Book Lists

Signed Books Make The Best Gifts!

It’s that magical time of the year when eggnog is flowing, chestnuts are roasting, families are gathering, and that darn elf comes out of the box and onto your shelf—Good luck with those shenanigans.  

It’s also the time of the year when we wrack our brain in search of the perfect gift. A scarf for Kate? A basketball for Max? A gift card for Lolo? But alas, none of these ideas feel unique or special. So what’s the answer to this gift-giving dilemma?

Books. Always. Books.

Even better . . . Signed books.

So for the big holiday assist, I’ve curated a list of excellent middle-grade novels for you to choose from and bookstores where you can purchase that extra-special signed copy.

Click on the title of your choice, contact the bookseller, and just like magic, your gift is on its way—Albeit not via a jolly man in a red suit, but you catch my drift.

And just between me and you . . . It’s okay to buy a copy for yourself. Everybody deserves a good book.

Have fun shopping!

Mrs. Smith’s Spy School For Girls by Beth McMullen

This Appearing House by Ally Malinenko

Flip Turns by Catherine Arguelles

Elvis and The World as It Stands by Lisa Riddiough

Map Maker by Lisa Moore Ramee

The Forgotten Five by Lisa McMann

Daybreak on Raven Island by Fleur Bradley

Arrow by Samantha Clark

Verdigris Pawn by Alysa Wishingrad

Smack Dab in The Middle of Maybe by Jo Hackl

Unwritten by Tara Gilboy

The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow by Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson

Ollie Oxley and The Ghost 

I also encourage you to reach out to your favorite authors via their website or social media. Many authors have go-to bookstores that will send out signed copies, just like those listed above.

Happy Holidays and best wishes to you and yours!

 

 

Ukraine for Middle-Grade Readers

Before Putin’s Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many people elsewhere knew only a little about the country. Recent nonfiction and fiction books on Ukraine for Middle-Grade readers can help them understand what Ukrainians are fighting so fiercely to defend.

Most of these books appeared in 2022, and many of their publishers will contribute sales profits to Ukrainian relief.

NONFICTION:

Ukraine is known for  the beautiful golden-domed architecture of its cities and the richness of its culture and language. It is also called “The Breadbasket of Europe” because other countries in Europe and the world depend on its abundant harvests of grain for food.

Blue Skies and Golden Fields: Celebrating Ukraine, by Ukrainian children’s author Oksana Lushchevska (Capstone Press, 2022), covers Ukraine’s  history of withstanding invasion and domination by other countries, including Russia.  Lusgchevska also aims to immerse young readers in the Ukrainian culture. There is one whole section on sunflowers, the national flower and symbol of Ukraine. She includes instructions on how to plant your own sunflower and a Ukrainian poem to recite while you water it! Ukrainian Easter eggs are world-famous, and she tells how to dye eggs with natural dyes. She’s even included a guide to learning the Ukrainian alphabet and some key phases. Bright photographs illustrate Blue Skies and Golden Fields.

More list-like  is The Great Book of Ukraine: Interesting Stories, Ukranian History & Random Facts About Ukraine, by Anatolly Drahan (Independently published, 2022). Learn here not only about Ukraine’s past, but about pop culture, folklore, food, music, religion, celebrities & symbols, and why Ukranians celebrate two different New Years.

Ukrainian is  one of the most lyrical languages in the world. Enjoy learning some of it from Ukrainian Picture Dictionary Coloring Book: Over 1500 Ukrainian Words and Phrases for Creative and Visual Learners of All Ages (Lingo Mastery 2022).

FICTION:

These four Middle-grade novels take place in other times of great conflict and invasion in Ukraine’s past. The situations the young characters must face are grim and terrifying. But these are stories of resilience, courage, and hope, the qualities most needed in war-torn Ukraine today.

The Memory Keeper of Kyiv, by Erin Litteken (Boldwood Books, 2022), takes place in the 1930s, a time known as The Holodor, The Great Starvation. Russia’s Soviet ruler, Joseph Stalin, occupied Ukraine and tried to erase its culture. The Soviets claimed all grain produced in that fertile country and starved  4 million Ukrainians to death. In The Memory Keeper of Kyiv, 16-year old Katy at first sees village neighbors disappear for resisting the Soviets. Soon she herself is engaged in the struggle for survival. Author Litteken is the granddaughter a Ukrainian refugee from World War II.

Winterkill, by Canadian/Ukrainian author Marsha Forchuck Skrypuch (Scholastic, 2022), also  takes place in the time of the Great Starvation. In this gripping story, young Nyl is struggling to stay alive. Alice, whose father has come from Canada to work for the Soviets, sees that what is happening to the people is terribly wrong. Nyl and Alice come up with a daring plan. Will they survive long enough to carry it out?

