or, my new favorite book!
I can’t imagine the bravery it took to write such a personal story. The book is written from sixth grade Rex’s point of view and provides a unique and unflinching look at how children are affected by poverty. The amount of work it takes to be poor is often overlooked or even worse, dismissed.
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It’s no secret that The Kid will only read graphic novels. They are what has gotten to love reading and lets him read widely. I really wish that I had something like this book years ago when it was struggle to get him to read. Reading Friends-this book is incredibly cute.
Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri is an adorable introduction to graphic novels for younger children. Tiger has a very special friend, a Monster who lives under her bed and scares away her nightmares. They spend their evenings playing games and sharing Tiger’s dinner. Tiger’s parents believe Monster is an imaginary friend, but Monster is much more. When one nightmare becomes too big for Monster to fight off, Tiger and Monster must work together to keep Tiger’s dreams from becoming scary.
Beautifully illustrated and gently told, the story is both entertaining for little ones and teaches the lesson that sometimes you just need a friend’s help.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:
Gabi’s If/Then Garden by Caroline Karanja is available from Capstone on September 1, 2018.
If you combine great characters and illustrations with child-friendly computer language, then you’ll have a great beginning coder book! Caroline Karanja has created an accessible and fun way for children to learn the basics of coding.
Gabi and Adi spend an afternoon in the garden learning about if/then statements. “If it doesn’t rain, then they water the plants.”
The girls use those statements to change “Simon Says” to Computer and Programmer. “If the Programmer does a jumping jack, then the Computer does a cartwheel.”
Using child-friendly language and experiences, the girls discover that coding concepts are all around them.
Beautifully done book!
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Call of Doodie: A Potty Training Book by Donald Lemke is available from Capstone August 1, 2018.
Who is ready to be a Poo-Tenent? The silliest drill sergeant ever leads a diverse cast of underwear clad soldiers through the necessary missions to achieve potty training success! Humorous, lighthearted, and full of great illustrations, this book gives children all the basics to complete a potty mission.
A super cute book that would make great gift for your favorite little Poo-Tenent.
You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:
Thank you to Netgalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Library copy of Rebound, available now from Kwame Alexander.
From the Publisher:
Before he's Chuck "Da Man" Bell, proud father of Jordan and Josh Bell, Charlie is a kid who dreams of basketball glory. In his mind, he can steal, jump, dunk, and make the crowd go wild just like a pro baller. But when tragedy strikes, Charlie can't help but make all the wrong moves. Will a series of missteps keep him benched, or can he learn how to rebound?
The first book by Kwame Alexander that I read was Solo. I loved the characters in Solo. They pulled you in to their lives and made you want to care about them. That book was beautiful and heartbreaking and I couldn't put it down. Rebound is the follow-up to his book The Crossover, also on our YA shelf-and still on my TBR list and I guess I better go get that read so I can get this one started!
You can get your copy here:
The Matchstick Castle available now from Keir Graff.
From the Publisher:
Brian can think of a few places he'd rather spend his summer than with his aunt and uncle in Boring, Illinois. Jail, for example. Or an earplug factory. Anything would be better than doing summer school on a computer while his scientist dad is stationed at the South Pole. Boring lives up to its name until Brian and his cousin Nora have a fight, get lost, and discover a huge wooden house in the forest. With balconies, turrets, and windows seeming stuck on at random, it looks ready to fall over in the next stiff breeze. To the mad-cap eccentric family that lives inside, it's not just a home-it's a castle. Suddenly, summer gets a lot more exciting. With their new friends, Brian and Nora tangle with giant wasps, sharp-tusked wild boars, and a crazed bureaucrat intent on bringing the dangerously dilapidated old house down with a wrecking ball.
This sounds so fun! This book was selected as an Illinois Reads 2018 selection and I just got it in for my Youth Department. It was actually published last year and I'm glad I was able to add it my growing middle grades section. The cover is absolutely delightful and wouldn't it be amazing to wander through the woods and come across a castle that looks like that? And how does that boat end up on top? So many questions!
You can get your copy here:
Summer is just beginning and Arturo Zamora is about to start his first job at his family’s restaurant, La Cocina de la Isla. Thinking he’ll be able to start in the kitchen where his mother is head chef, Arturo is disappointed to learn he’ll be spending his summer wet and soapy while washing dishes. His summer takes an interesting turn when a family friend and his daughter Carmen move into the apartment complex where Arturo and his entire extended family live.
This idea of an entire family living in one apartment building is both intriguing and terrifying. The Zamoras are a very tight-knit and supportive family. The grandparents immigrated from Havana, Cuba and worked hard to start their first business, the restaurant that is now owned by their daughter Cari. Aunts, Uncles, cousins, and Arturo himself work at the restaurant and everyone is invested in the success. Every Sunday the restaurant is closed so the family can have dinner together. The fact that Cari can cook all day long, six days a week, and then put on a big family dinner on Sunday is amazing. That’s a superpower. Dealing with family 24/7 is another one.
The themes of family and hard work are reinforced over and over again. When a developer named Wilfrido Pipo tries to convince the community and city council that a high dollar development is better for the community than the restaurant expanding, Arturo and Carmen work together to stop him. Between undercover missions, festival protests, an unexpected death, and city council meetings, the kids realize that working together with the family and never giving up is the only way to win.
Highly recommend for those 10 & up.
It's not chick lit. I just like farm puns. I also happen to be a Children's Librarian. This amazing dream job gives me access to all of the very best children's literature. In the past three years, I have had the joy of discovering some really great children's books and I will be sharing some of my finds here.
Welcome to Seven Acre Books! A home for discussions on books, life, and living with a menagerie.
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