currents, pressure, waves, water acidity, and tides & oxygen concentration. 15 different water ecosystems are highlighted from all parts of the planet. Within each, 8-10 species are illustrated and discussed, as well as the importance of each unique type of watery ecosystem. Each ecosystem features a two-page spread of the ecosystem “in action” followed by 2 pages of information about specific species. While the reader may never see the fast-moving freshwater of the Amazon River in South America, they can certainly see similar ecosystems near their own homes.  The illustrations are gorgeous and are worthy of time spent just swimming around the pages. This book would be a great addition to a science class involved in water quality testing or any school library where water issues are studied. This is a highly recommended picture book for older audiences since the text is geared toward older students!

Earth's Aquarium: Discover 15 Real-Life Water Worlds

Muddle School

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Based on Dave’s own middle school experiences, the main character, Dave, moves to a new middle school and has to start all over trying to establish his “cool-factor”. He is not very successful initially. Eventually, he and a science lab partner build a time machine and he tests it out. The results allow him to learn from his mistakes and get a do-over – sort of. Poignant and real, students will be able to relate to many of Dave’s experiences and will perhaps find ways out of their own struggles. I did find the exaggerated leadership trophy scene a bit over-the-top, but liked the subtle empathy he finds in the parking lot afterwards.  Illustrations are all in calm, neutral blue tones, but the drawings are full of energy and humor. I also liked the occasional page that appears to be doodles on notebook paper. Included at the end is a short author biography that draws comparisons between the fictional Dave and the real one.  Overall, a solid, must-have in a middle school library.

Muddle School
Book Cover

Our Table

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Violet remembers when her family used to sit around the table sharing about their day and making memories. Now her family is distracted by other things and has been too busy to sit around the table. One day Violet notices that her table is beginning to shrink until it disappears completely. How can Violet get her family back to spending time together?

This picture book by Peter H. Reynolds is beautifully illustrated. The scenes where her family are together and connected are in full color. The scenes where they are distracted and isolated are illustrated only in purple. This story would resonate with many readers as we become distracted by technology and busy with life and may lose some connection with each other.

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz

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Set in the past and the present, this realistic/historical fiction book is based on the events surrounding the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York.  Brandon is a young man who has gotten into trouble at school and thus, is visiting his father who works at the World Trade Center. When the attack occurs, Brandon is put into an obvious life or death situation. In an alternate storyline, Reshmina has grown up in war torn Afghanistan all of her life. She is a dreamer of peace but knows the reality that young men have when they must make the decision to be with the Taliban or not. These two storylines intertwine into a wonderful book where the present and history intersect. Readers will read not only the terrifying events as they occurred in New York on September 11, 2001 but also the effects of the United States being at war in Afghanistan to the normal everyday individual living through it.It is remarkable how Alan Gratz writes thought provoking literature for youth that will open the eyes of many. I highly recommend this book.

When Langston Dances

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The picture book When Langston Dances by Kaija Langley is a celebration of movement and color with Keith Mallett’s illustrations seeming to come alive with every page turn. Langston is a young black boy who liked basketball, but fell in love with ballet when his mom took him to see the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. As we watch him leap, dip, kick, and spin on his way to his first dance lesson, his joy is contagious. Mallett is a master of making each person a distinct individual with all different skin tones, head shapes, hair, and even age lines. On his way to ballet class Langston notices other classes for tap, hip-hop, and African dance. Each one is populated with diverse students. 

This book will make you want to start dancing right off the couch. Highly recommended.

Once Upon a Camel

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A camel with a penchant for alliteration? A worried mother Kestrel falcon trapped inside a tangled tumbleweed? Two baby Kestrels escaping a gigantic dust storm riding on the head of said camel? You will encounter all of these, plus engaging historic fiction in Kathi Appelt’s Once Upon a Camel. The reader is drawn in by the idea of a camel named Zada  living in the desert of Texas. The chicks must ride to safety as they are not old enough to fly. Their parents have been blown away by the storm, so they are understandably anxious. Zada provides distraction by telling them her life story. The novel goes back and forth between Zada’s stories and surviving the haboob.

