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Category Archives: Authors

Six sensational books featuring Judaism

21 Jun

So often books with Jewish characters center around the atrocities of the Holocaust, but there are dynamic stories of contemporary Jewish life or folklore that deserve a post.

  1. Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar: Spanning generations, this one begins in 1492 with the Spanish Inquisition.
  2. The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum: A teen boy learning about the world having been cloistered for some time.
  3. The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R.M. Romero: A Jewish cemetery in Prague and a ghost in this atmospheric verse novel.
  4. Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir by Tyler Feder: Learning about bereavement in Judaism is second to Feder’s poignantly humorous take on losing a parent when you’re still young.
  5. The Boy In the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne: I still get chills thinking about the ending of his Holocaust novel featuring a nine-year-old protagonists view of the war.
  6. Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros: A golem created to get revenge- will she?
 
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Posted by on June 21, 2024 in Authors, Fiction, Graphic novels, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Verse, Young Adult

 

Six sensational stories with witches

20 Jun

It might not be spooky season, but that’s okay because a book with witches is immemorial!

  1. A Break with Charity by Ann Rinaldi: I devoured every book Rinaldi wrote when I was a tween and this was one of my favorites.
  2. Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama: I own the entire series and the spinoff Witch Hat Kitchen because the atelier of little witch girls is the sweetest.
  3. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare: A contemporary classic about the dangers of assumptions.
  4. The Witches by Roald Dahl: Whether in original format or the movie version which is unforgettable, I’m glad to have reread Dahl’s book to remember reading it as a child and being scared out of my mind!
  5. Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen: This and its sequel featuring vegetables as characters and a mansion on the hill will delight all readers.
  6. The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner: If ever I’ve wanted a wardrobe, it’s hers.
 
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Posted by on June 20, 2024 in Authors, Childrens, Fiction, Graphic novels, Illustrators, Manga, Middle grade, Young Adult

 

Six sensational books near/by/about water

19 Jun

With a heat index of about 100 degrees here in New York State, I figured water both to hydrate and swim in is the best way to keep cool besides air conditioning. Hence, today’s topic featuring water!

  1. The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag: Featuring a selkie.
  2. A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team by Arshay Cooper: Like Crossing the Line by Kareem Rosser, addressing racism in sports notoriously dominated by white people leads to a deeper understanding of the discipline of any sport and how it shapes us as humans.
  3. In Waves by A.J. Dungo: Deeply emotional, this graphic memoir is an homage to surfing and a woman.
  4. Swim the Fly by Don Calame: So stinkin’ funny and also about a boy winning the affections of a girl on the swim team by joining the swim team.
  5. Aniana Del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne Mendez: Being diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, Dominican girl Aniana conspires with her dad to swim against mom’s wishes.
  6. Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas: A middle grade graphic novel with a big heart.
 
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Posted by on June 19, 2024 in Authors, Fiction, Graphic novels, Illustrators, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Young Adult

 

Six sensational honeybee stories

10 Jun

Now that summer is in full swing, bees are a-buzzing. Last year, we put up a honeybee home by our flowers and plants and are hoping that the bees find their way soon enough. It got me thinking about a few stories that feature bees, both fiction and nonfiction.

  1. Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming illustrated by Eric Rohmann: The perfect picture book about honeybees.
  2. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd: The Black beekeeping sisters certainly make the book memorable.
  3. The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage, and a Girl Saved by Bees by Meredith May: Using the animal world as a mirror for the human world as she moves past her dysfunctional upbringing is an emotional journey.
  4. The Hive: The Story of the Honeybee and Us by Bee Wilson: All of Wilson’s books have been fabulous, so exploring everything from the use of honey in words like honeymoon and calling someone a busy bee to how it enhances food was a work of art.
  5. Between You, Me, and the Honeybees by Amelia Diane Coombs: An enemies to lovers YA romance about a girl who loves her apiary.
  6. A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings: A Year of Keeping Bees by Helen Jukes: An unhurried story of learning about life through learning from bees.
 
