Middle Grade Monday: Kingston and the Echoes of Magic by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi

Image: Penguin Random House

Kingston and the Echoes of Magic by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi. 296 p. G.P. Putnam's Sons/ Penguin Young Readers, October, 2021. 9780525516897. (Review of finished copy courtesy of MBCommunications.)

Kingston and his crew are back in a second installment that begins on a subway ride back from a Nets game a few days before Christmas. As King surveys the scenery, his cousin V, his best pal, Too Tall and his uncle, Crooked Eye, he realizes that they are stuck in a time loop. Their Brooklyn neighborhood has been transformed by gigantic black stones and power outages. After consulting with Sol and Sula, King realizes that their father, Maestro has them reliving the same 26 hours as he jumps time echoes in search of the power that will enable him to take over the world. 

I won't say more so as not to spoil the delight of this fast-paced, exciting story or the first book, if you haven't already read it. I love the voice. Kingston is an endearing, earnest character surrounded by great friends and family. I loved the banter and the history. I was especially tickled by one particular scene and another really choked me up. Read the book to try and figure out which ones. While this installment can stand on its own, why would anyone miss Kingston and the Magician's Lost and Found? This duology* is perfect for readers interested in magic and magicians, especially Black magicians. 

*I was actually a bit disappointed that there are only two books!

What's New?

 "Stacking the Shelves" was a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It seems the blog is gone though, so I will just continue to post a "What's New? post whenever I receive new books. 

For Review: Argh! I guess I should begin posting these on Sunday as the UPS guy dropped a package on my doorstep this afternoon and I don't want to wait a week to post.

This is (Not) Enough by Anna Kang. Illustrated by Christopher Weyant. unpaged. Two Lions/ Amazon, March 1, 2022. 9781542018517.

Publisher synopsis: Finding a gift for your best pal isn’t always easy in this fun tale from an award-winning author and illustrator.

Two friends are excited about getting presents for each other. But when they try to find just the right gift, nothing seems good enough. From skywriting to painting to gardens, each thing they try ends up feeling just a little off. How will they ever find that special gift?

With humor and heart, the purple and orange characters from Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small discover that what makes a gift special isn’t necessarily what’s inside the box.

Purchased: I am such a dope! I went to my local BN to pick up the new Spy School GN and intended to use a gift card. Totally forgot when I went to check out! 

Image: Simon & Schuster

Spy School: the Graphic Novel by Stuart Gibbs. Illustrated by Anna Sarkar. 300 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, February, 2022. 9781665918441.

Publisher synopsis: Can an undercover nerd become a superstar secret agent? The first book in Stuart Gibbs’s New York Times bestselling Spy School series is now a graphic novel!

Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: CIA or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn’t exactly scream “secret agent.” In fact, Ben is so awkward, he can barely get to school and back without a mishap. Because of his innate nerdiness, Ben is not surprised when he is recruited for a magnet school with a focus on science—but he’s entirely shocked to discover that the school is actually a front for a junior CIA academy. Could the CIA really want him?

Actually, no. There’s been a case of mistaken identity—but that doesn’t stop Ben from trying to morph into a supercool undercover agent, the kind that always gets the girl. And through a series of hilarious misadventures, Ben realizes he might actually be a halfway decent spy…if he can survive all the attempts being made on his life! With action-packed, eye-catching art, join Ben Ripley as he survives his first year at the Academy of Espionage.

Image: Scholastic Inc. 

Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey. 176 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., December,2020. 9781338732436.

Publisher synopsis:This hilarious first book in Dav Pilkey’s newest series is sure to bring the LOLs (and creative inspiration!) to your young reader. Dog Man favorites Li’l Petey and Molly team up to create Cat Kid Comic Club, where they teach Flippy’s baby frogs how to create comics of their very own. Each short comic is made with a different medium, from photography to Claymation, making this one of Pilkey’s most unique stories yet. Another hysterical and heartwarming graphic novel from one of our favorite authors.

