Double Bass Blues

Going Down Home with Daddy

MICHAEL L. PRINTZ HONORS

An SLJ Best Book of 2019.

CHECK OUT: Nikki Grimes Explains Why Mental Illness Is Not A Weakness

CORETTA SCOTT KING (AUTHOR) BOOK AWARD

New Kid

Gr 4–7—Jordan Banks is anxious about being the new kid at Riverdale, especially since he'd rather be going to art school. He's even more nervous when he realizes that, unlike in his Washington Heights neighborhood, at Riverdale, he's one of the few kids of color. Despite some setbacks, Jordan eventually makes a few friends and chronicles his experiences in his sketch pad. This is more than a story about being the new kid—it's a complex examination of the micro- and macroaggressions that Jordan endures from classmates and teachers. He is regularly mistaken for the other black kids at school. A teacher calls another black student by the wrong name and singles him out during discussions on financial aid. Even Jordan's supportive parents don't always understand the extent of the racism he faces. This book opens doors for additional discussion. Craft's illustrations are at their best during the vibrant full-page spreads. The art loses a bit of detail during crowd scenes, but the characters' emotions are always well conveyed. Jordan's black-and-white notebook drawings are the highlight of this work, combining effective social commentary with the protagonist's humorous voice. VERDICT Highly recommended for all middle grade shelves.–Gretchen Hardin, Sterling Municipal Library, Baytown, TX

An SLJ Best Book of 2019.

CHECK OUT: Jerry Craft on Being "The New Kid"

CORETTA SCOTT KING (AUTHOR) BOOK AWARD HONORS

Gr 5-8–Tristan is reluctantly on his way to spend the summer with his grandparents on the family farm. In his pocket he carries the journal of his best friend Eddie, killed in a bus accident. Tristan’s survivor guilt means he hasn’t read the journal, and he is trying very hard to ignore the strange green glow coming from its cover. When Gum Baby, a figure from West African legend, tries to steal the journal, Tristan races to retrieve it, breaking a bottle on his grandmother’s bottle tree and falling through a flaming hole into a parallel world. Here, the stories Tristan’s grandmother tells are solidly real: in the course of breathless chases, close escapes, and mounting stakes, he meets John Henry, Brer Fox, High John the Conqueror, and other figures from African and African American folklore. A race to retrieve Anansi’s story box reveals Tristan’s destiny as an Anansesem, a storyteller of power, and makes him a pivotal figure in the saving of this strange new world. While the novel is lengthy, the pace is quick, secondary characterizations are nicely delineated, and the folkloric figures are heroic and true to their legends. The world-building includes evocative descriptions of skeleton ships, manacled monsters, and deadly villains. In addition to being rife with action, the story is rooted in the emotional journey of the protagonist; between making friends and losing them, Tristan finally makes peace with Eddie’s death.

Gr 5-8–Ten short stories paint a picture of what happens one particular afternoon after the dismissal bell at Latimer Middle School. Each tale focuses on one student or group of friends. The magic of this book is Reynolds’s ability to weave the same teachers and various students in and out of the ten stories. Students after school swirl and eddy. Ms. Post the crossing guard helps everyone cross the street while her son looks on from his spot by the stop sign; Ms. Wockley, the principal, stands in the hall yelling at students; and Ms. CeeCee sells penny candy from her house. Some backstory in each piece puts the characters’ actions into perspective, with each entry ending with a bit of a surprise. The very last one ends where the first one begins, with a mythical flying school bus. Poetic language is used throughout to help distinguish one character from the next.

An SLJ Best Book of 2019.

CORETTA SCOTT KING (ILLUSTRATOR) BOOK AWARD

The Undefeated

by Kwame ALEXANDER

illus. by Kadir Nelson. 40p. HMH/Versify. Apr. 2019. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781328780966.

Gr 3 Up—This inaugural title from Newbery Medalist Alexander's new imprint is a poignant and powerful ode to the resilience and strength of black life and history in America. Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated in 2016, the poem adopts a picture book format with a new title, accompanied by stunning oil paintings in Nelson's trademark photorealistic style. The evocative illustrations stand out against stark white backgrounds and vary in their composition. On some spreads, the focus is on a single expressive portrait; others feature collages of African American icons from various disciplines, or refer to significant historical moments. The art functions in perfect harmony with the poet's spare, striking verse to electrify the Black American experience, and to celebrate black athletes, writers, musicians, activists, and heroes. From the unspeakable trauma of American slavery and the transatlantic slave trade to the brave service of black troops during the Civil War, from the fierce and unwavering fight for civil rights to the Black Lives Matter movement, from Selma to Birmingham to Harlem, this book is both a soaring tribute to the enduring perseverance and achievements of the past and a stirring call to action to "the dreamers and the doers" of the present and the future. Back matter includes an afterword from the author as well as additional information about the historical figures and events featured in the book. VERDICT Alexander and Nelson present an exceptionally moving and triumphant work. This book is an essential first purchase for all libraries.–Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elementary School, Elkins Park, PA

An SLJ Best Book of 2019.

