All about the Books

Bibliography: Alexander, Kwame. 2014. THE CROSSOVER. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ISBN 9780544107717 Audiobook: Hoopla. Ebook. Read by Corey Allen. Unabridged Plot Summary:  Twins, Josh and Jordan are in middle school and play basketball. Their dad is a retired professional basketball player and their mom happens the be an assistant principal at their school. The boys are talented and handsome. Josh is into basketball and very talented like his dad. His brother, Jordan or JB as they call him enjoys playing the game but is coming of age and discovering his hormones.  The boys find themselves growing apart because their shared interest of basketball cannot keep them together forever. At one point, the boys find their dad's championship ring as well as letters that explain why their dad had to retire early from basketball. Josh and JB go through the highs and lows of being teenage boys: competing for the same girl, having each other's back even though it'll cause trou...

Bibliography: Holm, Jennifer L. and Holm, Matthew. 2016. BABYMOUSE GOES FOR THE GOLD. New York: Random House Children's. ISBN 9780307931634 Plot Summary: Babymouse mother tells her she has to take up a sport. So Babymouse signs up for the swim team at school. Babymouse figures that it does not take a lot of effort to swim and she learns very quickly that is not true. Her team is named, "Shrimps" and they are a mix of animals: panda, goat, penguin, rabbit, and a bird. Their coach is a lobster. Each week, the Shrimps compete in swim meets and Babymouse shows up but doesn't quite get the hang of swimming competitively. Babymouse decides to quit the team but they convince her to stay because the best thing about being on the swim team is the friendship. Critical Analysis:  The Holm siblings (Jennifer and Matthew) do a good job of writing a story that is filled with humorous moments. This is the 20th book in the Babymouse series and in this story, Babymouse has an experien...

Bibliography:  Lin, Grace. 2009. WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON. New York: Little Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316038638 Plot Summary: Minli is a young girl who lives in a village that has not seen rain for a long time. Minli, along with her parents work hard to make the land fertile and grow rice. Each evening after dinner, Ba (dad), tells Minli a story of some kind that explains life and nature.  Minli enjoys hearing the stories all the time even if Ba has told them to her before. Ma, tired and drained from working outside all day, doesn't like the stories because she believes they give Minli ideas. One day, Minli buys a goldfish from a man who claims that the fish can bring good fortune. Ma is upset that Minli wasted money on the fish and Ba is fine with it because what good is money if you don't use it.  That evening, Ba tells Minli the story about a man who can answer any questions on a mountain. Ma is frustrated but allows the story to be told. Later that evening,...

Bibliography:  Telgemeier, Raina. 2019. GUTS. New York: Scholastic Graphix ISBN 9780545852517 Plot Summary: In this story, Raina is a fifth grade girl who is scared of vomit. It began with her not feeling well in the wee morning hours and as we read the story, we see that Raina becomes consumed with getting ill and then having to go and vomit.  Raina has two best friends, Nicole and Jane; they both enjoy hanging out with Raina but notice that she is becoming weird. There is also Michelle, who likes to joke and tease her classmates. As the school year progresses, Raina misses school because she is always feeling sick. Because this is happening often, her parents take her to the doctor and have her tested for various digestive disorders. Finally, Raina goes to see a therapist to get help with what is bothering her. Raina doesn't understand why she needs a therapist but over time she learns that how she feels is normal and she is in control of those feelings. The therap...

  Bibliography: Phelan, Matt. 2009. THE STORM IN THE BARN. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763636180 Plot Summary: This is the story about a boy named Jack who finds himself trying to fight off bullies, and what appears to be some kind of person. As the story goes along, Jack lives in a small Kansas town, where everyone knows each other and they think highly of Jack. Except Jack gets caught in a cloud of dust and he chose to head home instead of sheltering in town. This makes his father quite upset because the family is dealing with Jack’s sister who is sick. The town doctor tells Jack’s father to watch him because he may have dust dementia; memory loss the is caused by inhaling too much dust.  Jack overheard the comment and thinks nothing of it. Jack has heard the stories about how the land use to be great until the rain stopped. He even heard stories about a boy who was strong and stopped the dust from hanging around the town. All Jack knew was that there was som...