A pioneering new graphic novel series by Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator of the internationally bestselling Dog Man and Captain Underpants series.

In Cat Kid Comic Club, Li'l Petey, Flippy, and Molly introduce twenty-one rambunctious, funny, and talented baby frogs to the art of comic making. As the story unwinds with mishaps and hilarity, readers get to see the progress, mistakes, and improvements that come with practice and persistence.  

Squid Kid and Katydid, Baby Frog Squad, Monster Cheese Sandwich, and Birds Flowers Trees: A Haiku Photo Comic are just some of the mini-comics that are included as stories-within-the-story, each done in a different style, utilizing humor and drama, prose and poetry, illustrated in different media including acrylics, pastels, colored pencils, felt-tip markers, clay, hand-made cardboard sculptures, photographs, pipe cleaners, construction paper collages, and cookies. 

Readers of all ages will be inspired to dream up their own stories and unleash their own creativity as they dive into this new graphic novel adventure from Dav Pilkey and his heartfelt, humorous, and amazing cast of characters in the Cat Kid Comic Club.

Not sure how I missed this spin-off, but it looks like fun.

What's in your mailbox this week?

What's New?

"Stacking the Shelves" was a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It seems the blog is gone though, so I will just continue to post a "What's New? post whenever I receive new books. 

For Review:

Image: Candlewick Press

Marshmallow Clouds: Two Poets at Play among Figures of Speech by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek. Illustrated by Richard Jones. 72 p. Candlewick Press, March 15, 2022. 9781536203034.

Publisher synopsis: A freewheeling romp through the world of imagery and metaphor, this quietly startling collection of thirty poems, framed by the four elements, is about art and reality, fact and fancy. Look around: what do you see? A clown balancing a pie in a tree, or an empty nest perched on a leafless branch? As poet Connie Wanek alludes to in her afterword—a lively dialogue with former US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser—sometimes the simplest sights and sounds “summon our imaginations” and cry out to be clothed in the alchemical language of poetry. This compendium of the fleeting and unexpected turns the everyday—turtles, trees, and tadpoles; cow pies, lazy afternoons, and pillowy white marshmallows—into poetic gold. A brilliant and timeless collaboration that evokes both the mystery and grandeur of the natural world and the cozy, mundane moments of daily life, this exquisitely illustrated collection is the go-to gift book of the season for poetry fans of all ages.

Celebrated poets Ted Kooser along with Connie Wanek, and illustrator Richard Jones, explore figures of speech in a spirited and magical way—and invite our imaginations out to play.

Purchased: nothing, but I think I will hit the book store this weekend.

What's in your mailbox this week?

Fact Friday: Sanctuary: Kip Tiernan and Rosie's Place, the Nation's First Shelter for Women by Christine McDonnell

Image: Candlewick Press

Sanctuary: Kip Tiernan and Rosie's Place, the Nation's First Shelter for Women by Christine McDonnell. Illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov. unpaged. Candlewick Press, March 1, 2022. 9781536211290. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Kip Tiernan was raised by her grandmother during the Great Depression. Granny always had a big pot of soup going and Kip would carry steaming bowls outside to give to men who would come to the door. Kip's granny didn't only give out food. If a man needed clothing, she found some to give. She had ten children. Kip learned that while her family was not rich, they still had more than many during those difficult times. 

These lessons followed Kip into adulthood when, after being inspired by a speech to end poverty in 1968, she sold her advertising business and dedicated her life to helping the poor of Boston. But she noticed that soup kitchens and homeless shelters only served men. Homeless women seemed invisible. They disguised themselves as men in order to eat. 

After a trip to New York City and the Saint Joseph's House, she returned to Boston determined to find a space to shelter women. In 1974, Rosie's Place opened in an empty supermarket. It was the first shelter for women. Her work was not done though. She also fought for health care for the homeless and food for the poor. 

