Literacy Now

As most teachers and parents know, reading aloud to children and even adolescents is one way to help them learn to appreciate language and associate reading with pleasurable activities such as spending time with loved ones. There is abundant research from experts and testimony from avid readers that being read to at any age reaps benefits in the long run. Listeners have the chance to savor words or phrases while sharing laughter or tender moments with the readers. Sometimes books being read aloud can even offer places to begin difficult conversations. Perhaps now more than ever the human connection provided through sharing favorite stories is essential to ensuring that our society remains literate. This week’s column includes recently selected read-aloud titles ripe for audiences in classrooms, libraries, and homes.

Ages 4–8

The Quickest Kid in Clarksville. Pat Zietlow Miller. Ill. Frank Morrison. 2016. Chronicle.

Alta might not have the best of everything, including fancy track shoes, but one thing she knows for sure is that she is fast. In fact, she considers herself the quickest kid in her hometown of Clarksville, TN. But when Charmaine struts down the street in her fancy, brand-new shoes, Alta has a moment of doubt. Still, Alta beats her rival several times until her shoes let her down. As it turns out, the youngsters share the same idol, Wilma Rudolph, whose name Alta repeats for inspiration as she runs. The girls leave their differences behind when they bring a banner to a parade in honor of the Olympic gold medalist, also known for facing down adversity. The discussion of segregation in the back matter adds poignancy to the story and might provide an opening for conversations about racism and social change. Lively illustrations capture the swiftness and determination of the protagonist and the graciousness of Wilma Rudolph as she rides through the city’s streets to acclaim.

Tell Me a Tattoo Story. Alison McGhee. Ill. Eliza Wheeler. 2016. Chronicle.

Photographs and illustrations often tell fascinating stories, but in this picture book a father’s tattoos are doing the talking. His son knows there is a well-loved tale behind every tattoo, and he clamors to hear each story again. The father patiently obliges his son’s request and, as it turns out, the first tattoo is from a beloved childhood book read to his father repeatedly by his mother. Others tattoos remind the father of advice from his own father or commemorate milestone moments, including the son’s birth. Readers will appreciate that the father is doing the dishes and hanging out with his son when the story begins as well as the glimpses into his life the tattoos provide. The beautiful illustrations, created with India ink using dip pens and watercolors, provide a road map of one man’s life journey thus far. Perfect for sharing with others because its pages are filled with warm sentiments, the book may prompt readers to wonder what body art the man might add next.

Ages 9–11

Cleo Edison Oliver, Playground Millionaire. Sundee T. Frazier. 2016. Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic.

Fifth grader Cleo Edison Oliver, a budding entrepreneur, is smart and determined. If she has her way, it won’t be long until she’s made her first million dollars. After all, she’s carefully following the advice of her idol, television personality Fortune A. Davies, a successful businesswoman. Thus, Cleo sells avocadoes from the family's trees and even invents a nearly painless tooth removal system relying on her little brother's Nerf gun. Often though, despite her best intentions, things go awry. Although she loves her adoptive parents and knows that they love her, she still wonders why her birth mother gave her up, something that comes to mind during the cruel taunts of a classmate. Awash in the drama in her complicated personal life and juggling all her money-making efforts, Cleo disregards the feelings of Caylee, her best friend, who is dealing with unwelcome changes in her own life. The characters here are well drawn, and readers will feel as though they know Cleo and her classmates quite well by the time the book concludes. Despite her character flaws, this up-and-coming CEO is simply irresistible.

Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics. Chris Grabenstein. 2016. Random House.

Whenever Luigi Lemoncello is on the scene, fun and games can’t be far behind. This sequel to the popular Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library (2013) features most of the team that won the first competition. As Kyle Keeley and his friends bask in the limelight following their victory, Mr. Lemoncello designs a library-skills Olympics. Readers will relate to Kyle's anxiety about losing and wince at some of the gamesmanship that occurs as teams from regions across the nation compete for medals and college scholarships. Sure to be a librarian favorite for sharing because of the high regard with which librarians and their research skills are held in its pages, the book’s puzzles and riddles are fun to solve. The inclusion of a reading list with all the books mentioned in the story solves the problem of what to read next. Clearly, the author and Mr. Lemoncello adore books for the knowledge, entertainment, and pure pleasure they can bring readers. Savvy librarians and teachers will find plenty of inspiration for their own local library Olympics, which might make library skills and book knowledge just as cool as an event in the Summer Olympics. But those games will have to wait while readers—or listeners—get rid of the tears they've shed from laughing and recover from the suspense and surprises in this book.

Ages 12–14

Booked. Kwame Alexander. 2016. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Building on his previous success at engaging readers with a likeable protagonist, the author of The Crossover (2014) places family and soccer front and center in this easily relatable account. Twelve-year-old Nick Hall spends his free time playing soccer with his best friend, Coby Lee, and nursing a crush on April Farrow. But troubles come to the forefront when his parents separate and when he and Coby face harassment and racist comments from two bullies who make the school halls unsafe. Plus, he connects more with his mother, formerly a race horse trainer, than his father, an academic who has written a dictionary filled with strange words. Although Nick is bored by his father’s insistence that he make his way through that dictionary, those weird words find their way into his vocabulary in surprising ways. As it turns out, Nick has a gift for malaprops. As his world spirals off its axis because of an injury, he is supported by word-loving mentors, including his teacher, Ms. Hardwick, and his librarian, Mr. Mac, and discovers that books actually have something to say to him. This novel in verse is filled with rollicking rhymes that make it fun to read. Many listeners may find themselves using some of the odd words such as “sweven” and “yobbery” found on its pages. Although Nick doubts that books and vocabulary might have any charm for him, ultimately he changes his mind. With its double meaning, Booked is an apt title for this novel, which is filled with surprises and is surely a word-lover’s treasure chest.

