Category: Diversity

Some Days

12/2/2021

Some Days: A Tale of Love, Ice Cream, and My Mom's Chronic Illness
by Julie A. Stamm art by Chamisa Kellogg

being different makes you unique and special

Meet Wyatt and his mother Rosie. Wyatt believes that his mom has superpowers. For example, she makes delicious chocolate chip pancakes, educates groups of people, and plan family adventures.

Mom also possesses one special superpower: the power to battle multiple sclerosis. Stamm ingeniously introduces this medical term as Wyatt struggles to correctly pronounce the two word diagnosis. The initials M.S. are also used as an identifier.

Narrative centers on the phrase “some days,” emphasizing the unpredictable nature of M.S. Wyatt knows that life with mom will include visits to museums, parks, and ice cream shops. But there will also be days when mom must rest at home, quickly locate a public restroom, or even go to the hospital for treatment.

Despite challenges, Rosie and her son remain optimistic. A wheelchair is like a roller coaster ride. Her cane becomes a magic stick. Mom can be a "train" scooting her son around the floor.

Stamm suggests the family’s financial burden with a two-page spread highlighting a community-wide fundraiser to help offset the cost of treatment for this chronic illness.

Kellogg reinforces the picture book’s upbeat tone with jewel-toned images, smiling faces, and comforting mother son embraces. There are several illustrations that include a male caregiver who is present in family outings. He takes Wyatt’s hand when mother is hospitalized. The artist occasionally dresses Rosie and her son with capes, a subtle message that both mom and son superheroes.

Some Days: A Tale of Love, Ice Cream, and My Mom's Chronic Illness presents a realistic portrait of life with M.S. A story of acceptance, patience, courage, hope, and love.

Kindness is truly the best thing you can add to this world.

Copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: October 26, 2021 Publisher: The Experiment ISBN:9781615198108

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I Need a Hero

11/17/2021

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The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities:
New Stories About Mythic Heroes
edited by Rick Riordan

A book that's like a box of chocolates.

An anthology, like a box of chocolates, consists of tasty little morsels. The one you select may consist of creamy sweetness, rich darkness, or be a little bit nutty. All look so tempting. Which one will you pick?

Discover new adventures from the worlds of: Sal and Gabi, Aru Shah, Zane Obispo, Tristan Strong, Nizhoni Begay, Paola Santiago, Sikander Aziz and Riley Oh. Bet you can't pick just one!

If a hero isn't ready to lose everything for a greater cause, is that person really a hero?
Jason Grace, The Tower of Nero

Rick Riordan Presents includes stories by Carlos Hernandez, Roshani Chokshi, J.C. Cervantes, Yoon Ha Lee, Kwame Mbalia, Rebecca Roanhorse, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Sarwat Chadda, Graci Kim, and SURPRISE! Rick Riordan, who introduces an Irish hero: boy a marked for death before he was born. Is he destined for greatness or destruction?

The multiverse is home to an assortment of fascinating characters: Gum Baby will give you two pieces of her mind "one for now, and one to take home and enjoy later." Riley is the only member of her family who does not possess supernatural powers, or does she? Nizhoni battles a demon-possessed drum that contaminates everything, including the fry bread she loves to eat.

There are numerous ways to enter these mythic worlds:
Relax and plunge through the floor into a different universe. Take the elevator to the Lower Levels of Hell. Descend six thousand feet to face plant on Seventh Avenue. Visit a New York deli to find a "Demon in the Trash." Locate the red cactus flower that your mind envisioned. Slip in and sample any one of the selections, finding stories that pique your interest. They can be read in any order.

The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities is an introduction to mythologies and cultures that invite further exploration. Fans of the Riordan series will relish these stories chronicling additional adventures for characters featured in the addictive series. It's an enchanting potpourri brimming with danger, humor, courage, friendship, and magic.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: September 28, 2021 Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents ISBN: 978-1368070836

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Uncharted Waters

5/4/2021

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Wishes by Mượn Thị Văn art by Victo Ngai

The tale begins in the dead of night as a young girl rouses from sleep and with her immediate family prepares to leave behind all that she has ever known and travel across the sea in search of the promise of safety and security.

Wishes tells the immigration story from an unusual point of view. This perilous journey is described through the wishes of inanimate objects.

A bag wished it was deeper.
The boat wised to be bigger.
The heart wished it was stronger.

As the boatload of passengers reach their destination, the narrative shifts to the perspective of the young migrant and her first wish as she views her new home.

