Blog Archives - READING STYLE GUIDE

Bookjoy!

4/30/2018

El día de los niños

"Hooray! Today is our day, ¡El día de los niños!"
"¡Viva! Hoy es nuestro día. El día de los niños!"

It's April 30. That means its time to celebrate the joy of sharing books with youngsters. The amazing Pat Mora has developed an annual celebration of books for children everywhere. It is based on the the traditional Mexican holiday, El día delos niño, the celebration the child. Mora expanded on this concept and has developed a festival honoring the joy of books and literacy for children and their families.
Join the celebration!

Looking for resources to help you celebrate? Pat Mora and ALSC have created a booklet packed with ideas to help keep the bookjoy going all year along. Find crafts, games, downloadable posters, ways to involve families and much more.

Try this sample of picture books and middle grade readers.
Bonus: many are bilingual or have both Spanish and English editions.

A day of reading, singing, and dancing call for a grand finale. Cap off the day of festivities with paletas. Frozen treats made with fresh fruit come in a variety of flavors. This recipe uses strawberries and mangoes. But combinations are limited only by one's imagination and available fruit. Easy to make.
Está buenísimo.

What About Bob?

4/26/2018

Bob by Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead ill Nicholas Gannon

"You have a gift! I think you're ...magic!"

Mass and Stead have taken the most ordinary of names and created an extraordinary character with a story premise that is intriguing. Bob is the magical tale of ten-year-old Olivia's return visit to her grandmother in Australia. It's been five years since her last stay with Gran. Known as Livy, she struggles to remember people and events from so long ago. There are people and places that seem familiar. Livy wonders how and why she has retained these fleeting impressions. Gradually, with the help of Bob, she pieces together significant bits of information from the past.

Who is Bob?

Bob is ten years old. He has always been ten.
Bob is short.
Bob has smooth skin.
Bob is skinny with knobby knees.
Bob is green, like the inside of an avocado.
Bob wears a chicken suit, with feathers that are falling off.

What's with Bob, anyway?

Bob lives inside the closet of Gran's upstairs bedroom.
Bob occupies his time with things located inside the closet: a Lego pirate ship and the dictionary.
Bob knows how to play chess.
Bob is a friend of Livy's.
Bob has been waiting five years for Livy to return.
Bob hopes that Livy will keep the promise that she made to him long ago.

I'm putting two and two together, as Dad says.
Except it's more like trying to add the square root of seven and thirty-one to the fifth power.

In one sense this is a book like others by Stead: seemingly random pieces fit together in the most ingenious way. Words that are glossed over on first reading take on added significance when delving further into the narrative. Here are a few of the phrases that reveal key parts of the story.

"But chess is not about luck," Bob says. "It's about recognizing the strength of the little guy."

"Treats are always better when you save them,"

"The small pieces are really easy to lose," he mumbles.

The door swings open, and there is Bob, arms crossed tightly over his narrow chest. He is wearing my old tutu.

"She put a book under her pillow...She said it helped her dream."

I am going to have to think of something else. I sit down hard on the Sylvester rock. It wobbles a little.

This is a quick read. But don't let the scant page count fool you. It is brimming with charm and grace, humor and longing. And the ending. Ah, the ending. The final page totally melted me. Oh Bob, I love you so.

Review based on uncorrected text copy.

Pub date: May 1, 2018 Publisher: Feiwel & Friends ISBN: 978-1250166623

Into the Woods

4/24/2018

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

It begins with the cover. All the trauma, drama, insecurities of summer camp are perfectly captured in this image. She’s got the gear, all the gear. She’s got the uniform with requisite badges. She’s got the wilderness setting, complete with flags and tents and little critters.

But wait. She's got a look that seems to cry out "Help!"
This is NOT at all what she signed up for. Not. At. All.

Vera had heard the stories of camp and was sure that a summer experience was what she desperately needed. With a great deal of coaxing, her mother relented and signed Vera and brother up for Russian camp. Certain that this would be the experience she envisioned, she set off with high hopes.

In a strange twist of fate, her brother who initially protested the idea of summer camp, instantly took to the experience and dived right in. Vera, on the other hand was having a miserable experience. No friends, mean girls, unfamiliar routines: this just wasn't working out. Unfortunately, it is too late. Mom has deposited the siblings and Vera is stuck at a summer camp for children of Russian heritage.

