This is a sweet and funny graphic novel series geared for 2nd and 3rd grade readers. In this installment, Bird and Squirrel have landed in the Arctic and a village of penguins is burdened with feeding a killer whale. They can not go into the water for fear of him. So they icefish, and offer their bounty to him to stay alive. They believe that Bird is the Chosen One from a prophesy who will save them. Bird loves the attention but Squirrel understands the danger and ultimately saves the day along with a brave little penguin. (GN BUR)
What a beautiful picture book this is! It is the story of a boy who stutters. Because of it, he is teased and fearful of speaking up in class. The imagery is beautiful, but perhaps most endearing is the character of the father, through whose patience and understanding, the child soon learns that it may be scary, but like a river, it ebbs and flows. It is based on the author's experince as a child and his father's wisdom. (PIC SCO)
I loved this beautiful picture book written by basketball superstar, LeBron James. He opened a school in Akron Ohio. The students there pledge a code of honor every morning. This book is based on that pledge, encouraging students to word hard, be respectful and be true to themselves and all they can be. (PIC JAM)
In this graphic novel, we meet Omar. Omar is a refugee, a person forced to flee his home. He was from Somalia but now lives in a camp in Kenya with thousands of others in tents. He has taken care of his younger brother, Hassan, since they fled. It is based on a true story - Omar is the co-author of this book. We learn of the struggles of refugees as well as the community that is built there to support one another. It is tragic and sad that people live like this indefinitely. But is also a story of hope and family. (GN JAM)
Fans of Dog Man should like this new, graphic novel series. Take The Plunge is the second in the series about two alligator detectives. In this one, they have accidentally transmitted a code which altered a robot nearby. The robot now has the power to combine things - a snake becomes a man's arm, a salad becomes a woman's head. Meanwhile, as they try to find the robot, their nemesis Daryl, a.k.a. Crackerdile, is trying to take revenge out on the detectives. (GN GRE)
This novel in verse, a Great Stone Face nominee, was written by Patricia Reilly Giff in homage to her Irish ancestors. It is a historical fiction story of a young girl and her family who live a hard life in Ireland in the late 1800's. Their life becomes more difficult when the English lords start raising rents and forcing them out of their homes. She may be just a slip of a girl, but her strength and love for her remaining family and her desire that they retain their home enable her to stand up with the other Irish to start a land war against the English. Strewn with primary source images, it was a difficult and heart-breaking story of struggle but also one of hope and love. (FIC GIF)
This one is on the Great Stoneface List for this year. Written by Natasha Farrant, it is a realistic fiction, adventure story set at a boarding school in Scotland. The three main characters, all somewhat outcasts, become friends and accompany Alice when she abandons the school's field trip and goes to find her father, who has sent her a mysterious package. Unbeknownst to her, though, her father is in trouble and being chased by a lethal theif called the Leopard. The three friends find adventure and danger on their trip, as well as clarity about who they are. (FIC FAR)
Dan Gemeinhart is a favorite of mine, ever since I read The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. I went back and found his others - Scar Island (his latest) was also excellent. So I went and read this, his first. This is a heart-wrenching story about a very sick boy who decides to run away from home and climb Mount Rainier where he plans on dying on his own terms. Aided by his dog, his journey is met with obstacles, as you would imagine. The story shifts from his perspective to those he loves at home, particularly his best friend who knows where he is going but has promised him she would not tell. It was heartwrenching and real, and a beautiful story with memorable characters. It reminded me a bit of The Trail, a recent Great Stoneface winner. (FIC GEM)
Raina Telgemeier has added a companion story to her incredibly popular, Smile. I found Smile to bit a bit too mature for a K-5 library, but this one is fine. This graphic novel describes the sometimes difficult relationship between siblings Raina and Amara. A road trip to a family reunion tests it even further. Funny and very relatable, if you have a sister! (GN TEL)
In this classic, award-winning historical-fiction novel, we meet Bud, a ten-year-old. It is the Great Depression and times are hard. Especially when your only parent has died when you were six. But Bud has saved a few of his mom's special things, including flyers for a band featuring this one man. Maybe that's his dad! He decided to go and find him. I have read a lot of stories told from a child's perspective. None were as convincing as this. The language, the imagination, and the humor were so authentic, I fell in love with this polite young man and rooted for him the entire book. (FIC CUR)
This book was entertaining, unique, and laugh-out-loud funny. Sal is the new kid at his new school - a school for performers. He is a magician. When he makes a chicken appear (and disappear) in a bully's locker, his new classmates are impressed (and maybe a bit scared). Little do they know, it wasn't necessarily magic, but a power Sal has to pull things through tears he makes in the multiverse - including his dead mother. With the help of his scientist dad and Gabi, his new firend who shares his power, will they be able to mend the rips in the universe? (FIC HER)
Kate Messner's latest realistic fiction book centers around Mia, a former gymnast who is afraid of picking up the sport again after an injury. She is helping her Grandma built her cricket business. However, someone is sabotaging the business and Mia and her friends need to find out who it is. Her new friends and other stories of girls being harrassed gives her the courage to face the REAL reason Mia left gymnastics. This story is a bit mature in content, as it tackles the disturbing subject of inappropriate touching and harrassment. It was not graphic but disturbing. However, it may be the book that makes a child know they are not alone and any touching that makes them feel "icky" is not ok and they need to speak up, as Mia did. (FIC MES)
This was a refreshing and wonderful story written by Gordon Korman. Mr. Kermit, a once much-loved educator, is done with teaching. He is one year away from an early retirement and can't wait. When his principal tells him he is being placed with the toughest class in the building, he is unphased. He sits and does crossword puzzles. Each student in the class has their own story of why they are there. No one has any expectations of success from any of them. But when an old adversary of Mr. Kermit's resurfaces, old wounds start to heal. A class of unteachables rally and learn and a teacher gets a new lease on life. (FIC KOR)
Lindsey Stoddard (author of Just Like Jackie and Right as Rain) has done it again with this heartwarming realistic-fiction story about being comfortable in your own skin. For Cyrus it isn't easy. Everyone expects him to be a star football player like his dad. But he hates playing. He also hides the fact he can't understand what he reads. He's a great faker. He needs to redefine his labels, like a crayon in a story his teacher read. And he needs to find HIS bave. His brave doesn't have to be fighting fires like his dad - it can be standing-up-and owning-who-you-are brave. (FIC STO)
In this companion story to The New Kid, the author highlights Drew's story, rather than Jordan's. Drew is struggling with stereotypes about kids of color in his school, as Jordan was. However, Drew pulls away from his white friend because of his wealth and privilege. The graphic novel brings to light some horrible stereotypes and some serious issues that face people of color even today. Like New Kid, it is an important book for students of all color to read.
