One Death Nine Stories

ONE DEATH NINE STORIES edited by Marc Aronson and Charles R. Smith. Candlewick, 2014.

It all begins with
Kev's death, not unexpected,
But it's far-reaching.

Counting by 7s

COUNTING BY 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Dial, 2013.


Willow Chance is an extraordinarily gifted 12 year old. Her mind is constantly seeking more and more information, especially about her passions, one of which is gardening. Her parents (who adopted her when she was a baby) encourage Willow to be herself. But when Willow wants to wear her gardening clothes on the first day of middle school, they are a little hesitant. Willow IS different from the other students, at least most of them. When she achieves a perfect score on a reading test, her teacher accuses her of cheating and Willow is sent to see a counselor. And this is where the already rather eccentric tale takes an incredible turn. While Willow is seeing her counselor, her parents are killed in a car accident. What will happen to Willow now? How can she possibly cope with this situation? A counselor, a family who runs a nail salon, an apartment complex that has seen better days: all of these seemingly disjointed things and people combine to create a story of hope, family, coping, and so much more.

Anna, inside and out

ANNA HIBISCUS by Atinuke with illustrations by Lauren Tobia. Kane Miller, 2010.

Anna LIVES IN Africa with a wide assortment of family: aunts, cousins, parents, grandparents. In this collection of 4 separate yet related stories, Anna learns about the importance of family, about customs, about economics, and much more. What is lovely about this collection (and the other books about Anna Hibiscus) is that, while race is present, it is not what drives the story. Anna is mixed race but that is not what drives the story. What drives the story is strictly a human connection, the one readers will feel as they step into Anna's family and home and follow her in her day-to-day adventures.

I am in love with Anna

SPLASH, ANNA HIBISCUS! by Atinuke with illustrations by Lauren Tobia. Kane Miller, 2013.

Anna wants someone to come and splash in the waves with her. Her parents and even her grandparents are too busy. Friends are more interested in playing games or texting on their phones. Finally, Anna simply jumps in the ocean herself. Her squeals of delight draw the attention of others. Soon, she has plenty of company. Thanks to my good friend, Ed Spicer, for introducing me to the world of Anna Hibiscus. Thanks, also, to Kane Miller for sending me a package of Anna Hibiscus books.

Mira In the Present Tense

MIRA IN THE PRESENT TENSE by Sita Brahmachari. Whitman, September 2013.

For the most part, Mira can tolerate her noisy and chaotic family life. Especially when it comes to being with Nana Josie, her artistic grandmother. Like Josie, Mira has a talent for art. She is about to discover she also has a talent for writing. Her school has offered a before class visiting author program and Mira is one of the 4 students who signed up for the class. writing helps Mira find her voice both literally and figuratively. This is especially crucial as Mira's beloved Nana Josie enters a hospice to deal with the final time she has before cancer claims her. Brahmachari has penned an emotionally realistic book, never sinking into the maudlin or self-indulgent or even too self-reflective. Mira is a 12 year old with tween thoughts and feelings. As she deals with loss, she is also gaining a new friend, a boy friend, and confidence in her own abilities.

Riff-ing about life between cultures

OPEN MIC: RIFFS ON LIFE BETWEEN CULTURES IN TEN VOICES edited by Mitali Perkins. Candlewick Press, September, 2013.

Humor can be such an effective tool for tackling tough issues. Growing up between cultures is the focus of this collection edited by Mitali Perkins. It features poems, stories, and cartoons from luminaries such as Gene Yang, Naomi Shihab Nye, G. Neri, and Varian Johnson as well as Mitali Perkins. Why humor? Perkins' introduction to this strong collection details how and why humor can be the perfect tool. Stereotypes, prejudices, family tension and more find their way into these stories from some of YA's pre-eminent authors.

exploring culture in picture books

NINO WRESTLES THE WORLD by Yuyi Morales. Roaring Brook Press, 2013.

Nino battles all sorts of monsters from La Llorona to Los Hermanitas in this wonderful flight of fancy. Donning a Lucha Libre type mask provides Nino with the powers he needs to defeat monsters and even baby sisters.




TAKE ME OUT TO THE YAKYU by Aaron Meshon. Atheneum, 2013.

A young boy loves baseball no matter if it is the baseball of his American or Japanese family. Terrific way to have kids examine the things that we celebrate no matter where.

Get in Shape

ROUND IS A TORTILLA: A BOOK OF SHAPES by Roseanne Greenfield Thong with illustrations by John Parra. Chronicle Books, 2013.

Gentle quatrains introduce shapes along with items of that shape. So, a sombrero and a tortilla are round. Carts and paletas are rectangles, etc. A glossary of Spanish words along with definitions and pronunciations are included in the back of the book.