CORETTA SCOTT KING (ILLUSTRATOR) BOOK AWARD HONORS

Gr 6 Up–Part memoir, part social history, part artist’s sketchbook, this title offers a rare insight into the treatment of black soldiers serving in World War II. Bryan, a renowned children’s book creator and Newbery Honoree and Coretta Scott King Award winner, offers an impressionistic work. After facing discrimination when he applied to college, Bryan earned a scholarship to Cooper Union in New York. Just when he thought he was on his way to achieving his dream of working as an artist, 19-year-old Bryan was drafted into the United States Army in 1943. Although he’d encountered prejudice before, Bryan was surprised by the level of segregation he experienced in the military. Black recruits were immediately separated from white ones; they were assigned dangerous “service” jobs and were not offered the same opportunities to advance. Bryan used art as a way to feed his spirit as he faced perilous assignments, including taking part in the D-Day invasion and sleeping in a foxhole on Omaha Beach for months. Unlike his 2009 autobiography, Words to My Life’s Song, this book focuses on one period of Bryan’s life and touches upon larger social issues, namely the treatment of black soldiers.

CORETTA SCOTT KING/JOHN STEPTOE NEW TALENT AUTHOR AWARD

Gr 5–8—Genesis comes home from school to find her family's belongings on the lawn; they've been evicted again. Her father promises that this next time will be different, renting a house in the suburbs and promising that he will get a promotion at work so they can afford it. At school, Genesis makes friends for the first time and is mentored by Mrs. Hill, the choir teacher, but Genesis's father still drinks too much and her parents' marriage is unraveling. Genesis tries lightening her skin, begs to be able to use relaxer in her hair, and keeps a list of things she hates about herself, believing that if she only looked like her light-skinned mother and not her dark-skinned father, the situation at home would improve. This message is hammered home by her father's cruel comments and her grandmother's story of the "brown paper bag" test. Genesis escapes by singing; she is inspired by greats like Billie Holiday and Etta James. When she has the opportunity to sing in the school talent show, Genesis must find the power in using her voice to speak her truth. Genesis' struggles are age appropriate but do not shy away from the hard truth about colorism within the Afro American community. Through each character, readers come to understand the significance of how one's story plays out in reactions and interactions with the people around them. The hopeful but not happy ending adds to the realism and emotional impact of this powerful story.

An SLJ Best Book of 2019.

CHECK OUT: Alicia D. Williams on Genesis Begins Again

CORETTA SCOTT KING/JOHN STEPTOE NEW TALENT ILLUSTRATOR AWARD

K-Gr 3—Although he and his mama are poor, James Otis struggles to find something he can give the Temple family, who have lost everything in a fire. After his daddy dies suddenly, the boy and his mom lose their farm and move into a "run-down shotgun house." A flood further adds to their misery. Yet when Reverend Dennis announces the congregation will deliver "love boxes" to needy families for Valentine's Day, the boy and his mother decide to provide gifts for the Temples. "Stitchin' with a loving heart," mama turns her one treasure, a tablecloth, into an apron for Mrs. Temple. Considering several of his possessions unsuitable, James Otis finally decides to make a book for Sarah Temple. The delighted Temples receive their box with the congregation looking on. Their hearts filled with joy at having given to others, James Otis and mama return home to discover a love box has been delivered to them. Textured backgrounds that bleed to the edges and often include spreads form the backdrop for the folk-art illustrations rendered in mixed media and found objects. All the figures are elongated, and the brightest colors appear in a striking scene of the close-knit African American community walking to church dressed in their Sunday best. There are depictions of the modest neighborhood and touching close-ups of the boy and his mom in loving embrace and Sarah clutching her treasured book to her chest.

