I don't know if I just have an issue with nonfiction written for younger readers in general or if I just find this year's award-winning selections to be mostly subpar. I honestly thought this was just a story for most of it and remember feeling rather confused when I realized it was true. I'm also not much of a gum chewer and I don't really know how to blow bubbles, so perhaps that affected my judgment of the book as well.

Cybils Nonfiction Picture Book Winner

I found the whole thing to be overall charming- weird in some sections, other sections I would want to live in. I will read the next in the series and see where it takes me!

I quite enjoyed this book. I had no idea it was based on a true story (even though it says so on the cover-oops). Anyway, it is a fictionalized account of the story of what may have been the first Japanese person in the United States. I also learned a lot about Japan and it's isolationist policies.

I think this book should be in every Red Sox fan's house, especially if children are ever there. I enjoyed this story about the magic of baseball and dreaming.

This book won the John Steptoe new talent in illustrating award. I did really enjoy the illustrations. The story wasn't new to me, as there have been many picture books coming out about Wangari Maathai in the past few years. If you don't already have one, or if she is a popular figure at your library, then this would be a good addition.

I think this is a good introduction to feminism, and it definitely left me feeling more fired up (in a productive way) than I had in a while. I think the cover image is an interesting choice considering the inside content. I do understand the complaint that it focuses a lot on young white upper-class cisgendered straight able-bodied women, however, since it is an introductory text, I guess I am okay with that. It's not that they are ignored completely, but the focus could be seen as what I listed above. Of course, maybe that is easy for me to say since I fit pretty perfectly into that description. I guess I'll have to read more reviews by other people. Overall, for me, it was a good book.

ETA: I just reread the subtitle of the book and was thinking further about what the book is about. Does the book guide young women to realize why feminism matters? I think it does.