Back matter includes more about Kip Tiernan as well as information about her memorial, which was erected in Copley Square, Boston in 2018. This memorial has quotes etched into the columns and they appear in the back matter. The soft watercolor and digital art features a diverse population of both homeless and helpers. 

Regular readers will already know how much I adore picture book biographies and how they can illuminate fascinating folk who don't always get their historical due. I am thankful for this book and for learning of this paragon of selflessness. 

Sanctuary releases on March 1 and belongs in all school, public and classroom libraries. 

What's New?

"Stacking the Shelves" was a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It seems the blog is gone though, so I will just continue to post a "What's New? post whenever I receive new books. 

For Review: I schedule these for Saturday mornings and this lovely book arrived in the mail in the afternoon last Saturday! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to read and review is before its book birthday this past Tuesday. I'd nominate Ms. Swartz as queen of empathy. Her novels always feature sweet characters who are dealing with relatable mental health issues, such as anxiety. I'm hoping to read this during my break this week.

Image: Penguin Random House

Dear Student by Elly Swartz. 296 p. Delacorte Press/ Random House Children's Books, February, 2022. 9780593374146.

Publisher synopsis: When Autumn becomes the secret voice of the advice column in her middle school newspaper she is faced with a dilemma—can she give fair advice to everyone, including her friends, while keeping her identity a secret?

Starting Middle School is rough for Autumn after her one and only BFF moves to California. Uncertain and anxious, she struggles to connect with her new classmates. The two potential friends she meets could not be more different: bold Logan who has big ideas and quiet Cooper who's a bit mysterious. But Autumn has a dilemma: what do you do when the new friends you make don't like each other?

When Autumn is picked to be the secret voice of the Dear Student letters in the Hillview newspaper, she finds herself smack in the middle of a problem with Logan and Cooper on opposite sides. But before Autumn can figure out what to do, the unthinkable happens. Her secret identity as Dear Student is threatened. Now, it's time for Autumn to find her voice, her courage, and follow her heart, even when it's divided.

Purchased: nothing!

What's in your mailbox this week?

Fact Friday: Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South by Wade Hudson

Image: Penguin Random House

Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South by Wade Hudson. 272 p. Crown Books/ Random House Children's Books, October, 2021. 9780593126356. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Friday TMS! We made it! February break starts in a few short hours. I hope you have your reading planned. I do. Fact Friday features Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South by Wade Hudson. Mr. Hudson is author of more than thirty books and is co-founder, along with his wife, Cheryl Willis Hudson, of Just Us Books. His conversational memoir begins with him contemplating the prison cell he was placed in after his arrest as a college student. He was a vocal activist on campus and he and others were charged with plotting murder. The next chapter rewinds to the author's childhood, growing up in a large family in a small town, where folks looked out for one another, but Black folks couldn't try on clothes in the department store. He grew up loving school and baseball and the church. 

Back matter contains notes and a time line to help young readers understand the history of Civil Rights in the U.S. Defiant is a first-purchase for all kinds of libraries-compelling and important.

#tbt: Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Image: LBYR

Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrations by Sean Qualls. 288 p. Little, Brown and Company/ Hachette Book Group, February, 2012. 9780316074032. (Own.)

Happy Thursday! One more day and then I'm on February break! I'm already behind on my scaled back GR goal, so hopefully, I will catch up on my reading then. But then, the end of the trimester is looming and I'm behind (as usual) in my grading. Sigh.

#tbt features Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrated by Sean Qualls. This work of historical fiction is set in 1936, in the thick of the Great Depression and is told from the POV of three children who meet in the Mercy Home for Negro Children. Hibernia is a reverend's daughter who loves to sing, but her mother abandoned the family to pursue a singing career. Otis has lost his parents in a car accident and Willie has run away from an abusive father, but not before being severely injured. The three eventually bond over the journey of boxing great Joe Louis. 

Waiting on Wednesday: It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds

Image: Scholastic Inc.

It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds. 304 p. Scholastic Inc., April 5, 2022. 9781338740226.

Happy Wednesday! Waiting on Wednesday features It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds. 

