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Category Archives: Middle grade

Bringing it together

06 Aug

BringingItTogether

I regularly contribute to a few other blogs in addition to this one. This has taken shape over the last several years and focuses on a different kind of audience though ultimately it still boils down to books, reading, teaching, and librarianship. So in an effort to share out some of the other posts that often don’t make it back to this one, here is a post to bring it all together.

  • YALSA’s The Hub
    • A division of the American Library Association the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) uses The Hub to share out current recommendations for some of their virtual committees. This year, I sit on the Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) 2020 committee. You’ll see several of my posts alongside other committee members’ and the other committees as well.
  • Times Union‘s Books Blog
  • Nerdy Book Club
    •  A national blog that celebrates a love of reading when it comes to children’s and young adult literature and is the brainchild of Colby Sharp, Donalyn Miller, Katherine Sokolowski, and Cindy Minnich.
 
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Posted by on August 6, 2019 in Blogging, Childrens, Events, Fiction, Middle grade, Miscellaneous, Nonfiction

 

Ballet biographies and the real thing

20 Jul

This post originally appeared on the Times Union Books Blog. 

Confession: It took me three decades to see a ballet; I’ve never even seen The Nutcracker. But last night, I attended Coppelia at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center amid the humidity for their 8pm performance with my two elementary-aged boys and husband. 

I was better prepared for a few reasons: my Pilates instructor, a former ballerina, gave me a Cliffnotes version of what Coppelia was about. And second, I’m a book nerd and had read Misty Copeland’s biography Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina.* Like my post about a beer class connecting to reading, I read to learn as much as I find experiences to learn from and both came together last night. 

The biography balances her personal and professional realms allowing amateurs to understand the world of classical ballet. Copeland had a roller coaster life moving often based on her mother’s new love interest and entered ballet later than most. She battled against prejudice while working hard to perfect her skills to access the elite schools and companies to showcase her talent. 

What I liked is that she name-dropped sparingly. When reading celebrity biographies there is nothing worse than reading pages and pages of names of people I could care less about: I’m reading their biography because I want to know about them. I also liked that she focused on being a black woman in art by finding her voice and also celebrating it dancing on stage with Prince at his concerts to bring ballet to a different audience. Her audience widened again when she did an Under Armour commercial showing off her grace and athleticism that I discovered online afterward. 

And that athleticism is on full display with the breathtaking cover as it is on the stage watching any ballet. I guess aside from looking at a performance like Coppelia as a wordless picture book (I am a librarian after all) that was my other takeaway. I am more astounded by the power and grace of their execution than I am about the moves themselves (or their actual French names). In the book, Copeland regularly shared how arduous the practices were alongside maintaining her body for peak performance. This was a culmination of that appreciation. 

Whether I’m reading books about dead bodies or animals, it’s apparent that I love learning through books. Copeland’s biography is an entry point for those who like me haven’t ever seen a ballet. So I ask you, have there been books that you’ve read that have prepared you for an experience or activity? Share in the comments below! 

 

*Young reader’s editions are adapted books for a teen or tween audience adjusted for both interest and reading level from the adult version. Many adult biographies have been adapted including Sonia Sotomayor, Trevor Noah, Malala Yousafzai, or Ibtihaj Muhammad. 

 
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Posted by on July 20, 2019 in Authors, Events, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Young Adult

 

A serie-ously informative series

30 Jun

ASerieOuslyInforamtiveSeries

One of my favorite things is to discover nonfiction series books that are dependable, informative, and eye-catching. Ones like

  • Wicked History and History’s Worst
  • Captured History
  • Actual Times or the newer series Big Ideas that Changed the World by Don Brown
  • Ordinary People Change The World
  • Olympians graphic novel mythology series by George O’Connor
  • Who Is/Who Was; What Is/What Was

just to name a few. And after reading Teri Kanefield’s newest in her The Making of America series focused on Franklin D. Roosevelt, I’ll now always have my eye out for the next one. I actually realized I missed a few of them, but have some time to catch up: when Roosevelt’s hits shelves this fall know that she’s already hard at work on number six featuring Thurgood Marshall.

DisabilityinBooksWhat works well for the series is the chronological organization of biographical information that is equal parts intrigue and straight facts. There’s a humanity in Kanefield’s delivery that does not dilute the truth, yet weaves a story of a person hellbent on creating an America that they had envisioned as they rose to notoriety.fame. With a mix of photographs and eye-catching covers, they’re as star-spangled as the flag.

The monumental task of telling their stories is made just a tad easier in that loads has been written about them since they’re historical figures. But it’s the angle that Kanefield uses that makes them refreshing for a middle grade and young adult audience (plus interested adults re: nerdy librarians!)

