Along the Tapajós

Vilela, Fernando. Along the Tapajós. Translated by Daniel Hahn. s.l.: Amazon Crossing, 2019.

I enjoyed this story about persons living along the Tapajós River system who must move when the rainy season arrives each winter. In this story, they forget their pet turtle, and the children sneak out one night to retrieve the turtle from the now flooded village. They encounter an anaconda. The illustrations were okay but not outstanding.

The Night of His Birth

Paterson, Katherine. The Night of His Birth. Illustrated by Lisa Aisato. Louisville, Kentucky: Flyaway Books, 2019.

Stunning illustrations and a wonderful account of the Nativity of Jesus through the eyes of his mother Mary. This lovely book would make a wonderful gift! It deserves a Caldecott nomination. I received this book through a GoodReads giveaway with the hopes, but not a requirement, of an honest review.

Wilhelm's Journey

Bar, Anke. Wilhelm's Journey: An Emigration Story. New York: NorthSouth Books, 2019.


Wilhelm grew up in farming family, but he wanted to become a woodcarver. He learns the trade from a man who teaches him to read. He finds literature describing America and wants to move there because land and opportunity to own a shop do not exist in Germany. He sketched aboard the ship. The book describes his voyage. At the book's end, we learn Wilhelm only remained in America long enough to earn money to return to Germany and own his own business. The illustrations are appropriate for young readers. The book presented an even-handed treatment of immigration to the United States. I received an advance electronic copy in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Rogers, Fred and Josie Carey. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers. Philadelphia: Quirk Books, 2019.

Fans of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood will love this collection of song lyrics from the show. Fred Rogers wrote many of them, although Josie Carey contributed lyrics for several. Fred Rogers earned a degree in music composition and lent his skills to the accompanying music, which is not included in this collection focusing on the lyrics. The art work by Luke Flowers seems to fit the lyrics although the illustrations reflect the twenty-first century rather than the era of the show. For example, one illustration shows a modern flat screen computer monitor in a doctor's office. As I read the book and looked at the accompanying illustrations, I often thought, "We need Mister Rogers' influence on today's children." I received an electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley with expectation of an honest review.

The Taco Stand

Vasquez, Tim S. The Taco Stand. Illustrated by  Linda Kay Ost. Gilbert, Arizona: Toodaloo Publishing Company, 2019.

Isabel enjoys preparing food for her family. She even makes extra tacos her children can sell to passers-by on the street. One day a man in a business suit visits the taco stand, making Isabel a business proposal. Will she take him up on the offer or choose to spend time with her family? I loved the message the book conveyed. Money cannot buy happiness. The illustrations were colorful, fitting the book. The book contains a glossary of Mexican food terms. I received an electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

Barking with the Big Dogs

Babbitt, Natalie. Barking with the Big Dogs: On Writing and Reading Books for Children. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2018.

This interesting collection of essays written by author Natalie Babbitt, best known for Tuck Everlasting, reflects her views on books, literature, and writing. One gains insight into the author and her work by understanding what her likes and dislikes are. She always writes for a fifth grader, yet her books are enjoyed by younger and older children as well as adults. She really doesn't enjoy classic literature that much, but she's married to a husband who does. She wasn't that great of a student, yet her books are read by schoolchildren all over. Readers will appreciate these essays. I received an electronic galley from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Day in the Life of a Raindrop

Dunn, Stephen D. A Day in the Life of a Raindrop. Illustrated by Dejah Moore. n.p.: n.p., 2018.

A cute book rhyming book showing a raindrop's contemplation as it goes through the day. Unfortunately some of the rhymes took incorrect forms of words in an attempt to make the rhyme fit. Illustrations were okay but not spectacular. I received an electronic copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Little White Fish and the Beautiful Sea

Genechten, Guido Van. Little White Fish and the Beautiful Sea. New York: Clavis, 2018.

Octopus asks Little White Fish what is the most beautiful thing in the sea. Before Little White Fish answers, the other marine animals answer. Little White Fish's answer, of course, steals the show! The illustrations are beautifully drawn. It's certain to please young readers. I received an electronic copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read

Katz, Andrew and Juliana Léveillé-Trudel. How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read. Illustrated by Joseph Sherman. Montreal, Quebec: CrackBoom! Books, 2018.

Julia lives next to the forest and befriended many of the animals, but there is one animal she really wants to meet--a bear. She tries to attract them, but efforts fail. One day while she is reading a book about a bear and surrounded by her forest friends, her mom calls her to lunch. When she returns, she finds her book gone with a trail of blueberry-covered footprints leaving the area. What will Julia find? This is a cute book which encourages reading. The illustrations, while not Caldecott-worthy, are colorful enough to keep non-reading children interested as an adult reads aloud. I spotted this in the "Read Now" section at NetGalley and downloaded it in exchange for an honest review.

Silent Night by Lara Hawthorne

Hawthorne, Lara. Silent Night. London: Lincoln's Children Books, 2018.

