Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees

While stories of Syrian refugees have dominated news over the past several years, I haven’t read a compilation quite like “Stormy Seas” before with stories from refugees of many different events.  The overwhelming takeaway for me is that refugees aren’t trying to get somewhere.  But they are trying to get away.  The devastating circumstances that drive people away from their homes often builds over time in the country from which people are fleeing but from the outside global community appears to be both sudden and unexpected.  As a result, countries welcoming (or not so welcoming as reality seems to deem) refugees are often unprepared for the influx of people.  Stormy Seas presents the people behind the gates of the camps who risked everything to make it that far.  Including stories from Germany, Vietnam, Cuba, Afghanistan, and the Ivory Coast, young readers will relate to the stories of the 11 to 18 year old narrator’s of their own experiences.  

“I am not particularly interested in going to America.  I am interested in staying alive.” - Ruth

The book design with quotes pulled out and emphasized will draw the eye of the reader.  The timelines included in each story helps to understand the span of time relative to war or other genocidal catastrophes.  The photographs and consistent color scheme help to connect the dots of our collective history relative to refugees.

http://www.marybethleatherdale.com/ 
@mbleatherdale
http://eleanorshakespeare.com/ 
@eshakespeare

Title: Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees

Author: Mary Beth Leatherdale and Eleanor Shakespeare

Published 2017 by Annick Press

ISBN: 978-1-55451-896-8

This book was sent by the publisher for review purposes.

A Book-Ish Advent Calendar

A couple of years ago, a fellow blogger posted about a bookish advent calendar.  The idea, instead of unwrapping a piece of chocolate each day for the 25 days leading up until Christmas, instead, unwrap a book each day to read before bed (or anytime, really, but bedtime seemed to be our go to).  I did this that first year with some Christmas/holiday/winter books that we had on hand and supplemented with books I borrowed from the public library.  That first year, I followed the blogger’s suggestions as closely as I could as far as which book correlated to which day.  In the years since, I have build up our personal collection but I’m always on the lookout for more holiday books.  Lo and behold, Candlewick Press had a number of holiday books suggested to review and I jumped at the chance.  Rather than wait until closer to the holidays, I’d rather share these NOW so you have an opportunity to get them and prepare your own bookish Advent Calendar.  Or, adapt this idea to make a bookish 8 nights of Hannukah.  I’ll find some good ones for Hannukah too, just putting out the books that have been sent my way so far.  And why stop there?  Let’s do 14 books leading up to Valentine’s Day…the creative juices are flowing now!

 

 

 

 

We're Going on a Bear Hunt: Snowglobe Edition
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Make and Play Christmas
Make and Play Nativity
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Press Out and Color Christmas Ornaments
Gift Boxes to Decorate and Make: Christmas
A Christmas for Bear
Red and Lulu
Elf in the House
The Christmas Fairy
Pick a Pine Tree

Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code

You may have heard the following quote from Grace Hopper, well if you haven’t, I have and I love it: “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission.”  I’d imagine Grace Hopper didn’t really need to ask forgiveness often but she also didn’t waste time getting permission.  If you’ve ever heard of a computer “bug” that’s because Grace Hopper documented the first, a real moth that found it’s way into the system and wreaked some havoc!  Grace Hopper grew up taking things apart to see what made them tick (literally - it was a clock!).  The following are some new Grace Hopper quotes to add to my repertoire.  

If you’ve got a good idea, and you know it’s going to work, go ahead and do it. - Grace Hopper

The world will be a better place when all agree with me. - Grace Hopper

Every time you solve a problem, another one shows up behind it.  That’s the challenge. - Grace Hopper

One that I thought was Hopper is actually misattributed as The most dangerous phrase in the English language is that it’s always been done this way.  The real quote has more to do with people being allergic to change and stating things have always been done this way.  Either way it’s a good quote, but the actual words don’t roll off the tongue in quite the same way.

Grace is notable for more than just witty remarks, she devoted her life to solving problems and Laurie Wallmark makes her story engaging and fun for young readers.  Katy Wu shows the twinkle in Grace’s eye from her youth to her later years in the Navy.  The timeline, selected bibliography, and further reading will help keep kids digging deeper into reading about Grace and other women in STEM.

www.lauriewallmark.com 
@lauriewallmark 

katycwwu.tumblr.com 
@thewildkat

Title: Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code

Author: Laurie Wallmark

Illustrator: Katy Wu

Published 2017 by Sterling Children’s Books

ISBN: 978-1-4549-2000-7

This book was sent by the publisher for review purposes.

Lighter Than Air

I read Lighter Than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot to my daughter at bed and when I first read the title, she said, “No!  Amelia Earhart was the first woman pilot!”  While I’m pleased she knows about Amelia Earhart, I had to let her know she was quite mistaken.  Amelia was very well known, but definitely not the first.  Enter Sophie Blanchard.

