Olympians #12, Dionysos, the New God

Reviewed by: OHS Substitute, Chase C.

In this graphic novel, George O’Connor tells the myth of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine (among other things), through colorful art and a form that is approachable to those learning about Ancient Greek myths. The start of the novel is dedicated to the story of Hestia, the Goddess of the Hearth (and the first Olympian). Her story, with themes of stability and order, is juxtaposed with the story of Dionysus, whose chaotic and avant-garde journey takes him from his adolescence in the woods with satyrs and the creation of wine, to his entry into the temple on Mount Olympus. The reader will get to enjoy bold and expressive art that brings these ancient myths to life. While the novel is engaging, readers unfamiliar with the series or Greek mythology may find it useful to reference preceding installments or external sources to fully grasp the Olympians’ interactions.

Talk Santa to Me by Linda Urban

Reviewed by: OHS student, Rory C.

The novel, “Talk Santa To Me” by Linda Urban, is a short but satisfying story destined to become someone’s comfort book. Despite her Aunt attempting to ruin the family business and her past kiss coming back to haunt her, Francie continues to try and save the business while juggling her social life. This book has great comforting characters for anyone wanting to sit back and relax. It also has excellent pacing and it does not go too fast or too slow.

I like the characters and how they are simply teenagers. In my opinion, this book is a read for when you have had a bad day and want to read something easy but sweet. The characters help with that. The drama in place is also not super serious like some other books. If you’re trying to read something for only the romance, I would not recommend this book. I believe the romance is sweet but it is not the focus of the book. Some may like that more and others may not based on their preferences. It was not how the romance was not the main point of the novel for me but how it seemingly popped up out of nowhere. I thought there should have been more of a build up in chemistry however that never happened. It sort of felt like Francie gained a crush on the guy randomly a couple chapters into the book. Maybe I am missing something but she seemed way to focused on everything else going on in her life to even think about this guy. How could she get a crush on him like that? It’s like she mentioned him three times before she ended up liking him so much. The romance was cute but it had no build up and I could not see the connection. It felt forced.

If simple and cute books are your thing, then I would totally recommend this novel to you. Although I did not like this book as much, I have to admit it was fun to read. It was a different feeling from those high-action and thrilling fantasy books. I think this book has everything you would want for when you just want to read and not be so stressed about what is happening in the story!

The Little Puppy

Ollie was excited to have a play date with her grandma’s new puppy, Milo. She learned, however, that puppies need supervision or they can be destructive. After Milo chewed up Ollie’s drawing, Ollie needed time alone and went for a walk. Milo followed her and they ended up having a fun time playing fetch, going to the pond, and jumping in mud puddles.

Cute black and white illustrations with red accents. Some pages contain cut outs, connecting of the theme from one page to the next. Review by Kathy Beach, teacher.

In the Groves

The story of Clara, a young girl visiting her family in California. They want to take her to all the touristy places but she wants to go to the citrus groves with her grandfather so she hides in his truck and tags along with him for the day. She loves seeing him work and hearing all of his stories. While sharing the day together, Clara’s imagination takes flight and the stories she creates with her grandfather are retold again to her family that night. This book includes a number of Spanish words in the text and explores the culture of a family of farm workers. Review by Kathy Beach, teacher.

This book is perfect for a unit celebrating family stories, immigration stories, or the important role of farm workers.

This is How We Play: A Celebration of Disability and Adaptation

This is a very joyful book about disability and adaptations involved in the lives of those affected by differences in their bodies or minds. It emphasizes the concept that even though people have a disability, they are still able to play, sing, dance, and enjoy life with the help of others or some sort of tool or adaption.

Backmatter includes a helpful list of different disabilities, a guide for grown-ups, how to teach kids about those with a disability and an explanation from the authors about why they wrote the book.

Recommended for all age levels. Review written by Kathy Beach, teacher.

Delicious Monsters, by Liselle Sambury

Reviewed by OHS Substitute, Victoria O.