Ripple Effect. Sylvia Taekema. 2015. Orca.

This book from Canada explores a situation with which many students will be familiar. Dana and Janelle are eagerly anticipating sixth grade, but Dana’s nervousness about hospitals prevents her from visiting Janelle while she is hospitalized after an accident. Even after Janelle returns home, Dana can’t find the time to visit her, and their relationship fractures. By the time school starts, Dana seems to have been replaced by the fast-talking and always-there Julia. Dana simply can’t get Janelle alone to apologize and offer an explanation for her behavior. Part of her feels embarrassed that she never visited her friend when she should have while another part of her is resentful that Janelle isn’t there to follow through on their plans. Suddenly, Dana finds herself all alone, without her best friend, doing things by herself that they had planned to do together, and trying to figure out who she is without her best friend. As Dana presses on, she realizes that actions can have ripple effects for good or for bad. Things finally come to a head after the students try out for parts in their class's production of The Wizard of Oz. The story has a solid message with many issues other than friendship being handled carefully.

Ages 15+

Peas and Carrots. Tanita S. Davis. 2016. Arthur A. Knopf/Random House.

Fifteen-year-olds Dess Matthews and Hope Carter are as different as peas and carrots. After all, Dess (short for Odessa), who has been bounced from one foster placement to another, trusts no one and expects little to go her way. It’s safe to say she has a huge chip on her shoulder. Hope, on the other hand, has been blessed with supportive parents who have enough love in their hearts to take in foster children. Because her young sibling, Austin, lives with the Carters, Dess is placed there while her mother's life is sorted out. Despite her tough veneer and defensiveness, all Dess really wants is a place to call home and a family. Even while Dess and Hope engage in various skirmishes, it's clear that the Carters might have enough room in their hearts for Dess. Because the story is told from alternating points of view, it could be read aloud by two readers, making it easy to sort through all the high school drama to realize that, despite their differences and character flaws, the girls actually have more in common than they thought. This is a refreshingly warm and honest look at what it means to find your way back home, wherever that might be. For those who love strong opening chapters, this book has a humdinger of one that is guaranteed to reel in listeners who will clamor to know what happens next.

A Small Madness. Diane Touchell. 2016. Groundwood/House of Anansi.

Rose and Michael fall in love and have unprotected sex, and then Rose becomes pregnant. After Michael reacts badly to the news, she tells only one other person, her best friend, Liv. Unsure about what to do, Rose protects herself in the only way she knows how: She pretends the pregnancy isn’t happening. Heavily in denial, she avoids Liv, and treats the pregnancy as though it is a virus she must get rid of, even denying herself food in order to starve her unborn child. Although both Rose and Michael have bright futures, they seem unable to act, and they choose to do nothing as time moves on. While Rose isolates herself from others and continues her delusion, Michael, uncertain about what to do, falls apart, ditches school, and argues with his father. When Rose finally gives birth, they bury the baby nearby. Not surprisingly, the body is discovered by dogs, and the two are hauled in for questioning by the police. The author thrusts readers into the lives of two teens who had resources but failed to use them for various reasons. Clearly, they convinced themselves that if they pretended that everything was OK, it would turn out that way. Inspired by actual events, the book is ideal for sharing aloud because many listeners may see parts of themselves in the main characters, who are unable or unwilling to face the consequences of their actions.

Barbara A. Ward teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in literacy at Washington State University, Pullman. She spent 25 years teaching in the public schools of New Orleans, where she worked with students at every grade level, from kindergarten through high school as well as several ability levels. She is certified in elementary education, English education, and gifted education. She holds a bachelor's in Communications, a master's in English Education from the University of Tennessee and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of New Orleans.

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Literacy Daily.

Many books make their way into my hands, and I have a shelf on a bookcase in my bedroom where I put the books I am especially eager to read. Some of these books go on the shelf because they are by a favorite author or illustrator, others because I am interested the topic. The books selected for this column are ones from that special shelf. I’ll also admit this:I do sometimes judge a book by its cover, but I never read the jacket blurb.

Ages 4–8

Beatrix Potter & the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig. Deborah Hopkinson. Ill. Charlotte Voake. 2016. Schwartz & Wade/Random House.

The “unfortunate tale” Hopkinson relates occurs when Beatrix, who loves to draw pictures of animals, borrows a neighbor’s guinea pig, Queen Elizabeth, to serve as a model. All is going well with the portrait until Beatrix is called to dinner and leaves the guinea pig uncaged. Unfortunately, Queen Elizabeth dines on Beatrix’s art supplies and dies during the night. Hopkinson writes this fictionalized biography of Beatrix Potter (1866–1943) in the form of a picture letter to the reader in the fashion of Beatrix Potter’s writing of her early stories. Voake’s softly colored ink and watercolor paintings complement the text. Hopkinson adds a P.S. (Author’s Note) with information on Beatrix Potter’s life and writing and photographs.

