Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Fastest Boy in the World

Eleven-year-old Solomon loves to run and dreams of seeing his heroes, the 2012 London Olympics gold-medal-winning Ethiopian running team. He cannot believe it when his grandfather announces that he is going to take Solomon to Addis Ababa on the day of the team’s victory parade. On their visit, Solomon learns that his grandfather was a famous runner and also that he was a war hero who risked his life to save a friend. When his grandfather collapses, Solomon has to run the twenty miles from the city to his village for help. This easy-to-read, short novel, with black-and-white ink drawings, introduces young readers to a setting that is very different from the Western world. mjw

Title: The Fastest Boy in the World
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Illustrator: Peter Bailey
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books, London
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4472-6717-1
Paperback pages: 163
Age range: 7 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Addis Ababa and Kidame, Ethiopia
Author’s ethnicity: British (born in New Zealand)
Author’s residence: U.K.
Illustrator’s ethnicity: British (born in India)
Illustrator’s residence: U.K.
Awards: 2015 Carnegie Medal nominee. Author has been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal five times
Subjects: Addis Ababa, Athletes, Ethiopia, Grandfathers, Olympics (London 2012), Running, Sports, Success

My Dog Thinks I’m A Genius

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An eight-year-old budding artist finds out he is not the only one in the family with talent. When the boy thinks he is finished painting his daily masterpiece, he asks his dog if his work is done. His dog, Louie, barks suggesting his master include him in the picture to perfectly complete the painting. Unfortunately, the boy must leave to go to school as his pouting pooch watches from the window. Louie spends the day in the art studio creating a rendition of Cezanne’s “Still Life with Fruit Basket,” proving he and his master are both creative geniuses. Barroux’s warm and charming illustrations bring life to the loving relationship between a dog and his master. cc

Title: My Dog Thinks I’m A Genius
Author: Harriet Ziefert
Illustrator: Barroux
Publisher: Blue Apple Books, New Jersey
Copyright: 2011
Original language: English
ISBN: 978-1-60905-059-7
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s residence: United States
Illustrator’s ethnicity: French
Illustrator’s residence: France
Subjects: Animals, Art, Creativity, Dogs, Painting, Pets

Malala Yousafzai: Warrior With Words

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When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, fifteen-year-old Malala spoke out. She began writing and speaking to everyone who would listen about her right to an education. She wanted to prove that peaceful words have power over violence. The Taliban responded by shooting her in the head as she sat in her school bus. She recovered with no injury to her brain. In 2012, she spoke at the United Nations on her sixteenth birthday and took her message – “Every child. Every country. Free school” – around the world. The author highlights Malala’s bright personality, her favorite color pink, and her love of books. Detailed cut-paper and photograph collage illustrations provide texture and color. Back matter includes important facts about Pakistan, a map, Internet resources on Pakistan, and information about the Malala Fund, the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up program, and other organizations where we can all work together to make girls’ education a true priority. This is an inspiring book for kids, but older readers will want to read Malala’s own story in I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, Little Brown and Company, 2013. On November 10, 2014, Malala was awarded the Nobel Prize. mjw

Title: Malala Yousafzai: Warrior With Words
Author: Karen Leggett Abouraya
Illustrator: L.C. Wheatley
Publisher: Star Walk Kids Media, New York
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-63083-316-9
Paperback pages: 36
Age range: 8-11
Genre: Nonfiction picture book
Book setting: Pakistan
Author’s ethnicity: American
Author’s residence: U.S.
Subjects: Biography, Education, Girls, History, Muslim teenagers, Pakistan, Taliban

Elsa and the Night

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Elsa, a badger, finds something neither animal nor a ghost underneath her sofa. It is the Night. She shuts the trembling thing in an old cake tin with some raisins and puts it in the basement. Without Night, Elsa’s town never gets dark. The asphalt roads melt and the people are dizzy and quarrelsome for lack of sleep. Elsa gives in and lets Night out. Night comforts her as she tells of her traveling the globe, her career as a lighthouse keeper, and her beloved elephant companion Olaf. Night passes back through the town and tucks everyone into bed. Blocky silkscreen illustrations in plum, sienna, umber, and olive accompany this strange melancholy story. mjw

Title: Elsa and the Night
Author: Jons Mellgren
Illustrator: Jons Mellgren
Publisher: Little Gestalten, an imprint of Die Gestalten Verlag GmbH and Co KG, Berlin
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: Swedish
Translator: Anita Shenoi
Original Title: Sigrid och Natten
Original Publisher: Natur & Kultur, Stockholm
Original Copyright: 2013
ISBN: 978-3-89955-716-9
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 3-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Swedish
Author’s residence: Sweden
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swedish
Illustrator’s residence: Sweden
Subjects: Animals, Badgers, Bedtime, Night