PURA BELPRÉ (ILLUSTRATOR) AWARD

PURA BELPRÉ (ILLUSTRATOR) AWARD HONORS

K-Gr 2—It is an exciting day for Little Lobo. Today, he is going to the market with his dog, Bernabé. The desert town is vibrant with commerce, street vendors, and an array of animal inhabitants. For Little Lobo there is no stopping; he absolutely enjoys greeting acquaintances, delighting in street performances, and fulfilling his job of delivering supplies at the market. Gonzalez has created a simple narrative that includes Spanish vocabulary, which is playfully positioned surrounding the many streets, food stores, and buildings, encouraging readers to say the Spanish words as they turn the pages. The cartoon images set a festive tone, inspired by El Mercado Cuauhtémoc in Juárez, Mexico, with a soft- toned autumnal palette. The book contains a glossary with the vocabulary words and their respective pronouns.

K-Gr 2—A radiant ode to a young girl's father and her L.A. neighborhood. Every evening, Daisy and her papi snap on their helmets (hers is purple with a unicorn, his a black vintage variety) and begin their ride on his electric blue motorcycle through Corona, CA. At times they "roar past" taquerias and murals, and other times they "cruise," greeting family and neighbors as they pass by. All the while, Daisy absorbs the sights, sounds, and smells of her beloved hometown, imprinting its idiosyncrasies into memory. Daisy's experiences mirror Quintero's childhood memories, recounted through tender language and vivid sensory details. Recalling the motorcycle rides with her papi is an exercise in familial love, but also a way to honor a hometown and present the changes from gentrification. Although the topic is touched upon lightly, its complexity percolates and becomes much more vivid with multiple reads. The illustrations faithfully capture the merriment and love through careful details and a low-key color palette that alludes to warm memories being made and recollected. Peña makes felicitous use of his comics chops, incorporating speech balloons with Spanish phrases, onomatopoeia, and panels to convey movement. Quintero's writing and Peña's art coalesce most beautifully in the infectious look of joy on Daisy's face throughout.

PURA BELPRÉ (AUTHOR) AWARD

Gr 4–8—Sal Vidón is attending a new school, with new bullies and new teachers who don't understand the needs of a student with Type 1 diabetes. He also causes rips in time and space by transporting objects from other universes. Sometimes he transports harmless prank items, but sometimes he goes home to find his long-dead mother cooking yucca in the kitchen. When Sal meets Gabi Reál, student body president and all-around firebrand, they begin a friendship that may break the universe—or save it. Delightfully weird, this is unlike any other book in the middle grade canon. Hernandez has managed to include conflict and excitement into his first novel for young people, without falling into the trap of unrealistic villainy. Every character is doing their best, even when that best doesn't turn out well. Readers need to be comfortable with a suspension of disbelief and accept unexplained backstories. Many elements of the story, like Sal's superpowers and Gabi's family dynamics (including a robot parent,) are left mostly unexplained. Fans who enjoyed Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time and Rick Riordan's works will love Sal and Gabi, as will readers looking for upbeat fiction with Spanish-speaking characters.

PURA BELPRÉ (AUTHOR) HONORS

Gr 3–6—Cervantes returns to the Furry Friends Animal Shelter (the setting of Gaby, Lost and Found) in this new title. Ever since she moved to Kansas from Tlaquepaque, Mexico, Lety Muñoz has spent her summers at school with the other ELL students working to improve her English; but after finishing fifth grade, she's trying something new and attending a summer camp at the animal shelter. She's immediately drawn to both Spike, a dog she wants to adopt, and the job of shelter scribe, the person who writes profiles of the adoptable dogs and cats for the shelter's website. But Hunter also wants the job, and thinks he can do a much better job than Lety, since she's still learning English while he is already reading and writing at a high school level. Encouraged by their friends, the two end up in a secret competition to determine who gets to be the sole scribe. Lety is an admirable protagonist; she faces challenges, tries new things, and finds her voice. The focus on language, writing, and vocabulary will make this a good fit for a classroom read, and the premise and setting should entice young animal lovers. This novel is also a potential "mirror" book for young immigrants to the U.S. and ELL students, and one that can be an empathy-building "sliding glass door" book for other readers.

