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Justice is Served

1/13/2020

Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Big Words)
by Doreen Rappaport ill by Eric Velasquez

I got the idea that being a lawyer was a pretty good thing, because you could do something for your society.

This generously-sized picture book celebrates the life and legacy of the second woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice.

Using her trademark format, biographical narrative interspersed with appropriate quotations, Rappaport recounts important events in the life of this influential woman.

The U.S Constitution serves as a backdrop for the cover’s close-up portrait of the Associate Justice. Looking directly into the faces of readers, Ruth is clear-eyed and resolute. Opening pages feature Ruth as a young girl, her childhood filled with books and school activities, music and traditional Jewish observances.

Ruth loved her mother, who taught her to work hard, think for herself, and act independently.

My mother was the bravest and strongest person I have known.

The well-researched profile highlights Ginsburg’s scholarship, her efforts to overcome inequities she experienced firsthand and witnessed in the lives of others, her marriage and family, and the crowning achievement of her professional life: nomination to the Supreme Court. Rappaport supports the narrative with interesting details.

Velasquez' stunning images of Ruth begin with a tender girl and conclude with a joy-filled group portrait of the four women who have served or are currently serving as Supreme Court Justices. Intervening pages reveal Ginsburg's developing maturity and gradual aging. Her innate girlish shyness is replaced with growing resolve, and and quiet confidence. Facial expressions and body language reflect her evolving self-assurance.

Rich back matter includes a timeline of events, author's note, illustrator's note, selected bibliography with additional resources, acknowledgements, and source notes. This excellent introduction to a remarkable individual, Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a worthy addition to classroom and children’s library collections.

Big Words: Picture Book Series

A variety of illustrators capture the individual’s essence in each of Rappaport’s beautifully presented biographies. The artist's style is appropriate to the subject. The realistic Frederick Douglass portrait is rendered in somber tones. Helen Keller is positioned in profile, rather than a direct full face. John Lennon’s glasses reveal the title in his left lens and a mirrored reflection of the words in his right lens. Each portrait could be a framed work of art. Discover this glorious series.

Captivating life stories. Memorable quotations. Gorgeous art. Stellar series.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: February 11, 2020 Publisher: Disney-Hyperion ISBN: 978-1484747179

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Mallomars, Raccoons, and Sidebars, Oh My!

1/7/2020

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A Girl, A Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon
by Karen Romano Young ill by Jessixa Bagley

Pearl is a book girl, a library girl. Daughter of the head of circulation, born in the Lancaster Avenue Library, and raised by a tightly knit community of staff members, Pearl’s life revolves around the world of the libraries and stories.

The Lancaster Avenue branch of the New York City Library features unique architectural details: mezzanine with a glass floor, spiral staircase with an intricate wrought iron banister, and a beautiful garden. The focal point of the garden is a statue of Edna St. Vincent Millay, affectionately known as Vincent. Sadly, the old building suffers from neglect. Few patrons visit the library, circulation statistics are dismal, and program attendance is dwindling.

Then the unthinkable happens: the head of the Vincent statue is stolen! Pearl is devastated. She devotes her energy, talent, and resources to finding the stone head and restoring it to the garden. Her efforts create new library friendships and alliances within the community, including the local school, a homeless man, and a newspaper reporter.

Without a doubt, her most intriguing relationship is with the resident raccoons, who inhabit the library’s basement. These mammals with dexterous paws have developed the ability to read and write. They even have their own newspaper, the Moon, published and distributed nightly.

Pearl is working against time as some citizens have determined that the best use of the property is to condemn the building, bring it up to code, and repurpose the structure to create an apartment complex. She must justify the existence of the library branch and the valuable role it plays in the community before November 7, the date for a special election to determine the fate of the Lancaster Avenue branch Library. Simultaneously, she must protect the raccoons, who are viewed as vermin by some community members.

One of the interesting aspects of A Girl, A Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon is the unique story construction. The linear narrative begins August twenty eighth and concludes December first. This fantasy, built on a solid foundation of reality, includes a multitude of footnotes referencing adult and children’s literature. It may be the first work of middle grade fiction that I have encountered with footnotes, sidebars, and a bibliographic listing of newspapers, magazines, and over forty books including the works of St. Vincent Millay and many children's literature classics.

Karen Roman Young’s storytelling breaks the fourth wall. She signals the departure from third person narrative with parentheses and sidebars. The sidebars are a particularly distinguishing story element. They are penned by a raccoon and offer commentary on a potpourri of topics relating to library protocols, elaborating on story composition, and offering a differing point-of-view. Each one is a choice little gem. I marked several of them with tiny red hearts. (Yes, I like to mark books with my own personal symbols, often in color.) 👀

Jessixa Bagley's delightful full-page inked black and white illustrations add to the story's charm. Beginning with the initial spot image of a raccoon face peering out of a window, depictions of the animals, while winsome, are anatomically accurate.

This novel for middle grade readers is a a fantasy, a mystery, a realistic portrayal of a New York City neighborhood library. It’s a story of activism. It’s a love letter to New York City neighborhoods, community libraries, the power of stories, and Edna St Vincent Millay.

