Mystery and Adventure

 Too Bright to See

Lukoff, Kyle. Too Bright to See. 186p. Dial Books for Young Readers. Apr 2021. Tr $8.99. ISBN 9780593111178.

    Bug lives in an old haunted house and recently lost her live-in Uncle. Until the summer of the events of the book, the ghosts never really made their presence known. Since Uncle Rodrick’s death, Bug feels something has shifted with the spirits in the house. The conflict in this book is internal more than anything else. Bug feels 2 main things, that something is off with them, and that Uncle Rodrick had unfinished business to tend to. These feelings end up being connected and through figuring out what Uncle Rodrick is trying to communicate, Bug learns about why something feels so off. Though this book is relatively short, it was honestly pretty hard for me to get through. Not much happens. It is narrated exclusively through Bug’s POV, which is fine, but it ends up being a lot of thoughts and observations, and I did not find it particularly interesting. As Bug starts searching more seriously for the message Uncle Rodrick is communicating to them, the plot picks up a bit, but is largely still anti-climatic in the actual events of the story. Even in the climax, when Bug figures out what Uncle Rodrick is trying to say, and wakes up with a shaved head, the story is still mostly communicated through Bugs thoughts rather than action. They talk about having a big realization and how things feel so different now, but very little actually happened to get them there. 

As an adult, and knowing this book won a Stonewall Award, it didn’t take much for me to see where the story was going. Though, the chapter where Bug thinks that Uncle Rodrick was trans and continually refers to him as their dead uncle or aunt, was the most entertaining to me as a reader. It is hard for me to say how predictable this book would be for the intended reader since everyone approaches each book they read with their own life experience. My life experience is that of a queer 25 year old who reads a lot of queer fiction, which made the journey of this book feel predictable. If I were a younger or less familiar reader, I may not have the same feelings.

I think this book could be a helpful resource for kids who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community or allies. The way in which Bug figures out they are trans may feel familiar to other trans kids or could be a good place to start learning and understanding as an ally. 

Jennifer Chan is Not Alone

Keller, Tae. Jennifer Chan is Not Alone. 265p. Apr. 2022. Random House. Tr $8.99. ISBN 9780593310557.

    The tension created in this book could be attributed to a number of things, which is what keeps readers hooked. Are there REALLY aliens at play, was it the infamous and unexplained “Incident”, is it something else? Going into this read, I was skeptical, I was really not in the market for another alien book/kids save the world from aliens book. I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn’t really what this book was about. The characters in this book demonstrate some of the most change and growth I’ve seen among all the books read this semester. This is especially evident in Mallory’s grappling with her values and decision making as she lives in the consequences of Jennifer’s disappearance. Once I realized this was not an alien story, but more of a “Dear Evan Hansen” or a “Chrissa Stands Tall”, that may or may not include aliens, I got so much more enjoyment from reading it. 

    While I do think the disclosure of “The Incident” could have come sooner in the story, especially considering the length of the book, I found the mystery of how real of a possibility the aliens were to be a really compelling component of the story. My library shelves this book in realistic fiction, but as a reader, I was totally with the main characters as they explored the possibility of alien intervention. I didn’t necessarily believe Jennifer was abducted, but I think looking for the connection between her obsession with them, and her struggles adjusting in her new community created a viable plotline for aliens to somehow be part of the puzzle. 

    This is a middle grade novel, I think more specifically, the target audience is probably middle school girls. When you strip back the aliens of it all, this is really a story about how people treat each other, and how we treat ourselves, played out through the dynamics of middle school through the eyes of a girl trying to hold onto her perceived social capital. There are lessons to be gleaned for any middle school aged reader, but the specifics of the social situations may not be universally identifiable in one's own experience. 

Fantasy and Sci-Fi

 Weird Kid

Eekhout, Greg Van. Weird Kid. 208p. Harper/Harper Collins. Jul 2021. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780062970602.

    Part of fantasy and sci-fi is buying into the world building and suspension of reality. Being a person who generally does not self-select media from either genre, this is something I struggle with. I don’t necessarily feel like an authority on whether or not this book moves from reality to imagination without breaking credibility, because it’s really hard for me to not bring questions of realism with me. The general idea of supernatural things happening in a suburb and it is mysterious and strange is believable. However, a mysterious thing crash landing in someone’s neighborhood, a couple going to investigate, and then just accepting it as a baby made of goo, that they are now going to raise? Not believable. Their first reaction to discovering goo that becomes a child, is to take it home? Raise it? Become its parents? The author does a good job at weaving different elements of the story together, information from the beginning comes back at the end, but for me, why this couple can just acquire a baby is a fairly distracting, and unexplored plot hole from the beginning.  