Publisher synopsis: Twelve-year-old Eddie Gordon Holloway has concocted his most genius plan ever to avoid chores . . . especially the dreaded L-A-U-N-D-R-Y. If he can wears every item of clothing in his wardrobe, summer will be halfway over before he has to do laundry!

On the day of the highly anticipated Beach Bash, Eddie ends up grounded until he can get his clothes clean. While left home alone to do his laundry, the power goes out mid-cycle. With his first load of laundry soaking wet and the rest still filthy, Eddie sets out to explore the seemingly empty neighborhood in just his swim trunks and flip-flops.

As he meets up with other neighborhood kids to find out what happened, they realize that their families aren't coming back anytime soon. And as night falls, the crew realizes they aren't just the only people left in the neighborhood -- they might be the only people left . . . anywhere.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

Image: Penguin Random House

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass. Unabridged e-audio, ~8 hours. Read by Kevin R. Free and Michael Crouch. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House Audio, July, 2021. 9780593411513. (Review of downloadable audiobook borrowed from the public library.)

Happy Tuesday! It's pretty cold out there! The moon sure was pretty to watch though. Some strange critter or critters must have been in the neighborhood because the dogs were yanking me here and there to check out the scents. 

Teen Tuesday features The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass. Jake is a closeted junior at a mostly white private high school where his brother is the popular one and where he has to deal with micro-aggressions, overt racism and classism. He can't imagine how he'd be treated if he came out. He also can't imagine what would happen if people knew his other secret. He's a medium. He can see dead people-all around him, all the time. It's kind of hard to concentrate in math class when you can see ghosts stuck in their death loops. They're mostly harmless though. He's untrained and doesn't know how to control his power. Unfortunately, there's Sawyer, the sixteen-year-old who walked into his school the previous year and killed six people before killing himself. He's an angry ghost, opposite of harmless and out for revenge.

This dual-narrative switches between Jake's POV and Sawyer's journal entries. It's creepy and suspenseful and the horror is not limited to ghostly, but the real horror what real people can sometimes do to their fellow humans. If you're a mature teen who loves the horror genre, The Taking of Jake Livingston should be on your list of books to read.

Both narrators did a lot to bring this book to life. Kevin R. Free brought an earnest likability to Jake and Michael Crouch excels at portraying evil. 

Middle Grade Monday: Stuntboy, In the Meantime by Jason Reynolds.

Image: Simon & Schuster

Stuntboy, In the Meantime by Jason Reynolds. Illustrated by Raúl the Third. 272 p. Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/ Atheneum/ Simon & Schuster, November, 2021. 9781534418165. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Middle Grade Monday features Stuntboy, In the Meantime by Jason Reynolds. Portico Reeves has an active imagination and a lot of anxiety about things he has no control over. His parents are arguing, he's dealing with a bully and cares immensely for the residents in his apartment building aka the castle. The pace of this graphic novel hybrid is fast, with the action broken into ten "episodes" of his life as a superhero along with "commercial breaks" which offer sage advice. 

There's plenty of heart and humor in both the prose and the illustrations. Fans of the author & the illustrator will be delighted by this collaboration. More please. 

What's new?

"Stacking the Shelves" was a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It seems the blog is gone though, so I will just continue to post a "What's New? post whenever I receive new books. 

For Review:

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts by Erika Lewis. 328 p. Starscape/ Tom Doherty Associates/ Macmillan, March 1, 2022. 9781250208263.

Publisher synopsis: Brimming with Celtic mythology, action, and danger, Erika Lewis's Kelcie Murphy and The Academy for the Unbreakable Artsintroduces readers to a new kind of magical school and a warrior who must choose with which side of an epic battle her destiny will lie.

The Otherworld is at war. The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts trains warriors. And Kelcie Murphy—a foster child raised in the human world—is dying to attend.

A place at AUA means meeting Scáthach, the legendary trainer of Celtic heroes. It means learning to fight with a sword. It means harnessing her hidden powers and—most importantly—finding out who her parents are, and why they abandoned her in Boston Harbor eight years ago.