If you haven’t read the first through fourth, get them. Have the fifth, Roosevelt’s pre-ordered and then find some stuff to read in between because Marshall’s won’t be out until spring 2020. Let’s leave the woman in peace so she can research and write because I know I’m waiting patiently over here.

 
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Posted by on June 30, 2019 in Authors, Cover Love, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Research, Upcoming Releases, Young Adult

 

Top 10 of 2018: Young adult and middle grade edition

19 Dec

Top10of2018

I’ve been thinking making a list and checking it twice for my picks for the best YA and MG titles published in 2018 (in addition to my shout out below of the finalists for the 2018 William C. Morris Award Committee of which I was a part).  In alphabetical order- the books that I shouted from the rooftops about:

  1. Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol: This fun romp is a reminder that we were all awkward growing up and nervous about making friends. Special appearance by the local convenience store, Stewart’s, makes this an especially lovely local story!
  2. Chasing King’s Killer by James Swanson: I continue to be blown away by the quality of Swanson’s research and his aptitude to bring history to a younger audience. He truly makes history sexy.
  3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: Ironically this published at the beginning of 2018 and I’ve already read the ARC of The Wicked King and give that five stars too. Black knows how to create an intense atmosphere in a faerie land.
  4. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland: Sign me up for more alternative history. This mixes zombies, the Civil War, and race relations and allows a kickass heroine to shine with her sassy attitude.
  5. Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka: A graphic novel memoir that began from Krosoczka’s TED talk about his childhood and allows our authors to be human and teaching empathy.
  6. The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee: I stayed up past my bedtime to finish Lee’s book in one sitting. This companion focuses on Monty’s sister Felicity with a penchant for medicine and no outlet to practice in a man’s world.
  7. Lu by Jason Reynolds: There is nothing sadder than the end of a beloved series. Reynold’s Track series was an instant hit and each story with their vivid covers and realistic characters shone like the North Star guiding young readers about right and wrong, healthy relationships, and the meaning of community.
  8. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang: The coloring of this graphic novel compliments the emotions and story of a prince who loves to wear dresses and his relationship with his dressmaker keeping the secret… until it’s not one anymore.
  9. Seafire by Natalie Parker: Every female empowerment anthem plays when I see the cover and remember my feelings reading this book that mixes the best of Lumberjanes with seafaring and the ultimate fight against evil. These ladies have my heart.
  10. The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown: I immediately finished this sequel and ordered both for my elementary-aged sons. This sentimental story about Roz, a robot now living on a family farm who longs for the freedom she once had on an island caring for a gosling. Heartfelt science fiction adventure at its best.

Top 10 of 2018_ Young Adult and Middle Grade Edition

In addition, January 2019 finishes my term as a member of the William C. Morris Award Committee through YALSA, which means I read a lot of debut novels besides my usual cache of books. With all of that reading, our committee came up with the five finalists announced last week and we will vote on the winner next month that will be announced at the Youth Media Awards in Seattle, Washington. Here were the finalists:

  • Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough
  • Check, Please! #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu
  • Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
  • Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
  • What The Night Sings by Vesper Stamper

2019 Morris Award Finalists Feature Slide

Cheers to the reading you did in 2018 and all of the books to be read in 2019 and beyond!

 

 
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Posted by on December 19, 2018 in Authors, Blogging, Cover Love, Fiction, Graphic novels, Middle grade, Miscellaneous, Nonfiction, Verse, Young Adult

 

Can it be “see ya later” not goodbye?

28 Oct

CanItBeSeeYaLater

I had been lucky to attend conferences around launch time for Jason Reynolds’ previous Track books so I never had to wait like the rest of the world to read them when they were published. So when I was in a bookstore this weekend (who knew?!) I couldn’t pass up purchasing Lu, the fourth and final book in his middle grade Track series. And of course because it was chilly and rainy today, I thought what better time than right now to devour it? 

Then I regretted it. Why? Because it’s the last one.

2018-10-28 19.22.48What was I thinking? Plenty of us avid readers have felt sadness in the last book of a beloved series and this one was no different. Reynolds is the GOAT, period. Whoever designed the covers needs a raise. Reynolds’ ability to create deep characters with authentic middle grade voices has been spotlighted in this series and shines again with Lu, another track star under Coach’s tutelage who is helping his father right his wrongs while hopefully looking toward a future with a baby sister when his mother should have never even been able to have him. Rich with inspiration and motivation, it’s the power of our human experience through Lu whose Albinism hasn’t changed his perspective much, in fact his newest job as big brother has allowed him to grow as he passes through the awkwardness of youth.

