 It's summer and the reading is easy -- unless you don't have a great book at the ready. For those of you who need superb books for the amazing kids in your life (or who, like Lisa Christie, of the Book Jam Lisas, like to read kids and YA books yourself), welcome to the Kids and Young Adult version of the Book Jam's annual Books for Summer Camping. We hope these recommendations help you find the perfect book to take camping, or on a road trip, or to the lake, or to a pool, or to your backyard and/or front porch. Basically, wherever your travels take you this summer -- ENJOY! (Look to us in two weeks for our adult version of Books for Summer Camping.) Books for the Youngest Readers   My Car by Byron Barton (2003) - This board book with a plot twist and superbly clean illustrations has been a crowd pleaser for years. We gift this to every new parent we know. But don't take our word for it, librarians from the ALA Booklist agree - "Bright, graphic artwork invites readers to count, name colors and shapes, and follow Sam and his car as they drive through a bustling world from Sam's home in the country to his job in the city. The surprise ending is a gem! For young children intrigued by cars, this book is simply wonderful." ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie  Anything from the Eric Carle Collection by Eric Carle (assorted years) - Mr. Carle is a master storyteller and illustrator; and, his books have been amusing children for years as a result. Huge plus: most of his books are available in a variety of languages. While we recommend all his work wholeheartedly, we highly recommend using The Very Lonely Firefly in its board book form as the last book before bedtime. Read it. Turn out the lights and watch the fireflies flicker, then place the child in bed for a great sleep. Books do allow for miracles. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie  Quiet by Tomie dePaola (2018) - A lovely picture book, by award winning author and illustrator Mr. dePaola, for our hectic days. This book explores the importance of sitting, and observing, and just being. First reviewed for the Book Jam by Penny McConnel of the Norwich Bookstore during the Book Jam's 2018 holiday version of Pages in the Pub. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Books for Elementary School-"ish" Kids   Pay Attention Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt (2019) - Mr. Schmidt (of The Wednesday Wars fame) may have just become my favorite author for kids with this book; OK, maybe that is Kwame Alexander, or Jacqueline Woodson or Jo Knowles or JK Rowling, or Andrew Clements or ... Anyway, Mr. Schmidt's newest novel is a superb look at what happens when tough things occur in life. In this case, the tough things include the unexpected death of a younger brother and a father who has found another family to love and has decided to never come back. But as Mr. Bowles-Fitzpatrick, a butler who shows up on the family doorstep one day, continually reminds Carter, the narrator of this gem of a book, life is difficult and one has two choices -- to be a gentleman or a bore. Mr. Bowles-Fitzpatrick is hanging around to ensure Carter chooses to be a gentleman. Told with humor (e.g., fabulous scenes of learning how to drink a proper tea and play cricket) and love, this tale eloquently describes how the lives of Carter, his three sisters, and his mom are forever changed when a butler arrives on their doorstep. Think of Mr. Bowles-Fitzpatrick as a portly male Mary Poppins who makes you walk the dog and clean the dishes and ultimately reminds all readers of the importance of how we all choose to embrace our life. ~ Lisa Christie  Where the Heart Is by Jo Knowles (2019) - Once again, Ms. Knowles tackles tough topics with love and candor. In this novel, Rachel's 13th birthday brings parental fights and ultimately the loss of a childhood home. Basically, this is a compassionately told tale of poverty, family, friendship, being a teen, and sexual identity. Ms. Knowles spins tales of tough issues so, so well. We are so proud to call her as a fellow Vermonter and a friend. Since she is a friend, and we may be a bit biased, we are including a portion of the review from Publishers Weekly -- Ms Knowles, "paints a down-to-earth picture of an adolescent girl who is saddled with too many responsibilities". ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie  A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee (March 2019) - A great book for younger readers (4th-7th grade) that helps them understand Black Lives Matter, while also providing insights into navigating middle school, friendships, teachers, and the ever-evolving process of figuring out exactly who you are. Ms. Ramee's main character, a 7th grade African American girl named Shay, hates to get in trouble, doesn't understand her older sister's insistence being Black is embedded in certain traits, and honestly really just wants to get out of Middle School with her friendships intact, her grades their usual A+ level, and perhaps with a cute boyfriend. The world is conspiring against all her wishes, and her hand is forced when a local white police woman is acquitted for shooting a black man. Shay will make you assess what is important for you yourself to stand up for, how your unique traits will manifest your stand, and ideally to actually stand up for something. I hate to compare it to The Hate U Give, but Ms. Ramee's novel is reminiscent of Ms. Thomas's unflinching look at what it is like to be a Black adolescent in the USA today, and that is high praise.  