Tag Archives: Friends

40 Things I Want To Tell You

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Amy (a.k.a. Bird) writes an online advice column full of top tips for teens.  She has trouble taking her own advice.  She seems to have the perfect boyfriend, best friend, parents, and future at Oxford University.  But after one mistake, everything falls apart and her life changes forever. The book is beautifully written and hard to put down. mjw

Title: 40 Things I Want To Tell You Author: Alice Kuipers Publisher: Harper Trophy, Canada Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-44340-588-1 Paperback pages: 304 Age range: 14 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: London, England Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Saskatoon Awards: Saskatchewan Book Award for Young Adult Literature  Subjects: Blogs, Teenagers, Teen pregnancy

Get On Your Bike

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William and Bobby are having an argument and William shouts, “Go on!  Just get on your bike and leave!”  So Bobby, a panda, gets on his bike and leaves.  He rides all through the busy town and country paying close attention to all the stop lights.  As he rides he cools down and sees how needless the argument was.  The prominent multimedia artwork really makes the book. Each double page spread is loaded with things to look at and Bobby, in his red and white hoodie, is not always easy to find. mjw

Title: Get On Your Bike Author: Joukje Akveld Illustrator: Philip Hopman Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.  Grand Rapids, MI Copyright: 2018 Original Language: Dutch Translator: Laura Watkinson Original Title: Ga Toch Fietsen! Original Publisher: Em. Querido’s Kinderboeken Uitgervij Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978- 0-8028-5489-6 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Netherlands Author’s ethnicity: Dutch Author’s residence: Netherlands Illustrator’s ethnicity: Dutch Illustrator’s residence: Netherlands Subjects: Bicycles, Conflict resolution, Emotions, Feelings, Pandas

Island Born

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Lola goes to a school where all the students are from faraway places.  Lola is from the Dominican Republic.  Her teacher wants the class to draw pictures of where their families immigrated from, but Lola can’t remember.  She was just a baby when she came here.  With the help of family and friends and their memories, she draws a lively picture of La Isla.  She also discovers a lot about her culture and heritage.  The digitally created illustrations are vibrant and bold. There is a Spanish edition called Lola. mjw

Title: Island Born Author: Junot Diaz Illustrator: Leo Espinosa Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, NY Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Spanish Title: Lola ISBN: 978-0735-2298-60 Hardcover pages: 48  Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Born in the Dominican Republic Author’s residence: U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: Bogota, Colombia Illustrator’s residence: U.S. Awards: Author has won a Pulitzer Prize Subjects: Central and South America, Hispanic and Latino, Multigenerational, School

The Truth Commission

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Normandy Pale is a high school junior at the Green Pastures Academy of Art and Applied Design.  This is the year she is supposed to come into her own and come out from under the shadow of her brilliant older sister Keira, who as a teen became a best-selling graphic novelist.  Normandy turns to her writing, her needlework, and the “truth commission.”  Her friends have started the project because they believe the theory that the truth can heal.  So they begin asking people truths about things that other people already suspect. Things go well until it leads straight back to Keira and her dysfunctional family.  The book is Normandy’s “narrative nonfiction” project at school, complete with footnotes, drawings, and notes to her creative writing teacher.  The characters are real and the language is witty. mjw

Title: The Truth Commission Author: Susan Juby Illustrator: Trevor Cooper Publisher: Penguin Teen, Canada Books, Inc. Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Razorbill.  Toronto, Canada Original Copyright: 2105 ISBN: 978-0-14-318916-9 Paperback pages: 320 Age range: 14 up Genre: Narrative Nonfiction Book setting: Vancouver Island Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada Awards: Sheila A. Egoff Award for Children’s Literature, Amy Mothers Teen Book Award Subjects: Art students, High school, Humor, Siblings, Values and virtues, Writing

The Red Ribbon

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Fourteen-year-old Ella is a seamstress in the Upper Tailoring Studio at Auschwitz-Birkenau, a sewing workshop inside the Nazi Concentration camp.  Her job is to make couture dresses for the wives of the camp’s Nazi overseers and the female SS officers.  Ella meets Rose and the two do their best to survive.  Ella dreams of opening a fancy dress shop after the war. The wonderful and surprising writing offers a different view of the Holocaust. mjw

Title: The Red Ribbon Author: Lucy Adlington Publisher: Candlewick Press Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0104-8 Hardcover pages: 288 Age range: 12 up Genre: Historical Fiction Book setting: Auschwitz Birkenau, Poland Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: England Subjects: Fashion Holocaust, Sewing, Survival

Ruby In The Ruins

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Ruby’s dad is a soldier during the London blitz.  Ruby and her mum cling to each other while they wait for dad to come home.  When he finally returns, Ruby doesn’t recognize him. She would rather play outside in the wreckage of the bombings.  But when Ruby hurts her knee, dad cleans and bandages the wound.  He makes her feel all right and suggests that maybe she should play in the park instead of in the ruins.  Ink, gouache, and watercolor illustrations perfectly complement the text. Endpapers with authentic wartime advertisements add a nice touch.  mjw

Title: Ruby In The Ruins Author: Shirley Hughes Illustrator: Shirley Hughes Publisher: Candlewick Press Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-7636-92377 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book, Historical Fiction Book setting: London, England Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: West London Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: West London Awards: Author/illustrator has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice Subjects: England, London, Military, Veterans, World War II

