First, this book is not due until March of this year (this is a perk of working in an Independent Bookstore: getting to see some books before they are officially out). Second, this is told in prose poetry, so the format will not be for everyone. However, for me (as an alleged poet and a lover of good stories regardless of format) this is a great way for an author to tell their story by saying so much with few words. Finally, it is also […]
Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol
Andres and his parents have moved again. This time, next to a boy his age. Great! Right? Well maybe not as Desmond seems a bit… odd. To say the least. Especially for someone as normal as Andres. However, when supernatural things start to happen, Desmond is exactly what Andres needs to save the day in this first of a new series. Very basic text and basic illustrations scattered through the book mark this as a book for that early chapter readers (ages 7-9). Andres breaking […]
Nick the Knight, Dragon Slayer
Nick the Knight wants to fight a dragon. And just his luck, there is a dragon, Breakhorn, that everyone is afraid of that lives on top of the mountain near his home. This is the perfect chance for him to prove how brave of a knight he really is. However, Breakhorn does not feel like fighting. Nick comes up with clever ways of trying to get Breakhorn to fight. However, Breakhorn just does not want to fight. No matter what Nick tries. What is a […]
Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten
I have one word about this book: Chills. It gave me chills to read. Chills to look at the illustrations. Chills to hear the story of Elizabeth Cotton. She had always heard music, but when she was a child she borrowed her brother’s guitar and taught herself to play. But not just in the usual way. She was left handed and had to play her brothers guitar “upside down and backwards” to make it feel right. Over the years she played and wrote songs. But […]
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
The story of the women from Hidden Figures has had many written formats as well as a film dedicated to telling about the lives of these amazing women. These were women who helped changed history by changing the world of male-dominated-science, the space program, women’s rights and the rights of African Americans. History of NASA, the space program and even the term computer are introduced while introducing a younger audience to Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden. Women who were good at […]
Let Music Ring!
Let Music Ring! Is there a rating higher than five? I do not usually get this excited over a book. In the end this is just a really good book. However, the fact they talk about lynching in a children’s book (though tastefully done, if such a thing is possible) is a real eye-opener for how far books have come. This is what makes this book stand out. It is not shying away from the issue of race, discrimination and the results of that. It […]