When Kelcie tests into the school, she learns that she’s a Saiga, one of the most ancient beings in the Otherworld. Secretive, shunned, and possessed of imposing elemental powers, the Saiga are also kin to the Otherworld's most infamous traitor.

But Kelcie is a survivor, and she’ll do whatever it takes to find her parents and her place in their world. Even if that means making a few enemies.

Image: Candlewick Press

Sanctuary: Kip Tiernan and Rosie's Place, the Nation's First Shelter for Women by Christine McDonnell. Illustrated by Vitoria Tentler-Krylov. unpaged. Candlewick Press, March 1, 2022. 9781536211290.

Publisher synopsis: “Justice is not three hots and a cot. Justice is having your own key.” —Kip Tiernan

When Kip Tiernan was growing up during the Great Depression, she’d help her granny feed the men who came to their door asking for help. As Kip grew older, and as she continued to serve food to hungry people, she noticed something peculiar: huddled at the back of serving lines were women dressed as men. At the time, it was believed that there were no women experiencing homelessness. And yet Kip would see women sleeping on park benches and searching for food in trash cans. Kip decided to open the first shelter for women—a shelter with no questions asked, no required chores, just good meals and warm beds. With persistence, Kip took on the city of Boston in her quest to open Rosie's Place, our nation's first shelter for women.

Christine McDonnell, a former educator at Rosie’s Place, and illustrator Victoria Tentler-Krylov bring warmth to Kip Tiernan's story of humanity and tenacity, showing readers how one person's dream can make a huge difference, and small acts of kindness can lead to great things.
Before Kip Tiernan came along, the US had no shelters for women. Here is the inspirational story of a singular woman and what her vision and compassion have brought to life.

Purchased: Nothing!

What's in your mailbox this week?

Fact Friday: Run: Book One by John Lewis

Image: Abrams Books

Run: Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. Illustrated by L. Fury and Nate Powell. 160 p. Abrams ComicArts/ Abrams Books, August, 2021. 9781419730696. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Happy Friday! Fact Friday features Run: Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin and illustrated by L. Fury and Nate Powell. This is the beginning of a second trilogy by the team that brought us the multiple award-winning trilogy, March. It picks up right after the events in March: Book Three and the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The passage was a victory for Civil Rights activists, but the work against racism was far from over. There was pushback from many segregationists and there was still work to be done to right racial wrongs. This led to division within SNCC, the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee, which Mr. Lewis led. He suffered a crisis of confidence after his ouster from the organization, but did not lose his commitment to pursuing a non-violent solution. "First you march, then you run."


Over thirty pages of back matter include biographies of the many Civil Rights activists who worked with Congressman Lewis, extensive notes on the creation of the book, sources and notes on the art. The March trilogy is quite popular among my students and they were very excited to learn about Run: Book One. Both series are essential additions to any type of library. 

#tbt: Words to My Life's Song by Ashley Bryan

Image: Simon & Schuster

Words to My Life's Song by Ashley Bryan. Photographed by Bill McGinness. 64 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ Simon & Schuster, January, 2009. 9781416905417. (Own)

Beloved author/ illustrator Ashley Bryan died last weekend at the age of 98. The children's lit world is in mourning and the tributes that poured in all noted how gentle, kind and joyous the man was. #tbt features Words to My Life's Song by Ashley Bryan. This picture book autobiography gives the reader an up-close-and-personal glimpse into the life of Mr. Bryan, his art and his studio on his treasured Little Cranberry Island in Maine. He overcame many obstacles, including interrupting his art studies at Cooper Union College to serve in the segregated military during WWII. Throughout it all, he maintained his joyful exuberance. This book brings me joy. Rest in peace, sir. And, thank you.

