Age: 2nd-5th grade
Loaction: Kenya, Africa
Nonfiction: Biography

An excellent read-aloud choice for middle elementary-intermediate classrooms that would pair well with extension activities on activism, feminism, environmental protection, and African empowerment. That being said, I wish the illustrations were more suited for reading aloud but most of the illustrations are a bit too intricate and not quite as eye-catching for a classroom. The supplementary material provides a timeline, photographs, a map of Africa and its different climates and vegetation, a brief bio of Kenya, a brief blurb on deforestation, and direct quotes from Wangari.

Awards: Printz Honor 2013, Pura Belpre 2013, Stonewall 2013
Tough Issues: Brother is in prison, Father fought in Vietnam
Culture: Mexican American

First line: "One summer night I fell asleep, hoping the world would be different when I woke."

Spoiler

Aristotle and Dante's unfolding love is organic and sweet. In order to achieve this, Aristotle's gradual realization drags throughout the book. This slow crawl towards the climax of the story probably wouldn't phase speed readers but I was a bit bogged down by it. Yet Saenz tackled a challenging first-person writing style: truth to the thoughts of a narrator who is afraid to confront his feelings.

The layers of back story sometimes felt forced, such as his lesbian Aunt that dies at the end, having never been mentioned previously in the book. That being said, the layers are what give such great dimension and truth to the personalities of this story.

Besides these personal issues, the writing was admirable, and this story transcends fluffy, unrealistic romance to a deeper, more realistic growth of friends falling in love and the effects that an authentic person can have on someone that feels cut off from the world.

Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Culture: West Africa
Family: Mother, baby

A soothing lyrical journey through the busy day of a mother in West Africa. The bond between the baby and mother is emphasized throughout and is sweetly reassuring to listeners. The one downside to this book is that it is too long for babies or toddlers or even some preschoolers so this would be best read at bedtime.

Age: Preschool-1st grade
Family: Grandfather, granddaughter
Location: China
Food: Making your own noodles

Mei's grandfather has a magical way with noodles, creating a variety of objects like kite strings and jump ropes (he never does make food with it, though...). When the emperor's birthday approaches, Granpa puts all his faith in Mei, giving her the reins to create long-life noodles for the emperor. But Mei has never made noodle magic before--especially not by herself! I wish the ending put a little more accountability in Mei because she learns that she can do it herself by playing a game of tug-o-war with the Moon goddess and then the noodles snap in half, raining noodles on the town [*drools*]. To me, it seems more like an accident than Mei's magical creation. The story is still fun and readable, though!

Age: High School-Adult
Location: France
Music: Performance, guitar, classical
Tough Issue: Death of a family member
First Line: "Those who can, do."

A truly unique premise and execution, Donnelly provides a masterfully written young adult novel that tackles complex issues, an unusual plot, and a teen left in the throws of depression after her younger brother is killed. The majority of the book follows Andi as she battles her own inner demons that accuse her of letting her brother die. Her grades dropping, Andi's father forces Andi to come with him to France where he is doing research on the eighteenth century death of a boy prince who was starved to death during the French Revolution. Andi soon finds a hidden diary of Alexandrine Paradis, the prince's attendant, and is transported into a world of chaos, brutality, and fear through Alexandrine's writing.

Spoiler

Turns out, Andi's travels become real and she is physically transported to the end of the French Revolution. Is it all a side-effect of her anti-depression medication? In my opinion, I believe it was only a figment of her imagination spurred by her drugs and the tumble she took, but she truly did find truth and solace in her internal exploration. There were hints throughout about Andi's past experiences being reflected in her imagination. However, only through this introspection was she able to realize that even though the world is chaotic and unrelenting and repeats the mistakes of the past, she does not need to be.

Although the writing was phenomenal and the twist was a great "ah-ha!" moment, I could not feel for the pain of the prince in the tower. So many children were being submitted to inhumanities that I didn't understand why so many people were affronted by this one case. I also could not follow Alexandrine's love for the boy and her sudden shift to be his savior. So often was it repeated that A attended to the boy for selfish reasons.

But, all in all, a great book and just perfect for discussion or for high school book reports.

Culture: Africa, Kenya

Age: Preschool-2nd grade
Cultures: Austrian, deaf
Time period: 1800s

A lovely tale of observation and kindness. Ruthie and her family were known to warm the hands of the village because they kept sheep and sold their wool. Ruthie enjoyed knitting with her mother and selling mittens to the townsfolk. When Ruthie's family invites a deaf woman and her baby to stay the night after her husband went to get help for their broken wagon, Ruthie observes a beautiful piece of string connecting the mother and the baby. She must know what it's for! Rosner provides a unique story line that can provide a complimentary element to discussions on deaf culture and historical daily life.

Age: 1st-2nd grade
Culture: Afghan refugees

A poignant tale about two girls who become friends in a refugee camp. The ending presented in this book is not often achieved in the real world (one girl and her family are sent to the US) so it may leave listeners with an unrealistic expectation for many refugees--and it also presents the U.S. as the almighty saving grace. This aside, the friendship is authentic and the refugee camp is presented in an honest way without becoming entrenched in despair (which would be hard for a 1st/2nd grader to swallow). Accompanied with beautiful, authentic illustrations.

Age: Kindergarten-2nd grade
Culture: African American

When Jeremy sees all the kids wearing black high tops, he desperately wants his own pair. But, as his Grandma says, there is no room for wanting in their house, only needing so Jeremy gets a pair of black boots for the winter. But he can't stop thinking about those high tops.

A real-to-life tale about a child that can't get everything he wants and how he must learn to compromise. Kindness pays off in this tale when Jeremy decides to give his pair of too-small high tops to another kid at school with run down shoes and is satisfied by the happiness of the other boy. Jeremy's generosity is genuine, not encouraged or forced upon him by an adult. Also Jeremy's poverty is not a tragic tale of woe and misery, but learning to manage his reality at an age where he can't have much of a say in it.