I loved the illustrations in this picture book illustrated the beloved Christmas carol. While Mary and Joseph look more African than Jewish, the illustrations are charming, reflecting the peace of Christmas.  I would eventually like to purchase my own copy, but for now I'll keep this one until it expires so I may enjoy it for this Christmas season. This was a "read now" title at NetGalley. I downloaded it with the expectation of writing an honest review. I would eventually like to purchase my own copy, but for now I'll keep this one until it expires so I may enjoy it for this Christmas season.

Dr. Jo

Kulling, Monica. Dr. Jo: How Sara Josephine Baker Saved the Lives of America's Children. Illustrated by Julianna Swaney. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2018.

Monica Kulling introduces young readers to Dr. Sara Josephine Baker who worked among immigrant children in Hell's Kitchen. She recognized problems and created solutions to these. Dr. Jo's accomplishments make her a woman worth knowing. She saved the lives of many children, both through her medical efforts and through her efforts to educate midwives, babysitters, and parents. The illustrations are cleanly drawn but more reminiscent of books of an earlier era. Perhaps since we are dealing with a historical figure, it is not a major flaw.  The author includes a brief biography of books and websites at the end. I would like to read the doctor's autobiography, written in 1939, to learn more of this remarkable woman. I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program with the expectation of an honest review.

Goodnight, Anne

George, Kallie. Goodnight, Anne. Illustrated by Geneviève Godbout. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2018.

This picture book captures the whimsical nature of the original book and of the character Anne Shirley as she says good night to all the people and places we love in Anne of Green Gables. Both the text and illustrations were excellent. I'm not sure young readers unfamiliar with the main story will understand all the references, but lovers of the series will love this one. I received an advance reading copy through NetGalley with an unbiased review expected.

How Does My Fruit Grow?

Muller, Gerda. How Does My Fruit Grow? Edinburgh: Floris Books, 2018.

This picture book features more text than many do but would be a good book for early readers, although some vocabulary terms may be a little advanced. The illustrations are nicely done. An interactive activity in the front and back of the book encourages readers to match the numbered fruit to its numbered flower. This book would work well with a unit on edible plants. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

A Boy and a House

Kastelic, Maja. A Boy and a House. Toronto: Annick Press, 2018.

This wordless picture book by Slovenian author Maja Kastelic features a boy following a cat into and then through an old house. Along the way, he finds drawings scattered about rooms. The rooms are filled with "vintage" items. He finds a surprise awaiting in the attic. Although the book contains no words, it will certainly produce a lot of discussion for children who will be curious about what is contained in the picture. I believe the pictures were created with watercolors, but they are fairly "drab", probably in an effort to invoke the "old house feel." Just the thought of an unsupervised boy of this age will make many parents and other adults cringe, but others will view it as a product of another culture or as historic. I downloaded this "Read Now" title from NetGalley with the expectation I would write an honest review.

Nile Crossing

Beebe, Katy. Nile Crossing. Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2017.

A boy in Ancient Egypt travels with his father on the Nile to attend his first day of school. This interesting book which mentions several of the gods of Ancient Egypt is an interesting addition to a growing collection of children's books published by Eerdmans. The research notes at the end of the book provide further information to help readers (and teachers) with this book rooted in ancient history. The accompanying illustrations are well-done. The glossary will be a helpful addition for younger readers not familiar with many of the terms. I received an advance e-galley of the book for review purposes through NetGalley.

Plume

Simler, Isabelle. Plume. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2017.

I love this book! A cute cat is exploring his feathery friends. The artist does a wonderful job capturing just a portion of the cat in each photo while teaching about birds and feathers. It's whimsical and a great book. I received an advance review e-galley for review purposes through NetGalley, but I loved it so much I pre-ordered a copy of the hardback.

Lion, King, and Coin

Nam, Jeong-hee. Lion, King, and Coin. Illustrated by Lucia Sforza. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2017.

This is an informative children's book about how we came to have money. It discusses bartering, exchanging goods, and the difficulty of finding someone who actually wanted what you had to trade before currency. It talks about some of the precursors to coinage. The illustrations seem to fit the period of history being discussed.

Psalms and Prayers for Little Ones

Nolan, Allia Zobel. Psalms and Prayers for Little Ones. Illustrated by Tammie Lyon. Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House, 2014.

This little volume takes several of the Psalms and paraphrases them so younger children can more easily understand them. It then pairs them with a short prayer based on each Psalm. The illustrations are good but not the quality that would be found in a Caldecott medal or honor book. The paraphrases sometimes stray a bit too far from some of the mainstream versions for my own tastes. If that does not bother you as much, this might be a book for your child or grandchild. There are certainly some Scripture truths to be learned here. This review is based on an advance review e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review. I did find the "Review Copy" in black letters on each pair of pages to be of overkill. Perhaps the publisher needs to learn the art of watermarking the images so they are still readable but easily identified as review copies.