Picture Book Review: Only My Dog Knows I Pick My Nose by Lauren Tarshis

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Only My Dog Knows I Pick My Nose by Lauren Tarshis. Illustrated by Lisa Bronson Mezoff. unpgd. Orchard Books/ Scholastic Inc., October, 2021. 9781338680256. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Beware the perfect child! This is an adorable story about a little boy who isn't all he appears to be. Does he really eat his broccoli? Does he really brush his teeth? His dog keeps his secrets and loves him unconditionally. The cartoon illustrations, comprised of vignettes and single- and double-page spreads convey warmth and humor. This should become a story time favorite.

Picture Book Review: Maybe... by Chris Haughton

Image: Candlewick Press

Maybe... by Chris Haughton. unpaged. Candlewick Press, September, 2021. 9781536220247. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Three little monkeys peer out from the cover with wide, innocent eyes making this book positively irresistible. Don't skip the end page illustration or the title page either. The title page/ copyright page has a double-page spread showing four monkeys high up in a tree. 

The larger of the four, the caregiver, apparently, bids the three little ones good bye and admonishes, "Whatever you do, do NOT go down to the mango tree. There are tigers down there."

The three little monkeys ponder the larger monkey's edict. It's such a pity and they do love mangoes. Maybe...they could just look at the mangoes? They do their due diligence by searching for tigers. Seeing none, they descend. And, all they do is look. But wait! There's one just within reach! Maybe...

And so it goes as the insatiable little imps up the ante. Little listeners will delight in the disobedience and those with sharp eyes will gleefully anticipate the mayhem to come. 

The palette of the digital art is energetic with red, violet, blue and mango predominant. The repetition is appealing and begs participation or shouted warnings, making for noisy story time fun. 

Such a delight! Share widely.

Waiting on Wednesday: Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

Image: Penguin Random House

Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi. 272 p. Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House Young Readers, February 15, 2022. 9780593309032.

Waiting on Wednesday features Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi. Bitter is a companion novel to the author's Pet, which was a National Book Award Finalist several year ago. 

Publisher synopsis: 

After a childhood in foster care, Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the city of Lucille.

Bitter’s instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but her friends aren’t willing to settle for a world that’s so far away from what they deserve. Pulled between old friendships, her artistic passion, and a new romance, Bitter isn’t sure where she belongs—in the studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: at what cost?

This timely and riveting novel—a companion to the National Book Award finalist Pet—explores the power of youth, protest, and art.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

Image: Penguin Random House

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~11 hours. Read by Yetide Badaki. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, November, 2021. (Review of downloadable e-audiobook borrowed from the public library.)

Happy Tuesday! Posting a tad late today because I needed to solve the Wordle entry. Do you Wordle? So much fun!

Teen Tuesday features a sparkling debut called Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen. During the time when large ships would arrive in West Africa to steal humans, Simi is a Mami Wata, a mermaid whose job it is to collect the souls of those who die in the sea and send them home. Simi is a restless mermaid, who often returns to the land in order to remember her life as a human. Once she returns to the sea, however, those memories fade. One day, she discovers a boy in the ocean, thrown overboard by one of those evil ships, and he is alive! She can't leave him to drown and, in saving him, has broken an ancient rule and angered the gods. Now, she must make amends and also help the boy, Colo, reunite with his family.

Ms. Bowen notes in her Author's Note that her favorite fairy tale when growing up was The Little Mermaid despite the fact that she did not see herself in it. Later, she learned of the existence of West African myths that described mermaids. This historical fiction/ mythology mash-up is the first book of a duology and I can't wait for the next one! I fell in love with Simi and Colo and the twins, I laughed and I cried. 

The West African setting is vivid and lush and the writing is gorgeous! I was glad that I read this one with my ears. It was narrated by a West African narrator so I learned the proper pronunciation of the names of the gods and human characters.

And isn't that cover just amazing? 