The Benchwarmers by John Feinstein (2019) - Once again, Mr. Feinstein creates believable teen and pre-teen characters and uses sports to help them deal with life. In this case, a girl wishes to play for a 6th grade boys soccer team; and even though this novel is set in 2019, she is met with hostility from adults and kids; but she also gains new friends. A great book for anyone suffering from World Cup withdrawal. We also highly recommend Mr. Feinstein's other series for younger readers for anyone on your list who loves a bit of sports infused in their books or who just loves books about middle schoolers figuring out life. ~ Lisa Christie  Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina (2019) - This novel won the 2019 Newberry Award for excellence in children's literature; and, its insightful compassionate, and often funny look at navigating middle school demonstrates why. Merci, a scholarship student to a prestigious prep school is different than her peers in that: 1) she doesn't have their resources; 2) she must perform community service to keep her scholarship; and, 3) she is Latina. However, her questions as she navigates 6th grade are universal - including how to survive the wrath of the popular girl when she and her popular friends think Merci is interfering with their current crush. She also is scared and confused by the changes in her beloved grandpa Lolo, her champion in her family. Enjoy this book about life as a kid. ~ Lisa Christie  Love to Everyone by Hilary McKay (2018) - Reminiscent of The War That Saved My Life, one of my younger son's favorite books of all time, Love to Everyone tells the story of WWI through the eyes of a young English girl, Clarry Penrose. Clarry manages to find good in everyone and everything. This proves a difficult task as her father isn’t fond of children and her mother died days after she was born. It also appears that her brother blames her for this latter fact and that complicates a lot in her life. In addition, she must fight to be educated as her dad thinks girls don't need schooling. She also only sees her favorite person in the world - her cousin Rupert- once a year in annual trips to Cornwall. All of this is minor to the issues WWI creates for her family, her stalwart friends, her town, and her country. A lovely tale about a girl who refuses to accept the fact many doors are closed to her dreams. It also brings WWI into the reader's heart with realistic descriptions of war time realities on the home front and in the trenches. A truly gem of a book for fans of historical fiction and well-told tales. ~ Lisa Christie  Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh (2018) - Refugees are in the news and in great need. Ms. Marsh tackles this topic in a tale that allows kids to internalize what it must be like to be a migrant without a known destination or obvious future. Ahmed has fled the oppression and war in Aleppo only to find himself orphaned in Belgium; Max, a boy from Washington DC, has been reluctantly relocated by his parents to Brussels. Both are struggling to figure out what to do with their lives in Europe. Their lives collide unexpectedly leaving us with a tale of compassion, bravery, and everyday heroes. I loved the fact an actual WWII hero inspires a large portion of the plot. A GREAT way to introduce kids to the news of refugees that they see each day in the paper. It is also a great story for us all. As the School Library Journal stated in a starred review, this novel "thoughtfully touching on immigration, Islamophobia, and terrorism, this novel is a first-purchase. Hand to fans of Alan Gratz’s Refugee." ~ Lisa Christie  Resist: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tyranny and Injustice by Veronica Chambers (2019) - For those who need some inspiration to face the news of late, we recommend this collection of short biographies of important people who had the courage to change history. People profiled include Ghandi, Fannie Lou Hamer, Samuel Adams, Archbishop Oscar Romero, and Anastasia Somoza. A good reminder to us all that we may only be one person, but we have power to change unfair and unjust things. Think of it as a thematic collection of our favorite biography series for kids - the Who Is What Was books. (Note: Ms. Chambers also edited a thought-provoking collection of essays about Michelle Obama - The Meaning of Michelle.) ~ Lisa Christie  Books for Young Adults  With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo (2019). The teen heroine of this book, Emoni’s life has been full of tough decisions as she tries to do her best for her daughter and her abuela (grandmother). Luckily, she has a place where she can temporarily forget her responsibilities - the kitchen. There, she somehow always manages to add magic to everything she cooks, creating food that is just amazingly good. This gift may also be her way to create something for herself. Ms. Acevedo's prose sings, and as the Indie Next List review stated, "The only word I can use to properly describe this book is ‘delicious.’" I could not agree more and I also recommend Ms. Acevedo's Poet X. ~ Lisa Christie  Here to Stay by Sara Farizhan (2018) - A great book about high school life today. The main character, Bijan Miajidi, is pulled from the obscurity of JV basketball to the varsity limelight, which he hopes will help make it easier to talk to his crush Elle. Instead, he is targeted by an internet photo doctored to make him appear as a terrorist. As he tells the story of what happens next, his narrator voice is joined by his internal narrators - ESPN commentators Reggie Miller and Kevin Harlan - providing color commentary and comic relief to the often difficult events of the novel. In short, Ms. Farizhan compassionately and effectively covers coming out stories, cyberbullying, pressure to get into the right colleges, sports, and racism, without preaching, in a true page-turner. ~ Lisa Christie  Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay (2019) - I know little about Philippines politics or life there; but, this tale of a Filipino-American boy has me curious. Jason - Jay - is a senior in Michigan ready to finish high school and move on to college until news arrives that his beloved cousin Jun has died under mysterious and shady circumstances. And, no one will talk about it. Thus, Jay decides to use his spring break to travel to the Philippines and find out for himself what happened. Full of details about Filipino life and coming of age in America as a "hyphen", I can't recommend this book enough. ~ Lisa Christie  On The Come Up by Angie Thomas (2019) - Speaking of The Hate U Give, I think I enjoyed Ms. Thomas's second novel even more than her first. As the mother of two teenage boys who love rap and hip hop, I doubly appreciated Ms. Thomas's insights into these genres. In this novel, set in the same neighborhood as The Hate U Give, the heroine Brianne struggles against her family’s expectations for her life as she tries to make her way doing what she loves: rapping. She also must navigate racism at her school and the world at large as well as the larger expectations of Black girls in the music world and in life. As Indie Next List stated in its review, " it is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young Black people, freedom of speech isn’t always free." ~ Lisa Christie  Comments are closed.
|
Archives
March 2023
Search |
RSS Feed