Victo Ngai's illustrations are breathtaking. A tiny boat, crammed with passengers, sets sail across a vast ocean and beneath a starlit sky. There is a magical, almost otherworld quality to the image that graces the cover. This is the hope. The dream.
Interior images of the family collecting their belongings, bidding tearful goodbyes, and navigating the initial stages of the voyage are dark muted shades of gray. The color scheme adroitly changes to fiery reds and oranges as blistering rays of the sun torment the migrants with unrelenting heat. As the destination comes into view the reds soften to pinks and violet. Hope is in sight.
Artwork spans each two-page spread, completely filling the pages. There is no white space. The poignant narrative demands every inch of each page.

Hopeful. Haunting. Heart-wrenching. Wishes is an unforgettable journey.

Mượn Thị Văn based the narrative on her family's experience as immigrants and refugees. Her sparse yet thoughtfully selected text tells a powerful story.

Immigrants All

Beautiful picture books tell of crossing uncharted waters to begin life in a new country. Come onboard and witness the immigrant experience.

Immigrating to an unfamiliar land where everything is strange.

What if all you could carry on your journey was a teacup of soil from your homeland?

"A young man... left his home in Japan and went to see the world."

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: May 4, 2021 Publisher: Orchard Books ISBN: 978-1338305890

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Defining Moment

4/19/2021

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From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry:
The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
by Paula Yoo

June 2012. Jarod Lew came face to face with his past, a past that he never knew existed. Eventually he would uncover a thirty-year-old family secret.

June 1982. Vincent Chin was sitting in front of a McDonalds when he was bludgeoned with a baseball bat. Days later, he died of massive brain injuries.

Yoo's narrative introduces several seemingly unconnected individuals and brilliantly interweaves their life stories. Jarod Lew wanted to understand his past. Vikki Wong fought for justice after the violent death of her son. Detroit auto workers Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz worried about job security when Toyota, Datsun, and Honda began to dominate the car market.
Vincent Chin's life and death is the common factor that connects these people. It is a real life drama: a heinous hate crime and the resulting mobilization of the Asian American community.

Born in China, Chin was adopted and raised by Asian American parents. To celebrate his upcoming marriage to Vikki Wong, Chin went with friends to a strip club. At the club’s bar he traded insults with Ebens and Nitz. When words escalated to a fight and a smashed chair, all were evicted by the bouncer. Vincent wandered Detroit’s streets and eventually sat down in front of a local McDonalds. Ebens and Nitz were driving around the area when they spied Vincent. Eben stopped, took a baseball bat from his car, and brutally beat Chin until his face was battered beyond recognition. Chin was taken to the hospital where he died days later.

A lengthy legal battle ensued. Initially Ebens and Nitz were charged with manslaughter but the sentence was reduced to probation with no jail time. The Asian American community was shaken by this verdict. They determined to no longer remain silent when faced with inequity and racism. Asians and Pacific Islanders united to protest, seek legal redress, increase media exposure, and join with other civil rights advocacy groups to combat overt and subtle forms of discrimination.

With excellent pacing and stunning detail, Yoo uses newspaper reports, court documents, and in depth interviews to recount events leading up to this tragedy and its long-term affects.

The work is well supported with extensive back matter: a detailed timeline, 311 source citations, numerous photos, and a bibliography. The author’s Afterward personalizes this defining moment in history and brings current events, especially the world wide pandemic into the equation. She suggests that reports of the virus have helped foster and exacerbate targeting Asians.

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement chronicles a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle for civil rights. It’s the story of a hate crime, the creation of the first pan-ethnic Asian American civil rights organization, and the genesis of the Asian Lives Matter movement. Compelling nonfiction.

Electronic copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 20, 2021 Publisher: Norton Young Readers ISBN: 978-1324002871

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Clay and Creation

4/1/2021

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Shaped By Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez
by Anna Harber Freeman and Barbara Gonzales art by Aphelandra

“The Great Spirit gave me (hands) that work...but not for myself, but for all my Tewa people.”

Maria Povika Martinez created distinctive pottery that is highly prized by collectors. Her great granddaughter Barbara Gonzales and art educator Anna Harbor Freeman collaborated to tell her story with a picture book for young readers.

Maria lived in San Idlefonso Pueblo near Santa Fe, New Mexico where clay was an abundant resource. As a girl, she was fascinated with the process of creating pottery. When her early efforts were not successful, she turned to ko-kōo Nicolasa to teach her. Her aunt used Tewa traditional methods: combining clay with water and volcanic ash, rolling the mixture into coils, then building the pot’s walls and firing the vessels for hours in a pottery fire. Each step was accompanied by special prayers.