Let’s be clear: Daisy does not enjoy being special. How can she when what makes her so unique is the fact she can see swarms of dead people wandering the streets of downtown Toronto, drawn to sadness and despair like clouds of gray flies to honey? And now, the one source of happiness in Daisy’s life seems to have abandoned her: After their first fight as a couple, her boyfriend, Noah, has been spotted around town with a pretty white girl on his arm and is no longer answering any of her texts. 

Meanwhile: Brittney, an ambitious young content creator and aspiring filmmaker, works a dead-end internship for a scummy media corporation to help pay the bills so she doesn’t have to rely on her abusive, wealthy mother for support. As she continues work on her surprise hit YouTube series, Haunted, she and her best friend, Jayden, begin investigating the house that made her self-help guru mother famous, hoping to uncover its dark secrets and solve the mystery behind the tragic loss of life that occurred there 10 years earlier: The unexplained death of a young black girl named Daisy

Author Liselle Sambury interweaves themes of generational trauma and coming of age within a framework of compelling supernatural mystery, featuring two timelines with two equally intriguing protagonists. This thrilling haunted-house-turned-ghost-hunter novel will keep you up at night until the wee hours of the morning as you turn pages in a race alongside Brittney to find out just what happened to Daisy on the night she disappeared all those years ago… Recommended for those who loved Netflix’ The Haunting of Hill House and Sadie

Skandar and the Skeleton Curse

By A.F. Steadman

In book 4 of this epic fantasy series, Skandar must join his friends at the Eyrie to solve the mystery of the Skeleton Curse which is killing pegasus and their riders. Skandar’s sister, a rebel fighting to save her life and her pegasus’ life will do anything including cursing all others on the island. Not only that, the commodore of the Eyrie wants to destroy all spirit wielding riders including Skandar and his sister. Will Skandar survive against his sister? Will he help his sister survive?

This is an epic fantasy series that has the feel of Harry Potter but the perk of pegasus. It is also a series that MUST be read in order. This is book 4. I would recommend it for any who are searching for that next series to pull kids into reading.

A Little Like Magic

Written and Illustrated by Sarah Kurpiel

Our narrator doesn’t like to try new things or venture to new places but when she spends the evening at an ice sculpting event she finds herself feeling okay with the crowds and noise as long as her mom is there. When she returns home she finds that she has lost her favorite horse statue and is sad that she will never see it again. After spending the day in sadness they once again go to the sculpting event to see the results from the day before feeling more familiar and comfortable only to see a beautiful sculpture of a horse that looks just like hers. Will she find her horse? Only reading this picture book will tell.

What a beautifully illustrated book about pushing past one’s fears. As the back cover says, “Sometimes you have to brave the cold to experience something special”

Brandon and the Totally Troublesome Time Machine

Written by Seth Fishman, Illustrated by Mark Fearing

One day, Brandon decides to build a time machine. After doing all the things one must do when building this type tool such as: seeing dinosaurs wish upon a REALLY big falling star, and watching creatures learn to climb and live on land, he decides to venture into his own past and try to fix things like acing the test he failed the day before. He soon starts to depend on his future self to do everything for him. Cleaning, doing homework, and other things that his present self doesn’t want to do. Future self starts to sabotage past self and a humorous battle ensues. Will Brandon realize he is only fighting himself?

What a fun and well illustrated book that sends a great moral. I recommend this book for any elementary library.

What Lolo Wants

Written by Cristina Oxtra, Illustrated by Jamie Bauza

Maria and her Lolo (Grandfather) have a beautiful relationship. They spend a great deal of time together: in the garden, getting ice cream and especially drawing. Lolo can draw anything! But when Maria’s Lolo starts to feel unwell and forgetful, Maria gets worried. Soon, Lolo starts having problems remembering names of things and people. It is a struggle for Lolo to explain what he needs. How will Maria help her Grandpa remember and communicate what he wants?

