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READING STYLE GUIDE

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

11/26/2019

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Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers 
​by Celia C. Pérez

Aster couldn't help smiling. She liked the feeling of having friends.
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There are traditional youth organizations with badges, bake sales, and award ceremonies. But what about those who don't fit neatly into a group structure?  is there a place for them?
Meet four girls who appear to have little in common. Lane DiSanti, artist and instigator, lives with her wealthy grandmother while her parents work out an impending divorce. Ofelia Castillo, aspiring journalist  struggles under the watchful eye of over-protective Cuban American parents.  Cat Garcia feels pressure from her close-knit family to participate in a local contest. She'd rather spend her time birdwatching. Gourmet chef Aster Douglas lives with her African American grandfather, a researcher and retired college professor.  Her widowed mother is overseas.
Pérez has created a fascinating cast of characters. Each girl is unique with her own talents and interests.  Each faces her own set of challenging circumstances. Each is a "strange bird" who doesn't fit into established norms.
​The girls come together and meet in a well-furnished treehouse to form ​The Ostentation of Others and Outsiders, an organization, with its own rules and expectations.
Inspired by Cat's concern over a century-old feather hat revered by the local girl's troupe known as the Flores of Sabal Palms, the foursome formulate a plan to raise awareness of  the mistreatment of birds. Their campaign targets the Flores use of the hat adorned with feathers.  "Return the Feathers" becomes their rallying cry.  They create stickers and affix them to brownies sold at a local festival.  Next they blanket the Flores House grounds with plastic pink flamingos displaying information about birds.  Eventually, they hatch a plot to steal the Flores hat.
Their schemes are filled with excitement and intrigue. Results are not what the girls anticipated. Activism isn't easy.  The girls manage to achieve some of their goals, though not without ruffling several feathers. They learn more about themselves and  that trust is a critical factor in maintaining friendships.
Pérez  includes a delightful assortment of bonus material that will appeal to a wide range of interests: birdwatching tips, meaning and uses of specific crystals, recipe for baking chocolate chip cookies that have an unusual ingredient: crushed potato chips, suggestions for researching and writing about topics of interest, and instructions for creating your own badges.
Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers is a richly flavored multidimensional tale of friendship and the value of diverse individuals pooling their unique talents and concerns to create positive change. Gracias Celia C. Pérez for introducing young readers to this fabulous foursome. I want to know what happens in the next chapter of their lives. More stories of The Ostentation of Others and Outsiders​, please.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
​Pub date: September 3, 2019  Publisher: Kolika ISBN: 978-0425290439
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Double Trouble

11/21/2019

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The Fowl Twins by Eoin Colfer

"You two are not simply two boys," countered Sister Jeronima. ""You are two Fowl boys. There is a big difference."
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It began in 2001. Eoin Colfer published a story about a twelve-year-old boy named Artemus Fowl, the world's greatest criminal mastermind.
Time has passed and in the intervening years Fowl has fathered fraternal twins Myles and Beckett. In many respects it is difficult to believe that the eleven-year-old boys are siblings. Myles is the epitome of an intellectual detail-oriented techno-geek. Beckett seems wildly random, bouncing around, delighting in life. He is also a trans-species polyglot, communicating with animals and fairies.
Despite or perhaps because of their differences, the brothers share an undying loyalty and affection for one another. They have learned to do more than tolerate the other's idiosyncrasies. They depend on one another to compliment the missing elements in their individual personalities.
"I used to do what you're doing, he said. "Live in the past. But now I know the past is past. When your plan failed, that was then. This is now, and we need a new plan. Say goodbye to old-failure Myles, and hello to new-plan Myles." Beckett
There's so much going on here:
Lord Teddy Bleedham-Drye, The Duke of Scilly, criminal mastermind extraordinaire will stop at nothing to obtain venom from a miniature-sized troll. The venom promises eternal life. He enlists the aid of a nun, Sister Jeronima Gonzalez-Ramos de Zárate of Bilbao who speaks English with a heavy dose of Spanish. and the Myishi Corporation to help him obtain the troll and gain everlasting life.
Unfortunately for him, Beckett happened upon the troll first, promptly naming him Whistle Blower. 
​In addition to The Fowl Twins and the tiny troll, ELF (Excellent Leprechaun Force) Specialist Lazuli Henitz, a pixie-elf hybrid or pixel (Myles mistakenly describes Lazuli as semiprecious) joins this team.  They call themselves the Regrettables.  Their mission is to thwart the Duke's nefarious schemes.
It's clear that this is just the beginning.  There will be further exploits for the Brothers Fowl.
Colfer is at the top of his game. ​Wordplay is omnipresent, punctuated with razor-sharp repartee. There's Beckett's famous cluster punch and Myles' expertise with anarchitecture, the architecture of anarchy. There are quotes from Kipling, Nietzsche, and Shakespeare.  Albeit the words may be slightly inverted, resulting an entirely different meaning.
​Colfer intensifies the story's frantic pace, adding one cliff-hanger on top of another. Presumed deaths, Bathtubs filled with electric eels. Gysers spouting bodies into the air. Individuals pushed off cliffs. It's campy, over-the-top non-stop action and adventure. Take your vitamins, sharpen your wits, and get ready for one wild read. 
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: November 5, 2019 Publisher ISBN: Disney-Hyperion 978-1368043755
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Chinese New Year Colors by Rich Lo