The Bear and the Piano. David Litchfield. 2016. Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

After years of practicing on an upright piano he found in a forest clearing as a cub, a bear has become a musician. Other bears gather each evening to hear him play, and when the talented bear is discovered by a father and daughter, they take him to the city where he is soon playing grand pianos at sold-out concerts.  In spite of the pleasure the bear has in performing and receiving standing ovations from audiences, he misses the forest. Returning home, he finds his friends have saved the piano and have been following his success. The bear sits down to play once more “for the most important audience of all.” Litchfield’s stunning mixed-media illustrations convey all the emotions of the bear as he follows his dream of making beautiful music while never forgetting his friends and forest home.

Bloom. Doreen Cronin. Ill. David Small. 2016. Atheneum/Simon & Schuster.

Unappreciated in a glass kingdom, Bloom, a helpful but messy fairy, leaves to live in the forest. Years later the glass kingdom is badly in need of Bloom’s magic to repair it to its former glory. The King and Queen seek out Bloom, and both royals are appalled when she suggests that a bucket of mud is the answer to the glass kingdom’s problems. It takes Genevieve, a small, quiet servant, to accept the possibility of a bucket of mud being the magical ingredient to save the kingdom. And so, starting with a bucket of mud, Bloom provides Genevieve, who thinks she is just ordinary, the means for doing something extraordinary—rebuilding the kingdom with bricks. Small’s expressive ink-and-watercolor illustrations add a magical touch to this modern fairy tale that offers a gentle lesson on girl-power: “There is no such thing as an ordinary girl.”

Whoops! Suzi Moore. Ill. Russell Ayto. 2016.Templar/Candlewick.

A cat, a dog, and a mouse—none of whom can make the sounds appropriate to their species—seek out the “old lady in the tumbledown house,” who can cast a spell to make them well.  Consulting her big spell book she casts a spell. The cat says, “CLUCK!”; the dog says, “QUACK!”; and the mouse says, “COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!” The little old lady says, “WHOOPS!” It takes three more tries before she gets it right. The cat, dog, and mouse finally have proper voices, but what happens to the old lady is a giggle-inducing surprise. A rhythmic, repetitive text peppered with animals sounds and onomatopoeic flashes and crashes and rumblings as the magic spells are cast and stylized mixed-media illustrations set against brightly colored backgrounds make Whoops! a great read aloud.

Ages 9–11

The Door by the Staircase. Katherine Marsh. Ill. Kelly Murphy. 2016. Disney-Hyperion.

When 12-year-old orphaned Mary Hayes is adopted by a mysterious elderly woman, Madame Zolotaya, and taken to the small town of Iris, she is delighted to be free of the Buffalo Asylum for Young Ladies forever. In her new home, she has her own bedroom, is given new clothes, and is fed luscious, all-she-can-eat meals. Exploring Iris, Mary is intrigued by the curious shops of fortune tellers, spiritualists, a fire-eater, a tea-leaf reader, and magicians, and makes friends with Jacob, the son of an illusionist. When Mary learns that Madam Z is actually Baba Yaga, the powerful witch who eats children, she begins to plan her escape with the help of Jacob. Marsh’s well-crafted fantasy blends high adventure with magic, humor, and folklore coming to a suspenseful and surprising conclusion.

Tru & Nelle. G. Neri. 2016. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

One summer in the 1930s, Nelle, the local tomboy of Monroeville, AL, makes friends with Tru, a fancy-dressing 7-year-old boy from the big city of New Orleans who comes to live with his cousins in a house next door to Nelle. Their shared love of books, especially detective stories, fuels their adventurous play and lands them in danger as they set out to solve a real mystery that involves them in a scary close encounter with the Ku Klux Klan. As a tie-in to Tru and Nelle’s writing of stories in the novel, Neri adds six short stories about their adventures, written as he imagines the young children would have written them. The author’s note provides a context for his novel about the childhood friendship of the two famous authors, Truman Capote and Harper Lee.

Ages 12–14

Going Where It’s Dark. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. 2016. Delacorte/Random House.

Thirteen-year-old Buck Anderson has a lot of challenges in his young life. He is bullied by classmates because he stutters; his only friend, David, has moved away; and his uncle has made arrangement for him to do chores for a grumpy, reclusive neighbor. The one joy in Buck’s life is exploring underground caves around his Virginia hometown, something he and David had done together and he now does on his own in secret, knowing that he is breaking the cardinal rule of never exploring a cave alone. He is also keeping another secret: The neighbor, who is a retired Army speech therapist, is helping him learn to control his stuttering. As Buck acts on his plan to explore the possibility that a hole he has discovered might be the entrance to an unknown cave, his tormentors drop him into the off-limits “Pit” near town and his spelunking skills and courage are put to the ultimate test.

Ages 15+

We Are the Ants. Shaun David Hutchinson. 2016. Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster.

If the title of this book doesn’t grab your attention, the first sentence, “Life is bullshit,” will. By the end of the first chapter, the narrator has declared with assurance that you are mistaken if you believe that you matter in the universe. “But you don’t.  Because we are the ants.” If you still aren’t hooked, you will be when you read that aliens have been abducting the narrator, Henry Denton, periodically since he was 13. Each time aboard their spaceship the aliens reveal a different way in which the world might end to Henry and show him a red button which will permit him to save the world if he pushes it. Back home Henry is dealing with a troubled life, including trying to understand why his boyfriend, Jesse, committed suicide and surviving the physical and mental abuse of classmates who call him Space Boy. Seemingly searching for a reason why the world deserves a future—why he should push the red button—he repeatedly asks individuals, “If you knew the world was going to end but you could prevent it, would you?”  But does the answer even matter, if Henry can’t find a way of first saving himself?  

