When
hard times hit Hansel and Gretel’s family, their father takes them into the
woods and leaves them there. The storyteller says it was part of an evil plot
to get rid of the children. But the two urchins know he was just going home for
blankets to keep them warm, and then he lost his way.
In It’s
Not Hansel and Gretel, writer Josh Funk brings humor to the classic
fairy tale, with the children challenging the narrator every step of the way. He
insists there were breadcrumbs, they say no way. He says an evil witch lives in
the house in the forest, they are quite sure she’s a sweet old lady. Gretel objects
to Hansel always coming first in the telling; Hansel puffs up from a strawberry
allergy. In the end, the children take over telling the story and create their
own fairy tale finish.
Edwardian
Taylor’s illustrations show two big-eyed innocents who look for the good in the
people around them and love unicorns and rainbows. Pages are filled with lots
of color and details that are fun to discover, like the mouse musketeer in the
witch’s kitchen, and a cast of bad characters from other fairy tales lurking in
the woods.
It’s
all great fun for parents and children, who are bound to get a chuckle out of
this inventive retelling of Hansel and Gretel for modern times.
The publisher
provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
When
Leah Tinari completed portraits of the U.S. presidents for her son, she found
herself frustrated that all the portraits were of men. That experience, plus
her reflection on the life and death of actress Carrie Fisher, inspired her to
create 24 portraits of American women who were trailblazers in many ways. Each
portrait includes bio information that becomes part of the art. Tinari added
quotes either from or about each featured woman to create Limitless: 24 Remarkable American
Women of Vision, Grit, and Guts.
In a
note at the beginning of the book, Tinari says she wanted to celebrate each woman’s
vision, uniqueness, and perseverance, and share their achievements with a
larger audience. She also wanted to show her son that women could be role
models.
Tinari
included women who broke ground in music, sports, acting, comedy, politics,
fashion, and more. Each portrait is lively, colorful, and compelling.
Biographical facts frame each face, which makes it easy to get an overall
picture of the personality of the person featured. The oversized format packs
visual punch while also making the facts quick to read.
Among
the women featured are Louisa May Alcott, Rachel Carson, Shirley Chisholm,
Ellen Degeneres, Carrie Fisher, Georgia O’Keefe, Dolly Parton, Gilda Radner, and
many more. The book finishes with a brief note of each woman that includes
birth and death dates as well as a notation on one powerful moment in each
life. I highly recommend Limitless for readers aged 10 and
up.
The publisher
provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
As an
educator teaching middle-school students the basics of “Cyber
Civics,” Diana Graber has heard her share of stories where kids get into
trouble using technology. Yet she prefers to focus on the positive things that
technology brings to young lives and how kids can become digitally literate.
It’s a necessary skill she believes will help usher the next generation into
using their devices in positive ways while staying safe online.
Graber’s book, Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology, provides guidance for parents who are not sure what to do about such things as setting limits on screen time, delaying social media activity, nurturing relationships both on and offline, and more. She suggests activities parents can do with their kids to help them learn some of the same concepts she teaches. She also suggests responses to clear problems like online bullying, fake news, privacy, and other concerns that come along with using many of the popular applications.
Graber’s suggestions provide a great primer for parents on how to guide their children on using technology in a positive way while avoiding some of the major pitfalls. I can also see it being used by educators who want to advocate for digital literacy training in their schools. You can find out more about the author and download a discussion guide at her website: dianagraber.com.
The publisher
provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I’m thrilled to present a guest post by author Patricia Hruby Powell, who has written so many books I have loved, including Loving vs. Virginia. In this post, Powell talks about the landmark case and her decision to tell the story in verse. Here’s what she has to say:
My mother was an activist. I remember as a child picketing with her at the grocery store, carrying a sign, “Don’t eat table grapes,” in support of migrant farmworker rights to be fairly paid. As a family we fought for integration in our town. So it’s no surprise that I am attracted to various subjects of social justice such as the individual’s right to marry whomever they choose.
My book Loving vs. Virginia opens with a Virginia law entitled the “Racial Integrity Act,” dated March 1924, which states: “. . . there are in the State . . . near white people, who are known to possess an intermixture of colored blood . . . enough to prevent them from being white.”
The document continues stating that these “near white” people are trying to enroll in white schools and intermix with white society in various ways. This is the law that forbade Mildred Jeter, a black woman, and Richard Loving, a white man, from marrying in Virginia. And it’s a Health law! And it remained the law in Virginia until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of interracial marriage in the Loving v Virginia case in 1967.
So Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter got married
in Washington, D.C. and returned home to rural Virginia. However, their
problems were just beginning. They were arrested five weeks later, in their bed,
simply for being married.
Studying the historical documents relating to the case, I was not only floored by the blatant racism, but surprised by the carelessness involved. Richard Loving’s arrest warrant is barely legible. Surely the person filling out that form never dreamed that authors, filmmakers, lawyers and students would be studying this document for decades. In the second warrant, Mildred is not even named, but is designated as “_______Jeter” suggesting that a black woman was invisible in the legal system. Only the white man was fully named. Equality and freedom may be improving for people of color and for women, but there’s so much work yet to do.
I’m often asked why I wrote Mildred and Richard’s voices in verse. In researching this book, I viewed Hope Ryden’s 16mm footage of the Loving family, filmed in 1963. Mildred’s gentle nature and her Southern accent, combine to make poetry. Verse seemed the natural route to bring her voice to life. Richard is also soft-spoken but there’s an edge of defensiveness to his voice. I made his lines longer and slightly choppier, with less correct grammar than Mildred’s. You can view the footage of the Loving couple online, in Nancy Buirski’s documentary, The Loving Story (2011). Also worth watching is the movie Loving (2016).
I hope you read my book as well as watch the
films.
I Hate My Cats (A Love Story) by Davide Cali and Anna Pirolli is a great picture book for anyone who has a cat or cats and loves them despite the trouble they may get into. The two cats in the story, Ginger and Fred, create mischief of various types, including leaving black fur on white towels, knocking vases off tables, and dripping water on the floor. Sometimes they cause a ruckus just to get their owner’s attention. But no matter how frustrated their owner gets at the havoc they cause, all is forgiven by the end of the day.
Anna
Pirolli’s illustrations reveal Ginger and Fred’s personalities, with subtle expression
changes to show the cats being at times playful, content, and fearful. Parents
and children will fall in love with these two characters as they relate to the
animals in their own lives.
The publisher
provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The
story of how 12 black students integrated a public high school in Clinton, Tennessee,
in 1956 is not as well known as other stories of children breaking down race
barriers during that time. This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in
the Fight for School Equality brings that event to life, as it is told
by one of the 12 to experience it: Jo Ann Allen.
Told
in verse and co-authored with Debbie Levy, This Promise of Change reveals an
incredible story of the author’s resilience and determination to bring about
change. She and her black classmates endured everything from shoves and jabs in
the hallway to threats of worse physical violence on their way to and from
school. Outside protesters whipped up anti-integration emotions among locals.
Throughout
the threats and the violence, arrests and protests, Jo Ann and the other
students stayed the course. Looking back from the perspective that encompasses
60 years of history since that time, it’s hard to imagine high school students
having to endure what this group and others like them endured. They started out
only wanting equal access to education and activities and ended up paving the
way for those who came behind them. Often, their courage created a toll on their
families as well as themselves.
This
Promise of Change brings up lots of issues
to discuss around the integration of schools, what it means to take risks for
something you believe in, and so much more. I highly recommend it for readers
aged 10 and up.
The publisher
provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
From
an Idea to Disney includes quotes from
Walt, fun facts, and definitions and explanations of some of the more
complicated concepts surrounding the Disney company, including what it means to
offer public stock. The story goes past Walt’s life to include the current
state of the corporation. It’s sure to be a hit with young readers who are
interested in everything Disney as well as curious about how the world of
business works. I recommend it for readers aged 10 to 12.
From
an Idea to Disney by Lowey Bundy Sichol provides
an interesting look at the story behind the Walt Disney Company, starting with
the childhood of its founder. From the time he was young, Walt loved doodling animal
cartoons on his classroom chalkboard and performing funny skits in front of his
classmates. His journey from young illustrator to Hollywood icon and worldwide
recognition included quite a few ups and downs before he found success.
The publisher
provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Jess and Lucas each lost a brother when a mass shooting occurred at a theater. Their grief affects them and their families differently; Jess’s mother is depressed and unable to work, Lucas’s mom becomes overprotective. When the two start to work at the same job, they realize that talking about that night to someone who had a similar experience can help them handle the repercussions.
That Night by Amy Giles looks at tragedy and how it affects the whole family. The story explores feelings of grief, guilt, depression, and learning how to continue on and be happy again after a devastating loss. I recommend it for readers aged 14 and up.