While still a young woman, Maria married and became a mother but never gave up her work as a potter.

Her earthenware came to the attention of an archaeologist who presented her with a fragment of black pottery. Maria was intrigued. She and her husband Julian experimented and discovered a process for making shiny black pots. Blackware fashioned by Maria and her family became a valuable collector's item.

In addition to describing pottery making, the narrative emphasizes culture, traditions, and religious practices of the Tewa. The authors use several Native terms which can be understood by using the illustrations and context clues for support. Aphelandra’s color palette of deep reds blending into rich golds and rising to a turquoise sky serves as a backdrop for Blackware. It is interesting to note that over time Maria's simple style of dress remains constant.

Shaped By Her Hands is a moving tribute to a great grandmother and her Native traditions. Excellent introduction to the technique of creating ceramics.

Back matter includes additional information on Maria Povika Martinez, Tewa People, San Idlefonso Pueblo, Authors Notes, and Selected Resources.

Blackware began as a joint enterprise for Maria and Julian. He is credited with painting many of the pot’s intricate designs. Currently, six generations of Maria and Julian’s descendants continue her legacy.

Maria's Blackware is considered fine art. Her signed pieces are worth thousands. She was awarded several honorary degrees and invited to the White House. She and her husband demonstrated pottery making in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Her work can be viewed online.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SkUGm87DE0k
http://indianartsandculture.org/exhibits/maria/index.html
https://kinggalleries.com/brand/martinez-maria/

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 1, 2021 Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company ISBN: 978-0807575994

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Heroic Women

3/23/2021

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Standing on Her Shoulders
by Monica Clark-Robinson art by Laura Freeman

Mother and grandmother share with a young daughter/granddaughter her awe-inspiring legacy. For generations the women in her family have been trailblazers, creating a noble foundation for their progenitors. Due to their efforts, their descendants face the possibility of a bright future. As the narrative progresses, a vision of the reach of influential women expands beyond family to encompass a broad range of American women who have made significant contributions to arts, sciences, athletics, and activism. Individuals such as Shirley Chisholm, Serena Williams, Chloe Kim, Frida Kahlo, Mary Church Terrell, Ynes Mexia, and Megan Rapinoe are singled out.
Clark-Robinson's succinct text consists primarily of rhythmic rhyming couplets. Alliteration packs a powerful punch. Excellent read aloud.

For we are standing on the shoulders
of the strong, smart, sage, and soulful
ones who have gone before us.

The artist uses two distinctive styles. Classic portraits depict each woman from history who made her mark on the world. A modern stylized view of a dewy-eyed youngster contrasts with the more formal rendering of each historical figure.
Freeman captures the warmth of a multigenerational family. Hope is poignantly expressed by the glimmer in the girl’s eyes as she views portraits of heroic women. As she remembers these extraordinary individuals, they become her role models. She will want to build a better world for her posterity. Her actions come full circle when she reaches out to support her younger sister.

Back matter includes beautiful portraits and brief biographies of twenty-six women representing a variety of races, cultures, achievements, and time periods.

Text and images combine to create a stellar picture book. Outstanding resource for African American History and Women’s History studies. This book would make a wonderful gift to celebrate any achievement in a young child’s life.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: February 2, 2021 Publisher: Orchard Books ISBN: 978-1338358001

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Absolutely Right

3/16/2021

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What's Silly Hair Day with No Hair?
by Norene Paulson ill by Camila Carrosine

Young Bea has one characteristic which differentiates her from her classmates. She is bald. Within the circle of her family members and close friends, this is generally not a problem. However, no hair becomes an issue during the school-wide Spirit Week. Thursday is designated as Silly Hair day. How can someone without hair participate? Bea and her best friend consider several solutions including wearing a wig, crafting fake hair, even staying home from school. Sadly, nothing feels right. At the last possible moment, the two girls brainstorm and come up with a solution that is “absolutely right.”

Readers will cheer for Bea, a girl who has many interests, a wonderful best friend, and a desire to be fully engaged in the world around her. She is not a child to be pitied.
Carrosine's sweet illustrations show Bea with a slightly enlarged head which gives her baldness emphasis. Facial expressions eloquently convey Bea's wide range of emotions.

Paulson’s back matter contains background information on types hair loss in children. Cancer and alopecia (pronounced "al-low-pee-she-ah”) are discussed. There is also a charming directive on temporary tattoos.

While the story addresses one specific physical condition, there are many ways that children may observe others who exhibit differences in physical appearance or other observable characteristics. Youngsters are encouraged to appreciate and accept all class members. They might plan creative ways to include all students in class activities.
What's Silly Hair Day with No Hair? can be the starting point for a rich discussion.

