This book takes a fun look at different famous artist styles throughout history by exploring what it might look like if they drew a snowman. In the different representations, children can explore the art styles of many different artists, such as the pointillism of Georges Seurat, or the surrealism of Salvador Dali. Each one shows a fun image of a snowman with all sorts of styles. If Picasso painted a snowman is a fun and easy way for students to interact with different kinds of art. As someone who enjoys art history, I found this book hilarious and accurate. The book also features a more in-depth description of each artist at the end for more interested or advanced students. This book can show how creativity can come from a seemingly normal object, and how everyone has their own unique meaning of art.

The story is told from the perspective of a young African-American boy, and the story starts with a very poignant and direct first paragraph. In it, the child details how he and his mother suffered with a lack of money, and he was a witness to his own fathers death, even accounting that they couldn't afford a suit to bury his father in. After losing the family farm, they moved to a house in a poor area, where it constantly flooded. His mom tried to make the most of it, and see the good in things, but as he details the hardships they endure, I was moved to tears. At church, the pastor talks of a poor family in need who lost everything in a fire. They have a little girl only a bit younger than him. 

His mother talks about how they must help out. The young boy isn't sure what he can give, since they have so little. "What is given from the heart, reaches the heart", is a mantra repeated by his mom. The book follows the young boy in search of something to give. He considers everything he has and everything has a missing or broken part- and he believed that it wouldn't be enough. Finally, his favorite book comes to mind. He thinks about what it means to him and decides to carefully write his own book for the young girl. 

He approaches the young girl the next week at church, who looks sad and scared. He hands her the book with a smile. The young girl smiled as she reads the cover. The girl is very moved, and says she will keep the book forever. Upon returning home, they found a box on their front step. The book ends with saying, "Our hearts rejoiced."

I never expected to be so moved and impacted by a children's book. As I read, I was shocked by how the book starts out. It seemed so dark- could this be for children? But when thinking about it, you have to realize, that this was based on a real child's experience. Our children, and in this example, especially our students of color, are dealing with these things in their real lives. How could we expect them to read books about butterflies and rainbows all the time if they can't see themselves reflected in these stories? I think this book is an amazing resource for providing our students with a perspective that can either broaden their views or see themselves reflected in its words. It's incredibly powerful, and not a lighthearted story that I expected. However, the messages that it brings are so super impactful.  Finding joy, finding happiness when you have next to nothing is one of the main messages I heard. A story of resilience and true humility. A story of helping others even when you're needing help. Giving from the heart to reach someone else. In our common age, we can look around and see so much sadness, poverty and people stepping on each other to get ahead. It's stories like this that can begin to cultivate compassion and kindness in our children. 

Author: Naomi Shihab Nye

Harper Collins Publishers

Genre: Poetry, Nonfiction

Themes: Childhood, Loneliness, Diversity, Kindness, War, Family

I read the book of poems, Everything Comes Next, Written by Naomi Shihab Nye. I think it's really cool how it was explained in the introduction that Nye often takes a child's point of view, and how children inspire her work. She refers to childhood as a "holy land", and  she seeks to address feelings of loneliness that children can experience. This is done through literature, which she believes can connect people and bring them together. 

Her poems describe her experience as an immigrant, and a love for a homeland that is lost. Her heritage and history inspire her poems and drive her to advocate for tolerance and peace. They explore themes of war, but not from the front lines of battle. Instead, she looks at the experience 

written by by Philip C. Stead, and illustrations by Erin E. Stead. 

Publisher:  Roaring Brook Press

Pages: 32

Grade Level: 2-6 years

Genre: Fiction

Themes: Friendship, Seasons, Migration, Hibernation, Animals, Stories, Acts of service.

As winter approaches, bear prepares to settle down. But first, he has a story to tell. Each animal he approaches declines to hear his story, as they are preparing for the changing o seasons. Bear helps each of them on their way, and the book explores how each of the animals prepare for the winter. Unsuccessful, Bear hibernates through the winter without telling his story. Upon waking up, Bear provides his friends with things to help them after the winter, such as food. Finally, bear is able to gather his friends around the fire, underneath the light of the moon. But bear cannot remember his story! He had forgotten over the long winter. His friends chime in, that maybe the story was about a bear, a mole, a duck. They slowly chime in, and the story ends where it began.

