Middle Grade Monday: The Year I Stopped Drawing: an Illustrated Novel in Verse by Grant Snider

Image: Abrams

The Year I Stopped Drawing: an Illustrated Novel in Verse by Grant Snider. 312 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams, November 10, 2026. 9781419788383. Review of arc courtesy of publisher.

Adam Zane has always been known as the best artist in his class, but he's entering seventh grade and everything is about to change for him - his brother left for college and hasn't communicated with Adam, his parents are fighting, but pretending that they're not, his best friend had a growth spurt, and worst of all, a new girl is a better artist than he. He's at sea. His grades begin to suffer, he refuses to attempt to create any art. When his anger at being constantly bullied by Jason erupts, and he ends up with an in-school suspension, his counselor sets him a challenge

Trust me when I say that grade seven is cataclysmic. So much change is happening to these kids from the onset of puberty (or lack of onset) to the shifting friendships, to the increased difficulty of classes. The appeal of this illustrated novel in verse lies in its utter relatability and readability. Post-It Notes separate chapters by months of the school year and there are pencil drawings accompanying each poem. The presentation is clean and engaging. Middle school readers will find much to connect with. Touching at times, humorous at others, this book is a solid addition to any collection. I can't wait to read the finished book! Highly recommend!

Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Fight or Flight by Jeff Kinney

Image: Abrams

Fight or Flight: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #21) by Jeff Kinney. 224 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams, October 20, 2026. 9781419782701.

Waiting on Wednesday features Fight or Flight, the 21st Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, due out on October 21. I have been a fan of Wimpy Kid since the first installment. I wasn't blogging then, and I wasn't on Goodreads, but I thought it hilarious and just the right book for a variety of readers. 

Publisher synopsis: In Fight or Flight, Greg Heffley faces his biggest challenge yet as he becomes a target for the school bully. Luckily for Greg, his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, takes karate, so at least Greg's got someone in his corner. But an unexpected twist makes Greg realize he's facing an uphill battle.

Will Greg step into the ring or throw in the towel? One thing's for sure—Fight or Flight is a knockout!

Book Mail

I received an email from Tommy Greenwald last week telling me about his newest book, Right Call, and asking if I'd be interested. No brainer! Woot! It arrived Friday and I'm about to dive in. I've been a fan since reading Mr. Greenwald's debut, Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to (Not) Reading.

Image: Abrams Books

The Right Call: a Game Changer Companion Novel by Tommy Greenwald. 272 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams Books, April 15, 2025. 9781419772856.

Publisher synopsis:From award-winning author Tommy Greenwald comes a thrilling companion novel to Game Changer that explores the growing pressures in youth sports, and the lengths some parents will go to make sure their kid comes out on top.

Cal Klondike’s life revolves around baseball. He’s the Walthorne Baseball Academy’s star pitcher, and everyone from his coach to his dad to the town sports blogger is telling Cal he has an unlimited future in the sport. But with all this attention comes a lot of added stress, especially as the season kicks into high gear and college and pro scouts start to show up at the games. Inevitably, tensions that have been bubbling under the surface finally boil over, culminating in a confrontation that could change Cal’s relationship to baseball forever.

Told through a combination of transcripts, articles, texts, and emails, The Right Call is a gripping, fast-paced story for middle grade readers about our split-second decisions, facing the consequences, and the courage it takes to forgive.

Waiting on Wednesday: Partypooper by Jeff Kinney

Image: Abrams 

Partypooper by Jeff Kinney. Diary of a Wimpy Kid #20. Abrams Books, October 21, 2025. 9781419782695.

Wow! Wimpy Kid #20! I cannot wait! Here's the publisher synopsis: Over the years, Greg Heffley has chronicled his mishaps and misadventures in a series of diaries—make that journals—but book 20 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Partypooper, really takes the cake! Expect gobs of fun and over-the-top antics as Greg throws an epic birthday party for none other than himself. So come celebrate and laugh alongside Greg, his family, and the entire world of Wimpy Kid fans.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Grief in the Fourth Dimension.by Jennifer Yu

Image: Tantor Media

Grief in the Fourth Dimension.by Jennifer Yu. Unabridged audiobook, ~8 hours, 45 minutes. Tantor Audio. Read by Tim Lounibos and Raechel Wong. July, 2024. Review of audiobook downloaded and borrowed from public library.