Gr 4-7–American-born 12-year-old Quijana lives in Texas and is the child of a Guatemalan father and a white mother. When Quijana starts sixth grade at a new school, her Spanish teacher mistakenly believes that Quijana is a native speaker. Spanish-speaking classmates call her a “coconut,” their slang term for a Latino person who “acts white.” Luckily, Quijana befriends Jayden and Zuri and quickly develops a crush on Jayden. Outside of school, Quijana struggles with her immediate and extended family. Her paternal family moves to the area, and Quijana’s parents pressure her to engage with her Guatemalan side; they want her to wear a handmade garment called a huipil, which her abuela gives her, and speak Spanish with her on the phone. Inspired by her choir class, Quijana secretly learns to play her father’s guitar, writing her own music instead of playing the Spanish songs he wants to teach her. The family grows concerned about her younger brother Memito, who may have autism, and her maternal grandmother, Grandma Miller, who lives in Florida and has cancer. When Quijana’s parents arrange a family trip to Guatemala over the holiday break, she feels overwhelmed by family expectations and secretly buys a bus ticket to Grandma Miller’s house. At its core, Balcárcel’s novel is a story of identity within one’s self and within a broader community. Quijana wants to embrace the pieces of her Guatemalan identity on her own terms and at her own pace, which gradually brings her closer to her family. Zuri and Jayden also navigate their cultural and sexual identities, respectively. Quijana struggles with being named after Don Quixote, perceiving him, and herself, as people who rarely succeed. The narrative moves at a quick and steady pace, leaving each component of the plot with a satisfying ending and believable loose ends.

K-Gr 3—A picture book biography of one of the most significant and inspiring figures in library history. Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City, initially arrived in Manhattan to attend her sister's wedding. Intrigued perhaps by the "hustle and bustle" of this "new island," she decided to stay, finding temporary work as a seamstress. Belpré truly found her calling when she took a position as a bilingual assistant (the text notes that was she was, in fact, trilingual) at a neighborhood library, and went on to transform library services through culturally diverse storytelling, published books, and targeted outreach. Denise sprinkles her lyrical verse with Spanish, and emphasizes Belpré's love of stories, plucking the title of the book from her desire "to be like Johnny Appleseed...plant my story seeds across the land." Escobar's warm illustrations enliven the subject and carry the motif by depicting Belpré in impeccably stylish outfits and accessories detailed with floral patterns. Because of the composition style, readers are given only brief depictions of significant moments in Belpré's personal and professional life, but Denise provides a detailed author's note, summarizing Belpré's lasting impact, and includes a great amount of back matter.

Gr 1-3–José de la Luz Sáenz knew that many people who had roots in Mexico were hard workers, just like his father, and he did not understand why people were mistreated simply because of their heritage. Luz, who was born in Texas, experienced discrimination firsthand and made it his goal to help others of Mexican descent. After working as a teacher, Luz joined the army to fight in World War I in the hopes that others would realize that Mexican Americans were also willing to sacrifice for the United States. Although Luz faced discrimination, even from some of his fellow soldiers, he made close friends and spent his time studying French, which helped him earn a position in communications receiving, translating, and sending messages. Upon his return to the States, Luz was disappointed to learn that the discrimination faced by Mexican Americans had not changed. Together with other war veterans in Texas, Luz worked to improve the rights of Mexican Americans, ultimately forming the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)—an organization that fought for democracy, justice, and equality. Tonatiuh’s traditional hand-drawn and collage-style illustrations depict Luz and his fellow Mexican Americans’ trials and victories, as well as the tragedies of the war. Clear, descriptive text traces Luz’s life and provides insight into his thoughts, feelings, and determination.

AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE PICTURE BOOK AWARD

CHILD, Brenda J. Bowwow Powwow. tr. from Ojibwe by Gordon Jourdain. illus. by Jonathan Thunder. 32p. Minnesota Historical Society. May 2018. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781681340777.

PreS-Gr 2 –Windy Girl tells about finding her dog, Itchy Boy, and the various activities they do with her uncle. She enjoys the stories that Uncle shares as they ice fish or travel to a powwow. One such story is about tribal members going door to door singing, “We are like dogs,” before a powwow. Windy Girl falls alseep and dreams of a dog powwow, with canine elders, veterans, various dancers, and drummers. When she wakes, “Windy Girl understood the powwow is always in motion, part old and part new, glittering and plain, but still wonderful, almost like a dream.” Ojibwe text in italics is shown below the English in italics. Most of the vibrantly colored, energetic illustrations are spreads. The peoples’ faces are simplistic, but expressive. The dogs’ powwow attire highlights the intricacy of the dancers outfits. The end pages are the northern lights. A brief author’s note explains how the customary song and dance were called a “Begging Dance” by anthropologists, when in fact it was an exchange of gifts. VERDICT A simple, but imaginative story celebrating Ojibwe powwow heritage. This is a good first purchase for large libraries, or an additional purchase for smaller ones.–Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Library, WA