Anyone who has experienced the unique challenge of using the camp "facilities" will appreciate Vera's first encounter with the outhouse, known to these campers as "Hollywood." A midnight trek to the primitive, odiferous, and generally repugnant latrine is a never-to-be forgotten encounter.

Exploring camp, Vera finds a directional sign for Hollywood.

Further investigation brings her to the horrifying conclusion: a
visit to Hollywood is a dreaded necessity.

Look at her face. It captures the range of her emotions and sensations.

Kudos to Brosgol for predominantly featuring Russian culture. From occasionally use of Cyrillic alphabet, depictions of Russian Orthodox services and icons, and traditional foods, she brings her heritage to the forefront.

It was a little pocket of Russia, a familiar place in a strange land.

Russian camp setting notwithstanding, this dramatic recreation of real-life youth camp transcends a specific culture. Vera's story will resonate with all youngsters who feel different but want to be accepted and included.

So you're making some friends, huh?
...be careful how you make them.

Vera Brosgol distills her memories as a novice camper in this engaging, visually arresting, emotionally riveting graphic novel for middle grade readers.

Come summer, tuck this book, along with a package of Skittles into the backpack of every young camper you know. Camp will be ever-so-much better when kids know how to Be Prepared.

Graphic Novels Go Camping

Gather round the campfire with these graphic novels.

Brain Camp by Susan Kim, Lawrence

Camp Midnight by Steven T. Seagle Jason Adam Katzenstein

Chiggers by Hope Larson

Review based on copy provided by the publisher.

Pub date: April 24, 2018 Publisher: First Second ISBN: 978-1626724440

Ode to Joy

4/18/2018

The Joy of Cookies: Cookie Monster's Guide to Life by Cookie Monster

This concept is brilliantly delicious. The tempting treatise begins with a Joy of Cooking title homage, cookie bite cutout, and dedication to Grandma Monster who inspired a love for milk and cookies. Seriously, is there anyone anywhere who doesn't enjoy a cookie? Who can resist this clever ode to a universally-loved treat?

I am a self-avowed cookie baker and cookie lover. After reading this book, it was time to head to the freezer and locate my stash of "emergency cookies." There were some chocolate chip, one half of a giant oatmeal raisin, a few lemon sugar cookies, one salted chocolate caramel, and some raspberry-filled linzer hearts. The makings of a cookie photo shoot. My images are not professional quality. Nonetheless the intriguing possibilities of pairing my home-baked goodies with selected pages inspired me to try and capture the essence of Cookie Monster's Guide to Life.

I want to purchase additional copies of The Joy of Cookies and pair with batches of homemade treats. Note: If you don't have your own favorite recipe, instructions for Sugar Cookies, Double Chocolate Cookies, and Monster Cookies are included within the pages. These cookie/book pairings will be for friends who need a little joy in their lives. Fresh cookies and Cookie Monster's wisdom make the perfect gift for any occasion.

Just like a warm cookie, this book begs to be shared. Grab a cookie (or two), a glass of cold milk, and read this book with a friend. Thanks Cookie Monster, for making my day a bit brighter.

Bonus: In place of the standard "All rights reserved" and copyright statement found in every published work, take a look at Cookie Monster's assertion found on the verso:

"Me the only Cookie Thief in this here town. So no steal cookies! And no steal book about cookies! Or terrible cookie curse fall upon you: Cookie forever taste like dust in mouth. Fate worse than diet."

Review based on copy provided by the publisher

Pub date: April 10, 2018 Publisher: Imprint ISBN: 978-1250143419

Breaking Away

4/17/2018

Long ago, I studied to become a youth services librarian. The class "Literature for Young Adults" was an eye-opener. It started with S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders and continued as I read YA classics such as Jacqueline Woodson's Miracle's Boys, J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, and Gary Paulsen's Hatchet. I came to the startling conclusion that many of the protagonists in these stories were orphans. Writers chose to kill off the parents to focus on the teen's coming-of-age struggle. This is not a new device. Consider orphans Anne of Green Gables and Tom Sawyer. If the parents were not dead, they often were removed in other ways. Current YA lit offerings such as Sara Zarr's Gem and Dixie and Dee Ellis' You May Already Be a Winner center on mothers who are either emotionally absent or unaware of the realities that their children face.

Literature, and especially literature for teens is constantly evolving.

