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READING STYLE GUIDE

Behind the Iron Curtain

12/7/2021

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The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
​by Eugene Yelchin Narrated by the author

"What does drawing correctly teach us, children?"  "Drawing correctly teaches us to live by the rules."
Yelchin pulls back the Iron Curtain, offering a glimpse of life for Jews living in 1970's Russia. Six-year-old Yevgeny lives with his parents, older brother Victor, and grandmother, eking out a meager life in a communal apartment. His poetry-loving father, mother whose ballet dreams were denied, and competitive figure skating sibling are described in charming detail.
Living conditions are so cramped that the only place for the boy to sleep is under the table. He secretly swipes his father’s only pencil to draw on the table’s underside.
Short chapters offer poignant snapshots into a bizarre world that glorifies the mummified body of Lenin, requires citizens to earn a stamped coupon to purchase a book, and causes family members to remove all images of grandfather from the family’s photo album.
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From the opening pages, readers are aware of an ongoing Russian obsession with the United States: a land of bright colors, forbidden chewing gum, blue jeans, and rock & roll. ​The shameful treatment of Jews is a puzzle to Yvegeny. He is confused by his father's robot-like devotion to the Communist party.
Sardonic wit punctuates the narrative. Yevgeny wonders at the meaning of the word “defect.” It sounds to him like “defecate.” Does this mean that people leave the USSR to relieve themselves?
The memoir is more than a recount of life in Russia. The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain is an exploration of art that breaks rules, exposes truth, and yearns for freedom. It is also a story of the love within a family that expands beyond a cramped one room communal space.
Yelchin’s considerable talents as a storyteller, illustrator, and narrator make this slim volume an education and a delight. Yevgeny's “artistic talent” will fascinate readers.

Art and the Iron Curtain

Picture books accounts of artists who fled the confines of life in Cold War Russia. Poignant memories. Gorgeous art.
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Audio copy accessed via Net Galley.
Release date: December 7, 2021 Libro.fm
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Some Days 

12/2/2021

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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.
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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.
C​​opy provided by publisher.
Pub date: October 26, 2021  Publisher: The Experiment  ISBN:9781615198108  
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A Tale of Two Worlds

11/20/2021

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A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

“Recuerda nuestra historia.”  Remember our history.
Little Badger has done it again: creating another storytelling marvel. Seemingly unconnected narratives spanning over eight years and alternating between two distinctive worlds are magically woven together.
Cottonmouth snake Oli lives in the Reflecting World, home of spirits and monsters. He is devastated when his friend Ami, a small spotted toad, disappears. Oli recruits three spirit animals who can assume human form to help him search for Ami who is gravely ill and faces possible extinction. ​The companions leave the Reflecting World and "fall" to Earth, hoping to locate and save one small toad.
On Earth, sixteen-year-old Nina is puzzled by comments made by her Great-Great-Grandma Rosita and seeks answers from her Grandma. Both women are an enigma. Why do animals mysteriously recover in Grandma’s presence? What accounts for Rosita’s unusually long life?
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When a major hurricane is projected to make landfall near Grandma’s South Texas property, Nina along with her father and the spirit animals join forces to save Grandma’s home from destruction.
The two worlds are well delineated. Characters are fully formed with unique personalities. The narrative sparkles with numerous charming details: a nearsighted snake who wears spectacles, a cantankerous alligator with a score to settle, a father habitually consuming all the chocolates in the candy dish, a grandmother who delights in gifting garage sale purchases.
The story's conclusion is dramatic, taking on mythic proportions. A devasting hurricane. A species facing extinction. A mysterious individual who seems inordinately interested in Grandma’s property. Impossible odds. ​
Extraordinary forces are at work here: the ability to shape nature and the overarching power of love. A Snake Falls to Earth, a 2021 National Book Award longlist selection, is a fascinating tale and a literary masterpiece.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: November 23, 2021  Publisher: Levine Querido  ISBN: 978-1646140923
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Classic Remix: Little Women

10/30/2021

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More to the Story by Hena Khan

