Blog Archives

Runaway Art

7/28/2020

Doodleville by Chad Sell

Drew loves to draw. Pencil in hand, she has created her own collection of doodles, an assortment of charming and often mischievous characters who dwell in her imaginary world.
Drew shares her passion for drawing with other students in the school’s Art Club. Their advisor plans a field trip to the local art museum. This expedition will serve as inspiration for an upcoming project: create a superhero world.

There is one complication. Drew has discovered that her doodles can escape the pages of her sketchbook and travel into the “real world.” At the museum, her creations Jump off the paper and wildly explore the art displays, absconding with a hat featured in one of the paintings.

Although Drew manages to collect all her runaway doodles plus an additional purloined hat, it is apparent that her creations are out of control. They begin to inhabit the drawings of her fellow students, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

Her solution to is to create a large doodle. A much larger doodle. She names this gigantic serpentine monster Levi, an abbreviated version of Leviathan. The monster lives up to its name, causing havoc and destroying the work of her friends. It is unstoppable. Drew is wracked with guilt.” It’s all my fault.” she sobs. Her friends rally to her defense and devise a plan to link the powers of all their superheroes together to defeat Levi.

Drew’s father helps her understand that her creations are a part of her and that the Leviathan is an extension of the darkness that she sometimes feels. Once she acknowledges the duality of emotions she possesses, Drew is empowered to formulate a plan of action that benefits her fellow artists, the doodles, and even Levi. This leads to an inventive and satisfying conclusion.

Sell’s art cleverly delineates the black and white one-dimensional world of Doodleville and Drew’s fully realized colorful world. The blending of the two worlds is masterful.

The final panels set the stage for further adventures in the Doodleverse, a series destined to fly off the shelves faster than Leviathan, Captain Cockatoo, or the Magical Butterfly Boyfriends can travel.

This fantastical comic envisions a world where art comes to life and imagines the positive as well as negative implications of such a world. It features a tightly knit, yet diverse group of young students who unite to solve a problem, forgive one another’s mistakes, and celebrate their collective successes. And did I mention the donuts? Yes. There are donuts.

Bonus

Download Doodleville coloring pages and create a Doodleville World of your own. Find more information here.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: June 9, 2020 Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers ISBN: 978-1984894717

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King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

7/21/2020

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King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

It begins with dragonflies. Dragonflies flitting everywhere in a sultry Louisiana town.
Kingston James, known as King, has become fixated with dragonflies. There’s a reason for his obsession. After his older brother Khalid suddenly and tragically dies, King is convinced that his brother has morphed into a dragonfly. Whenever he sees one of these large-eyed iridescent insects he feels that Khalid is nearby.

Callender tells a compelling story of grief and the oppressive burden that death places on a family. The loss of his brother has cast a pall over King’s home. Familiar family routines have been set aside. There is now an empty place at the table. The family dynamic is fractured.

One of the few constants for King is Sandy Sanders. Sandy is the friend he can confide in, can talk with about things that really matter. The two friends share a love for anime and manga, spending spend hours sketching characters and discussing their favorite stories.
To please his brother, King has severed this treasured friendship because Sandy is gay. Khalid convinced King that he should not associate with gays.

King knows that Sandy’s home situation is painful. He is physically and emotionally abused by his father, the town sheriff. Sandy's life becomes unbearable when his father discovers that his son is gay. Sandy runs away to escape his father’s vicious attacks.

King is the friend who comes to Sandy's rescue, finding him sanctuary in an abandoned shack. Together in this secluded place, the two learn to forgive, to accept one another, and make plans to move on with their lives. Sandy is ready to leave his abusive home for good. King is not sure if he should join Sandy. Is he ready to leave his grieving parents? Will his father accept his gay son?

King felt bound to honor his brother in a way that required him to deny his identity and hurt a friend. He now wonders: Can he still honor his brother if he chooses his own life path?

The choice of the dragonfly is an apt metaphor This insect with large, often many-colored wings symbolizes change, transformation, adaptability, and self-realization. King experiences a change in his view of himself and his world. Like the dragonfly he is emerging, ready to embrace his identity, his family, and friends.

King and the Dragonflies is a thoughtful exploration of grief, coming out, abuse, friendship, and healing.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: February 4, 2020 Publisher: Scholastic Press ISBN: 978-1338129335

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Ripped from Today's Headlines

7/17/2020

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Illegal: A Disappeared Novel by Francisco X. Stork

Siblings Sara and Emiliano Zapata are on the run, hoping to elude an international human trafficking cartel. Illegal continues their story which began with Disappeared. After leaving Juárez Mexico, the two separately cross the Rio Grande River, hoping to outpace and outsmart the syndicate.