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Posted by on June 10, 2024 in Adult, Authors, Childrens, Nonfiction, Young Adult

 

Six sensational books with dog companions

09 Jun

Dogs are the best. As mentioned in a previous post about books with animal companions, I promised I’d do a post specifically about dog companions because dogs are the best.

Pictured here is Baxter, our American Great Dane rescue who we’ve had for a little less than a year. Have I said it already? Dogs are the best.

Here are some favorites with dog companions.

  1. Spy X Family series by Tatsuya Endo: Bond was originally trained by a secret group as a weapon of mass destruction, now he’s the fourth family member with a special skill.
  2. Doomsday With My Dog series by Yu Ishihara: Haru keeps a girl company waxing philosophical about life at the end of time.
  3. Alone by Megan E. Freeman: George helps Maddie survive after being left behind.
  4. A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks: Tank is Joy’s dog walking side hustle and neighborhood boop, bringing her comfort during hard times.
  5. And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps: Lucky, Lucky Dawg, and Lucky Duck beg the question– who rescued who as readers immerse themselves in Joe’s world. This book will gets its own blog post, but the dogs certainly fill a void after the death of Joe’s grandma.
  6. Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango: Sparrow is a dog learning to provide therapy which is exactly what Laura needs after her traumatic experience.
 
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Posted by on June 9, 2024 in Audiobooks, Authors, Fiction, Illustrators, Manga, Middle grade, Verse, Young Adult

 

Six sensational stories with unhealthy relationships

08 Jun

For the last few years, our high school library has had the opportunity to partner with a community outreach coordinator for our county who works with victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. During the month of February, we partner during Teen Dating Violence Awareness month and look to read a book with a group of interested students and do activities that discuss the book, general resources, and talk about healthy relationships. It got me thinking about the books we’ve chosen and some of the best books that feature the unhealthy relationships to use as talking points for discussion.

  1. Dark Song by Gail Giles: Giles is the GOAT of short, quick propulsive stories and this one left me breathless.
  2. Road Home by Rex Ogle: Ogle’s stories feature hopefulness amid chaos and in this new book, the realization that he’s in a very toxic relationship with an older man.
  3. Fatima Tate Takes the Cake by Khadijah Vanbrakle: If you want a teen to understand gaslighting, they need to read this book.
  4. Nothing Burns as Bright As You by Ashley Woodfolk: A powerful queer tale that is literal fire.
  5. The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto: Readers can’t look away from the trap set in this book.
  6. Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios: Built off of her personal bad romance, Demetrios story rings true for so many teens.
 
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Posted by on June 8, 2024 in Authors, Fiction, Verse, Young Adult

 

Six sensational fashion-forward characters

04 Jun

I love a good dress. I definitely notice when characters in graphic novels have style or pay attention when the character is fashion-conscious or has designs (yup, I went there) on being in the fashion industry. Here are six favorites:

  1. Any Way You Look by Maleeha Siddiqui: A fashionista Muslim girl working at her mother’s custom shop has an eye for details.
  2. 100 Unforgettable Dresses by Hal Rubenstein: Recommended by a colleague who knows I love dresses, this one paints a portrait of 100 dresses from the past and present.
  3. Dressed in Dreams: A Black Girl’s Love Letter to the Power of Fashion by Tanisha C. Ford: A collection of items and styles that absolutely meets expectations.
  4. I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn: Kimi loves fashion and sees a future in it even when others might not. She perseveres during a trip to Japan and back to her roots.
  5. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang: Enough said!
  6. The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner: If I’ve ever loved a character’s fashion sense, it’s Moth’s. Thank you to Steinkellner for creating her fabulous wardrobe.
 
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Posted by on June 4, 2024 in Authors, Fiction, Graphic novels, Illustrators, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Style, Young Adult

 

It’s Delicate(s)!

