Fact Friday: Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace by Ashley Bryan

Image: Simon & Schuster

Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace by Ashley Bryan. Illustrated by Ashley Bryan. 112 p. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/ Simon & Schuster, October 15, 2019. 9781534404908.

Fact Friday features Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace by Ashley Bryan. Beloved award-winning author/ illustrator Ashley Bryan was an art student attending Cooper Union when the United States joined the fighting in World War II. He faced discrimination while applying to art school but came face-to-face with segregation as soon as he hit boot camp. White recruits and black recruits trained and lived separately. Black recruits were also shunted into service positions and dangerous assignments. Bryan coped by drawing on whatever he could get his hands on. When the packet of drawings got too large, he would mail them home. This handsomely designed memoir uses his letters and his drawings as primary source illustrations to accompany Bryan's eloquent narrative. 

Infinite Hope belongs in every library collection and I hope it gets some nice shiny medals on Monday. It's powerful, gorgeous and important. 

Middle Grade Monday: The Crossover: Graphic Novel by Kwame Alexander

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The Crossover: Graphic Novel by Kwame Alexander. Illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. 224 p. September, 2019. 9781328960013. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

I've been of fan of Alexander's ever since the publication of The Crossover and was thrilled when it garnered the Newbery Medal. His books are usually checked out and on hold lists for most of the school year with good reason. They are great! They also appeal to a variety of readers. I'm so glad that The Crossover was adapted into the graphic novel format. 

My opinion in two words: Outstanding adaptation. 

I always thought the poetry popped in the verse novel; but the art makes the poetry poppier! The energetic art also pops with a black and white and basketball orange palette. The dynamic between the two appealing and athletic twin brothers is conveyed as well as the mounting tension between the two. I also just loved how the utter coolness of the boys' parents was translated into the art.

You will need multiple copies on your shelf to keep up with demand. An absolute first-purchase.

Fact Friday: A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the speech that inspired a nation by Barry Wittenstein

Image: Holiday House

A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the speech that inspired a nation by Barry Wittenstein. Illustrated by Jerry Pinckney. 48 p. Neal Porter Books/ Holiday House, August, 2019. 970823443314. 

As we head into MLK weekend, it is apropos for Fact Friday to feature A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the speech that inspired a nation by Barry Wittenstein. This is simply a most beautiful book. Author Wittenstein takes the reader to the lobby of the Willard Hotel the night before the 1963 March on Washington. Dr. King is conferring with his most trusted advisors about what to say. They are working in the lobby because his hotel room is probably bugged. 

In spare but vivid blank verse, Wittenstein depicts the collaboration between Dr. King and his advisors. There was some disagreement about what the text of the speech should contain. Ultimately, Dr. King retired to his room to write the speech he would deliver.

Jerry Pinkney's illustrations stun. Each spread is meant to be studied, not rushed through. The portraiture of each of Dr. King's advisors are helpfully labeled. Mini-biographies in the back matter elaborate and serve as an introduction to each. Other back matter consists of an author note; an illustrator note; the roster of speakers at the protest and source notes.

I had the privilege of attending a keynote speech given by illustrator, Jerry Pinkney last May at SLJ Day of Dialog. He shared many,  if not all of the collages from the book and spoke about his creative process and what he hoped to achieve with the art. Attendees received a sampler that I got signed by both the author and illustrator. 

There is no such thing as too many books about the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Make room for A Place to Land.  I hope it wins lots of medals next week in Philadelphia for it is truly distinguished.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

Image: HarperCollins

Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~10 hours. Read by Imani Parks. HarperAudio, May, 2018. q. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson. This unnerving mystery portrays the lengths to which a best friend will go to get a straight answer. When Claudia returns home from her annual summer visit with her grandmother to start eighth grade, she's anxious to reconnect with Monday, who hasn't been answering her phone. The two besties are like sisters who insulate themselves to protect them from bullies at school and Monday's scary mother. But Monday doesn't answer her phone. Nor does she show up at school and Monday never misses school. When Claudia investigates, she receives conflicting stories. Her parents suggest that perhaps the friendship is over, but Claudia knows something is terribly wrong. The first-person account zig-zags, leaving the reader disoriented as Claudia discovers why Monday's not coming.

