By Sheila Welch
Our book reviewer, Sheila Welch, has pulled out all the stops this time, finding us a selection of books that will change your scenery.
Here’s a book for children who love animal stories. NUTS TO YOU, written and illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins, is a jaunty journey into the world of unusual squirrels who can talk and, even better, tell their own stories. With wide spaced lines and illustrations scattered as thick as acorns in an oak forest, this book is not intimidating for independent readers as young as third graders. It would also make an entertaining family read-aloud.
Don’t judge this book, UPSIDE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, by its whimsical cover. In Julie Lamana’s first published book, she chose a difficult subject, Hurricane Katrina, as the central issue. Told in first person by ten-year-old Armani, this is a harrowing tale of a close knit family nearly torn apart by the storm and its aftermath. Although Armani survives, she loses some of her closest relatives. Definitely a worthwhile story for mature fifth graders to read and discuss with parents or teachers.
HALF A WORLD AWAY by Cynthia Kadohata opens a new and different world for the main character, Jaden, and for young readers as well. Jaden was adopted from Romania as an eight-year-old. Now twelve, he and his parents are going to Kazakhstan to adopt a baby. Kadohata has won the Newbery and the National Book Award, and her writing is strong and evocative. Jaden has a number of unresolved problems, but he pulls readers into his world as they get to know him. Fourth and fifth graders who are looking for books with emotional depth will appreciate this ultimately uplifting story.
Coe Booth usually writes for teenagers, but in KINDA LIKE BROTHERS, she creates a fresh and appealing character in eleven-year-old Jarrett. His summer is complicated by asthma, worrying about whether he’ll be kept back in sixth grade, and having a foster brother who is twelve and taking over his room, his mom, and his life. Jarrett tells his story in first person, and his authentic voice is accessible for confident third grade readers on up through fifth graders.
JOSEPHINE, written by Patricia Hruby Powell and illustrated by Christian Robinson, is the story of the fabulous black dancer, Josephine Baker. Although this biography could be called a picture book, it’s appropriate for readers of all ages. Startling bright and varied colors, many words in all caps, bold stylized illustrations, and an amazing story that we should all know, make this a book to read and cherish.