PICTURE BOOK HONORS

PreS-Gr 2–Maillard explores the rich and varied cultures of modern Native Americans through the lens of fry bread. Each section opens with “Fry Bread” in red capital letters, followed by a short lyrical verses tying the food to different aspects of Indigenous life. For example, the verse for “Fry Bread Is Time” reads “On weekdays and holidays/Supper or dinner/Powwows and festivals/Moments together/With family and friends.” The verse for “Fry Bread Is History” explains, “The long walk, the stolen land/Strangers in our own world/With unknown food/We made new recipes/From what we had.” Double-page color sketches in muted tones show the diversity of tribal members, with thoughtful details. As elders tell about the Trail of Tears, dark birds turn into sad people in the background. The author, a member of the Seminole Nation, shares his family recipe for fry bread and provides an extensive and thoughtful Author’s Note, providing more information on each topic covered and occasionally calling out special details in the drawings. These notes deal with and dispel many stereotypes associated with Native peoples, while providing historical and contemporary facts.

K-Gr 2–When a young girl moves to a new home in the country, her initial loneliness is soothed by a new friendship. It’s spring and she is packing up her home in the city by the sea and moving to a new house. Her new home in the country has two trees, snowdrops, creaky stairs, and a older neighbor named Agnes. When summer comes, the girl begins her friendship with Agnes, who shows her the garden and all her clay things, shaped like birds and flowers. She visits Agnes often and they become great friends, and teach each other much as the seasons change. After the winter, Agnes can’t get out as much and the little girl finds a way to bring the outside world to her. The story is made up of short scenes punctuated by chapter headings naming the changing seasons. This format provides a perfect backdrop to the growing friendship between Agnes and the young girl. In the summer, Agnes teaches the child about berries and plants; in the fall, they bury leaves in the soil to prepare it for spring and to feed the worms. The young girl learns about waxing and waning moons from Agnes and in turn she tells Agnes about the Cree seasons. This is a beautiful portrait of an intergenerational friendship where both parties have something to share and learn. Each episode is written in spare and poetic verse, with the small text placed carefully on each beautiful spread. Simple and elegantly composed, the digital illustrations highlight the soft fuzzy texture of the girl’s bird drawings and the hazy, winter air filled with snow. Small details abound, such as the crisp dark lines of the kitchen cabinets in an intimate kitchen scene that become fuzzy behind a cloud of steam rising from the pot of salmon stew. The Cree words used by the characters are given context within the text and a phonetic glossary at the beginning is a helpful tool for readers unfamiliar with the language.

K-Gr 3–A military family awaits the return of their loved one in this lyrical tribute to modern warrior women. At the mountain’s base, beneath a hickory tree, sits a cabin, and inside, next to a cozy stove, a grandmother weaves and prays, surrounded by family members singing. Within their song, a pilot flies into danger seeking peace, and Sorell’s simple yet poetic text circles back to the family in the cabin, huddled together, “waiting for her return.” Individual color strands woven throughout Alvitre’s watercolor and ink illustrations come together to form a striking tapestry encircling the cabin, linking its inhabitants to the pilot. Generous white space and colorful frames focus attention on the connections between the human figures. An afterword summarizes the achievements of Indigenous women in the armed forces and briefly mentions the career of Ola Mildred Rexroat, an Oglala Lakota pilot and member of the WASPs in World War II.

K-Gr 2—Sorell, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, offers readers a look at contemporary Cherokee life as she follows a family through the seasons of the year as they take part in ceremonies and festivals. The book opens, "Cherokee people say otsaliheliga to express gratitude. It is a reminder to celebrate our blessings and reflect on struggles—daily, throughout the year…." Beginning in the fall (uligohvsdi) with the Cherokee New Year, a variety of rituals and cultural symbols are introduced, all in spare, lyrical, accessible language. Traditional foods, crafts, and songs are part of the engaging narrative, as is the refrain, "we say otsaliheliga." Once through the calendar, Sorell circles back to the Cherokee National Holiday (Labor Day weekend), "when we recall the ancestors' sacrifices to preserve our way of life…. to celebrate nulistanidolv, history, and listen to our tribal leaders speak." Cherokee words are presented both phonetically and written in the Cherokee syllabary. Lessac's lovely gouache folk-art style paintings bring the scenes to life. Back matter includes a description of the various ceremonies, notes, and a page devoted to the Cherokee syllabary.

AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE MIDDLE SCHOOL AWARD

Gr 4-7–Regina Petit and her family are Umpqua, living on the Grand Ronde Tribe’s reservation in Oregon, until the U.S. government enacts a law saying that her tribe no longer exists. Ten-year-old Regina can’t comprehend what is happening to her family and how they can have their Indian heritage taken away from them. Forced to move with her parents, grandmother, and younger sister, PeeWee, to Los Angeles, Regina finds her world turned upside down. Daddy believes that the 1957 Indian Relocation Program will provide their family with a home, schooling, a good job, and opportunities, while Chich (Grandma) is more doubtful, calling their relocation an eviction. Mama tries to keep her chin up for her family, but she just wants to go back home. Regina and PeeWee try to acclimate to their new neighborhood and school but find ignorance and racism toward Indians prevalent. New friends Keith and Addie are a bright spot for the Petit children, but as black children, Keith and Addie also face racism. Daddy tries to put on a brave face for his family, working hard to get ahead, only to discover that education and hard work aren’t necessarily enough. The family’s struggles are not sugarcoated; readers see the reality of Daddy’s despair and anger as Mama tries to hold the family together. In the midst of it all, Chich carries forward their tribal stories. In this book based on McManis’s own childhood experiences, the family is fictionalized to show how older children might react to being uprooted and plopped down in a foreign world—McManis was one year old when the government declassified her family’s tribe. McManis died before finishing the novel, entrusting Sorell to finish her story. A lengthy author’s note from McManis offers relevant history with which readers may be unfamiliar, along with family photos from this time. Also discussed in the note is the relevance of President Ronald Reagan changing the laws in 1983, enabling the restoration of tribes that had been terminated.

MIDDLE SCHOOL HONORS

Gr 3-7–In this debut novel, a young girl discovers her grandmother’s Hollywood aspirations and her mother’s Suquamish and Duwamish ancestry. Edie knows that her white Dad is American and that her Native American mom was adopted into a white family, but that’s almost all she knows of her heritage. Then, a casual excursion to the attic unearths pictures of Edith, a stranger who resembles Edie, and hard truths her family has kept hidden for years start to emerge. Day (tribally enrolled, Upper Skagit) captures the angst, embarrassment, and uncertainty of many Indigenous people whose parents or grandparents were separated from their communities by adoption or residential school placement. Day details Indigenous culture with skill and nuance and crafts complex relationships between multidimensional characters. The depiction of the painful history of Native peoples who were separated from their families and taken from their ancestral homeland is straightforward and honest. The use of text messages between Edie and her close friends moves the story along and gives the book an intimate feel.

AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE YA AWARD

Gr 9 Up—An aspiring journalist navigates friendship, first love, and racial politics in this absorbing novel. Louise Wolfe regrets dumping her first real boyfriend via email instead of face-to-face, but his offensive remarks about Native Americans crossed a line for this proud Muscogee (Creek) teen. As senior year begins, she's focused on helping her little brother, Hughie, adjust to high school life, and on earning her desired beat on the school newspaper. Competing against and falling for Joey, a new kid with a passion for photojournalism, is an added bonus. But when Hughie finds himself at the center of a divisive community conflict centered on the casting of the school production of the Wizard of Oz, Louise struggles to balance her responsibilities as a journalist with a desire to protect her family. Louise is an immediately relatable and authentic teenage voice. Bighearted, ambitious, intelligent, she also has plenty of blind spots, particularly where her relationships are concerned. While most of the secondary characters are only lightly sketched, Louise's quirky, loving family dynamic comes through strong. Realistic profanity and age-appropriate sexual situations are depicted.

YA HONORS

Gr 9 Up–This adaptation offers an Indigenous perspective of U.S. history. Beginning with an introduction and moving into the first chapter, which discusses the Indigenous peoples who populated the land and their domestication of corn before Europeans arrived, the narrative follows a chronological track. The adapters’ use of language successfully conveys the complexities of Indigenous societies. Engaging sidebars with headers such as “To Do” or “Did You Know?” provide additional details about the chapter’s topic or suggest critical thinking activities. Proclamations and legislation (Doctrine of Discovery, Proclamation of 1763, and the Morrill Act) that affected Indigenous peoples are contextualized well. Some terms or phrases are defined within a sentence while others are separated out from the text in footnotes. Excerpts from primary sources, by U.S. presidents and other government officials and Indigenous men and women, are interspersed with photographs, paintings, and maps. Each visual is captioned and relevant to the corresponding text. Source notes and a recommended list of fiction and nonfiction titles, picture books, and novels by Indigenous authors are in the back matter.