Carolyn Angus is former director of the George G. Stone Center for Children's Books, Claremont Graduate University.

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Literacy Daily.

When most of us begin to read, we are often drawn to books featuring familiar characters, settings, and experiences. Being able to see those experiences mirrored in our reading material can be validating and can keep readers returning to shelves in search of similar books. But as we grow older and more experienced as readers, we look for books that help us see the world differently. This week’s featured books highlight titles that help readers look at life through different lenses. Some of these just might change our lives and—at the very least—they may alter our worldviews.

Ages 4–8

Green Lizards vs. Red Rectangles. Steve Antony. 2015. Scholastic.

Sorting out what is at the root of most conflicts can be hard. Often, it’s something quite small such as being a different size, color, or shape. In this picture book, the only thing that’s clear from the start is the green lizards and the red rectangles are at war. As the conflict escalates, only one lizard even questions why they are fighting, and he ends up being beaten down for it. After exhausting all their resources, the two sides broker a peaceful coexistence in a creative way. Seems those lizards and rectangles had more in common than they originally thought. Originally published in the United Kingdom, the book makes excellent use of contrasting colors, shapes, and sizes to deliver its message.

Lenny & Lucy. Philip C. Stead. Ill. Erin E. Stead. 2015. Roaring Brook/Macmillan.

To his dismay and palpable unhappiness, Peter and his father move to a new place in the country. Nothing is as it was back home, and Peter draws comfort from his dog, Harold. But the house’s proximity to a bridge leading to some woods makes Peter anxious, and he fashions a Guardian of the Bridge with blankets and pillows. When he considers that this guardian, Lenny, might be lonely too, he creates a companion for him, Lucy. Then Millie, the girl next door, joins the group for play. The book’s cover is almost irresistible in its pathos as Peter watches all that is familiar being left behind. Created with carbon transfer printing, egg tempera, and charcoal, the illustrations are memorable, with a quietly meditative quality that prompts reflection. The story itself provides quiet reassurance that even in an unfamiliar place, there are new friends and routines to be found. Young readers may enjoy looking for the owl that appears on various pages and being reminded that having company helps dissipate most fears of the darkness and the unknown.

Ages 9–11

Claude in the Country. Alex T. Smith. 2016. Peachtree.

Claude, an adorable black-and-white dog who has more adventures than most humans, heads off for a trip to the country in this, his sixth outing. Along with his more reticent friend, Sir Bobblysock, the pair look for a day of relaxation and a change of scenery and find more than their share of trouble, as usual. After helping Mrs. Cowpat, a friendly farmer, by herding the sheep, gathering eggs, and cleaning the pigs, they head to the fair. The unflappable Claude even rescues a snooty judge from a raging bull. The story line and digital artwork are appealing to young readers for many reasons: the droll humor, the reference to cow patties, and curiosity as to what animals actually do while their humans are at work.

Happy Birthday, Alice Babette. Monica Kulling. Ill. Qin Leng. 2016. Groundwood/House of Anansi.

Birthdays are usually cause for celebration but, as this picture book shows, it is possible to enjoy the important day even when others seem to have forgotten it. In fact, celebrations can be fashioned from life’s most mundane moments or a walk through town. Based on the lives of writer Gertrude Stein and her companion, Alice B. Toklas, this picture book describes how Gertrude pretends not to have remembered Alice’s birthday while planning to surprise her with a feast complete with a cake. However, nothing goes as she plans. Although Gertrude gathers all the ingredients together with no problem, once she begins cooking and baking, she becomes distracted and forgets to keep an eye on the food. It is debatable whether getting down a certain thought or finishing a painting is more important than preparing a meal. Even though Gertrude’s plans to provide a splendid surprise for Alice don’t work out, Alice ends up having plenty of adventures—or, as she describes it, “a day of marvels”—as she meanders through the city. The illustrations, created with ink and then colored digitally, pay tribute to the delights of Paris where the story is set as well as a good friend’s best intentions, which surely should count for something.

Ages 12–14

Anna and the Swallow Man. Gavriel Savit. 2016. Alfred A. Knopf/Random House.

Holocaust stories abound, but this one offers something different. Set in Kraków, Poland, in 1939, the story follows young Anna Lania after she takes up with a man who has an affinity for birds. After her college professor father disappears during a purge of the city’s intellectuals, Anna has nowhere to go and she follows the mysterious man she knows only as the Swallow Man through the city streets and the woods. He teaches her survival skills and tells her stories. A master of disguises, he is clearly a brilliant man with some sort of tragedy in his past, but he never offers any explanations. When Anna befriends a Jewish man, the Swallow Man reluctantly allows him to join them. As they wander back and forth through various parts of the countryside, the Swallow Man keeps his own demons at bay until running out of medicine. Anna must figure out a way to save him for himself. Through it all, Anna learns important lessons about trust, difficult decisions, and the beauty that sometimes nestles within the harshest of moments. Readers will come to care for this young girl and hope with every fiber in their being that she finds something wonderful waiting for her at the end of her journey.

Claudia and Mean Janine (The Baby-Sitters Club #4). Raina Telgemeier. 2016. Graphix/Scholastic.

