Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome

It is 1946. Young Langston's life has been turned upside down.  Gone are quite slow-paced days. Gone are family and friends. His warm rural Alabama hometown has been replaced with Chicago. I pick up my life And take it with me And put it down in Chicago, Detroit Buffalo, Scranton. After his mother dies, Langston's father decides to move north, seeking a better life for his son. Moving into a shabby apartment with wallpaper created from newspaper is a huge adjustment. This Alabama transplant wears overalls and speaks with a distinctive drawl. Instantly he is derisively called "country boy" by the class bully. Others join in taunting the new boy in school. He wonders, can he ever feel at home in this strange place?

Magic of Words

The Lifters by Dave Eggers read by Dion Graham

Gran, short for Granite, and his family have moved to Carousel, living in his great grandfather's old home. Everything seems lonely and a bit off balance. No one at school speaks to him. It's as if he doesn’t exist. One day he comes upon classmate Catalina entering a hidden door in the ground. Gran is intrigued and follows her. He discovers a series of subterranean tunnels, crisscrossing the earth beneath the town. He watches as Catalina labors underground, propping up the tunnels with all manner of items to keep the town from sinking. The two join forces, working to defeat The Hollows, powerful winds which sense sadness and threaten to tunnel deep underground, blowing away the foundations of Carousel.

Listen Up

Bonus

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

Welcome to the world of Victorian England’s chimney sweeps. Jonathan Auxier has created a tale that is part historical fiction, part fantasy, part social commentary, and pure magic. ​Nan Sparrow has only known life as a chimney sweep. From infancy she was nurtured by a man she calls the Sweep. Together they did more than simply survive a grubby, demanding life of toil and deprivation. Instead he taught Nan to find joy in what others might deem a joyless existence. ​The Sweep had never understood how a person could sleep through the sunrise. 'It's like Heaven itself is offering you a gift you're too lazy to open,' he used to say. Then he'd wink and add, 'Ah, well. More for us.'

​And yet, here in the dusty crawl space, she held a miracle in her hands.

"A sage or rabbi--​ that is, a Jewish priest— forms a body out of mud or clay and then brings the creature to life with a sort of magic word called a Shem"...
"In your stories, why did the rabbi make his golem?"
"Why does a person create anything? Out of necessity... The golem is made to help people who fear for their lives.”

Stories to Tell. Stories to Share.

Sometimes on nights when there was no food to eat, the girl and her Sweep used to make Story soup. The girl would fill her pockets with trash she found on the streets - scraps of paper or trampled strings or bits of colored glass. At the end of the day, she would present these things to The Sweep. “Make Story soup!” she would tell him.’
​”Oh-ho!” The Sweep would always exclaim, rubbing his belly with both hands. ‘You’ve brought us ingredients for a right feast!’

​It's a very private thing to open a present and a person deserves to do it on his own way.

Bonus: The Wit and Wisdom of Sweep

​What is a year?
A year is a bunch of days put together.
Oh, it's much more than that! ...A year is a little lifetime.

Path to the Stars:
​My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist 
by Sylvia Acevedo

Meet Sylvia Acevedo, daughter of a Papa, Texas chemist originally from Mexico and Mami, a native of Mexico who didn’t speak English. She recalls this story of her birth: ​Some of the babies had blond hair. Some had brown hair or no hair at all, and nearly all of them had fair skin. Only one baby had very dark hair. “That was me!” Acevedo grew up in Las Cruses, New Mexico, surrounded by a close-knit family. Young Sylvia had the desire to learn about her world and the drive to excel in a wide variety of endeavors. She credits the Girl Scouts with helping her learn to set goals and work to achieve them. From childhood she realized that she had an affinity for numbers and a curiosity to learn how things work. By the age of thirteen, she assumed the responsibility of maintaining the family vehicle, including changing the oil. In junior high school, she opted out of home economics class, choosing instead to take an additional math course. Interestingly, one of the most challenging Girl Scout badges for her to earn was the cooking badge.

​I was nine years old, living in a small desert town. And on that day I decided I would go to Stanford someday.

They'd never had a woman engineer, so they didn’t even have a bathroom for women in the test labs.

From Brownie to NASA scientist. Still the same winning smile!

