With the passing of icon James Earl Jones came the discovery of Kari Lavelle’s biography ODE TO A GRAPEFRUIT. In it, readers will learn that the man wWith the passing of icon James Earl Jones came the discovery of Kari Lavelle’s biography ODE TO A GRAPEFRUIT. In it, readers will learn that the man with the instantly recognized, silky-smooth voice was a stutterer and all but stopped trying to talk at age 5 and that the love of poetry led to the mastery of his tongue. Lavelle’s text flows easily and is accentuated by illustrations by the talented Bryan Collier (Rosa, Martin’s Big Words, These Hands & more). Astute readers may note that given Jones’ birth year of 1931, he was born in a time of segregated schools yet Collier’s illustrations show classrooms filled with great diversity. Background research by the author indicates that he attended an integrated Quaker school in Mississippi, however, that fact is left for students to discover on their own.
Excellent picture book biography for those ages 4-12 plus artists and/or fans of James Earl Jones of all ages.
Note: For something completely different, check out Kari Lavelle’s terrific animal nonfiction series Butt or Face, volumes 1 & 2 (as of 2024)....more
Riley, happy living with her Muscogee relatives all around her, and Maya, accustomed to moving around with her military parents, are thrust together tRiley, happy living with her Muscogee relatives all around her, and Maya, accustomed to moving around with her military parents, are thrust together to live with their grandmother in Urbanopolis. With little in common but blood, the two girls begin a new six grade campus and find a domineering, detention-happy vice principal who unites them in their attempt to make changes at their school. Story by Keyla Magoon (The Season of Styx Malone) and Cynthia L Smith (Indian Shoes & Sisters of the Neversea) combine with terrific graphic panels by Molly Murakami to give 3rd-5th grade readers a story filled with relatable characters thriving in new circumstances and working out difficulties using their own unique skill sets. A strong grandmother encourages them and church, school and community all combine to give Riley and Maya support to make a difference. Students will appreciate Maya’s use of robotics and engineering skills and Riley’s gymnastics prowess to turn them into “super heroes” of a sort. Some of their solutions and actions are unrealistic (some rappelling up/down buildings, access to materials and techie knowledge) but most readers will not be bothered by this. Some unresolved situations mean more to come in the series. Representation: varied family configurations, interracial marriage, Muscogee tribal connections (but very little about the culture of that community), Black characters. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. Solid choice for library graphic novel section.
Thanks for the print arc, Cynthia Leitich Smith....more
Native American fable retold in this picture book for PK-grade 2. Impatient rabbit wants snow in summer and chants his way to getting his wish…but at Native American fable retold in this picture book for PK-grade 2. Impatient rabbit wants snow in summer and chants his way to getting his wish…but at a price. Lots of opportunity for extension after reading the book for the sheer fun of it. Info about animal adaptations is mixed with descriptions of the summer and winter seasons and the chant done by rabbit can be imitated by readers/listeners.
Thanks for sending this book, Dolly’s Imagination Library....more
6th grade Edie and her two best friends discover a box tucked away in the attic and opening it begins a journey of self and family discovery that will6th grade Edie and her two best friends discover a box tucked away in the attic and opening it begins a journey of self and family discovery that will change everything about how she views herself and her Native heritage. Readers in grades 4-7 will easily connect to Edie’s insecurities as her longtime friendship with Amelia begins to change, the anger and betrayal she feels when the box reveals family secrets, and her strong desire to know more about where she and the rest of her family came from. Set around Seattle, Washington, author and enrolled Upper Skagit Tribe member Christine Day calls upon her real life experiences with the geographical and Native American history of the area to give the entire book a sense of authenticity and will expose the horrific practice of removing Native children from their families and placing them in Caucasian homes. The history is delivered gently and is incorporated into more familiar middle grade tropes but will be unfamiliar territory for many and may result in outside research into the subject. Highly recommended. No profanity, sexual content or graphic violence....more
This level 3 “Step Into Reading” biography for grades 1-3 focuses on the dedication of Wilma Pearl Mankiller to make lives better for the Cherokee peoThis level 3 “Step Into Reading” biography for grades 1-3 focuses on the dedication of Wilma Pearl Mankiller to make lives better for the Cherokee people. The abuses of Native people and the ways their lands were taken away are not given in any graphic detail, rather, the hands on and legal efforts made by Mankiller are detailed in a simple way. Young readers are likely to come away with a respect for all she did and a desire to know more. Colored illustrations by Aphelandra fill the pages, are realistic and appear to be digitally rendered. As with other Step Readers, the font is large and with plenty of white space, making it easy to read. With the difficulty in finding titles representing Indigenous People, this title is recommended for the target age group but note that there are very few non-fiction text features present, i.e. no glossary/bolded vocabulary words, index, section headings, side bars/text boxes, table of contents, maps or diagrams....more