Taut writing and a fascinating community of characters keep the reader engaged and reluctant to do anything but rush to the end. The inner city social and economic dynamics are vividly portrayed as are the social skirmishes and pecking order of high school. Imani Parks delivers a performance equal to the writing. 

Monday's Not Coming is a resonant, powerful book that will stick with the reader for a long time. Highly recommended!

Fact Friday: Seeing Gender by Iris Gottlieb

Image: Chronicle Books

Seeing Gender: an illustrated guide to identity and expression by Iris Gottlieb. 208 p. Chronicle Books, October, 2019. 9781452176611. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library. But definitely buying.)

Even though I consider myself an ally, I must admit that I consistently mess up gender pronouns. This cogent, informative, necessary text helps. A lot. 

Fact Friday features Seeing Gender: an illustrated guide to identity and expression by Iris Gottlieb. It is so easy to make assumptions about gender and to get it all wrong. This colorfully illustrated guide explains simply historical context as well as the science and sociology behind gender and gender identity.

The volume is slightly oversized. There's plenty of white space. A straightforward and simple narrative increases understanding and the exuberantly colorful illustrations are pleasing and fun.

Questioning youth will find a safe and sympathetic space to explore identity and would-be allies will learn to understand, respect and support diverse expressions of gender. Seeing Gender is an important read and belongs in all school and public libraries.

Fact Friday: Saving the Tasmanian Devil: How science is helping the world's largest marsupial carnivore survive by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Saving the Tasmanian Devil: How science is helping the world's largest marsupial carnivore survive by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent.

Fact Friday features Saving the Tasmanian Devil: how science is helping the world's largest marsupial survive by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. It is often the fault of humans that species become threatened with extinction by way of poaching and/ or habitat loss. In 1995, scientists noted a severe drop in the numbers of Tasmanian Devils. They also observed horrifying facial tumors that seemed to be highly contagious and killed every infected devil so quickly that they feared the devil population would be wiped out within years. 

This edition of The Scientist in the Field series explains the work of four teams of scientists in their efforts to identify and cure the disease before these creatures are gone forever. As usual with this excellent series, the narrative is engaging and accompanied by plentiful full-color photos of the adorable, yet fierce marsupials as well as scientists at work. Back matter includes a glossary; one book and four websites for further reading; source notes and an index. My only criticism is the long and unwieldy title;-)

This series continues to be an auto-purchase for me. I highly recommend adding Saving the Tasmanian Devil! 

Picture Book Review: Freedom Soup by Tami Charles

image: Candlewick Press

Freedom Soup by Tami Charles. Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara. unpgd. Candlewick Press, December10, 2019. 9780763689773. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

It was a happy accident that this review of Freedom Soup ended up being published today - on New Year's Day. It was one of the last books read during my push to complete my GR goal yesterday.

It is a snowy New Year's Day in Ti Gran's house and she has decided that her granddaughter, Belle, has a "heart made for cooking." Belle is going to help Ti Gran make Freedom Soup, a Haitian traditional soup that is made each New Year, which also happens to be Haitian Independence Day. Ti Gran is a storyteller and history-keeper. Even though Belle has heard the story before, she relishes hearing it again. Ti Gran's words paint painful pictures on the way to triumph. Illustrations pop off the pages as Belle and Ti Gran bounce to the rhythm of Haitian music as they chop and stir. Little details draw the eye and invite lingering. The text has its own subtle rhythm. 

The best picture books transport readers so much so that they inhabit the book. They can feel the warmth and love and can smell the aromas. Freedom Soup is a feast for the eyes and soul. Don't read this book hungry! Even if you're not, you will get hungry reading about how this delectable dish is created. I am so making Freedom Soup this year. A recipe follows at the end along with an author's note. There is just so much to love and celebrate about Freedom Soup - a grandparent's love, cooking and storytelling as tradition and memory, history, and community. Highly recommended!

Fact Friday: 1919: the year that changed America by Marin W. Sandler

Image: Bloomsbury

1919: the year that changed America by Marin W. Sandler. 192 p. Bloomsbury Children's Books, January, 2019. 9781681198019.