02 May

When Sheets, published by creator Brenna Thummler, dropped in 2018, I read it and enjoyed it. When its sequel, Delicates, dropped in 2021, I read it and was moved by it. Then the last of the trilogy, Lights, dropped in 2023 and not only did I read it, I read it from an advanced copy and completely melted. But maybe that’s not the right analogy with a series full of ghosts. I was levitating.

To be brief: the series follows lonely Marjorie, a motherless girl being raised by her dad running a laundromat where ghost friends including Wendell live. Making friends is a struggle and when Eliza and Marjorie pair up as oddball friends, there’s the sweetest sense that they’ve found someone special. But teenagers are fickle creatures and school is hard. The characters drive the story but equally evocative is the carefully selected color palette enhancing every scene. Feelings are felt among every panel and page because of the skilling coloring and illustrations.

Those feelings were no different when I figured out a way to drive nearly six hours from home for the last of only three staged musical readings of Delicates at Dramashop in Erie, PA. My only regret is that I didn’t bring my teenaged sons to see it with me. Not only would they have admired the talent of the cast (so, so much talent) but the skilled storytelling and the whimsical use of the small set and props. The experience of watching the pianist play right in front of the audience and the intimate setting of being so close to the stage with the lights the same colors as the colors in the graphic novels felt like a warm hug. Layered with raw emotions like Marjorie’s loneliness or Eliza being bullied while her helpless dad tries to help are turned upside down when the audience can’t help but laugh at the catty popular girls’ snarky comments and Marjorie’s little sibling. In two hours, everyone relived their youth. It was all laid bare through Thummler’s story.

Of course only one thing could top the night, but I made sure in advance that there would be a cherry on this sundae and that was the presence of the creator, Brenna Thummler herself. Wearing a fabulously fantastic pink jumpsuit with a vivid backpack, she had her pastel Sharpies ready to sign the books I brought only after she wiped away the tears of love and gratitude for the cast and crew to bring life to her stories on stage. She was being gifted items from fans and friends after giving us all the greatest gift to see it live.

 
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Posted by on May 2, 2024 in Authors, Cover Love, Events, Graphic novels, Illustrators, Young Adult

 

Life had other plans

14 Mar

I wish I was here to give you a gushing event recap of our author visit today, but instead, I’m going to share a reminder that there are things that are out of our control and we have to roll with them. Yesterday, life had other plans instead of an author visit.

With an unfortunate medical emergency, our author’s relative reached out that they were not able to be at our school and that when better, would reschedule. It was a hard hit after all as the last few details had been put in place including the event setup of chairs from our maintenance staff and school secretary making the 15-minute reminder announcements for students to head to the library.

It might be a dirty word in education, the word “pivot”, but that’s exactly what happened. We pivoted. We still had the students who were invited to the special-invitation lunch down to talk about their books and reading in general because the food had been pre-ordered. We reopened the library. Students still came to grab the books. Staff and students came to express their sadness and disappointment. We told them that the option to reschedule will be our next big announcement and we’ll welcome the author back since so many students had been reading the books or were excited about meeting an author even if their classes weren’t and they were reading them independently. It still stings just a little. Yet it was out of our control entirely.

I suppose at our fifteenth in-person author visit, maybe there’s a statistical probably that it would happen. Life happens. It gets in the way of carefully laid plans. We pivot.

Look for a new post in the next few months where we celebrate the coming of our author, we know we’ll be ready!

 
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Posted by on March 14, 2024 in Authors, Events, Miscellaneous, Reflections

 

On the eve

12 Mar

What does a school librarian whose love language is baking desserts do on the eve of an author visit?

Bake.

We’ll have an invite-only lunch with a small group of students nominated by their teachers to attend. While the fare is typical for teens– pizza and a salad– I wanted to add a homemade treat. But because I couldn’t decide on chocolate chip cookies, brownies, or Oreos, I found a recipe in which the cupcake includes all three. Win, win, win.

I’ll fangirl about our author, students, and activities tomorrow….

 
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Posted by on March 12, 2024 in Authors, Events, Miscellaneous

 
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