Book Review: Survival: True Stories by Tom McCarthy

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Survival: True Stories cover imageSome kids are drawn to history, some are not. But most are probably fascinated with real-life stories about events that happened to adventurers and regular people in days gone by. The Mystery and Mayhem series does a great job of finding bits about people from history and turning them into page-turners for the younger set. Survival: True Stories by Tom McCarthy is another in the series sure to appeal to readers aged 9 to 12.

Survival focuses on people who faced extreme circumstances and came out of them alive, even when many others in the group perished. Some of the tales are somewhat well known, like the Donner Party, others, like the French woman who survived a shipwreck and days in the Sahara desert, are not. In each case, McCarthy relies on eyewitness accounts and diaries to recreate the feeling of what it must have been like to be there.

Other stories featured in Survival include the tale of Captain Bligh, left on the high seas after a mutiny on his ship, the Bounty, Captain Shackleton’s trip to Antarctica, and a pioneer group’s trek across Death Valley.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Fishbone’s Song by Gary Paulsen

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Fishbone's Song cover imageFishbone tells three stories about how the boy came to live with him in the woods, but the boy doesn’t know which is true. Maybe they’re all true. He only knows Fishbone is old, and he’s got a way of explaining things that makes you listen up and think long about what he’s saying. The boy tried living away from Fishbone for a while so he could go to school, but it didn’t last. Now he knows he’s learning skills that will help him prepare for the day that his old guardian passes on.

Fishbone’s Song by Gary Paulsen is a tender story of a boy growing up and learning the ways of the woods from the wise old man raising him. He learns how to live with the creatures around him, taking what he needs and leaving the rest be. Fishbone encourages the boy to try and fail over and over again as he learns new skills, knowing that he will find a way to accomplish what he needs to.

In a time when so much of life is filled with rushing from one thing to another, Fishbone’s Song encourages readers to slow down and notice the world around them. I recommend it for readers—girls and boys—aged 9 to 12.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Review: Apples and Robins by Lucie Félix

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Apples and Robins cover imageA child looks out her window at the end of summer and sees an apple tree loaded with fruit just out of her reach. With the help of a few rectangles she has a ladder and can climb up to pick the treats. But when she bites into an apple, she finds a worm. No problem, as an oval and some triangles create a robin that eats the worm.

Apples and Robins by Lucie Félix helps young children learn shapes and colors as it tells a sweet story of bird and garden life just outside the window. Die-cut shapes form the apple and robin as well as others objects, such as a birdhouse, a bolt of lightning, and a basket. The world outside the window goes from late summer to fall to winter. The final pages almost burst with life and color, and readers can almost hear and smell the signs of spring.

It all creates a magical journey that parents can read to younger toddlers and kids aged 5 to 8 can read on their own. I highly recommend Apples and Robins as a delight for both kids and parents.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Banned Books Challenge Readers On a Variety of Issues

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Banned Books Week is September 25 through October 1, and this year the spotlight is on diversity. One of the reasons is because the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom estimates that over half of all banned books are by authors of color or contain events and issues concerning diverse communities.

To be sure, the list of the top banned books is 2015 deals with issues many people may feel uncomfortable reading or talking about, including sexual orientation, suicide, disability, child slavery and more. But reading and understanding characters facing those issues can help us understand what happens to the people around us and address injustice.

Check out the 2015 list, which includes reasons readers want them banned from libraries.

Book Review: Truth or Dare by Barbara Dee

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Truth or Dare cover imageLia counts on her four best friends to be there for her, just like they were after her mom died. But those relationships start to show cracks in the summer before eighth grade, and the divide gets even rougher once school starts. When a game of truth or dare takes a turn toward the mean, Lia feels as though she is losing the people she cares about the most. With the help of her “weird aunt,” she just may be able to patch up the cracks and be happy again.

Truth or Dare by Barbara Dee brings up a lot of issues from a confusing time in life. Lia is a late bloomer while all her friends are getting bras and their periods. She lies about her development so she won’t feel left out. Her mom is gone and she doesn’t want to talk to her dad about what’s happening (or not) with her body. She wants to talk to her aunt, but her mom’s sister is so different from her mom that she doesn’t easily connect with her either. On top of everything else, Lia also doesn’t know how to stand up for herself when one of her friends starts to bully others in the group.

