This graphic novel is a powerful story of friendships, tragedy, inclusion, nationalism, multi-generational trauma, and hope. It packs a lot into its pages and, because of that, it sometimes feels rushed. Some of the most traumatic scenes flash by in harsh, bold colors that might confuse some readers. This is the story of Nisrin’s decision to wear an orna, or scarf, to cover her head, as she explores what it means for her to follow Islam. It is a complicated decision because her family does not follow the practice of an orna or hijab. Her decision also brings up old family wounds from a regime change in Bangladesh and the reason for the family’s immigration to the United States. It’s also a story of changing friendships and the ways we sometimes reconcile conflicts. Raw and compelling, Piece by Piece would be a graphic novel that might be a mirror for some readers and a window for many others willing to take on a challenging story.
Reviewer: OHS Student, Ffiona Kiss & Tell was a cute book but could be a bit cliche at times. It highlights the struggles of being out of the closet, but staying true to yourself. It shows the difficulty of being seen for more than your sexuality, and skin color. Kiss & Tell shows examples of a healthy, and unhealthy relationship between two boys, and the importance of having friends and family to support you.
Kiss & Tell is a boy band on its first major tour. The main character, Hunter, goes through his first breakup with a boyfriend. The details of Hunter’s personal life are leaked and put in the lime-light.
A silly graphic novel adventure told in palindromes, this crazy tale had me reading forwards and backwards! Every piece of text in the book, from dialogue to signs in the background, is written in palindromes (200 of them!) The plot is a very loose wandering adventure of a boy, Otto, looking for his dog, Pip. I was amazed at the many ways the author conveyed silly palindromes in a logical, if fanciful, manner in the story. Illustrations are boldly & simply drawn and softly colored. Certainly, this is a great book for teaching palindromes. Short episodes of the adventure could be shared with whole classes. It had me wanting to write some of my own or share some of the more clever ones with others. The appeal may not be as broad as some, but it would be a solid purchase for upper elementary or middle school libraries.
So why is it that reindeer are the animals who pull Santa’s sleigh? This story answers that question by filling us all in on the interviews and test runs that Santa conducted in the days leading up to his first Christmas deliveries. Sloths would never have been up to getting around the world in a single night, elephants were too heavy for the integrity of the rooftops, and monkeys very nearly got the job, if it hadn’t been for all their monkey business. It’s fun, imaginative, and really makes perfect sense. The silly illustrations do a great job of adding personality to each animal group, and helping show why some were ill-suited to the task. A great December read aloud.
You can find just about any answer you need to your questions in this fast-paced nonfiction book about the human body. It begins with the head and moves its way through the systems, stopping here and there to deliver some facts that will add a “Wow” factor (actually, more of a “Gross” factor) to the information. It is illustrated with cartoon-like characters and body parts. The characters are diverse, with differing skin tones and abilities.
A glossary, bibliography and source notes are available. Something really cool to note is a page of QR codes that lead to relevant episodes of the authors’ podcasts of Wow in the World on NPR.
There is a lot of information to take in through these 188 pages. But, kids will likely be engrossed in the gross facts added to the information presented. A rather vivid description (and illustrations) of various types of poop on the Bristol Stool Scale is one example of the extra stuff that kids will love to read about and share with unsuspecting adults. Now, I know seven types of feces and I might just share that information, too!
This book is part of a series called “Wow in the World”, in which there are currently two books and a third due out in April 2022.
A double biography about two imperfect men who were born within a year of each other, lived on opposite sides of historical issues, and died within a year of each other. Both are flawed because of the prejudices from which they were raised. Both were leaders for their respective cultures who were both celebrated and reviled at different times in their lives. They had much in common though they despised the other. I found this book interesting and hard to read because of the biases of each of the historical figures. In that way, I think the author did a splendid job of helping the modern reader see both sides of the westward movement – from the Eurocentric, white point of view to the Native American perspective. I appreciated the map of the region placed in the center of the book and referred to it often. Photographs and sketches were well placed to help the reader visualize the historical events. The book also includes a timeline, an index, and an extensive bibliography of many of the historical details included in the accounts of these men’s lives. It’s an important book to have on library shelves to give youn modern historians perspective on the westward expansion in this country.