Louisa May Alcott's 1868 classic tale of sisters gets updated with these retellings that feature four siblings with unique personalities and interests, a hardworking mother, and a modest home filled with love. Khan and Morrow give this framework fresh settings and perspective, resulting in new stories to tell.
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More to the Story introduces a Pakistani-American family of girls ages 10 through 16 who negotiate the challenges of a contemporary family life in Atlanta.
Seventh grader Jameela and her sisters Maryam, Bisma, and Aleeza miss their father who must temporarily work overseas. The narrative’s dynamic shifts slightly when teenage Ali, the son of a family friend, moves into town. ​When Jam decides to feature Ali in an article for the school newspaper, she faces a question of journalistic ethics.
A major plot point centers around Bisma's cancer diagnosis and treatment. The effects of a serious illness are accurately described without excessive technical details and medical jargon.
Khan seamlessly blends Muslim life, including religious observance, food, and customs into the narrative. A heartwarming story.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: September 3, 2019  Publisher: Salaam Reads  ISBN: 978-1481492096

So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix 
​by Bethany C. Morrow read by Adenrele Ojo

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So Many Beginnings is a stunning reimagining of Little Women that starts with Alcott's early 1860's time period and then fashions an entirely new tale, deftly weaving in often-overlooked aspects of American history. The March family resides in the Freedpeople's Colony of Roanoke Island, working to build a free society for formerly enslaved individuals.
Morrow's characters are intelligent women with lofty goals. Meg is a teacher who hopes to marry. Joanna dreams of becoming an author but by day works alongside construction crews, building homes in the colony. Bethlehem is a skilled seamstress and designer who wants to develop an African-based clothing enterprise. Talented dancer Amethyst earns accolades as a performer. The sisters encounter both overt and subtle forms of racism and gender inequality as they pursue personal and professional ambitions.
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Listen to a sample
Audio copy accessed via Net Galley
Release date: September 7, 2021 Publisher: Macmillan Audio
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Together We Build

10/24/2021

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Our Table by Peter H. Reynolds

Violet foundly remembered the table.
Violet, a girl with purple-hued hair, notices something bizarre is happening in her home. The family dinner table is shrinking. Eventually the table becomes so small that it vanishes.
So... she goes in search of answers. When she sneaks a peek at dad, he's watching big screen entertainment. Mom is fixated on her phone and brother is playing games on a tablet.  ​She wonders: is there a way to get back the table? This resourceful youngster has a plan.
Drawing upon the unique talents and interests of each family member, Violet enlists their help. Together, they design and construct a new table that will unite them.
Color is a key component of the narrative. When technology dominates individual lives, Reynolds monochromatic palette is based on shades of purple. When the family is seated around the table, illustrations are in full color.
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​This picture book is filled with charming touches: Violet sports a massive tool belt. The dog helps hold a measuring tape, and sneaks treats beneath mom's chair. The cat on the cover smiles knowingly at the audience.
A timely and timeless reminder of the importance of disengaging technology and engaging with family and friends. Reynolds offers a gentle tale of building and maintaining personal relationships.

Our Family Table

Our Table invites young readers and families to consider the important connections that happen when they choose to create screen-free events. Gather around "our" table for memorable moments
When is a family tradition nontraditional? 
​When birthdays are honored with a child's hand painted plate, and we eat ice cream cones instead of cake.
What can a gathering without a table look like?
Groups toasting marshmallows around an outdoor fireplace.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: November 2, 2021 Publisher: Orchard Books ISBN: 978-1338572322
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Her Immigrant Story

10/15/2021

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Where I Belong by Marcia Argueta Mickelson

High school senior Milagros Vargas' life has not been easy. But she has learned to cope, caring for her three younger siblings while her immigrant mother works long hours as a housekeeper, cook, and nanny for the Wheelers, prominent members of the Corpus Christi social elite.
In addition to family responsibilities, Millie has maintained a stellar academic record, earning a full scholarship to Stanford.
She has learned to keep a low profile. Her anonymity evaporates when Mr. Wheeler, in a bid for a congressional seat, reveals during a campaign speech that his housekeeper's daughter fled Guatemala with her parents, sought asylum, attained U.S. citizenship and is now an immigrant success story.
Milagros becomes the subject of news reports and internet trolls. Quiet, never-make-waves Millie is thrust into the spotlight, a position she never wanted. ​Media coverage as well as threats directed at her and her family intensify.
Eventually, she must decide if she will remain silent or speak out.
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A strength of Mickelson's storytelling can be found in the details of Millie's personal interactions with her widowed mother whom she adores and does not want to disappoint, a younger sister who has to go to the bathroom at an inconvenient time, and the handsome Charlie Wheeler who suddenly seems interested in her.
Where I Belong is a richly layered narrative that explores headline-grabbing issues and the dynamics of personal relationships.
Audio copy accessed via Hoopla.
Pub date: September 7, 2021  Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab  ISBN: 978-1541597976
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Aftermath