Novel-in-verse by prolific author Joseph Bruchac that includes themes of family, overcoming adversity, faithfulness and respect for heritage. Also incNovel-in-verse by prolific author Joseph Bruchac that includes themes of family, overcoming adversity, faithfulness and respect for heritage. Also included is a message about racism both past and present that is gentle and, hopefully, thought-provoking but not delivered in an angry or overbearing way. 7th grade Malian was visiting her grandparents on the Wabanaki reservation when the COVID shutdown occurred and was unable to return home to Boston. Although she misses her parents terribly, being with her grandparents provides her with the opportunity to help them during the pandemic as well as to make further connections to her Native roots. Told in smooth-flowing verse where every word matters, the spirit of the book comes through vividly....more
Mia lives with her Jewish mom and stepdad, has recently celebrated her bat mitzvah and attends a Jewish school with her best friend Chloe. Life is gooMia lives with her Jewish mom and stepdad, has recently celebrated her bat mitzvah and attends a Jewish school with her best friend Chloe. Life is good, but the “dad” part of her life, both his actual presence and his Muskogee Nation heritage. A plan develops for using monetary gifts from her bat mitzvah and teaming up with Chloe to secretly take a bus from Los Angeles, CA to her dad’s home in Oklahoma and she’s off to discover more about that missing portion of who she is. Cohen’s own mixed heritage background allows her to tell Mia’s story while also teaching and entertaining readers. The graphic panels are realistic and well drawn and colored and I found the combination of art and dialogue more than enough to allow the plot to unfold smoothly and with plenty of detail. ELA teachers desiring to use the text in literature circles or class novel studies will find plenty of support for objectives covering character profiles as well as much to use in the area of compare/contrast. A clear plot progression is also evident with exposition, rising/falling action, climax and resolution easy to identify. (I found myself thinking what a great example Two Tribes would be in helping those who do not see graphic novels as “real” books realize that they are more than just pretty pictures.) Highly recommended for the shelves of libraries serving readers in grades 3-7. Representation: Jewish, Muskogee Nation, and Chinese main characters; various family configurations (step parents, only children, an adopted child). Some might be unhappy with Mia’s blatant disobedience in reaching out to her father and deceiving her mom/step dad in order to take a bus as a 13 yr old across the country, but she is found out and the consequences are significant and, in fact, are part of her further self-discovery and maturity.
66 pages that will warm the hearts of readers in grades 2-4. Ray Halfmoon lives with his Cherokee grandfather in Chicago but they regularly visit fami66 pages that will warm the hearts of readers in grades 2-4. Ray Halfmoon lives with his Cherokee grandfather in Chicago but they regularly visit family members in the more rural Oklahoma. Each chapter is a standalone vignette out of their lives-stories of bad haircuts, special gifts, a Christmas that doesn’t go as planned, being a ring bearer in a wedding and other regular life events. Very little from the traditions of the Cherokee people are included, but it is obvious that heritage is important to both grandfather and grandson. Some of the chapters will bring chuckles such as when the wedding tux came without pants and Ray has to make do with his grandfather’s! Solid choice for collections needing more Native representation and a solid readership in realistic fiction. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. ...more
Maisie is only 12 years old but already feels like her life is over. An accident left her knee is such bad shape that her ballet dream is gone and witMaisie is only 12 years old but already feels like her life is over. An accident left her knee is such bad shape that her ballet dream is gone and with her life and friends all connected to dance, what more is there? Christine Day takes readers on a family trip to sites in the Pacific Northwest that are written with such detail that it feels almost like you are there. And it isn’t just the scenery that has such beautiful description; Maisie’s anxiety and depression are clearly worsening and even with a mom, step mom and 1st grade brother all right there supporting her, she still is drowning in her sadness. Those characters are well developed and brother Conner, especially, is endearing and brings a smile with both his antics and the obvious love he has for his sister. Supporting characters Eva and Hattie are present primarily in text form, but Day uses that medium to effectively convey distinct personalities for both girls. Added to the excellent story of physical and emotional healing, Day, an enrolled member of the Upper Skagit Tribe, includes facts about various Native tribes from the Pacific Northwest and their continued legacy and presence in that area. Outstanding choice for libraries serving grades 4-7, especially those needing to increase their Native representation. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and the only violence included is threats against the Makah people and the simply told fact that Maisie’s soldier father was killed in the line of duty. Representation: Indigenous People are authentically included throughout, blended family, two characters dealing with anxiety & depression are portrayed as seeing a therapist with positive results....more
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