Book Review Roundup #2
June 28, 2024
The Found Boys by S.D. Smith
The Found Boys by S. D. Smith, with its humor, big heart, and graceful handling of race issues is an absolute must-read! It is an exciting and interesting story about ordinary boys growing up in two churches on either side of the river in 1980s West Virginia. Scott and Tommy are white boys who like to jump off of swings, shoot hoops, run along the shoreline, and chase after adventure. Dooley is a black kid from across the river who likes to do pretty much the same things. When the boys join together on a mission to steal something from the junkyard, they get a lot more than they bargained for. I think this story is important, well-told, and would be extremely helpful to families in the discussion of racism, sin, forgiveness, and the historical reality of the Ku Klux Klan.
The Night War by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The Night War is a Jewish Holocaust story set in France, 1942. When Miri (Miriam), a twelve year old Jewish girl, and her parents are routed from their apartment in Paris by the French police and herded onto buses to be taken to the Velodrome dāHiver, Miri becomes separated from her family but she is given the responsibility of escaping with and caring for her two year old neighbor, Nora Rosenbaum. Mrs. Rosenbaum tells Miri to run, to take Nora, and to somehow try to get to Switzerland. And Miri is faced with a choice, the first of many impossible choices: will she try to find her parents in the Velodrome or escape with Nora?
A Mathematician's Lament by Paul Lockhart
There is an astonishing amount of power and truth packed into this 140-page book. If, like me, you feared and resented math in school because it made you feel stupid, perhaps you will understand why Lockhartās lament almost had me crying by the end of the second chapter. Crying for āwhat if?ā What if I had had even one math teacher in school who had loved mathematics as an art and taught it as such? What if even one of my teachers had given me time to explore the beauty of patterns and have ideas about them? What if, sometime in my twelve years of school, even one teacher had believed, āBeing a mathematician is not so much about being clever . . . itās about being aesthetically sensitive and having refined and exquisite tasteā?
Lepunia: The Kingdom of the Gallopers
Fans of The Green Ember and Mistmantle will be delighted with Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers! This new middle-grade fantasy series starter is beautifully written and tells the kind of story that we love being inside of while reading and want to return to once we are done. This story is written with beautiful language, a well-organized plot, adorable and delightful characters, traditional values, and the promise of more goodness to come. This book is a winner, and I cannot wait to see what comes next! In fact, I like it so much that I have scheduled it to be a fall book club in my library, and Diane and I may make a book club guide for it.
Ferris by Kate diCamillo
Ferris is a summer book. Itās filled with quirky, caricature characters. The theme line repeated throughout the book is: āEvery story is a love story. Every good story is a love story.ā And this story embodies that theme. However, the story also gives readers some outlandish, exaggerated characters who showcase the difficulties and barriers to that love in the real world. Ferris, the main character, is a ten year old rule follower and observer. Her little sister, Pinky, is a six year old thief and would-be outlaw bank robber. Other quirky family members round out the cast in this family love story.
So Far From The Sea by Eve Bunting
This moving story follows the Iwasaki family as they walk through the camp towards Mr. Iwasakiās burial site. As they make their way, Thomas and Laura talk with their father about his memories of the camp. Every two-page spread that tells of a memory is in compelling black and white illustration. And every time the conversation moves back to the family, the illustration is saturated with vibrant colors. The contrast between the pages is delightfully jarring.
Team Burger Shed by Tavin Dillard
Before I knew it, I was laughing at my husband, because he could not resist laughing at Tavin. I donāt know what else to sayā¦ this book makes my daughter roll her eyes, me groan, my boys fall over themselves laughing, and even drew my otherwise reticent husband into the fun. I have concluded that this is a quintessential boy-humor book that is fun for the whole family. Even if half of the fun is just laughing at those who think it is hilarious.
Where Three Ocean Meet and I'll Go and Come Back by Rajani LaRocca
Both of these picture books by the same author tell the story of an Indian American child and her grandmother (Pati) who lives in India. Both are inspired by the authorās childhood experience of visiting her grandmother in India. And both are a delightful introduction to the sights and sounds of South India, in particular, and to the joy of visiting family wherever they might live.
Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson
This take-off on Tom Sawyer, Robinson Crusoe, and The Odyssey should appeal to boys especially. It has caves, tunnels, hidden treasure, wild water rafting, and wilderness (sort of) survival. There are bad guys, good guys, dead guys, blood, raw food, and near-dismemberment. What more could a boy want in a book? Girls, too. After all, we girls can Get guy stuff, too.
Nora's Chicks by Patricia MacLachan
Noraās Chicks by Patricia MacLachlan is a not-to-be-missed picture book that celebrates the life of a child and the challenges of making friends when you move to a new place. This story is absolutely lovely and the illustration by Kathryn Brown adds magic to it.
I am using this as a Picture Book Preschool substitute for the unit on friendship.
The Secret Language of Birds by Lynne Kelly
For some reason that is never really spelled out in the story, Nina has trouble making friends. Sheās twelve years old, perhaps a little bit over-enthusiastic about her special interest, birds, and otherwise seemingly normal and likable. But she hasnāt yet found her ātribeā. Nevertheless, as an amateur birdwatcher and collector of bird facts, Nina is feeling almost at home at her auntās summer camp in Bee Holler, TX. Her new camp friends, who call themselves The Oddballs, make Nina part of the group, and when the four girls discover two huge white birds nesting near the old infirmary at camp, they also discover a group mission: protect the birds!
Greased Lightning by Sterling North
Greased Lightning by Sterling North and illustrated by Kurt Wiese is a little bit Rascal, a lot Charlotteās Web, and everything good about a boy picture book. I found this gem buried on a shelf with questionable (both in content and condition) old books at one of my local thrift stores. I saw that it was North and I bought it without even opening it up. The cover and author convinced me that even if it was moldy and gross it would still be worth a read. Once I got it home and inspected it, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was in excellent condition and even better than I had hoped.
Code Breaker, Spy Hunter by Laurie Wallmark
Ever since reading Hidden Figures, I have been very curious about women of the 20th and 21st centuries who made contributions to math and science. I find their lives to be fascinating (even if not something I would wish to emulate) and I have come to appreciate Laurie Wallmarkās excellent picture book biographies. This one, Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars is my favorite so far.
The Birthday Present by Patricia Miles Martin
The Birthday Present by Patricia Miles Martin is a sweet long-ish picture book that is ideal for any child but boys especially. In this warmhearted story, we meet a Kansas boy named Joey who has a problem: it is his fatherās birthday and he has forgotten to plan a present for his dad. Joey knew that the year was 1919 and that the month was July, but other than that, he hadnāt been paying too close attention to the day.