This book is all that’s right with middle grade literature and the superstar that is Jason Reynolds. I’ve already placed an order for an additional four for our high school library because I will push the complete series like candy on Halloween (away from me and out into the world to be enjoyed by others) so it won’t be goodbye, rather “see ya later”.

 
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Posted by on October 28, 2018 in Authors, Cover Love, Fiction, Middle grade

 

Four for Friday

28 Sep

FourForFridayCanva

With school being back full-swing, I’m still reading plenty but finding the time to sit down and share some of them hasn’t happened… until now. So, here’s four fantastic books for a Friday night!

FourforFriday

Number one: Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives by Gary Younge picks one day, November 23, 2013 and researches, interviews, and writes about the lives of ten young people aged 18 and under and how they lost their lives to gun violence with a side of commentary on guns in America- so raw and emotional with plenty of thoughtful, discussion-worthy sidebars.

Number two: Bygone Badass Broads: 52 Forgotten Women Who Changed the World by Mackenzi Lee has the best feminist voice to share a nonfiction story collection of these 52 women from across the globe from all time periods. Lee’s humor and contemporary lens might make it dated years from now with her vocabulary and word choice, but it’s an unforgettable and beautiful collective biography with no shortage of combined entertainment and research.

Number three: Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison is visually stunning and as she states, it started with sketches she did during Black History Month and took on a life of it’s own and then eventually became this gem. Highlighting historical and contemporary black women and how they led the way is through an illustration and one-page biography for the two-page spreads.

Number four: Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden keeps the classic story alive. And while it took a few pages to get used to our carrot-topped Anne with an E and Matthew’s long hair it finds its pace and story and pays homage to Green Gables and those that live (or come to live) there.

Go in to the weekend knowing you have some books to put on hold. Or if you can’t wait, purchase!

 
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Posted by on September 28, 2018 in Adult, Childrens, Cover Love, Fiction, Graphic novels, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Young Adult

 

Call me Harry Potter

10 Aug

CallMeHarryPotter

This post was originally published on the Times Union Books blog here

I had two goals for this summer: learn to play chess and read the Harry Potter series. And goal two was a formidable one. With seven books totaling 4,111 pages (the longest being the fifth book that clocks in at 870 pages), I would have to be strategic. But I’m also a librarian and reading is like, part of my job. It’s a skill. One in hone daily.

HarryPotterI began on July 20th not for any reason other than I was ready. I finished on August 7th. With some dedicated reading time, a few late nights, and encouragement from my elementary-aged kids (one who has finished the series and one who is on book five), I met that goal. What did I do on August 8th? I borrowed my kids’ Gryffindor robe, Potter glasses and tie, used eyeliner to make my scar, and took a picture to commemorate this feat. As was done when said child finished the series back in March and I will do when other said child finishes.

The goal came from several things. First, I have two kids who have become obsessed over this past year with them– waving their winds and casting spells. So, I wanted to enjoy the books alongside them. Second, I’ve already mentioned that I’m a librarian. I would have to have actually tried hard not to read it all these years. And that’s true because I was the perfect age when the series was launched twenty years ago to be one of Rowling’s Potterheads. I read the first one in college and thought, eh. Then never continued. Now was the time. And the third reason is just because. I like a good challenge. I like having goals.

And I can say that it feels pretty darn good, like I was channeling all of those non-readers out there that were turned into readers because of this series. There’s a reason Rowling is a billionaire because the books, the characters, the world she created is breathtaking.

There were instances where I had to sit back and marvel at her storytelling and commend her genius. She was building an empire. It’s the reason there is an entire website (Pottermore) dedicated to the books where you can be sorted into your house (proud Ravenclaw), discover your wand (10” English Oak with unicorn hair core and unbending flexibility), and find out what your patronus is (husky). You can visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Studios in Orlando. You can buy Lego sets and tshirts. You want to be (fill in the blank character). All because of these seven books.

Now, I’ll be the first to say that the books are doorstoppers and readers can get bogged down in the details. But as a whole, it’s an experience and makes me appreciate Rowling’s statement

“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book”.

It should be on bucket lists and scored alongside other significant life events not only to marvel at them like a famous painting or classic car but to kick start out imaginations young or old.

I’ll make one last point for those that haven’t read the series and might consider it whether you’re fifteen or sixty-eight: know that there are many who would give anything to be in your place. A friend made a passing comment about my reading the series that I took to heart: what she wouldn’t give to go back and read them for the first time. Surely you have at least one book that you would kill for the opportunity to go back and read for the first time.