  Bibliography: Wolk, Lauren. 2017. BEYOND THE BRIGHT SEA. New York: Dutton’s Children’s Books. ISBN 9781101994856 Plot Summary: Crow is a young girl who lives on an island in Massachusetts. She is being raised by an old guy named, Osh and his neighbor, Miss Maggie.  Crow is a nature girl: she swims in the ocean, knows how to steer a boat and enjoys being outside.  Crow genuinely enjoys her life but she does wonder where did come from and what is her “real” name. Osh is content with he life he has created for himself and Crow and so he doesn’t pay much attention to Crow’s questions about where did come from and what became of her parents until a fire is spotted on a neighboring island.  Crow wants to know what is happening over on the Penikese Island and if possibly that is where she was born. Crow sets out find out about the inhabitants of the island and if she has roots there.  Osh doesn’t understand why Crow wants to know where she came from; nor does he s...

  Bibliography: Larson, Kirby. 2014. DASH. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780545416351 Plot Summary: Mitsi Kashino is a young Japanese American girl who lives in Seattle with her family goes through a life-changing experience because of who she is.  In December, right before  Christmas break, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the military base in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mitsi doesn’t fully understand what that means for her, her family, and the community which they live in, but she will soon learn how people treat others who may share common things but don’t look like them.  After the Christmas break, Mitsi returns to school to find that her best friends no longer want to hang out with her.  A group of boys pick on her because she is Japanese and the popular girl, Patty is outright rude to Mitsi.  Mitsi doesn’t understand why Mags and Judy, no longer want to be friends with her.  Soon, there are notes being left with the word, “Jap” on them and drawings...

  Bibliography: Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. TURTLE IN PARADISE. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780375836886 Plot Summary: It is 1935 and times are hard for Americans: the stock market has crashed; the country is trying to avoid war. Turtle lives with her mother but is shipped to Key West, Florida when her mother’s new boss declares that she does not like kids.  Turtle goes to live with her aunt and cousins.  Aunt Minnie isn’t thrilled to learn, unexpectedly that she is going to to be caring for Turtle because she has her hands full with the three boys and a husband who works away. Turtle adjusts to living in Key West but notices that its pretty slow for somewhere so beautiful. All the adults are busy with their lives and the kids play from sun-up until sunset.  Turtle decides one day that she needs a job to help earn money to buy the house that her Mama promised they will live in. Turtle gets work helping at the docks and when she’s not working, she is hanging out wit...

Bibliography: Nelson, Kadir. WE ARE THE SHIP: THE STORY OF NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL. 2008. New York: Hyperion Books for Children ISBN 9780789808328 Plot Summary: Segregation of African Americans existed in every space and place in the United States of America. One of the spaces was in sports, specifically, baseball. In this grand account and telling of an organization that was created because African Americans weren't allowed to play with Caucasions; Kadir Nelson gives us the story how The Negro League came to exist. Mr. Nelson begins with talking of the few Negro baseball players who in the mid-1860's played the game but due to discrimination and downright violent mistreatment would eventually be kicked off the teams they were playing on. The reader then learns about a player and manager by name of Rube Foster who would establish and organize The Negro Leagues: a baseball league of teams with only Black men as players.  The narrator goes on to tell how the teams would travel in t...

Bibliography: Murphy, Jim. A SAVAGE THUNDER: ANTIETAM AND THE BLOODY ROAD TO FREEDOM. 2009. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 9780689876332 Plot Summary: This is a story about one day during the Civil War and how the blood that was shed would have a huge impact on history.  During the Civil War, a war that was about the rights of people, specifically the power that a state can hold when it came to laws and slaves. The Union soldiers led by General McClellan and the Confederate soldiers led by General Robert E. Lee were in a do or die; fight to the end, battle to uphold what each side believed in as being right.  The Civil War had already become a ugly war of principles, states' rights, and the right to prove a group of people wrong about slaves.  President Lincoln was poised and ready to make good on giving freedom to slaves but there were states that depended on the slaves to help their economy.  Although General McClellan was a leader for the Union Army, ...