Sabrina Sue is an adventurous hen, who decides one day to see snow. She is too hot on the farm and wonders what snow is like (soft? crunchy?). Her fellow farm animals think it’s a bad idea and tell her that she is silly. She acknowledges the silly part, packs her bag and is on her way via truck, train and hiking. She and a frog that tags along finally find snow and have a glorious time. But, Sabrina Sue thinks about her friends and returns to the farm, bringing a snow globe and her froggy friend with her. She’s happy to be home, but she knows she’ll visit the snow again one day.
Bright, bold illustrations add to this fun story about this daring hen. Word bubbles add to the cartoon-like feel of the book. Text is simple and the font is large, which is perfect for new readers. The book is billed as a “Level One Ready to Read” book and it fills the niche nicely. This is one of a growing set of Sabrina Sue stories. Buy it for your early readers, because who doesn’t love a good chicken story?
Dominguita loves to read, especially the books that remind her of the books her Abuela (grandmother) brought from Cuba and shared with her. But, her grandmother now lives in Florida with her sister, because she has a hard time remembering things. And, the class bully makes reading in peace difficult. So, Dominguita decides to become a knight (like the hero, Don Quijote, from her grandmother’s book). She figures that her knighthood will do two things: 1). show the class bully that girls can be knights and 2). help her feel closer to her brother and grandmother, because her brother agrees to write the story of her life as knight to send to Abuela.
Being a knight is hard work and Dominguita has some mishaps along the way. But, she has the encouragement and help of the adults around her. She also gains two new friends along the way. And, her trusty steed, aka dog, is a loyal sidekick in her adventures.
The characters are diverse and the story is accessible for younger readers, who will cheer for Dominguita (or Dom Capote, the fearless knight). Black and white illustrations help move the story along and an author’s note at the end explains the tale of Don Quijote and its connection to our heroine, Dominguita.
We’ve all heard the vocalized feelings about bedtime from kids, from “I’m not tired” to “I need a drink of water”. It’s pretty apparent how they feel about bedtime. But, have you ever thought about it from the bed’s perspective? Well, the bed in this book will fill you in on its opinion of the situation, from the drool on its pillow to the stickers on its face (headboard). While there are some major annoyances to be had as a bed; it seems to be just fine with the situation in the end when the reader notices a tenderness under that frustration (kind of like being a parent, right?).
Illustrations are colorful and the bed’s expressive features tell the story right along with the text. Readers will enjoy the story from this vastly different perspective and will nod knowingly at the pictures of kids jumping on the bed and leaving old socks and snacks under it. This book could lead very easily into a discussion about looking at situations from another side. There are some great opportunities to foster some empathy in kids. Plus, this bed is just hilarious!
This Archie and Reddie beginning reader uses simple language, humor, and a graphic novel format to keep emergent readers engaged and interested.Two fox friends are looking for their favorite hats for Hat Day. Archie can’t find the hat he wants to wear. After a series of humorous events, Archie realizes his favorite hat, the one that looks exactly like his head, has been on his head all the time. The series is sure to be a hit with fans of Mo Willem’s Elephant and Piggie.
This graphic novel features some dark & difficult subjects including bullying, cyberbullying, and verbal and physical abuse. Naifeh handles it well and I think it will be enjoyed by mature middle school or high school readers. The book seems to be the first in a new series, setting the main character up as a problem-solver of the magical variety for people in need. In this first book, she reigns over the losers table in the lunchroom at school and reluctantly gets involved with halting a cyberbully called “shy_shelbi” who is encouraging & blackmailing for chaos in the guise of helping. Underlying storylines feature families with abuse secrets which give the whole book an edgy feel. I appreciated that even though some problems are solved, the characters realize that there are always consequences and unsolved issues – even with some positive outcomes. Life is not easy. The graphics are colorful and facial expressions are very expressive. Light & dark help handle the mood and the seriousness of some scenes.
