"Stacking the Shelves" is was a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It seems the blog is gone though, for the link no longer takes you to it. So, I will just continue to post a "What's New? post whenever I receive new books.
For Review: This week brought boxes and boxes from Scholastic! Woot! I also got to watch the authors talk about their books on two webinars. Thank you Lizette, Emily and Scholastic!
Kaleidoscope by Brian Selznick. 208 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., September 21, 2021. 9781338777246.
Publisher synopsis: A ship. A garden. A library. A key. In Kaleidoscope, the incomparable Brian Selznick presents the story of two people bound to each other through time and space, memory and dreams. At the center of their relationship is a mystery about the nature of grief and love which will look different to each reader. Kaleidoscope is a feat of storytelling that illuminates how even the wildest tales can help us in the hardest times.
Things We Couldn't Say by Jay Coles. 320 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., September 21, 2021. 9781338734188.
Publisher synopsis: There's always been a hole in Gio's life. Not because he's into both guys and girls. Not because his father has some drinking issues. Not because his friends are always bringing him their drama. No, the hole in Gio's life takes the shape of his birth mom, who left Gio, his brother, and his father when Gio was nine years old. For eight years, he never heard a word from her… and now, just as he's started to get his life together, she's back.
It's hard for Gio to know what to do. Can he forgive her like she wants to be forgiven? Or should he tell her she lost her chance to be in his life? Complicating things further, Gio's started to hang out with David, a new guy on the basketball team. Are they friends? More than friends? At first, Gio's not sure… especially because he's not sure what he wants from anyone right now.
There are no easy answers to love — whether it's family love or friend love or romantic love. In Things We Couldn't Say, Jay Coles, acclaimed author of Tyler Johnson Was Here, shows us a guy trying to navigate love in all its ambiguity — hoping at the other end he'll be able to figure out who is and who he should be.
Playing the Cards You're Dealt by Varian Johnson. 320 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., October 5, 2021. 9781338348538.
Publisher synopsis: SECRETS ARE ALWAYS A GAMBLE
Ten-year-old Anthony Joplin has made it to double digits! Which means he’s finally big enough to play in the spades tournament every Joplin Man before him seems to have won. So while Ant’s friends are stressing about fifth grade homework and girls, he only has one thing on his mind: how he’ll measure up to his father’s expectations at the card table.
Then Ant’s best friend gets grounded, and he’s forced to find another spades partner. And Shirley, the new girl in his class, isn’t exactly what he has in mind. She doesn’t understand that trash talking is part of the game. Or why Ant’s dad doesn’t want him playing with a girl. But she’s smart and tough and pretty, and knows every card trick in the book. So Ant decides to join forces with Shirley — and keep his plans a secret.
Only it turns out secrets are another Joplin Man tradition. And his father is hiding one so big it may tear their family apart…
Barakah Beats by Maleeha Siddiqui. 288 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., October 19, 2021. 9781338702064.
Publisher synopsis:Twelve-year-old Nimra Sharif has spent her whole life in Islamic school, but now it's time to go to "real school."
Nimra's nervous, but as long as she has Jenna, her best friend who already goes to the public school, she figures she can take on just about anything. Unfortunately, middle school sucks. The teachers are mean, the schedule is confusing, and Jenna starts giving hijab-wearing Nimra the cold shoulder around the other kids.
Desperate to fit in and get back in Jenna's good graces, Nimra accepts an unlikely invitation to join the school's popular 8th grade boy band, Barakah Beats. The only problem is, Nimra was taught that music isn't allowed in Islam, and she's pretty sure her parents would be disappointed if they found out. So she devises a simple plan: join the band, win Jenna back, then quietly drop out before her parents find out.
But dropping out of the band proves harder than expected. Not only is her plan to get Jenna back working, but Nimra really likes hanging out with the band — they value her contributions and respect how important her faith is to her. Then Barakah Beats signs up for a talent show to benefit refugees, and Nimra's lies start to unravel. With the show only a few weeks away and Jenna's friendship hanging in the balance, Nimra has to decide if winning her friend back is worth giving up everything — and everyone — she cares about.
Publisher synopsis: Mia Tang is going for her dreams.
After years of hard work, Mia Tang finally gets to go on vacation with her family — to China! A total dream come true! Mia can't wait to see all her cousins and grandparents again, especially her cousin Shen. As she roams around Beijing, witnessing some of the big changes China's going through, Mia thinks about the changes in her own life, like…
1. Lupe's taking classes at the high school! And Mia's own plans to be a big writer are… stuck.
2. Something happened with Jason and Mia has no idea what to do about it.
3. New buildings are popping up all around the motel, and small businesses are disappearing.
Can the Calivista survive? Buckle up! Mia is more determined than ever to get through the turbulence, now that she finally has… room to dream!