Kenny Zhou and Caroline Davison may have been classmates, but they existed in two completely different orbits. He, an introverted science nerd, worked in his immigrant parents' restaurant. She, an extroverted, popular athlete came from a life of privilege. When Kenny ends up in a stark, white room containing a chair and a huge, wall-mounted flat screen tv, any doubts that he has died are put to rest when the television broadcasts his funeral. 

Caroline, on the other hand, believes she's suffering from a fever dream, until the television shows her otherwise. Then, she believes the two are in purgatory - purgatory with a sense of humor as the room sends them cryptic notes and seems to grant them wishes. Of course, the two wish to communicate with their respective families, but communication is garbled. 

This intriguing speculative fiction made me think of a favorite book of mine called Layover Land, with its unique view of the afterlife, redemption and grief. Oh, and its snarkiness was quite amusing, but soon gave way to poignance as details unfold. 

The shifting POV between Kenny and Caroline kept me engaged and guessing. Supporting characters are beautifully rendered, especially Kenny's friend, Iris. 

Mr. Lounibos' narration gave Kenny such an achingly real vulnerability and Ms. Wong's portrayal of Caroline's journey from confident to angry to contemplative was well wrought. Many themes are explored here from privilege to mental health to justice through this story. 

Thoughtful teen fans of speculative fiction and the afterlife will adore Grief in the Fourth Dimension.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Right Call by Tommy Greenwald

Image: Author's FB Page

The Right Call by Tommy Greenwald. 272 p. Game Changer series. Abrams, April 15, 2025. 9781419772856

Oops! Wednesday is almost over and I forgot to post my Waiting on Wednesday book. Waiting on Wednesday features books that I am excited for and that will soon be published. This week features The Right Call by Tommy Greenwald. I learned about this companion novel to his Game Changer series from his Facebook page last week and am super-excited because I have enjoyed reading his books ever since Ms. Sidrow told me about his Charlie Jackson books!

The Right Call won't be out until April, but you can enjoy any of his books including the Game Changer books at TMS library before then. Here's the publisher synopsis: From award-winning author Tommy Greenwald comes a thrilling companion novel to Game Changer that explores the growing pressures in youth sports, and the lengths some parents will go to make sure their kid comes out on top

Cal Klondike’s life revolves around baseball. He’s the Walthorne Baseball Academy’s star pitcher, and everyone from his coach to his dad to the town sports blogger is telling Cal he has an unlimited future in the sport. But with all this attention comes a lot of added stress, especially as the season kicks into high gear and college and pro scouts start to show up at the games. Inevitably, tensions that have been bubbling under the surface finally boil over, culminating in a confrontation that could change Cal’s relationship to baseball forever.

Told through a combination of transcripts, articles, texts, and emails, The Right Call is a gripping, fast-paced story about our split-second decisions, facing the consequences, and the courage it takes to forgive.

Happy reading!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

Image: Kobo Originals

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~7 hours. Read by Meegwun Fairbrother. Kobo Originals, March, 2018. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday! Teen Tuesday features The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline. This sci/fi dystopian in set in the future, in Canada. Human-caused climate change has resulted in an apocalypse. Not only has the physical landscape changed with rising sea levels, but people have stopped dreaming and this has resulted in mass madness. Government officials realize that Indigenous people seem to be immune and continue to dream, so "Recruiters" have been tasked with rounding them up and bringing them to "facilities" called schools, where they are never heard from again. Our narrator, Frenchie, is a sixteen-year-old orphan who has been part of a bonded band of mostly youth, led by an elder named Miig for the past six years. Surviving in the wilderness is rough and requires constant vigilance. This riveting story is believable and the writing is layered and lovely. Frenchie's story is honest and raw. 

