Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~4 hours, 20 minutes. Read by Juliette Goglia. Versify/ HarperCollins Publishers, March, 2022. 9780358669258. (Review of downloadable e-audiobook borrowed from the public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson. The year is 1932 in this historical verse novel. Eighteen-year-old Hilde has just aged out of the orphanage she has lived in since her mother died. She's now trudging the streets of Berlin in search of a job with few prospects. After living rough and sleeping in parks, Hilde stumbles upon the Café Lila, a cabaret where gay and lesbian patrons safely gather and find community. Hilde catches the eye of Rosa, one of the café's waitresses and singers, who makes Hilde feel welcomed. She pitches in to help since they are short staffed and, has a job by the end of the evening, but not a place to stay, until Rosa invites her to stay in the apartment she shares with her aunt.

Friendship and, ultimately, romance bloom, but there are dark times on the horizon in Germany. Hitler is rising to power and unleashing raging anti-semitism and homophobia. Readers of this spare, evocative verse novel become fully immersed in 1932 Berlin and its thriving lgbtq community while knowing the devastation that is looming. Back matter includes an author's note and resources for further reading.

The narrator's performance was well-paced and German words and phrases seemingly fluent. Ms. Wilson's debut, White Rose, is a stunning work of historical fiction that was extensively researched. The same can be said for her sophomore novel. Mature teen fans of White Rose will be spellbound by The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin.

Middle Grade Monday: Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander

Image: Little, Brown and Company/ Hachette

Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander. Illustrated by Daywud Anyabwile. 320 p. Little, Brown/ Hachette Book Group & Versify/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October, 2020. 9780316498166. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Middle Grade Monday features Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander. Mr. Alexander, author of the always-checked-out The Crossover, has teamed up with Mr. Patterson, the "author" of the ever-popular Middle School and I, Funny series to write a work of biographical fiction based on the early life of Cassius Clay that was fully authorized by the Ali estate. Have you ever heard the saying, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee?" This was part of Ali's colorful and poetic smack-talk as he won bout after bout on his way to the title Heavyweight Boxing Champion. But what of the boy known as Cassius Clay?

Written in "Twelve Rounds," poet Alexander depicts twelve-year-old Cassius Clay, growing up in segregated Louisville, Kentucky with his parents, brother and extended family. His parents valued education and while Cassius was bright, school was difficult and boring. He knew he was destined for greatness and once he found boxing at age twelve, pursued it with a passion. As usual, Mr. Alexander's poetry crackles with energy, rhythm and sass.

Mr. Patterson's first-person prose introduces each chapter in the form of a fictional friend named Lucky, who provides some historical context and other extra information, including a glimpse into Muhammad Ali's adult life. The dynamic illustrations by Daywud Anyabwile, the same artist for Mr. Alexander's graphic novel adaptation of The Crossover, add to the interest of this dual-perspective narrative.

I wish we were in school and the library was open so that I could get this into my students hands ASAP! This is a book I will definitely reread with my ears. If you ever have the opportunity to listen to Kwame Alexander read his books, do it. While his poetry leaps off the page, hearing him brings an extra energy. 

Definitely a first-purchase! And, teachers, check out the Discussion Guide!

Fact Friday: Finish the Fight: the brave and revolutionary women who fought for the right to vote by Veronica Chambers and the staff of the New York Times

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Finish the Fight: the brave and revolutionary women who fought for the right to vote by Veronica Chambers and the staff of the New York Times. 144 p. Versify/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, August, 2020. 9780358408307. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

It may be cold, wet and dreary out there, but it's Friday! Happy Friday TMS Readers! Fact Friday features Finish the Fight: the brave and revolutionary women who fought for the right to vote by Veronica Chambers and the staff of the New York Times. Where would Edmund Hilary be without Tenzing Norgay? Certainly not at the summit of Mt. Everest without the skill and guidance and this humble sherpa. Where would Robert Peary be without Matthew Henson? Probably lost in the snow of the arctic without Matthew Henson's navigational skills and endurance and not the first to claim the North Pole. These two white men received all the credit while the people of color who were responsible for getting them there faded into the background. 

This year is the centennial celebration of women in the U.S. attaining the right to vote. Two white women receive most of the attention in history books but it was a long, sustained haul to this historic event. Women of color were part of the movement and had to deal with the racism of their fellow suffragists. Over the course of this year, Daily Book Talk readers may have noted several Fact Friday entries were devoted to books about women's suffrage, including one dedicated to highlighting Black women suffragists. Ms. Chambers and the staff of the New York Times compiled this colorfully illustrated collective biography focusing on the efforts of a diverse group of suffragists that include Native American, Asian American, Black and Latinx American women whom history forgot. It's fascinating reading that should inspire teen readers to prepare to become part of an informed electorate. Finish the Fight belongs in every school and public library.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: The Last Mirror on the Left by Lamar Giles

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The Last Mirror on the Left by Lamar Giles. Illustrated by Dapo Adeola. 168 p. A Legendary Alston Boys Adventure #2. Versify/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 20, 2020. 9780358129419. (Review of e-arc courtesy of publicist.)

Middle Grade Monday wishes a happy book birthday to author, Lamar Giles and The Last Mirror on the Left. The second installment of A Legendary Alston Boys Adventure releases tomorrow and fans of the first adventure, The Last Last Day of Summer, will not want to miss it!

