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READING STYLE GUIDE

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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Heart of Her Art

11/26/2017

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Deborah Marcero: Author and Illustrator

Take a look at  three picture books. Each is a little gem filled with creative storytelling, endearing characters, and inventive design. Deborah Marcero is the author of two and the illustrator for all three. And here’s the amazing thing: all have been published within the past eighteen months. That's one prolific artist! Let’s take a peek inside these enticing covers.
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Ursa's Light by Deborah Marcero

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"There were all the other bears...
and then, there was Ursa."
Ursa's Light, written and illustrated by Marcero, introduces readers to a charming little bear aptly named Ursa.  From the beginning the double play on words is readily apparent. While her classmates are busily engaged in playground amusements, Ursa is fixated on the heavens above. She has a dream: she wants to fly.  Not one to be deterred, she observes, calculates, tries, fails, refuses to accept to defeat, and tries again and again. There must be a way to realize her dream. Eventually she finds a way.  Not in the manner she initially envisioned.  But she finds a way.
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The pages are chock full of details:  Ursa's eyes always seem to be looking up; inserts of pages from Ursa's notebook; a brother named Orion; and a shirt emblazoned with the message "Live Delibearately."  The color pallet is bold, with plenty of black punctuated with strong shades of rust and gold. ​It fits Ursa perfectly.

Rosie and Crayon by Deborah Marcero

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"Rosie's tears reflected all the colors that filled her world."
Meet Rosie and her beloved puppy Crayon. Once again Marcero has selected an appropriate name. This pet colors Rosie's days, making each one vibrant. Initial pages feature colors that reflect Rosie's relationship with the pup, "tickled greens and fluttering yellows." One day Crayon is gone. Text does not specifically mention death, but it is implied. Color leaves Rosie's world. With a tear-stained face, she puts away her crayons and the dog's collar. Eventually she sets aside her grief and helps locate a lost kitten. Color returns to her life in the form of friendship with the missing kitten and its owner. A tender story of grief and healing. ​
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Rosie and Crayon effectively employs color to convey emotion.  Layout design is equally important to the story. Life with Crayon is busy, filled with a plethora of details. When Rosie is bereft, there are vast amounts of empty space on the page.  Observant readers will discover charming little details: R+C carved into a tree and letters for the title page  formed from crayons.

Twinderella: A Fractioned Fairy Tale
by Corey Rosen Schwartz illustrated by Deborah Marcero

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"Gadzooks, I must be dreaming!"
Who knew that Cinderella could become a foray into the world of fractions? Corey Rosen Schwartz knew.  Twinderella: A Fractioned Fairy Tale is delightful little riff on the traditional story featuring not one, but two mistreated sisters: Cinderella and Tinderella. Chores are divided in half. They appear to share everything, from supper to a bed. But they do not share the same dream. Will their fairy godmom be able to extricate the girls from their life of servitude and grant each girl the wish of her heart?  Will there be not one, but two "happily ever afters?" Well, this is a fairy tale, so some extraordinary magic on the part of this godmom makes it happen. Schwartz tells this fractioned tale in clever couplets. Double good. Double fun.
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End papers feature halves of sandwiches and oranges as well as pairs of shoes and gloves. Marcero ups the fantasy element with vibrant colors, including the sisters' bright red hair. Handsome Prince Charming has some serious moves and dances the night away with both girls.  Not to be outdone, Tinderella dips Charming, proving these girls can "dance with the stars." ​
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By the Numbers

5/12/2017

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7 Ate 9: The Untold Story by Tara Lazar ill by Ross MacDonald

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Are you ready for a mystery filled with delicious puns? If so, make room on your shelf for 7 Ate 9: The Untold Story.
Private I of the Al F. Bet Detective Agency is stunned when new client 6,  barges into his office, begging for help.  He announces "word on the street" is that 7 ate 9. Now he fears that 7 is coming to get him. Private I is on the case. He tracks down 7, 8, 11, and even B the waitress; searching for clues as the whereabouts of 7 and 9. ​​At the book's conclusion, the mystery is solved and all ends well. Observant readers will anticipate what is coming and quickly figure out what happened to the missing digit.
​"I have solved this numerical nonsense."
​It is nearly impossible to keep track of all the clever puns packed into every page. Tara Lazar hits a mother lode of them here. "I knew about this 7 fella. He was odd." "But if 7 was gone, then where was 9? It didn't add up." MacDonald's visual puns will keep readers glued to the pages, looking for more clues. (Check out waitress B in Cafe Uno, who has the scoop. Be sure to take note of today's special.)
Kudos to the designer who selected the color-coded numerals sprinkled throughout the text. 
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This story begs for multiple readings and is perfect for a read aloud. The tale could serve as a script for a delightful Readers Theater. Help youngsters make a few simple props to add to the frivolity. It works well for math class (make a list of all the references to numbers, create a cast of number suspects with a description of each number), a lesson on puns, and of course creating mysteries with a twist. Thanks Tara and Ross for this most entertaining picture book. Word and number play has never been so much fun!

Tara Lazar Book Trailers: The Mysteries Continue

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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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