Literacy Now

Summer is big. The excitement of vacations, travel, catching up on reading, and, of course, the classroom is never far from mind. This year has been so fruitful in literature that we had to break our summertime books into two parts. Check out last week’s first installment for even more titles.

Ages 4–8

See You Next Year. Andrew Larsen. 2015. Ill. Todd Stewart. Owlkids.

In this story depicting one family and their summer vacation, readers meet a girl whose family takes a beach vacation. “Every year we stay at the same place./I call it our cottage./But it’s not really a cottage./It’s a motel.” They come on Saturday and spend a week, they have done that since she was little. She likes the changelessness of the family summer tradition, and she tells readers about their days and meeting a new friend, who taught her how to swim. On a foggy day they write postcards, but on most days everyone goes to the beach with “beach stuff and their towels and their coolers” and their colorful umbrellas. The illustrations, in tones of yellow and red, with fresh, intense blues, are digitally created, resembling silk screen prints. Their clean, tactile quality has the appearance of chalk pastel, gouache, and pen and ink. Most striking are the azure blues of the sky during the day juxtaposed to the deep blue of summer nights. The red umbrellas at the beach, arrayed across two pages, show the energy of the morning. The postcard writing is part of an unexpected ending depicted in a final illustration that provides more detail of the girl’s vacation.

Uh-Oh! Shutta Crum. 2015. Ill. Patrice Barton. Knopf/Random House Children’s Books.

In this almost-wordless picture book, the delighted antics and play of two children out for the day at the beach with their female caretakers are depicted in multiple illustrations in double-page spreads. The only word that appears on some of the pages when play takes an unexpected turn is “Uh-Oh.” The little girl’s sunglasses fall off her face into the puddle of water they are digging, followed by a misguided decision to shove the little boy’s milk bottle into the sand mound. The children show resourcefulness in solving the problems of the uh-oh moment. The bottle becomes a nose for the face and the glasses become the eyes. The two children change their play area away from the sand by the water to the swings where more unexpected things happen and where they discover a crab in their bucket: “Uh-Oh.” The story of their imaginative play is depicted in bright summery colors, with a preponderance of blue, rendered in graphite, colored pencil, and watercolor. The enchanting, charming expressions of the children will evoke much laughter in re-readings as readers find additional details in the antics.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt.  Kate Messner.  2015. Ill. Christopher Silas Neal. Chronical Books.

In this tall picturebook readers see what is above the ground level and beneath, in the soil, through the year, from planting, to the heat of summer, the long season of harvest, and the increasing cold of winter, when life continues underground.  Messner begins the narrative in spring and writes, “Up in the garden, it’s time to plant. I trail a furrow with my finger and sprinkle seeds in a careful row” (unpaged).  Nana, the narrator’s companion works along side her in the raised beds that will be the home of vegetables and flowers.  Messner writes, “Down in the dirt, a tomato hornworm rests, waiting for wings—and the leaves where she’ll lay her eggs.”  In each succeeding double-page illustration is the seasonal juxtaposition of up in the garden and down in the dirt, showing how life is vigorous and changing above ground and below the surface.  Life is also vigorous on the ground with the number of animals who feed on insects and other animals, including the garter snake who feasts on grasshoppers, the skunk and robin who eat a number of different animals including grubs and slugs, and the long-legged spider, who does not build a nest.  In this nonfiction book Messner shares information related to growing plants and the unsung heroes that are part of the garden and that ensure its health. Messner provides information about happens to plants above ground and the life underground. Of the twenty-three double page illustrations done in  multi media and soft muted tones, only three of them have different illustrations on each page, making this book one to come back to again and again for all its detail.  The back matter includes sources for further reading and discussion of each of the animals that are featured in the story.  Messner does make the case that any garden is a community garden. 

Ages 9–11

Gone Crazy in Alabama. Rita Williams-Garcia. 2015. Amistad/HarperCollins.

Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern leave Brooklyn, their father, and “Mrs.” to spend the summer with their grandmother and great-grandmother, Ma Charles. They are enchanted by the life on the family’s farm with fresh eggs and milk and the garden but perhaps less charmed by the expectations for good manners their grandmother has for them. They visit their Aunt Trotter across the stream from Ma Charles’s house and learn the history of the family from both of them, each sister adding to the chronicle the other has reported. Delphine concludes that two sisters who live so close together who have not seen each other since they were children is crazy and the craziness of the history and of the local customs continues to reveal itself to the girls. The girls learn of the relationships between the Creek and Choctaw Tribes and their ancestors and learn they are related to the white sheriff, who is a Ku Klux Klan member. Garcia has included a family genealogy in the back matter readers will need to refer to as they hear details of U.S. history through the sisters. The year is 1969, and the girls witness the rising tensions prevalent in southern towns as they find that their lessons of liberation and empowerment from their mother and Mrs. don’t count. Their grandmother wants to protect the girls and promote values of respectable families, but no one is protected from a tornado that changes most everything.

Ice Cream Summer. Peter Sís. 2015. Scholastic.