8/17/2021

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AfterMath by Emily Barth Isler

Lucy loves math. She loves precise definitions and phenomena that can be explained. She loves solutions.
There is one aspect that does not fit into her world view of calculations and exact answers. Her younger brother Theo was born with a heart defect. His short life was filled with doctors and hospitals and treatments. Now he is gone, leaving behind grieving parents and his sister Lucy.
Mom and dad decide that the best way to cope with their loss is to move to a new town. They select a city that has suffered a profound loss. Four years ago, a deranged shooter entered the elementary school, killing and injuring many inside the building. 
Lucy’s anguish as she witnessed her brother's painfilled demise stretch over five years is both similar and very different from the public tragedy that instantly affected the entire community.
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Isler's characters provide a variety of perspectives on the aftereffects of grief. Lucy's father withdraws, remaining in bed or behind his newspaper. Her mother visits with a therapist and busies herself with making the family home fresh and different. Lucy learns that the bedroom in her new home was the bedroom of Bet who was a shooting victim. She develops an internal storyline for Bet. By chance, Lucy connects with Avery, a classmate who appears to be a pariah. Later, Lucy discovers that Avery's brother was the shooter.
The one place where Lucy feels most comfortable is math class, a world of formulas and equations. However, there is one concept that eludes her: infinity. Lucy searches to understand this mathematical expression throughout the book.  The text is brimming with math facts, riddles and jokes which are a counterpoint to the story's heart-rending subject matter.
While this is a story of grief and loss, AfterMath is a hopeful story. Through an extracurricular mime group Lucy learns new ways to express herself, make friends, and solidify her relationship with Avery. Her family begins to heal.
A touching story that avoids becoming maudlin. The author’s narration is well suited to the voice of a tender twelve-year-old. ​Occasionally a title is precisely the perfect fit. AfterMath is a brilliant title choice.
Audio copy accessed via NetGalley.
Pub date: September 7, 2021  Publisher: Carolrhoda Books  ISBN: 978-1541599116
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What Divides Us

7/27/2021

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Walls by L. M. Elliott

"Your children are wearing their dog tags, right? And you have an emergency bag packed...just in case?"
"Welcome to Berlin."
Current headlines include these concepts: borders, walls, refugees, family separations, authoritarian regimes. informants, and asylum seekers. These issues are not new. They were on the minds of people during the years following World War II.
Walls introduces young readers to the politics and intrigue behind a wall that was created sixty years ago as a guarded barrier, physically and ideologically dividing Berlin. This fictional account of events begins in August 1960 and culminates with initial construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961.
Fifteen-year-old Drew McMahon and his family relocate to Berlin for his father’s next military duty assignment. They reside in the zone occupied by America.
Drew’s mother views this as an opportunity reconnect with her German relatives. She introduces her family to their German cousin Matthias who lives in the Soviet Union Sector. Initially, both boys appear to have little in common. Drew plays baseball and is an "army brat." Matthias is a skillful soccer player who pledged to take up arms against NATO.
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The boys discover that they share an interest in contemporary music, the theater, and thought-provoking literature.
With maps, historical photos, and political cartoons, readers are introduced to Berlin after World War II. ​Each chapter begins with a selection of relevant historical photographs featuring images of world events from that time period. This structure offers readers a close-up view of the time and place, giving the narrative an authentic feel.
The text includes numerous German phrases (shown in italics) with context that supports comprehension.  Back matter includes an Afterword,  Acknowledgments, Photo Credits, Selected Sources including books, an article, documentaries, drama series, and films.
Based on actual events Elliott creates a gripping story of a city occupied by opposing countries. Spies are everywhere. Who can be trusted? What is safe? Elliott ratchets up the tension, building to a climactic heart-pounding dramatic escape, evading concertina wire and armed guards.
Walls is a glimpse into a pivotal moment in history that invites comparisons with contemporary events. Highly recommended.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: July 27, 2021  Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers  ISBN: 978-1643750248
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Pluto-the-Person