The story is told in the alternating voices of the brother and sister. Sara opts to legally request asylum as she believes that ample documentation will support her amnesty claim. Emiliano chooses to go underground, hiding in the back of a horse trailer to evade detection and eventually living in the basement of his father’s home in a Chicago suburb.

The two have an explosive secret: a cell phone containing damning photographs and documents detailing human trafficking that originates in Mexico and extends into the United States. Those involved include a federal government employee. Before they part ways, Sara entrusts the phone to her brother. Sara and Emiliano must protect this valuable piece of evidence without endangering one another.

Stork ratchets up the tension as both lives are on the line. Sara is locked in solitary confinement within a detention center in Fort Stockton Texas because she refuses to disclose the whereabouts of her brother. Emiliano tries to stay one step ahead of a killer hired to track down the phone. It’s a nail biting, intense read.

The narrative includes fascinating details about everything from technical processes used to open a phone to some of the legal intricacies in the asylum process. There are striking contrasts: Emiliano sharing tender moments with his half brother while Sara endures horrific cruelty. A stunning betrayal keeps the central characters constantly questioning who to trust. Both siblings are faced with moral dilemmas. There are no easy solutions. Every choice has positive and negative consequences.

An electrifying story that could easily have been ripped from today's headlines, this can't-put-down story of danger, intrigue, and corruption will keep readers rapidly turning pages. It's action and suspense to the max.
While the book’s conclusion brings resolution to the immediate dangers facing Sara and Emiliano, there is obviously more to the story. Please Mr. Stork, don’t keep us waiting too long.

Uncorrected copy provided by author.

Pub date: August 4, 2020 Publisher: Scholastic Press ISBN: 978-1338310559

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From Cuba with Love

7/10/2020

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Letters From Cuba by Ruth Behar

Late 1930's were perilous times in Europe. The Nazi party was ascending to power and invading surrounding nations.

Twelve-year-old Esther’s family is Polish and Jewish. They face a future filled with uncertainty and fear. Bravely Esther leaves her mother, siblings, and grandmother to join her father in Cuba. The plan: father and daughter will secure funds for the entire family to escape the dire conditions in their homeland and emigrate to Cuba.

Through a series of letters to her sister, Esther describes her life in this new country. Her correspondence is infused with sensory descriptions: luscious tropical fruit, beautiful countryside, eloquent Spanish language, and the poetry of José Matí. She tells of heartbreaking setbacks and small triumphs.

Initially, the two earn money peddling religious statues in the predominantly Catholic villages. It seems a unusual thing: Jews selling religious statues. Sadly, this venture produces little income.

Their fortunes begin to look up when, desperate for suitable clothing to wear in the oppressive heat, Esther designs and sews a light, comfortable dress to replace her heavy woolen clothing. By hand, she sews similar dresses for her friends. Several of her creations are displayed in a local shop. Then the miraculous happens. Esther receives a sewing machine. With help from her father, the two make attractive lightweight dresses for women in the village. Eventually her designs are sold to a buyer in Havana. Now there is hope that she can earn enough money to reunite her family in Cuba. After some tense moments, the family obtains the necessary money to emigrate.

Esther is a natural at reaching out and connecting with people. She quickly becomes acquainted with many of the villagers. Her father’s rents lodging from the local doctor and his wife. They befriend an Afro-Cuban woman and her grandson. A couple from China own the local store patronized by Esther and her father. She invites this diverse group to share a Seder meal in their tiny apartment. She must improvise, dipping onions in salt water and filling glasses with sour cherry tea. The celebratory dinner is a success. New friendships are formed.

Esther is the star of this story. Her resourcefulness, hard work, willingness to try new things, and acceptance of other cultures and customs make the story shine.

This epistolary middle grade novel was inspired by Behar's grandmother’s journey from Poland to Cuba. Her story offers young readers a fresh perspective on a contemporary issue. Letters from Cuba is a mind-opening, heart-expanding look at the plight of immigrants, the far-reaching effects of World War II, and the stain of racism.