Chipmunk lives on a rock and sings her songs everyday. Sometimes her songs are happy, sometimes bittersweet, and sometimes very sad. Rock is a very good listener, but Chipmunk longs for a friend to sing with her. So Chipmunk sets off to find a friend. First she tries a pinecone, but Pinecone ends up getting along with rock. Then she tries a log which then leads her to finding other friends.
The illustrations complement the text, especially the illustrations about the songs. The message that it is okay to express emotions and also a message of perseverance is important.
A engaging true story for young nature lovers. When a young orca is seen all alone near Vashon Island without any pods nearby, it got the attention of both orca enthusiasts and scientists. A baby orca will not survive without a family to protect and teach it. Scientist and volunteers use her distinctive call and markings to identify her family. Since she was alone, it was assumed that her mother was dead, but her grandmother, aunts, and cousins were still alive in Canadian waters. In Orca Rescue! the story of Springer’s capture, transport, and release, and subsequent reunion with her family is described.
The nonfiction narrative of Springer’s story is interspersed with well researched, age appropriate information on Orcas in general and Puget Sound resident pods in particular. Sarah Burwash’s lovely watercolor illustrations portray the complicated steps in the rescue. The endpapers include photographs of Springer in different stages of her life, a matrilineal family tree of the A10 pod, a summary of some of the threats to whales and dolphins, glossary, and a list of the individuals and organizations that were instrumental in Springers safe rescue.
I Don’t Want to Read This Book by Max Greenfield starts off with the narrator declaring that they do not want to read this book. Books are full of words, sentences, and paragraphs. On each page, the narrator explains why they do not want to read the book. Even at the end of the book the narrator the narrator says the changes of reading the book again are infinitesimal.
While Trace used to have a close relationship with his older brother, Will, everything changes after Will suffers a serious brain injury in a football game. “The incident” has a permanent effect on Will’s personality. He now skips school, hangs out with the wrong crowd, steals money, and eventually becomes addicted to pain medication. Trace, already juggling his parent’s separation and pitching for his school baseball team, hides what he knows about Will from their father. When Will attempts suicide, Trace learns the hard way that the best way he can help his brother is to be open with his parents about the direction Will’s life is taking him. The author, Ellen Hopkins writes this story of family love in prose, the perfect format for the storyline.
Originally published in 1968, the story of The New Friend remains true to the experiences of childhood today. Newly illustrated by Benjamin Chaud, Zolotow’s story begins with a celebration of all the things both mundane and imaginative that a boy and his friend with long brown hair do together. When the girl with the long brown hair finds a new best friend with whom to share all her experiences, the child is devastated and rushes home in tears. In his dreams that night he finds a new friend to share those mundane and imaginative experiences of childhood. Upon waking he is determined to find a new friend so that when he thinks of his old friend, he will no longer care.
Fern isn’t like other unicorns. She’s not interested in glitter, rainbows, or parties. She would much rather spend her day laboratory working on math, chemistry, engineering, or programming. She is always willing to help others but even while she went out of her way to do things for others, they teased her and called her names. Finally, she had enough and decided to no longer fix things for all the unicorns who had been unkind. She feels justified in her decision, but eventually decides to step in to save the Sparkle Dance because being smart, a good friend, and helping others is more important than holding a grudge. The other unicorns were so impressed they apologized for their teasing and asked Fern to teach them.
Nerdycorn features a strong female character who enjoys and excels in math and science. Fern demonstrates a willingness to be true to herself even in the face of teasing and as a result is able to accomplish much. Through Fern’s perseverance, the other unicorns come to appreciate the benefits of STEM learning.
