Operation Sisterhood - Middle Grade novel review

 From time to time I receive advance copies of new picture books and middle grade novels to review. I appreciate the publishers' trust in me! I read them all, but sometimes I don't post a review here. Why?

Well, my mom taught me that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything. And as a writer, I know how hard it is to put your work out into the world. So everyone who publishes a book deserves kudos! But sometimes I'm not the right cheerleader. Maybe I don't connect with the character(s) but other people would. Maybe I've read similar books I liked better, and I can't get that out of my head.

Sometimes, it's something specific I just can't get past. Earlier this year I received an early chapter book I was excited about. But the opening scene contained behavior that I couldn't condone. Maybe in an upper middle grade or YA, but not for the age reader I pictured. And I read the whole book, and really liked the rest. I returned to the book a few times, but decided there are plenty of other people who might be able to recommend the book without my reservations, so I moved on.

An early middle grade novel that I will recommend  (purchased myself) is Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (Crown Books, 2022).

Like the characters in the story, I grew up in a blended family. The fears and necessary adjustments that arise from moving into someone else's house that is now supposed to be your home were totally relatable.  Even the menagerie of animals was something I encountered too! The girls in the story are adventurous and fun to spend time with. The story takes place in Harlem, and I was a suburban/country girl so I enjoyed seeing this locale through the character's eyes. In the end I felt like I'd love to live on their block! The publisher's description is apt: a book "about the difficulties of change, the loyalty of sisters, and the love of family."

I have several great picture books that arrived while we were on vacation that I'll be reviewing soon!

Until then--happy reading, everyone!

A Curious Mind - The Secret to a Bigger Life

     I am guilty of failure to post a Perfect Picture Book Friday post two weeks in a row!
     Not because I haven't read some great ones, in fact I am taking Susanna Leonard Hill's fabulous Picture Book Magic class and reading tons. Unfortunately, the writing has been homework, not picture book recommendations.
     C'mon, you're probably saying. You couldn't fit in ONE recommendation?
     Okay.
     In addition to reading boatloads of picture books, I read an adult title that has to get a shout-out first. A book that smacks you up-side-the-head with the power of possibility. This recommendation can't wait.

jacket image by Jeff Koons

Title: A Curious Mind - The Secret to a Bigger Life  
Authors: Brian Grazer and Charles Fishman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2015
ADULT NF
Theme/Subject: Curiosity
Publisher's summary: "From Academy Award-nominated produced Brian Grazer and acclaimed business journalist Charles Fishman comes a brilliantly entertaining peek into the weekly "curiosity conversations" that have inspired Grazer to create some of America's favorite and iconic movies and television shows--from 24 to A Beautiful Mind."

What I liked about this book: I'm not a movie buff. I don't watch a lot of television. So yes, I have a seen A Beautiful Mind, but I've never watched 24. So why would I want to read, and recommend, a book written by a movie producer?
     It isn't really about movies, television, or even Hollywood. It's about the benefits and process of being curious. My interest was piqued when I read that. But as a busy person, what made me go that step further? I didn't recognize the name Brian Grazer or Charles Fishman. Why would I want to spend my evenings reading something they wrote?
     I read in a promo that Brian Grazer had interviewed science fiction writer Isaac Asimov and medical researcher and polio vaccine creator Jonas Salk. As a writer and someone with a MS in Microbiology, my inner geek screamed "I have to read this one!" And Malcolm Gladwell blurbed it on the back cover. Ooh, I'm a Gladwell fan.
     I plunged in.
    And I wasn't disappointed. I couldn't put it down. As a creative person, the reminder that our creativity comes from everywhere around us, and that we can take an active role in pursuing it is a great one. Its use may not be immediately obvious but ever interaction is growth. Brian uses his life experiences in Hollywood to illustrate concepts that apply to everyone, everywhere. You don't need to be interested in Hollywood. You don't need to be a writer. You don't need to know anything about microbiologists past or present. It's just a great read. Engaging. Inspiring. Energizing.
     And now I do know a little about what a Hollywood producer does. At least more than the zero I knew before. Bonus.
Go. Read. This. Book. Tell me what you think.

Note: I received an advance copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through Shelf Awareness. No other compensation was received.  No review was required. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Randolph Caldecott - The Man Who Couldn't Stop Drawing -#PPBF

      The longer I participate in Perfect Picture Book Friday, the fussier I am about my selections. I've come to realize that the number of books is staggering, and since no one can read them all, I save my recommendations for the truly special ones.
     Why this prologue? Because my recommendation today is unusual. A picture book for grades 5-9 (NOT ages 5-9!). So if you're looking for something for the little ones, this isn't for you, but it is definitely a book for anyone interested in the history of children's books.