Recently I have noticed several books which run counter to the "absent parent" trope. These novels are about a different sort of dilemma. In these recently published books, teens aren't trying to negotiate a world without parents. Instead they live in a world of overly concerned, constantly interfering, zealously protective parents. Meet four young people who discover ways to assert themselves and move out into the world while recognizing and respecting their parents. This can be a difficult tightrope to walk.

American Panda by Gloria Chao

Mei Lu's parents have her life planned for her. At the age of seventeen, she has followed the life plan that they set for her and is about to enter MIT, studying to become a doctor. Her mother, who gives new meaning to the term helicopter parent, has obtained a copy of her class schedule and relentlessly voicemails Mei, wanting to know where she is and what she is doing every moment of the day. She has even selected a suitable husband for her daughter. Mei, a germaphobe, constantly worries about contracting a disease from normal human contact and struggles to stay alert in biology class. She loves dance and is attracted to a young man who is definitely not Taiwanese.
Gloria Chao's heartwarming tale of the girl struggling to be true to herself, while honoring and respecting her family and their culture is served with a generous quantity of humor. Love her. Laugh with her. Agonize with her. Every individual who seeks to be true to oneself will empathize with Mei.

Review based on uncorrected text copy.

Pub date: February 6 2018 Publisher: Simon Pulse ISBN: 978-1481499101

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Dimple is the quintessential techie nerd. Behind her ever-present spectacles is the face of one determined young lady. With high school behind her and plans of Stanford this fall, Dimple will summer at Insomnia Con, an app creation competition for teams of bright young minds from across the country.
However, her Mamma has other plans. The only reason that she consents to her daughter's attendance at this summer program has nothing to do with establishing a career as a web developer and everything to do with finding a husband. Mamma has left nothing to chance. She knows that Rishi Patel, son of family friends will be attending the Con. She is certain that he will be the "Ideal Indian Husband" for Dimple. It's Mamma, scheming marriage plans her for daughter verses a modern-thinking Dimple dreaming of higher education and a career. Who will win?

Review based on uncorrected text copy.

Pub date: May 30, 2017 Publisher: Simon Pulse ISBN: 978-1481478687

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

It's a tough life being royalty and the heir to the throne. The expectations are high. Your parents assume that you will continue the traditions set by previous rulers. They also expect you to marry and maintain the royal dynasty. Anxiously, they arrange glittery balls filled with eligible young maidens. When that doesn't work, they plan for intimate dinners with families of princesses from nearby kingdoms.
For Prince Sebastian, this only complicates matters. He carries a closely-guarded secret: he is a crossdresser who goes to great lengths to conceal his passion for elegant feminine attire. Deep inside, he wonders: how can he be the monarch that his parents expect him to be?
It takes a simple dressmaker to help him accept his identity and give him the courage to come out to his parents. Sebastian learns that being true to oneself is the best way to be good son, loyal friend, and prince.

Review based on electronic copy provided by publisher

Pub date: February 13, 2018 Publisher: Barefoot Books ISBN: 978-1250159854

Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi

Saaket Ferdowski is trying to downplay his Iranian heritage, opting to use the first name Scott. He feels suffocating pressure from his parents to make concrete plans for his life. A string of mediocre grades, unimpressive test scores, and a history of quitting every extra-curricular activity is not his parents' formula for success. His father attempts to keep Scott “on track” by using all his connections to arrange a summer internship for his son at the university lab.
It turns out that Scott has other plans. As soon as his parents leave the country, he ditches the internship and climbs aboard a Greyhound bus, headed to Washington D.C. Ignoring his parents' advice, fabricating false stories during their regularly scheduled check-in phone calls, Scott contacts a famous psychologist living in D.C. to learn the secret to success. Self-discovery will take him places that he and his parents never imagined.

Review based on copy provided by the publisher.

Pub date: February 6 2018 Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers ISBN: 978-0425289877

Little Lion

4/12/2018

I'm the Best! by Constanze V. Kitzing

Look at the smug expression on the face of this young lion. Here is one cub who exudes self-confidence, convinced that I'm the Best! He sets off into the wild to proclaim his prowess to other members of the animal kingdom, announcing to each that he is: the loudest, the fiercest, the prettiest, etc.
Each boast from the lion is met with the retort, "oh really?" Eventually he comes to the realization that there are other animals who have some superior attributes.
All ends well. His younger brother arrives and after a playful romp, admiringly announces that his older brother is "the best."
A delightful picture book that celebrates the unique qualities that make each individual special.