7/12/2021

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How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby

Yes, I'm broken, Pluto thought.  Just let me be broken and leave me alone.
Thirteen-year-old Pluto and her mom are confronted with a challenging situation: understanding and coping with Pluto's recent diagnosis of depression and anxiety.
Her mother is terrified when her daughter completely withdraws, is unable to sustain long-established friendships and can no longer attend school.
Pluto alternates between constantly sleeping and lashing out at others, particularly her mother. Activities she enjoyed such as visiting the planetarium and spending time on the boardwalk are no longer interesting or entertaining.
She was tired of trying. She was tired of her mom's desperate, eager eyes. She was tired of all of it.
There are similarities between How to Become a Planet and Melleby's debut novel Hurricane Season. Both explore the tenuous relationship between a parent and child as they deal with mental illness. While her early book chronicles a young girl struggling with her father's illness, her current novel reverses the situation. A mother must come to grips with her daughter’s depression.
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Pluto-the-Person discovers that like the former planet Pluto, her status seems to have shifted. Over the course of the book her world alters in significant ways. She connects with a girl whose family owns a Jersey Shore business and finds that their developing friendship holds the possibility of romance. She visits her father and his girlfriend in New York City and learns that his partner copes with a mental disorder. She begins tutoring sessions with a sympathetic woman and attempts another session with a therapist. Pluto also make the surprising discovery: her grandmother lived with a mental illness.
By summer's end, Pluto is able to acknowledge some realities. A list of goals does not work for her. She must find what helps her and avoid unrealistic expectations. She wants to repair her relationships with her mother and her best friend. She hopes to explore the possibility of romance. She has the support of her parents, her friends, her tutor, and her therapist. Learning to live with depression will take time. There will be setbacks. That is okay.
Melleby's explorations of mental illness and how it affects family life are stories of everyday people facing real problems. Life is a struggle, but not without hope.
You still are Pluto...You just need to learn how to care for and accept this new understanding of you.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: May 25, 2021  Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers  ISBN: 978-1643750361
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The Other Side

7/5/2021

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"The Other Side is not so far away."

My Two Border Towns by David Bowles ill by Erika Meza

This little treasure is a love letter to community, culture, and heritage. My Two Border Towns chronicles a typical Saturday journey of a father and son to a nearby town. A routine that is both ordinary and extraordinary.
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​This twosome have an itinerary: begin with breakfast at a favorite restaurant, purchase grocery items requested by family and friends, fill medical prescriptions, visit with extended family, and make deliveries.
It seems to be a simple and straightforward description of a father and son outing. However, there is one important difference. The neighboring town is in another country. The two leave their home in the United States and travel to Mexico. This means stopping at a checkpoint, producing necessary documentation, and passing a border guard’s inspection. Spanish phrases are liberally sprinkled throughout the narrative with plenty of context to help young readers infer meaning. Spanish is evident, to a varying degree, in both towns.​
The journey concludes with a stop at a center for refugees. It is obvious that this is not the first time the pair have visited the site. The boy calls an individual by name. He has come prepared with comics, notebooks, and pencils to share with children "stuck between two countries." After distributing their gifts, the pair head for home, hoping that someday they will be no longer be separated from their immigrant friends.
Cover art brilliantly depicts a mirrored image of young man. He’s the same person, but each image colors his world in a particular way.  Both towns offer context and dimension to his life.
Title page features a stylized overhead view of the two towns, the river that divides them and the road that connects them. The image is a prelude to a story of separation and connection.
Illustrations for the town across the river are replete with local vivid details: papel picado (paper banners) and paletas (ice pops). Meza's art shows the landscape from a variety of views and perspectives.
Bowles has penned a gentle narrative that celebrates the unique qualities of living near a border town. It's a tribute to family and home. The neighboring Mexican community allows youngsters to appreciate similarities and differences. Text presents a sensitive view of those trapped between two countries, seeking for a place to call home. Reassuring. Hopeful.

Border Stories: Picture Books

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​Electronic copy accessed via Edelweiss.
Pub date: August 24, 2021  Publisher: Kolika  ISBN: 978-0593111048
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    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
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    2014 Margaret Edwards Award
    2012 Odyssey Awards.  
    2009, 2010, 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

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