As a reader, I did not find the theme of this book to be overly obvious. It could be the distraction of how it was conveyed, but for readers of sci-fi, maybe it is more evident. Generally, the theme has to do with being yourself and being open and accepting. However, I do think this gets a bit convoluted in the end of the book where elements of selfishness and greed are explored through the foiling of the evil plot and big companies trampling over the less powerful. The story also touches on what and who is home. It did feel a bit like spaghetti at the wall, with an attempt at teaching too many lessons. 

I don’t think supernatural-suburb is groundbreaking, but it works for the story. It is clear that the author took creative liberties and used their imagination in this story. The writing was funny, especially the dialogue. The more sci-fi elements weren’t exactly for me, but I thought the imblobsters not making any sense was funny, I liked Gravy and Dairy and that they kept calling their mom their monkey. I thought Agnes was the most interesting and fully developed character, and enjoyed reading about her. As a reader, I found a disconnect between Jake being made of goo and uncontrollably shape-shifting due to the Hum, and the blobs taking over other forms. When it seemed like it was going the route of stress makes Jake shape-shift uncontrollably, I was following. But when it became, stress makes Jake shape-shift, and also, goo can take over any object and turn it into any mishmash of a creature, this was harder for me to track. I think if what the goo can do had been a bit more narrowed down, the end of the story would have come together more clearly for me. While there are brief moments of scientific relevance, such as the geosonicagitator, this book seems to be largely fiction, without a clear base of science. With Jake being ultimately accepted for who he is, goo and all, the book does raise ideas about how we treat other beings. 

Lola

Valenti, Karla Arenas. Lola. 247p. Knopf. Sept. 2024. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978059317006.

    The author self-categorizes this book as magical realism, which I agree with. The incorporation of magical elements into an otherwise normal setting is made even more believable by the fact that it is disclosed the parents do not see the magical elements. For a majority of this book, I had a hard time differentiating what was actually happening and what was a function of the characters imagination. However, in the last 3 chapters of the book the pieces started falling into place for me. While I wouldn’t have suspected it initially, this story does deal with universal truth. It is about life, death, acceptance, and grief. I’m sure the reader's own experiences will inform how they grasp and apply the themes, but it would be hard to walk away from reading this without taking away the basic understanding of those 4 main themes. The magical realism borrows aspects that felt reminiscent of other fantasy to me, the closet being a portal (The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe), sailing to the other realm (Where the Wild Things Are), the queen and food that changes your state(Alice in Wonderland). That being said, despite these not being never-before-tried ideas, it did feel like a fresh take to me. 

    Mexican culture is interwoven throughout the book, and while there is a note at the end that provides definitions for some of the Spanish vocabulary, I would have appreciated the inclusion of footnotes when new phrases were introduced. I gathered my own working ideas of unfamiliar words from context, but an earlier explanation could have been helpful. 

Contemporary Realism

     Roll With It

Sumner, Jamie. Roll With It. 256p. Atheneum. Oct. 2019. Tr $7.99. ISBN 9781534442566.

This book has no shortage of eccentric characters with a hodgepodge of personality traits. I think it is fair to say that many readers will be able to find something in the cast that they can identify with, whether it feels like a representation of themselves, or of someone they know. We do see character strengths and weaknesses, however, they are not as fully explored as they could have been. Ellie in particular has an attitude that should probably get her in more trouble with the other characters than it does, and could have been more fleshed out. 

I thought this book was fine. In my experience, there is no shortage of underdog characters in middle-grade literature. Their story usually ends up being something along the lines of “See! We’re all different but we’re all the same! These kids are just like you!”. Different versions of this story already exist, and I have enjoyed some of those more. It felt a bit like the author was throwing spaghetti at the wall, making the storytelling a bit trite. Overall, the progression flowed and made sense, but it felt like there were a couple of different storylines alluded to that don’t quite get fully mapped out, for example the possible budding romance between Ellie’s mom and her gym teacher. This could be a consequence of this being the first in a series of 3, but if that were the case, that is also confusing because this book does ultimately wrap up pretty predictably with a bow. 

The setting is described in detail as Ellie's move from Nashville to Oklahoma is central to the story. The plot explores the physical differences in these places as well as the cultural differences and what that means not only for a wheel-chair bound person in a non-accessible environment, but also the socio-economic differences in small towns. The setting is specific to the story, but the concepts it represents are general enough to copy and paste even if you can’t picture exactly where these places are.

There are parts of the story where the theme is laid out more explicitly than others. The novel at times leaves little to interpretation, but this does not seem out of the ordinary for a middle-grade book. While I think the themes of the book are worthwhile for kids to read about, this was not my favorite book to communicate these messages. 