The book’s sunny, breezy tone is established through a letter a boy writes to his grandfather explaining how busy he is. “But don’t worry, I am not forgetting about school. I read every day.” In bright pastel illustrations, Sís depicts the boy explaining all the rigorous activities he is doing, in serif text at the bottom of each page, while the true meaning of the letter’s words is conveyed in the illustrations. His letter says he is “conquering big words like tornado and explosion” as he gazes at a vast ice cream selection including Cherry Tornado and Mango Explosion. “I practice my math facts” as he counts scoops of ice cream and figures word problems: “If ice cream costs 50 cents a scoop and I have $2.00 in my pocket, how many scoops can I get?” Readers will certainly pore over the illustration of his study of ancient China. Sís explains in the illustration, “2,000 years ago: First ice cream.” The flowchart that spreads across the two pages shows how the Chinese made ice cream that included not only milk, snow, and fruit, but rice. Sís includes information in his “discovery of great inventors” in U.S. history: In 1920, Harry Burt invented ice cream on sticks. In the front matter, Sís explains his thinking and the research for the book and provides the sources he has used to find ice cream information, yet the charm of the book with its pastel-toned illustrations invites re-readings.

The Island of Dr. Libris. Chris Grabenstein. 2015. Random House.

Billy’s parents have rented a log cabin for the summer from Dr. Xiang (X) Libris—a place where his mother can write her dissertation and his father can leave them while he goes back to the city. Billy is without television, Xbox, or iPhone while he helps one of his next-door neighbors, Alyssa. His mother suggests he find the key to a remarkable bookcase as an activity, but that mystery unlocks others in this fast-paced, action-packed story. When he finally opens the bookcase and reads Robin Hood and his Merry Men and the Greek myths of Hercules and Poseidon, he hears them talk to one another. Certain he needs a distraction, Billy sets out to the island in sight of his log cabin. There he discovers Robin and Maid Marian in one place and Hercules fighting in another. They challenge one another, and Billy steps in to forge a strange alliance. Billy must figure out what Dr. Libris is up to, fend off the local bullies, organize the growing number of characters appearing on the island, and help his family. In the process, he befriends Walter, Alyssa’s brother, who becomes an ally in solving multiple mysteries for which the two boys enlist other literary characters including Pollyanna and Tom Sawyer. The novel, rich in literary references, includes a long section in the back matter listing all the books and authors who figure in the story, yet the book also includes cultural references such as the artwork of M.C. Escher. A combination of realistic fiction, fantasy, and folklore, this adventure story is an adventure in reading.

Ages 12–14

Revolution. Deborah Wiles. 2014. Scholastic.

The summer of 1964 in the life of Sunny and her family in Greenwood, Missouri, is a layered story of many characters. Sunny’s problems with her stepbrother, Gillette, and her stepmother are compounded by more family members moving into her father’s house. Wiles chronicles what members of the white supremacists called “the invasion of the agitators,” when people from all over the United States came to Mississippi to undertake community projects, including voter registration and education. The racist views of white segregationists for whom Federal Civil Rights legislation was wrong and unconstitutional are at first polite, but become hateful and inflammatory. According to they, the local customs had to be preserved yet, in both the African American and parts of the white community, freedom, empowerment, and integration became more than a rallying cry. The places of Sunny’s favorite activities—the municipal pool, the local movie theater, restaurants for family dinners—all become places of conflict. The novel’s montage of archival photographs and multiple narratives provide context for the escalating tensions that climax in violence. The secrets Sunny holds in her heart perhaps start with her sense of alienation from her stepmother, but certainly her trespass into the pool one night with Gillette, where they meet an African American, weighs heavily. Seeing him later at the movie theater, she calls him High Top, a reference to his Converse All-Star sneakers. Raymond Bullis, freedom fighter, is also known to her stepbrother, who plays ball with the African American players on their ball field—more secrets. While the world explodes in gunfire and violence around her, Sunny comes to understand both herself and her relationship with her family. Wiles explains that she was born in Alabama and spent summers in Mississippi and the “Note about Freedom Summer” provides additional context for the novel.

Sandip LeeAnne Wilson serves as associate professor of Literacy Education and English at Husson University, Bangor, ME. She serves on the Board of the New England Reading Association and the Notable Books for a Global Society Committee of the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group. The review contributions are provided by members of the International Literacy Association’s Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group.

It’s always summer somewhere in the world, but in the northern hemisphere summer is measured from the Summer Solstice in June to the equinox in the fall, and the warmth of summer may start earlier than the lengthening days of June. Summer is a time when people can and want to venture out, challenge boundaries, and change routines. Not always are the days lazy, sometimes they are hazy, and they may be crazy in their possibilities. The books in this collection represent summer in the northern hemisphere. They certainly suggest adventures, trying out new ideas, forging new ways of being, challenging boundaries, taking different perspectives, and making discoveries.

There are so many wonderful books out there celebrating summer that we broke the reviews into two parts. The second post of reviews will run next Monday.

Ages 4–8

Dozens of Cousins. Shutta Crum. 2013. Ill. David Catrow. Clarion.

Summer can be a time of get-togethers and family reunions, and Catrow illustrates the boisterous, hectic, exciting events of one of these events. “With beastie courage we greet our aunt/who grabs for us and says, “Glory be!/With beastie paws we tackle our uncles who tickle us and say, “Good golly!” The double-page illustrations rich in greens and blues have abundant detail of adults, babies, children, family pets, chickens, cats, with family on the lawn, at the tables, on the porches, talking, looking at pictures, and children playing, creating mayhem and mess, and swimming. The grandparents come solemnly to find children apologizing to unappreciative neighbors. Even the frogs get into the action, on the end sheets at the beginning, and in the pond next to the lounging, basking family members. If reunions have many activities going on at once, Catrow shows it in illustrations that are as humorous as they are detailed. Readers will return to this book again and again to look for more detail as they follow the antics of the family through the day and into the night of their reunion.

Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems. Paul B. Janeczko. 2014. Ill. Melissa Sweet. Candlewick.