This lovely picture book has threads of Philippine American traditions and culture within it. It carefully discusses Dementia in a kind way that children can understand. The illustrations are beautifully done in pencil and watercolor. I would recommend this book for any elementary library.

Wonder & Awe by Annie Herzig

A little girl makes a snowman and names her Wonder. She and Wonder spend so much time together, but when spring comes it is time for Wonder to go. The girl is sad until she finds something else that sparks wonder. The color change in the illustration highlights the girl’s feelings. When she is happy and can see the beauty around her, the illustrations are colorful. When she is sad the illustrations are shades of gray and white. A sweet story of friendship and finding joy in everyday things.

Planting Hope: A Portrait of Photographer Sebastião Salgado by Philip Hoelzel

Sebastião Salgado grew up on his family’s farm in Aimorés in the forests of Brazil. He spent time in the forests and loved his home but eventually moved away. He soon discovered his love of photography and how he could show what he saw and how it made him feel through pictures. He took photographs for different news stories, but the weight of what he saw made him no longer want to take pictures. After moving back to his family farm and seeing the destruction caused by cutting down the forest, Sebastião and his wife Lélia decided to rebuild the forest of his childhood.

This beautifully illustrated book takes you through the life and work of Sebastião Salgado. Also offering the reader a chance to think about and reflect on human’s impact on the earth. The author’s note at the back offers further information.

How to Cheer Up a Friend by Stephanie Calmenson

What do you do when your friend is sad? How do you help them feel better? Do you offer treats, make them laugh, listen? Through rhyming text, the narrator offers suggestions of how to help a friend: make him laugh, take a walk, listen. A young boy tries to cheer up an elephant who really just needs someone to listen. The pages consist of 1-2 sentences per 2 page spread. The colorful illustrations bring life to the texts and convey the elephants emotions. Perfect for helping young readers learn about feelings and helping others.

The Blood of Kings

by Matt Myklusch

An action-packed graphic novel set in a medieval land surrounded by more modern kingdoms. It is being attacked by Night Lander warriors every evening. Skerren finds himself defending his kingdom and his king from this invading force and from enemies within as well. The story moves along with plenty of visual action and plot twists. I liked the map at the beginning of the book, but wished that it had included more of the kingdoms that actually appeared in the book. For instance, the Night Landers home location was not on the map.There are other books in the Imagine Nation world, so perhaps those books included information I felt was missing in this volume. Clearly, Skerren’s friends, Jack and Allegra, were in other volumes. This book alluded to earlier adventures with the friends. Graphics are bold & colorful and the pace of the story moves right along.

The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner by Erin Stewart

This upper elementary/middle grade novel is perfect for many readers: anyone managing an anxiety disorder, anyone who loves to write fanfiction or fantasy, anyone who’s been bullied, anyone who’s lost a parent, anyone receiving support from a therapist, or anyone who worries or fixates on worst case scenarios.  Zoey Turner lost her father to a bus accident and now struggles with debilitating anxiety. Her fears include but aren’t limited to buses, germs, crowds, cars, the deep end of the pool, and she spends her time googling worst-case scenario facts. She is obsessed with Raven M. Wells, author of her favorite fantasy series about a hero’s journey. Cleverly, this is exactly what Zoey finds herself embarking on after she obtains what she believes to be a “magic pencil” at the author’s signing event because when she proceeds to write with it, her stories come true. Readers will ponder what they would write if they had a magic pencil. Zoey’s quest includes: a supportive mother; book store owner, Jada; Derek, a boy bullied by others; and best friend, Lena, who loves and supports her, but who is also being pulled into a new circle of not-very-nice girls. During the course of her quest, Zoey learns that it’s okay to need others, courage means acting in spite of fear, “bad things…happen to all of us, be we decide how those things change us” (298), the magic is in us, and we can’t just be the hero; rather, we have to become one. All powerful and necessary messages. The twist at the end will delight readers while they cheer Zoey on during the final stages of her hero’s journey.