The language is conversational, but occasionally off-color. While the year of the story is never explicitly stated, context suggests this is present day, however, Ellie regularly describes herself (a disabled person), as “crippled”, which is generally considered to be an outdated and derogatory term for people with disabilities in modern times. Additionally, throughout the book, Ellie writes letters to the bakers she gets recipes from, which feels out of place. Most of the book is told in either dialogue or Ellie's internal thoughts. Despite this, the letters appear out of nowhere in most cases, we are never with her as she writes them, and they do not come back.  They felt like a strange plot tool used for Ellie to grapple with big concepts. 

There is primarily body diversity and socio-economic diversity in this book. Ellie has cerebral palsy and is wheelchair bound. Bert is described as “probably on the spectrum”, but does not go much further than this. Ellie’s grandpa has Alzheimer's. There are examples of neurodiversity among the characters. The other chief example of diversity is in the socio-economic class of the characters, the main characters live in a trailer park, and spell out the difference between them and the kids who live in the other neighborhoods. Ellie having a disability and also living in the trailer park is used as a device to demonstrate that she faces the same kinds of problems and discrimination as other people do, even without her wheelchair. This is a running thread throughout the book as Ellie grapples with the fact that in her new environment, not only does she feel she is perceived wheelchair first, but then trailer-park second, and her just as a person comes in last. 

Are You There God, It's Me Margaret 

Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.172p. Atheneum. Jul 2022. Tr $9.99. ISBN 9781665921312.

At the original time of publication, this book was realistic fiction, however that was nearly 60 years ago, therefore, it feels more appropriate to categorize it as historical fiction. That in mind, some of the specifics of the text are quite dated, including specific references to music, clothes, and how the characters speak. In my evaluation, even the characters' disposition of the events in the story and what is important to them and how this is demonstrated, is quite dated. Margaret is easy to identify with in the aspect that she has friend trouble and feels misunderstood as a kid, but beyond that, I don’t know how resonate she would be with contemporary readers.
With an understanding of children’s literature, I know that Judy Blume was groundbreaking at the time she wrote this for her characters speaking so frankly about puberty- specifically periods and breasts. Her directness in talking about and questioning religion has also meant this book is highly challenged and frequently banned. At the time of the original publication, the head on confrontation of these subjects probably was fresh and original. However, 60 years later, I do not think this is the case. I think there are contemporary stories that perhaps owe Judy Blume for being a trailblazer, but are better stories. 

Margaret grapples with religion and puberty throughout the book. You can really see the places where she is impacted by peer influence, and places where she is more willing to follow her own mind. While I don’t know that the ways Maragaret thinks about these topics are universal, as those can be personal experiences, I think the normalization of such content is meaningful for kids to see. 

Judy Blume is a famed writer. However, her writing lacks interesting and descriptive language, and she rarely if ever deploys the tool of show, don’t tell. Blume often will write what is about to happen and then repeat it in some form of dialogue. This makes the story drag. 

This book contains little to-no-indication of diversity. There is some religious diversity represented but only in the forms of Christianity and Judaism. The depictions and attitudes of the young girls are stereotypical and male-centered. The depictions of young boys are the same.  

Those Kids From Fawn Creek

Kelly, Erin Entrada. Those Kids From Fawn Creek. 319p. Greenwillow Books. Mar 2022. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062970350.

The ensemble cast of this novel creates an opportunity for typical readers to find familiarity represented somewhere among the characters. We certainly see the many sides of the characters as they navigate middle school dynamics and decide who they are going to be. This is especially true of Abby, Janie, and Greyson.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was engaging, as a reader you get the impression that perhaps something is amiss with Orchid pretty early on, but I wasn’t quite sure what it would be. Seeing how the other characters handle the information they learn about her speaks to the impact she had on the community even without all the flashy stories she tried to sell about herself. I did not think the conclusion was inevitable. The way the book ends almost implies that Orchid was just a plot device who just served to take the rest of the characters on a personal journey- sort of like Nanny McPhee- showing up when you need her and then moving on to someone else. This was not a satisfying ending for Orchid in my opinion, because she wasn’t just a plot device she was a driving character. The climax happens around 30 pages before the book ends, and it's pretty full-steam-ahead from there. We get to see how the other 3 main characters in the altercation wind up, but not Orchid.

The setting is small town America. While technically Louisiana, it can easily be copy-and-pasted onto a small town in whatever community is familiar to the reader. The setting is a major influence on the characters and the themes of the book. The setting makes the characters believe certain things about themselves and the lives they are destined to live, it shapes their perception of reality, so much so that Orchid fabricates a whole new backstory to try and distinguish herself from the familiar narrative when she moves to Fawn Creek. 

The themes of self-discovery and expression, and message that you get to decide who you are going to be, are certainly worthwhile for the middle grades audience. While the characters in the book experience an amplified version of these things due to their small community, who you are and who you are going to be are concepts that many kids begin to question and navigate within the target ages for readers of this book. 