11/19/2019

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Chinese New Year Colors by Rich Lo

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Bold graphic design. Vibrant color. Strategically placed traditional symbols.  Chinese New Year Colors is a visual treat. Take a look inside:
​The left-hand page splits to display a color word written three different ways: English, Chinese in the Latin alphabet,  and Chinese characters, inverting the color scheme on the bottom half of the page.
Each right-hand page features a single culturally appropriate item, rendered in exquisite detail against a soft color wash. The entire two-page spread is monochromatic. Lo teases out the magnificence of each item through various shades and hues. It  is a brilliant study in color values.
Youngsters are introduced to the New Year celebration through objects associated with this holiday. A picture index at the back of the book gives a brief description of each celebratory object. End papers echo the theme in a print-like fashion.
Illustrator and graphic designer Lo conveys substantial information through page layout, color, text style, and text placement.  Add this beautiful book to your collection of introductory Chinese books for young readers.  An elegant bilingual picture book.

Companion Books

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Bilingual alphabet book in ​English, Mandarin Chinese in the Latin alphabet, and  Chinese characters.

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Written and illustrated by Rich Ho, young readers learn about Chinese opera and the value of persistence.
Copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: November 19, 2019  Publisher: Holiday House  ISBN: 978-0823443710
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World of Art

11/14/2019

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Superlative 2019 Illustrated Children's Books 

Each book is a visual treat.
Members of the 2019 panel:
  • Bruce Handy, a journalist and critic and the author of “Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult.”
  • Jessica Cline, supervising librarian in the Picture Collection of the New York Public Library.
  • Jillian Tamaki, the Book Review’s By the Book illustrator and a past winner of the award. She is the author and illustrator of several graphic novels and the picture book “They Say Blue.”
This selection of books is particularly notable by the number of books with an international connection: authors and illustrators represent an array of countries and cultures.  A stunning variety of story lines, book design, artistic styles and expression are evidence of the universal appeal of fine art for young readers. This small sample from ten award winners invites readers to visit a local bookstore or library and experience the wonder of picture books for children.
Travel the world with this year's award winners.  Pairing these picture books with a map of the world would make an interesting learning experience for young readers. Note: Books with a connection outside the continental United States are designated with a global icon. 
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Small in the City written and illustrated by Sydney Smith

Sydney Smith  lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Small in the City published by Neal Porter Books, is an imprint of Holiday House. The story is set in Toronto. Fun Fact: Town Is by the Sea, illustrated by Smith is a 2017 Best Illustrated Children's Book. 

Another written and illustrated by Christian Robinson

Christian Robinson lives in San Francisco, California in a converted warehouse. Another is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. Fun Fact: Leo: A Ghost Story was recognized a 2015 Best Illustrated Children's Book.
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The Lost Cousins written and illustrated by B.B. Cronin

Brian Cronin was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland.  He now lives in New York. The Lost Cousins is published by Viking Books for Young Readers. Fun Fact: Cronin has created several Lost titles including The Lost Christmas, The Lost Picnic, The Lost House.
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A Million Dots written and illustrated by Sven Völker

Sven Völker, German Professor of Art and Design. A Million Dots is published by British publisher, Cicada Books. Fun Fact: There's a Little Black Spot on the Sun Today is a collaboration: "King of Pain" lyrics by Sting and illustrations by Völker.
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Just Because written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

Isabelle Arsenault is a Canadian illustrator living in Montreal, Quebec. Just Because is published by Candlewick. Fun Fact: Migrant (2011) and Jane, the Fox, and Me (2013) are New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books.
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Child of Glass written and illustrated by Beatrice Alemagna

Beatrice Alemagna is from Bologna, Italy. Child of Glass is published by Enchanted Lion Books. Fun Fact: Alemagna's On a Magical Do-Nothing Day is a 2017 New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book.
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Monkey on the Run written and illustrated by Leo Timmers