Heartfelt by Elaine Vickers

What is love? How do you show love? The main character makes small hearts and gives them away after completing acts of kindness. The character uses their senses to describe love. Love feels like a gentle hand to lift you up if you fall down. Love tastes like warm cookies we take to the neighbors. The diorama illustrations are colorful and help carry the story. Many small acts of kindness are demonstrated through the words and collage illustrations of this book.

With Just One Wing by Brenda Woods

Reviewed by North Thurston High School student, Michelle E.

This is an exquisite middle-grade novel that sensitively explores identity, belonging, and the intricacies of adoption. Readers are transported into a heartfelt coming of age story through nearly twelve-year-old Cooper “Coop” Garnet’s eyes, who finds himself needing to rescue an injured mockingbird. Coop, who was adopted at infancy, struggles with questions about his birthmother and where he fits into his beloved, yet adoptive family. Coop and his buddy, Zandi, find an orphaned fledgling, who only has one wing; it won’t be able to fend for itself. They choose to take care of the bird, and name it Hop. As Coop pours his energy into Hop’s care, he starts to notice parallels between the bird’s plight and his own abandonment and acceptance issues. This experience teaches him about love, sacrifice and the complexities of his own adoption. Woods uses straightforward, conversational language to enliven Coop’s first-person narrative, helping to explain complicated feelings to young readers. Ideal for fans of… The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng; Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan Readers who enjoy tales of personal transformation, family relationships, and the redemptive power of tending to another’s needs will especially resonate with With Just One Wing, a warm, approachable family story with believable conflicts and satisfying resolutions. The complexity of Woods’ story mirrors the intricacies of relationships woven among those we love, the sense of responsibility we have for families we choose, and how to balance that with the hard realities of life. More than a heartwarming book, this is a great addition to middle-grade literature because it reads like a love letter mixed with life lessons.

Unstuck by Barbara Dee

Reviewed by North Thurston High School student, Michelle E.

This is a terrific middle-grade read that explores writer’s block, how friendships aren’t linear in their growth, and family expectations. By seeing it all through the eyes of seventh grader Lyla, readers get an authentic view of young writers trying to work through these struggles so they will enjoy it and possibly be inspired by it as young authors and middle schoolers. The story follows Lyla, who is excited when her English teacher gives her a daily creative writing assignment. While she spent the last year mentally building an elaborate fantasy novel, this is now her chance to put her story on paper. While trying to work through writer’s block, Lyla also deals with changing dynamics with her best friend, Rania, and the buildup of pressure to do well in a town writing contest. Dee captures that sensation of middle school – the bittersweetness of shifting friendships, the burden of academic (and personal) expectations – perfectly. Lyla’s internal conflicts about perfectionism and self-doubt, in addition to the practical writing advice embedded into the narrative itself, offers useful lessons to young authors dealing with such obstacles. This novel is ideal for fans of   Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary and Front Desk by Kelly Yang. All in all, Unstuck is a tender, comical meditation on making your way through life as a young writer on and off the page. Barbara Dee is a fabulous storyteller, and the lessons in this book empower readers to feel comfortable expressing their creative passions, while also dealing with adolescent trials with empathy and resilience. This novel is a welcome addition to middle grade literature.

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman

Reviewed by North Thurston High School student, Michelle E.

This heartwarming and deeply moving middle-grade novel should be required reading for everyone who has ever grappled with guilt, redemption, or finding their voice in an unlikely setting. Forman tells such a lovely story of an unlikely friendship formed between a troubled twelve-year-old boy and a 107-year-old man who has had no voice for years. This novel is a tender and evocative novel about forgiveness, resilience, and healing. The plot centers around Alex, a boy who winds up doing community service at a retirement home after a mistake leaves him in some hot water. Although he’s reluctant at first, he changes when he meets Josey, an elderly Holocaust survivor who has been rendered unable to speak. As Alex starts to spend more time with him, he gradually unravels his past and learns the true cost of silence. Their connection deepens and urges them both to face bad memories and believe in the present. Not Nothing is both a funny and nakedly honest story of second chances and how we connect, and Forman juggles those emotions with grace. This book is ideal for fans of… The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Restart by Gordon Korman, and The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. It is a beautifully written and deeply moving novel, and is a significant read for all. Highly recommended!