Personal Connection

One of my joys is maintaining a collection of engaging books for young residents at our local Ronald McDonald House. Several of these children are receiving treatments which result in numerous side effects. In addition to hair loss, they may have suppressed immune systems, fatigue, nausea, and several other unpleasant conditions. Days and nights can be difficult.
Their indomitable spirits and ability to find happiness inspire me. My gratitude extends to the parents, medical personnel, and staff at the residence.
Photos are from the local Ronald McDonald House public Facebook page. Love these kids!

Viva la difference

Books for younger readers that increase understanding and encourage inclusion.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: March 23, 2021 Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company ISBN: 978-0807506080

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Love, Loss, and Violins

2/22/2021

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When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert

A closely knit quintet of Asian American teens have remained together throughout their high school years. Stellar students and high achievers, each hopes to attend a prestigious university. All apply to several schools throughout the U.S. Beth Claire harbors the dream that all five will remain together, attending the University of California at Berkeley.
Musically inclined, they are members of the local youth orchestra. Beth is second chair violin to the technically precise Jason Tsou, first chair.

Beth lives with her Asian mother and has limited contact with her white father who remains aloof. Her maternal grandparents live nearby but she rarely sees them.
Her four friends are her anchor, her source of security and validation. Senior year exposes underlying stresses and fissures in their bond. They witness a father’s brutal physical abuse of his son. One tries to bring her romantic interest into the friendship circle. Another attempts suicide. When college acceptance notifications begin arriving, it is evident that the five will soon be geographically separated. Things are not the same. They will never be the same.

Beth tries to understand and manipulate events, hoping to make everything “better.” A quiet observer who clings to her idealization of the group, she goes to extraordinary measures to get along and go along, even when it doesn’t feel right.

Gilbert's characters, as seen through the lens of Beth’s perception, often reveal their personalities through dialogue. A hallmark of her writing is an exploration into the essence of each individual while simultaneously illuminating the group’s dynamic. Tiny intimate details give the story its emotional depth. One of the most heart wrenching scenes occurs when Beth stands outside her father’s house, but never steps up to his door.

After a series of missteps and misunderstandings, Beth finally acknowledges that music gives direction and purpose to her life. As she plays her violin, she becomes one with the music. Following her passion requires courage and a belief that embracing music does not mean the end of treasured relationships.

Love the gorgeous book jacket. Note the sumptuous colors that wash over Beth as she turns away to face a future different from what she expected. An apt metaphor.

I wept as I read the final pages. When We Were Infinite is exquisitely written, simply elegant, yet intriguingly complex.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: March 9, 2021 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers ISBN: 978-1534468214

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One Fateful Night

2/10/2021

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Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall

There was no good choice to make. Everything was a dark corner.

Franklyn is not aimlessly wandering through life. Frankie has a plan to escape his dead-end existence in Jamaica. With hard work and determination, Frankie has earned a scholarship to study engineering at a university in the United States. He will be the first in his family to attend college. His deceased mother would be proud. His dream is about to become a reality.

Then one fateful night everything changes. His father is struck by a stray bullet and critically wounded during an altercation between warring political factions. An expensive treatment may save his father, but where will Frankie come up with an exorbitant amount of cash? He tries every possible stratagem to pay for needed treatment. Ultimately he reaches this heartbreaking conclusion:

The scholarship dream had to die
so that his father could live.

The only way for Frankie to get enough money for his father’s care is to join his uncle’s posse, the local syndicate which completely dominates life in the community and controls everything from garbage collection to local politicians.

Frankie is plunged into a sordid life of drugs, violence, and corruption. He is required to carry a loaded gun, serve as protection and lookout on posse raids, package and transport shipments of marijuana. Membership in his uncle's posse lasts a lifetime. He may never op out. Things are further complicated when he is attracted a beautiful and talented student, an artist whose work serves as pointed social commentary. To make matters worse, her father is a police sargeant.

Frankie’s father dies. His mother and best friend are dead. The dream of studying in the United States has evaporated. His uncle’s syndicate requires him to kill and commit other horrendous acts. This is his current existence.
Frankie considers his future as a posse member and knows that can't go on living like this. The stress has become unbearable. He wonders: Is there a way out?

Hall keeps readers on tenterhooks. Will Frankie find a way to extricate himself from the posse? Can he salvage his dream of attending college in the United States? What will become of the relationship with his girlfriend? And ultimately, can he save his own soul? Is there hope?