Based on the popular The Baby-Sitters Club series written by Ann M. Martin, this graphic novel version remains faithful to the original series’ intent and flavor, and readers will quickly relate to the characters as Claudia struggles with her feelings of inferiority because her parents seem to favor her older sister Janine who makes excellent grades while Claudia is lucky if she brings home Cs. The girls’ feuding continues even after their grandmother is hospitalized with a stroke. There is just enough focus on each of the members of the club and Claudia’s family and neighborhood to keep readers engaged, especially because there are shifting dynamics within the group as they head into their eighth grade year. Refreshingly, the book features self-empowered girls who aren’t caught up in the search for the right makeup or boyfriend. Readers will chortle at the depiction of many funny scenes concerning babysitting, including persuading a child that getting a little soiled is OK and the perils of washing a dog without a leash. Readers will never look at babysitting or family dynamics in quite the same way.

Up From the Sea. Leza Lowitz. 2016. Crown.

When a powerful earthquake and tsunami turn Kai’s life upside down on March 11, 2011, he must deal with the loss of his family and several classmates. The book’s opening pages describe the speed with which the sea rushes to shore, decimating the Tohoku region of Japan with almost 16,000 lives lost, as its force destroys almost all of the homes and trees in its path. The author relates Kai’s journey of recovery through a novel in verse, describing in vivid, heart-pounding language his desperate attempts to escape the water. Afterward, of course, there is almost nothing left, and Kai becomes depressed, embittered, angry, and unwilling to respond to the helping hands of others. When he has the chance to meet with disaster survivors from the Twin Towers terrorist attack in New York and hear their stories, however, Kai summons the strength and will to go on. Upon his return to Japan, he is beginning to heal, and finds a renewed purpose as he reaches out to others through his passion for soccer.

Ages 15+

Arrows. Melissa Gorzelanczyk. 2016. Delacorte/Random House.

Most readers can relate to the plight of Karma Clark, caught up in a relationship with a guy who everyone knows is wrong for her. No matter how bad things get—and they get very bad—she just can’t fight her feelings for Danny. As it turns out, her unreasonable passion for this cad can be blamed on an arrow which started that crazy thing called love from Aaryn (Cupid’s son). Another of Aaryn’s arrows, the one intended for Danny, was a dud, and Danny is unable to reciprocate Karma’s boundless passion. Karma, a talented ballerina, becomes pregnant, has a daughter named Nell, and postpones her college plans while Danny messes around in every sense of the phrase. The remorseful Aaryn tries to straighten out the mess he left behind in Wisconsin, but he falls for Karma while seeing how Danny mistreats her. This book is the perfect antidote for those contemplating changing themselves for someone else or those tempted to wrap up all their emotions, dreams, and plans for the future in another. Although the book offers several humorous moments, it also firmly reminds readers to avoid anyone who refuses to support them or tries to hold them back. Sure to prompt conversations about relationships and choices, this book offers a unique perspective on how much say we actually have when it comes to falling in—and out of—love.

Up to This Pointe. Jennifer Longo. 2016. Random House.

For most of her 17 years, Harper Scott has dreamed of a career in a ballet company. She has given up a great deal, including food, free time, and relationships, but is certain her sacrifices will be worth it. However, when the plans that she and her best friend, Kate, have don’t pan out, she impulsively heads as far away from her San Francisco home as she possibly can. Finagling her way onto a six-month-long research expedition in the Antarctic and trading on her ancestor’s name—yes, she’s related to the Robert Falcon Scott who explored the region a century ago—Harper has plenty of time to contemplate her choices and figure out a future that might still have room for dance. As an assistant to Charlotte, who is studying the effects of humans on the Adelie penguins, Harper realizes that running away from her problems hasn’t really made them go away. Eventually she must return to face the music and find a way to keep doing the thing she loves but on different terms than she originally planned.

Barbara A. Ward teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in literacy at Washington State University, Pullman. She spent 25 years teaching in the public schools of New Orleans, where she worked with students at every grade level, from kindergarten through high school as well as several ability levels. She is certified in elementary education, English education, and gifted education. She holds a bachelor's in Communications, a master's in English Education from the University of Tennessee and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of New Orleans.

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Literacy Daily.

I love books—all books—but especially international books. I eagerly await the announcement in January of USBBY’s Outstanding International Books. Which of the books on the list have I read? Which did I miss? There are 42 books on the 2016 list, and I found I had some catching up to do. Here are the books that I missed during the year and enjoyed reading during the last few weeks.

Ages 4–8

I Am a Bear. Jean-François Dumont. Trans. from French by Leslie Matthew. 2015. Eerdmans.

A bear, who cannot remember how he got there, finds himself homeless in a city. Life is difficult for a bear on the streets. It’s hard to get food, although there seems to be no shortage of it. Trying to communicate with people is impossible. They seem to be afraid of him; some run from him when he approaches and others chase him away. He spends the day sheltering in cardboard boxes in a doorway. People pass by, not noticing him, pretending not to see him, or hurrying past with disapproving looks on their faces. He is left alone with sad thoughts. Then one day a little girl stops, asks him why he is sad, gives him a little smile, and says he looks like a teddy bear. The girl gives him a “Hello, teddy bear” greeting each morning that warms his heart. It makes his life brighter to know that although he is a bear lost in the city, he is a teddy bear. Dumont’s portrayal of the bear and the response of the little girl to to the bear in contrast to that of the adult urban dwellers offer a gentle lesson of compassion for the homeless.