The book takes place over about a 3-week time period with history and context given to what things were like prior to the events of the narrative. Chapters are separated out by the weeks and days that lead up to and immediately follow the school dance. I think the author handled the dialogue really well in this book. This was especially true in their handling of Greyson's character. Without explicitly saying it, it is clear that this middle schooler is struggling with his sexuality, this happens throughout the book and comes to a head in the climax where a kid from a different community shouts a slur at him, but the author intentionally does not include the actual word that was used. I thought this was a really good way of handling this interaction. As an adult reader, using context, I know what the intended word probably was, but if I had read this in middle school, I likely wouldn't have, which is fine. You don’t need to in order to understand the intended effect and I think this is a really skillful way to go about navigating such a topic in an age-appropriate way.

While there is not an afterword, as previously mentioned, we get to see what happens to the other 3 main characters involved in the final altercation but not Orchid. If not included in the main text, I would have appreciated some kind of epilogue that indicates how she recovered from the climax beyond that she moved. 

Historical Fiction

 My Heart is on the Ground

   

Rinadli, Ann. Dear America: My Heart is on the Ground- The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl. 205p. Scholastic Inc. Apr 1999. Tr $10.95. ISBN 0590149229.

    Despite the inclusion of historical notes, it is clear that this book is HEAVY on the fictional aspects of historical fiction. The author openly discloses that she took creative liberties in writing this book. Residential schools for Native Americans in the US and the general treatment of indigenous people by white Americans is a long, complicated, and fraught history. This book oversimplifies and whitewashes this in no uncertain terms. While it is possible that there were differing experiences had by children who attended these schools, the prevailing historical sentiment is that harm came to these kids at the hands of those running them (white, Christian, Americans). While there are portions of the book where Nannie Little Rose experiences some ambivalence towards her experience, she more commonly can be seen conforming to the expectations and either privately or publicly admonishing peers who display more resistance to the circumstances. The author admits to borrowing names and creating fake narratives for children who lived and died in these institutions, but at different times than when Nannie Little Rose was there provide examples of historical inaccuracy. The author's note also explains that some of the events of the story actually didn’t happen in sequence, but rather over a period of time during the school’s operation. This blurring of fact and fiction is problematic. 

    Additionally, the author offers praise for herself, saying she believes the children whose names she borrowed would forgive her, and be happy for their inclusion in her book. This is a baseless assumption. There is also a clear cultural bias (pro-white American) that slants the entire story. The epilogue for this text explains what happens to main characters after the conclusion of the events, it is unclear to me whether this epilogue is factual or more fiction from the author. While there are historical notes and an author's note included about life at the time this book takes place, these citations also give a sense of bias. This book may tell a version of an experience some individuals had at this time, but is not largely an accurate historical representation of what happened to kids who were sent to these residential schools.

Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh

Krishnaswami, Uma. Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh. 276p. Tu Books. May 2017. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781600602610.

    Per the backmatter, while Maria was not real and this exact narrative did not belong to one specific person, it is inspired by history of the time. Families like Maria’s existed in communities where the book is set and, and could have lived this life. It is not the story of one person or family, but rather aspects of the story are shared by many people of the time. That being said, the story does center around themes that are inspired by real facts. 

    There is a lot going on in this book, but that seems reflective of the experience a young person may have had in this historical time period. But, this is consistent with the experience of many people in America at the time, especially multiracial individuals. Maria and her community face this both internally and externally. Experiencing conflicting feelings about the war, what it means to be American, and how her family is still tied to India and the past, even though she was born and raised in America in the present. The author did a skillful job in presenting these internal conflicts kids may have experienced in this community at this time. The exact timeline of the narrative is not specifically part of the story, beyond a few dates throughout, with the story concluding in late May. It seems appropriate that a person like Maria could have experienced all of these events over the course of a few months in that time period. 

Per the backmatter, the fictionalization of the setting is consistent with the history. The kids in the community were advocating for a ballfield, which they did get. The temple the Singh family visits, exists in Stockton, California and was “visited by India” as it was explained to Maria and Emillo in the book. Representation of characters primarily deals with religious influence, which is not necessarily explicitly tied to the historical time period. There are mentions of women joining the war effort and how this influenced their presentation (pants vs dresses), but generally Maria’s struggle in getting permission to wear pants or shorts is tied to her father's traditional religious views on modesty. Maria and her family are depicted accurately as ordinary people who may have had these struggles and experiences. A notable exception being that Maria does get credit for ultimately convincing the city council to approve the ballfield. This is more characteristic of children's literature where a kid (the main character) saves the day, rather than of the history this book depicts.