Middle Grade Monday: Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia

Happy Monday! I hope you enjoyed the cold, yet sparkling weekend. Everything was coated in ice on Saturday, so I didn't get my miles in. My driveway was pretty slick, so the dogs and I stayed close to home. My bird feeders were very busy all weekend with all manner of wintering birds-cardinals, bluejays, juncos, chickadees, house finches, sparrows, grackles, starlings and the occasional red-bellied woodpecker. I get a great deal of joy watching them visit. Oh, and Saturday marked six months since my husband's death. I had been anticipating it all week, but between the ice and tackling more closets, I actually forgot until son #3 called to see how I was.

Image: Penguin Random House 

Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia. 320 p. Delacorte Press/ Random House Children's Books, August, 2021. 9780593379936. (Review of finished purchased copy.) 

Middle Grade Monday features Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia.Seventeen Black male authors, including the editor contributed to this luminous story collection. Some are well-known, such as Mr. Mbalia (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky), Jason Reynolds and Jerry Craft. Others are new-to-me. Each story was unique and entertaining. The subjects run the gamut from the first day of school to saving the universe to coming out to family to debating the best superhero.

The nice thing about reading a story collection is the variety and the fact that if a story doesn't have appeal, you can skip it. Or not. They are short enough and you never know; you might end up enjoying it. I read every one and, while I have some favorites, each one was unique. The cover illustration by the incomparable Kadir Nelson makes me smile every time I see it.

Black Boy Joy was a Washington Post Best Book of 2021, a Boston Globe Best Book, a New York Public Library Best Book, a Chicago Public Library Best Book, an Amazon Best Book and all the review journals put it on their Best Book lists. Well-deserved. This book belongs in all collections. 

Picture Book Review: Ear Worm! by Jo Knowles

Image: Candlewick Press

Ear Worm! by Jo Knowles. Illustrated by Galia Bernstein. unpaged. Candlewick Press, January, 2022. 9781536207835. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Ear worms! We've all gotten them. Sometimes, they are just little snatches of song, others, full versions and some are more enjoyable than others. Ever since reading that Meatloaf died, I've had one of my least favorite songs by him as my ear worm!

 Little worm realizes he has a song, "Shimmy shimmy, no-sashay, shimmy, shimmy, no-sashay," stuck in his head. Owl hears him and asks what it is he's singing. When Little Worm answers that it's a song that is stuck in his head, Owl informs him that he has an ear worm. 

Little Worm wants to know if Owl put it there, but Owl has one of his own! The two bebop along encountering other animals, each of whom have their own ear worm!

Little Worm is all big-eyed, wiggly adorableness and each of the digitally created creatures have personality and energy as well as an ear worm of their own. Soon, there's a full-on dance party going on! When Little Worm is called home for his nap, he fears he will never know where the song came from. 

This is sure to be a story-time favorite. One that invites raucous participation, creativity and the demand, "Again!" 

Fact Friday: African Icons: ten people who built a continent by Tracey Baptiste

Image: Workman Publishing

African Icons: ten people who built a continent by Tracey Baptiste and illustrated by Hillary D. Wilson. 176 p. Workman Publishing, October, 2021. 9781616209001. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Friday! We're having wild weather in northern NJ. I just want to hibernate! Fact Friday features African Icons: ten people who built a continent by Tracey Baptiste and illustrated by Hillary D. Wilson, Black history is much more than enslavement, Civil War and the civil rights movement. It is also much more than the American experience. The continent of Africa is vast, rich in diversity and culture, and often relegated to a single narrative. This gorgeously designed collective biography remedies that. Many eye-opening facts await readers right from the introduction where, a colorful map of Africa shows that it is large enough to hold 14 countries within its borders, including the U.S. and China! The book begins in 31 B.C.E. when Menes united Egypt. Ms. Baptiste includes historical context as well as helpful pronunciation guides. Ms. Wilson's lush illustrations give life to these larger-than-life figures. Photos of artifacts and relics add interest. Fifteen pages of back matter begins with an author's note and plenty of resources for interested readers to learn more about these ten important people in African history.

This is truly a first-purchase! 

#tbt: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Image: Penguin Random House

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. 304 p. Dial Books/ Penguin Young Readers.