Like a Wolf. Géraldine Elschner. Trans. from French. Ill. Antoine Guilloppé. 2015. Minedition.

A sad and lonely dog, chained to a concrete slab by an abusive owner, tells how his wolf-like appearance and nighttime howling has led humans in the city neighborhood to misunderstand him. He longs for the freedom to run and the touch of a friendly hand. Taken to an animal shelter, the abandoned dog loses hope of being rescued until a man carrying a long, thin stick reaches through the bars to pat him on his back and says, “You look like a real shepherd dog!” Now, the dog reports, he spends his days tending sheep in the fields and his nights beside his shepherd, singing to the moon. Black-and-white silhouette illustrations dramatically show the transformation of this mistreated dog, whose life is changed by one caring individual.

Why Dogs Have Wet Noses. Kenneth Steven. Ill. Øyvind Torseter. 2015. Enchanted Lion.

In this imaginative retelling of the story of Noah and the Ark, a bearded Noah, wearing a hoodie and boots and carrying an umbrella, stands in the rain—the kind of rain that looks like it will never stop. Noah builds a gigantic ark and then gathers together as many creatures as he can remember and invites them aboard. Last of all comes a mutt with a soft, black nose. Norwegian artist Torseter’s detailed cartoon illustrations featuring cutaway views of the ark show the activities on board throughout the long, crowded voyage. When the ark springs a leak, the resourceful Noah plugs the small hole with the dog’s nose. The loyal dog stays at his post night and day. When they reach land and the parade of animals depart, Noah frees and rewards him with a tummy rub. The dog gives Noah a kiss with his wet nose. Never again would Noah’s dog go to sea, but since then all dogs have had wet noses.

Ages 9–11

Adventures With Waffles. Maria Parr. Trans. from Norwegian by Guy Puzey. Ill. Kate Forrester. 2015. Candlewick.

Nine-year-old Theobald Rodrik Danielsen Yttergård (“Trille” to everyone in Mathildewick Cove) has a best friend and neighbor, Lena Lid. Actually, although Trille considers Lena to be his best friend, he’s not sure she feels the same way about him. Trille has a big family, including her mother, father, sisters, brother, Grandpa, and Auntie Granny—the maker of the best waffles ever. Lena just has a mother, but would love to have a dad, too. After a year of shared adventures that usually go awry and frequently end with an injury, things have changed. Auntie Granny has died; Lena is getting a father (a doctor, which should be a help with future broken bones, concussions, and other injuries); and Lena has declared that, of course, Trille is her best friends. After adding her “I do” at the wedding during the Midsummer Festival, Lena joins Trille to make waffles using Auntie Granny’s famous recipe for Waffle Hearts to share with Grandpa, who is missing his sister, Auntie Granny, on this festive day. This episodic novel full of fun and heart is a great read-aloud choice.

Dreams of Freedom: In Words and Pictures. Amnesty International UK. 2015. Frances Lincoln.

Dreams of Freedom is a collection of 17 statements from individuals from around the world on various aspects of freedom. Each quotation is paired with one of the fundamental rights of all people identified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights presented in language that can be understood by young children as well as an illustration by a renowned international artist. For “Freedom to Make a Difference”, Chris Riddell, a United Kingdom illustrator, created the artwork that offers a visual story of the Chinese proverb that inspired the founding of Amnesty International in 1961: “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” There are notes on the authors of the quotations and the illustrators.

Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees. Franck Prévot. Trans. from French by Dominique Clément. Ill. Aurélia Fronty. 2015. Charlesbridge.

This picture book biography of Wangari Maathai (1940–2011), with colorful stylized artwork, goes beyond her childhood in Kenya, in which she became aware of the destruction of the forests around her village, and her founding of the Green Belt Movement to replant trees and fight for women’s rights upon her return to Kenya after studying in the U.S. In focusing on Wangari Maathai life work as a political and human rights activist, Prévot’s well-crafted text clearly shows why Wangari Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 “for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.” Extensive back matter includes a timeline of the life of Wangari Maathai, a map and notes on Kenya today, information on the continued destruction of forests in Kenya and throughout the world, and a page with quotations from Maathai, a bibliography of her books, and related websites.

Ages 12–14

Book: An Autobiography. John Agard. Ill. Neil Packer. 2015. Candlewick.

John Agard serves as transcriber of Book’s life story, which offers readers an interesting history of books from the beginning of writing on clay tablets more than 5,000 years ago by the Sumerians to the e-books of today. In his autobiography, Book covers the importance of libraries as depositories of knowledge and as resources to make books available to everyone. Book also includes information on dark periods in history in which books and libraries have been destroyed. Book’s narration is authoritative yet playful. Each chapter includes poems and sayings related to books and reading by individuals throughout history and black-and-white mixed media illustrations.

You Can’t See the Elephants. Susan Kreller. Trans. from German by Elizabeth Gaffney. 2015. Putnam/Penguin.