The narrator's performance was well-paced and engaging. Teens who enjoy dystopian literature will find much to admire here. The Marrow Thieves was published in 2017 and won the Kirkus Prize for Young People's Literature and also made the School Library Journal Best Books List, as well as the YALSA Best Fiction list among other honors. A sequel, Hunting by Stars was published in 2021 and I need to read it. Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Spying on Spies: How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Broke the Nazis' Secret Code by Marissa Moss

Image: Abrams Books

Spying on Spies: How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Broke the Nazis' Secret Code by Marissa Moss. 224 p. Abrams Books for Young Readers/ Abrams, March 12, 2024. 9781419767319.

Happy Wednesday! I just looked at the calendar and noticed that students will be back in school in three Wednesdays! We teachers are back on the first for two teacher workdays bookending the Labor Day weekend. Summer break is winding down! My summer reading has contained more than the usual big books written for adults, so I am way behind for my GR goal for the year. 

Waiting on Wednesday features Spying on Spies: How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Broke the Nazis' Secret Code by Marissa Moss. I am super-excited to read this not only because I enjoy Ms. Moss' books, but also because I learned about Elizebeth Smith Friedman through a picture book! #nevertoooldforpicturebooks! Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars by Laurie Wallmark is part of my sixth grade picture book biography unit and a popular choice among sixth grade students! I always tell students that a picture book biography can inform, but also inspire reading further. Ms. Moss' fuller length biography will be the perfect next step for students.

Her picture book biography of Allan Pinkerton, The Eye That Never Sleeps, is also popular in the unit, and I really enjoyed her biography of Lise Meitner, The Woman Who Split the Atom.

Spying on Spies isn't due out until March 12, 2024, but that leaves plenty of time to read Ms. Moss' other biographies. Here's the publisher synopsis:

One of the founders of US cryptology who would eventually become one of the world’s greatest code breakers, Elizebeth Smith Friedman (1892–1980) was a brilliant mind behind many important battles throughout the 20th century, saving many lives through her intelligence and heroism. Whip-smart and determined, Elizebeth displayed a remarkable aptitude for language and recognizing patterns from a young age. After getting her start by looking for linguistic clues to the true authorship of Shakespeare’s writings, she and her husband, William Friedman, were tasked with heading up the first government code-breaking unit in America, training teams and building their own sophisticated code systems during the lead-up to World War I.

Elizebeth’s solo career was even more impressive. She became the Treasury Department’s and Coast Guard’s first female codebreaker and created her own top-notch codebreaking unit, where she trained and led many male colleagues. During Prohibition in the 1920s, her work solving and intercepting coded messages from mobsters and criminal gangs lead to hundreds of high-profile criminal prosecutions, including members of Al Capone’s gang. Her crowning achievement came during World War II, when Elizebeth uncovered an intricate network of Nazi spies operating in South America, a feat that neither law enforcement nor intelligence agencies had been able to accomplish. Despite her unparalleled accomplishments, she was largely written out of history books and overshadowed by her husband. Only in very recent years has her name begun to receive the attention it deserves, including the US Coast Guard naming a ship in her honor and the US Senate passing a 2019 resolution to honor her life and legacy.

Back matter includes codes for kids to learn!

Waiting on Wednesday: No Brainer: Diary of a Wimpy Kid #18 by Jeff Kinney

Image: Abrams Books

No Brainer: Diary of a Wimpy Kid #18 by Jeff Kinney. 224 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams, October 24, 2023. 9781419766947.

Waiting on Wednesday features No Brainer by Jeff Kinney. #18 in the very popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is coming on October 24! 

Publisher synopsis: Up until now, middle school hasn’t exactly been a joyride for Greg Heffley. So when the town threatens to close the crumbling building, he’s not too broken up about it.

But when Greg realizes this means he’s going to be sent to a different school than his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, he changes his tune. Can Greg and his classmates save their school before it’s shuttered for good? Or is this the start of a whole new chapter for Greg

Teen Tuesday: Unraveller by Frances Hardinge

Image: Abrams Books

Unraveller by Frances Hardinge. 432 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams, January, 2023. 9781419759314. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Fifteen-year-old Kellen is blunt, off-putting and easily irritated. He also has a singular talent that the residents of Raddith find useful. He's an unraveller and there are quite a number of residents who need their curses unravelled, including Kellen's traveling companion, Nettle, who was cursed into a heron's body and was unravelled by Kellen. She is now his traveling companion. 