Soul Lanterns

Kuzki, Shaw. Soul Lanterns. 162p. Delacorte Press. Mar 2021. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978059317340.

    Of the historical fiction from this week, this was not only my favorite title, but also the one that felt most in-line with the genre. The topic lends itself to historical fiction as explained both in the story and the backmatter, the atomic bomb left so many people with major question marks in their lives. It is historically accurate for the characters in this book to have the experiences they did, because that was the experience of many people who were affected by the bomb. In this way, the author does an excellent job blending fact with fiction. This story presents a really interesting teaching opportunity. Speaking from my own experience of learning about WWII and the atomic bomb,  it was taught in a very American-forward way, framed as something that just had to be done to bring the war to the end. This version of history is of course one sided and dismisses the fact that irreversible damage was done to innocent citizens. Teaching this book along with that historical pov, humanizes the experience, and prompts introspection from the readers, which is what historical fiction should do in classrooms. Reading an account of WWII that is not America first presents a POV that should be explored and examined. 

The backmatter provides context to which parts of the story are real and which are made up, but the ambiguity of what happened to a lot of families at this time is explained throughout the narrative, as the characters learn from members of their community what things were like, the reader learns too. 

Graphic Novels

 Adventures in Cartooning

Strum James, Arnold Andrew, Frederick-Frost Alexis. Adventures in Cartooning. 112p. First Second/Roaring Brook. Mar 2009. Tr $12.95. ISBN 9781596433694.

    This book is a perfect entry point into the world of graphic novels. In its effort to teach the main character how to draw cartoons, it also teaches the reader how to effectively engage with this style of reading. While the book does include a plot and storyline, it also gives explicit directions about how to follow along. That being said, the text and illustrations work together really well. Some spreads include the characters explaining what they are trying to accomplish before they are pictured doing it, creating a really guided experience for reading this untraditional/non-linear story. Though this book does have a plot line, the main intention is not necessarily to tell a well developed narrative so much as it is to familiarize readers with the graphic format and prime them to accept new ways of reading. Despite this, the illustrations and text are effective at both telling the story of the book, and explaining how to read it. This allows for readers who are new to the comic/graphic genre to follow along and understand the plot. This book is part of a series, there are 2 other books available. 

Babymouse Queen of the World

Holm Jennifer L., Holm Matthew. Babysmouse: Queen of the World! 91p. Random House Children's Books. Dec. 2005. Tr $6.99. ISBN 9780375832291.

The illustrations and text are effective in communicating the narrative of this story. This is the first book in an ongoing series that currently has 20 installments. The Babymouse series has a very specific art style that is easily identifiable as part of the collection. It is consistent, and in that way, effective. However, I remember reading Babymouse as a kid and feeling like the artistic choices were a bit dizzying to me. I was excited to revisit as an adult with a different lens and see how that impacted my reading experience. While reading this book, I still found the high contrast of the illustrations to be a lot. That’s not to say they are bad or confusing, because they do tell the story, however, they are maybe not the best reading experience to more sensitive readers. In that same vein, part of the charm of the Babymouse character is her imagination, she lives big in her head, and this is illustrated in the book. However, there is not a clear distinction between the actual narrative and when she escapes to her mind and a scene plays out there. The authors sometimes break the fourth wall and have Babymouse talk to a narrator. I think framing some of the imagination scenes in such a way would help distinguish between the real and imagined storylines and allow for readers to more easily follow the plot. 

Swim Team

Christmas Johnnie. Swim Team. 256p. HarperAlley. May 2022. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9780063056763.

    The text and illustrations come together to tell a clear narrative in this book. The panels are easy to follow, and each scene is clearly depicted. Visual (Bree’s inner anxiety focused thoughts) and linguistic (the butterfly effect) metaphors are used consistently throughout the book. Given the clarity of the illustration and panels, the narrative is easy to follow and understand, especially for the target audience, which is grades 3-6. The illustrator was really able to capture the fluidity and movement of water in their images. Since so much of this story centers around swimming, capturing the strokes appropriately is important. The illustrations of the different swimming forms are clear and distinguishable from each other. While not a series, author Johnnie Christmas has written other children's literature that young readers who enjoy their storytelling can try. 

Lunar Boy

Wibowo Jes, Wibowo Cin C. Lunar Boy. 240 p. HarperAlley. May 2024. Tr $24.99. ISBN 97800630507609. 

    This book features beautiful illustrations that add to the story. However, there is a lot going on in this book and it was quite difficult to follow even as an adult reader. The target audience for this novel is ages 9-13, I think younger readers will struggle to understand the plot. This is with a caveat that readers who enjoy and read a fair amount of fantasy may not struggle as much to understand the multiple arcs happening.