​Leo Timmers was born in Belgium. Monkey on the Run is published by Gecko Press in New Zealand. Fun Fact: Timmers is currently developing an animated TV series based on his work.
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The Boring Book written and illustrated by Shinsuke Yoshitake

Shinsuke ​Yoshitake, born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan illustrates children's books and essays. ​The Boring Book is published by Chronicle Books. Fun Fact: Yoshitake also creates comics.
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​The Farmer written and illustrated by Ximo Abadía

Ximo Abadía, illustrator and graphic designer, lives and works in Madrid, Spain.   The Farmer is published by Holiday House. Fun Fact: His work was selected for the Bologna Children's Illustrator's Exhibition in 2017.
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I Miss My Grandpa written and illustrated by Jin Xiaojing

​Jin Xiaojing is an illustrator based in New York City. I Miss My Grandpa is published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Fun Fact: Printed in a bilingual format with Chinese translations and Mandarin pinyin transliterations.

Art in the Making​

Art History

Visit this year's award-winning  artists at work.
View the New York Times New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books from  2018 and 2017.  
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A Quest

11/12/2019

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The Perfect Seat by Minh Lê ill by Gus Gordon

“Can you read to me?”
​This simple request sets in motion a quest.
Adult moose and a young mooseling sporting a shirt with the numeral four (hinting perhaps four years of age?) want to share a story. But where? A search is underway. Readers will recognize a familiar pattern.
One seat too big. The next too small.
Another too old. Followed by one that is too new.
The rhythm breaks with queries such as "Should the perfect seat make you this dizzy?" when big moose's hat goes flying off his head and "Are you okay down there?" when moose is beneath the bridge .
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With gentle humor, the author sends the pair on a search for a solution to their problem. Eventually, the perfect solution falls right into their laps.  
Lots of explore on each page. Gordon chooses to focus on the central characters by sketching supporting cast members with a blue-grey outline. A bird flits from page to page. The map featured on the end pages warrants attention.  There is a street to "nowhere interesting" and a Nessie-like creature floats in the middle of a lake that is "quite wet." 
"Can you read to me?" is an invitation to explore. Lê shows readers that reading brings delightful and unexpected discoveries.
​Looking for a follow-up activity?
After reading The Perfect Seat, bear and I went in search of the best spot for reading.
Invite young readers to select a favorite book and the best place to be while reading. Create a photo gallery of perfect places to read favorite books. Be sure to caption the photo with the book title. Credit the author and illustrator as well. Note: If privacy is a concern, use a stuffed critter for the photo shoot.
​
What's your perfect seat?
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: November 12, 2019  Publisher: Disney-Hyperion ISBN: 978-1368020046
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Sweet Advice

11/7/2019

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Two recently published books share a common denominator: a young girl anonymously authors a local newspaper's advice column. The two books are quite different: Dear Sweet Pea is contemporary fiction for middle grade readers and The Downstairs Girl is historical fiction for young adults. Both are standouts.

Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

Dear Sweet Pea, 
​I could use your advice...
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Thirteen-year-old Patricia "Sweet Pea" DiMarco is experiencing some significant changes. Her parents have agreed to an amicable divorce and will live on the same street in similar houses to minimize their daughter's discomfort with this new family dynamic.
She is simultaneously negotiating a falling-out with her former best friend and the repercussions from thoughtlessness toward her new best friend. This girl is headed for a world of hurt.
Then there's her neighbor, the eccentric advice columnist Miss Flora Mae who leaves town and asks Sweet Pea to forward advice requests and then deliver the answers to the newspaper editor. Sweet Pea succumbs to temptation and reads letters addressed to Miss Flora Mae. She decides to dispense her own advice and sets up an elaborate scheme to impersonate Miss Flora Mae in print. Sometimes the plan works. Sometimes it doesn't. How she extricates herself from a situation of her own making, salvages damages friendships, and rebuilds trust makes for a humorous, heartwarming tale.
Snippets from the advice column are interspersed throughout the narrative and deal with topics important to tweens: building and repairing friendships, dealing with awkward situations, weathering and surviving change at home,
Dear Sweet Pea oozes with southern charm. There's so much to love here: A vulnerable young girl caught up in a messy predicament. Concerned and sometimes overprotective parents. The agony of clothing shopping when nothing fits. As a bonus, there is a fifteen-pound live cat named Cheese, a dead stuffed cat who goes by Bette Davis, and a whole lotta Aretha Franklin. It's as good as gravy. ​Thank you, Julie Murphy.
​Audiobook accessed via Overdrive.
​Pub date: October 1, 2019  Publisher: Balzer + Bray  ISBN: 978-0062473073