Bibliography: Nelson, Kadir. 2011. HEART AND SOUL: THE STORY OF AMERICA AND AFRICAN AMERICANS. New York: Balzer + Bray. ISBN 9780061730740 Plot Summary: In a country where history is told, shared, and taught in a variety of ways, comes a book that captures some of the most captivating stories about America and it's complicated history with African Americans. These stories are told by an unknown narrator who talks about how her ancestors were brought to America and unfairly treated. These are stories that start at the beginning: when our country was founded to a movement that was known as The Civil Rights Movement; when African Americans would fight for the same rights as Caucasians. Readers are introduced to the American Revolution and the role which African Americans had in this war; only to find themselves remaining property and working for a nation that was more concerned with profits than equality of all humans.  Moving further into the pages, we read about the fight to maintai...

Bibliography: Kerley, Barbara. 2010. THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN (ACCORDING TO SUSY). Ill. by Fotheringham, Edwin. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780545125086 Plot Summary: There have been many biographies written about the great American author Mark Twain.  Many of them talk about his literary career and the humor that he brought to his writings. In this serious but cute biography, we get a to know Mr. Twain through the eyes of his daughter, Susy. Susy has heard how people talk about her father being such a humorous and upbeat man.  She knows that this is partly true but what about the other characteristics of "Papa" that no one is talking about or at least don't know about him.  Susy decides that she is going to write about "Papa" and tell the world what her father is really like; all of his personality quirks and nuances.  Susy during the day would follow her father around; studying his every move: the way he talked, walked, how he would take time to hims...

Bibliography: Engle, Margarita. 2010. THE FIREFLY LETTERS. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC. ISBN 978085090826 Plot Summary: The Firefly Letters is the story of freedom, compassion for humankind, and longing for home.  Ms. Engle writes a story about Fredrika, a Swedish lady who visits Cuba to see what life is like in a country that is beautiful and full of life.  In Cuba, there are two girls who live completely different lives: Elena is the daughter of a wealthy Cuban and Cecilia, the slave girl who will serve as translator for the Swedish guest. When Fredrika arrives in Cuba, she expects to stay in a small hut but is placed at a compound; something that Fredrika did not want.  However, as she is a guest and doesn't want to cause trouble for herself nor her country, Fredrika is the gracious visitor.  Elena was warned by her father to, "ignore any outlandish ideas..."; Elena however wishes that she could move as free as Fredrika and even Cecilia.  Cecilia, a...

Bibliography: Florian, Douglas. 2022. ZOOBILATIONS! New York: Beach Lane Books.  ISBN 9781534465909 Plot Summary: Douglas Florian writes a playful, colorful collection of poems about animals that you may see in the zoo. Each poem talks about what the animal can do or maybe not. The words Mr. Florian uses to describe the animals give the reader an idea of what the animal looks like but also what they can do physically. Kids will find a poem about centipedes and millipedes:"The centipede and millipede for legs, could win a medal." This is talking about how the two insects would win a race because of their speed having so many legs. Critical Analysis: I enjoyed reading this book not just for the poems and how silly they read but for the artwork that Mr. Florian has included on the pages. On the cover, just above the author's name, there is the byline, "Animal Poems and Paintings"; but I couldn't believe that those illustrations were created using paint. The ill...

Bibliography: Sidman, Joyce. 2014. WINTER BEES & OTHER POEMS OF THE COLD. Ill. by Allen, Rick. New York: Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt. ISBN 9780547906508 Plot Summary: Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold is a book of poems that talk about animals, insects, and nature during the Winter season. Each poem talks about the habits of wolves, swans, birds, and springtails. Giving details about what they do to prepare for the cold as well as how they survive during the cold season. There is also a brief summary that provides scientific information about the creature or nature effect on the page. Critical Analysis: Ms. Sidman writes with great detail to describes how animals prepare for the cold of winter. Her poems flow with what I would call a "lullaby" effect: slow and easy. The words inviting the reader to grab a blanket and settle in themselves. She also provides interesting facts and information about what these creatures do to get ready for winter and how they survive ...

