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librarybonanza
Age: Infant-Preschool
Lovely is in the uniqueness that surrounds us and is you! Although the book size is small, this would be perfect to blow up and put on the screen for storytime.
Lovely is in the uniqueness that surrounds us and is you! Although the book size is small, this would be perfect to blow up and put on the screen for storytime.
Age: Preschool-2nd grade
Countries: Italy, Japan, Peru, Uganda, Russia, India, Iran
A great one-on-one book to soak in the detail of each family's experience. Side by side illustrations allow kids to compare and contrast, never demeaning the experience of each family. Although there are a lot of differences between the families the general structure is the same: mom, dad, brothers, and sisters.
Countries: Italy, Japan, Peru, Uganda, Russia, India, Iran
A great one-on-one book to soak in the detail of each family's experience. Side by side illustrations allow kids to compare and contrast, never demeaning the experience of each family. Although there are a lot of differences between the families the general structure is the same: mom, dad, brothers, and sisters.
Age: Preschool
Culture: Korean
As much as she's tried to enjoy it, Yoomi hates stinky, spicy kimchi. As her brothers taunt her for being a baby, Yoomi tries to find different ways to mask the original taste. Grandma steps in and offers a perfect solution. A perfect read-aloud for a food week with a relatable premise of hating a much adored dish.
Culture: Korean
As much as she's tried to enjoy it, Yoomi hates stinky, spicy kimchi. As her brothers taunt her for being a baby, Yoomi tries to find different ways to mask the original taste. Grandma steps in and offers a perfect solution. A perfect read-aloud for a food week with a relatable premise of hating a much adored dish.
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Multicultural: Full English and Spanish language, side by side
Pepe the street dog makes it big when a sombrero flies off of a balcony and onto his head. Looking snappy, Pepe attracts the attention of a movie exec and soon Pepe is starring in films. Even with his change of fortune, Pepe is still lonely and longs for something more: a family.
I loved the "villain", El Gato en Zapatos, but I wish she didn't appear until the sequel. Perfect for a read-aloud in English and Spanish, Pepe's boundless energy, silly antics, and determination will leave kids satisfied with such a happy ending. Additional bonus: The illustrations are perfectly paired and delightfully done.
Multicultural: Full English and Spanish language, side by side
Pepe the street dog makes it big when a sombrero flies off of a balcony and onto his head. Looking snappy, Pepe attracts the attention of a movie exec and soon Pepe is starring in films. Even with his change of fortune, Pepe is still lonely and longs for something more: a family.
I loved the "villain", El Gato en Zapatos, but I wish she didn't appear until the sequel. Perfect for a read-aloud in English and Spanish, Pepe's boundless energy, silly antics, and determination will leave kids satisfied with such a happy ending. Additional bonus: The illustrations are perfectly paired and delightfully done.
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Age: Toddler-Preschool
Multicultural: Bi-racial family, black mother and white father
An entire family takes on the adorable (and taxing) energy of their youngest toddling member. A house cross-section in the middle adds to the fun exploration of Henry's boundless energy.
Multicultural: Bi-racial family, black mother and white father
An entire family takes on the adorable (and taxing) energy of their youngest toddling member. A house cross-section in the middle adds to the fun exploration of Henry's boundless energy.
Age: High School-College
Tough issue: Interracial romance, pedophilia, sexual abuse
History: 1930s
Cultures: Mexican American, African American
Holy shit, I am still reeling from this book.
"In Out of Darkness seventeen-year-old Naomi moves with her half siblings to her stepfather's new home in an oil drilling settlement town. When their Mexican-American mother died in childbirth seven years earlier, Naomi became the surrogate mother to the twins. Now Naomi must balance the demands of being the only Mexican-American at her high school with keeping house for her Caucasian stepfather, whom she despises.
A sign at the town diner: "No Negroes, Mexican or dogs."
Beautiful Naomi becomes the object of desire and of racial prejudice. She finds secret pleasure with Wash, an intelligent boy who is a senior at the all black school in a segregated town. They imagine a future together with the twins, free from persecution" (Goodreads review by Sarah Laurence).
Although the story centers around the 1937 New London school explosion, the strength of Out of Darkness lies in Perez's multi-layered presentation of cultural outliers. One would need a class discussion to unpack heavier themes including skin color (the twins are half Mexican American but pass as white), evolving tolerance, masked prejudice, sexual abuse, and power.
Tough issue: Interracial romance, pedophilia, sexual abuse
History: 1930s
Cultures: Mexican American, African American
Holy shit, I am still reeling from this book.
"In Out of Darkness seventeen-year-old Naomi moves with her half siblings to her stepfather's new home in an oil drilling settlement town. When their Mexican-American mother died in childbirth seven years earlier, Naomi became the surrogate mother to the twins. Now Naomi must balance the demands of being the only Mexican-American at her high school with keeping house for her Caucasian stepfather, whom she despises.
A sign at the town diner: "No Negroes, Mexican or dogs."