Harry Potter enriched so many lives and continues with each generation of kids. With translations closing in on one hundred languages, the series won’t go out of style. Many would argue that it belongs in the top five for best children’s literature of all time, maybe even #1.

Now, let’s see if I can squeeze in the Harry Potter movie marathon before summer’s end. It’s entirely likely based on all this rain we’ve been having…

 
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Posted by on August 10, 2018 in Authors, Childrens, Fiction, Middle grade, Young Adult

 

#RiotGrams challenge complete

01 Jul

RiotGramsChallenge (1)

A few times a year, I participate in Book Riot’s RiotGrams challenge via Instagram (and occasionally using Twitter), in which book lovers unit to bookstagram based on prompts they put together. My challenge is always sharing them outside my group of friends because my Instagram account is private, which is why the good ones end up on Twitter hoping to be scooped up by Book Riot to feature on their Instagram page. Alas, none made it, but I do know a local book lover who did!

So of course, I’ll share my favorites along with the book recommendation!

 

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The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create The World’s Great Drinks by Amy Stewart

This book was “read in one sitting” while spending a day in airports traveling to New Orleans, both because it was riveting and I couldn’t go or do anything else. Stewart’s voice is entertaining, humorous, and knowledgeable. I highlighted plenty of pages to go back and read as well as several drinks to try and plants to appreciate for their inclusion in alcoholic beverages. It’s a phenomenal purchase for your fellow drink lover, for sure.

The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding

The summer title for appropriate as it was the solstice so I couldn’t help but capturing a book with summer in the title and a perfect beach read featuring summer employment, fashion, burgers, and a budding romance.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

A contemporary classic (don’t even try to argue with me), I have pages photocopied for easy re-reading and have re-read over the years. It’s an endearing story of a girl in the afterlife watching as pieces fall apart for her living family. Couple it with Sebold’s own biography Lucky and it’s a win-win.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

A middle grade that speaks to the immigrant experience, Mia has pluck and perseveres managing the front desk of the motel that her parents are employed at. This was my cheat #RiotGrams for taking my book on a date because I was sitting in the backyard, by a fire, and eating a s’more the night before. Shhhhh, don’t tell! 

Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan

I will be forever grateful to Madigan for bringing this debut into the world and have mentioned before that I’m sad that she passed away after only having published one follow up. I used it for a book that should have more readers (this and North of Beautiful by Chen are brother and sister books in this respect) as it features lyrical contemporary storytelling through motif (photography in the former, cartography in the latter).

 
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Posted by on July 1, 2018 in Authors, Blogging, Cover Love, Fiction, Middle grade, Young Adult

 

Five for Friday

08 Jun

Five for Friday

Last night was the last book group meeting of the year that I facilitate through a local cooperative. With the size of the group and timing, we can usually share 1-3 books each, but I realized I’ve read so many fantastic books lately that I had a hard time choosing. So, it’s perfect for a five for Friday (and the last Friday of the school year with only one more school day left)!

 

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Shamblers aka zombies are being made out of the Civil War dead in an alternative history where African Americans are still oppressed. Jane is at a combat school for African American girls where she will learn to use the tools of combat to keep people safe from shamblers. But her cheeky attitude to “remaining in her place” gets her into trouble with the powerful leaders and she’s sent away to a town out west that is off. It’s her job, along with a band of others, to discover the truth and take down these leaders while searching for answers about her mother and Red Jack. It’s an adventurous, action-oriented, imaginative story that is as intense as it is funny, ambitious, and unique.

Illegal by Eoin Colfer with Andrew Donkin and Giovanni Rigano (illustrator)

The graphic novel format does justice to the story of a fictional boy, Ebo, who along with his brother leave their homeland to cross the desert and eventually the Mediterranean to find their sister and peace. Colfer and Donkin’s storytelling and Rigano’s artwork create an emotional platform for sharing an immigrant’s journey with several scenes eliciting the same response I had to several scenes in Don Brown’s Drowned City about Hurricane Katrina. Multiple copies on order for it’s future release.

Be Prepared by Vera Brogsol

So, quick story: I’m currently doing the Book Riot Riotgrams challenge for June and Thursday’s post needed to be “ice cream/sweet treat”. Literally the day before, I read and adored Brogsol’s new graphic memoir, Be Prepared, in which she includes the Stewart’s Shops sign as she’s driving to summer camp. Stewart’s is a community-minded convenience store in our area that has amazing ice cream. So, what was a librarian to do?