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

Dear Miss Sweetie, 
Hold your horses. What's next? Shall women and men be forced to exchange wardrobes - pants on her and petticoats on him? I think you need to rein in your brazen ideas.
Sincerely yours,
Mary Steeple

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Stacey Lee addresses racism, worker's rights, immigration, and women's suffrage from a unique perspective: a Chinese girl living in Atlanta Georgia in the late 1800s.
​Seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan loses her job as a milliner and must return to the demeaning life of a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. She and immigrant Old Gin secretly live in a tunnel beneath a newspaper printer's shop. She faces
discrimination on several fronts. She’s an orphan, female, and Chinese .
An intelligent and resourceful young woman, she is determined to protect Old Gin and rise above her current circumstances. She finds a way, pseudonymously penning a local newspaper's advice column "Dear Miss Sweetie." Many questions are of the mundane sort: unruly children, troubled marriages, making a hat fit properly. She doesn’t stop there. Under the cloak of anonymity, she speaks out forcefully on racial and gender inequality. Her column is a success and newspaper subscriptions skyrocket.
In time she discovers some of Atlanta's darkest secrets, including a shocking revelation about her own past. ​There is plenty of intrigue: Clandestine meetings in a graveyard. Confronting a despicable Atlanta criminal. Listening in on private conversations via a secret connecting tube.
Readers will discover several fascinating tidbits scattered through this first person narration: Elaborate Chinese knot work (Take a look at some gorgeous samples.) Horse racing in 19th century Atlanta and a female jockey.  A glimpse into a suffragette meeting.  (Love those snazzy sashes.)
​Heart-warming, pulse-pounding, eye-opening historical fiction. The Downstairs Girl is a captivating read.
​Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
​​Pub date: August 13, 2019  Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Reader  ISBN: 978-1524740955
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King Shaka: Zulu Legend by Luke W. Molver

11/4/2019

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King Shaka Zulu Legend by Luke W. Molver

He who beats but is not beaten
The voracious one of Senzangakhona
Whose spear is red, even on the handle.
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King Shaka: Zulu Legend continues the fascinating story of this historic figure, Introduced in Shaka Rising: A Legend of the Warrior Prince. As with the first volume, Molver sets the work of historical fiction within the context of a storyteller capturing the rapt attention of her audience as she continues her tale.
​This format emphasizes the importance of an oral language tradition, the epic "larger than life" stature of King Shaka, and mythological elements in this graphic novelization.
With his rise to power King Shaka united many of the local clans resulting in the Zulus becoming a dominant force throughout south Africa. Shaka maintained an elaborate system of governance which provided protection and assistance while allowing local chiefs some autonomy over their own lands.
​It was during his reign that white settlers arrived on Zulu soil. Attempts to establish relationships between the Zulu and the British were difficult and less than successful.
Molver paints Shaka as a conflicted man. The demands of ruling, fighting attacks from neighboring clans, negotiating the arrival of white settlers, receiving conflicting advice from those he trusted took their toll.
Finding the balance between the roles of conqueror and protector, between uprooting treachery and honoring family loyalty were part of King Shaka's ongoing governing challenges. His leadership strengths outweighed his missteps.
The role of women during King Shaka's reign is fascinating. While the culture was patriarchal, women held positions of prominence and influence. Shaka's mother, referred to as She Elephant and his aunt known as The Kingmaker exerted considerable influence. Shaka appointed women as amakhosikazi, overseers in outlying areas who served as proxies for the king.
Bold color palette and strong images which aggressively dominate each panel accentuate the life and times of this compelling historical figure.
His influence and place in Africa's history have earned him the honorific title of legend. King Shaka is now regarded as the founder of the Zulu nation.
Rich back matter enhances the work. Sections include: "The Story Continues," "How Accurate is This Story?" "The Historical Setting of King Shaka's Time," "The Challenges of Leadership," "Zulu Political Structures," "The Role of Women," "Siblings," "The Royal Homestead," "Zulu Culture and Beliefs," "Language and Naming," "Questions and Ideas for Going Deeper," "Glossary," and "Pronunciation Guide."
Learn about the Shaka’s early life and his rise to power in Shaka Rising: A Legend of the Warrior Prince.
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Copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: October 1, 2019 Publisher: Story Press Africa: 978-1946498939
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    Barbara Moon

    I like talking about books and  interesting ideas. I like thinking about how books affect my life. Not particularly interested in giving out stars or in rating books. 

    Audio Publishers Association
    2013, - present  Audies judge 
    American Library Association Book Awards and Lists 
    ​2017 YALSA Award Nominating Committee
    2016 Excellence in Nonfiction 
    2014 Margaret Edwards Award
    2012 Odyssey Awards.  
    2009, 2010, 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

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