Fun with Mallomars

The remarkable family of reading raccoons are led by Mrs. Mallomar. She is a skillful writer, editing the midnight edition of the Moon. In addition to news, the newspaper features Rax Rex, a book recommendation section. Meet some Mallomar raccoons and see three of their recommended books. Check out other titles mentioned in A Girl, A Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: January 7, 2020 Publisher: Chronicle Books ISBN: 978-1452169521

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It's a Mystery

1/2/2020

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The Body under the Piano: Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen
by Marthe Jocelyn ill by Isabelle Follath

"being quoted by a journalist in reference to a murder is not an accomplishment to please your mother"

Twelve-year-old Agatha Caroline Morton, an inquisitive girl living in nineteenth century England is never without her notebook, recording her observations and penning verses. She lives with her rather eccentric grandmother, her grief-stricken mother still mourning her husband's death, nursemaid Charlotte, and dog Tony.

The drama begins when Aggie discovers a corpse under the dance studio piano. It's the body of obnoxious Mrs. Irma Eversham, mother of Aggie's classmate Rose and sister-in-law to the dance instructor.

Aggie wonders: who would want to murder Mrs. Eversham? (Well, almost everyone.) Why would someone want to eliminate this odious woman? (Possibly anger, revenge, or greed?) How did she die? ( Was it rodent poison?)

Not one to sit around and wring her hands, Aggie sets out to uncover the truth and determine the culprit's identity. She enlists the assistance of a new friend, Belgian refugee Hector Perot.

The murderer could be any of the individuals attending a recital at the dance hall. Mrs. Eversham was not well-liked. She bullied her daughter, alienated her sister-in-law, had little use for the neighboring hotel manager’s son who had his eye on her daughter, and publicly shouted at the young gardener. It's up to Aggie and Hector to piece together the clues and determine the identity of the culprit.

Quiet, shy Aggie possesses a wild imagination. She peppers her account with elaborate flights of fancy. This interior monologue is dripping with melodrama. Great fun to read aloud!

She envisions disposing of a corpse:

"chopped up in a suitcase, shoveled into a well, hurled from a clifftop, locked in a cupboard."

She suspects that an angry acquaintance must be;

"as steamed as a runaway train, as spiky as a hothouse cactus, as fierce as a stampeding rhinoceros, ready to erupt like a volcano..."

Like Agatha Christi, Jocelyn plants several red herrings throughout that will keep readers puzzling. Early on, I identified the person that I was confident was the culprit. Faulty assumption. On rereading, I found that there were numerous clues sprinkled throughout the story that I had overlooked. There is also a carefully disguised identity. Unlike the intrepid Aggie and Hector, I failed to piece all the evidence together. This is one of the joys of classic murder mysteries. One must parse the clues to determine which are worth noting and those that may be misleading,

Jocelyn ratchets up the tension with a nail-biting conclusion. Aggie sets out on a perilous mission, hoping to learn the truth. She uncovers a long-hidden secret that will expose the perpetrator. Things get ugly. Very ugly. Aggie finds herself alone on a dark deserted beach, locked inside a wooden box, and tossed into the frigid sea.

"I only wanted a very small adventure"

The Body Under the Piano: Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen is a classic "whodunit" that will introduce young readers to the thrill of reading a murder mystery with an intriguing plot, an ensemble of possible suspects, and "hidden in plain sight” clues which invite would-be sleuths to join in the search to discover the criminal. More Aggie Morton mysteries please.

Follath captures the personalities of the major players with a deft hand. I frequently referred to these portraits of leading characters. Very helpful.

Meet Agatha Christi

This very British, very charming murder mystery is a clearly a homage to the great detective novelist Agatha Christi. Born in Torquay in 1890, she taught herself to read at the age of five. She was an accomplished pianist. However her shyness prevented her from performing for those she did not know. Christie's books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: February 4, 2020 Publisher: Tundra Books ISBN: 978-0735265462

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Justice is Served

Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Big Words)
by Doreen Rappaport ill by Eric Velasquez

Big Words: Picture Book Series

Mallomars, Raccoons, and Sidebars, Oh My!

A Girl, A Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon
by Karen Romano Young ill by Jessixa Bagley

Fun with Mallomars

It's a Mystery

The Body under the Piano: Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen
by Marthe Jocelyn ill by Isabelle Follath

Meet Agatha Christi

Category

Archives

Barbara Moon

Justice is Served

​Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Big Words)by Doreen Rappaport ill by Eric Velasquez

Big Words: Picture Book Series

Mallomars, Raccoons, and Sidebars, Oh My!

A Girl, A Raccoon, and the Midnight Moonby Karen Romano Young ill by Jessixa Bagley

Fun with Mallomars

It's a Mystery

The Body under the Piano: Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen​by Marthe Jocelyn ill by Isabelle Follath

Meet Agatha Christi

Category

Archives

Barbara Moon

Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Big Words)
by Doreen Rappaport ill by Eric Velasquez

A Girl, A Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon
by Karen Romano Young ill by Jessixa Bagley

The Body under the Piano: Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen
by Marthe Jocelyn ill by Isabelle Follath