Set Me Free by Ann Clare LeZotte. 288 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., September 21, 2021. 9781338742497.
Publisher synopsis: Three years after being kidnapped and rendered a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment to determine the cause of her deafness, fourteen year old Mary Lambert is summoned from her home in Martha's Vineyard to the mainland to teach a younger deaf-mute girl to communicate with sign language. She can't help but wonder, Can a child of eight with no prior language be taught? Still, weary of domestic life and struggling to write as she used to, Mary pours all her passion into the pursuit of freeing this child from the prison of her isolation. But when she arrives at the manor, Mary discovers that there is much more to the girl's story — and the circumstances of her confinement — than she ever could have imagined. Freeing her suddenly takes on a much greater meaning — and risk.
Part thriller, part historical adventure, part searing exposé of ableism and race discrimination, Fly Away Home is a spellbinding follow-up to the groundbreaking Show Me a Sign.
We Shall Overcome by Bryan Collier. unpgd. Orchard Books/ Scholastic Inc., November 2, 2021. 9781338540376.
Publisher synopsis: “We Shall Overcome” is one of the most recognizable anthems of the Civil Rights movement, widely performed at protests and rallies to promote nonviolent civil rights activism. Now, these inspirational, empowering, legendary lyrics are brought to life with the stirring, evocative, and breathtaking illustrations from Caldecott Honor recipient and nine-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Bryan Collier. Powerfully imagined for the present moment, Collier’s illustrations meld the most emblematic moments of the twentieth century Civil Rights movement with the present day, depicting the movements, protests, and demonstrations — big and small — as the fight for justice continues. With illustrations full of depth, tenderness, and expression, and offering historical context while remaining powerfully relevant to the present-day, this impactful picture book is a must-have for every home, classroom, and bookshelf.
The Children's Moon by Carmen Agra Deedy. unpaged. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., October 19, 2021. 9781338216394.
Publisher synopsis: Have you ever seen the moon on a clear blue day and wondered why?
There once was a time when the sun alone ruled the day, the moon graced the night, and little children were sent to bed before sunset. Then early one dawn, the moon heard sounds of children laughing, and she yearned to see them by daylight.
"Certainly not!" snapped the sun. "The day is mine. The night is yours!"
But the moon had a clever plan...
Carmen Agra Deedy and Jim LaMarche have brilliantly crafted an original pourquoi tale about finding one's place in the universe.
Our Table by Peter H. Reynolds. Unpgd. Orchard Books/ Scholastic Press, October 5, 2021. 978133857232.
Publisher synopsis: This moving, tender story begins with a man building a table for his family. As the man becomes a father, and then a grandfather, the table stands tall and strong, serving as the place where family comes together to share meals, laughter, and love. But as time passes, the table gradually goes unused, and then forgotten. Will the bonds of family be enough to bring this family back together and remind them of what matters most?
In exquisite, expressive watercolor, and his signature messages of love, kindness, and acceptance, Peter H. Reynolds brings a tender touch to this special picture book. An ode to multi-generational love and the traditions that unite families, The Table brings readers together with a universal message of gratitude.
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When I learned that Kathi Appelt had a new book coming out and I had the opportunity to snag an arc, there was no hesitation on my part!
Once Upon a Camel by Kathi Appel. Illustrated by Eric Rohmann. 336 p. Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/ Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ Simon & Schuster, September 7, 2021. 9781534406438.
Publisher synopsis: Perfect for fans of The One and Only Ivan, this exquisite middle grade novel from Newbery Honoree and National Book Award finalist Kathi Appelt follows an old camel out to save two baby kestrel chicks during a massive storm in the Texas desert— filled with over a dozen illustrations by Caldecott winner Eric Rohmann.
Zada is a camel with a treasure trove of stories to tell. She’s won camel races for the royal Pasha of Smyrna, crossed treacherous oceans to new land, led army missions with her best camel friend by her side, and outsmarted a far too pompous mountain lion.
But those stories were from before. Now, Zada wanders the desert as the last camel in Texas. But she’s not alone. Two tiny kestrel chicks are nestled in the fluff of fur between her ears—kee-killy-keeing for their missing parents—and a dust storm the size of a mountain is taking Zada on one more grand adventure. And it could lead to this achy old camel’s most brilliant story yet.
Purchased: Nothing!
What was in your mailbox this week?
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