Janeczko captures summer in the city, country, and at sea in this anthology. A poem by Charlotte Zolotow shows idyllic moments in a backyard garden depicted in shades of yellow and white with huge daisies and an orange cat. Another poem, “Subway Rush Hour,” by Langston Hughes suggests the heat of the city on summer’s long days: “Mingled/breath and smell./“So close/mingled/black and white/so near/no room for fear.” Sweet’s watercolor, graphite, and chalk pastel illustrations depict the shadow of the subway, yet the daisy bouquet in the hands of one passenger and the brightly colored wheels of the train suggest the bright light of summer. The detail of the book’s namesake written by J. Patrick Lewis captures detail in playful language: “When I was ten, one summer night,/The baby stars that leapt/Among the trees like dimes of light,/I cupped, and capped, and kept.” Melissa Sweet plays with perspective in the illustrations with the fireflies in the night yard on one page, and sandpipers scurrying along the beach, in view of the people lying on their brightly colored towels, on another. She incorporates collage that suggests narrative of the poems. The poems may be short through the four seasons but the richness of the illustrations will have readers coming back to them again and again.

Pool. JiHyeon Lee. 2015. Chronicle.

This large-format, wordless picture book opens on a scene of a crowded swimming pool and a lone swimmer standing on the deck who decides the only place to go is under them. In his diving deep he discovers another swimmer, and they swim into a world of fantastic creatures swimming in fantastic habitats. The illustrations, rendered in colored pencil, convey a playful quality of underwater imaginings. In one double-page spread, the two swimmers look across the empty pages at something the reader does not see, yet. On turning the page, the reader sees a whale. The adventure of the children continues as they swim back toward the legs of the crowd in the pool. The surprises do not end there, and the children are in for yet another one before the end of the book. The design of the book, with its white space on many of the pages and the careful detail, is sure to enchant and awe young readers.

Ages 9–11

Cody and the Fountain of Happiness. Tricia Springstubb. 2015. Ill. Eliza Wheeler. Candlewick.

Cody is happy with the first day of summer vacation even when her mother, who has a first day at a new job, tells her not to bring ants into the house, no screentime before 5, and no turning on the stove. Cody loves the morning quiet and she shares crusts of her toast with the ants outside. Her life becomes more complex when she befriends Spencer, looking for his aged, fat, deaf cat, MewMew, who is the catalyst for a growing friendship. Readers might think they don’t agree on anything as Cody and Spencer argue about everything including the preferred qualities of pets. Cody dreads going to camp, with its hardship of hikes and heat, but with her father, a trucker, gone for days at a time, and her older brother, Wyatt, with his doctor camp, Cody is on her own much of the time and spends time with Spencer and his grandmother, GG. Cody, Wyatt, and their mother work together to solve the problems of the household, yet her parents would like to create a different situation for her; her father, during a period home, hires a babysitter and Payton Underwood (whom Wyatt secretly adores) steps into their lives, yet Spencer and Cody have to solve other problems. A lark of a book, its themes related to family, identity, and making do while making friends will resonate with readers.

Finders Keepers. Shelley Tougas. 2015. Roaring Book.

At the beginning of summer and newly arrived at the lakeside in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Christa is morose because her parents are aiming to sell the family log cabin. The next-door neighbor, 11-year-old Alex from Arizona, has come with his parents to live with his grandfather, Edmund Clark, and run the family restaurant, currently a pizzeria. During Prohibition it was the best steak joint north of Chicago, according to Al Capone, who built an estate nearby, Ed Clark explains to the children. Christa is not impressed but is glad to have a friend who likes to make up adventures as much as she does, This novel includes their stories of the intrepid Chase TrueBlood and Buck Punch that reflect their real-life problems. Because both Christa’s parents have summer teaching jobs and her older sister Amelia works in the pizzeria, Christa is in the care of Edmund, whom she aptly names Grumpa, and the adventures of the two children, their finding out more about the family’s relationship with Capone, and the search for money he left with Edmund’s mother and father, begin. In the course of the events, Christa learns lessons in caring for her family. She also learns that everyone is just as sad as she is that their cabin is for sale. Readers will laugh at the capers and missteps the two sleuths get into; they will be breathless at the moments their discoveries land them in trouble; they will be surprised at the tumbling of unexpected events at the end. They will remember the friendship among Christa, Alex, and Grumpa.

Freedom Summer. Deborah Wiles. 2015. Ill. Jerome Lagarrigue. Atheneum, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Originally published in 2001, this picture book was republished on the 50th anniversary of the social action of the freedom workers of 1964 following the passage of Civil Rights legislation, a discussion Wiles includes in her extended introduction. In beautiful, soft-edged illustrations rendered in acrylic on paper, Wiles presents the story of a friendship between two boys, narrated by one of the boys, who meet as a result of the work that John Henry’s mother does every day for the family on the other side of town. The boys help her do the gardening and cleaning but then go to play and swim. “John Henry swims better than anybody I know. He crawls like a catfish, blows bubbles like a swamp monster.” He can’t swim in the town pool, so they dam the creek. John Henry can’t go in the store, but his friend does and shares ice cream with him. The boys learn of a new law, which opens the town swimming pool to everyone under the sun, no matter what color, but when they arrive at the pool in anticipation of the opening, they find workers filling it with asphalt. John Henry finally says, “I wanted to swim in this pool. I want to do everything you can do.” The end of the story, when the boys get their ice cream, John Henry shows he can do at least something his friend can do. The warmth of the illustrations dramatizes friendship and the intensity of feelings as history changed that summer.

Ages 12–14

First Flight Around the World: The Adventures of the American Fliers Who Won the Race.
Tim Grove. 2015. Abrams.