Hand-painted illustrations fill the page with over-sized animal images. Little Lion's facial expressions cover a wide range of emotions. He moves from pride to doubt, fearlessness to trepidation with each page turn. Animals roar, grunt, snap, and whisper. These descriptive verbs enrich the story experience and provide opportunities for dramatic reading. With limited vocabulary and repetitive text, this book makes an excellent read aloud. A chorus of young voices will joyfully join in the refrain, "Oh really?"

Meet Constanze von Kitzing

German illustrator and author Constanze V. Kitzing hosts an interactive website and a newsletter which are chock full of interesting explorations for youngsters. There is one obstacle: the site is in German. However with the assistance of Google translate and some deductive reasoning, it is possible to share some of these creative activities with children everywhere.

Here is a sample of von Kitzing's fun interactive activities.

Sign up to receive a copy of the idea newsletter.

Instructions and animated images for painting carnival faces.

Spot the differences coloring page.

Download this family tree template which can be customized for one, two, or three children.

Please may I have some more?

Did you know that there are two additional Little Lion titles? This trio of tales follow this cub who has a major attitude. He taunts boldly Can't Catch Me! and seeks a nighttime playmate when he asks Are You Sleeping?
Triple reading pleasure.

Review based on electronic copy provided by publisher

Pub date: April 1, 2018 Publisher: Barefoot Books ISBN: 9781782853947

Secrets Wrapped in Secrets

4/10/2018

Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

I know you can see things as you decide, shift the objects in your world so the light falls on them the way you want it to...

Have you ever read a book that you desperately wanted to talk about? A book brimming with suspense and mystery. A story of friendship, family, and misunderstandings. A novel filled with the daily emotional bruises of high school life. A study in keen observation and searing self-introspection.
However, no matter how strong your desire is to rave about the book, you must be oh-so-careful about what you say and how you say it. You want to have an in-depth discussion about the book, but you don’t want to give anything away.
This is my current dilemma. I want to talk about this exquisite YA novel. But in fairness, I should only talk about Picture Us in the Light with others who have read it.

Background: Danny Cheng lives with his parents in Cupertino, California. It’s senior year and his group of Asian American friends are in the throes of post high school planning. Danny is thrilled. He been accepted to RISD and dreams of pursuing his passion for art. Then he discovers a box, hidden in a closet at home, which contains a sheaf of documents relating to a mysterious individual. The narrative explores Danny’s search to uncover the identity of this person and to learn why his parents are so secretive about the box and its contents.

This is a book of secrets, of secrets wrapped inside secrets. Important plots points are revealed as Danny learns more about the box of papers. Most of these discoveries took me by surprise. But the story also reveals secrets of the heart. I was able to identify some of those secrets early on. Gilbert offers enough clues to help readers understand what is buried deep inside the hearts of her main characters. I found myself rooting for them, hoping that these young people would recognize and respond to their innermost longings.

Most of the narrative is Danny’s first-person account. Woven throughout his story are brief chapters written by another individual who describes a series of personal life events. Eventually the two stories come together, leading to an emotion-filled conclusion.

You’ll get no spoilers from me. I will say that as I reached the final pages, I found it hard to read as my vision became blurred due to a copious quantity of tears. Read it for the mystery. Read it for the portraits of young Asian Americans. Read it to view the complications brought on by a family in crisis and the extent of a family’s love. Read it for the vivid portrayal of coming-of-age. But most of all, read it so that you and I can talk about it!

Carefully examine the book jacket. The front features a black and white sketch of an artist creating what appears as a colorful graffiti design on a brick wall. Unfold the jacket and a new image comes into view. It's a bold and colorful dragon. There's more symbolism to be found in this cover. After you read the book, let's talk about all of it.

Art doesn’t change the ending. It doesn’t let you lose yourself that way - the opposite really; it calls you from the darkness into the glaring, unforgiving light

Kelly Loy Gilbert is the author of Conviction, a 2015 Morris Award Finalist. I had the opportunity to meet her and to listen as she and her editor chatted about the development of this novel, her writing process, and their working relationship as author and editor. FYI: their relationship is definitely one of mutual admiration. Afterward, she graciously signed my copy of Picture Us in the Light. It's a keeper!