Through Zada’s stories the reader gains a peek into the Middle East of the 19th century: the world of camel racing, the great wealth and power of the Pasha, the elaborate palaces. As the  setting will be new for most children, there will be the excitement of discovery. It will help readers on the important journey of gaining perspectives outside of their own and building empathy. Appelt’s work gives young readers access without bogging them down with too much historical information, because we learn through the eyes of a camel.

Each character is well developed. She always adds a dash of humor. The squabbling baby birds ring true for anyone who has a sibling. Take my word that Zada’s concern about her diminishing physical capabilities as she ages is also right on the mark as I found myself nodding and smiling. Mother Kestrel Perlita’s tendency to get over excited and bossy, especially when it comes to her babies, is humorous and heartwarming. The disdain the camels have for the vain, delicate horses and their certainty of the need and satisfaction of spitting made me laugh. 

The way the death of a loved one is depicted is both sad and beautiful. Her conclusion is surprising and unpredictable, but ultimately very satisfying. Keep the tissues handy. This title is highly recommended for upper elementary readers.

It Fell From the Sky

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By The Fan Brothers

One day, a beautiful sphere fell from the sky into the grass and the insects marveled at the object. This is another home run book by the Fan Brothers. Not only are the illustrations top notch, but the story of Wonder, friendship, and greed is a simple and sweet tale as well. In this story, a marble falls to the ground and the friends are taking guesses at what it is. Spider comes up with the brilliant idea of charging everyone to see the Wonder. It is a great plan at first, but before he knows it business has slowed and all his friends have left him. Did he choose greed over friendship? Spider comes up with a plan that takes lots of patience to bring everyone back together. As his plan takes shape the illustrations become more and more colorful until the last few pages are in full color to fully communicate the joy of all the friends. Up until then the illustrations are all in black and white with the exceptions of the Wonder that fell from the sky (a cat eye marble) and the money (leaves) that Spider gets greedy over. The book is rated from ages 4-8, although any person who loves art will love this book.

Please don’t forget to check out under the dust jacket for a beautiful hardcover illustration.

Cover image of It Fell from the Sky: Fan, Terry, Fan, Eric, Fan, Terry, Fan, Eric: 9781534457621: Amazon.com: Books

Standing on Her Shoulders, A Celebration of Women. Written by Monica Clark-Robinson, art by Laura Freeman.

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Beautifully illustrated and highly inspirational book for girls, young women and elders, alike. Our story begins with a young African-American girl sitting at the table with her mother and grandmother (assumed). The older women begin to tell her the story of all the women who have come before her and the foundation they layed, the work they gave, the sacrifices made to create the world today as a better place for their children’s children. In poetic form, we go through the ages highlighting events in history or seeing famous faces as we work our way to the present time. This book honors the ancestors and history of women, family, and the land our nation was built upon. The ending of the book brings our story full circle after explaining that we are standing on the shoulders of women before us, with this simple question: Who Will Stand on YOURS?

Huda F Are You?

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Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy is a memoir in graphic novel form. It is FANTASTIC! Huda writes of a time in her life when she moved from a large city where she was known as the “hijabi girl” to a small, predominantly Muslim community where nearly everyone adorned hijabis. This prompted a lot of questions for Huda in regard to her own identity. Who is Huda? The book follows her journey to find friends and fit in, but most importantly Huda’s self discovery shines through in the end. I feel all middle school and high school students will find this relatable, funny, and quick to read. I am choosing to put the book in our graphic novel section rather than the biography section because I think it will get more use. 

Wishes by Muon Thi Van

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This story about a family searching for a new home is told through the perspective of a young girl. The entire story is only 75 words, but the illustrations by Victo Ngai and the simpleness of the words make a powerful story. So much of the story is told through the illustrations. This is based on the author’s life and shows the family packing up and fleeing in a bote. The author’s note at the end tells about the author’s family’s escape from southern Viet Nam in 1980 and ways that we can help refugees today.