Curses spring from curse eggs and can appear at any time, but is usually brought on by intense hatred. There is a government department, the Chancery, devoted to rounding up the cursers and separating them from society. Cursers are remanded to the Red Hospital, presumably for treatment, but it's little more than a prison. The unravelled also tend to suffer from PTSD and are never the same. 

There is a quiet revolution afoot. Someone is releasing captive cursers and there may a traitor among the Chancery! Kellen and Nettle receive an invitation from a mysterious one-eyed man who drives a carriage pulled by a marsh horse. But as they venture deeper into the Wilds, Kellen and Nettle no longer know whom they can trust. 

This was absolutely exquisite. I wanted to swallow it whole due to the suspense and mystery, but slowed to savor the absolutely lovely writing, flawed and complex characters and vivid world building. It's definitely a book I would reread! Highly recommended!

Middle Grade Monday: Diper Överlöde (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #17) by Jeff Kinney

Image: Abrams Books

Diper Överlöde (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #17) by Jeff Kinney. 224 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams Books, October, 2022. 9781419762949. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Monday! Middle Grade Monday features Diper Överlöde (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #17) by Jeff Kinney. Roderick wants to make his band, Diper Överlöde big and he thinks that by winning the upcoming Battle of the Bands will do it as it also launched the career of his favorite band. Greg isn't all that interested in being Roderick's roadie, but on the off-chance he does become famous, Greg wants in. Fans of the series will not be disappointed. There's a wait list for it. 

#tbt: Sisters Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

Image: Abrams

Sisters Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley. Illustrated by Peter Ferguson. Amulet Books/ Abrams Books, 2005. 

Happy Thursday! #tbt features Sisters Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley. The Fairy Tale Detectives is the first entry of the nine book Sisters Grimm series. The sisters Grimm are orphans Sabrina and Daphne, who are placed in a series of foster homes after their parents disappear. They are surprised when they are released to the care of their grandmother, Reida Grimm, whom the sisters thought was dead. Oh, and she may or may not be a witch. She whisks the girls to a town called Ferryport Landing, which has an unusual amount of criminal activity. It isn't long before they learn that they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm and that Ferryport Landing is inhabited by Everafters. 

If you like fast-paced, humorous stories inspired by folk or fairy tales, this is the series for you!

Middle Grade Monday: Dinged by Tommy Greenwald

Image: Abrams Books

Dinged by Tommy Greenwald. 288 p. A Game Changer companion novel. Amulet Books/ Abrams, September, 2022. 9781419755156. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Happy Monday! It is a wet and dreary Monday here in northern NJ. The pups were miserable plodding through the dark and the rain to do their business, but they sure do love to be towed-dried at the end. 

Middle Grade Monday features Dinged by Tommy Greenwald. Freshman Caleb Springer has it made. He not only made the varsity football team, but is its quarterback. His whole life has been all football all the time, and he's a rare natural talent that is expected to go all the way to the pros as his father did. Only his dad is showing some disturbing signs - forgetfulness and explosive anger, and Caleb is concerned after having his bell rung twice during the season.

This first-person novel is interspersed with text messages and color commentary by a bantering duo of high school sports journalists. Caleb is instantly appealing as he thoughtfully leads a team of boys that are older and bigger than he. The football action is crisp. The romance between Caleb and Nina is sweet. The ever-present danger of traumatic brain injury and the effects of repeated head injury are ominous, and will hopefully cause readers to reflect. They will root for Caleb as he ponders his path.

Dinged should have wide appeal among middle school readers, not just fans of sports novels. Mr. Greenwald's writing is consistently crisp. His plots move briskly, but also contain depth and his characters are engaging and relatable. And, that cover sure is arresting! Back matter includes an author's note and a list of resources about traumatic brain injury. Highly recommended!

Make Up Posts #tbt and Fact Friday!

Oops! Boy did I goof this week!. This morning, I checked my blog to see that my Saturday, "What's New" posted went up and saw, not only that it did not post, but I didn't post a #tbt or a Fact Friday. I posted them to my school's learning platform and the public library FB page, but not my blog! Then "What's New?" post was accidentally scheduled for August 27! Man, oh man! My brain is turning to mush! Time to play catch up.