The beautiful illustrations convey the changing of seasons, the colorful leaves dropping from the trees. the bright moon in the dark sky, and the beautifully painted animals.

Author: Lindsay Stoddard

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 244 (Novel)

Date: 2018

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: Family, Empathy, Counseling, Loss, Friendship, Bullying

The story begins with a fight. Robbie, a young girl, punches the “school bully” in the face for teasing her and calling her names. She finds herself in the office, in trouble again. As the school calls her grandpa to pick her up, she finds herself worrying about throwing off her grandfather's day. Her grandfather, who she lives with, is losing his memory, and she often worries that she makes it worse. She also notices the looks that people give her when they see her next to her grandpa. He is a black man, and she is a quarter black, although her complexion is white. She notes that people say they “don’t fit” together.

Robbie and her grandpa work on cars together, chop wood and harvest maple syrup from the trees in the backyard.  

The book follows as she talks to the school counselor, which she doesn’t much enjoy. Robbie does her best to stay out of trouble, but the bullying from Alex, the boy she fought, continues to worsen. Eventually, she is put into a group therapy after punching him again for hurting her friend. Jackie is super guarded and reluctant to share- she doesn’t want to say anything that could cause her to be separated from her grandfather. Just when things couldn’t get worse, she finds out Alex is in the group as well. 

It is revealed that Robbie’s mom died during childbirth, which is something she has always deeply struggled with. However, that is all she knows about her mom. Her grandpa has never wanted to discuss it, and he becomes more distant and forgetful every day. Her classmates in group counseling are all going through struggles- divorce, loss, and sadness- and she begins to realize that she isn’t the only one struggling.

Every kid in her grade has to complete a family tree. She struggles with this task, as do her peers in her counseling group, and they explore the different issues and perspectives that come from family problems. She is determined to learn more about her parents and uncover her background. As she begins to question her grandfather, her story begins to unravel. Her grandfather and grandmother were never married, because their parents didn’t accept an interracial marriage. She learns her mom’s name, but that’s about it. 

In an outburst one day, it’s discovered that Alex’s father has cancer, and three months left to live. Underneath that angry and mean exterier, he has been covering up his sadness and struggle all along. Together, the group explores what they can do to help though hurt- laughter and kindness go a long way. 

One day, she is called to the office to meet with someone from the department of Children and Families. Afraid to be taken away, she refuses to speak to Gloria, the woman who tries to assure her they don’t plan to take her away. Grandpa tells her he will be living in assisted care, at a nursing home up the street, and that she will be living with Harold, a man who works in the shop and they already consider family. Eventually she finishes her family tree. 

Overall, I thought this was a great story about the perspective of a young girl who learns more about her family, what family means, and more about what other kids her age are dealing with. She learns empathy and kindness, and how to deal with loss and change. I thought it was a beautiful and important book that I would love to have in my classroom.

Author: Kathy Mackel

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 194 (Novel)

Date: 2004

Grade Level: 8-12 years

Genre: Science Fiction

Themes: Aliens, Space, Friendship, Selfishness, Adventure

Sean is just about to begin high school, where he gets to choose which one to attend. At breakfast, he announces to his parents that he has chosen to attend a museum school, which wasn’t one of the schools his parents wanted him to attend. Disappointed, they insist he isn’t going there, and they don’t want him to pursue a career in art. But all Sean wants to do is art, and in particular, glassblowing. But he wonders, how can he be a glassblower if he never gets the chance to blow glass?

The narrative switches to that of Tagg Orion, an alien working as a flea market seller, zipping around in his spaceship, The Bargain hunter. Tagg is trying to escape from Dinn Tauro, to whom he sold a device that was supposed to make his dreams come true, but instead only worked for nightmares. 

When a glass bottle washes up on the beach, Sean takes it home and attempts to melt it with a torch. Eventually it cracks open, and Tagg emerges. Sean mistakes him for a genie who can grant wishes. Sneaky and cunning Tagg goes along with his mistake. Sean and his friend (who he most definitely has a crush on), Olivia, agree to help Tagg in exchange for the three wishes. 

The team embarks on a journey together, and battles crazy things such as giant rats, diving into dumpsters, and doing all kinds of crazy things in an effort to get Tagg to Leo minor. 

