STRONG AT THE HEART By Carolyn Lehman Forward by Laura Davis “This book is an absolute gift to the world.” – Jacqueline Woodson When child sexual abuse is covered in the news, the reality can be heartbreaking. STRONG AT THE…
Category: Family
Walking through Guatemala’s War with Caminar author Skila Brown
When I was a kid, I devoured books about World War II and the Civil War. These weren’t the only wars that meant anything to me, but they were the only wars written about by children’s authors. In my personal…
On Basketball, Race, and Life: An Interview with Kevin Waltman
Kevin Waltman’s YA novel Next (Cinco Puntos Press, 2013) is the first in a four-book series that chronicles the high school years of talented basketball player Derrick (D-Bow) Bowen. As a freshman, Derrick struggles for playing time with a hard-nosed…
Finding peace with Grandfather Gandhi
Grandfather Gandhi (Atheneum Books for Young Readers) by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus $17.99 Writer Bethany Hegedus teamed up with Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, Arun, to create this masterful biography of his beloved grandfather in a story of memories that guide…
The JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY
The JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE and LUCKY by Holly Schindler Auggie lives with her grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of town. Auggie is labeled by some as a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Auggie…
An Undocumented Immigrant Looking for Hope: The Secret Side of Empty
As happened at the turn of the previous century, the new century has seen a massive migration of people from one country to another. Escaping oppression and war, the effects of climate change, or the lack of economic opportunity, the…
WHEN HURRICANE KATRINA HIT HOME
WHEN HURRICANE KATRINA HIT HOME Gail Langer Karwoski, illustrations by Julia Marshall Good news update! WHEN HURRICANE KATRINA HIT HOME was selected as a Notable Book for Older Readers by the Sydney Taylor Awards, the Association of Jewish Libraries. What…
An American Writer and an Iranian Illustrator Honor a Child from Mauritania
Maine writer Kelly Cunnane’s picture books are love songs to the people of Kenya and Mauritania, both countries where she has lived and worked. FOR YOU ARE A KENYAN CHILD (illus. by Ana Juan) follows a village boy herding his…
CHILDREN OF THE TIPI
Children of the Tipi: Life in the Buffalo Days Edited by Michael Oren Fitzgerald Children of the Tipi is a treasure. The book shares both images and words that accomplish so well what Michael Fitzgerald describes in his Editor’s…
Review: Five, Six, Seven, Nate !
In a pitch perfect follow up to last year’s Better Nate Than Ever (my review here), Tim Federle continues 13-year-old aspiring-actor Nate Foster’s pursuit of his musical comedy dreams in Five, Six, Seven, Nate! (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, January…