In April of 1986, the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, not far from Kyiv, melted down, poisoning the environment. In Helen Bates’ graphic novel, The Lost Child of Chernobyl (Otter Barry Books, 2021) two stubborn old ladies refuse to evacuate. Nine years later, forest wolves bring a ragged child to their door. The child has been living with the wolves in the forbidden toxic zone. Will the two be able to find his family after all this time?

In the suspenseful novel, The War Below, by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (Scholastic, 2020),  a Ukrainian boy smuggles himself out of a Nazi forced labor camp during World War II. He has to leave behind his dear friend Lida, but vows to find her again someday. IF he survives. Racing through the countryside, he struggles to evade both the Nazis and Soviet agents and finds himself in the line of fire.

MORE BOOKS ON UKRAINE FOR MIDDLE-GREAD READERS ARE COMING SOON: A NOVEL AND A WORDLESS BEAUTY

Maya and Her Friends: A Story About Tolerance and Acceptance To Support the Children of Ukraine (Studio Press, 2023) takes place in 2017. In that year, Russia conquered Crimea and annexed it from Ukraine. They also temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk. This is the story of families with children in Crimea, all with different family backgrounds. It shows how living under occupation and the shadow of war has impacted their lives. Ukrainian author Larysa Debysenk wrote this novel in Kyiv, with the roar of Russian gunfire in the background. She says, “I want to shout that the children of my country need international protection. The world needs to understand this.”

Yellow Butterfly: A story from Ukraine  will come out from Red Comet Press in January, 2023. Without words, and using the yellow and blue symbolic colors of Ukraine, children’s book illustrator Oleksandr Shatokhin shows a young girl’s view of the military conflict: her fear, her anger and frustration, and finally her hope.

Let’s hope, too, that by the time these last two books appear, the fighting in Ukraine may be over and rebuilding can begin!  Slava Ukrajini! 

 

 

 

Diversity in MG Lit #40 October 2022

This month brings a mix of fiction and nonfiction for MG readers. I’m looking forward to putting these books in the hands of patrons at Annie Blooms Books where I’m a part time bookseller.
But I’m also a full time writer and I have a big deadline in November so I’m going to skip the November reviews and write a short report on changes in how Barnes and Noble acquires MG fiction and a detailed analysis of the breakdown of titles on the shelf in my local Barnes & Noble store. I know it’s been on people’s minds and I always find gathering data a help in deciding where to expend my energies in promoting diverse literature for kids.
Here are the October new releases.
Graphic Novels
Freestyle by Gale Galligan is a sweet and funny look at the ups and downs of middle school. I appreciated the depictions of a hip hop dance crew. In addition to racial, ethnic and gender diversity its nice to see dance other than ballet presented in a graphic novel. (Scholastic)
book cover my nest of silenceThere are several good books about Japanese internment for MG readers. What intrigues me about My Nest of Silence by Matt Faulkner is the mix of prose and graphic novel elements. I’ll be very curious to see how it does in the bookshop. It does create a conundrum about whether to shelve it in fiction or in the graphic novel section. Librarians, I’d love to hear in the comments how you are handling it. (Atheneum)
Fiction
I love it when an author, who has already made a name for themselves writing about their own diverse experience, then chooses a story that transcends the subjects of race and ethnicity. A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga is an absolute charmer narrated by a fictional mars rover named Resilliance. It follows the machine’s POV as it reflects not just on its mission on Mars, but the meaning of friendship. A sweet story even non-space geeks will love. (Balzer & Bray)book cover A Rover's Story
The Lords of Night by JC Cervantes is a companion title to his popular Storm Runner series, set in the wolf of Aztec mythology. (Disney Hyperion)
book cover Shad HadidShad Hadid & the Alchemists of Alexandria by George Jreije is a spin on the boy goes to wizard school story, this time it’s an Arabic protagonist and the magic is alchemy. (Harper)
Nonfiction
The legacy of an integrated military is the result of the courage and excellence of many black servicemen and women. Dr. James B. Williams is one of the greats, his lifelong leadership in medicine and civil rights is an inspiration. Unlawful Orders: a portrait of Dr. James B Williams ,Tuskegee Airman, Surgeon & Activist by Barbara Binns is liberally photo illustrated and contains a detailed bibliography. (Scholastic Focus)book cover Unlawful Orders
Toxic masculinity is a problem that transcends race and ethnicity and yet it is most harmful to marginalized children. Boys will be Human: A gut-check guide to becoming th strongest, kindest, bravest person you can be, by Justin Baldoni is a thorogh look at what it means to be male and how to navigate the world in a way that is life affirming for boys. I recommend it for boys older than 10. It’s a great family resource for starting important conversations.(Harper)
Better Than We Found It: conversations to help Save the World by FrederickJoseph and Porsche Joseph is daunting in its wide-ranging content. But taken a section at a time, it’s a great introduction to issues for young activists. It covers topics from disinformation and climate change to indigenous land theft and the prison-industrial complex; 16 topics in all. Another great conversations starter for kids from about 10 well through their teens. (Candlewick)