I found this book to be funny, witty, sarcastic, and goofy, all while teaching a lesson about selfishness, dreams and aspirations, and companionship. The characters are all unique and the book was an easy read because you could connect with each of them. I thought it was enjoyable, funny, and exciting and I could see kids really loving this book. 

Author: Meg Grehan

Pages: 192 (novel)

Date: 2021

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: Identity, Anxiety, Friendship, LGBTQ+, loneliness, adolescence

Literary Elements: novel-in-verse

The Deepest Breath is a verse novel that follows the story of Sophie, an 11 year-old girl. The voice reflects an anxious and worrisome mindset. Sophie writes that knowing things makes her feel safe, which is why she loves to read about things such as marine life. 

Sophie starts to feel feelings for her best friend, Chloe. She describes her feelings as “a fuzzy feeling in her chest”, and her uncertainty about the things she is feeling reflects her own navigation of a heterocentric world. She seeks to find understanding but her mother cannot recognize her own daughter’s world. She is unsure if these feelings are even valid, so she seeks refuge in her library.  She finds comfort in the presence of a librarian who helps her find books about girls who like girls, but she still feels a sense of loneliness in her experiences. 

Overall, this book explores the mind of a young girl faced with the journey of discovering her identity and navigating the world around her with her feelings of attraction. This is a heartwarming and emotional story that I believe could connect with children and help them to feel less alone and understood in their experiences. 

I can’t imagine how much of a difference this book would have made in my life if I were able to have books that represented having a crush on another girl. As a child, I wondered why my boy crushes didn’t feel the same as the way that I felt about girls. I was raised very religiously and didn’t understand the way I felt. I struggled with my attraction and feeling very lonely in my own world, different from my friends and my family. It brought about many feelings of anxiety and fear in my own mind, so it was very touching to read the story of a young girl who felt the same as I did. Like Sophie in the story, books can be a way for children to connect and feel less alone in their experiences. 

Author/Illustrator: John J Muth

Date: 2003

Publisher: Scholastic

Type of traditional Lit: Folk Tales

Age Level: 4-8 years, School Age: Preschool- 3rd grade

# of Pages: 32 pages

Stone soup is a retelling of a classic Folk Tale passed down for generations. This version of the story takes place in China, and tells the story of three monks passing through a mountaintop village. The village had suffered famine, floods, and war, and people had become bitter towards their neighbors. They only worked hard for themselves.

People in the village shunned the monks. So, they made themselves a fire to make soup. One young girl happens upon them and they ask her for three stones, as they are making "stone soup". Slowly, they trick the people in the village to contribute small things to the soup, as they gather around to see the stone soup. The trickery was not for their own gain, but to help the villagers better understand how to open up your heart and share with others. Vegetables, spices, and fresh produce are slowly added to the soup. As each person opened up to giving, the next found it easier to give. They all sat down together to eat with one another, like they hadn't in years. They told stories, celebrated, and opened their homes to give the monks a place to sleep. Overall, this book tells of the virtues of sharing and helping out your neighbors. The beautiful and cloudy watercolors allow for the illustrations to be magical and exciting. This story beautifully blends the elements of the European tale in a beautiful and unique village in China. 

 

I remember how much the children at the preschool I used to work at loved this story. Although it was a different retelling of the tale, the virtues of the story still stand true.

One activity that could promote sharing and community between my students would be to have them collaborate in groups,  drawing what they would add to the "soup" on a large piece of paper. Invite them to work together to think of things that they would like to eat together. Then have a celebration where the students walk around and "eat" each others soup, maybe even thinking of what they might add as well.  

Marcenia loved baseball, everything about it. She dreamed of becoming a professional ball player when she grew up. Her mother often questioned the young girl's interest in baseball, sighing over her daughters interest, wishing she instead held an interest in typical "girl" activities, such as dolls. 
Her father also seemed dismayed with her love for the sport, pointing out her ripped clothes and dirty hair. She overhears her parents remarking how girls in their neighborhood weren't the type to make it to professional sports. 
One day, she hears about a baseball camp that she can join, free of charge. Marcenia became so excited- this was just what she needed! Until she hears the sad news, that girls are not allowed in the club. Despite her friends trying to change his mind, he refused. One day she decides to take a huge chance and steal home. She had scored the winning run! She faces Mr. Street and finally gets him to agree with allowing her in the camp. Her parents were not as happy about it, insisting they don't have money for baseball equipment. One night, gazing at the moon, she imagines it to be a giant baseball. She wonders if she would never reach her dreams. Mr. Street buys her brand-new cleats, saying that she is an amazing player that he wants in his camp. 
The story, as it is revealed, is a true story of a professional baseball player. This story is special because it shows how important it is to believe in your dreams and never give up.