Little Ballerina: A Children’s Book Inspired by Degas

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The Rehearsal of the Ballet Onstage by Edgar Degas is brought to life in this large-format picture book that will appeal to young dancers. Laura, a budding ballet student, is late to a dress rehearsal at the opera house and is transported in a dream to 19^th century Paris, where she dances with the ballerinas in Degas’ painting. The story concludes with Degas’ painting and illuminating notes about the artist, his works, and where to see his pictures in Paris, New York, and around the world. Brightly colored pastel paintings are reminiscent of Degas’ masterpiece. mjw

Title: Little Ballerina: A Children’s Book Inspired by Degas
Author: Helene Kerillis
Illustrator: Lucie Albon
Publisher: Prestel Publishing
Copyright: 2011
Original Language: French
Translator: Cynthia Hall, Stephanskirchen
Original Title: Mysteres en Coulisse
Original Publisher: L’Elan Vert, Paris
Original Copyright: 2009
ISBN: 978-3-7913-7081-1
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 7-10
Genre: Picture book
Book setting: Paris, France
Author’s ethnicity: French
Author’s residence: France
Illustrator’s ethnicity: French
Illustrator’s residence: France
Subjects: Ballerinas, Ballet, Paris, Edgar Degas, France, Impressionism

Archie’s Vacation

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Archie has been hard at work and could use a carefree vacation. Instead of dreaming of the upcoming good times, Archie frantically packs the proper accessories for any imaginable situation including poor weather conditions or eating too much. When Archie tries to force his extremely over-packed suitcase closed, it explodes dramatically as illustrated in a four-page foldout. The dapper, clever canine thinks of a comical solution and finally heads off to paradise. The warm mixed media art and sparing text of Archie’s simple musings such as “canoe? snorkels? cooler?” create a humorous sense of urgency. cc

Title: Archie’s Vacation
Author: Domenica More Gordon
Illustrator: Domenica More Gordon
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books, New York
Copyright: 2014
Original language: English
Original title: Archie’s Holiday
Original publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc., Great Britain
Original copyright: 2013
ISBN: 978-1-61963-190-8
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 2-5
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Scottish
Author’s residence: Scotland
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Scottish
Illustrator’s residence: Scotland
Subjects: Animals, Dogs, Luggage, Packing, Preparation, Stories without words, Travel, Vacation

Father’s Chinese Opera

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A young boy yearns to be part of his father’s Chinese opera. Day and night, he rehearses acrobatics with the show’s famous choreographer, Gai Chui. When the boy thinks he is ready to perform with the others, Gai Chui has a different opinion. Heartbroken, the boy sulks home to speak with his father. He learns how his father started, having to learn to play all the instruments, so he could lead the opera troupe. Inspired by his father’s story, the boy perseveres in hopes of working his way up to achieving his dream of becoming an acrobat. Drawing from the author/illustrator’s personal life, the story features brilliant, colorful illustrations that add to the heartfelt tone. cc

Title: Father’s Chinese Opera
Author: Rich Lo
Illustrator: Rich Lo
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Copyright: 2014
Original language: English
ISBN: 978-1628736106
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 3-6
Genre: Picture book
Book setting: Hong Kong, China
Author’s ethnicity: Chinese
Author’s residence: United States
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chinese
Illustrator’s residence: United States
Subjects: Acrobats, Arts, China, Families, Fathers and sons, Opera, Perseverance

Marina

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In May 1980, fifteen-year-old boarding school student Oscar Drai vanishes for a week after he meets the beautiful, ethereal Marina and her aged, portrait painter father, German Blau. Oscar and Marina walk to a hidden cemetery in the old Barcelona quarter where they witness a strange ritual. A woman, shrouded in black, places a rose on a grave marked with a black butterfly emblem. The complicated plot evolves as they try to solve this mystery. They unravel thirty years of macabre adventure and tragedy, involving post-WWII high society, a young diva, inventors, and tycoons in Barcelona’s underworld. An enjoyable part of the twisted gothic horror tale is the rich and flowing language describing Barcelona, but because of the disturbing paranormal elements, it is not the sort of book to read before bedtime. mjw

Title: Marina
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: Spanish
Translator: Lucia Graves
Original Title: Marina
Original Publisher: Edebe, Barcelona
Original Copyright: 1999
ISBN: 978-0-316-04471-4
Hardcover pages: 326
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Book setting: Barcelona, Spain
Author’s ethnicity: Spanish
Author’s residence: Spain and U.S.
Awards: Author has won Spain’s Edebe Literary Prize for Young Adult Fiction
Subjects: Barcelona, History, Mystery, Paranormal, Spain, Supernatural

