Amla Mater by Devi Menon
Even though I have trouble reading online, I am finding even my longer reads there. Such as Amla Mater by Devi Menon. It is less than 200 pages, and therefore more of a novella graphic novel, but what I mean by longer is not a picture book. Actually picture books can be relatively easy to read online (unless they have a smaller print, a lot of print or illustrations that need the book to be turned to read), but when I do my young adult […]
The Blue Butterfly of Cochin by Ariana Mizrahi & Siona Benjamin (Illustrator)
I like finding out things that might not be familiar to me, or to the majority of people if it is presented in a fun way, as I do not care for “just the facts” and “dry textbooks.” I like things like The Blue Butterfly of Cochin by Ariana Mizrahi and illustrated by Siona Benjamin. (Currently available, I read this via an online reader copy). I like taking a fictional story and basing it in the facts to make it relatable to the reader. This […]
A Star Shines Through by Anna Desnitskaya
I have read A Star Shines Through by Anna Desnitskaya a few times. The first time I felt it was a good story. It wasn’t WOW but not eh either. The second time I read it I felt that it had more punch. I think it really depends on the mood you and/or the reader is in for it to make the most impact. (All the times I have read were via an online reader copy, but it is now currently available). The author bases […]
Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo
Home in a Lunchbox is one of those picture books that is both sweet, silly, and heartwarming, with a little sadness. Or at least, at first. Cherry Mo’s young narrator has moved from Hong Kong to America. She only knows a few words of English (hello, thank you, I don’t know, and the important one, toilet), makes mistakes, does not fit in in class and feels hopeless. That is until she opens her lunchbox and familiar sights and smells come out. She will soon learn, […]
Ánh's New Word: A Story about Learning a New Language by Hanh Bui
I thought at first that Ánh’s New Word: A Story about Learning a New Language would be more about the learning of English as a second language than what it was. Now, yes, it is about learning English, but it is also about learning how to be brave, how to have the courage to try and the idea of family being there for you. Anh is a young child who moved to the US from Vietnam and is living in a relocation camp with her […]
The Bicycle: How an Act of Kindness Changed a Young Refugee’s Life by Patricia McCormick
I did not read the entire article I had about some new books coming, but it was highlighting summer and bicycles. The list was around half a dozen titles long, all picture books. I figured I could locate copies of most of them. And in fact, was able to find online reader copies for all of them. However, four of them stood out for me. These four were different but still had familiar elements that I found comforting. In The Bicycle: How an Act of […]
