Tag: 2015

Everyone Loves Bacon

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Image Credit: Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan), Kelly DiPucchio/Eric Wight

Image Credit: Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan), Kelly DiPucchio/Eric Wight

Recently the World Health Organization said we should limit the amount of bacon we eat because it (and other processed meats) can lead to cancer…But guess what? We can still READ about bacon!!

Kelly DiPucchio’s latest book, Everyone Loves Bacon, is a hoot. Bacon is full of himself. He’s a hot-shot with an ego issue. He knows that everyone loves him; how can they not? He’s amazing. He has tons of adoring fans (including Pancake) and even a few enemies (French Toast is one). He’s the life of the party BUT Bacon makes a big mistake. He starts to forget about his friends when his popularity goes to his crispy head. You can’t forget about your friends Bacon!

Eric Wight’s illustrations are wonderfully retro and bright. The story takes place at an old school diner so we get to see the old diner tables, glass straw dispensers, mini coin jukeboxes and all the nostalgic goodness of greasy spoon living. Also, I’m a sucker for cute illustrations, especially cute food with faces. Ugh! They get me EVERY time. I really love this book with all its puns and silly humor and I hope you will too.

Recommended for: All Ages
Great for: Humor, Discussion, Morals
Book Info: Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPucchio/Illustrated by Eric Wight, 2015 Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan), ISBN: 9780374300524

Where’s Walrus? and Penguin?

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Image Credit: Scholastic, Stephen Savage

Image Credit: Scholastic, Stephen Savage

I picked this book up to review and then I looked at the author and these were my thoughts “Oh I like this one a lot, let’s review it…OMG it’s Stephen Savage. No wonder I like it!” I previously reviewed his book Supertruck which is about a garbage truck with a secret identity. His most recent book however is about adventurous zoo animals. I love the endpaper. I’ve mentioned before how much I love endpapers… 🙂

Look at the beauty

Look at the beauty

On a rainy day at the zoo, Walrus and Penguin make a break for it. Mr. Zookeeper searches for them throughout the city but they’re just too clever at blending in. This is a silly book that’ll provide lots of chuckles for you and your child. You’ll enjoy searching for Walrus and Penguin on each page. There’s room for discussion and storytelling because the story is wordless. Savage’s signature simplistic, bold digital illustrations are great. If you love this one, be sure to check out the original book, Where’s Walrus? because it’s just as awesome!

Recommended for: Toddlers and young readers
Great for: Storytelling, Colors, Animals, Humor
Book Info: Where’s Walrus? and Penguin? by Stephen Savage, 2015 Scholastic Press, ISBN: 9780545402958

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker

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Image Credit: Abrams, Robbie Robertson/David Shannon

Image Credit: Abrams, Robbie Robertson/David Shannon

November is Native American Heritage Month and to kick off the month right, I’m paying homage to a place that’s special to me. I attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and the campus sits on Cayuga land. The Cayuga are one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). I learned a lot from Haudenosaunee people and I love their land (it is gorges up there). So the first book I’ll review to celebrate this month is an AMAZING new picture book called Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson and illustrated by David Shannon.

This book tells the story of how the warring nations of the Haudnosaunee came together in peace. Hiawatha is a sad man with anger in his heart because the evil Onondaga Chief Tadadaho killed his wife and children; he is hell-bent on revenge. One day, a man called the Peacemaker comes and tells Hiawatha that he needs him to carry his message of Peace, Power and Righteousness to all the nations. Hiawatha has to look inside himself to realize the power of forgiveness.

This story will be familiar to some readers and brand new to most but what shines about this book is not only its powerful message, but that it’s by a Native American author (Robertson is Mohawk and Cayuga) and Shannon’s oil paintings are beautiful. There are many books about Native peoples by non-Native authors; some are well researched and are respectful but many are not. Robertson tells his people’s story and that in and of itself gives power to this book. David Shannon worked with Robertson to create bold illustrations that carry the power of the story. They are so very strong. This book will appeal to artists, lovers of Native Studies and history, and any child or adult who craves a great story.