Melissa keeps her identity hidden away from her family. However, when she has the chance to sneakily swap characters with her girl best friend in the school's play of Charlotte's Web, she knows that she has an opportunity to shine and show those around her who she truly is on the inside. Although the school won’t allow her the chance to play Charlotte, Melissa knows what’s in her heart. This story shows how transgender youth struggle with identity, secrecy, and face a life full of societal expectations and gender norms. Heartwarming, full of humor, friendship, and standing up for yourself, I found this book inspiring and a great addition to a classroom library. 

Publication date: 9 August 2016

 

 

El Deafo is a graphic novel based on a true story about a girl who suffers hearing loss, and her journey through friendships, personal life, bullying, and lived experiences. 

The protagonist Cece's hearing loss is shown through text bubbles containing no text. I thought that was a very interesting way of portraying it, since she knows they are trying to say something, but just can’t hear the words. I think that the choice of telling the story by comic strip allows for a creative representation of hearing loss. If we were to take away this element, it could be explained through other methods, but it would lose a great deal of meaning and fail to represent how the protagonist experiences the events. The same goes for other elements; each of them works together to create an experience that feels as though you’re there along with the characters, watching the story unfold.

 

On page 137, the words and the images themselves portray two different meanings. When put together, we can understand that Cece is not being honest about her crush on Mike. When you only look at the images, you would see them jumping together. On the last panel, she closes her eyes and appears to be in a daydream, floating in the air. The words tell a different story- she insists she is sure she has no crush on him. When read together, the reader can piece together what is really going on, but with either text or pictures alone, it would not make sense. 

 

When Cece is brought to girl scouts by her friend Laura, we can watch as Laura’s face turns downwards and upset, her arms fold, and panel by panel, she is shown on the outside parts of the group. I think this shows her unhappiness with Cece’s fitting in with the group and she becomes jealous of other girls wanting to be her friend. I think this is meant to reveal just how controlling Laura is, as was shown in previous scenes, but it really is shown through body language and facial expressions in this scene. 

 

One example of a literary device that can be found throughout the story is the metaphor being made between Cece’s hearing aids and deafness, and superpowers. Often the story changes point of view and suddenly she is seen in a world of her own imagination, as a superhero. This compares her abilities to a hero she might find in a comic book. I believe that you could argue that it is a metaphor in this context.

 

 Just like a movie, oftentimes these scenes will attempt to draw the viewer’s eye to a specific point of emphasis. Emphasis is also one of the principles of art. A common way that emphasis is illustrated in El Deafo, and many comics, is through the use of lines that appear to be protruding or pointing to a given object or character. 

 

 What the artist has chosen to show is often just as important as what they have chosen not to include. For example, when Cece and Mike are shown preparing for the play, but not actually performing the play. The author may have chosen to not include the details of the scene because that’s not the main idea in that part of the plot. The timeline is made to show emphasis on the before and after conversations, in order to move the plot forward and allow the characters to be seen forming a deeper connection.

Illustrator: Jennifer Zivoin 
Publisher: Magination Press
Date: Feb 13, 2017
Age Level: 4-8
Pages: 32
Themes: Mindfulness, Meditation, Being Present

This beautifully illustrated book talks about how important it is to slow down and take a pause. In these moments, we can recognize how we feel in the moment. There are many different kind of pauses that we can take, and this book explores some of the "pausabilities". 
When you're eating, what do you taste? 
Take a deep breath and relax your muscles!
Draw or Doodle
Go for a walk and listen to what you can hear!
Say something nice to yourself!
Stretch!
Hang out with a pet, or someone you love!
The list goes on, and I find this to be a great tool and reminder to practice mindfulness and give your brain a break. This is a great tool for combatting anxiety and the restless world that students are surrounded by. 