Whisper Of The East: Tales From Arabia

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This magical collection of six folk stories from the fascinating world of the East contains The Secret of the Black Dress from Arabia, Jamil and Jamila from Syria, The Fisherman and the Djinn adapted from A Thousand and One Nights, The Little Camel from Palestine, The Old Pair of Shoes from Arabia, and The Fisherman and the Mermaid from Arabia.  The illustrations in red and teal are reminiscent of screen-printing.  This interactive book concludes with a glossary, a map of the Middle East, suggestions for making your own fairytales, the Arabic script, and drawing and painting ideas.  The final endpapers represent a fairytale alphabet in English and Arabic. mjw

Title: Whisper Of The East: Tales From Arabia Author: Franziska Meiners Illustrator: Franziska Meiners Publisher: North South Books, Inc. New York Copyright: 2018 Original Language: German Translator: David Henry Wilson Original Title: Das Flustern des Orients Original Publisher: NordSud Verlag AG. Zurich, Switzerland Original Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 978-0-7358-4323-3 Hardcover pages: 112 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Fiction, Short Stories, Folktales Book setting: Arabia, Syria, Palestine Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Cologne Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Cologne Subjects: Fairytales and folklore, Middle East, Storytelling

How To Be A Lion

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Leonard, a gentle lion, and Marianne, a poetic duck, are best friends.  They are perfectly happy going for long walks and having philosophical talks.  One day, a pride of fierce lions comes prowling around and they question whether it’s right for a lion and a duck to be friends.  Leonard learns that there are many ways to be a lion and that it is not necessary to be fierce and chomp your friends!  This sweet and thoughtful story stresses the importance of being yourself and not backing down to criticism.  Simple, soothing drawings emphasize this exceptional friendship. mjw

Title: How To Be A Lion Author: Ed Vere Illustrator: Ed Vere Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-525-57806-2 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: London Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: London Subjects: Bullies, Ducks, Lions, Poetry

My Name Is Victoria

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This is an engaging alternate history for fans of Queen Victoria (1819-1901).  Miss V. Conroy joins the household of the Duchess of Kent and Princess Victoria at Kensington Palace at age ten.  Miss V. is to be Victoria’s companion and also a spy for the both loving and cruel John Conroy, the comptroller of the household. Princess Victoria lives in the palace under the Kensington System, which is designed to keep her isolated and obedient, under the strict control of all the adults around her.  The second half of the story follows the two girls between the ages of about 16 and 18.  As their friendship deepens and Prince Albert arrives on the scene, the very complex situation leads to a surprising ending.  The story is accurate enough to feel plausible. mjw

Title: My Name Is Victoria Author: Lucy Worsley Publisher: Candlewick Press Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, U.K. Original Copyright: 2017 ISBN: 978-0-7636-8807-3 Hardcover pages: 384 Age range: 14 up Genre: Historical Fiction, Biography Book setting: England Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: London Subjects: Female friendships, Princesses, Queen Victoria (1819-1901) childhood and youth, Siblings

Inkling

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Ethan’s dad is a comic artist with writer’s block and Ethan has a graphic novel project at school that is giving him trouble.  When an ink blot from his dad’s sketchbook comes to life, it makes quite an impact on Ethan’s family and friends.  This is a funny and interesting story.  How can an ink blot be such a lovable character? mjw

Title: Inkling Author: Kenneth Oppel Illustrator: Sydney Smith Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-5247-7282-6 Hardcover pages: 256 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Toronto Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Toronto Awards: Both author and illustrator have won the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature. The illustrator has won the Kate Greenaway Award. Smith has won the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award Subjects: Books, Creativity, Drawing, Humor

Three Little Monkeys

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Tim, Sam, and Lulu are naughty, lively little monkeys that belong to Hilda Snibbs.  Each day when she returns home from doing her errands, she finds that the monkeys have made a bigger mess than they did the day before.  This delightful story is illustrated with detailed, mixed media and collage. mjw

Title: Three Little Monkeys Author: Quentin Blake Illustrator: Emma Chichester Clark Publisher: Harper Collins Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-06-267067-0 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: England Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: England Awards: Blake has won the Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award, 2002 Subjects: Animal behavior, Manners, Monkeys, Pets

When A Wolf Is Hungry

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Edmond Bigsnout is a lone wolf living in the woods who has a hankering for some rabbit – a city bunny. Wearing a tuxedo and carrying a knife, he hops on his bike and heads for the city. He stops at a tall apartment building where a miniature rabbit lives on the fifth floor. The residents in the elevator mistake him for a friendly new neighbor. He has to return to the woods several times to get new weapons because the residents find innocent uses for them. He finally gets to the roof of the building and is invited to the party all the animal residents are having. The rabbit says, “Please join us! We won’t eat you!” Vegetarianism wins out and the ending is happy for everyone. Clever illustrations add to this big bad wolf with a twist. mjw

Title: When A Wolf Is Hungry Author: Christine Naumann-Villemin Illustrator: Kris Di Giacomo Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.  Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2017 Original Language: French Original Title: Quand le Loup a Faim Original Publisher: Editions Kaleidoscope Original Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5482-7 Hardcover pages: 34 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: U.S. Illustrator’s residence: Paris Awards: 2018 Batchelder Honor Subjects: Apartment houses, City life, Humor, Neighborliness, Rabbits, Wolves