Fact Friday features 1919: the year that changed America by Martin W. Sandler. I think it somehow fitting that the last Fact Friday of 1919, of the decade feature a book about the momentous year that preceded the Roaring 20s one hundred years ago. Soldiers returned from WWI after making the world "safe for democracy," but Black soldiers returned to increasing racism. Prohibition was looming. A terrible flu epidemic continued to ravage the world. Fear of communism simmered and became known as the Red Scare. Workers began unionizing. Women finally won the right to vote. And, Boston experienced a massive molasses flood. These are just some of the events described. It's slightly oversized, allowing for plenty of white space. The text is helped along with many photos, timelines and text boxes. The volume closes with suggestions for further reading, source notes and an index. Your history buffs will just love this. 

Teen Tuesday: Anthem by Deborah Wiles

Image: Scholastic

Anthem by Deborah Wiles. Sixties Trilogy #3. 480 p. Scholastic Inc., October, 2019. 9780545106092. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Teen Tuesday features Anthem by Deborah Wiles. Anthem is book three of The Sixties Trilogy. It takes place in 1969, at the height of the Vietnam War. Fourteen-year-old Molly's beloved older brother ran away after an explosive fight with their father. Word is, he's in San Francisco; but he has not contacted anyone. Now, his draft notice has arrived and her mother and aunt have concocted a plan to send her and her seventeen-year-old cousin on a cross-country road trip to find him. Molly, who likes order in her life has already mapped out the route. Norman, who summer plans with his yet-to-be-formed band are derailed, has a few stops he wants to make along the way. And what a road trip they have! As with the previous titles in the trilogy, this novel is documentary style. Though the page count weighs in at over 450 pages, many of them are filled with well-captioned photos and newspaper headlines that give readers historical context. Chapters are song names, which include a discography for each, so queue up some of the titles on Spotify and take a groovy road trip!

The point of view shifts between Molly and Norman effectively. The people that they meet along the way are brimming with life as they serve to help Norman gain confidence and upend everything Molly believes in. There are moments of hilarity sprinkled liberally as the reader watches both cousins grow and become socially aware. I did love each book in this trilogy, but this might be my favorite.

Highly recommended!

Picture Book Review: The Moose of Ewenki by Gerelchimeg Blackcrane

Image: Greystone Books

The Moose of Ewenki by Gerelchimeg Blackcrane. Illustrated by Jiu Er. 68 p. Greystone Kids/ Greystone Books, September, 2019. 9781771645386. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publicist.)

I dare you to resist the lure of this fantastic cover! Take a real close look. Note the detail - the brushstrokes, the long lashes and the insouciant stare.  Prepare to fall in love. If you're reading it aloud, prepare for that blessed hush that happens when the audience is rapt.

The opening double-page spread introduces the reader to the Reindeer Ewenki, who live in the Greater Hinggan Mountains in Northern China. An elder, named Gree Shek has been waiting to ambush a moose all night and is successful. This spread shows the hunter and his hound headed toward their prey. The detail in each of these two spreads (indeed in every illustration) invites lingering. There is such careful attention to detail. 

Sadly, Gree Shek has killed a mother moose and her calf is trembling in nearby shrubs. The old man calms his dog and offers his hand to the poor, motherless calf, who follows him home. And proceeds to wreak havoc in the campsite. Even so, he becomes part of the camp and makes himself quite at home among the Ewenki and the reindeer. Gree Shek names him Xiao Han, little moose. But Gree Shek is elderly and he understands his time is limited. When he injures himself and needs to seek care in the village down the mountain, Xiao Han follows. But he is not suited to life among humans there. 

Perhaps, neither is Gree Shek. He returns to the mountains and brings Xiao Han deep into the forest, where he chases him away. Gree Shek does not return to the Ewenki though. He dies in the forest, with his trusty dog at his side. His dog remains even after Gree Shek is buried. The Ewenki never return to that part of the forest again. The giant moose remains though, guarding the forest and his dead hunter.

This story is so powerful, I am sure that whomever you read it to will ask, "Is this true?" You can say with certainty, "Yes." Share this widely. You will not be disappointed. Beautiful storytelling by a Chinese bestselling author accompanied by stunning illustrations, this story of kindness and nature should have universal appeal. Highly recommended.