While her father remains in the city for his annual private grieving for his wife who died seven years ago, 13-year-old Mascha spends the summer with her grandparents in their small town, whose slogan is Together in Clinton. With nothing to do, Mascha spends her day sitting quietly at a nearby playground listening to her favorite music. There she meets a sister and brother, 9-year-old Julia and 7-year-old Max. She sees bruises and wounds the children have and begins to wonder about Julia’s explanations for them. When Mascha goes to their house to find out why they haven’t been coming to the playground, she hears screaming and witnesses the father’s violent abuse of Max through a window. She tells her grandparents but only gets the response that the family is “good people” and that such things do not occur in their peaceful town. As the problem escalates and she can get no adults to help, Mascha initiates a rescue of the two children on her own. Her well-meaning but ill-conceived plan falls apart, and Mascha is labelled a kidnapper by the outraged citizens of Clinton. Nonetheless, there are signs that her actions are leading some members of the community to see “the elephant in the room” and to face up to problems they are pretending did not exist.

Ages 15+

The Last Leaves Falling. Sarah Benwell. 2015. Simon & Schuster.

Abe Sora, a 17-year-old Japanese boy, has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Abe has read everything he can find on ALS to supplement what doctors have told him. Confined to a wheelchair and unable to attend school, his contact with people is limited to his mother and doctors until two teens he has chatted with online, Kaito and Mai, begin to visit. They involve Abe in normal teen activities and their friendship grows. As his symptoms worsen and control of his body diminishes, Abe knows that he does not want the undignified ending to life that ALS brings. He wants to face death under his own terms and he must involve Kaito and Mai in assisting him in ending his life with dignity.

Carolyn Angus is former director of the George G. Stone Center for Children's Books, Claremont Graduate University. She served on USBBY’s 2007, 2008, and 2009 Outstanding International Books committees.

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Literacy Daily.

This week’s collection of books contains nonfiction and fiction intended to stimulate discussion in social studies lessons and promote thought-provoking independent reading. The books suggest multiple perspectives on familiar and not-so-familiar topics while showing the viability of using first-person narrative as material for social studies topics.  

Ages 4–8

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah. Laurie Ann Thompson. Ill. Sean Qualls. 2015. Schwartz & Wade/Random House.

Emmanuel was born with a deformed leg but, with the support of his mother, he grew up doing things other Ghanaian children with disabilities did not do, including going to school (hopping two miles each way on one leg) and learning to ride a bicycle. At the age of 13, Emmanuel went to Accra to find work to support his family. Determined to show everyone that “being disabled does not mean being unable,” Emmanuel dreamed of cycling around Ghana. After training on a bike from the Challenged Athletes Foundation and canvasing door to door for support, Emmanuel made a 400-mile cycling journey across Ghana in just 10 days. The author’s note details Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah’s work on behalf of the disabled since completing his first long-distance bike ride across Ghana in 2001.

—CA

Gingerbread for Liberty! How a German Baker Helped Win the American Revolution. Mara Rockliff. Ill. Vincent X. Kirsch. 2015. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Responding to cries of “Revolution! Independence! Liberty!”, a German-born baker known throughout Philadelphia for his delicious gingerbread—“the best in all the 13 colonies”—joins General George Washington’s army and begins feeding the hungry Continental soldiers. Sent by Washington into enemy territory to persuade German troops hired by the British to defect to their side, he wins over the hungry soldiers not with words, but with the promise of “No empty bellies here. Not in my America.” Kirsch’s cut-paper illustrations feature the chubby baker and a lot of skinny soldiers as gingerbread cookie characters with white icing detailing. The author’s note provides information on Christopher Ludwick (1720–1801), the German baker who “helped win the American Revolution.” A simple gingerbread cookie recipe is on the endpapers.

—CA

The Inventor’s Secret: What Thomas Edison Told Henry Ford. Suzanne Slade. Ill. Jennifer Black Reinhardt. 2015. Charlesbridge.

Young Thomas and Henry wanted to know how things worked. Their curiosity frequently led to experiments that got them into trouble. When they were older, they developed inventions that made life better for people. Henry’s interest in engines inspired him to invent a two-cylinder, four-stroke car. People laughed at Henry’s gas buggy, but they loved Thomas’s light bulb. Wondering what Edison’s secret was, Henry set out to meet Edison in New York City in 1896. In a conversation during a dinner where the famous inventor was the guest of honor, Edison revealed his secret to Ford, “Keep at it.” The illustrations, rendered in watercolor, ink, and black pencil, add detail and humor to the information about Ford’s development of a series of cars that he wanted to make affordable and suitable for families, from Model A to Model T (the Tin Lizzie). The back matter includes information on the friendship between the inventors, notes on Edison’s and Ford’s inventions featured in the story accompanied by archival photographs, source notes, a timeline of the lives of Edison and Ford, and a bibliography of websites and books.

—SW

Ages 9–11

The Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower or John Howland’s Good Fortune. P.J. Lynch. 2015. Candlewick.

With a text based on historical facts set against dramatic double-spread paintings done in watercolor and gouache, Lynch tells the story of the Pilgrims’ voyage from England on the Mayflower and their first year in New Plymouth through the first-person narration of John Howland, an indentured servant of Pilgrim John Carver. Young John had the good fortune of surviving a fall from the deck of the ship in stormy waters. Lynch ends John’s story with a last-minute decision not to return to England on the Fortune the following year. In the author’s note, Lynch explains that this decision was fortunate for John because the Fortune was taken by French pirates on the voyage back to England. Lynch adds that this decision was also fortunate for the Plymouth Colony as John Howland became one of its foremost citizens.

—CA

In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse. Joseph Marshall III. Ill. Jim Yellowhawk. 2015. Amulet/Abrams.

