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purplepenning
A small treasure box of a book, a letter from Ruby Bridges "to the young peacemakers of America" — the school kids she has spent the last 25 years traveling the U.S. to speak with. Her message is simple but powerful, delivered with unflinching hope: *you* matter, love and grace can lead the way, now is your time.
Bridges, born in 1954, the same year that the Supreme Court ruled in "Brown vs. the Board of Education" that segregated education was unconstitutional, famously became the first Black student at an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960. She was 6-years-old and was escorted through daily threats and incredible ugliness by a guard of U.S. Marshals. Teachers refused to teach. Parents pulled their children out of school. Only one teacher, who was originally from Boston, was willing to teach Ruby, and did so all year in a classroom by themselves. Black-and-white photographs add context and poignancy to this brief account of her experiences then and since, illustrating both the profoundly disturbing and hopeful moments. Though not graphic, some of the content of the photos make this book best suited for ages 10+.
Content notes: racism, hatred, domestic abuse, death of a Black son to gun violence
Image notes: people protest integration with signs that imply that Black students are dirty, smiling white protesters carry a coffin with a Black baby doll in it, police use water cannons, pepper spray, and batons against groups and individuals
Bridges, born in 1954, the same year that the Supreme Court ruled in "Brown vs. the Board of Education" that segregated education was unconstitutional, famously became the first Black student at an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960. She was 6-years-old and was escorted through daily threats and incredible ugliness by a guard of U.S. Marshals. Teachers refused to teach. Parents pulled their children out of school. Only one teacher, who was originally from Boston, was willing to teach Ruby, and did so all year in a classroom by themselves. Black-and-white photographs add context and poignancy to this brief account of her experiences then and since, illustrating both the profoundly disturbing and hopeful moments. Though not graphic, some of the content of the photos make this book best suited for ages 10+.
Content notes: racism, hatred, domestic abuse, death of a Black son to gun violence
Image notes: people protest integration with signs that imply that Black students are dirty, smiling white protesters carry a coffin with a Black baby doll in it, police use water cannons, pepper spray, and batons against groups and individuals
Middle grade nonfiction can be tricky but Kyi and Shannon make it look easy here — using an engaging tone, fun graphics, and sidebars to present current studies and evidence about bias, stereotypes, and how to overcome them. The ideas are sophisticated and well-researched enough to make this an easy-reading introduction or review piece for YA and adult readers, but distilled into simple enough language for preteens.
It's only 5 chapters and about 80 roomy pages, but I appreciated the breadth of topics and the somewhat global perspective. American kids may be slightly confused by a section that involves participants "writing a test" (which they may interpret as creating, rather than taking a test) and I'd like the author to rethink the use of "pretty crazy" in a sidebar title, but those are minor issues overall.
The book ends on a hopeful note, giving specific things individuals can do and reiterating a variety of projects that are having a positive impact — "police officers in St. Louis, Missouri, are learning to recognize hidden bias. Hospitals are implementing new policies and procedures, like the one at Johns Hopkins to ensure women get better blood clot-busting care. Soap opera producers in Rwanda are helping people develop empathy for other ethnic groups." There's also a further reading list, a fairly robust reference section, and a decent index.
Overall, I'd highly recommend this for middle grade libraries everywhere and for families and individuals trying to be more aware of their unconscious biases.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher file a digital ARC.
It's only 5 chapters and about 80 roomy pages, but I appreciated the breadth of topics and the somewhat global perspective. American kids may be slightly confused by a section that involves participants "writing a test" (which they may interpret as creating, rather than taking a test) and I'd like the author to rethink the use of "pretty crazy" in a sidebar title, but those are minor issues overall.
The book ends on a hopeful note, giving specific things individuals can do and reiterating a variety of projects that are having a positive impact — "police officers in St. Louis, Missouri, are learning to recognize hidden bias. Hospitals are implementing new policies and procedures, like the one at Johns Hopkins to ensure women get better blood clot-busting care. Soap opera producers in Rwanda are helping people develop empathy for other ethnic groups." There's also a further reading list, a fairly robust reference section, and a decent index.
Overall, I'd highly recommend this for middle grade libraries everywhere and for families and individuals trying to be more aware of their unconscious biases.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher file a digital ARC.