This nonfiction account of the circumnavigation of the globe in the spring and summer of 1924 is an adventure story different from the rest in this post. Planned and executed by six airmen of U. S. Army Air Service (forerunner of the U.S. Air Force), three Douglas biplanes called world cruisers were specially designed for the trip. The pontoons were interchangeable with tires because for one part of the journey they fly along the Pacific Rim and then across South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, to Greenland, and then across the United States before landing again in Seattle. Eight fliers start the journey with four cruisers, but when flying over Alaska on the first leg of the trip one plane is lost in the mountains. At the time of their journey, other countries including England, Italy, and Argentina were mounting their own. Grove explains that the American fliers were eager to highlight how air travel had become much more the norm for travel in Europe than it was in the United States after World War I. Included in the exciting account are the different world cultures of the 1920s where the fliers land. The extensive archival photographs and maps and diagrams supporting the text are additional sources for reading. They provide context for the planning and detail on the many problems that arose requiring resourcefulness, persistence, and patience. Toward the end of the journey, one of the planes is lost in the North Atlantic (the flier is rescued), a sad event after the thousands of miles it had made. It was replaced so the six fliers could continue. Grove has included extensive back matter with a complete itinerary, footnotes, sources, an epilogue, glossary, quick facts, and a report of what happened to the other world fliers.

The Great Good Summer. Liz Garton Scanlon. 2015. Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster.

At the outset of summer in the fictional town of Loomer, Texas, Ivy ponders how she is missing a dog, a middle name, and her mother, who has left home without her medication to become part of the Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle, Florida. Set in 2011, the novel begins in the aftermath of a fire in Texas that destroyed hundreds of homes, an event that inspired Ivy’s mother to set out on a search for something. Ivy and her dad do not know why she left or what she is searching for. They have no idea of her whereabouts, because no one knows where the Great Good Bible Church is. Ivy takes solace in her teacher, Mrs. Murray, whose young children she babysits. Circumspect about people’s judgments, Ivy wonders why her mother considers Mrs. Murray kooky when she does so many helpful things for the community and children as coach, teacher, and mother. She delivers the paper every day, writes novels in the summer, and has potted hydrangea. Ivy decides she is “normal as can be,” especially in light of the understanding that “nobody at the Murray house followed a perfect stranger to Florida for the summer, if you know what I mean.” While babysitting, Ivy meets Paul Dobbs, a remote-controlled airplane enthusiast who wants to be an astronaut, and together they make a plan to find Ivy’s mother in Florida. This fast-paced novel includes a journey during which Ivy learns about friendship and standing up for what she believes is right and valuable with humorous insights into the routine and not-so-routine moments of life.

Ages 15+

I’ll Meet You There. Heather Demetrios. 2015. Henry Holt.

Skylar Evans has a scholarship to attend art school in San Francisco in the fall. For her summer job she works as desk clerk and factotum for Marge at the Paradise Motel in Creek View, a town on Highway 99 in the Central Valley of California. Skylar finds many changes can occur even in a short period of the summer months. At the graduation party, Josh, the brother of an ex-boyfriend, whom Skylar has not seen since his deployment as a Marine to Afghanistan, appears. He limps when he moves to hug her, and she sees he has an artificial leg. Whereas Skylar has a future she longs for and can hardly wait for, Josh realizes that returning to the dusty city after losing friends and his leg in a war is as good as it gets for him. When he begins work at the Paradise, he reconnects with Skylar. Her mother has lost her job as a result of an unfortunate mistake and takes to staying in her bathrobe, smoking cigarettes, and watching her television in the trailer in which they live instead of looking for another job. As their money situation becomes more serious, Skylar takes a second job as weekend clerk at the gas station. Her mother takes up with a man whom Skylar does not like but who promises to pay the rent. For Skylar it comes at too high a price. Josh is determined to step in when Skylar has to face her mother and move out of the house. Through the course of the novel, Skylar discovers qualities about Josh that show her who he must have been as a soldier and who he is as a man. In his chapters, readers get a sense of Josh’s perspective of the story Skylar is narrating—his attitude toward himself and his life change through summer although he is haunted by the memory of his friends who were killed in the war. Josh writes of his dead buddy, “Feels wrong that I might not have gotten Skylar if none of this had happened. If I’m gonna live my life I’ve gotta leave you behind.” Josh and Skylar discover love, select the pieces of their past that support their present, and let go of things they cannot change.

Sandip LeeAnne Wilson serves as associate professor of Literacy Education and English at Husson University, Bangor, ME. She serves on the Board of the New England Reading Association and the Notable Books for a Global Society Committee of the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group.

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

Twenty-first century teachers and parents already know technology can be both a blessing and a curse. While the International Literacy Association recognizes and promotes the use of “new literacies” in 21st century classrooms, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time to no more than two hours a day for children through their teens.

So how do we harness that time to marry technology and literacy? Here are some of the best apps and websites that do just that.

Tech for Teachers

Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything

Looking to up your tech-game for next school year? Spend some quality time on this comprehensive website maintained and updated regularly by educational technologist Kathy Schrock.

All Ages

Bookmark these websites that highlight innovative technologies for the K–12 classroom:

• Educational Technology and Mobile Learning
• Free Technology for Teachers
• Games for Change
• International Society for Technology in Education
• EdTechTeacher
• Google for Education
• Apple and Education
• TED-Ed
• Edutopia

Ages 4–8

E-books

Need something for long car rides this summer? There are plenty of wonderful interactive e-books for parents to load on their iPads for young children. Favorites include Sandra Boynton’s Moo, Baa, La La La!, Pop Out! The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and Sesame Street’s The Monster at the End of this Book. Note: E-books are also available for other non-Apple devices.