Recommended for: All ages, especially 4th grade and up
Great for: History, Native American Heritage Month, Cultural Diversity, Discussion, We Need Diverse Books
Book Info: Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson/Illustrated by David Shannon, 2015 Abrams, ISBN: 9781419712203

A Court of Thorns and Roses

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Image Credit: Bloomsbury USA, Sarah J. Maas

Image Credit: Bloomsbury USA, Sarah J. Maas

I can’t resist a good Beauty and the Beast inspired story. I also can’t resist a well-written romance, especially one with powerful a heroine. Sarah J. Maas’ lush writing will pull you into her complex, romantic world of dark magic and Faeries. If you already love her bestselling Throne of Glass series, you won’t be disappointed. Maas is marketing this novel as “New Adult” though it is sectioned in Young Adult as well. This book is definitely for the upper age range of teen due to violence and some sexual situations.

A Court of Thorns and Roses opens on a cold wintry evening with huntress Feyre tracking a deer. Her family is depending on her for a kill. She kills an abnormally large wolf that turns out to be more than a wolf; it’s a shape-shifting High Faerie of the realm Prythian. A few hours later another beastly wolf bursts through her door and takes her to his realm as punishment. A life for a life he says. As Feyre is trapped in his realm and in his house, she learns more about Tamlin, her captor and immortal Faerie. Their strong personalities clash but slowly, they start to respect and fall for each other. He needs her and she must fight for him as darkness threatens to change his world forever.

Feyre and Tamlin don’t give up on each other and the most enjoyable aspect of the novel for me was seeing the development of their relationship and the sacrifices they make. Feyre is a strong woman! She doesn’t let him push her around and loves him fiercely. Teens (and adults) who value excellent storytelling with a healthy dose of romance, fantasy and action will enjoy the first novel in this new series.

Recommended for: Older Teens to Adult
Great for: Girl Power, Action/Adventure, Romance, Fantasy, Love, Inner-Strength
Book Info: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, 2015 Bloomsbury USA, ISBN: 9781619634442

A Handful of Stars

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Image Credit: Scholastic Press, Cynthia Lord

Image Credit: Scholastic Press, Cynthia Lord

Sweet Summery Goodness is the best way to describe this novel. Cynthia Lord creates a story of friendship set in the backdrop of a blueberry field. It’s a quick read and like the star of a blueberry, this novel is star.

Lily lives with her grandparents and helps them out in their general store. Her dog Lucky is going blind but she desperately tries to save money to get his eyesight back. Her personality is a little uptight and she is doggedly (ha!) focused on her goals. One day, Lucky romps through a blueberry field and almost runs into the busy road but Salma, a young migrant worker, lures him back to safety with her sandwich. The friendship between these two young girls begins with Lucky and he binds them together.

I enjoyed this book so much because in addition to encouraging readers to step outside of their comfort zones/be more open-minded, it also discusses Mexican migrant workers and the troubles that families have settling into new places. Salma desperately wants to feel like she belongs, to establish roots and to have real friends. Lily learns how to view the world more vibrantly though her friendship with Salma. Their worlds combine and they are both better for having found each other.

Recommended for: Ages 11 and up
Great for: Friendship, Community, Diversity, Tween Life, Social Issues
Book Info: A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord, 2015 Scholastic Press, ISBN: 9780545700276

The Rest of Us Just Live Here

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Harper Teen, Patrick Ness

Image Credit: Harper Teen, Patrick Ness

Warm fuzzy socks. That’s how The Rest of Us Just Live Here made me feel when I finished it. It left me with a comfy feeling because Ness does an amazing job of characterization. I love his characters so much! Onion. That’s how I’d describe this novel due to its layers. On the surface, it’s an action-packed/end of the world thriller but more importantly it’s a coming of age novel. Their world is coming to an end and the “Indie Kids” (they fight the bad guys, are hipster and antisocial) are running around fighting evil while the normal kids try to make sense of everything that’s happening. They just want to graduate high school before the Indie Kids blow up the school…again.

The four main characters Mikey, Jared, Mel and Henna become wrapped up in the middle of all the disturbing events going on in their town, but as they learn more about what’s going on, they learn more about themselves, their relationships and how powerful they are. This novel is really about friendship. Sure we follow the action-packed scenes of the near apocalypse and wonder if another Indie Kid will die, but the heart of the story is how close the friends are and how real their love for each other is. Ness really delves into questions about first love, infatuation, sexuality, mental health, family life, trust and forgiveness. This one will stay with you.