Ages: 4-8
Themes: Loss, Love, Family, Seasons, Memories

As a young girl walks with her grandpa, they explore the beautiful seasons in different ways. In spring, lovely art brings to life a beautiful story about aging, love, and family. She wishes that she could make her grandfather young again to have more time with him. Together, they explore a world filled with butterflies and flowers. In summer, they play on the beach, and in autumn, he gives her a journal and tells her to write all of her feelings and dreams. In winter, he tells her stories around the fireplace of when he was young.
The book cuts to an empty chair, and the loss of her grandfather. Some stories, says the book, are silent. Full of sadness, she wishes for him to come back. She finds a box of old memories and all the colors come back to her. She finds that people live on through memories, stories, and imagination. 
This is a touching book about losing someone you care about, and how their impact and memory can live on through you. In her imagination, they are forever exploring the seasons together.

Suki decides she will wear her Kimono to the first day of school, despite her sisters telling her not to. It's a special piece of clothing for her, and she talks about the memories she has of her Obichan. Indeed, students do think she's weird at first, but when she has a chance to explain the importance of her Kimoni to the class, they are all excited to learn something new. 
This is a great book about being proud of who you are and your culture, celebrations, and being kind and not judging others for what they wear.

Author: Traci N. Todd

Illustrator: Christian Robinson

Genre: Biography 

Grade Levels:

Themes: Civil Rights, History, Music, Historic Figures

Page #:56

Date: September 28, 2021

Evaluation: 

Yes, I do believe that this person is of interest to children. Even if these children are not African-American, Nina Simone is still an important historical figure that every child will benefit from knowing about. 

The book does show her strength and perseverance through the struggles and oppression that she faces. 

Yes, although it doesn’t include every single detail of her life, it touches on the most important and emotional moments of her life. The facts and details are woven into the narrative and doesn’t distract from the flow of the story.

Summary: 

In a small town in North Carolina, Eugene was born. She was described as always having "music on the inside", and was surrounded by music in her family. She quickly learned how to play piano from her father. Her mom, a minister, believed that Jazz was an unholy subject, so her dad never let her play jazz in front of her mom. Soon, Eugene started playing piano for the church congregation. Everyone who heard her knew that she had a gift. Soon, she was taking piano lessons from Miss Masie. She loved the works of classical artists, and Bach was her favorite. After her lessons, she would walk to Mrs. Miller's house, whom her mom cleaned for. Mrs. Miller soon decided that her white son shouldn't play with a black girl anymore. 

Eunice became recognized in the newspaper, and people began to recognize her. She was hurt deeply by the words and actions of white people, who only seemed to notice her when she was in their way. During one recital, a white couple made her parents sit in the back row, as they wanted to sit in the front. Eunice sat and refused to play until they stood back up and returned to their seats.

Eunice went to Julliard, and worked as hard as possible to reach the Curtis Institute of Music. Unfortunately, she was turned away, and heard a rumor that she was not accepted because she was black. She wondered if she could never reach her dreams simply because she was black. She became a piano teacher, and found her way to a city club, playing piano in a bar. She sang in a rich, sweet, and soft voice. Each night, the bar grew more and more popular. She changed her name to Nina Simone to keep her secret safe. She created a record, and people loved it! In Philadelphia, an uproar erupted for civil rights, similar to the ones spreading across the country. Eventually, Nina came to play in Carnegie hall, and the audience loved it. During the same time, Martin Luther King Jr was being held in jail. Throughout all the injustices and murdered of black civil rights activists, Nina pushed all of her anger into her music. She was done being polite- it had gotten her people nothing. Her music became rough and defiant, and inspirational to black people everywhere. The white backlash was fierce- they smashed her records and threatened her life. She sang the story of black America, a beacon of hope. 