2018-06-07 15.20.44

Go to Stewart’s, get a seasonal flavor (Mounds of Coconut) ice cream cone, and ask a Stewart’s employee to take a picture of me with the ice cream, Brogsol’s book, and the Stewart’s logo in the background. Mission accomplished (and the ice cream was delicious). But the book itself is everything that is right with sharing the universal experiences of tweendom. The awkwardness of making friends. The prospect of not having them and how we earn them, and who is worth our time, all while sharing pieces of her Russian culture as a Russian summer camp. The olive-toned colors bring out the story in a way that makes the expressive characters pop and readers enjoy the beauty of nature.

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka

Hearing him speak this past week about the experience of writing his life’s story and turning it into a graphic novel was powerful. And while I have yet to watch the TED talk that inspired the graphic novel, it details his upbringing with his grandparents after they took him from his heroin-addicted mother (he never knew his father until later) and how he became an artist with their often tumultuous support. Yet, my favorite scene is when he pays homage to Jack Gantos (who I adore and we had the pleasure of hosting in our schools) as an impetus for his own craft. It’s raw and really real.

Teen Trailblazers: 30 Fearless Girls Who Changed the World Before They Were 20 by Jennifer Calvert and Vesna Asanovic (illustrator)

Add this to the stack of new informational nonfiction that highlight the stories of women who have accomplished something great in their lives in order to recognize the value of women throughout history. While some of them are starting to blend together, Calvert’s focuses on women who accomplished this even before they turned twenty years old is themed. The easy-to-read format features little-known and well-known women that inspire the next generation of kids to take charge in changing the culture when and where it’s needed. And it’s currency cannot be neglected since one of the women featured is Emma Gonzalez from Parkland High School in the aftermath of the school shooting in her school just several months ago.

Which one are you picking up first?

 

 
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Posted by on June 8, 2018 in Authors, Childrens, Cover Love, Fiction, Graphic novels, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Upcoming Releases, Young Adult

 

Over the moon for To the Moon!

29 May

OvertheMoonforToTheMoon.jpg

IMG_0349While I absolutely enjoy my adult fiction and nonfiction as an adult reader, my teen audience is what I think about most when reading. And after enjoying the Memorial Day holiday with plenty of books and outdoor reading (an indoor reading due to the rain), I find myself appreciative of publishers who adapt adult novels for teen audiences who will eventually grow into readers of the adult novels too.

Though, I daresay that these young reader adaptations are done so phenomenally well that a reader may never need to read the adult version. This is true of Malala Yousafzai’s story, The Boys in the Boat, and Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. I’ll add one more to the list: To the Moon!: The True Story of the American Heroes on the Apollo 8 Spaceship by Jeffrey Kluger and Ruby Shamir whose adult novel by Jeffrey Kluger is Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon.

Favorite characters: Of course, they need to be the real-life astronauts who took the mission when preparing for a later mission that left them in space during Christmas 1968. Each astronaut: Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, and Frank Borman all shined with their personalities through Kluger’s adept writing and research with a particularly telling scene at the end when Kluger describes an epilogue of sorts after Apollo 8 and what the men went on to do: Borman smacked the pod they had just returned to Earth in and walked away, never looking back while the two other men went on to continue in the space program.

Favorite scenes: Each scene where Kluger skillfully describes the mission control station or training facility. I was particularly struck when he explains how you can tell the success of the mission based on the smell, look, and temperature of the food sitting alongside the NASA employees during the missions. In contrast or relationship to their faces and conversation when things go right and when things go wrong. It is thrilling to feel like a reader is working on the mission too.

Earthrise_Anders_ToTheMoonRefFavorite quote image: I had to look it up because I knew that it wasn’t the “blue marble” image, but when Kluger explains Anders’ shot of Earthrise, I had to bring up the image to get the full scale of some of the captivating images that they would have seen and excitingly, captured for us earthlings to see. It demonstrates the importance of not only space travel but the undying power of an image to put us in our place– in history, geographically, emotionally.

So while I can’t put my finger on one thing that made this story great, it was a confluence of all of the pieces of great storytelling. Narrative nonfiction chronicling the space race, astronauts and the sacrifices they and their families make, the inherent danger, the dreams we all have to be bigger than ourselves, but told in a way that the everyday person can understand it and be along for the ride. Who wouldn’t want (as Marilyn Lovell knows) to be gifted with a Christmas Day present from “the man in the moon”?

And in closing, back to my appreciation for young readers editions, here are a few others I’d like to see adapted for a younger audience: Jane Goodall’s In the Shadow of Man, Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime, Bill Schutt’s Cannibalism, and Sy Montgomery’s The Soul of an Octopus.

 
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Posted by on May 29, 2018 in Authors, Cover Love, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Research, Young Adult

 
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