Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

Image: Macmillan

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. Translated from Spanish by Lilit Thwaites. Unabridge e-audiobook, ~ 14 hours. Narrated by Marisa Calin. Macmillan Young Listeners, 2017. 9781427287090. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. Translated from Spanish by Lilit Thwaites. This novel is based on the experience of Dita Kraus, who was the titular librarian. Auschwitz-Birkenau was perhaps the most notorious of concentration camps and headquarters of the feared and reviled Dr. Mengele. But commandants also allowed some families to stay together and the children attended a makeshift school run by a prisoner named Fredy Hirsch. Fourteen-year-old Dita was in charge of the eight books that were smuggled into the prison. Punishment would be swift and severe were these books to be discovered. 

The present tense narration of this story heightens suspense and immerses the reader in the violent and inhumane nightmare that was the Holocaust. The Librarian of Auschwitz is a heartbreaking and difficult read and might be too intense for certain readers. There is hope among the despair though and that will keep you going. But there will be tears, many tears.

Another new-to-me narrator, Ms. Calin adopted a matter-of-fact, almost journalistic tone, allowing the reader to react to the horrors personally. I appreciated her pronunciation of names and places as well. The book starts with a letter from Dita Kraus and in the audiobook, she reads her own letter. 

Mr. Iturbe is a Spanish journalist who interviewed Dita Kraus extensively while researching the book. Readers learn about what happened to many of the characters post-war and back matter informs the reader of what was fictionalized and the author's research process, including how he was able to track down Dita Kraus.

The Librarian of Auschwitz belongs in all teen collections. It was languishing on my "tbr" pile until a rising eighth grader recommended it to me near the end of the school year. I always try to read student recommendations and I'm glad I took this one. 

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Image: Penguin Random House

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. 256 p. Dial Books/ Penguin Random House, August, 2020 9781984816582. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday wishes a belated happy book birthday (8/11) to Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.  Fans of Ms. Bradley's The War That Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won already know they are in for an unforgettable reading experience. Ms. Bradley has a gift for rendering complex, memorable characters while also keeping the plot moving. Ada was a narrator who moved into my heart-space. Now she needs to make room for Della.

Ten-year-old Della, short for Delicious, "What was my mother thinking?" narrates this compelling, devastating and important new book. Della captivates from the very first line, "My new tattoo is covered by a Band-Aid, but halfway through recess, the Band-Aid falls off." Remember I said she's ten? She is blunt and prone to using salty language, even in the classroom and even with the principal. Suki, her sixteen-year-old sister, tries her best to protect and advise Della. Della doesn't really remember her mother, who "had the brains of a hamster" according to Suki. Della was very young when she and Suki nearly lost their lives. Their mother set their motel room on fire while cooking meth. The two ended up living with Clifton, their mom's long-haul truck driving boyfriend until something happened and now they live with Francine, their foster mother. Della eases into the bad parts slowly allowing tween readers as well as herself to process what happened. Her blunt observations are quite often laugh-out-loud funny, which helps when we get to the really tough parts. 

Della and Suki are incredibly brave and resilient. Yet even the strongest steel has a breaking point. The two are lucky to have landed with Francine, their no-nonsense but caring foster mother. The girls have been so used to fending for themselves that they are wary of Francine. But Francine knows the ropes and what to request for the girls even though Child Protective Services is slow to act. 

Children need to feel safe and loved as much as they need food and shelter. Higher levels of functioning, like learning is impossible in survival mode and both Della and Suki have learning deficits. I'd like to think that most children in the communities in which I live and work are growing up in a stable, secure home; but the reality is that even the appearance of affluence is not indicative of an environment where a child can thrive. It is a dangerous assumption. 

This story about child neglect, abuse and sexual assault will not be a comfortable read. Know that from the start. These are tough topics to broach with children. They are topics usually relegated to a YA audience. But waiting for a child to be a young adult in order to see themselves in literature and learn that such treatment is not okay, not their fault and is not a secret that should be kept, is way too late. This year has seen the release of several excellent middle grade books that deal with the topic (When You Know What I Know and Chirp). Every teacher should read them all. Indeed, every adult who works with or has a child in their life should. 

Both Della and Suki will reside in my heart for a very long time. And Francine is one fierce woman! I hope Fighting Words gets the readership it deserves. And all the awards. It has earned seven starred reviews (!) so the committees ought to be taking a look at it.

I listened to a sample of the audio book narrated by Bahni Turpin when I visited the publisher website for the cover image. I am definitely rereading this one with my ears. Ms. Turpin is an outstanding narrator and Della is a memorable character. Check out the sample by clicking on the link below the cover image above. 

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

It was a picture book week in the mail (snail & virtual)!

For Review: 

Image: Candlewick Press

Pearl Goes to Preschool by Julie Fortenberry. unpgd. Candlewick Press, July, 2020. 9781536207439.

Publisher Synopsis: Pearl loves attending dance classes at her mother's ballet school. Even though Pearl is the youngest and smallest ballerina, she knows how to count her poses and follow along. When her mom suggests that Pearl try going to preschool, Pearl has a lot of questions: What will she learn? Will there be dancing? A sweet and reassuring story about trying something new that's perfect for young children with separation anxiety - or who just love to dance!

Image: Candlewick Press

Ollie and Augustus by Gabriel Evans. unpgd. Candlewick Press, May, 2020. 9781536209679. 