Happy Thursday! #tbt features Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. I do believe I featured this a few years back, but it is worth repeating as it is a classic. The novel was published in 1976 and won the 1977 Newbery Award. It tells the story of the Logan family through the eyes of nine-year-old Cassie Logan, the only daughter in a family of six. The family are landowners, something which was very rare in the Jim Crow south of the 1930s, but Cassie's grandfather bought his first 200 acres from a plantation owner in the 1880s and another 200 thirty years later. Cassie's parents work hard to keep the land and they also value education.

Ms. Taylor's depiction of the casual racism and racial violence of the time are difficult to read. Over the years, there have been attempts to ban the book due to the language and the violence. In 2004, it was on the top ten of most challenged books of the year. However, the book is historically accurate and contains some harsh truths.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry became the first book of the Logan Family Saga. She wrote four sequels and three prequels. The original cover art was done by Jerry Pinkney. A new edition was published for the book's fortieth anniversary featuring a new cover by Kadir Nelson and an introduction written by Jacqueline Woodson.

Waiting on Wednesday: Moonflower by Kacen Callender

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Moonflower by Kacen Callender. 277 p. Scholastic Inc., July 19, 2022. 9781338636598.

Waiting on Wednesday features Moonflower by Kacen Callender. Here's the synopsis from the publisher:

National Book Award winner Kacen Callender delivers a captivating novel about a child facing the other-worldly shadows of depression.

Moon has been plunged into a swill of uncertainty and confusion. They travel to the spirit realms every night, hoping never to return to the world of the living.

But when the realm is threatened, it's up to Moon to save the spirit world, which sparks their own healing journey through the powerful, baffling, landscape that depression can cause.

Kacen Callender published two debut novels in 2018. Their middle grade debut, Hurricane Child, won The Stonewall Medal and the Lambda Literary Award. Their debut YA novel, This is KInd of an Epic Love Story, was a Lambda finalist, so they were competing against themself. Their next book for middle grade, King and the Dragonflies, won the National Book Award as well as a Coretta Scott King Honor and a Walter Dean Myers Award Honor. Felix Ever After was their second YA novel, and that won the Stonewall Award.

Moonflower will publish on July 19.

Teen Tuesday and Arc Review: Polo Cowboy by G. Neri

Image: Candlewick Press

Polo Cowboy by G. Neri. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. 288 p. Candlewick Press, October, 2021. 9781536207118. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Happy Tuesday! And Happy Lunar New Year! I am looking forward to our assembly at school today. The Korean Parents' Association always puts together a wonderful, enriching experience each year. Today is the beginning of Black History Month and, though I try to feature diverse literature all year long, not just in the "designated" months, the emphasis this month will be on works by Black authors.

Teen Tuesday features Polo Cowboy by G. Neri. This is a companion/ sequel to Ghetto Cowboy, which I featured on a #tbt a while back. Cole's mom agrees to let him stay in Philadelphia with his dad. Cole's happy not to leave his horse, Boo and looking forward to spending more time riding. Harp bursts that bubble by insisting that Cole get a job grooming polo ponies at a tony military academy outside the city. Polo ponies! Now Cole needs to contend with substandard conditions at his inner-city high school and take a bus after school to groom polo ponies for rich stuck-up white boys. They are arrogant and treat Cole and one team member terribly. Ruthie is the only girl not only on the polo team, but at the military academy. She's also Black, but Cole has a hard time looking at her. While she's pretty and an excellent polo player, she has a skin condition that affects her pigmentation and makes for an easy target for her teammates. Cole is also trying to resist the lure of easy money that his cousin is offering. Cole is a cowboy through and through, but when he takes Ruthie up on her offer to teach him how to play polo, he's intrigued.

As in Ghetto Cowboy, there are beautiful black and white illustrations that enhance this compelling story of grit, determination and staying true to oneself. While the story can stand alone, I highly recommend reading both books to appreciate Cole's growth as well as the arc of his relationship with Harp.