This two-sided book is no Disney version of the Little Mermaid. On one side of the book the reader will find the 1930s translation of the original Hans Christian Anderson story. (Spoiler: a very different sort of “happily ever after” ending in the original!) The flip side of the book is a blackout poem of the original story that modifies the ending to one of female empowerment. The pages are lovely with simple designs in addition to the blacked out parts. The poem reads like poetry magnets on the page. The complete poem is also included outside of the blacked out pages. If a teacher were teaching blackout poetry, this would be a perfect book to demonstrate how it can be done – beyond just crossing out the parts one didn’t want. In the author’s note, she speaks of finding our own story in another – of creating a new version that speaks your truth. I thought this was a lovely little book. It was interesting to read the original version and delightful to see the “hidden” story beneath the surface.
Front cover of the bookLittle Mermaid Black-out poetry page.
This is a sweet romance set on a small town farm, between a home-town farm girl and long-lost Rockstar friend. The story is a pretty typical enemies to lovers tale – boy comes “home” to recover from one of many fame scandals; he’s in dire need of money, so selling the farm seems like the best option. Girl makes it her mission to treat the boy with “honey” in order to keep him from selling her home. There are many familial ties between the two, making the situation more complicated. Along the way the characters bicker, disagree, form a true friendship and an eventually romantic love. This story is very sweet – appropriate for ages 12+. Anyone looking for a warm, feel good read will enjoy this.
The historical fiction WWII novel, The Enigma Game, is actually the “prequel” to Elizabeth Wein’s critically acclaimed Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire. I did not read her earlier works but this did not at all detract from my enjoyment of this well-crafted tale. The story is told in the voices of three young people brought together by the strange circumstances of war.
It is 1940 and 15-year old Louisa has recently lost both her parents at the hand of German forces. She is the child of a black Jamaican father and a white British mother, and has to suddenly be responsible for her own survival. She has a difficult time finding employment in her new English homeland because of racial prejudice and her young age, but is able to find a job in Scotland taking care of an elderly German-born ex opera singer.
Jamie, the second narrator, is a Royal Air Force flight leader stationed at a base near the Scottish village of Windyedge, where the story takes place. Ellen is the third voice, and she is a youngish volunteer driver for the military base, and grew up as a “Traveller,” the common name for the nomadic tribes of the British Isles.
Wein cleverly weaves a tale of espionage and wartime drama as seen through the eyes of her three main characters. A pilot from the German resistance leaves an Enigma code maker/breaker machine at the Limehouse pub, which is the central location for the main characters. Louisa, a classically trained musician, is able to crack German pilot code communications to help aid the Royal Air Force. The pacing of the story really varies with the voice, and I found Louis’s voice to be spunky and intelligent but somewhat contrived, as opposed to the other two older characters who seemed more genuine. I was most engaged with Jamie’s narration of dangerous flight missions. I think this story would resonate with WWII history buffs, and it has an impressive amount of historical detail that I found fascinating. Recommended grade level for this book is 9th grade and above. I give the book four out of five stars.
In Thankful, it’s the time of year for an annual family tradition – paper thankful chains to last the family through December. Each link in the chain is one more thing to be thankful for. The creation of the chain focuses on the good things in life and the physical chain is a visual reminder to be thankful for the wonderful things in our lives.
A young girl starts on her own in her room reflecting on both the concrete and the nebulous things in her life she is thankful for. From the initial thankfuls of home and family, the girl lets one idea leads to yet another. The thoughts generated as the book chronicles a child’s daily life experience that will resonate with many young readers.
The combination of two-dimensional characters placed in three-dimensional settings give the illustrations a charming feel reminiscent of a diorama.
What are the characteristics of dinosaur? That’s No Dino! Or Is It? takes the reader through several ancient creatures and compares their bodies to what scientists believe are true dinosaurs. An Anomalocaris may have lived 508 million years ago, but it didn’t have a backbone. Therefore, it wasn’t a dino. A Pleisiosaurus was old enough and had a backbone. But, it lived in the water and, therefore, was not a dino! The last animal to be described is a velociraptor and it has all the characteristics of a dinosaur and there are ten different characteristics! The author concludes with a list of those characteristics, a glossary, an index and a short list of extra resources.
Illustrations are cartoon-like and the writing is accessible for young readers. This book is a nice introduction to dinosaurs and budding paleontologists will take note of what makes a dino a dino after reading this book.