Ladybug Launch by Melissa Trempe & Natalia Ojeda

Ladybug Launch is inspired by a true story of the author’s experience in the project of sending ladybugs to space. Two stories run parallel to each other throughout the book. Natalia, a young girl in Chile, wonders if she could be the first in her family to attend university. Luna, a chinita (ladybug), longs to go to space. One day Luna finds her attending school with Natalia when Natalia’s class is creating an experiment for space. If humans can live in space, they would need to grow food. If they grow food, they will need something to combat the pests. This book is fictional with an anthropomorphized ladybug, but does include an author’s note at the end recounting her real experience with this experiment. Spanish words are included throughout the story and a glossary is included at the back as well as websites for further information about ladybugs and NASA.

Lost Stick by Anoosha Syed

While out for a walk, Louise throws a stick for Milo. Milo brings it back again and again because it makes Louise happy. One time Louise pretends to throw the stick and Milo thinks she has thrown it really far, so Milo goes in search of it. He searches the neighborhood, puts up posters and eventually sets off around the world looking for stick. He finds a lot of different sticks, but not Louise’s stick. Through the illustrations you can see that at the same time, Louise is searching for Milo. Pay careful attention to the bright, detailed illustrations to see the emotions of Milo and Louise as well as details of the story.

I Want to Read ALL the Books by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

When Hana learns that books can answer her questions, she sets out on a mission to read all of the books. She starts with reading all of the nonfiction books on her shelf and then the fiction books. Soon she has read all of the books in the house and her friends’ houses, but her list of questions just keeps on growing. Hana’ wants to buy all of the books. ‘s mom takes her to the library, but Hana becomes overwhelmed that she will never be able to read all of the books. After a talk with the librarian, Hana starts a book club with her friends so they can share their books.

The pictures are colorful and the characters are diverse. The font changes to express how Hana is feeling throughout the story. A wonderful about the importance of curiosity and sharing the books we love.

Ruby Rene Had So Much to Say by Ashley Iman

Ruby Rene knows a lot of things and she desperately wants to share them, but that leads to her getting in trouble at school for talking too much. Her dad gives her a journal to write her thoughts in, but then she is not paying attention in class. Eventually the principal helps her come up with a way to foster her curiosity and share her knowledge with others.

The text of the book is complemented by colorful illustrations and the incorporation of speech and thought bubbles. A wonderful story about those who just can’t contain themselves with their need to share and a way that it can be turned into a positive instead a negative trait.

Nothing Scares a Dinosaur by Jonathan Fenske

A young boy gets ready for bed and in the illustrations you can see a dinosaur looking back at him in the mirror. After his mom turns out his light, he hears a sound. He is not afraid of the sound because he is a dinosaur. He is not afraid of the shadow, a spider, a monster, or the weather because nothing scares a dinosaur.

This Ready to Read Level One book features large, easy to read type, rhyming text and one to two sentences on the page. The illustrations are colorful and cartoonish bring humor to a book about being afraid of things at night. A humorous story to be read aloud or for those learning to read.

Bijan Always Wins

Written by Adib Khorram and illustrated by Michelle Tran

Bijan always wins (in his mind). Whether it’s eating a sandwich or tying his shoes – he’s the winner. All this winning has an impact on friendships, though. Not many other kids want to play with a self-declared winner of everything. Bijan becomes more intuitive over time, noticing that other children are avoiding him. And, after some reflection, he makes some changes and realizes that when you’re playing together and no one ‘wins’, you actually all win.This very sweet story shows that people can change as we watch an annoying main character change for the better and become a friend to others. As a result, he is happier, too!

The muted tones of the illustrations are lovely and the pages are awash in color. Characters are diverse and children will be familiar with the school settings in which the book is set. They might even see themselves in the characters. Recommended.