Thoughts on Newbery Book Rankings

Allen County Public Library created a ranking of Newbery Medal Books based on how much enjoyment their biased group of readers had from reading them. The top book was Lois Lowry's The Giver. I don't think that would have been my first choice, but I'm sure it wasn't the top choice of each of their biased readers. Russell Freedman's Lincoln: A Photobiography was number three. This book was all the rage about the time I was studying in library school. It's nice to see that it has lived up to all its hype at the time. Lois Lowry's Number the Stars came in at number four. I really enjoy Holocaust fiction, so I'm glad to see this one with such a high ranking on the list. Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time from 1963 came in at number six. This one has certainly stood the test of time. Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia came in at number seven. This one was a favorite of a professor of mine in library school although we were well aware of the controversy surrounding the book which often made it a "banned book." Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry came in at number eight. It deals with African-Americans in Mississippi during the 1930s. It was a difficult book for me to read when I read it about 20 years ago. I think my biggest problem with it then (which is still a big problem for me today) is that it seems that Mississippi is ALWAYS portrayed as prejudiced against blacks. Almost all the books and even scholarly research seem to be centered on the Civil Rights era. I'd love to see some other depictions about the state in which I grew up. I am not denying that this existed, but it seems that literature ignores everything else about the state of Mississippi and gives people a lasting bad impression of the state. I was a bit surprised that Patricia MacLachlan's Sarah, Plain and Tall did not rank higher than twelve. Of course, I've always enjoyed a good frontier story. This one is set a little later than that, but it still evokes a simpler time and place. Linda Sue Park's A Single Shard is in my to be read pile. I hope I can get to it soon. It came in at number fourteen and deals with a 12th century Korean potter. I wish Joan Blos' A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal 1830-32 had ranked a bit higher than thirty-four on the list, but some of the biased reviewers probably don't like history and genealogy as much as I do. I was surprised that Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond only came in at number forty-six. It's such a classic. Another one that I'm surprised ranked as low as it did is Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins. It came in at fifty-nine. I have to agree with their assessment of Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Brink (#61). It is a bit dated for today's audiences. I remember enjoying, but not being blown away by Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey (#68). As someone who used to collect dolls, I had to read Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field. It's #72 ranking doesn't surprise me. In fact, I'm surprised it's not a bit lower. Apparently the group considered it a miracle that they made it through Virginia Eggertsen Sorensen's Miracles on Maple Hill (#74). I honestly don't remember it being that bad. I have to be honest about Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women by Cornelia Meigs (#80). The librarian at our public library thrust this book at me when I was in about the second or third grade. I didn't like it then. I never tried to read it again although I loved Alcott's books. Maybe I should re-read it and see if I agree with the group's assessment of it. The lowest of the 89 books that I've actually read was #85, Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright. I don't remember that much about it, so it left no lasting impression.

It's certainly an interesting list. It's really no surprise that my personal favorites are probably those which are more in the category of historical fiction or set in times in the past.

Scholastic Warehouse Sale

Scholastic, publisher of children's and young adult books, has a warehouse over by the Knoxville airport. They are having a warehouse sale that runs for a few more days. As a librarian, I was able to pre-register so that I could get a quick pass and get right to shopping and so that it would be easy to check out. I also got a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase. Let's just say that with prices as low as they are at the warehouse sale that it's a lot harder to hit $50 than you might think. Most books are 50% off the cover price. There are a handful that are only 30% off. There are some books that are up to 80% off.

I'm a firm believer that children's books are for all ages. I took advantage of the sale to purchase several books of interest. A few of those were purchased because of my genealogy and history passion. I thought I'd share a few of those titles with you all.

Rinaldi, Ann. A Break with Charity: A Story About the Salem Witch Trials. New York: Scholastic, 2005. [orig. pub. 1992] - It's a story about Susanna who is involved in a meeting of girls at the home of Ann Putnam who, according to the cover (and as we know to be true from the history of the trials) "is about to set off a torrent of false accusations leading to the imprisonment and execution of countless innocent people." I spotted my 8th great grand-aunt's name in the book, so you know I had to purchase it!

Bunting, Eve. One Candle. Illustrated by K. Wendy Popp. New York: Joanna Kotler Books, 2002. - While I'm not Jewish, this looked like a wonderful story about how Hannukah was celebrated by one family while living in a concentration camp.

Cooney, Caroline B. Burning Up. New York: Laurel Leaf Books, 2001. [orig. pub. 1999] - Here's the line from the back cover that sold me on the book: "But when Macey decides to research the history of a burned-out barn across the street from her grandparents' home for a school report, she gets a shock." That sounded pretty close to land and property research that we genealogists love!

Greene, Rhonda Gowler. The Very First Thanksgiving Day. Paintings by Susan Gaber. New York: Scholastic, 2003. [orig. pub. 2002] - Who can resist a picture book about the Pilgrims, the Mayflower, and the Indians?

Duble, Kathleen Benner. The Sacrifice. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2007. [orig. pub. 2005] - This is another 1692 Salem book. The setting is the nearby town of Andover where accusers are coming to "identify witches." The back cover indicates that the author does a good job explaining the hysteria that is sweeping through that part of Massachusetts. It appears to be written for a younger audience than Rinaldi's book.

So - starting and ending with Salem - I've given you a glimpse of a few of the day's purchases.