Genre: Nonfiction

Grade Levels: K-3

Themes: Science, Biology, Animals

Page #: 36

Date: March 2014

Summary: This is a nonfiction book all about eggs. The illustrations show all types of eggs; penguin, turtle, bird eggs, and many more. It discusses the different colors, textures, habitats and sizes that eggs come in. The fun facts about eggs come with lovely realistic illustrations

Illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin

Pages: 32

Age Range: 4-8

Date: 2019
Genre: Nonfiction
Themes: Self-Love, Esteem, Confidence, Emotions

This book shares a message about loving yourself. It talks about the importance of positive self-talk and cheering yourself on. It also talks about how to deal with disappointments and cheering yourself up. Standing up for yourself and not keeping emotions bottled up is also highlighted. 
This book also talks about how to apologize and importantly to forgive yourself and not feel ashamed. Every person on the planet is unique and a work in progress.
This book was a cute story about self-confidence and esteem, and is a great way to show students how to think positively and love themselves. 

Illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin

Pages: 32

Age Range: 4-8

Date: 2019
Genre: Fiction
Themes: Diversity, Acceptance, Self-Image, Race

Sulwe is a book about a young girl, the "color of midnight," who is insecure about the way she looks. Nobody in her family or school looked like her either. She didn't get the pretty nicknames that her classmates afforded her siblings. 
She hid away while having a hard time making friends. She felt hurt and just wanted her skin to look lighter, and tried everything she could. She even prayed that she could look like "dawn," as her mother did. She wanted to feel beautiful. 
She told her mother how she felt, and her mom reminded her that her name meant star, and that there may not be lightness in her skin, but there was lightness in her soul. She reminded her that beauty comes from within and begins with how you see yourself. 
Sulwe wondered how she could have brightness in her. That night, she saw a shooting star, which beckoned her to come with it. She hopped on the star, and it told her a story of night and day. They were sisters, but people didn't treat them the same. They learned that both of them are needed just the way they are. Together they make the world strong. 
The next day, she awoke beaming, knowing that she was beautiful inside and out. 

Zac Retz (Illustrations)
32 pages

Published September 1, 2013
Genre: Fiction
Themes: Creativity, Art, Mischief

Matty's art teacher always reminds the kids not to use too much glue during art class. But his whole family loves glue, and she can't help himself. He finds the biggest bottle of glue and squeezes it all out, making a huge mess. 
One day, Matty gets stuck to their art project when using too much glue. Despite classmate efforts, they cannot unstick! Even the school nurse cannot send him home early because he has no fever- and she cannot send him home early. The principal cannot even help. 
Finally, he gets an idea. They pull out a fan, but the glue just dries. His father walks in and inspects him, peeling him off the table. His dad smiles and call him a masterpiece. At home, he peels the glue off of him and makes the glue suit into a magnet to hang on the fridge.
Although it was a very funny book, as an art teacher, I don't think I'd include this in my library. It's not really a great message for kids as it encourages them to ignore procedures and promote disruptive behavior. I love and support creativity, but I guess my perspective here is that Matty could certainly be a difficult kid to work with. It was funny though!

Date: September 1, 2013
40 Pages 
Age: 3-7 years 

All Racoon wants is beautiful and tasty pizza. He doesn't know how to ask nicely, so he dreams of it all day.

Racoon decides to have a secret pizza party. He decides to keep it a secret because it makes it special. He realizes he can't tell the pizza man where he lives, so he decides to go to the pizza place and tell them he left the wallet in his car. 

He barracades the door and pops open his pizza box. He eats as quietly as possible, whispering and turning off the lights. 

This is a lighthearted and funny book about a racoon and his love for a secret pizza party.

This book is about crayons who had their quit their job and walked off. Now they have to join back together. They have to resue themselves from strange places around the house; the dryer, the fridge, and more. This book follows the adventures of the crayons to come back together!

Written by Monica Brown and illustrated by John Parra
Pages: 40
Ages: 4-7
Date: September 2017
Publisher: NorthSouth Books
Genre: Nonfiction
Themes: Art, History

This book tells the story of a young Frida Kahlo, who has a special love for her pets. 

She grew up with her mom, dad and sisters in a blue house the same color as her parrot's feathers. Her father was a phorographer who instilled in her curiosity and wonder. She also had a pet fawn, and a beautiful black cat. Frida experienced a sickness that left one of her legs different from the other, but she didn't let it bother her. She didn't play like other girls, but enjoyed wrestling and always wore overalls. Her imagination flew high like her pet eagle. When she was eighteen, she was in an accident that forced her to stay in bed for months. She also had turkeys and dogs as well. Her pets were spirited and wild just as she was. Frida was a very creative and inspired young woman. When she painted, her pets kept her company. She painted them into all of her works.

