Celebrating spring holidays
A Kids Book A Day | Reviewing A Children's Book From 2017 Every Day
by Janet Dawson
10h ago
For those who celebrate Easter (March 31 in 2024): Elijah’s Easter Suit by Brentom Jackson, illustrated by Emmanuel Boateng (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Every Easter, Reverend White gives a special “Hallelujah” to the congregant who’s got the most spectacular Easter outfit. Elijah’s determined to win, but the stores around town don’t have anything that looks just right. Feeling defeated, Elijah asks previous winners Mother Green and Deacon Brown for advice. They tell him that Easter’s not about winning a competition, but about new beginnings and remembering their c ..read more
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More graphic novels that made me eat my words
A Kids Book A Day | Reviewing A Children's Book From 2017 Every Day
by Janet Dawson
5d ago
Blue Stars: The Vice Principal Problem by Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Molly Murakami (Candlewick, 176 pages, grades 3-7). Cousins Maya and Riley are almost polar opposites, but they’re forced to share a room at their grandmother’s house when Maya’s military parents are stationed in Japan and Maya’s family moves away from the Muscogee reservations for opportunities in Urbanopolis. At the start of sixth grade, outgoing Riley gravitates towards gymnastics and a big group of friends, while Maya prefers her own company and working on robotics. They unite against the vill ..read more
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Graphic novels with a touch of deja vu
A Kids Book A Day | Reviewing A Children's Book From 2017 Every Day
by Janet Dawson
5d ago
Table Titans Club by Scott Kurtz (Holiday House, 224 pages, grades 3-7). Valeria “Val” Winters is new at school, and her mom’s reminder of a fresh start tips readers off that she may have struggled before. Val’s first day is rough, but she catches the attention of the Table Titans Club, a group of Dungeons and Dragons players. After much debate among the members, one of them invites Val to join their school club. Val’s thrilled, although she’s never played D&D. Turns out she’s a natural, and all seems to be going well until their teacher sponsor announces that his wife is having a baby, a ..read more
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Parks for everyone
A Kids Book A Day | Reviewing A Children's Book From 2017 Every Day
by Janet Dawson
1w ago
Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoy Establishes Joshua Tree National Park by Lori Alexander, illustrated by Jenn Ely (Calkins Creek, 40 pages, grades 1-4). Minerva Hoyt grew up in Mississippi, where she loved to play outside and was not afraid to speak her mind. She grew up, got married, and moved to Pasadena, California with her husband. When Minerva needed a break from the city, her favorite place to visit was the Mojave Desert. Over the years, Minerva watched as people from Los Angeles slowly stripped the Mojave of its cacti, yucca, and Joshua trees to transplant (usually unsuccessfully) to their ga ..read more
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How to be lucky
A Kids Book A Day | Reviewing A Children's Book From 2017 Every Day
by Janet Dawson
1w ago
Lucky Duck by Greg Pizzoli (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, ages 3-8). Susan the duck feels unlucky when the roller skates she ordered online are two sizes too big. But she feels lucky when a wolf shows up at her door to tell her she’s won a free pot. Kitchen light burns out and the pickle jar is empty? Unlucky. Free onions, celery, and carrots from the wolf? Lucky. Finally, just as Susan’s luck seems to have completely run out, the tables are turned, and all the unlucky things turn out to be the best kind of luck. I’ve been reading this book all week to the K-2 crowd, and it’s been ..read more
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World War II in fact and fiction
A Kids Book A Day | Reviewing A Children's Book From 2017 Every Day
by Janet Dawson
2w ago
Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II by Adam Gidwitz (Dutton Books for Young Readers, 336 pages, grades 4-7). “Once there was a boy who had two immortal creatures living on his shoulders. This was the fourth most interesting thing about him.” The other things about Max are that he’s a genius, particularly in the mechanical realm, that his parents send him from Berlin to England as part of the Kindertransport in 1939, and that he falls in with some spies, even though he’s only 11. The immortal creatures, a kobold named Berg and a dybbuk named Stein are invisible and inaudible to e ..read more
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The art of science and the science of art
A Kids Book A Day | Reviewing A Children's Book From 2017 Every Day
by Janet Dawson
3w ago
The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson (Gecko Press, 120 pages; grades 3-7). Giselle Clarkson defines observology as the study of looking and encourages kids to become observologists, closely examining the world around them. Following the introductory chapter, there are four sections, each focusing on a specific place to observe: a damp corner, pavement, a weedy patch, and behind the curtains. Each of these has several subsections that look at topics as diverse as how to relocate a spider, droppings and eggs, and things to spot at night. Kids are encouraged to draw what they see, and the whole ..read more
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One of these things is not like the other
A Kids Book A Day | Reviewing A Children's Book From 2017 Every Day
by Janet Dawson
3w ago
The Wandering Archives (Doomsday Archives, book 1) by Zach Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos (Zando Young Readers, 224 pages, grades 4-7). Even though Emrys is relatively new to the town of New Rotterdam, he’s gotten pretty obsessed with the town’s spooky history. He and his new friend Hazel enjoy reading and updating the Doomsday Archives page of the New Rotterdam Wiki Project, which documents various urban legends and unexplained disappearances. One stormy night, the two friends, plus Hazel’s friend Serena, make an unsettling discovery and receive an invitation to join the Order of the Azure E ..read more
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A train station, a cooking vocation, and news for a new nation
A Kids Book A Day | Reviewing A Children's Book From 2017 Every Day
by Janet Dawson
3w ago
A Grand Idea: How William J. Wilgus Created Grand Central Terminal by Megan Hoyt, illustrated by Dav Szalay (Quill Tree Books, 48 pages, grades 1-5). At the turn of the (previous) century, Manhattan was filled with the smoke of trains, not to mention the snarl of traffic they caused, at one point resulting in a crash that killed 15 people and injured dozens more. Chief engineer William J. Wilgus struggled to find a solution, finally proposing the revolutionary idea of moving the trains underground, electrifying them, and building a bigger station. Another country might have invested some gove ..read more
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Two graphic novel school stories
A Kids Book A Day | Reviewing A Children's Book From 2017 Every Day
by Janet Dawson
1M ago
Art Club by Rashad Doucet (Little, Brown Ink, 240 pages, grades 4-7). When Vice Principal Ruffin assigns kids to research a career that will give them stability and a good income, Dale is stumped. He wants those things, but he also wants to do something he enjoys. A report on an art career lands him in the principal’s office, where the more lenient Principal Johnson lends a sympathetic ear and agrees to let Dale start an art club…if he can find three other members and figure out a way to generate revenue. The art teacher agrees to sponsor them, recalling her own art club days that were cut sh ..read more
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