Publisher synopsis: Ollie and his dog, Augustus, do almost everything together: painting, riding bikes, digging (Ollie's favorite) and collecting sticks (Augustus's favorite). So as Ollie is getting ready to start school, he's a little worried. Won't Augustus be lonely during the day? Ollie has just the idea: a sign that reads Wanted: Friend for August. But good friends, as it turns out, are hard to find. Luckily, Ollie and Augustus aren't just any kind of friends - they're best friends, and nothing will ever change that.

Image: Penguin Random House

Dark was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars by Gary Golio. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis. unpgd. Nancy Paulson Books/ Penguin Random House, August 25, 2020. 9781524738884. 

Publisher synopsis: Willie Johnson was born in 1897, and from the beginning he loved to sing-and play his cigar box guitar. But his childhood was interrupted when he lost his mother and his sight. How does a blind boy make his way in the world? Fortunately for Willie, the music saved him and brought him back into the light. His powerful voice, combined with the wailing of his slide guitar, moved people. Willie made a name for himself performing on street corners all over Texas. And one day he hit it big when he got a record deal and his songs were played on the radio. Then in 1977, his song-"Dark was the Night"-was chosen to light up the darkness when it was launched into space on the Voyager I space probe's famous Golden Record. His immortal song was selected for the way it express the loneliness humans all feel, while remind us we're not alone.

I absolutely adore Gary Golio's books and use them often in my classes.

Purchased: Nothing! Though I do have a shopping cart on AZ. I keep finding unspent gift cards! Nice problem to have, eh?

If you leave a comment, leave the link to your stack. I will pop by and to check out your stack!

Fact Friday: The Next President: the unexpected beginnings and unwritten future of America's presidents by Kate Messner

Image: Chronicle Books LLC

The Next President: the unexpected beginnings and unwritten future of America's presidents by Kate Messner. Illustrated by Adam Rex.  42 p. Chronicle Books LLC, March, 2020. 9781452174884. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features The Next President: the unexpected beginnings and unwritten future of America's presidents by Kate Messner. This unique picture book collective biography is illustrated by Adam Rex. It approaches the presidents by alighting on four different years and highlighting who the future presidents were and what they were doing at that time. For example, "1841. When William Henry Harrison became President 9, there were fourteen future presidents alive. Most of them were already active in politics somehow." Mr. Rex's vibrant illustrations form a timeline from George Washington through John F. Kennedy, who was president #35 and in 1961, ten presidents were waiting in the wings, the youngest being newborn, Barack Obama. The approach is engaging and requires a bit more attention. 

The dynamic illustrations are compelling. They too require some attention. Even though the majority of U.S. presidents were rich, white, Protestant men, Adam Rex still incorporated diversity in the illustrations that bookend the presidents. A swirling golden line that connects the eras and ends with an illustration of children "listening, learning and getting ready to read." Back matter includes more presidential trivia and facts along with suggestions for further reading and bibliography. 

I've read through The Next President several times now and each time, I find something that I missed earlier and each time, my appreciation for this book grows. 

#tbt: Num8ers by Rachel Ward

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Num8ers by Rachel Ward. Num8ers trilogy #1. 328 p. Chicken House/ Scholastic Inc. February 2010. 9780545142991. (Own.)

#tbt features Num8ers by Rachel Ward. This YA thriller was published in 2010 and is the first of a trilogy set in London, England. Jem avoids looking people in the eye. As soon as she doe, she sees numbers. As a young girl, she never knew what the numbers stood for - until her mother died on the date that appeared every time Jem looked at her. She was six. Now sixteen, she's bounced around in foster care, has been labeled a troubled teen and skips her special education classes as often as she attends. She just can't let anyone close. But a boy in her class named Spider does get close and his death date is very close. Still, Jem decides to take a chance. The two plan on riding the London Eye until Jem notices that all the people on line have the same death date on their forehead. She realizes that something is going to happen and so she grabs Spider and they run just in time to avoid the explosion of a bomb. Unfortunately, the act of their fleeing make them the prime suspects in the terror attack. if you're a reader who lies action, this edge-of-your seat thriller will satisfy.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Highest Tribute by Kekla Magoon

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall's life, leadership and legacy by Kekla Magoon. Illustrated by Laura Freeman. Unpgd. HarperCollins Publishers, January 5, 2021. 9780062912518.

Waiting on Wednesday features The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall's life, leadership and legacy by Kekla Magoon. In never too old for picture book news, I am very excited about adding this picture book biography to the PBB cart when it releases in January! Thurgood Marshall was the first Black Justice on the Supreme Court. Former sixth graders know that reading a picture book biography can be a way to easing into reading a longer biography about an unfamiliar subject. Authors of picture book biographies will often recommend full length biographies in the back matter.

Kekla Magoon is a multiple award-winning novelist whose novels often center around social justice. She co-wrote a fictionalized biography of Malcolm X with his daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz as well as How It Went Down, a novel told in multiple perspectives (18!) about the shooting of an unarmed Black boy by a white passerby. She also wrote a trilogy called Robyn Hoodlum Adventures, which re-imagines the legend of Robin Hood.

Teen Tuesday: The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton

Image: Blackstone Publishing

Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~10 hours. Read by Rosie Jones. Blackstone Publishing, March, 2019. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday TMS Readers! One of the advantages to coming to a series or duology late to the game is not having to wait for the sequel. Teen Tuesday features Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton. This sequel to The Belles picks right up from the conclusion of Ms. Clayton's debut and the intrigue continues. I won't give much of a summary since you really need to read The Belles and I don't want to spoil anything. Who can Camellia trust now? And, where is the princess? If you enjoyed The Belles, you know you need this book. I was riveted and read it with my ears over three days! I believe that the series was originally intended to be a duology, but the ending does leave room to return to the world, which I would not mind at all.