The origin story of the Gumazing Gum Girl! Dun! Dun! Dun!
The story fell a little short for me and I didn't like the way the class bully was portrayed BUT the art is adorable, the main character is a gum-loving bilingual Latina (of Mexican heritage I think) who peppers a little Spanish into her speech, the adventure is fast-paced and entertainingly ridiculous (like Captain Underpants but thankfully with less underpantastic humor), and the book cover literally smells like bubble gum. I cheated and looked ahead in the series, and I think this one definitely works better for me when taken as part of the whole series.
Content notes: breaking rules, disobeying parents and hiding things from them even when it burgers her conscience to do so, class bully depicted as a large masculine girl
The story fell a little short for me and I didn't like the way the class bully was portrayed BUT the art is adorable, the main character is a gum-loving bilingual Latina (of Mexican heritage I think) who peppers a little Spanish into her speech, the adventure is fast-paced and entertainingly ridiculous (like Captain Underpants but thankfully with less underpantastic humor), and the book cover literally smells like bubble gum. I cheated and looked ahead in the series, and I think this one definitely works better for me when taken as part of the whole series.
Content notes: breaking rules, disobeying parents and hiding things from them even when it burgers her conscience to do so, class bully depicted as a large masculine girl
Gideon and his wholesome, happy quest to pet all the dogs has warmed my heart since I first found him on social media a couple of years ago. Now, he's helping other kids pet those dogs with this fun, informative guide! Of course he is!
Suitable for elementary to middle school readers, "Pet That Dog!" offers solid advice, fun facts, inspiring stories from history, fun silly quizzes, and a dog tracking log of about 150 breeds and several more categories for mutts and "dogs whose breeds aren't the most interesting thing about them." Kids can be on the lookout for tiny dogs or fluffy dogs or dogs who share their same name. The text is broken up into readable chunks, and super cute color illustrations, like what you see on the cover, appear throughout.
I'd call the advice itself above average. The part about holding out your hand for the dog to sniff is a little dated, but works fine in this context of approaching a dog whose owner has already indicated it's okay. Otherwise, it's better not to approach so directly (keep your hands in and the dog to your side rather than face-to-face — at least until the dog approaches and sniffs you). But I love that it includes illustrations and descriptions for dog body language! Kids that learn that part will be well on their way to understanding, appreciating, and safely petting all the dogs.
Content notes: a couple of war stories appear in the inspiring history tales
My thanks to NetGalley and Quirk Books for a digital ARC!
Suitable for elementary to middle school readers, "Pet That Dog!" offers solid advice, fun facts, inspiring stories from history, fun silly quizzes, and a dog tracking log of about 150 breeds and several more categories for mutts and "dogs whose breeds aren't the most interesting thing about them." Kids can be on the lookout for tiny dogs or fluffy dogs or dogs who share their same name. The text is broken up into readable chunks, and super cute color illustrations, like what you see on the cover, appear throughout.
I'd call the advice itself above average. The part about holding out your hand for the dog to sniff is a little dated, but works fine in this context of approaching a dog whose owner has already indicated it's okay. Otherwise, it's better not to approach so directly (keep your hands in and the dog to your side rather than face-to-face — at least until the dog approaches and sniffs you). But I love that it includes illustrations and descriptions for dog body language! Kids that learn that part will be well on their way to understanding, appreciating, and safely petting all the dogs.
Content notes: a couple of war stories appear in the inspiring history tales
My thanks to NetGalley and Quirk Books for a digital ARC!
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adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Who doesn't love a cozy Victorian mystery with an irrepressible 12-year-old girl at the helm? And not just irrepressible, but also impressively intelligent, well educated, and as liberated and indulged as any Young Lady of Quality could be in the late 1800s.
Myrtle, our girl detective, is the only child of a supportive but distracted British Prosecutor and an intelligent and dedicated medical student, who has died before our story starts, leaving a deep impression on Myrtle's view of the world and her investigative methods. She is exceedingly fortunate in her governess, Ms. Judson, who is extraordinary in her own right. Ms. Judson challenges Myrtle with Socratic methods in her educational pursuits and plays Watson to her Sherlock (or her Enola, if you will). Myrtle also makes the acquaintance of a delightful law clerk with a ridiculous sense of humor that buoys the story at the perfect moments. I hope to see more of Mr. Blakeney in the rest of the series.