Middle Grade Monday: Crush by Svetlana Chmakova

Image: Yen Press

Crush by Svetlana Chmakova. Berrybrook Middle School series #3. 240 p. JY/ Yen Press, October, 2019. 9780316363235. (Review of purchased finished copy.)

Middle Grade Monday features Crush by Svetlana Chmakova. Fans of Chamakova's middle grade debut, Awkward and its sequel, Brave will be thrilled to return to Berrybrook Middle School. Crush focuses on Jorge. He's probably the biggest kid in school and his size can be intimidating; but he's also the sweetest person ever. He uses his size for good and is happy hanging with his two best friends. Lately though, when he crosses paths with a certain girl, he finds he's a bit off his game. Add to that, a shifting dynamic between the boys and you've got plenty of authentic middle school drama. Fans will eagerly await another installment of The Berrybrook Middle School series.

This endearing series is just getting better with each book! Jorge is a great character. The dialogue is spot on. The art is energetic and colorful. And the issues are relatable. I hope the series continues.

Crush is a first purchase! Multiple copies will be necessary to keep up with demand.

Fact Friday: Growing Up Gorilla: how a zoo baby brought her family together by Clare Hodgson Meeker

Image: Lerner 

Growing Up Gorilla: how a zoo baby brought her family together by Clare Hodgson Meeker. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, September, 2019. 9781541542402. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features Growing Up Gorilla: how a zoo baby brought her family together by Clare Hodgson Meeker. Mothers, regardless of species learn how to be mothers from their mothers. What happens when a baby is rejected by her mother? Keepers at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, stepped in nineteen years ago to raise Nadiri when her Lowland Gorilla mama refused to care for her. Now that Nadiri was about to become a mother, zookeepers worried that she would also reject her infant and devised a care routine that would encourage Nadiri to bond with her infant. Look at that face on the cover. How could one not? 

Meeker relates the story conversationally, in short chapters filled with full-color photos, charts and text-boxes. Back matter consists of an Author's Note, Acknowledgments, Glossary, and a More About Gorillas section that lists two pages of books, websites and videos for curious readers. The bright pops of color throughout, such as purple lines framing the many pictures, red caption boxes and green backgrounds and accenting marks enliven the presentation. 

Growing Up Gorilla is an excellent addition to any STEM collection. Hand it to your animal lovers. It just might inspire the next generation of zoologists. 

Middle Grade Monday: Stargazing by Jen Wang

Image: Macmillan

Stargazing by Jen Wang. 224 p. First Second/ Macmillan, September, 2019. 9781250183880. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Middle Grade Monday features Stargazing by Jen Wang. Christine is a perfectionist. She plays the violin, goes to Chinese school, follows the rules and gets great grades, but there is always someone who is better than her. Moon is unconcerned with grades or rules. She's a vegetarian Buddhist who settles scores with her fists. Christine is fascinated. When Moon and her single mom fall on hard times and move into a cottage on Christine's property, the two form an unlikely friendship. It isn't always smooth, but Moon helps Christine loosen up and live a little. 

Stargazing is such a beguiling friendship story! Spot on dialogue and social interactions are gently depicted in words and with subtle and slightly muted artwork. It's a great choice for readers desiring #WNDB, friendship stories or graphic novels. Fans of Shannon Hale, Kayla Miller and Kristen Gudsnuk will eat this up and ask for more. Certainly a first-purchase!

Fact Friday: Camp Panda: helping cubs return to the wild by Catherine Thimmesh

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Fact Friday features Camp Panda: helping cubs return to the wild by Catherine Thimmesh. Just try and resist this Sibert Honor-winning book! One look at that cover should be enough. If not, then the engaging text and many crisp, clear full-color photos throughout should seal the deal!

An estimated 23,000 pandas roamed the wilds of China at one time. In the last 40 years, their population has been decimated by habitat loss, poaching and human overpopulation. Find out how scientists are attempting to help this endangered species. This includes wearing a panda suit and mask covered in panda urine and feces to mask the human smell. Scientists want the pandas to fear human contact. Baby pandas are not born with the instinct to survive. These skills are taught. The work is expensive and fascinating. Back matter includes source notes.

Camp Panda belongs in every collection. 

November is Picture Book Month! Review: Love and the Rocking Chair by Leo & Diane Dillon

Image: Scholastic Inc. 

