Heroes Like Us by Onjali Q. Rauf - ADVISABLE

Heroes Like Us by Onjali Q. Rauf, 165 pages. Delacorte Press, 2022. $17 

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

This book actually contains two novellas. The first novella is a continuation of the book called "The Boy at the Back of the Class." In that book, Ahmet, a 10yo refugee has fled his home country and now lives in Britain. Ahmet and his new school friends stand up for refugee children because they feel that the laws concerning letting refugees into the country are unfair. In this book, their actions gain the attention of the queen and they are able to have tea with her. In the second novella, Nelson and his family use the food bank when they can't afford to buy food. When someone starts stealing from the food bank, Nelson and his friends are determined to find the culprit. 

I thought that the message of these two novellas is an important one for today's children. It is possible for anyone to stand up for what they believe in and make a difference. I do think that you need to read The Boy at the Back of the Class before you read the first novella in this book. Ahmet, is a from Syria. His friends are from Britain and America. 

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian 

Recognize! by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson - ADVISABLE

Recognize!: An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, 145 pages. SHORT STORIES. POETRY. NONFICTION. Crown Books, 2021. $17.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

With 33 collaborators, this anthology reaches out to readers through nearly every possible format. Artwork, poems, essays, short stories, letters, comics, historical texts, and even an interview all work together to emphasize our wholeness as people.

Each contribution in this collection is an exclamation point to the phrase “Black Lives Matter.” Readers struggle with the authors as they try to put into words their feelings and experiences, as we learn to recognize what the issue is and how to address it. Because, in the end, we are each of worth and are never less than all of who we are. The mature content rating is for mentions of drugs and alcohol. The violence rating is for mentions of threats, assault, guns, shootings, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The Three Princes of Serendip by Rodaan Al Galidi and Geertje Aalders - HIGH

The Three Princes of Serendip by Rodaan Al Galidi , translated by Laura Watkinson. Illustrated by Geertje Aalders, 123 pages. Candlewick Press , 2017. $19

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G ; Violence: PG (sword fighting)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

The Three Princes of Serendip is a beautiful story book filled with even more beautiful illustrations. It tells the tales of soldiers, turtles, lions, woodcutters and many more all in a gorgeous setting. Each story follows your typical fairytale trope but branches off with more diverse and interesting characters, each with motives and hardships. Hardships that they learn from and it creates a moral theme for the reader to learn from.

I really did enjoy this book, it was a refreshing difference from what I normally read. The illustrations are beautiful and I read some of these stories to my 6 year old sister and she loved them! I loved that the stories were short, so one could read them in a timely manner! Recommend for children and their families!

Student Reviewer Kenzie Hoehne, Student Reviewer https://www.kingsenglish.com/book/9781536214505

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship by Chitra Soundra and Krishnaswamy - OPTIONAL

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India by Chitra Soundra, illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy. 179 pages. Candlewick Press, 2019. $17.

Content: G                 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - OPTIONAL      

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE       

When King Bheema is not able to rule and make decisions for a while, the young prince, Prince Veera, and his best friend Suku get the chance to meet with people, listen to their grievances and to make a decision for those people. This book includes original folk tales from India. 

I like the prince and his friend and how seriously they approach each case. They thought they would just have fun and that making decisions would be fun and easy. It interesting and fun to go with Prince Veera and his friend on all these adventures. It was a fast and enjoyable read and it made me giggle a few times. I liked the book and I will book talk it to my students.    

Ellen-Anita, Librarian

  

Star Wars Galactic Adventures Storybook Collection by Various –ADVISABLE

Star Wars Galactic Adventures Storybook Collection by Various – 303 pages. Disney, 2018 $17

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (silencing a person w/o details, weapons, weapons fighting).

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

This is a collection of star wars stories that span the in-between spaces of the Star Wars movies. There are stories about Poe, Rey, Rose, Leia, Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Chewbacca, and more. Each story is short and heavily illustrated, so each one could be read as a bed time story. The illustrations are large, vivid, the characters resemble their movie counterparts, and feature a lot of action and adventure.

I loved reading this book and could see a young fan really enjoying this as well. The stories would best be understood by a reader who has seen ALL of the star wars movies, so maybe a first thru third grader depending on what they are allowed to watch. The most incredible part of this book are the AMAZING illustrations, which are some of the highest quality I have ever seen, completely bringing the stories to life. Although it’s a large book, its affordable, so it could be a great part of your library collection. Would also make a great gift, as the short stories could be read one at a time for bedtime.

Reviewer: Stephanie MLS & Author

The Arabian Nights collected by Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora A. Smith –OPTIONAL

The Arabian Nights collected by Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora A. Smith, illustrated by Maxfield Parrish. 384 pages, Atheneum, 2019 $30.  978-1534430181

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL –OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

This is a collection of twelve stories adapted from Tales of a Thousand and One Nights. There are the memorable Aladdin, Sinbad the Sailor, and The Story of Ali Baba and Forty Thieves. There are others that are less known but give us characters we know –The Story of the Fisherman and the Genie. There are several color illustrations by famous artist Maxfield Parrish.

This book is gorgeous and a wonderful selection of stories, however, I don’t think it would be a big sell for its intended age group: 8-12year olds. I think the vocabulary, cadence of the storytelling, and the vernacular would be comprehensible for most younger readers. Older readers may be off put by the horrible introduction by the women who collected these stories in 1909. A better intro would be the history of Tales of a Thousand and One Nights, with maps, fun facts, and why the selection was chosen for young readers. Maxfield Parrish is one of my favorite artists but those included in this edition leave much to be desired.

Reviewer: Stephanie MLS & Author

Friendly Tales by Margaret Wise Brown - ADVISABLE

Friendly Tales by Margaret Wise Brown, 213 pages. Golden Books 2008.

EL-ADVISABLE

This book is a collection of many short stories and poems. There are many characters in this book that are doing many different things.

The characters in this book were very fun and I liked them. There were many fun stories in this book. It was kind of weird though, so I didn't like it that much.

Student Reviewer: MB