The Sight Word Adventure 

Practice sight words with this app using words from both the Dolch and Fry word lists and a variety of games designed to teach automaticity with sight word recognition.

Ages 9–11

Wonderopolis

There is plenty to explore for kids, parents, and teachers at Wonderopolis, where the daily “Wonder of the Day” sparks conversation and research. Maintained by the National Center for Families Learning, it is a virtual treasure trove of big questions like, “Why do bees sting?” and “Can chocolate be good for you?” Each day, a new “wonder” is posted for kids to read about, learn new vocabulary, and link to videos and other resources. There’s even a virtual Summer Camp that kids of all ages can participate in.

Gamestar Mechanic

Tired of kids spending their time playing video games? Turn the tables and have them create video games. Gamestar Mechanic is specifically designed for 7–14-year-olds to learn how to become game designers. Technical literacy skills are fully engaged when students read, plan, and design their own games using beginner computer code.

Ages 12­–14

Hogwarts is Here

You might never see students sign up for Summer School faster than when they can register for courses at Hogwarts. This website was built by and for fans of the Harry Potter series. Once registered (students must be at least 13 to have an account), students can enroll in courses including astronomy, herbology, and Disney Lit.

Who Was? Adventure

Fans of the Who Was/Is Penguin Group biography series, often nicknamed “the bobblehead biographies,” will enjoy this app. It provides a game-style platform for information about historical and pop culture individuals. Parents and teachers will appreciate that, in addition to the great learning that can happen, this app is rated 100% child safe, with no in app-purchases, ads, or external links.

Ages 15+

Fakebook and iFakeText

With programs like Fakebook and iFakeText, students can create mock versions of two favorite social tools: Facebook and texting. Analyzing characters in literature takes on a new dimension when students create Fakebook pages for them, and understanding character motivation goes to a deeper level when students create dialogue between characters using texting language.

Sync YA

Encourage teens to “plug in” to books with free audio downloads all summer long. Each week, Sync YA releases a new classic/contemporary pairing, like Great Expectations (1861) paired with Dodger (2012). Each pairing is available free to download to a variety of devices for only one week, so be sure to sign up for the text message reminders when a new pairing is ready.

Jennifer W. Shettel is an associate professor at Millersville University in Pennsylvania, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in literacy for preservice and practicing teachers. Prior to joining the faculty at Millersville, she spent 16 years as an elementary classroom teacher and reading specialist.

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

Children, particularly those who struggle to learn or those who do not “fit in,” can be the targets of so many mean-spirited jokes and insults that they stop believing in themselves. With nurturing and acceptance, however, they can regain the qualities of self-esteem. The books featured in these reviews show characters of all ages who overcome personal difficulty to recognize their own and others’ personal worth.

Ages 4–8

Janine. Maryann Cocca-Leffler. 2015. Albert Whitman.

Janine is definitely one of a kind. She sings aloud on the bus, talks to her imaginary friend, reads the dictionary, and remembers random facts. Because she also listens when no one thinks she is, she overhears the “mean girl” extend party invitations. However, the party is only for “cool kids,” and “mean girl” tells Janine, “You are strange! You have to change!” Janine responds, “I do not! I like me!” Janine decides to have her own party and invites everyone, and all the other children want to come. The author’s illustrations are as unique and as playful as Janine herself, and young readers may be inspired by knowing Janine is based on the author’s daughter. The author reads a portion of her book and the real-life Janine talks about navigating life with disabilities here. A related website is a “place of inclusion where EVERYONE is welcome.”

—LTP

Red: A Crayon’s Story. Michael Hall. 2015. HarperCollins/Greenwillow.

Meet Red, a blue-colored crayon wrapped in a red label. No matter how hard he tries, he just can’t produce the color red. Family and friends make a range of comments about his efforts and offer a variety of suggestions. Despite his perseverance, he continues to fail. When a new crayon friend asks Red to color an ocean for her drawing, Red finally discovers that he is really a blue crayon! Hall’s story contains multiple themes, such as “Be true to yourself despite the labels society tries to wrap around you.” Another theme pertinent to this collection of books is, “Persevere through obstacles that challenge your identity and self-esteem.” This book may be read on many levels; older readers may even uncover a transgender theme. Hall has created colorful crayon-inspired art in keeping with the subject of the book. HarperKids produced an engaging book trailer.

—LDP

Sweep Up the Sun. Helen Frost. 2015. Photographs by Rick Lieder. Candlewick.

Poet Helen Frost and photographer Rick Lieder have teamed up for another breathtaking union of poetry and nature photos. Their first collaboration, Step Gently Out, encouraged readers to look more closely at the natural world of insects. Sweep Up the Sun invokes readers to spread their wings and soar as they explore their world. Rick Lieder’s stunning close-up photographs of 11 bird species accompany Helen Frost’s poem. The birds are captured in flight and appear in sharp focus against muted backgrounds. A profile of each featured bird is included at the end of the book. Frost’s inspirational poem is a celebration of growth and finding one’s place in the natural world. Her poem can be read as a metaphor for self-discovery, an important step in developing a robust self-esteem. This stunning picture book would make an ideal graduation gift. Helen Frost maintains an extensive website and Rick Lieder’s website presents more of the photographer’s work.

—LDP

Wolfie the Bunny. Ame Dyckman. 2015. Ill. Zachariah OHora. Hatchette/Little, Brown and Company.