#tbt:

Image: Scholastic Inc. 

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen. 352 p. The Ascendance Trilogy #1. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., April, 20212. 9780545284134. (Own.)

 #tbt features The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen. This first-person narrative is book one of what was the Ascendance Trilogy, now series. Sage is a fifteen-year-old orphan who lives in Miss Turdbeldy's Orphanage for Disadvantaged Boys in the kingdom of Carthya. He's defiant as well as a thief and Miss Turdbeldy is more than happy to have him taken off her hands when a nobleman named Bevin Connor comes to collect four boys. Very quickly, the boys all learn that they are enrolled in a crash course in how to impersonate a prince and that only one of them, the false prince, will come out alive. If you love adventure narrated with sass and humor, you will love this series. 

It was published in the spring of 2012. The sequels, The Runaway King and The Shadow Throne were published in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Fact Friday: 

Image: Abrams Books

The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner by Marissa Moss. 264 p. Abrams Books for Young Readers/ Abrams Books, April, 2022. 9781419758539. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner by Marissa Moss. Life was hard for women who were interested in the sciences in the early twentieth century. They had to work twice as hard as their male counterparts, were given terrible working conditions and very little, if any pay. Often, male colleagues stole or took credit for the discoveries of female scientists. Such was the case with Lise Meitner. She was a physicist who worked very closely with a chemist named Otto Hahn. He did credit her in their early work, though his name was always first. However, when Hitler came to power and Jews were being stripped of everything, Hahn did little to protect Meitner and she resisted other colleagues pleas to leave Germany. Not only that, but absolutely failed to credit Meitner when HE won the Nobel Prize for HER work on splitting atoms. Without her calculations, Hahn had no idea what he was looking at.

This biography is absorbing. Chapters are short and each begins with an engaging, illustrated introduction. Over fifty pages of back matter contains archival photos, an afterword, an author's note, a timeline of Meitner's achievements, a glossary, thumbnail biographies of the other scientists that were mentioned in the text, chapter notes, sources, and an index.

The Woman Who Split the Atom would appeal to readers who enjoy biographies, science, and women's history.

Waiting on Wednesday: Diper Överlöde (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #17) by Jeff Kinney

Image: Abrams Books

Diper Överlöde (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #17) by Jeff Kinney. 224 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams Books, October 25, 2022. 9781419762949.

Waiting on Wednesday features Diper Överlöde by Jeff Kinney. It's hard to believe, but book 17 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is due to drop on October 25. Personally, I think the series continues to hit all the marks for humor and dead-on observation of familial and middle school life. Here's the publisher synopsis: When he decides to tag along with his brother Rodrick’s band, Löded Diper, Greg doesn’t realize what he’s getting into. But he soon learns that late nights, unpaid gigs, fighting between band members, and money troubles are all part of the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle.

Can Greg help Löded Diper become the legends they think they are? Or will too much time with Rodrick’s band be a diper överlöde?

#tbt: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

Image: Abrams Books

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger. Origami Yoda #1. 192 p. Amulet/ Abrams Books, April, 2010. (Own)

Happy Thursday! My, but this week really flew! #tbt features The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger. With yesterday being May the fourth, this book popped into my head. Next year, May the fourth will actually fall on a #tbt, but I can't wait that long to talk about this fun book, which is part of a humorous series.

The book is a series of case files concerning sixth grade oddball, Dwight. Our narrator, Tommy wants to get to the bottom of the Origami Yoda question. You see, Dwight owns Yoda and, while Dwight himself is a bit socially inept, Yoda imparts uncanny wisdom through him. Each chapter/ case file in this illustrated novel contains a different classmate's testimony about whether Origami Yoda is real. The humor ranges from slapstick to wry and satirical. And there are instructions at the back of the book for readers to create their own Origami Yoda.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda was Mr. Angleberger's debut and published in 2010. It won an E.B. White Read Aloud Award, was named an ALA Notable Book and won quite a few State Awards. Darth Paper Strikes Back published in 2011 and five books followed.