Your Corner Dark depicts a world of poverty, desperation, and organized crime with an intensity and immediacy that doesn’t let up until the last paragraph on the final page. I couldn't put it down.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: January 19, 2021 Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books ISBN: 978-1534460713

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Immigrants Welcome

1/26/2021

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Three Keys by Kelly Yang

Good news for those who love Yang's Front Desk. There are more stories and further adventures at the Calivista Motel.

Mia Tang is growing up, dealing with complex issues as well as daily frustrations. Sixth grade is not what she expected. She and best friend Lupe are in a classroom located in a temporary building. This year her teacher seems more critical of Mia and her writing style.

Set in the 1970's during the reelection campaign of Pete Wilson, Mia is devastated by her teacher’s support for a ballot measure that will deny educational opportunities to children of undocumented workers.

Yang delves into the plight of immigrants from a variety of viewpoints: Classmate Jason appears to have achieved the American dream of financial success. Lupe, Mia's best friend and the daughter of a Calivista employee, confides that she and her family are undocumented and risk deportation.

The Tang family hopes Proposition 187 will be defeated. Their motel's marque proudly displays the notice "Immigrants welcome."

"We're Chinese, that's what we do."

Mia experiences the push and pull of two different cultures: retaining her Chinese identity while assimilating into the American lifestyle of chocolate chip cookies. She resists a "bowl" haircut, dislikes red bean shaved ice, and worries about her slightly Asian accent. She wants to become an author but lacks basic English grammar skills. Her parents who were respected professionals in China now devote their days to menial labor, struggling to keep their fledging business solvent.

"You're stronger than you think"

Three Keys is populated with an assortment of well-developed multigenerational characters with a variety of cultures and ethnicities. They are complex individuals with fascinating backstories, experiencing life's joys, heartbreaks and disappointments. Circumstances help them understand themselves and others in new ways.

There is no magic wand that solves all problems at the Calivista. While the story's conclusion is hopeful, there remain thorny political and societal issues to be addressed. Lucky for us, a continuation of Mia's story will be published this fall.

Front Desk Stories

Don't miss the continuing adventures of Mia Tang

First book in the Front Desk series. Meet Mia Tang, her family, and friends.

Third book in the Front Desk series. Room to Dream follows Tang Family's visit to Beijing.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: September 15, 2020 Publisher: Scholastic Press ISBN: 978-1338591385

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<<Previous

Some Days

Some Days: A Tale of Love, Ice Cream, and My Mom's Chronic Illness
by Julie A. Stamm art by Chamisa Kellogg

I Need a Hero

The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities:
New Stories About Mythic Heroes
edited by Rick Riordan

Uncharted Waters

Wishes by Mượn Thị Văn art by Victo Ngai

Immigrants All

Defining Moment

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry:
The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
by Paula Yoo

Clay and Creation

Shaped By Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez
by Anna Harber Freeman and Barbara Gonzales art by Aphelandra

Heroic Women

Standing on Her Shoulders
by Monica Clark-Robinson art by Laura Freeman

Absolutely Right

What's Silly Hair Day with No Hair?
by Norene Paulson ill by Camila Carrosine

Personal Connection

Viva la difference

Love, Loss, and Violins

When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert

One Fateful Night

Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall

Immigrants Welcome

Three Keys by Kelly Yang

Front Desk Stories

Category

Archives

Barbara Moon

Some Days: A Tale of Love, Ice Cream, and My Mom's Chronic Illness by Julie A. Stamm art by Chamisa Kellogg

The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities:New Stories About Mythic Heroesedited by Rick Riordan

Wishes by Mượn Thị Văn art by Victo Ngai

Immigrants All

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry:The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement​by Paula Yoo

Shaped By Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez by Anna Harber Freeman and Barbara Gonzales art by Aphelandra

Standing on Her Shoulders​by Monica Clark-Robinson art by Laura Freeman

What's Silly Hair Day with No Hair? ​by Norene Paulson ill by Camila Carrosine

Personal Connection

Viva la difference

When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall

Three Keys by Kelly Yang

Front Desk Stories

Category

Archives

Barbara Moon

Some Days: A Tale of Love, Ice Cream, and My Mom's Chronic Illness
by Julie A. Stamm art by Chamisa Kellogg

The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities:
New Stories About Mythic Heroes
edited by Rick Riordan

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry:
The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
by Paula Yoo

Shaped By Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez
by Anna Harber Freeman and Barbara Gonzales art by Aphelandra

Standing on Her Shoulders
by Monica Clark-Robinson art by Laura Freeman

What's Silly Hair Day with No Hair?
by Norene Paulson ill by Camila Carrosine