P.S. The U.S. cover glows in the dark…Say What??  😉

Recommended for: Teens aged 14 and up
Great for: Friendship, Mental Health, Diversity, Coming of Age, Sci-fi, Diversity, We Need Diverse Books, Community, Family
Book Info: The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness, 2015 Harper Teen, ISBN: 9780062403162

Roller Girl

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Image Credit: Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin), Victoria Jamieson

Image Credit: Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin), Victoria Jamieson

Okay! Are you ready?? One thing I learned from being a children’s bookseller is that graphic novels are HOT! Kids are eating them up. Maybe it’s because they think it “isn’t really reading.” Maybe it’s because of the success of comic-like books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid but young people are rushing to the bookstores and libraries to find fun graphic novels to read. One of the best new graphic novels for kids is Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson. All you need to know about this book is ROLLER DERBY and DRAMA…are you sold yet?? 😉

Jamieson’s spunky main character Astrid is transfixed by her fist roller derby bout and assumes her best friend Nicole will join her for roller derby camp in the summer. Little does she know that Nicole has other ideas. Their friendship is tested and Astrid realizes her strength and determination as she strives to be like her idol Rainbow Brite, the coolest jammer (scorer) on her city’s adult team, The Rose City Rollers.

This is a great tweeny (is that a word??) graphic novel because tweens will relate to the struggles Astrid goes through. She matures, becomes more confident, gains friends, has angsty moments with her mom and finds her passion for roller derby. Jamieson’s art style is fresh and relatable and she creates a great book about growing up. This is one of my favorite graphic novels at the moment and roller derby fans of all ages will definitely love this one.

Recommended for: Ages 11 and up
Great for: Girl Power, Tween Life, Sports, Roller Derby, Friendship
Book Info: Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, 2015 Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin), ISBN: 9780803740167

Supertruck

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Image Credit: Roaring Brook Press, Stephen Savage

Image Credit: Roaring Brook Press, Stephen Savage

I really love a clean line and an image that “pops.” Maybe that’s why I love illustrators like Bob Staake and Dan Yaccarino. Well, now I’m adding Stephen Savage to my exclusive “list” because I love his book Supertruck. I already loved this book and then I read it for story time and let me tell you, the kids (boys especially) stopped playing with their toy cars and gravitated towards me in Zombie Mode. ^__^  They were totally enthralled by this book, and for good reason. It is awesome.

Garbage truck has (duh duh duh) a secret identity and during a massive snow storm, he takes off his glasses and becomes…Supertruck! This book is clever and simple and is great for young readers because it is short, as I mentioned earlier the illustrations are clean and vibrant and the beginning of the book talks about different kinds of trucks! I know some of you parents out there have three year olds who know already know what front loaders are and love a whirring fire truck. They’ll really love this one. How can you resist a good super hero/truck combo book? Check it out.

Recommended for: Toddlers
Great for: Storytime, Super Heroes, Trucks, Read-Aloud, Colors
Book Info: Supertruck by Stephen Savage, 2015 Roaring Brook Press, ISBN: 9781596438217

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras

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Funny Bones

Image Credit: Abrams, Duncan Tonatiuh

Author/illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh is one of my current favorites. I love not only the abundance of cultural and historical information in his picture books but his art style is simply amazing. It’s so smooth and modern while being unique and a throwback to his indigenous Mexican heritage. Does it get better than that? Not really and that’s why I’m loving his books so much.

Because Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is coming up soon, I’m discussing his newest book Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras. I’ve had an interest in Dia de Los Muertos ever since I taught a lesson about it to my Korean students. I wanted to expose them to a cultural tradition that was different but similar to one of their own. Koreans celebrate a holiday called Chuseok where they honor and pray for their dead ancestors. Since there are some similarities to Dia de Los Muertos, I thought the kids might really get something out of it!

Tonatiuh does an excellent job of making culture, art critique and history accessible to kids. Some kids really enjoy the bio books and I think they’ll love this one. We learn about the life and art of Mexican artist Posada who is responsible for making the crazy and vibrant Calavera (bone people) illustrations popular. He also documented important political events like the Mexican Revolution.

What I enjoyed most about this picture book is how Tonatiuh encourages children to do art critique. He reproduces Posada’s art, blends it with his own and poses questions about the meaning of the art all while telling Posada’s story. This is awesome! Because the book is partially about Dia de Los Muertos, it encourages you to think about life and death. This may seem heavy but like the holiday, it is about the celebration of life as well as the celebration of a great Mexican artist!

Recommended for: Ages 7 and up
Great for: History, Art History, Diversity, We Need Diverse Books, Holiday, Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, Artist Bio, Biography, Non-Fiction, Mexico
Book Info: Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh, 2015 Abrams, ISBN: 9781419716478