Big brothers and sisters will be able to relate to Dot’s situation: A new baby has joined her family. Dyckman, however, adds a clever and original element to this popular subject of picture books: A baby wolf is left in a basket outside the Bunny family’s door. Dot’s besotted parents blithely ignore her repeated warnings that the new addition to the family is sure to eat them up. While Dot’s parents dote on Wolfie and extol his virtues, Dot stays on guard for trouble. As Wolfie grows, so does his appetite. A trip to the store for more carrots reveals that Dot’s fears are misplaced and gives her the perfect chance to defend her “little” brother. Although the arrival of a new baby can threaten an older sibling’s self-esteem, the event can also provide opportunities to form a new self-identity as a big brother or sister. OHora’s acrylic paintings rendered in a limited and muted color palette add humor and emotional depth to the story. Wolfie the Bunny has earned starred reviews from Booklist, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal. John Schu has created an engaging book trailer.

—LDP

Ages 9–11

Almost a World Record Breaker (Teddy Mars Book #1). Molly B. Burnham. 2015. Ill. Trevor Spencer. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen.

To set a world record, Teddy Mars needs to escape from his family, avoid the Grumpy Pigeon Man, and ditch his 4-year-old brother, The Destructor (who, by the way, sleeps in a clean kitty litter box). After a disastrous birthday, Teddy moves to a tent in the backyard, which gets Teddy away from The Destructor, but it also prompts Grumpy Pigeon Man to hire him to help care for his 57 pigeons. With the help of his two best friends, Teddy unsuccessfully attempts to set a world record for raking the largest leaf pile, stretching the most rubber bands on his face, and getting the most pigeons to land on him. When Teddy is at his lowest, he discovers he has always had his family’s support. Actual (read: bizarre) world records are artfully inserted in the narrative, and the font size, ample white space, and illustrations make this a perfect read for the younger middle-grade audience. There’s a lot to love here: a quirky family, an eccentric next door neighbor, best friends, and a dream come true. Students who have discovered the Guinness Book of World Records will relate to Teddy’s obsession.

—LTP

Blue Birds. Caroline Starr Rose. 2015. G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group.

Set in 1587, this novel in verse imagines the lives of Alis, the only young girl in what became known as the Lost Colony of Roanoke, and Kimi, a young girl of the Roanoke. The girls’ initial mistrust is palpable. Alis’s group finds the settlement deserted when they arrive, and her beloved uncle is missing. Kimi’s father was beheaded by those early settlers who brought the disease that killed her sister. Through the girls’ distinct voices, Rose masterfully conveys a sense of urgency as tensions between the two groups escalate. Yet the girls slowly overcome their fear to cross cultural boundaries, share the beauty and wonder of the land, and develop a deep and abiding friendship. In an author’s note, Rose explains that she became intrigued by the mystery of the Lost Colony while teaching fifth-grade social studies, and she fleshes out fact and fiction. This would be an excellent addition to classroom and school libraries and would be a powerful read-aloud or supplemental reading for middle-grade students studying the Lost Colony.

—LTP

Fish in a Tree. Lynda Mullaly Hunt. 2015. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen.

A talented artist who creates movies in her mind, sixth grader Ally has mastered the art of disruption to mask the fact that she cannot read. Her self-esteem has been shattered because of the many times she has been told she is dumb. Ally has been in seven schools in seven years, and her military father is currently deployed, but her Sketchbook of Impossible Things helps her cope. Enter long-term sub Mr. Daniels, who identifies her dyslexia, gradually gains her trust, and teaches her to read. Ally forms a friendship with outspoken Keisha and scientific Albert, who don’t seem to care what others think about them, and she finds support and acceptance at home from her mother and adored older brother (who, we infer, also has dyslexia). The tropes of a mean-girl nemesis and her sycophant friend, a trio of misfit friends, and an unorthodox teacher along with the use of metaphors to affirm difference could seem heavy handed, yet Hunt has created a feel-good read about a young girl who discovers the many guises of courage. Reminiscent of Bluefish (Schmatz, 2013), this is a book that begs to be read aloud to middle-grade students.  

—LTP

Ages 12–14

Mosquitoland. David Arnold. 2015. Viking/Penguin Group.

Mim Malone has seen her fair share of troubles, including her parents’ divorce, her dad’s remarriage, and a traumatic move from Ohio to Mississippi. In fact, the first chapter of the novel is contained within this single line of text: “I AM MARY Iris Malone, and I am not okay.” When Mim overhears her dad and stepmom discussing her mother’s secret disease, she impulsively decides to hop a Greyhound bus to Cleveland to find her mother. Mim encounters a variety of friends and foes along the way. This novel is brimming with issues, such as the shifting line between sanity and mental illness. Mim is a quirky character with attitude and a strong voice. Her observations on the people and situations she encounters along her journey of self-discovery are peppered with scathing sarcasm and witty humor. Ultimately, Mim overcomes a host of personal difficulties and learns important lessons about loyalty and love. Most notably, she realizes the complexity of being human: Heroes have faults, and villains have virtues. David Arnold’s writing is masterful and eloquent; this is a book to reread and savor. The audiobook, read by Phoebe Strole, is particularly captivating. Mosquitoland has received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly. The book also made Kids’ Indie Next List “Top Ten” Pick for Spring 2015. Penguin Teen created a dramatic trailer featuring an original song written and produced by the author.

—LDP

Under a Painted Sky. Stacey Lee. 2015. G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group.

