Sunday, January 12, 2025

Monday Reading - Lots to Share!

           

    Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they and others have been reading! Your TBR lists will grow!
     My mind all week has been mostly on California and the hope that the fires will begin to lessen, the people and animals will make it out somehow, keeping hope for survival and renewal. I hope you and yours, if affected, will be okay. 


       A turtle plays an essential role in this mystery because it likes to draw. See there! It's even on the cover. Friendship grows from a museum theft as young Rami and new friend Veda's big mission is to solve the mystery. Rami's mother works for the museum and is a suspect! Then, a ghost appears to Rami as he hangs out in the museum while his mother works. He names her "Blue," and she plays a part in the answer to all of Rami's worries, which will make readers smile. Jasmine Warga again has written a lovely story, this time that's both a romance and a mystery, with a young boy who needs a friend and finds one. He tells how it all went, his worries, and his triumphs. I enjoyed it very much. Kudos to Matt Rockefeller for the illustrations he added, including the cover.

Thanks to Mia Wenjen for my copy!

         I am fortunate to have received a copy of this book from author Mia Wenjen, who blogs at PragmaticMom.com. It was published by Red Comet Press last October. 
         In this recent time as the Supreme Court considers the case of TikTok and Freedom of the Press, Mia writes of another case for free speech. It is the inspiring account of a young man named Simon Tam who realized that not only could he ignore racism and the words that came with it, but he could also take them as his own! He formed a band, named it The Slants (a word demeaning Asians) and applied for a patent to protect it. His patent was denied, but he did not stop fighting for it. He took the fight over an eight-year period all the way to the Supreme Court and won! The story is told as the lyrics from the band's hit song, "From the Heart", about that fight is included part by part in Victor Bizar Gómez's excellent larger-than-life illustrations. 
         An intro to the book includes inspiring words by Simon Tam, including: "So, it's true stories do matter, but who tells them matters, too. Tell your story, sing your songs, and don't be afraid to make some trouble." There is more in the back matter, including others who have fought anti-Asian Racism, sources, and letters from Mia Wenjen and Simon Tam. 

              This is from the nineties, but I've always enjoyed Tony Johnston's books. It's a funny "re-mix" of 'The Princess And The Pea", telling the tale of a cowgirl looking for a loving partner, who MUST be a real cowboy. Warren Ludwig's illustrations fill the pages with grand colors of western scenes. 


            Kyo Maclear's stories bring magic into one's mind and this new one is no different, but a warm story of a grandson who visits his grandfather, taking time together to talk about the "ghosts" in his grandfather's garden. There are scenes that will brighten your day as you, too, remember other ghosts you know. You'll need to read the book to "see" Katty Maurey's illustrations that add to the magic of Kyo Maclear's words.   


          Lisl H. Detlefsen writes of her family's long-standing "nana rolls" made first by her great-grandmother, but she remembers, too, all the ways they were cherished as gifts, for holidays, just to remind someone of home. In this story, she shares about a visit with her grandson, called "Little Pickle," to teach him how to make those beloved "nana rolls." All the process is shown in colorful spreads by David Soman, often showing their work and explaining the contrast with the baking of long ago. For example, now the ingredients come from the grocery. Then, they first had to gather eggs and milk the cow, then stoke the woodstove until the heat was just right. I loved that this Nana's Nana did it "By guess and by gosh." The story travels through the years, with even pages showing the isolation during the Pandemic, a time when many started baking. Other pages tell of the variety of breads people make, most with the same ingredients. They include Soman's wonderful double-page spread of seven kinds, including "nana rolls". There is a long afterward by the author and the recipe! 


           This came out in the 1980s, and has brief descriptions of the immigrant experiences of families, adults and an emphasis on the children's lives. Freedman also explains how the photos came to be. Though it was illegal for children to work under the age of fourteen, most did to help their families. One example is a boy who rose at 4 am, raced to a bakery, delivered orders for several hours, then raced off to school, then back to deliver more after. He was paid $1.75 weekly. The photos are poignant, starting with the first experiences at Ellis Island and showing numerous "jobs" that children did. I enjoyed it, though I knew some of it because I have visited Ellis Island. Sadly, libraries may not carry it anymore, though it's still available to order. 

Now Reading! I have an advanced copy of Pam Jenoff's Last Twilight in Paris, and am just starting The Squad by Christine Soontornvat 


4 comments:

  1. The Cowgirl and the Black-Eyed Pea looks good.

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  2. I didn't realize there's a romance element to Warga's new book. I've been looking for more MG books with romance to feature at the B&N I work at as we get close to Valentines Day!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  3. Hi Linda, I think I commented earlier, but forgot to publish it or something. Sigh.
    I have the Kyo Maclear book on my want to read list, but none of my libraries have a copy of There's a Ghost in the Garden that I can access. It's the same thing for Still There Was Bread. I hope it shows up in some version, because I am a bread baker. I just finished a double batch of pizza dough that will do a slow rise in the fridge until we have a pizza night on Friday.

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  4. Thanks everyone! It's been a busy time these two days! I hope you can find a book that looks good to you! I'd send you a copy of Still There Was Bread, Cheriee, but the one I read is from my liberty! Best wishes!

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