Electronic copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: August 25, 2020 Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books ISBN: 978-0525516477

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New Friends

7/7/2020

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Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim

Danbi means "sweet rain" in Korean

Danbi’s off for her first day of Kindergarten. A momentous occasion. For this little charmer, the day is even more significant. It's her first day of school in America.
New day. New school. New country.

Boom. Boom. Boom. She approaches this venture into the unknown with her heart wildly thumping.

For a girl from Korea, everything is strange and puzzling. A blonde teacher with very pale skin, and a cluster of children, many who do not look like her, stare in wonder at the newcomer. Things are off to a difficult start.

Everything is foreign. New language. Baffling writing system. Dancing is strange. Games don't follow any rules that she knows. Saddest of all, she is without a friend.

When it's time for lunch, the dynamics shift. There's something about food that breaks down barriers. Her classmates are fascinated with her chopsticks. She is intrigued by juice boxes with accompanying straws. Tapping out a rhythm with various eating implements, the lunch table becomes a rhythmical fest. The children take their music out of the room and throughout the school. Making music. Making friends. Danbi Leads the School Parade. Now the booming is no longer the sound of anxiety. It becomes part of a jubilant celebration.

She makes a friend. Danbi shares a treat with a girl sporting blonde pigtails and teaches her how to use chop sticks. In return, her new friend teaches Danbi how to write her name with the mysterious rounded letters.

The opening end papers and title page set the stage as Danbi bids farewell to her beloved grandmother and little dog, then takes flight across the ocean to a home in the United States. Closing end papers bring the story full circle, as she plays with a new friend and puppy dog in her new neighborhood.

Kim's soft pastel art bursts across each page with joy and tenderness. Expressive faces with proportionately large heads capture apprehension, sadness, and eventually exuberance as Danbi progresses through her first day of school.

Author’s Note recounts her first day of school in America. " I remember standing in front of the whole class, everyone staring at me, not understanding a word from the teacher." She pays tribute to one special classmate who was kind and gentle, with an unforgettable smile. Her hope is that children who read this book will want someone like Danbi for a friend.

Welcome to Kindergarten

Looking for additional stories to reassure youngsters beginning school or any new experience? Try these excellent picture books.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: July 7, 2020 Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers ISBN: 978-0451478894

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The Story of the Story

7/6/2020

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Everything Sad is Untrue: (a true story) by Daniel Nayeri

The stories aren't the thing. The thing is the story of the story.

Like Scheherazade, Nayeri has a gift. He weaves a thousand and one tales into an opulent Persian tapestry: a story of mythology and memoir, of lineage and loss. A story that is as true as what you see with your own eyes and as real as what you cannot see.

The saga begins: a ten-year-old Iranian refugee stands up in an Oklahoma schoolroom and tells classmates his story, his history.

There are so many things going on in this narrative. Several pages are devoted to considerations of poop. It should not be surprising. This is not some esoteric philosophical treatise, although there are ample references to God and religion, anxiety and resilience, dignity and prejudice. At its core, it is a story of basic human needs. It's a story of survival. Nayeri lays bare his heart, his devotion to his mother, his complicated relationship with his father. It’s a guidebook for navigating a strange western culture and for methodically escaping the cruelty of others. It’s all of it.

Readers will note that the narrative does not move in a linear fashion. There are spirals which move forward only to fall back, then spin forward again. All are encompassed within a slowly revolving story arc. It sounds a bit messy, but the story threads are easy to follow.

Here’s the wonder of Everything Sad is Untrue: (a true story). It’s now a part of me. Khosrou and Sima and Mrs. Miller and Mr. Sheep Sheep have little story spirals spinning within my personal story circle.

Years ago I heard Nayeri speak to a group of teens, sharing tales of wonder that kept his audience enthralled. I have never forgotten listening to this master storyteller. Consequently I was a bit apprehensive about reading this book. Could the printed page measure up to the magic of a live performance?

The answer is an emphatic YES. This is a book like no other. It's like claiming a seat in that Oklahoma classroom and being transported to a world that is somehow familiar and yet one that you never knew existed. YES. Read the book. However, if you have the opportunity to hear the author share a story in real life, don't miss it.

My Travel Kit

Below are a few of my side excursions as I traversed Nayeri’s story landscape. I wanted to know how to pronounce Khosrou. Yes, I know that it is impossible to say it correctly, but I need some approximation to hear in my mind as I read. I was intrigued by the book's title with its reference to Lord of the Rings. Here's the quote. Iran. I needed a map for this. Now, of course, I want to visit Isfahan.