Love and the Rocking Chair by Leo & Diane Dillon. Unpgd. The Blue Sky Press/ Scholastic Inc., October 2019. 9781338332650. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Our family has a rocking chair that has spanned generations. Does yours? This book is a favorite for all sorts of reasons both sentimental and objective. According to the jacket information, Love and the Rocking Chair is the Dillons' final collaboration. And a fitting one it is. 

It's a lovely story, sparely told, about a young, interracial couple who are expecting their first child and shopping for the perfect chair. They find it, have the baby and the chair is perfect - for rocking, for reading, for playing and finally for holding cast-off belongings. Then it is packed away and forgotten about until...

The muted palette and the Dillons' signature style draw the eye and invite lingering over each scene. Pull a young one into your lap and share this book! Highly recommended! It's the perfect gift for new parents. 

ETA November 9, 2019: I had the book on the kitchen counter to send with my husband when he visited my son, d-i-l and grand-daughter today. As he often does with my book droppings all over the house, he paused to read the book. I busied myself at the kitchen table and didn't look up when he said, "Nice book." A beat later, I turned to see him wiping his eyes with a tissue. I asked, "What's wrong with your eye?" He responded, "I'm crying! That book was beautiful!" We've been together for 35 years and I think I can count how many times he has openly wept on one hand.

November is Picture Book Month! Picture Book Review: Ocean Meets Sky by the Fan Brothers

Image: Simon & Schuster

Ocean Meets Sky by the Fan Brothers. 48 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May, 2018. 9781481470377. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

I am so sorry to have taken so long to get to this utterly gorgeous meditation on the power of storytelling, a grandfather's love and grief. 

A young boy misses his beloved grandfather. On what would've been his 90th birthday, he builds a boat with the intention of finding where the ocean meets the sky. The boat he builds is absolutely adorable and totally un-seaworthy! It is somewhat reminiscent of the clubhouse my brother put together from wood scavenged at garbage days. But he has built it and he is proud.

But shipbuilding is hard work! The boy falls asleep but awakens to discover a huge white-bearded, golden fish who is willing to travel with him to where the ocean meets the sky. Is this his grandfather? Or is his grandfather in the moon?

The illustrations are perfectly captivating. Each spread invites pause. Do not rush through this book. The writing is spare and lovely, inviting contemplation and discussion. Was it all a dream or did he really travel there? 

Ocean Meets Sky is a perfect lap book. 

It's Picture Book Month and I've stumbled right out of the gate! Yesterday was a gorgeous day. I went to my yin yoga class, did the food shopping and headed out with my audiobook plugged in to take care of some leaves. Once dinner was cooked, eaten and cleaned, I realized that I hadn't blogged but time and energy had run out. No picture book entry for November 2.

It nearly happened again today. Leaves part-two and this time, with an aching back! 

November is Picture Book Month! Review: Mario and the Hole in the Sky: how a chemist saved our planet by Elizabeth Rusch

November is Picture Book Month! Each November, I attempt to highlight/ review a picture book a day. Let's see how many days I can get this year!

Image: Charlesbridge

Mario and the Hole in the Sky: how a chemist saved our planet by Elizabeth Rusch. Illustrated by Teresa Martínez. unpgd. Charlesbridge, November 5, 2019. 9781580895811. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Regular readers of this blog know that one of my mottoes is, "One is never too old for picture books." Regular readers also know that I developed a picture book biography unit for my sixth graders. I believe a picture book biography is a terrific entry into the world of biography. Choosing a full-length biography to read as an assignment can be daunting. A well-researched picture book biography can give middle school readers a glimpse into the person before committing to a full-length biography. I am so happy to add Mario and the Hole in the Sky to the cart.

Mario Molina grew up in Mexico. He had an intense interest in science from an early age. This was supported and encouraged by his family, who gave him a microscope for his birthday as well as full access to chemicals and a rarely used bathroom. He just loved to experiment. His love for chemistry, especially, continued through boarding school in Switzerland and into college. Around the same time, new products were being introduced into the markets that contained chemicals that Mario knew could be harmful. Shortly after completing his PhD and moving to the U.S., Mario heard about harmful chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and worked with a fellow scientist, F. Sherwood Rowland to find out how. Of course, no one believed them; but they persevered. 

