Sami's Special Gift: An Eid al-Adha Story by M.O. Yuksel, illustrated by Huseyin Sonmezay. PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2024. $18. 9781623542962
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Sami's favorite holiday to celebrate is Eid-al Adha. Each year, he would celebrate with Dede, his grandfather. Now that he is gone, Sami isn't as excited until a package from his family in Turkey arrives. Eid gifts! Sami receives a tie with little lambs on it. He can't wait to wear it to the celebration. Eid is all about charity, gratitude and sharing. Sami's parents show him and his sister how to help people in need. They go as a family to a shelter where his parents volunteer. Sami sees kids in need and knows what to do.
My daughter and I liked this book because it taught us a lot about this holiday. She was able to relate to the character Sami and understood the message from the story. It taught a great lesson in giving to others as well as introducing a different culture.
Sami and his family celebrate Eid al-Adha and their family is from Istanbul, Turkey.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
As the Seas Rise: Nicole Hernandez Hammer and the Fight for Climate Justice by Angela Queada Padron. - ESSENTIAL
As the Seas Rise: Nicole Hernandez Hammer and the Fight for Climate Justice by Angela Queada Padron. PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY. Atheneum Books (Simon), 2024. $19. 9781665913942
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Nicole was born and lived in Guatemala City. She would have stayed there with her family, if it hadn't been for a terrible earthquake. Her family needed to move to the United States for work. Although it was hard for her to fit in in the beginning, Nicole filled her time with understanding and appreciating nature. She wondered at the power of nature and how it could easily transform the environment. She also saw first hand how destructive nature can be. As she grew up, she decided to study climate change so that she could help her neighborhood. Everyone listened to her, even the President and his wife. This biography will inspire kids to go out and change the world, as well as be curious about nature.
My daughter and I enjoyed this book because it showed Nicole's whole life journey. It was interesting to see what inspired her to study climate change. This was a well written biography for kids because it was informational and very engaging.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Nicole was born and lived in Guatemala City. She would have stayed there with her family, if it hadn't been for a terrible earthquake. Her family needed to move to the United States for work. Although it was hard for her to fit in in the beginning, Nicole filled her time with understanding and appreciating nature. She wondered at the power of nature and how it could easily transform the environment. She also saw first hand how destructive nature can be. As she grew up, she decided to study climate change so that she could help her neighborhood. Everyone listened to her, even the President and his wife. This biography will inspire kids to go out and change the world, as well as be curious about nature.
My daughter and I enjoyed this book because it showed Nicole's whole life journey. It was interesting to see what inspired her to study climate change. This was a well written biography for kids because it was informational and very engaging.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
Monday, August 5, 2024
I Am a Rock by Ashley Qilavaq-Savard and Pelin Turgut - ADVISABLE
I Am a Rock by Ashley Qilavaq-Savard, illustrated by Pelin Turgut. PICTURE BOOK. Inhabit Media, 2024. $18. 9781772274752
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Pauloosie, a young boy, wonders what rocks would say if they were alive. His anaana, an Inuktitut word for mom, helps him imagine what would they would say. Rocks get to see different animals, experience different seasons, and can hear sounds that humans might not even notice. Pauloosie discovers how much fun he can have with his rock friend.
This is a story about a boy and his mom using their imaginations. I liked this book because of the illustrations of what the rock sees and hears. It was also interesting to learn a few Inuktitut words. This book is a good example of personification and friendship.
Pauloosie comes from an Iqaluit culture.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Pauloosie, a young boy, wonders what rocks would say if they were alive. His anaana, an Inuktitut word for mom, helps him imagine what would they would say. Rocks get to see different animals, experience different seasons, and can hear sounds that humans might not even notice. Pauloosie discovers how much fun he can have with his rock friend.
This is a story about a boy and his mom using their imaginations. I liked this book because of the illustrations of what the rock sees and hears. It was also interesting to learn a few Inuktitut words. This book is a good example of personification and friendship.
Pauloosie comes from an Iqaluit culture.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
The Boy Who Said Wow by Todd Boss and Rashin Kheiriyeh - ESSENTIAL
The Boy Who Said Wow by Todd Boss, illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh. PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane Books (Simon), 2024. $19. 9781534499713
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Ronan, a nine year old boy, was a very quiet boy. Despite his parents best efforts, he wouldn't say much. His grandfather came over and said, "Let's go to a concert!" It would be an adventure! On the drive over, Ronan was quiet, even when the lights went down, Ronan was quiet. However, once the symphony was over, Ronan said one word "WOW!" This picture book is based on a boy named Ronan Mattin who was born nonverbal. It is a sweet story showing how powerful music can be.