All these situations should open up a conversation between moms and daughters about puberty, bullying, dynamics within a group of friends, learning how to be true to yourself, and others. I recommend Truth or Dare for book clubs with girls aged 9 to 12.

The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Review: Hundred Percent by Karen Romano Young

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Hundred Percent cover imageTink is eleven and about to start sixth grade. Over the summer she grew a lot taller and had to start wearing a bra. Her best friend Jackie is still small, flat and, in Tink’s opinion, cute because of it. That’s not the only thing affecting their friendship. Jackie starts to hang with the popular kids and Tink knows she’s only invited because of Jackie. She’s not sure where she stands in the friendship, and that throws her off balance in other areas, making her second guess how she feels about a lot of things she took for granted before. She has to make decisions about whether she wants to change to fit in or find a different way that’s true to who she thinks she is.

Hundred Percent by Karen Romano Young captures the mixed-up feelings kids have when they feel themselves on the verge of growing up. Part of them wants to take comfort in doing the things they have always done. Part of them wants to act more grown up. Even figuring out what that means could be difficult.

Tink ponders issues that many girls her age are likely to be worried and confused about, including shifting friendships, budding interest in boys, insecurity about how they look compared to others in their class, and more. She also learns from Jackie’s home life, which is very different from her own. Jackie’s single mom is dating a man who has a son Jackie wants to date. Other kids talk about Jackie’s mom in unflattering ways, and Tink wonders what it all means.

Tink’s story is sure to resonate with kids ages 9 to 12, and the situations she faces should prompt lots to discuss in mother-daughter book clubs.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Review: A Long Pitch Home by Natalie Dias Lorenzi

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A Long Pitch Home cover imageNatalie Dias Lorenzi is the author of one of my favorite recent books for readers aged 9 to 12, Flying the Dragon (read my review). So when she got in touch to ask if I wanted to review her latest book, I was happy to say yes.

Like Flying the Dragon, A Long Pitch Home features a protagonist being uprooted from his home country and coming to live in the U.S. where he must make many adjustments. Despite the challenges, Bilal is up to the task.

To learn more about the author, visit her website, nataliediaslorenzi.com. Now, here’s my review of A Long Pitch Home.

When Bilal is 10, his family moves from Pakistan to the U.S. But Bilal’s father can’t join them; he’s under suspicion of stealing from his company, and he must stay to clear his name. Bilal, his mom, younger sister, and baby brother move in with his aunt and uncle in the Washington, D.C. area, where Bilal works hard to fit in. He finds a connection through playing baseball, making friends when he joins the team. But he’s confused why none of his new friends like the girl on the team, Jordan. In the time Bilal waits for his dad to join them, he will learn lessons in English and in friendship, and he will need to take a daring risk to finally get his most cherished wish.

A Long Pitch Home by Natalie Dias Lorenzi introduces readers to Pakistani culture while telling a story with universal appeal. Bilal is a lot like any 10 year old. He wants friends, he wants to enjoy playing a sport, and he wants to feel like he fits in at school. Most of all, he wants his family all safe and happy in one home. Throughout the book he is on a journey of discovery about a new culture and a new language. But he is also discovering what it means to be a good friend as well as to have good friends, and how sometimes that means risking the approval of others.

Lorenzi weaves in facts about Pakistani culture and Muslim practices seamlessly, bringing Bilal and his family to life while keeping the story of his efforts to fit in and make friends in focus. While there’s a lot going on in the book, it never feels forced. As a result, readers are likely to relate to Bilal and his struggles even as they learn about his religion, Pakistani food and history, playing cricket, and more. I highly recommend A Long Pitch Home for mother-daughter book clubs and any readers aged 9 to 12.

The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Review: They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel

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they-all-saw-a-cat_fcWith a simple little picture book, They All Saw a Cat, Brendan Wenzel gets across a big concept: that an animal or object looks different to everyone who sees it, because each person and creature sees with a unique perspective.

The child sees a friendly pet, but the mouse sees a terrifying monster. The flea sees a forest of fur, while the bat picks up an outline using its echolocation. The cat goes about its day inspiring different emotions in every creature it encounters. There’s even a little surprise at the end, when the cat encounters itself.

Wenzel uses a variety of styles with his illustrations to show the creatures named and to set a mood. Drawings can be soft and fuzzy or sharp and harsh, depending on what’s depicted.

They All Saw a Cat is sure to be a hit with both children and parents, eliciting calls of “read it again,” from kids until they’ve memorized the words.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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