Gr 6 Up—This coming-of-age debut tackles what it means to belong. Apple is quirky, blurts things out to classmates, pretends to be a foreign exchange student, and feels responsible for her mother's death. She is Native, living with her nonindigenous family. Her dad and stepmom decide to send her to Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation to stay with her grandparents, strangers to her, over the summer. Apple's cousin Junior becomes her protector, and her cousin Nezzie, her first best friend. Apple is threatened by Karl, a man who knew her mother growing up and does not think she is "Indian" enough. The prologue sets readers up for a scene in which Karl's son chases her into an open grave, where she finally realizes that her mother has been with her all along. An accident at the end of the book challenges the protagonist to figure out her own misgivings and how she can bridge both worlds. Quigley shares the dynamics of reservation life—phrases, puckered lips to point, and extended families with aunties and cousins—with authenticity and warmth. The author drops nuggets of Native history and challenges readers to learn more.

Gr 7 Up—A poignant look at the lives of two best friends, Miikwan and Dez. Miikwan is Anishinaabe; Dez is Inninew. Being Indigenous, they belong to one of the most marginalized populations in Canada, and every day they face the risk of experiencing violence, going missing, or even being murdered. Miikwan's mother is already missing, and Dez is worried about where she will live now that her grandmother has become too ill to be her guardian. Despite all their hardships, the teens endeavor to honor their cultures and navigate an unsafe urban environment. The main characters in this graphic novel are so expressive and authentic, it's impossible not to care for them. The earth-tone palette is appealing, and the backgrounds are dynamic—vivid yet subtle, with real-world places depicted and actual posters for books and albums on indoor walls. There are often spirits present, portrayed in transparent blues for the Indigenous ancestors, who always offer warmth and support, or stark grays and blacks for the alien spirits who identify the predators. The action moves through panels in a multitude of sizes, which advances the action smoothly and enhances the tension of the story line. Factual information is included at the end of the book, along with selected bibliographies for anyone interested in statistics and further reading.

STONEWALL BOOK AWARD

PreS-Gr 2–This well-illustrated and sweet family tale centers on the experiences of a transgender boy. Like Erica Silverman’s Jack (not Jackie), this title portrays parental support and love between siblings. In this story, Aidan has not yet met the baby who will be his sibling, and that’s what has him worried. Will the baby like sea horse or penguin-themed outfits better? If Aidan helps paint the nursery to look like the sky, maybe his new sibling won’t ever feel trapped the way Aidan did in his old room, before his parents knew he was a boy. Aidan does everything he can to prepare (short of accepting his dad’s offer to practice changing diapers), but his excitement shifts to anxiety. What if he’s making mistakes and the baby also ends up feeling misunderstood? Lukoff (himself a transgender man) nails the nuances of Aidan’s conflict, providing believable reassurance through Aidan’s mom, who offers support specific to her son’s experience and proves universally calming advice: “We made some mistakes but you helped us fix them....This baby is lucky to have you and so are we.” Juanita’s playful watercolors make great use of clothing patterns and nature motifs, airily fashioning the sunny world of Aidan’s mostly brown-skinned family and their friends, while framing curious or intrusive strangers from a child’s-eye view.

An SLJ Best Book of 2019.

STONEWALL HONORS

Gr 7 Up–The only world Jam has ever known is that of Lucille, a town where the angels have ostensibly banished the monsters and dismantled the structures that allowed monsters and monstrous deeds to pervade. Lucille is a post-prison, post–school shooting, post–police brutality society. A society where someone like Jam, a selectively mute transgender teen, can live with complete acceptance, support, and love. Still, she can feel the hard truths of the world, can sense them in the air, hear them in words unsaid. When Jam steals into her mother Bitter’s painting studio and unleashes Pet, a winged, horned, eyeless creature and monster hunter, from one of the paintings and into their world, life as she’s known it begins to dissolve. Jam must confront the harsh realities of her world as she tentatively partners with Pet and ventures forward to avenge a wrong not yet discovered. This is a heart-stirring atmospheric page-turner, a terrific and terrible yet quiet adventure. Emezi spins a tale that defies categorization as strikingly as their characters, forcing readers to deeply rethink assumptions about identity, family structure, and justice.