All my life, I’ve waited for signs. Like with art, like with everything, I’ve waited for things to fall into place and to feel right, to feel like the universe had given me its permission and its blessing.

Review based on uncorrected text copy.

Pub date: April 10 2018 Publisher: Disney-Hyperion ISBN: 978-1484726020

Living Language

4/3/2018

Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code:
A Navajo Code Talkers Story
by Joseph Bruchac ill Liz Amini-Holmes

His spirit stayed unbroken.

Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker's Story is an inspiring retelling of the life, courage and important contributions of Chester Nez.
Joseph Bruchac organizes Nez's story chronologically, using descriptive names of Navajo months as page headings.
In October 1929, Month of Small Wind, an eight-year-old boy named Betoli leaves his family home to attend boarding school. Immediately he is stripped of his Navajo name and given the English name of Chester. The school's objective is to help Navajo children "survive in the white man's world." They accomplish this by systematically removing and erasing all traces of Navajo language, religion, and culture.

While Chester successfully masters the English language, he loves and longs for the language and traditions of his people. He makes a concerted effort to retain his Native tongue and his connection Navajo heritage.

In 1941, during the Month of Crusted Snow, tenth grade student Chester Nez resolves to serve his country. Along with a group of Navajo men who speak both English and Navajo, he develops an unbreakable code developed to relay information in the Pacific Theater during World War II. This code becomes a key communication component used by the U.S, military.

Using simple, yet powerful language Bruchac conveys the majesty and enduring strength of Navajo religion, traditions, and language. The book makes it clear that pride in his heritage and a determination to retain his identity and language is a defining aspect of Chester Nez’s character.

Illustrations by Liz Amini-Holmes boldly fill each page with images that are both realistic and highly symbolic. Large black birds flying off with strands of his shorn locks is graphically arresting. Likewise, the two-page spread with a praying altar boy facing a boy praying outside a Hogan stand in stark contrast to each other.

Back matter includes an author's note which provides information on Nez's life following World War II and his decision to finally tell his story. A portion of the Navajo Code, including the alphabet letters is accompanied by corresponding Navajo words and literal translations. Frequently used battle words as well as the months of the year are fascinating insights into this complex code. A timeline of Chester Nez's life is helpful.

This picture book biography is an excellent addition for libraries, enriching historical accounts of United States History, especially during 1939-1945. A tribute to the heroic actions of a Native American, emphasizing the importance of indigenous languages and cultures.

He kept his feet on the trail of beauty.

Keeping the Language Alive

The Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Tribal Empowerment Library located near El Paso in west Texas, actively works to keep alive the language and cultural of these indigenous Native Americans. Representatives from the Texas Library Association visited the tribal library to learn more.

Review based on text and images from uncorrected copy.

Pub date: April 3, 2018 Publisher: Albert Whitman and Company ISBN: 978-0807500071

Hide & Seek

4/3/2018

Lazybones by Claire Messer

Claire Messer is back! This time she’s brought the dog. Meet Robert Exelby Perdendo.
A large dog with a very large name. But wait. Take a look at the dog featured on the cover. This doggo is a canine with some serious side-eye. What's with that?

Readers discover that he has absolutely no interest in leaving the house. When he hears the command "Walkies!" No thank you. He is NOT interested.
Hence, his owner calls him Lazybones.
But here's the interesting part. He puts forth considerable effort to escape notice and uses his ingenuity to avoid the leash.

Things change when on a walk he meets a dog who likes to play hide-and-seek. Lazybones is a master at hiding, Now a walk outside becomes a game that he wants to play.

Messer has created her own little hide-and-seek game within the pages of the books. Discovering where Lazybones is hiding on each successive page is part of the book's charm. Dog owners everywhere will delight in the antics of Lazybones.

As with her previously published picture book Grumpy Pants, Messer’s signature illustration style introduces an animal with a distinctive personality. The hand-crafted linoleum prints feature a limited color pallet, strong graphic design elements, and uneven color application of ink, giving the images depth as well as added visual interest.
There are several charming little details waiting to be discovered: Park scenes feature a variety of dog breeds that are fun to identify. Careful observers will also note that a certain penguin makes a cameo appearance.

Picture Books by Messer

Review based on uncorrected text copy.

Pub date: April 3, 2018 Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company ISBN: 978-0807544020