It's Monday - New Book Love

              Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with others who post their favorites.  Last Friday, I shared a new poetry book that's awesome. It's by Charles Ghigna, inspiring for all ages, though he says it's for young writers! Take a look!

         Amina's Voice showed a strong girl, and now Hena Khan has given us a new girl, Jameela, with one older sister and two younger ones, yes, four girls, in an ordinary life that soon becomes not so ordinary any more. Khan grew up loving Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, reading her sister's copy over and over again, at last deciding to write her own "parallel". It is the life of a family who happens to be Muslim, this one not following all the religious rules, but still facing some areas of discrimination. Jameela tells the story, a seventh grader whose biggest dream is to become an accomplished journalist. She writes for the school newspaper which brings some conflicts, one with the editor and advisor. She's a little jealous of her older, beautiful sister, Maryam, annoyed with one of the younger ones, Aleeza, and closest to the other younger one, Bisma. When the father must take a job that will take him far away for six months, the family's comfortable  life is shaken, but it is the illness of one of the girls that brings a different look at growing up and learning for Jameela and the others. Showing those thoughts and observations through Jameela's words and her telling of other's actions and words felt like an honest showing of how life works. It isn't always smooth and "ordinary", but changing actions can make it extraordinary. I enjoyed the story very much. 

Thanks to Candlewick Press for the following four books!

       There is this little girl who wants to be an astronaut. Her name is Astrid and she moves happily through the day with her dad talking about her biggest wish. She's loved stars ever since she can remember, the story says. Her dad swings her round and round as he asks if she can survive going round and round the earth in a spaceship. He continues to tease with eating from a box or living with zero gravity, to which she answers, "I can do that all day long." The colorful black-lined illustrations show a loving home with Dad and a dog. And the turning: "At last it was time to go get Mama." There is a lovely surprise for readers as they arrive at the space center and three people are shown in silhouette, one of which is Mama! She is an astronaut! 

        Ken Wilson-Max has added some extra information at the back about space exploration, most exciting is the timeline of women in space! What a delightful book for young readers, just beginning to know about astronauts and space and beginning to wonder what they'd like to be when they grow up.

           A Mother Goose for everyone, with Vladimir Radunsky intermingling children's scribbles with his own tongue-in-cheek illustrations, it is Chris Raschka's tale of the 'real' Mother Goose with some old favorites rhymes added in the final half. Elizabeth Foster lived in Colonial-era Boston and married widower Isaac Goose. Because Isaac had ten children and the two together had four, they ended up with fourteen, calling to mind "There Was An Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe". There is also a double-page spread of nursery rhymes about courtship and Matrimony that is fun to see. Raschka’s poetic text introduces this story and he finishes with some familiar and new-to-me rhymes. Young readers may need some added help understanding some of the old rhymes, but they are fun to read aloud along with enjoying Radunsky's art. Sadly, Radunsky died in 2018, did not enjoy this published book, but I hope he loved the whimsey of the task to illustrate a new Mother Goose to children.

         
             The questions are what you might imagine, "Why is the ocean blue?" and "Why do the leaves change color?", but the answers, oh, those answers are beautiful, loving, and connect perfectly to the ending. You will understand when you read. Nighttime 'mostly' black and white illustrations show the father at the doorway ready to say goodnight, but moving into the room, closer, then onto the bed as the little girl asks more, and more. The fun surprises at the end show the room widening, and with sharp eyes, readers will see where at least some answers originate. Gorgeous story just right for bedtime.

       A poetic play on words as perfect matches between human and dog are made, like "Minnie & Vinnie" and "Polly & Molly", all except Mr. Scruff. It's all good, however, and readers will discover how at the clever end. Black outlined watercolors, a bit cartoon-like, help tell this happy story. (I think every animal shelter needs a copy of this book!)

Thanks to Charlesbridge for these next two books!

           Evidently Mark Shulman has written other activity books, like for summer or rainy days. This time, he's imagined you're sick, maybe bad enough to be in bed, but with no worries because you have time to stroll through these activities to take your mind off that nasty cough, or sprained ankle. As the book says at the top, "All you need is a pencil." There are full pages of people like rock stars or skateboarders on whom you can create tattoos. Word puzzles and mazes are there, too, along with some fun imaginary ways to write the principal an excuse note. Speech bubbles and ideas for lists fill another area. Each page invites fun, especially with Joe Bartos creative illustrations, from realistic to cartoons, all in black and white, thus along with a pencil, readers may want markers or crayons, too! 

          My family has read Iza Trapani's wonderful stories to our youngest over and over again. This time she's written partly in rhyme, and managed also to include that favorite "Itsy Bitsy Spider" in this fun story of a clever vole, tricking that troll! (Why is it that trolls always fall for the tricks?) In prose, too, but adding varied songs that vole uses to slip by the troll for that "tasty green grass", Iza has kept her special moments of reading aloud. We readers get to read the story, but sing those fun songs. They aren't all familiar, but fun to sing, perhaps being like the troll, so into the music that we don't notice much else. Toward the end, peace and fun reign as troll learns about harmony and duets. Iza adds woodsy illustrations to the story, with all the facial expressions and body movements that will bring lots of smiles. I loved seeing the antics of the vole, and then there's the happy fish leaping out of the water, too, and more!

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Now reading: On Snowden Mountain by Jeri Watts and Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton.  Somehow, too, I'd love to start Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson. I had the wonderful pleasure of seeing her present at my local Indie on Saturday night and have the book signed!