The year is 1849, the place is a small town in Missouri. Samantha, a 15-year-old Chinese girl, commits a crime in self-defense after the tragic loss of her father. Annamae, a young slave, helps her in the aftermath of the crime. Disguising themselves as boys, they band together in their search for freedom from imprisonment and enslavement. They find themselves on the Oregon Trail, where they are befriended by a trio of cowboys who become their allies. Lee’s characters are fully developed and complicated. The girls form a deep bond as they struggle to maintain their disguises and survive amid harsh and dangerous conditions. This work of historical fiction is a unique story of the Oregon Trail, one full of adventure and resourcefulness. Both “Sammy” and “Andy” encounter discrimination, but it is their mutual support and belief in one another that helps each to discover their own self-worth. At the heart of the book is a friendship between two characters who keep each other’s hope alive in the face of grief and despair. A guide for educators can be found on the author’s website.

—LDP

Ages 15+

Bone Gap. Laura Ruby. 2015. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray.

Welcome to Bone Gap, a place with gaps between realms. A unique cast of characters inhabit this place of mystery: the O’Sullivan brothers, Sean and Finn; Roza, a young woman who appears in their barn one day; and Petey, the local beekeeper’s daughter who befriends Finn. All of the characters are complex, and their experiences inform and affect each other’s storylines. When Roza goes missing, no one believes Finn’s account of her abduction, one that suspiciously lacks a description of the captor. The townspeople’s distrust of Finn undermines his ability to believe in himself and the events of the day that Roza disappeared. It is Petey who solves the mystery of the missing pieces of Finn’s story. Petey’s belief in Finn gives him the confidence to embark on a hero quest and travel through a magical gap between worlds to rescue Roza. But Roza is her own hero, one whose rebellion against society’s fascination with beauty eventually leads to her freedom. Laura Ruby has written a genre-bending story; fairy tale and mythological elements are interwoven with elements of realism in this wholly original and compelling read. Bone Gap has garnered starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Voya. Julie Bartel interviewed the author on The Hub, YALSA’s literature blog.

—LDP

Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story. David Levithan. 2015. Dutton Books for Young Readers/Penguin.

For anyone and everyone who fell in love with Tiny Cooper in Green and Levithan’s (2010) Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Tiny is back and unabashedly telling his larger-than-life story; there is no lack of self-esteem here. The autobiographical musical Tiny wrote and staged in Will Grayson, Will Grayson is presented as a two-act script complete with dialogue and musical numbers, and Tiny is large and in charge through his staging directions, solos, and monologues. Act I tells of Tiny’s childhood and coming out through musical numbers including “Oh! What a Big Gay Baby,” “Ballad of the Lesbian Babysitter,” and “Stating the Obvious.” Act II opens with the “Parade of the Ex-Boyfriends” and tracks the 18 times Tiny falls in and out of love and what he learns about love along the way. Although there is currently no sheet music, Levithan proposed the idea of crowd-sourcing the musical. This musical-novel or novel-musical is a razzle-dazzle, laugh-out-loud, break-your-heart exploration of the quest for true romantic love.

—LTP

The Truth Commission. Susan Juby. 2015. Viking Books for Young Readers/Penguin.

The Truth Commission is Normandy Pale’s creative nonfiction Grade 11 Spring Special Project at Green Pastures Academy of Art and Applied Design. Although Normandy describes herself as “deadly normal,” her older sister is famous for her fantasy graphic novels that parody their family and have led to Norm’s “damaged self-esteem.” Norm and her best friends Dusk and Neil form the Truth Commission to uncover the truths “lying around, half exposed in the street, like drunken cheerleaders trying to speak.” Norm is an unwilling participant, and her unease increases when a student suggests she should seek the truth a little closer to home. This leads Norm to delve into the truths about her brilliant older sister and her dysfunctional family. Norm’s voice is witty, snarky, and intelligent as she vacillates between self-assurance and self-doubt, and the dialogue and dynamics between the three friends is spot on. Readers will root for Normandy as she writes her own story and discovers her own truth.

—LTP

Linda T. Parsons is an associate professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning on the Marion Campus of The Ohio State University, where she specializes in middle childhood literacy and young adult literature. Lisa D. Patrick is a literacy coach trainer at The Ohio State University’s Literacy Collaborative, where she specializes in children’s literature and early literacy.

The review contributions are provided by members of the International Literacy Association’s Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group.

Today’s diverse family structures and connections with friends, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others remind us how intergenerational relationships can enrich our  perspectives about the world, often coming to understand ourselves better in the process. The members of the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group present here selections that will promote conversations to celebrate the beauty and joy of multiage families.

Ages 4–8

Here She Is! Catherine Leblanc and Eve Tharlet. 2015. Minieditions.

Little Bear cannot wait for the arrival of his new sister. However, once little Anna comes home, he is not impressed by all the fuss and attention. He cannot understand Mother and Father Bear’s excitement over her soft fur or gurgling. Little Bear’s initial jealousy subsides after he decides to spend some time with Little Anna. One beaming smile, meant just for him, changes his outlook, and he decides there is room in the family for both little bears.  Little Bear solves the problem, and the message of acceptance and love abounds in the text and illustrations.  The beautiful illustrations showcase the various emotions and expressions felt by members of a growing family.   

—MN

In a Village by the Sea. Muon Van. 2015. Ill. A. Chu. Creston. 

In this beautifully illustrated story, the simple text allows the reader to focus truly on the powerful images and illustrative scenes.  The story begins with a wife and child anxiously awaiting the return of the fisherman/husband (father).  The looming storm and dark clouds cause concern. Will he get home safe?  There are many visual treasures in this book, including the repeated appearance of the family dog and the clever foreshadowing of the “artist in residence,” a brown cricket, living beneath the wooden floor.  This book promotes opportunities to foster language development and critical viewing.

