Monday Reading - Favorites

              Thanks to Ricki and Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts for hosting this meme. Your TBR lists will grow longer, but you will find books to love and to share. 

              I reviewed and shared a wonderful new poetry book last Friday if you're interested, a "how-to" approach that is lots of fun!

               This week, books that made me smile and that made me cry. I am amazed at the beautiful writing that writers do for us readers.

            Jewell Parker Rhodes again uses her fictional skills to bring racial issues to us in a deeply touching story of a twelve-year-old black boy, twelve, who is shot and killed by a police officer. As in “Towers Falling”, the themes of community, socio-economic disparities and diversity underlie the story. In the earliest words, we read, “How small I look. Laid out flat, my stomach touching ground. My right knee bent and my brand-new Nikes stained with blood.” And a bit later, “Doesn’t seem fair. Nobody ever paid me any attention. I skated by. Kept my head low./Now I’m famous.” 
           Jerome tells his story of his death and his life in the few weeks before and after, helping us readers enter his world of an unsafe neighborhood and school, with a loving family who daily try to keep him safe. He is a good boy, discovering the differences in his own neighborhood and that of the police officer who shot that fatal bullet only ‘after’ his death. Rhodes’ style of first-person narrative is strong and poignant. In addition to the “facts’, Jerome as a ghost has limited powers, longs to eat and enjoy his grandma’s food again, to hug his little sister and to see all the sights of his city he now knows exist, but did not before. He wishes he could still take care of that little sister, and be even better friends with a new friend made just days before the shooting. 
Those “Ghost Boys” are there sometimes, most especially their leader, Emmett Till, making the history of racial strife even sadder, for Emmett Till died decades ago, showing how little lives have changed for black children. Jerome can talk with Emmett and also the policeman’s young girl his own age. She is in mourning too, believes her father did wrong by shooting Jerome. These two seem as if they’ll be forever connected. It is heartbreaking to hear their conversations about Jerome’s death, watch them listen to the court witnesses, including Sarah’s father’s testimony, and wondering if anything these youth can do to make changes in our world? Rhodes leaves them and us with hope, most particularly in a gathering of families at Jerome’s graveside where they celebrate his life in their own special ways. The book is not long, and to me, it would be helpful to start important conversations if read aloud or if read with a small book group.
                Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy!

           Thanks to Candlewick Press for this Advanced Copy of Emily Windsnap's latest adventure. It came out on the first day of spring! I have to admit I've never read one of these stories by Liz Kessler, so was surprised quite a lot, did not know that Emily was a "half-mer" like her boyfriend, Aaron, and her best friend was a mermaid. This was another adventure, this time managing to mess up the family's vacation plans to do nothing but have fun and relax in a resort by the sea. Yet in the midst of calamities, there are challenges in relationships, too, and words of advice in handling conflicts. The story holds tense, loving and surprising moments, and I enjoyed it, imagine Emily's fans will love her newest challenge. 

            
          And thanks also to Candlewick for the following gorgeous book, Drawn from Nature by Helen Ahpornsiri. Students in my former classroom always kept field journals and they included numerous days of capturing seasonal changes. How wonderful it would be to have share this book that shows all four seasons' natural events, like trees awakening and butterflies' life cycles in spring. Summer sharing shows the actions in the meadow, among reeds, birds and bee happenings, and summer night events. I'm listing and listing topics (there are many), and also want to emphasize that every picture is created by a collage of dried leaves, seeds and flower petals, and each part holds a detailed, but brief explanation, just enough to understand what's going on or to spur interest in further research. It's an exquisite book, perhaps a gift for every nature lover you know, even you!

         Here are four other picture books read this week. Find my reviews on Goodreads if you're interested. 

             I'm sharing two of my favorites, two books about feeling good about self, whoever you might be. 

         In a rhyme that feels as if it's meant to be sung, this young girl celebrates her life, comparing herself to a variety of things in the happiest of ways. On one page, she says "Like the trees, I'm here to grow, like the mountains, I'm here to stand./Like time, I'm here to be, and be everything I can." Keturah A. Bobo illustrates the happiest of pictures, not only of this young girl but an array of all kinds of children--jumping, playing, running, skipping. Each one is different, sometimes they don't agree, but the message loud and clear is they are there "to help each other when it's tough, to say together: I am enough." Beautiful message, a delightful read aloud.

          From beloved Patricia MacLachlan comes a book with a surprise, following a young girl who does many things, meant to be just like--Patricia MacLachlan. You'll need to read the book to discover the end. Illustrations by Chris Sheban make lovely, muted and soothing pages in this sweet story.

Now reading: Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly, the latest Newbery winner! I hope I can find time to finish soon!

What's Next: I'm off to the mountains for spring break, will finish the above and choose from the many on my Kindle!