I love art history, and Frida is one of my favorite artists to learn about. 

This book exlplores the beginning of a now renowned jazz musician, known as Trombone Shorty. 

The exciting celebration of Mardi Gras include bustling parades, necklaces, banners, and most importantly jazz music. It helps the people come together and forget about their troubles for a while. 

Troy talks about how he likes to mix styles and music together, like Gumbo, a dish that comes together from what you have in the kitchen. But to create his music, he needs an instrument. One day, he finds a broken trombone. It doesn't sound great, but he's ready to play. The next time the parade comes along, he grabs his trombone and plays as they go by. His brother nicknames him "Trombone Shorty," as he's only a bit bigger than the instrument itself. He teaches himself day and night to play. One day, his mom surprises him with tickets to the biggest jazz festival in town. The band leader, Bo Diddley stops the crowd to ask who is playing, and his mom holds him up in the air. They invite him up on stage, and afterwards, he knows he's ready to have his own band. He gathers his friends together, and name it the five o'clock band, playing all around the city. Soon his brother asks him to join the band. 

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ Kindergarten 
Genre: Nonfiction
Themes: Science, Animals, Informational

In this informational book, the characteristics of spiders are explored. I recall reading this book in elementary as I was both scared of and curious about spiders. This book comes with accurate scientific illustrations.

Spiders come in all sorts of variations- tiny spiders and huge ones, colors of all kinds, and various habitats. It starts with the origins of spiders, both evolutionary and where the name  of the species originates. 

This book also explores the anatomy of a spider, introducing new vocabulary words. It then discusses

One new fact that surprised me was that some spider babies fly through the air on small sacks called ballooning. Yuck!

This book is written in a rhyme, and it reads much like a poem or song. It details the life of the enslaved people of New Orleans. All week long, the enslaved people are kept busy- farming the land, working long and hot days. In no way was it fair, and it was certainly difficult. It often became too much to bear, and they lived in fear of punishments such as lashings. Some dared to run away, but most of them stayed waiting for Sunday. Sunday was the one day of the week that they had to gather together. 

The enslaved people, and free African Americans gathered in Congo Square, to meet and hold worship, and come together to recognize their own culture. They played instruments and danced and rejoiced. 

This book is a beautifully illustrated account of history and a a chance for enslaved people to redeem their culture after enduring weeks of hardship and torture. 

One Fine Day is based on an Armenian folktale, and begins with a fox traveling through a large forest, and when he reached the other side, he was parched. Spotting a pail of milk that an old woman set down, he drank the milk. Angered, she chopped off his tail. She tells him he will have to give her back her milk before she gives him back his tail. 

Finding a cow, he asks for milk, and the cow tells him that he will have to bring her grass. He asks a field for grass, but it asks for water. So he runs to the stream, who asks him for a jug. He finds a maiden and asks for her jug, and she asks him to bring her a blue bead. The fox then finds a peddler and asks for a bead, who in turn asks for an egg. The fox, getting desperate, asks for an egg. The farmer felt bad for the fox and gave him the egg. He returns everyone their items, and finally returns with the milk. She carefully sews his tail back in place, and he runs off to join his friends. 

This was my favorite book as a child, so I reread it and enjoyed it immensely. 

Swimmy is the fish who looks unlike any of the others in his school, faster than any of the others. One day, a danger approaches the school of fish. A large tuna fish swallows all of the red fish and only swimmy is able to get away. 

Swimmy explores the marvels of the undersea world; a lobster, strange fish, and many others. A forest of seaweeds grow from sugar candy rock, and a long eel. The illustrations are colorful and unique. Eventually, he comes to another school of fish like his own. He tells them that they cannot hide away in fear forever. They all swim close together, and they look like one giant fish, and Swimmy volunteers to be the eye. They chase the big fish away.

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 2 - 9 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool and up
Genre: Fiction
Themes: Music, Dancing, Fitting in

Gerald was a tall giraffe, who had wobbly legs and couldn't run around. Every year, every animal holds a jungle dance, and everyone joins to dance. Gerald felt sad because he was very bad at dancing. The other animals were elegant and talented, but he could not dance. The animals laughed and sneered at him and said that giraffes could not dance. Gerald froze up and thought they were right, and felt very sad and alone.