My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist (English edition)   ​is also available in Spanish:  Camino a las estrellas: Mi recorrido de Girl Scout a ingeniera astronáutica This autobiography is enhanced with liberal use of personal and family photographs inserted throughout the text. The author's "Note about Girl Scouts Yesterday and Today" provides context.

Companion Reading

Super Women: ​Six Scientists Who Changed the World

First Girl Scout: ​The Life of Juliette Gordon Low

Hidden Figures: ​Young Readers Edition

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson

​​What would happen if you intentionally leave a group of kids alone in a classroom? This story framework, a group in a confined space for a specific period of time, is generally reserved for adult literature. Think: a sequestered jury, a therapy group, passengers on a plane/train etc. The most notable equivalent application for teens is The Breakfast Club. But a group of students deliberately put together in a classroom without an adult present is something I don’t offhand recall in another work of juvenile fiction. It’s a bold construct that really works. It works so well that I became a virtual member of the group, as the dynamic slowly, often painfully, evolves. I could relate to each student. It was easy to picture myself as an unseen participant in the room. ​​Concepts of immigration, incarceration, racial disparity, and economic inequality are woven into the narrative. While these are important issues, it’s the relationship among the six kids that is imprinted on my mind and heart. Each voice is distinct and offers a unique perspective.

Kudos for the cover design. It captures the essence of creating harbors for kids.

Sing Along

Bonus: Twitter post from Jacqueline Woodson

In Praise of Board Games

Sometimes it's good to put way the electronics, take playing pieces out of the box and go "old school" with a board game. Featured here are some middle school books that celebrate the joy of sitting across the table from an opponent for some friendly competition. Enjoy these novels for middle-grader featuring a board game component. Along with these books include a selection of new and classic tabletop entertainment in the library collection.  ​Let the games begin!

Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead

Meet Bob, the small green not-a-zombie creature who lives in Olivia's grandmother's closet with a Lego pirate ship and a dictionary. He has been waiting years for Livy to return to her grandmother's home in Australia.      Long ago, Livy's father taught her the basics of chess. She, in turn, showed Bob to how to play. He has practiced alone in the closet, using only the white chess pieces, as the black pieces are missing. When Livy returns she recovers the black chess pieces.  They commence playing this game of thinking and planning strategically. Together, Bob and Livy assemble collective memories into a meaningful pattern to remember about Livy's promise, made long ago. Using clues and deductive skills, the two friends uncover secrets from the past. Check out my review of Bob. ​"But chess is not about luck," Bob says. "It's about recognizing the strength of the little guy."

You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly

Charlotte's world seems to be falling apart: her dad suffers a major heart attack and her best friend wants to leave Charlotte and join another group of girls. Ben's parents just delivered some shocking news: they are getting a divorce. Ben is floored.  He has no idea that this was coming and is at a loss on how to cope. He decides that maybe what he should do is run for a student body position.  He's a younger student and really doesn't have any close friends. How is this going to work? The one thing that both Charlotte and Ben have going for them is their virtual friendship. They are serious Scrabble players.  They admire each other's playing skills and their online competition develops into a support system. Each helps the other as they work through word puzzles and puzzling events in their lives. When she was seven years old, he pulled the game board from the closet and set it on the dining room table.

Me and Marvin Gardens by Amy Sarig King

Eleven-year-old Obe Devlin has always been a loner, spending hours at Devlin Creek, picking up trash. One day he encounters an animal never seen before. He names it Marvin Gardens because his dad is obsessed with the board game Monopoly.  Obe is fascinated and escapes to the creek spending time with this strange creature. To his amazement, he learns that Marvin can consume plastic. While it might be considered a good thing, this also presents a tremendous cost to the environment. What will become of this creature? What will happen to the land that Obe loves? Monopoly is a game of acquiring and selling real estate. This dovetails with the loss of the Devlin family's 175 acres and the construction of a housing development on the property. Read my review of Me and Marvin Gardens. I didn't believe stories about ghosts -- not even the one about spirits who were angry at the developers for growing houses instead of crops.