    The illustrations use color as a narrative device, shifting to darker tones when Indu is feeling lonely or called to the moon. To make it more understandable for young readers, further distinction between the different elements at play would have been helpful. Additionally, I think more frontloading of the world building and/or setting would help the reader to navigate the story. 

    This book also featured multi-lingial text, but was inconsistent in its presentation of discerning who was talking and when. Furthermore, on the pages that were primarily not in English, the illustrations did not do enough additional lifting to give clarity to the narrative. English-speaking readers may appreciate either the incorporation of English translation, and/or more descriptive imagery to provide context and understanding. This book is not part of a series. 

Consent (For Kids!): Boundaries, Respect, and Being in Charge of You

Brian, Rachel. Consent (For Kids!): Boundaries, Respect, and Being in Charge of You. 63p. Little, Brown and Company. Jan 2020. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9780316457736.

    This book features simple (slightly dressed up) stick figures to accompany the text. The illustrative style brings levity and silliness to serious and important concepts, making this book accessible to young readers. This book aims to break down the complex concept of consent into diverse and applicable situations for kids to learn, generalize, and implement vocabulary and concepts. While it breaks ideas into scenes or situations, it does not follow a narrative structure and does not have a traditional plot to follow. The writing is clear and takes concepts that can be big and abstract and puts them into a variety of familiar contexts that kids may or may not have experienced. Brian has several similar styled books out or coming soon, but this is the only one about this specific topic. If readers are drawn to the way they get into big topics in a kid-friendly and humorous way, they may want to check out her other titles about screentime, worrying, and ADHD.

Begining/Transitional Readers

We Are Growing!

Keller, Laurie with Willems, Mo. We Are Growing!. illus. by Laurie Keller with Mo Willems. 64p. (Elephant & Piggie Like Reading!). Disney-Hyperion. Sept. 2016. Tr $9.99. ISBN 9781484726358.

    We Are Growing! fits the description of a Level One book. The font is big and easy to read, with no more than 3 words per line in most cases. Containing mainly sight words, and featuring a lot of repetition. The vocabulary in this book also focuses on word endings, specifically -EST. The main exception to the sight word and 5 letter word pattern is in the adjectives that grass use to describe themselves. These words tend to be more letters and syllables, and are the ones that are repeated with the -EST ending. Due to the inclusion of this, this text could be a good transitional book between a strictly level 1 and level 2 book. 

See the Cat! Three Stories About a Dog

LaRochelle, David. See the Cat! Three Stories About a Dog. illus. by Mike Wohnoutka. 64p. Candlewick. Sept. 2020. Tr $8.99. ISBN 9781536204278.

    See The Cat! Three Stories About a Dog is a level one reader. The font is big, and pages have lots of white space. Sentences are longer than a 5-7 word limit, but they are primarily sight words and do not typically exceed more than 7 lines on a page. Even though the longer sentences exceed the 5-7 word limit, they are always broken down across multiple lines, which per the Horning text, is a successful way to make more complex sentences accessible to early readers. Though this book has 3 stories in it, the stories are not really about anything which is highly typical in early (level 1 readers). Sight words are strung together to make sentences that when paired with the illustrations are rather digestible to early readers. The illustrations are especially helpful for the inclusion of words that are NOT sight words, because readers can use them as well as the context of the rest of the identifiable words to make meaning of the unknown word, even if they can’t “read” it.

The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe

Hale, Shannon & Hale, Dean. The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe. illus. by LeUyen Pham. 96p. Candlewick. Oct. 2014. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9780763665104.

    The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe is an early chapter book/transitional reader. While the font is still big and there are still ample illustrations, there is more white space, and more text per page. This book presents as more dense than a level 1 or 2 book, however, it is made up of elements that are suited to new readers. While there is still familiar vocabulary and sight words, there are distinguished chapters that tell more of a narrative story than earlier readers. Due to this, this book offers a plot for readers to follow and engage with. 

Yasmin In Charge

Faruqi, Saadia. Yasmin In Charge. illus. by Hatem Aly. 96p. (Yasmin). Capstone. Mar. 2019. pap. $9.95. ISBN 9781515842729.

    Yasmin In Charge is a transitional book. This book utilizes a large type-face, and the 12 or less words per line structure. There is ample white space and while there are still illustrations, they do not accompany each page, so readers can not rely on them as heavily to help get meaning of unknown words. The book follows a narrative plot and is split into distinguished chapters, each a handful of pages in length. Each chapter of this book is its own stand alone story, following the Horning text guidance of readers at this stage having difficulty following changes in setting or time jumps. The situational nature of each chapter lends itself to providing clarity for readers. 

Information Books

 Stamped (For Kids)

Reynolds, Jason & Kendi X. Ibram. Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You. illus. by Rachelle Baker. 176p. Little, Brown and Company. adapted by Sonja Cherry-Paul. May 2021. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9780316167581.

    Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi are the authors of this book. Jason Reynolds is a highly awarded New York Times bestseller, some of his accolades include: Newberry Honor, Printz Honor, Coretta Scott King Honors (multiple), Kirkus Prize winner, Walter Dean Myers Award (multiple), and an NAACP Image Award. He also served as the National Ambassador for Young Peoples Literature. 
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is also a New York Times bestselling author. He has won a National Book Award for Nonfiction. In addition to writing, Dr. Kendi is a professor and the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. 
    Stamped (For Kids) is a children's adaptation of an adult book for the 4th-8th grade audience. While this book has a broad scope, it is executed in an age appropriate way. Chapters are short and manageable, providing more than an overview, but less than a textbook. 
    The contributors of this book very specifically distinguish between fact, theory, and opinion, explaining directly that while this story is being told by them, it is not a book of their own opinions. The information is cited and factual. The preface gives a walkthrough of what to expect in the book and frontloads necessary information such as the introduction of 3 main concepts that will be explored and working definitions. The bibliography included at the end is lengthy and indicates an abundance of thoughtful research. 
    The language incorporates a balance of familiar words with subject matter vocabulary, providing definitions as needed. The word choice is clear and accurate and tells the story of racism in America while avoiding reinforced stereotypes, often pointing out the contradictions and absurdity of the history itself. 
While the subject matter is a big undertaking, the contributors created a clear structure for the delivery of the story/information and arranged it in chronological order, making it fairly easy to follow. Aiding in the organization are a table of contents, chapters, a timeline, numbered pages, a source list, a glossary, and further reading. While this book is told in a narrative structure, it does not necessarily have to be read in order all the way through, in this sense, the clear table of contents makes it easy to navigate to a particular time in history for targeted information. The timeline is helpful to put all the dates shared across the book into perspective and relation with each other. Black and white illustrations in this text are sparse but effective. Their infrequency signals to the reader to notice when they are included and speaks to their significance.
    The layout is easy to follow, with word and line spacing appropriate for middle grade readers. It is a good size to take to and from school and would fit in a desk. It has a visually attractive cover, with high contrast colors. This title is available as a paperback or hardcover. The hardcover is slim yet sturdy. 

Fry Bread

Maillard, Kevin Noble. Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story. illus. by Juana Martinez-Neal. 48p. Roaring Book Press. Sept. 2019. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781626727465.

    Kevin Noble Millard is the author of Fry Bread. Millard is a member of Seminole Nation, additionally, the inclusion of an extensive authors note with numerous references suggests that not only is Millard an authority on the subject per their own lived experience, but also through conducting additional research. 

    A broad exploration of the cultural significance of Fry Bread, the narrative of this story touches on many elements and provides an overview in the story, with more information available in the author's note. The depth of coverage invites readers to do further exploration on the subject matter either through their own research or reflection. Fry Bread is a starting point, but is not exhaustive. Formatted as a narrative in verse, Millard employs literary devices such as metaphors and similes, however the inclusion of the author's note allows readers to get more information directly rather than interpreting it solely on their own, as is sometimes the case with poetry. The author's own opinion is not the central focus of the book, rather the focus is on the facts of what Fry Bread is literally and what it represents figuratively.

    Telling the cultural story of Fry Bread, which may or may not be familiar to readers, the language used is age appropriate. Subject specific vocabulary words are included, and while there are no definitions in the text, context clues enable readers to discern meaning of unfamiliar words. Though it is told in verse, the text is easy to follow and understand, and follows a narrative structure allowing readers to follow one story across the pages of the book. Managing to be both specific in its story, and also broad in its historical context, Millard paints a celebration of Native American culture while avoiding stereotypes and generalizations. 

    The hardcover edition has attention put into the presentation from cover to cover featuring story details on both the front and end spreads. The author establishes a clear formatting pattern for each statement that is consistent across pages. The freeness of verse allows for the story to flow from page to page naturally. Placement and size of text is easily readable, and the hardcover physical book could withstand a library, home, or classroom setting. 

Fry Bread has colored illustrations primarily done in earth tones which goes well with the story. Illustrations aid in understanding the narrative as they provide a visual for some of the abstract concepts presented in the text.  

It's So Amazing!

Harris, Robie H. It’s So Amazing! A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, Gender, and Families. illus. by Michael Emberley. 88p. Candlewick Press. Jan. 2024. Tr $24.99. ISBN 9781536207248.

    It’s So Amazing! is written by Robbie H. Harris and Michael Emberly. Harris has a background in child development and is the recipient of the Mary Lee Tatum Award, which is the Planned Parenthood Federation of America's highest education award. She has authored a handful of children's books on similar topics. The acknowledgements indicate that Harris consulted with experts in their respective fields in creating this work, there is not an additional bibliography or citations. 