—MN

The New Small Person. Lauren Child. 2015. Candlewick.

A new sibling always requires some adjustment. In the case of Elmer Green, the “small person” welcomed into his family seems to have no regard for his property or ways of doing things. He licks his jelly beans, wears his costumes, and eventually moves into Elmer’s room. Throughout the conflicts in the story, the younger sibling remains a “small person.” The two siblings eventually connect, thanks to a bad dream, a long line of things, and silly TV. Finally, Albert and Elmer are able to share jelly beans, conditionally at least! The playful illustrations, clever text design and placement, and carefully paced plot all help to convey Albert’s experience of embracing the expansion of his family.

—LC

Ages 9–11

Half a Man. Michael Morpurgo. 2015. Candlewick.

In just 50 pages, the narrator of this book shares his relationship with his grandfather. The story is complemented by both small and full-page illustrations that powerfully set the tone of the story. The book starts with an explanation of how the young boy, Michael, reacts to his grandfather’s scarred face. His grandfather, a British WWII veteran, was on his third trip in a merchant navy convoy when the ship was torpedoed. Halfway through the book, when his grandfather describes the torpedo strike, the story is interspersed with three wordless spreads. One shows the convoy heading out fishing in a small boat, the white sky meeting pale blue water. Another is red, orange, and black as the two men struggle through the flames and water. The third captures the perspective as the men in the lifeboat look up to see a huge destroyer come to their rescue. Although this may be the climax of the story, it’s the connection between the boy and his grandfather that readers will remember. The matter-of-fact tone of the narration balances the intensity of the events in the story.

—LC

Nightbird. Alice Hoffman. 2015. Wendy Lamb.

This fantastical story is driven by setting and layered with mystery. The endpapers introduce a blue-toned scene full of information and hints about the story. A pink moon is setting, the orchard is in bloom, and several characters are visible, if you look closely. The small town of Sidwell is home to Twig and her mother, the town baker. They live a quiet and isolated life on the orchard. There are lots of reasons for their isolation: an estranged father, a brother with wings, and a family curse. When new neighbors move in, Twig’s family is no longer able to keep their secrets under wraps. Twig’s voice and perspective resonate, and the portrayal of the nature of this community is beautifully embedded, but some aspects of how the plot is revealed feels uneven. Suspension of disbelief will be easy for readers who are drawn to the fantasy elements related to witches, curses, and wings.  

—LC

Ages 12–14

Paper Things. Jennifer Richard Jacobson. 2014. Candlewick.

When Arianna (“Ari”) Hazard’s parents died, her guardian Janna decided to look after her and her older brother Gage.  Janna was a very good friend of Ariana’s mother, who wanted to ensure that her hopes and dreams for her children would come to fruition.  Unfortunately, the relationship between Gage and Janna was tenuous, especially as he entered adulthood.  When Gage decides to move out with his 11-year-old sister Ari, he lies to Janna about having a place of his own. Ari struggles to maintain a sense of normalcy at school despite the constant transitions of moving into their car, homeless shelters, and friends’ homes. She brings with her few belongings, including her “paper things”—people and furniture cut from catalogs. The paper things reflect her sense of loss as well as her hope for a better tomorrow. Ari’s resilience and positive outlook, given her situation, led her to make new friends and “shine wherever she went.” Jacobson’s realistic fiction novel provides a rich context for dialogue about recognizing the signs of homelessness and providing resources to students and families.

—MN

Ages 15+

The Tightrope Walkers. David Almond. 2015. Candlewick.  

For Dominic (“Dom”) Hall, reality is the shipyards where his father works, but that’s also a reality he’d like to transcend. Set in Northern England in the 1960s, time and place are integral to the story.  Although Dom is the main character, Holly and Vincent are powerful players in his journey. The friendship he shares with Holly is the brightest element in the novel. She is artistic and eccentric in the best ways, enabling Dom to see opportunities he may never have noticed. One of these opportunities is tightrope walking. After seeing a tightrope act at the circus, Holly convinces him to try it, saying, “We’re light, we’re strong, and we’re young.” Vincent’s influence is not as positive or pleasant as that of Holly’s, and he takes Dom and readers into dark territory. Almond invites readers into the hearts and minds of these characters through authentic dialogue and rich description. This is a haunting tale of the kind of conflict and tension that is just right for young adults.

—LC

Written in the Stars. Aisha Saeed. 2015. Nancy Paulsen.

In this compelling and poignant novel, 17-year-old Naila is caught between two cultures. Her Pakistani immigrant parents have very strict rules and expectations of girls. When Naila sneaks off to attend her school prom with her Pakistani American boyfriend Saif, her parents show up and take her home.  Soon after, her family brings her to Pakistan in an effort to reintroduce her culture and to reinforce customs, including a forced marriage. Naila attempts to escape and contact her true love, Saif, but is unable to do so. Eventually, a husband is chosen for her, and Naila struggles to navigate the realities of her circumstances. Naila admits to her husband that she is unhappy.  Naila wonders, “How can this be a marriage? I am here against my will. He is not my husband. He’s someone I must endure.” Eventually, Naila returns to the United States with Saif despite the shame and embarrassment that she brought to her family. This adolescent novel sheds light on the reality of forced marriages on young women. The back matter includes a glossary, an author’s note, and helpful resources.  

—MN

Lesley Colabucci is an associate professor at Millersville University in Pennsylvania where she teaches courses in children’s/adolescent literature. Mary Napoli is an associate professor of reading at Penn State Harrisburg where she teaches literacy courses.

The review contributions are provided by members of the International Literacy Association’s Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group.