Sunny by Jason Reynolds

Sunny has lost interest in running. Yes, he is lightning fast. Yes, he has a fistful of medals. But he doesn't want to run any more. Coach suggests that discus might be more to his liking. It's a whole new sport and requires an entirely different sets of skills. It combines his love of dance with his desire to stay connected with the team. Sunny decides to give it a try. Sunny has his share of conflicts at home. His mother died during childbirth and Sunny blames himself for his mother's death. ​He lives with his father Darryl, who often seems detached from his son. One thing that they share is a love for jigsaw puzzles. They are currently working on a complicated puzzle that is an image of Sunny's mother's face.  Will putting the puzzle together help to resolve the missing pieces in Sunny's life? Yes, Diary, we still do puzzles together. It's our way of, I guess, bonding.

My Hair is a Garden by Cozbil A. Cabrera

For as long as she can remember, MacKenzie has been the object of ridicule at her school. Students constantly tease her about her hair. She tries ignoring their taunts. That doesn't work. She takes to wearing a hat to cover her head. That doesn't help. Finally she flees to the home of her neighbor Miss Tillie, who lives in a warm and welcoming home. MacKenzie pours her heart to her compassionate friend. "I need help with my hair. Folks have been poking fun of my hair since I was little...Mama tried to fix it, but the truth is, she doesn’t know what to do with it."

Following a gentle shampoo and careful combing, Miss Tillie invites her young guest outside to enjoy her garden. Years of thoughtful planning, cultivation, and nurturing have resulted in a retreat that is a filled with a variety of lush and vibrant landscaping.   MacKenzie discovers the similarities between caring for a garden and caring for her crowning glory.

​Cozbi A. Cabrera has created a lovely picture book celebrating the magnificence of natural black hair. In addition to the narrative, she thoughtfully includes helpful hair care tips, along with suggestions for self-improvement and personal development. ​Recipes for Herbal infusion Rinse and Moisturizing Shea Butter include directions on proper application.

For the Love of Hair

Bonus

The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss

Sister Wanda discovers something unusual amid the  Mostly Silent Monastery construction clutter: a silent little girl with no name and no past.  Wearing a shirt emblazoned with the word BICYCLE, she is appropriately given the name Bicycle.  Our young heroine takes to the monastic life, spending her days intently listening and studying.  Her fortune changes the day that she accompanies the monks into town and discovers her namesake, a discarded bike. Scraping together all her loose change, Bicycle becomes the proud owner of the two-wheeler, christened Clunk. Sister Wanda is concerned because her young charge lacks youthful companions and enrolls Bicycle in the Friendship Factory’s camp. Determined to escape from the well-meaning intentions of Sister Wanda, Bicycle decides to bike from Washington D.C to San Francisco to meet her cycling hero Zbig.

Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring
​by Angela Cervantes

Paloma Marque is spending the month of June in Mexico City. While her mother pursues advanced studies, she can become acquainted with the city, language, and culture of her deceased father. Initially she is reluctant to leave behind her US friends, but she soon becomes captivated with her father’s native city, a handsome boy, the art of Frida Kahlo, and the mysterious disappearance of a jeweled ring. With the help of two friends, Paloma goes in search of the missing ring. She finds herself caught up in a series of dangerous situations involving some nefarious individuals. Paloma summons up the deductive skills and courage of her favorite fictional detective Lulu Pennywhistle. She plots a strategy to recover the missing ring and return it to its rightful owner. ”Okay,”  Paloma said to herself. “I just need to Lulu up and do this.”

La Casa Azul

View studio, dining room, or garden.

Calling All Minds ​​by Temple Grandin with Betsy Lerner

How to Think and Create Like an Inventor

Calling All Minds is an intriguing mix of inventor mini-biographies, images of registered inventions from the U.S. Patent office, and step-by step project instructions for youngsters.  Grandin frames all these elements within a running narrative describing her personal journey of discovery.  She introduces readers to her thinking process, her experiments with various concepts, and schematic drawings of her creations.  "There is no better way to start than by making things of your own design. All the projects I made when I was young contributed to the inventions I've made throughout my life. And they have given my life meaning. I hope these projects and the ones you create will do the same for you." The book is organized into five general sections: "Things Made of Paper," "Levers and Pulleys," "Things Made of Wood," "Things That Fly", and "Optical Illusions." Each section includes a cornucopia of material that is loosely connected. Like the discovery process, they do not flow in a strict linear fashion, instead inviting moments of serendipity along the way.