Happy reading (and folding)!

#tbt: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney - Going Strong for Fifteen Years!

Image: Abrams Books

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. 224 p. Diary of a Wimpy Kid #1. April, 2007. 9781419741852. (Own.)

#tbt celebrates the fifteenth anniversary of the publication of Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. This hilarious illustrated novel hit the ground running. Greg Heffley is at once relatable and obnoxious as a sixth grader who just can't get a break. He's mistreated by his older brother, embarrassed by his parents and constantly upstaged by his baby brother. He does have one friend in Rowley, but when Rowley's popularity seems to rise, Greg is not happy.

The book grew out of a series of webcomics at funbrain.com. Originally, three books were planned, but sixteen have since been published. The series is beloved by all kinds of readers, but especially by readers who love to laugh. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Dinged by Tommy Greenwald

Image: Abrams Books

Dinged (A Game Changer Companion Novel) by Tommy Greenwald. 288 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams Publishers, September 6, 2022. 9781419755156.

Publisher synopsis: A star football player watches his father deteriorate from injuries he suffered playing the very same sport

Caleb Springer is the up-and-coming star freshman quarterback on the high school football team, which isn't a surprise considering his dad, Sammy Springer, was an NFL superstar and is now the town celebrity. College scouts are already snooping around Caleb, and his future seems set.

But just as Caleb’s glory days begin, his dad starts to change. He’s forgetting things and getting angry at random times. Caleb is forced to confront a bleak possibility: The sport that gives him so much status and self-worth might be the cause of his dad’s strange behavior. Will Caleb keep playing the sport of his dreams, even if he knows how dangerous it can be?

I really enjoy Tommy Greenwald's books. While most definitely veer toward breezy and funny, Game Changer was intense and emotional. Looking forward to this and I love the cover.

Fact Friday: Breaking Through the Clouds: the Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson

Image: Abrams Books

Breaking Through the Clouds: the Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson by Sandra Nickel and illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia. 48 p. Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 8, 2022. 9781419749568.

Happy Friday! Fact Friday celebrates Women's History Month and #nevertoooldforpicturebooks with Breaking Throught the Clouds: the Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson by Sandra Nickel and illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia. Any TMS sixth grader can tell you that one of my mottos is that one is never too old for picture books, especially if it is an informational one and especially if it is a biography. I cannot tell you how many times I was able to solve a crossword clue thanks to something I read in a book for young readers.

Joanne Simpson's fascination with clouds began at age five, when she took a small boat out behind the family cottage in Cape Cod to watch the clouds. By age ten, she was sailing solo in the ocean to escape her mother's harsh words for her. It seems that Joanne was "too stubborn and too smart" to be loved. So Joanne took solace in sailing and cloud watching. She was flying a plane by age sixteen and was able to get closer to her beloved clouds. She also kept notebooks. During WWII, while at the University of Chicago, she was asked to teach Air Force officers about clouds, but when the war ended and she wanted to continue her studies and earn a PhD, her professors laughed. She was a woman, and no women were meteorologist and she wanted to study clouds and clouds were just "currents of air filled with tiny beads of water..."

But Joanne persisted. She sold her boat to earn enough money to continue studying. She read. She studied. She watched the clouds and made calculations. She earned her PhD, but there were still obstacles ahead of her because she was a woman working in a "man's" field. All of her calculations were done using a slide rule, pencil and graph paper while her professor had a huge computer to work with. Eventually, this professor, who laughed at Joanne years earlier, recognized the importance of her models and offered her the use of his computer.

The palette in the gouache illustrations pop with vibrant color and add energy to this story of resiliency and perseverance. The end pages are decorated with all the different types of clouds. I appreciated the details embedded in the book cover, such as the weather map in the background and her flowing scarf. The pattern made me think of birds and of her love of flying. Back matter includes an author's note, three black and white photos of Dr. Simpson at work, a selected bibliography and a timeline.

This picture book releases next week. Budding meteorologists will want to learn about this important history, but it is history everyone should be aware of. Happy book birthday (in advance) to Breaking Through Clouds! Happy Women's History Month! Happy reading!

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.