Myrtle is, perhaps, not as fortunate in her social circle, where mean girls shun her and call her "Morbid Myrtle" and where one cantankerous adult/neighbor dies of Mysterious Circumstances and another is probably a murderer. Armed with a spy glass, a knowing cat, a vase of lilies, and an inappropriate interest in cadavers and poisons, and exceptionally detailed understanding of criminal science, Myrtle sets out to solve the mystery, make sense of this unfortunate death, and see justice done. But the stakes get even higher when someone she loves is threatened.
With just a couple of pacing issues where the story could stand to be streamlined a bit, the writing here is otherwise excellent — striking the perfect cheeky, intelligent tone to match our cheeky, intelligent heroine. The author uses high-level vocab for middle graders, but makes great use of conversational footnotes and fun asides to the reader (Lemony Snicket-style). I would have LOVED this in middle grade when I was devouring Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew and wanting more, more, more — in quantity and quality. I didn't know the term "cozy mystery" then or that an "English murder village" was a thing, but that's exactly what I wanted and it's exactly what Premeditated Myrtle delivers.
One thing I never love, however, that shows up with frequency in plucky, precocious heroine tales, is when our girl differentiates herself by putting other girls down — she's not like other girls who are silly, empty-headed, and annoying. That creeps in here with Myrtle a bit and I was disappointed to see it. Part of it is salvaged by discovering that one of these "other girls" is actually quite smart and caring, but I wish that had been handled differently. To be fair, it's a excessively patriarchal period of history, and most of Myrtle and Ms. Judson's assessments and engagement with that are handled very well. One other content note: Myrtle also uses "idiot" and "stupid" in reference to herself and others, which I hate to see. This is an otherwise fun and positive story of keen observation, intelligence, and courage winning the day.
I also listened to part of the audiobook, which was excellent.
Myrtle, our girl detective, is the only child of a supportive but distracted British Prosecutor and an intelligent and dedicated medical student, who has died before our story starts, leaving a deep impression on Myrtle's view of the world and her investigative methods. She is exceedingly fortunate in her governess, Ms. Judson, who is extraordinary in her own right. Ms. Judson challenges Myrtle with Socratic methods in her educational pursuits and plays Watson to her Sherlock (or her Enola, if you will). Myrtle also makes the acquaintance of a delightful law clerk with a ridiculous sense of humor that buoys the story at the perfect moments. I hope to see more of Mr. Blakeney in the rest of the series.
Myrtle is, perhaps, not as fortunate in her social circle, where mean girls shun her and call her "Morbid Myrtle" and where one cantankerous adult/neighbor dies of Mysterious Circumstances and another is probably a murderer. Armed with a spy glass, a knowing cat, a vase of lilies, and an inappropriate interest in cadavers and poisons, and exceptionally detailed understanding of criminal science, Myrtle sets out to solve the mystery, make sense of this unfortunate death, and see justice done. But the stakes get even higher when someone she loves is threatened.
With just a couple of pacing issues where the story could stand to be streamlined a bit, the writing here is otherwise excellent — striking the perfect cheeky, intelligent tone to match our cheeky, intelligent heroine. The author uses high-level vocab for middle graders, but makes great use of conversational footnotes and fun asides to the reader (Lemony Snicket-style). I would have LOVED this in middle grade when I was devouring Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew and wanting more, more, more — in quantity and quality. I didn't know the term "cozy mystery" then or that an "English murder village" was a thing, but that's exactly what I wanted and it's exactly what Premeditated Myrtle delivers.
One thing I never love, however, that shows up with frequency in plucky, precocious heroine tales, is when our girl differentiates herself by putting other girls down — she's not like other girls who are silly, empty-headed, and annoying. That creeps in here with Myrtle a bit and I was disappointed to see it. Part of it is salvaged by discovering that one of these "other girls" is actually quite smart and caring, but I wish that had been handled differently. To be fair, it's a excessively patriarchal period of history, and most of Myrtle and Ms. Judson's assessments and engagement with that are handled very well. One other content note: Myrtle also uses "idiot" and "stupid" in reference to herself and others, which I hate to see. This is an otherwise fun and positive story of keen observation, intelligence, and courage winning the day.
I also listened to part of the audiobook, which was excellent.
