It's Monday! Books Loved Last Week

              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.  Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading!
          Share with the hashtag #IMWAYR 

It's an exciting day for posts! I'm sharing two others, one HERE on a blog tour for Sara Pennypacker's new book, Here in the Real World, which is fabulous!

and one HERE  joining Cathy Mere, Mandy Robek, Julie Balen and others for the group sharing favorite non-fiction picture books #nf10for10

            I listened carefully, ready to take notes. Woo hoo, I've read the wonderful New Kid by Jerry Craft, the Newbery winner! Now for the honors, I'd read two of four, lovely books: Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga and The Undefeated, by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. I had not read this wonderful book above or Genesis Begins Again, by Alicia D. Williams. I checked my library, both were available, so I'll read Genesis Begins Again soon! I am so grateful for my wonderful library, and of course, authors and illustrators!

            This book, this scary book, for kids and for foxes, is a treasure. Christian McKay Heidicker's early beginning says in the opening: "They wanted a story so scary it would prove their bravery and change them forever. All except the little one, that was. She preferred the sound of her mom's heartbeat." When I read these first pages I knew that I wanted to go along on this journey, however frightening it might be. Their mother forbid her kits from leaving the cozy den to visit the storyteller in Bog Cavern. Seven fox kits waited until she began to snooze, then snuck out into the night. When they arrived, "Roots dripped over its mouth. Fog oozed from its throat." I loved Heidicker's language, both the scary and the loving. And you will, too! Here's the marvelous way he can show beauty as well as terror: "She walked to what looked like a hollow tree trunk and drew out something sharp and hooked--a silver claw that gleamed like moonlight on water."

             In the book, they venture into a den to hear a series of interlocking and terrifying tales. There are eight, the openings on black pages (isn't that great?) each embellished by beautiful illustrations by Junyi Wu. Each story sends one kit fleeing for the home den (just can't listen anymore) until just one remains. It's challenging for me not to tell all the story, filled with warmth and love, evil and destruction, loss and hope. Friendship empowers and there is that as well. It's terrific!

         Through the seasons, Julie Flett tells the story of a family, a mother and her daughter, who move to the country. The young girl says she will miss much of her city life, including a tree outside her window. They travel through some beautiful countryside, arrive at their new home, with two trees and creaky stairs. The field is covered with snowdrops. During the year, a sweet relationship happens between the girl, Katherena who loves to draw and a near neighbor, an older woman named Agnes, who is a potter. Agnes and Katherena become closer and that eases Katherena's sadness in moving. Agnes shares her art and about country life; Katherena teaches her some Cree words. Time passes into beautiful fall then winter and Agnes is not doing well. With Katherena's drawings, she, her mother and Agnes's daughter prepare a surprise for Agnes, covering the walls with them since Agnes is now bedridden and cannot go out. Flett's illustrations add such beauty to this quiet journey of friendship. She is a Cree-Métis author and has included a small glossary of Cree words at the front of the story. 

      Lupita Nyong'o beautifully crafts this story of young Sulwe, 'the color of midnight", darker than her family members, is sad about her skin color, sad she has no friends. Privately, she tried everything she can think of to change: erasers, make-up, eating only 'light' foods, and prayer. Finally, she confesses her hurt to her mother who tells her she is beautiful and her name means "Star", inside bright! It doesn't help.          A shooting star stops in to take Sulwe on a journey, to share with her the legend of Day and Night, how Night was so maligned that she left. People missed the part where they had a respite from the warm day, were tired and ready for sleep, and they missed the stars! Day journeyed to find Night, to tell her how important and missed she was and Sulwe realizes that she, too, is "dark and beautiful, bright and strong. Harrison's illustrations show the beauty of all black people's skin tones, and include that same beauty of Night and of Day, echoing Nyong's words that both are needed. "Together they make the world we know, light and dark, strong and beautiful." Lupita Nyong'o adds an author's note telling of her own struggle with skin color.

          My son-in-law owns an 'old truck' and loves this book, can tell a few stories about those old trucks in his past. Endpapers tell that Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey created over 250 stamps to create these special illustrations. In it, they celebrate old trucks in their lives and those seen in Texas pastures in this story of a family with one girl who work hard on their farm. And so does their truck. Brief text and lovely illustrations show time passing as the girl grows up and slowly takes apart and puts that old truck encircled by flowers back together. The tale starts again with the truck, working hard. 




Current reading: I finished Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict. My Goodreads review is here. Now starting Chirp by Kate Messner and When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald! It's exciting!