I liked this book because it is based off a true story. It is important to have protagonists that have disabilities. It can be read as a simple picture book or you can dive deeper into the powerful message it provides.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Ronan, a nine year old boy, was a very quiet boy. Despite his parents best efforts, he wouldn't say much. His grandfather came over and said, "Let's go to a concert!" It would be an adventure! On the drive over, Ronan was quiet, even when the lights went down, Ronan was quiet. However, once the symphony was over, Ronan said one word "WOW!" This picture book is based on a boy named Ronan Mattin who was born nonverbal. It is a sweet story showing how powerful music can be.
I liked this book because it is based off a true story. It is important to have protagonists that have disabilities. It can be read as a simple picture book or you can dive deeper into the powerful message it provides.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
Sunday, August 4, 2024
Field Day! (Step Into Reading) by Candice Ransom and Ashley Evans - ESSENTIAL
Field Day! (Step Into Reading) by Candice Ransom, illustrated by Ashley Evans, 32 pages. EARLY READER. Random House Books for Young Readers, 2024. $6. 9780593643679
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY
In this early reader, you can follow a young girl and boy as they enjoy their Field Day at school. First, they must remember to wear their school shirt and catch the bus on time. Once they get to school, the fun begins! Some of the activities include: wheelbarrow races, kickball, toss the blanket and much more. There are even activities like face painting and popping bubbles. Field days are the best!
This is a fun leveled reader that will help young students understand what Field Day is. The text is predictable and has a rhyme scheme as well. The illustrations will also hep the reader understand how to play these activities.
The boy and girl protagonists are not caucasian. There are many ethnicities represented in this text. There is also a diversity showing kids with disabilities.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY
In this early reader, you can follow a young girl and boy as they enjoy their Field Day at school. First, they must remember to wear their school shirt and catch the bus on time. Once they get to school, the fun begins! Some of the activities include: wheelbarrow races, kickball, toss the blanket and much more. There are even activities like face painting and popping bubbles. Field days are the best!
This is a fun leveled reader that will help young students understand what Field Day is. The text is predictable and has a rhyme scheme as well. The illustrations will also hep the reader understand how to play these activities.
The boy and girl protagonists are not caucasian. There are many ethnicities represented in this text. There is also a diversity showing kids with disabilities.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
Step by Step by Kathryn Boger and Hiroe Nakata - ADVISABLE
Step by Step by Kathryn Boger, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. PICTURE BOOK. Magination Press, 2023. $19. 9781433842412
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME
Sam, a little boy, is a little scared of trying new things. Things that should be fun, sound slightly intimidating. He gets invited to a friend's house- scary! Visiting a farm with lots of animals- scary! Sam's first day of school- very scary! What can Sam do to overcome these feelings? His mom asks him, "What first step can you take?" Bit by bit, step by step, Sam is able to be brave and overcome these challenges.
Roger’s book had a great message about breaking scary experiences down into more manageable steps. It showed real experiences that might not seem scary to an adult, but could be stressful for a young child. The mantra, "step by step, bit by bit, Sam learns he can handle it" is repeated throughout the book. I liked the message but wasn't drawn into the plot.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME
Sam, a little boy, is a little scared of trying new things. Things that should be fun, sound slightly intimidating. He gets invited to a friend's house- scary! Visiting a farm with lots of animals- scary! Sam's first day of school- very scary! What can Sam do to overcome these feelings? His mom asks him, "What first step can you take?" Bit by bit, step by step, Sam is able to be brave and overcome these challenges.
Roger’s book had a great message about breaking scary experiences down into more manageable steps. It showed real experiences that might not seem scary to an adult, but could be stressful for a young child. The mantra, "step by step, bit by bit, Sam learns he can handle it" is repeated throughout the book. I liked the message but wasn't drawn into the plot.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
Saturday, August 3, 2024
A Place for Rain by Michelle Schaub and Blanca Gomez - ADVISABLE
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME
Do you ever wonder where the water goes after it rains really hard? The excess water can overflow rivers, ponds and lakes. A classroom of kids decide to tackle this problem. They wonder, would happen if they put a barrel under a rainspout to collect the water? The kids work together. But what if the barrel is too small and the water runs out? The kids will have to come up with a solution. This is a fun problem/solution story on how to use rain water to help a garden grow.
I liked this book because it tackled a real environmental problem and showed young kids an easy solution. The kids worked together for a great end result. The book included excellent vocabulary words, but made it easily understandable for kids of all ages.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
Eye Guess: A Forest Animal Guessing Game by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes - ESSENTIAL
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY
Do you know what kind of animal is looking at you? As you read through each page, the text gives the reader hints on what type of eye is in the illustration. This board book includes many common animals that can be found in forests. Toddlers should be able to guess pretty easily what animal will be on the next page. The illustrations are beautifully done and go well with the text.