As an illustrator, Matt Tavares has an almost magical ability to capture a scene in such a way that it helps the reader identify thematic elements.  Birds, flying free, grace nearly every spread and the newspaper, filled with articles of flying, literally fly off the pages and across the windswept beaches.  A bit of foreshadowing with Sophie lighting fireworks for Napoleon’s wedding.  My daughter, Cecelia, exclaimed, “That’s dangerous!”.  And we both enjoyed her chaise lounge bed dangling from the balloon.  Talk about traveling in style!  The French really knew how to do things right!  And so do Matthew Clark Smith and Matt Tavares!  They have told Sophie Blanchard’s story just right.

http://www.matthewclarksmith.com/ 
http://www.matttavares.com/ 
@tavaresbooks

Title: Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot

Author: Matthew Clark Smith

Illustrator: Matt Tavares

Published 2017 by Candlewick Press

ISBN: 978-0-7636-7732-9

This book was sent by the publisher for review purposes.

Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist

I love how this picture book biography pairs the subject’s subject matter so seamlessly throughout, is this a book about Eugenie Clark or about sharks?  It doesn’t much matter because you will learn about both and they are intertwined in such a way that you won’t want it any other way.  Eugenie Clark’s story is one of not just overcoming but defying the odds.  Looking them straight in the eye and steaming full speed ahead.  Eugenie Clark had several strikes against her in her quest to become a scientist in the 1940’s.  She was a woman and she was and American of Japanese descent.  She received her undergraduate degree, followed by her masters, followed by her doctorate and pursued a career doing exactly what she loved and proving everyone wrong along the way.  Marta Alvarez Miguens’ illustrations are fun and tropically colored, like the underwater treasures that Marta discovered where sharks made their homes.  Jess Keating’s story telling imparts information and lessons of perseverance and knowing oneself.  The “Shark Bites,” Timeline, Author’s Note, and Bibliography all offer more information for curious minds.

@jess_keating

https://jesskeating.com/

http://astound.us/publishing/artists/marta-alvarez-miguens 

Title: Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist

Author: Jess Keating

Illustrator: Marta Alvarez Miguens

Published 2017 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

ISBN: 978-1-4926-4204-6

This book was borrowed from the public library for review purposes.

Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library

Carole Boston Weatherford’s attention to detail leaves no stone unturned in a story of a man who unturned many a stone in his lifetime curating a collection that conveyed a history more “complete from all angles” proving “Africans’ place in world history.”  Sometimes I notice small minutia that I believe makes an impact.  I read this book a few days ago and remembered Carole Boston Weatherford’s note about the book plate found in each of Schomburg’s books and when I opened the book just now, I noted the Ex Libris book plate in the front of this book, then flipped back to the author’s note and was disappointed to realize the opportunity was missed to include a replica of Schomburg’s book plate in this book about his life and his collection.  Absent that, each story could stand on its own but told in chronological order do a masterful job of telling the whole story of Schomburg’s life and motivations for building his collection.  I found myself (personally) annoyed at his organizational style once his collection was acquired and housed at the 135th Street Library.  As a librarian, my goal is not just for me to be able to find items but for anyone to be able to find them.  The idea of access to the collection by others is a lingering question I have.  Schomburg comes across in the passage “Doctor” as being a guardian of the books (which may very well be how he saw himself) instead of a proselytizer of the information (which I’m also confident he was in sharing his findings).  The passage “Home” also points to a significant point that today, Schomburg would probably be featured on an episode of Hoarders.  All in all, I am glad he made it his mission to save texts, letters, documents and artifacts that point out the countless contributions of people of African descent.  From Phyllis Wheatley to Beethoven himself, Arturo Schomburg wrote a new narrative and Carole Boston Weatherford translated that for a new generation.  Eric Velasquez’s bright oil paintings highlight the stories that Arturo brought to life as well as Arturo’s life itself and his beautiful color coordinated collection in the background of many of the spreads.  The bibliography and source notes will prove helpful for anyone who would like to read further about Arturo Schomburg.

https://cbweatherford.com/

http://www.ericvelasquez.com/

@ericvelasquezny

Title: Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library

Author: Carole Boston Weatherford

Illustrator: Eric Velasquez

Published 2017 by Candlewick Press

ISBN: 978-0-7636-8046-6

This book was borrowed from the public library for review purposes.

The Wonderling

The Wonderling is the wonder filled story of a one eared fox groundling named “13”, Arthur, or Spike, depending on who you ask.  Living many lives on one journey that ends up bringing Arthur (his preferred name) right back where he started with a new purpose and mission will empower young readers to lose themselves in the story and at the same time connect to finding their own true self.  The theme woven through the story is the importance of the journey and purpose, not the final destination and how we are changed by the people (or groundlings?) we meet along the way.  In the end, we are not alone but supported by the people we choose to surround ourselves with, so surround yourselves with good people.  Young readers will be entranced by Mira Bartok’s The Wonderling.

http://www.mirabartok.com/ 

@mirabartok

Title: The Wonderling

Author: Mira Bartok

Published 2017 by Candlewick Press

ISBN: 978-0-7636-9121-9

This book was sent by the publisher for review purposes.