Jimmy McClean’s mother is Lakota and his father is half white. They live on the edge of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in southwest South Dakota, but that does not spare him the ridicule of students at his school because of his light brown hair. To help Jimmy understand his heritage, his grandfather Nyles High Eagle suggests a journey to visit the ancestral and historical sites where Crazy Horse, who also had light-colored hair as a young Lakota man, grew up and served his people. Their journey through three states to places that figured in American history includes stories of “the way it was” between 1852—when Crazy Horse was 13—and 1877, when he surrendered at Fort Robinson and died from a bayonet wound. A detailed map shows the journey Jimmy and Nyles took. In an author’s note, Marshall, a Sicangu Lakota (Rosebud Sioux), explains his purpose in in writing his book. Back matter includes a glossary and references.

—SW

Two White Rabbits. Jairo Buitrago. Trans. Elisa Amado. Ill. Rafael Yockteng. Groundwood/House of Anansi.

A man and his young daughter travel by foot through a desert environment and come to train tracks where many other people are waiting. The story, told from the daughter’s point of view, suggests adventure, but the father’s worried expression depicted in the illustrations suggests their lives are precarious as they travel on a train’s roof with many other adults and children. Having to escape soldiers who stop the train, the father finds work in a town while the child plays with a boy who gives her two rabbits. Once they resume their journey, this time in the bed of a truck, the father’s concern for the welfare of his child deepens. Upon reaching the border with its high fence, the father frees the rabbits. The father and child have yet to cross the border. The double-page illustrations, created digitally in muted, somber tones, show the hope and danger of their unfinished journey. A note at the end of the story provides information on the dangerous trips refugees take in attempting to make it across the border into the United States.

—SW

Ages 12–14

Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound. Andrea Davis Pinkney. 2015. Roaring Brook/Macmillan.

Pinkney offers a lively history of the Motown music label, narrated in a folksy tone by the Groove. Berry Gordy Jr., a member of an entrepreneurial Detroit family, achieved his dream of starting a recording company that would bring together talented black song writers, singers, and musicians with the establishment of Motown Records in 1959. A key to Gordy’s success was that he not only brought black artists into the Motown family and treated them fairly but also produced hits, songs that everyone wanted to hear. The reader of Rhythm Ride learns how the Motown sound changed the music world and influenced social and political history in the last half of the 20th century. Back matter includes an author’s note, a timeline, a selected discography, source notes, resources (books, magazines, and DVDs; websites; and theatrical productions), and an index. 

—CA

Taking Hold: From Migrant Childhood to Columbia University. Francisco Jiménez. 2015. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

In this memoir, Jiménez sets out on a journey, leaving family, friends, sweetheart Laura, and teachers behind in California as he begins graduate studies at Columbia University in New York City. He connects the experience with the journey his family had taken 19 years earlier when he was 4-years-old and came across the Mexican border, not knowing what they would find when they entered the United States. Following his earlier books, The Circuit: Stories From the Life of a Migrant Child (1999), Breaking Through (2002), and Reaching Out (2009), Jiménez recounts the challenges of making his way in the culture of New York City and Columbia, supporting his family, and adjusting to the breakup with Laura. The memoir ends with his marrying Laura and her moving to New York to take a teaching position, the completion of his degrees, and his return to California as a professor at his undergrad alma mater, Santa Clara University.

—SW

Ages 15+

My Seneca Village. Marilyn Nelson. 2015. Namelos.

In a “Welcome to My Seneca Village” introduction, Nelson explains she made up the characters on the basis of their names and identifications in U.S. census records for Seneca Village, Manhattan’s first African American community of property owners on the upper west side of Manhattan Island. From 1825 to 1857, the village grew with schools, churches, gardens, and cemeteries and eventually incorporated Irish and German immigrants, until it was condemned to make way for Central Park, designed by Alfred Olmstead. Nelson begins each poem with an introduction to the characters, many of whom appear multiple times. Each poem, written in first person, recounts an event in the community. These personal stories of Nelson’s characters also chronicle historical events of the period such as economic recession, a cholera epidemic, the California Gold Rush, and the abolition movement. In an afterword, Nelson explains the structure of the poetry.

—SW

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad. M.T. Anderson. 2015. Candlewick.

Anderson’s biography of the famous 20th-century composer is also a biography of 20th-century Russia. It begins with the Bolshevik Revolution and the early days of the Soviet government, when Shostakovich was a child in Leningrad. As a young composer and teacher, he composed music for the vibrant, hopeful, and experimental art world of music and theatre of 1920s Leningrad. Anderson details the era of Stalin in the 30s and his purges that decimated the art, military, and economic intelligentsia and the five-year plans that resulted in the deaths of millions of people in the countryside. The alliance between Hitler and Stalin fails in 1941 when Hitler’s military forces, believing the Russians were subhuman, attacked Russia and surrounded Leningrad in a strangle-hold siege that lasted almost 900 days. Anderson recounts the dramatic events that led to the first performance of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony, which became known as “The LeningradSymphony,” during the siege. Anderson includes extensive source notes to supplement the historical record discussed in the book.

—SW

Sandip Wilson serves as associate professor in the College of Health and Education of Husson University in Bangor, ME. Carolyn Angus is former Director of the George G. Stone Center for Children's Books, Claremont Graduate University, CA.

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Literacy Daily.