My daughter and I liked this book because the pictures were detailed and colorful. The hints were easy enough for her to guess the animal on the next page.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
Friday, August 2, 2024
Archie Celebrates an Indian Wedding by Mitali Banerjee Ruths and Parwinder Singh. - ESSENTIAL
Archie Celebrates an Indian Wedding by Mitali Banerjee Ruths, illustrated by Parwinder Singh. PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2024. $18. 9781623544188
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Archie's Uncle, Poppy, is going to get married to Miss Julie in a traditional Indian wedding. Archie is in charge of making sure that Emma, Miss Julie's niece, has a fun time during all of the wedding activities. Emma soon learns a lot about Indian culture and wedding traditions like getting henna tattoos and wearing fancy sherwanis. Emma gets nervous when she learns that she has to steal her new Uncle Poppy's shoes for good luck. By the end of the wedding, two families have joined together and Archie and Emma are not only family, but they are friends.
My daughter and I liked this book because it was about making new friends and learning about new cultures. It taught us a lot about traditions for Indian weddings. We also enjoyed reading the additional information about Indian weddings at the back of the book.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Archie's Uncle, Poppy, is going to get married to Miss Julie in a traditional Indian wedding. Archie is in charge of making sure that Emma, Miss Julie's niece, has a fun time during all of the wedding activities. Emma soon learns a lot about Indian culture and wedding traditions like getting henna tattoos and wearing fancy sherwanis. Emma gets nervous when she learns that she has to steal her new Uncle Poppy's shoes for good luck. By the end of the wedding, two families have joined together and Archie and Emma are not only family, but they are friends.
My daughter and I liked this book because it was about making new friends and learning about new cultures. It taught us a lot about traditions for Indian weddings. We also enjoyed reading the additional information about Indian weddings at the back of the book.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
My Saree by Gita Varadarajan and Archana Sreenivasan - ESSENTIAL
My Saree by Gita Varadarajan, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan. PICTURE BOOK. Orchard Books (Scholastic), 2024. $18. 9781338834147
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY
Divya, a young Indian girl, wants to wear one of her amma's sarees so badly. She can't stop looking at the beautifully colored fabric with the intricate designs in her amma's closet. Her amma told her that she is too young to wear one yet. Mrs. Gonzalez, Divya's teacher, announced that there would be a Heritage Night at school. All of Divya's friends are excited and talking about what clothing they will wear to share their culture. Will Divya be able to convince her amma to break tradition and let her wear a saree at a younger age?
My daughter and I liked this book because it was very relatable. It shows how young girls often want to dress like their mothers, especially if it involves dressing up. I liked that this taught about Indian culture. The pictures were beautiful and went well with the story.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY
Divya, a young Indian girl, wants to wear one of her amma's sarees so badly. She can't stop looking at the beautifully colored fabric with the intricate designs in her amma's closet. Her amma told her that she is too young to wear one yet. Mrs. Gonzalez, Divya's teacher, announced that there would be a Heritage Night at school. All of Divya's friends are excited and talking about what clothing they will wear to share their culture. Will Divya be able to convince her amma to break tradition and let her wear a saree at a younger age?
My daughter and I liked this book because it was very relatable. It shows how young girls often want to dress like their mothers, especially if it involves dressing up. I liked that this taught about Indian culture. The pictures were beautiful and went well with the story.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
Thursday, August 1, 2024
Hands-On Science: Motion by Lola M. Schaefer and Druscilla Santiago - ESSENTIAL
Hands-On Science: Motion by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Druscilla Santiago. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2024. $17. 9781623542450
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY
Hands-On Science Motion is a mix between the book, Press Here, and a science book for younger readers. As the reader, you begin by entering the Physics Lab. Once there, you get to actively participate in experiments that involve whip cream, marbles on tracks, and bean bags. The book asks you to shake, tilt, and turn the book upside down to help with the science experiments. This is a highly engaging book that teaches about gravity, force, friction and more.
My daughter and I loved this book because it was highly engaging. The experiments were fun and informative. We really enjoyed that it was like the book Press Here.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY
Hands-On Science Motion is a mix between the book, Press Here, and a science book for younger readers. As the reader, you begin by entering the Physics Lab. Once there, you get to actively participate in experiments that involve whip cream, marbles on tracks, and bean bags. The book asks you to shake, tilt, and turn the book upside down to help with the science experiments. This is a highly engaging book that teaches about gravity, force, friction and more.
My daughter and I loved this book because it was highly engaging. The experiments were fun and informative. We really enjoyed that it was like the book Press Here.
Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher
Author vs. Illustrator by Donald Lemke - ADVISABLE
Author vs. Illustrator by Donald Lemke, 40 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Capstone Editions, 2024. $19.
Content: G
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
The author and illustrator start out on the same page, but they soon turn their book into a battleground of opposing ideas. If they’re going to finish their book, they’ll have to see where words and pictures can help each other—and the story!
While the focus is on complementing words and pictures for a story, Lemke also provides an example of working together with different ideas and strengths. The humor of the characters’ argument balances out the real life skills being illustrated.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
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