TITLE: Randolph Caldecott -The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing   

  AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Leonard S. Marcus 

from Macmillan Publishers

Publisher: Frances Foster Books, FS&G, 2013
Intended Age: 10-14
Themes: NONFICTION, Illustration
Opening lines: "Two swans at the water's edge trade bewildered glances when they notice a little frog poking his head out of the river. The frog is clutching a paper--a letter it would seem--which he reads with a look of total absorption."

Synopsis: The biography of "the father of the modern picture book" (from the front flap copy).

What I like about this book: As a picture book writer and enthusiast, I knew that Randolph Caldecott was an illustrator. I knew that we honor the best illustrators in the field each year with a medal given in his name. But I didn't know a whole lot more. This book is an "old school" comprehensive biography. A birth to death look at a man that accomplished volumes of work in the 39 years he lived. I connected with the fact that Caldecott started in one career--deemed to be a safe way to earn money--and found himself drawn to the second career that he loved.
     Reading the book I learned WHY Caldecott is viewed as the father of the modern picture book. He wasn't the first to illustrate books for children, but his focus on active rather than static illustrations, and the idea that illustrations could, and should, add to the text were revolutionary for the 1800's. The book is text dense, as you would expect a book for grades 5-9 to be.

Balance of text and illustration

Resources:

•  Macmillan Publishers provides a peek inside the book here.
  
•  Make a list of the Caldecott medal winners. How many have you read?
•  Treasure hunt! Look carefully at a picture book. How many things can you find in the illustrations that aren't mentioned in the text?
•  If you're interested in reading more picture books on the subject of art and creativity, I found a wonderful list of children's fiction and nonfiction compiled on this subject by the Art Institute of Chicago.
•  Try your hand at drawing something in motion. (It's in motion, not you! Although interestingly the book notes that part of Caldecott's style was developed by drawing on a moving train as he traveled from Manchester to London, England!)

This review is part of PPBF (perfect picture book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. Along with tons of writing wisdom, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF

Middle grade book recommendations - Echo and Katie Friedman Gives Up Texting

     If you choose books for a middle grade reader, or enjoy reading it yourself, I have two books to recommend.

     This is wild-waving two thumbs up stuff.

     At first glance, the two books are dissimilar . . .

     Pam Munoz Ryan’s Echo is a weighty tome. The ARC I read is 592 pages long. The story spans decades, weaving the individual stories of multiple protagonists together with themes of prejudice, justice (and injustice) and the healing property of music. A lush mash-up of fantasy, fairy-tale, and historical fiction, it reads like Gone With the Wind for middle grade with a brushstroke of magical realism. Stories that cross the globe with elements of family danger, racism and heroism are rendered at a personal level. It’s the kind of book you “experience” as much as you read it. Wondering how it was all going to tie together, the pages flew by (and sleep was lost!). You will want to run out and buy a harmonica, dust off that recorder from grade school, drum on the desk.

    

      The ARC of Tommy Greenwald’s Katie Friedman Gives Up Texting (and lives to tell about it) clocks in at 227 pages. Not counting the three page forward-looking epilogue, the storyline spans one week. The plot follows a single protagonist who makes the mistake of sending a text about misgivings about her boyfriend to the wrong person—her boyfriend. I began the book thinking the short chapters were the perfect interlude before I needed to go to the grocery store, and we ended up eating leftovers. It was a cover-to-cover single-sitting read. Part of the author's "Charlie Joe Jackson" series, this can be read as a stand alone title. The snappy contemporary first person narrative deals with the issues of honesty, social media, self-discovery and—the healing power of music. 

     Sometimes I wonder why I don’t have the radio on more now. When I was younger I studied to it, partied to it, sang to it every chance I could. While I didn’t personally identify with all of the songs that I heard, I identified with the singers’ angst and contemplation of the emotional journeys they had taken. And music has a way of freeing people up. A way of connecting people. Of making us stop, listen and feel. Going to go turn it on now.

     Other great elements I should highlight. Both books have diverse characters. Both deal with important social issues. Short chapters in both make them easy to dive into.

     I’m not sure about the boy appeal of these books. I’d love to hear from others to hear what you think!

     Echo is published by Scholastic Press and went on sale February 24, 2015

     Katie Friedman Gives Up Texting went on sale February 17th and is published by Roaring Brook Press.

DISCLOSURE:

I received a review copy from the publishers. No other compensation was received nor was a review required.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”