The scope of this book is quite broad, covering lots of ground. The intended audience is ages 7 and up, that being said, there is content for all readers of that age range in this book. Given the wide range of content and ages accommodated in this book, certain sections are better suited to certain ages than others. There is direct commentary on what sex is in age appropriate language. While the book itself is factual, there are 2 mascots (a bird and a bee) who appear throughout and provide some comic relief. These characters sometimes are contributing facts to the book, but also general commentary, which is not necessarily opinions, but is not explicitly distinguished from the facts.

Publishing a scientifically accurate yet age appropriate book about conception, birth, puberty, and everything in between is no small undertaking, yet Harris is able to effectively accomplish this task. Due to the table of contents, readers can navigate to specific topics with ease. However, the book lacks a consistent format across sections, and even within sections. Mixing comic style diagrams with traditional text, there is a great deal of variation within each chapter. For readers accustomed to reading nonfiction in a certain way, this book veers away from a more traditional structure. While there is minor inclusion of non-heterosexual couples and relationships, this book could have benefitted from language that includes nonbinary individuals as well.  

The table of contents and index serve to help readers navigate the text by topic. While vocabulary is defined in-text, an additional glossary would be a welcome addition, due to the subject matter heavy language throughout. 

Chapters are not structured in a uniform way across sections, but text is relatively easy to follow across pages. The font is readable, with ample spacing between lines. The cover is bright and colorful, and the book is oversized, which helps give the impression this is not necessarily a cover-to-cover read, rather a read-as-you-need resource. This title is available in multiple formats including paperback, hardcover, and ebook.

    Illustrated in full color, diagrams and charts and detailed, labeled, and easy to follow. Illustrations take on a comic book style, but they are anatomically correct. The Bird and the Bee serve as hosts of the book, keeping things light. The book could deliver information with or without them.

Not So Different

Burcaw, Shane. Not So Different: What You REALLY Want to Ask About Having a Disability. photog. by Matt Carr. 40p. Roaring Brook Press. Nov. 2017. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781626727717.

    Not So Different: What You REALLY Want to Ask About Having a Disability is written by Shane Burcaw. Living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Burcaw explains what this means and how it shapes his life.Writing of his own life experiences, Burcaw is an authority on the topic in sharing his first person account. There is an author’s note which provides information on SMA generally, not just as it applies to Burcaw’s experiences. There is not an additional bibliography or source list included. Research is primarily from lived experience.

The scope of this book is narrow, focusing on a specific disability, but allowing for the generalization of skills in regards to how you can learn and ask about different disabilities. The author does not clearly distinguish between facts and opinions/lived experience. 

The language level is appropriate for the intended audience, using primarily familiar language. The material is easy to follow and understand with a clear format established, a question is asked and then answered across a page spread. There is no table of contents or index, but the book can be successfully navigated without these reference aids.

The layout makes sense for the writing style, asking and answering common questions in conversational language. This contributes to a clear flow of information throughout the book. The font is easy to read, with no more than a couple paragraphs per page. Available in 2 editions, ebook and hardcover. The hardcover version is slim and sturdy.

This book features photographs of the narrator for each question and answer. Photos are a combination of candid and staged, and serve an informative purpose. Some photographs include labels as necessary. 

The Book of Turtles

Montgomery, Sy & Patterson, Matt. The Book of Turtles. 40p. Clarion Books. Mar. 2023. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780358458074.

    The Book of Turtles is written by Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson. To prepare for writing this book, the team conducted firsthand research experience with experts in the field. In addition to this research, the inclusion of a source list and bibliography indicates thoughtful research went into the making of this book. 

    The scope of this book is broad, but suitable for the elementary school audience. Providing an overview of different turtle facts, this book would be a good resource for a research project. This book is factual and does not include opinions.

    The language level is appropriate mixing familiar language with subject specific vocabulary. The inclusion of a glossary aids in understanding of subject specific vocabulary. The writing is clear and easy to follow.  

    This book does not include a table of contents, but it does have a source list, glossary, and bibliography. This book could benefit from the inclusion of a table of content, given that it probably is not intended to be read cover-to-cover, rather in pieces as necessary. Having a table of contents would make this navigation easier. Material starts with the physical structures of a turtle and talks about the different types of turtles and their features. Each spread has both illustration and text, with captions as needed. Organization is easy to follow and the book flows nicely. This book is on the text-heavier side, and full of information. Fonts are easy to read and spaced well. The amount of text varies across pages with some being denser than others.  Available exclusively as a hardcover, this book is sturdy. While the cover has a photograph, images throughout the book are illustrations. They are clear, relevant, and photo-realistic.