Beautiful Naomi becomes the object of desire and of racial prejudice. She finds secret pleasure with Wash, an intelligent boy who is a senior at the all black school in a segregated town. They imagine a future together with the twins, free from persecution" (Goodreads review by Sarah Laurence).
Although the story centers around the 1937 New London school explosion, the strength of Out of Darkness lies in Perez's multi-layered presentation of cultural outliers. One would need a class discussion to unpack heavier themes including skin color (the twins are half Mexican American but pass as white), evolving tolerance, masked prejudice, sexual abuse, and power.
Spoiler
While the tragic ending left me in shambles, it gives me so much gratitude for what I have today with my husband.,%20Volume%201.jpg)
Age: High School
Culture: Puerto Rican American
A quick-paced story follows Sierra Santiago as she learns about her ancestor's unique ability to channel spirits into different art forms such as song and paintings. With the help of her friends and a hot graffiti artist, Sierra finds out that she is connected to their fantastical powers and begins to unravel the mystery behind the zombie corpuscles that stalk her and find the reason behind her grandfather's psychological demise.
Character development (beyond Sierra) and solid plot progression are pushed aside for this unique offering that fans of Percy Jackson and Cassandra Claire will devour. Love the diversity that this brings to the fantasy world and the rich plot but I wanted more detail. However, this downfall for me is a great advantage for kids that want a quick, exciting read.
Culture: Puerto Rican American
A quick-paced story follows Sierra Santiago as she learns about her ancestor's unique ability to channel spirits into different art forms such as song and paintings. With the help of her friends and a hot graffiti artist, Sierra finds out that she is connected to their fantastical powers and begins to unravel the mystery behind the zombie corpuscles that stalk her and find the reason behind her grandfather's psychological demise.
Character development (beyond Sierra) and solid plot progression are pushed aside for this unique offering that fans of Percy Jackson and Cassandra Claire will devour. Love the diversity that this brings to the fantasy world and the rich plot but I wanted more detail. However, this downfall for me is a great advantage for kids that want a quick, exciting read.
Age: High School-College
First line: "It turns out the Leteo procedure isn't bullshit."
More Happy Than Not is an excellent way to open up dialogue surrounding conversion therapy, cultural homophobia, and how impressionable teens can be at such a vulnerable age.
"In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again--but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.
When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound romantic feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is" (Goodreads review).
First line: "It turns out the Leteo procedure isn't bullshit."
More Happy Than Not is an excellent way to open up dialogue surrounding conversion therapy, cultural homophobia, and how impressionable teens can be at such a vulnerable age.
"In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again--but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.
When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound romantic feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is" (Goodreads review).
Award: Printz 2013
Tough Issues: Gang life, murder
History: Haitian Revolution (1790s)
An excellent testament to the powerful writing that YA Literature has to offer. Although some kids that like fast moving stories might be turned off by historical fiction, I will definitely push this into their hands.
"In darkness I count my blessings like Manman taught me. One: I am alive. Two: there is no two. In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake a boy is trapped beneath the rubble of a ruined hospital: thirsty, terrified and alone. 'Shorty' is a child of the slums, a teenage boy who has seen enough violence to last a lifetime, and who has been inexorably drawn into the world of the gangsters who rule Site Soleil: men who dole out money with one hand and death with the other. But Shorty has a secret: a flame of revenge that blazes inside him and a burning wish to find the twin sister he lost five years ago. And he is marked. Marked in a way that links him with Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Haitian rebel who two-hundred years ago led the slave revolt and faced down Napoleon to force the French out of Haiti."
Tough Issues: Gang life, murder
History: Haitian Revolution (1790s)
An excellent testament to the powerful writing that YA Literature has to offer. Although some kids that like fast moving stories might be turned off by historical fiction, I will definitely push this into their hands.
"In darkness I count my blessings like Manman taught me. One: I am alive. Two: there is no two. In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake a boy is trapped beneath the rubble of a ruined hospital: thirsty, terrified and alone. 'Shorty' is a child of the slums, a teenage boy who has seen enough violence to last a lifetime, and who has been inexorably drawn into the world of the gangsters who rule Site Soleil: men who dole out money with one hand and death with the other. But Shorty has a secret: a flame of revenge that blazes inside him and a burning wish to find the twin sister he lost five years ago. And he is marked. Marked in a way that links him with Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Haitian rebel who two-hundred years ago led the slave revolt and faced down Napoleon to force the French out of Haiti."
Age: Preschool-1st grade
Country: Paris, France
Arlo the armadillo explores Paris via letters from his grandfather that direct him around the city. Also to spice things up with a myserty, his grandfather keeps alluding to The Iron Lady as Arlo slowly makes his way to find out who she is. The illustrations are wonderful and the reflection of the Louvre pyramid in the water is gorgeous.
Country: Paris, France
Arlo the armadillo explores Paris via letters from his grandfather that direct him around the city. Also to spice things up with a myserty, his grandfather keeps alluding to The Iron Lady as Arlo slowly makes his way to find out who she is. The illustrations are wonderful and the reflection of the Louvre pyramid in the water is gorgeous.