  Bibliography: Meyers, Walter Dean. 201. WE ARE AMERICA: A TRIBUTE FROM THE HEART. Ill. by Meyers, Christopher. New York: Collins. ISBN 9780060523084 Plot Summary: We Are America is a book of poetry about the people and history of the United States.  There are poems that talk about the American experience before it was a country. These words written by Walter Dean Myers are a tribute; specifically his tribute to what America means to him. Mr. Meyers also includes quotes from Americans who were impactful during their lifetime in America. Critical Analysis: Mr. Meyers has written a beautiful and profound book of poetry.  The words that he uses to describe the establishment of America are strong, rich, and moving. Each poem tells a different story about some time and event in American history. Mr. Meyers then juxtaposes quotes from prominent Americans such as, Abraham Lincoln, Barbra Jordan, Emma Lazarus, to name a few. He also includes excerpts from the Declarat...

 Bibliography: Bruchac, James and Bruchac, Joseph. 2004. RACCOON'S LAST RACE. Ill. by Aruego, Jose and Dewey, Araine. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers Group. ISBN 0803729774. Plot Summary: In this Native American folktale about a raccoon, Azban who prides himself on being the fastest, so he would challenge the other animals to race him. Often Azban would taunt the animals after beating them. The were annoyed by his behavior and so they didn't race against him no more. The raccoon would then play tricks on the animals: hiding and jumping out scaring them. Since Azban was quite fast, the animals could never catch him. One day, Azban sees someone sitting at the top of a hill. He goes to the hilltop and finds that its a big rock perched on the hill. Azban introduces himself as being a fast runner. The rock tells Azban that he is fine right where he sits. But Azban doesn't accept the rocks response and he decides to help the rock move. What ensues is a catastrophic event ...

Bibliography:   Tabck, Simms. 1999. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. New York: Viking. ISBN: 9780670878550 Plot Summary: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat is a cute story based on a yiddish folk song. It talks about Joseph who has overcoat that he has owned and worn for a long time.  As time goes on, the overcoat becomes worn and tatty; so Joseph makes a jacket. However, the jacket becomes worn and Joseph then makes a vest. This is a tale about enjoying what you have and making the most of it. It is also about how one can recycle and repurpose things. Critical Analysis: Upon first opening the book, the reader discovers all kinds of stuff on the title page. Mr. Taback illustrates the book himself and uses watercolor, Gouache, pencil, ink, and collage.  With such a variety of art methods used in illustrating, Mr. Taback provides a colorful perspective of how Joseph lived. The mix of already created images and the drawings created by hand, invite the reader to think about these ever...

  Bibliography: Artell, Mike. 2006. THREE LITTLE CAJUN PIGS. Ill. by Jim Harris  New York: Dial Books For Young Readers. ISBN 0803728158. Plot Summary: In Mike Artell's, Three Cajun Little Pigs, this a humorous retelling of the classic tale about the three pigs. The story begins with the mama pig telling her boys that it is time for them to leave home. The pigs, Troosclair, Thibodeaux, and Ulysse, pack their things and set off to find a house. As you read the story, you read how each pig builds their house.  Now the twist to this tale is that if you are familiar with Louisiana and its swamps, alligators are sure to be seen. So Mr. Artell has written our somewhat beloved antagonist as an alligator.  "An' speaking' of gators, not too far away, somebody was watching' dem little pigs play. Ol' Claude, dat big gator, was in de bayou." Mr. Artell follows the story as it has been told in the past but he does make it funny and interesting with the dialec...

 BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bruchac, James and Bruchac, Joseph. 2003. TURTLE'S RACE WITH BEAVER. Ill. by Aruego, Jose and Dewey, Ariane. New York: Dial Books For Young Readers. ISBN 0803728522. PLOT SUMMARY: Turtle's Race with Beaver is a North American Indian (Native American) folktale about a turtle who discovers the pond that he calls home has been taken over by a beaver. This folktale is a retelling of The Tortoise and The Hare except the animals are a turtle and beaver.  The turtle goes into hibernation because of the season changing. While the turtle hibernates, a beaver moves on to the pond: builds a dam and a lodge for him to live in.  When spring arrives, the turtle notices that he has to swim a long stretch to reach shore. Once turtle reaches the shore, he discovers that his rocks are underwater and there is a dam that has stopped the water from flowing. Beaver spots turtle and asks what is doing in his pond and the turtle explains its his home. The beaver doesn't like this ...