Jasmine Skies

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Fourteen-year-old, mixed-race, Mira Levinson, who lives in London, travels to Kolkata to visit her cousin Priya, after the death of her Granddad Bimal. She is overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and people she encounters. The sweltering heat, crowded streets, hard-hitting and heart-breaking poverty, and mouth-watering descriptions of food are really brought to life. Mira is compassionate, funny, and inquisitive. She is quiet, loves to paint, and is comfortable in a sari. Priya is an underground DJ and a gifted classical dancer, who is full of spunk and ambition. She dyes her hair red and wears skinny jeans and t-shirts instead of traditional Indian dress. The two are opposites, but they quickly become best friends. Added to this perception-changing story are the mystery of why Mira’s mother and Aunt Anjali had a falling out years ago and a love affair with the sweet boy, Janu. Many issues remain unresolved in this thought-provoking book. It is a sequel to Artichoke Hearts (a.k.a. Mira in the Present Tense). Watch for Brahmachari’s next book. mjw

Title: Jasmine Skies
Author: Sita Brahmachari
Publisher: Albert Whitman and Company, Chicago
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books, UK
Original Copyright: 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8075-3782-4
Paperback pages: 332
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Kolkata, India
Author’s ethnicity: Indian
Author’s residence: UK
Awards: Longlisted for the 2013 Carnegie Medal
Subjects: Culture, Dance, India, Kolkata

The Apple Tart Of Hope

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Oscar Dunleavy, apple tart baker, is missing and presumed dead after taking his own life. Nobody seems suspicious of his disappearance except for Meg, his best friend, and Stevie, his little brother. Through interwoven narratives, we find out what truly happened to Oscar and what changed so drastically in his life that drove him to attempt suicide. Meg had moved from Ireland to New Zealand for six months, losing touch with Oscar. Oscar’s new neighbor, Paloma Killealy, moved into Meg’s house while she was away. A manipulative and pathological schemer, Paloma makes Oscar’s life miserable as she fakes a friendship with him all to allow her notion of “The Ratio,” to come to fruition. Meg and Stevie team up to determine what really happened to Oscar and learn about the power of never giving up hope. This sensational novel centers on the destruction of bullying and the power of true friendship. cc

Title: The Apple Tart Of Hope
Author: Sarah Moore Fitzgerald
Publisher: Orion Children’s Books, a division of Orion Publishing Group Ltd., London
Copyright: 2014
Original language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4440-0692-6
Hardcover pages: 199
Age range: 13 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Ireland/New Zealand
Author’s ethnicity: Irish
Author’s residence: Ireland
Subjects: Bullying, Deception, Disabilities, Families, Friends, Food, High school, Hope, Love

In This Book

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I am in the poppy, said the bee. I am in the hair, said the barrette. Each page contains a simple, straightforward linocut with subjects of people, animals, food, places, and other everyday objects, each of which (or whom) declares its location. Although a coherent, flowing story is not present, this whimsical book offers a springboard for wondering, learning, dreaming, and storytelling. cc

Title: In This Book
Author: Fani Marceau
Illustrator: Joelle Jolivet
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC.
Copyright: 2014
Original language: French
Translator: Chronicle Books
Original title: Dans le livre
Original publisher: helium, Paris
Original copyright: 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2588-6
Hardcover pages: 64
Age range: 3-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: French
Author’s residence: France
Illustrator’s ethnicity: French
Illustrator’s residence: France
Subjects: Animals, Families, Food, Sports

Speed of Light

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Teenager Jeff loves the power of numbers and the world of mathematics. His brother is in a Thai prison for drug smuggling. His sister has secrets. His obnoxious and domineering father gets involved in a phony property deal and loses just about everything. And his mother is in denial. After a severe storm, Jeff finds a mystical woman under a fallen gum tree on their lavish estate. Most people think she is afflicted with dementia and lost. She keeps appearing to Jeff – at the library, at the bus shelter, and more places. She tells Jeff that she is a Dreamkeeper, a sort of guardian. She offers disturbing insight into his life and challenges his thinking. To Jeff, numerology and mathematics are the only truths he knows. Numbers are pure and constant. He calls it integer integrity. Jeff is the glue that holds the family together in this drama that will appeal to boys. Each chapter begins with some captivating mathematical fact. An author’s note explains sources of mystical traditions and science facts. mjw

Title: Speed of Light
Author: Joy Cowley
Publisher: Gecko Press Ltd., Wellington, New Zealand
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-877579-93-6
Paperback pages: 205
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Wellington, New Zealand
Author’s ethnicity: New Zealander
Author’s residence: New Zealand
Subjects: Families, Fraud, Mathematics, Mystery, Supernatural, Weather