The story is fascinating - direct and compelling. The vibrant illustrations featuring a big-eyed, big-headed Maria exude energy, humor and warmth. Useful back matter includes an epilogue, which includes a photo of the scientist; comparisons of the Ozone Hole and Global Warming; books and websites for further reading; tips for doing more to decrease greenhouse gases and an author's note. 

Mario and the Hole in the Sky is a first-purchase. It belongs in a variety of teaching situations - from STEM classes to a read aloud to model resilience and perseverance. 

Fact Friday: Backyard Bears: conservation, habitat changes and the rise of urban wildlife by Amy Cherrix

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Backyard Bears: conservation, habitat changes and the rise of urban wildlife by Amy Cherrix. 80 p. The Scientists in the Field series. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October, 2019. 9781328858689. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features Backyard Bears: conservation, habitat changes and the rise of urban wildlife by Amy Cherrix. Cherrix brings us another fascinating entry in the "Scientists in the Field" series. My love for this series is no secret. The entries are consistently excellent. They make for excellent reading on their own; but are perfect for meeting the "Careers in Science" standard. 

Conservation efforts began in Asheville, North Carolina in the 1970s when the bear population there reached a critical low. Now, the bears are thriving, perhaps a bit too well. The author followed a team of scientists involved in a five-year study of Ashville's bear population. Her storytelling is engaging and includes side bars with interviews of the scientists. Plentiful photos depict the work of the scientists as they track previously collared bears in order to assess their health. Additional chapters also highlight other animals around the world who have adapted to urban environs. 

Backmatter includes tips on becoming "bearwise," as the residents of Asheville have done so well. It is admirable that they have bought into cohabiting peacefully with the bears.

There's a glossary, source notes and an index as well. This is a first-purchase as well as a must-read!

Picture Book Review: Hey, Dog! by Tony Johnston

Image: Charlesbridge

Hey, Dog! by Tony Johnston. Illustrated by Jonathan Nelson. unpgd. Charlesbridge, June, 2019. 9781-58089-877-5. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Full-disclosure: I am an unabashed dog lover. There isn't a meme or video featuring a dog that I will ever not view. Those vids of dog rescues are especially compelling to me. So it goes without saying that I adore this book. 

An earnest bespectacled boy spies a stray dog shaking with fear in the bushes near his house. When he attempts to approach, the dog darts away. Thinking the dog might be thirsty, the boy fills a frisbee with water and places it near the spot in the bushes where he first saw the dog. Later, the water is gone. Thinking the dog must also be hungry, he leaves food along with more water. Later, he thinks that the dog might be cold and brings a blanket out to the bushes. He is the perfect model for compassion and empathy as he constantly tries to anticipate what the dog will need. His relationship with his mother is lovely. He feels comfortable sharing his concerns and she quietly supports him.

The spare writing is very child-centric, simple and direct and works well with the black-lined, cartoon illustrations which are also quite spare. Teachers and parents searching for a non-didactic read-aloud to teach attributes such as empathy, patience and kindness will love sharing Hey, Dog.

Teen Tuesday and Arc Review: Allies by Alan Gratz

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Allies by Alan Gratz. 325 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., October 15, 2019. 9781338245721. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher. Own hc.) 

Teen Tuesday wishes a belated happy book birthday to Allies by Alan Gratz. Gratz is a favorite author here at TMS and his latest entry has been highly anticipated. His well-researched historical fiction really connects young readers to history. Readers who think they don't like historical fiction find that they do when introduced to any Gratz title.

In Allies, the epic D-Day invasion is told from the point-of-view of multiple players. The invasion was a massive, multi-pronged assault on the beaches of Normandy and a make-or break moment for the allied forces. The action is non-stop as the reader follows the actions of a young U.S. Army recruit getting sea-sick in a boat about to storm the beach, a tween daughter of a captured French Resistance fighter who has to think quickly when her mother is captured by the Nazis, a British paratrooper, a Black medic, as well as a Cree and a Canadian soldier on that fateful day. Gratz recreates the terror, confusion, horror and heroism as over 160,000 Allied forces came together to take back the beach, France and defeat the Nazis. 

Allies is unputdownable and one for the reread pile. Highly recommended and well-deserving of all the stars and praise.