Cousins Otto and Sheed are back in school a short while after their epic adventure fixing the time freeze. Unfortunately, no one in Fry remembers what happened. Or so they thought. Mrs. Nedraw, owner of the Rorrim Mirror Emporium knows that the boys used one of her precious mirrors without her permission to fix the mess and now, she's threatening them with the law unless the boys help her. The mirrors are actually prison cells and the boys accidentally cracked the mirror they "borrowed," allowing a most notorious criminal to escape. He, in turn, freed a gang, then escaped through the last mirror on the left into an alternate universe town of Fry, where people and places are a bit...off.

The action is non-stop and totally mind-bending! While the humor is high, the boys contemplate criminal justice as they confront the ways in which the truth can be bent to serve those in power. The boys' devotion to each other is also tested as Sheed becomes annoyed by Otto's weirdness. (No spoilers here!) The spot art by Dapo Adeola adds to the humor and enjoyment.

Don't miss these two books! I hope to see more of Otto and Sheed, their antics, their brotherhood and their joy, in the future.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Last Mirror on the Left by Lamar Giles

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The Last Mirror on the Left by Lamar Giles. Illustrated by Dapo Adeola. A Legendary Alston Boys Adventure. 272 p. Versify/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 20, 2020. 9780358129417.

Publisher synopsis: In this new Legendary Alston Boys adventure from Edgar-nominated author Lamar Giles, Otto and Sheed must embark on their most dangerous journey yet, bringing a fugitive to justice in a world that mirrors their own but has its own rules to play by.

Unlike the majority of Logan County's residents, Missus Nedraw of the Rorrim Mirror Emporium remembers the time freeze from The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, and how Otto and Sheed took her mirrors without permission in order to fix their mess. Usually that’s an unforgivable offense, punishable by a million-year sentence. However, she’s willing to overlook the cousins’ misdeeds if they help her with a problem of her own. One of her worst prisoners has escaped, and only the Legendary Alston Boys of Logan County can help bring the fugitive to justice.

I was totally smitten by the boys' first adventure, The Last Last Day of Summer. The many fans of the book will be thrilled to learn the Alston boys are coming back. Isn't that cover terrific?

Teen Tuesday: White Rose by Kip Wilson

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

White Rose by Kip Wilson. 358 p. Versify/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April, 2019. 9781328594433. Review of purchased finished copy.)

During Hitler's rise to power, Sophie Scholl, like most young Germans, joined the Hitler Youth. Her older brothers eventually joined the German Army. Her boyfriend was also enlisted in the army. Instead of blindly following Hitler's edicts, Sophie and her brothers soon realized that Hitler's tactics were unconscionable. They believed that they were complicit by staying silent, but protesting was treasonous. Sophie and her brothers procured a copy machine and were soon printing and distributing anti-propaganda fliers that called out Hitler.

The verse novel flashes backward and forward and is told mostly from Sophie's POV. The spare yet often searing free-verse poems compel and the tension ratchets up with each page turn. Sophie's fear is palpable but so is her resolve, which should prompt most readers into reflecting about what they would do in a similar situation. 

I haven't had tremendous success book talking Russell Freedman's astounding, We Will Not be Silent: the White Rose Student Resistance Movement. Reading White Rose might be a way into the work of non-fiction. 

White Rose is a remarkable debut. It belongs in every public, school and classroom library!

Picture Book Review: The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander. unpgd. Versify/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2, 2019. 9781328780966. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Two of my absolute children's literature favorite talents got together and produced a masterpiece. This! This, folks needs to be read and shared. The words alone, originally performed for ESPN, are incredibly powerful. Combined with Kadir Nelson's portraits of African Americans famous and unknown, along with a stunning and moving use of white space, the poem's emotional impact increases exponentially.

I was privileged to hear it performed by the poet at Words last week, and to hear the artist state that while he has taken to only illustrating his own work, he made an exception for this poem. 

I teared up several times during Alexander's reading. I do so every time I reread it. I shared it with one of my classes and they all leaned in to listen. We took some time to identify some of the people in the portraits. Detailed backmatter will help with some less familiar faces and an author's note rounds out what should be a first-purchase for all libraries. 

The Undefeated is already on the NYT bestseller list. It's getting starred reviews all over the place. It doesn't need my stinky little blog review. But, man, how I loved this book. I purchased it with the intention of donating it to my school's library, but am keeping it for my own library. 

Picture Book Review: ¡Vamos! Let's Go to Market! by Raul the Third

¡Vamos! Let's  Go to Market! by Raul the Third. unpgd. Versify/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2, 2019. 9781328557261. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

When my sons were small, they absolutely adored Richard Scarry books. They were a bit tough to read aloud though. Thank goodness the boys preferred to lie on the floor and pore over the illustrations. They could be quietly occupied for some time. We had this oversized version of one of them that was also a board book, so it stood up to much manhandling (boyhandling) and many page-turns. This wonderfully nostalgic graphic novel picture book evoked these fond memories when I read it. 

Cheerful Little Lobo rises with energy and a smile, ready to get moving. He and his faithful doggie pal, Bernabé eat a hearty breakfast, grab their wood-slatted wagon and head out for their busy day at the market. I mean it when I say that there is something new to discover on every reading. I just read it for my third time and just noticed that Little Lobo and Bernabé have an unnamed roommate!

Spanish words are sprinkled throughout the text and in the illustrations. The vibrant market comes to life with a sort of sherberty palette. The animal denizens are a diverse bunch and visual humor is infused throughout. This is one I could imagine my boys loving to pieces. This is one I'm gifting. I'm also recommending it to the Spanish teachers in the district. 

¡Vamos! Let's  Go to Market! belongs everywhere - pre-school to middle school (and I could make an argument for high school), Spanish classroom, art classroom, any classroom. Make sure to check it out.