Then after walking away, he looks up at the sky and sees the beautiful moon. A cricket tells him, sometimes when you're different, you can dance to your own song, and tells him to sway, and that everything makes music. Suddenly he began to dance and leap and he felt wonderful! He was dancing!

Then the animals saw him and joined in, and they all danced together happily, declaring that he was the best dancer they had ever seen.

In North Carolina, Five-Year old Mason was rushing to finish his homework before Pa gets home. His Pa needs him to write another letter for his civil rights group about how a restaurant had refused to seat an African-American man. Pa thanked him and told him how key he had been doing a job he couldn't do.

One night, he heard Ma and Pa talking quietly. When he entered the kitchen, he found a typewriter gifted to him from the group, who wanted to let him know how important he had been. 

That summer, he and his brother worked together with the only two white boys who had ever been friendly. Meanwhile, he learned what every letter and symbol on his typewriter meant. 

One day, his father has some important news. They had won a case that they had been fighting for a long time. He announces that they are going to a previously all-white high school the next Monday morning. 

At school, Mason and his brothers nervously attended school, being laughed at. The driver of the bus wouldn't even stop for them. On the third day, it finally stopped, the driver making them sit in the back. Mason calls to his white friend, but he doesn't answer. When they arrive at school, the principal barricades the doorway and acts extremely rude, forcing them to find their own way to class. When Mason arrives, the class had already started, and the class glares at him.

Mason did very well in school, and especially in typing class. At home, he continued his practice. He soon found out that the school offered an after school program that offered jobs. He started working in the library, transferring information onto cards, with very little instruction. He did extremely well, even after the librarian expected nothing of him. She was astounded of his speed in typing, and her and the teacher became friendly to him. He was able to use the electric typewriter, and could type even faster. He continued to improve and earn the money he needed, until he was fired without explanation.

His father was furious, calling on an organization to back him up. There was a competition for the school for who would represent the school in a typing tournament, and Mason won, despite protest. He knew he had to make a change. 

On the day of the tournament, he worked so hard, and focused on his work. His typing flew by, and he won! He had even broken a record. Nobody in the audience applauded, and his principal received a plaque, although he received nothing. 

A young girl finds a note under her bed calling for a meeting of monsters. believing it to be from her parents, she ignores it. Until one day, she hears a voice from under her bed. But she's not scared; she checks under her bed and discovers a monster! They claim that a monster has broken a rule of not being discovered by humans. 

She realized one of them must be their teacher. The teacher instructs the others on the monster rules. But she cannot teach them to be scary enough! Then they reveal the most important rule: to keep the child in bed until they fall asleep.

Pages: 244

Genres: Novel, Children's literature, Young adult fiction, Historical Fiction
Themes: Loss, Family, Racism, History, Growth

Kira-Kira tells the story of a young Japanese-American girl and her family living and growing throughout the years in the early 1950’s When Katie and her family move to Georgia to pursue a better life, people are always staring. In a predominantly white area, people are not exactly “mean” to them, but they’re certainly not kind. Kira-Kira is the Japanese word for glittery, and Katie’s older sister, Lynn, tells her all about things that are Kira-Kira. Lynn guides her though life and her and her sister as they go through school, and Lynn helps her through all the obstacles of life. Her parents work harder than ever, long hours at the hatchery and eventually they’re able to buy a home. Katie and her sister go through fights and making up as Lynn makes friends, kisses boys and grows older. But Lynn is very sick, and Katie doesn’t know why. She spends her time in and out of hospitals. They have a baby boy, Sammy, who they love very much. They spend time waiting in the car while her mother works in unsafe and dehumanizing conditions to make money. There is talk of a union, but her mother is scared of losing her job and so tells Katie not to listen.

Eventually, Katie finds out that Lynn has Lymphoma, and it seems to grow worse, leaving Lynn weak and fading. When Lynn passes away, Katie and her family are left with extreme grief, and the book talks about how the family copes and is struck with the death of their child. 

This novel was a beautiful story about family, loss, and racism experienced during the 1950’s for a Japanese-American family. It was beautifully written and a great story about dealing with things outside of our control, and the hard work and sacrifice immigrant parents make for a better life for their children.