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR LITERATURE—PICTURE BOOK

Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom

by Teresa Robeson (text) & illus. by Rebecca Huang

Sterling . Oct. 2019. 48p. bibliog. further reading. glossary. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781454932208.

K-Gr 2–This biographic picture book chronicles the life of Wu Chien Shiung, with a focus on her career success in physics, as well as obstacles she overcame as an Asian woman, her political advocacy, and her contributions to science. The book also contains a lot of history specific to the last turn of the 20th century. Huang’s pictures are in full color. On each page, the text amounts to less than a quarter of the page. The vocabulary and text concepts are advanced for a picture book, but key terms can be found in the glossary. The book’s format seems best suited for second to third grade readers.

VERDICT This book would make an excellent supplement to support diverse representation, especially about women scientists and/or Asian women battling and overcoming sexism and racism. However, the difficulty of the language and the grade level of the text make it a bit out of reach for the average picture book reader.

Reviewed by Jenifer Pickens, Rippon Middle School, Woodbridge, VA

 

 

PICTURE BOOK HONOR

Bilal Cooks Daal

by Aisha Saeed (text) & illus. by Anoosha Syed

Salaam Reads . Jun. 2019. 40p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781534418103.

PreS-Gr 1–Bilal is excited to introduce his favorite food, daal (South Asian lentils), to his friends. As the story unfolds, it maintains a flow of events that keeps readers in step with the time it takes to cook the dish. The anticipation builds throughout the story and keeps the interest focused on the result. The author uses food as a way to create common ground and bridge cultures. The illustrations are charming and the facial expressions of the children are endearing. The relationship between the dad who enlists his son for assistance in preparing the dish is beautifully captured. The book also shows that the deepest flavors come with ingredients that simmer gently; this teaches patience to youngsters. The story can prompt discussions about friendship, expanding one's palate, measurements, and spices. A fun introduction to cross-cultural sharing but any South Asian cook will testify that it takes no more than two hours to produce the perfect daal, not four to five hours as stated.

VERDICT A warm and inviting story, perfect for sharing before or after enjoying some home-cooked daal.

Reviewed by Noureen Qadir-Jafar, Syosset Library, NY

 

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR LITERATURE—CHILDREN'S 

Stargazing

by Jen Wang (text) & illus. by Jen Wang

First Second . Sept. 2019. 224p. Tr $21.99. ISBN 9781250183873; pap. $12.99. ISBN 9781250183880.

Gr 3-6–With her surreal drawings, her penchant for bright nail polish, her lax study habits, and her inability to speak Chinese, Moon Li is nothing like the other kids in her Chinese American community. And she couldn’t be more different from perfectionist Christine Hong. But when Christine’s parents rent a property to Moon and her mother, who are having trouble making ends meet, it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Free-spirited Moon fascinates Christine. However, when Moon tells Christine that she has visions of celestial beings who will one day take her with them to the skies, where she’ll finally fit in, Christine realizes that her new pal’s confidence masks pain. And when Moon starts to connect with other classmates, Christine’s own insecurities threaten their bond. Relying on a muted palette and careful linework, Eisner Award nominee Wang has crafted an understated, poignant tale of the joy and turmoil of budding friendship. She artfully laces her narrative with questions about identity as Christine and Moon quietly wonder about what it means to belong to a community. Though Wang doesn’t provide pat answers, her characters do manage to carve out a place for themselves.

VERDICT With this spot-on glimpse into the emotional landscape of tweens, Wang joins the ranks of middle grade masters Shannon Hale, Raina Telgemeier, and Cece Bell

Reviewed by ­Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

 

An SLJ Best Book of 2019.

CHECK OUT: Jen Wang Draws from Reality

CHILDREN'S HONOR

I'm Ok

by Patti KIM

288p. S. & S./Atheneum. Oct. 2018. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781534419292.

Gr 5–7—When Ok's beloved father dies in a construction accident, his mother works several jobs but can't make ends meet. Determined to help pay their bills, Ok writes a business plan for a braiding business. He doesn't make much at first, but he gets the attention of lots of girls, including the retro-fashion obsessed Mickey McDonald. Ok thinks things are under control until the suspiciously nice Deacon Kohl from the First Korean Full Gospel Church begins courting his mom. Ok becomes convinced that no one needs him anymore and he hatches a plan to run away. Ultimately, Ok learns he's not alone, friendless, or unwanted. Things might not go the way he wants them to, but he's going to be fine. Ok's hilarious observations shine in this realistic fiction title about conformity, individuality, and loving people for who they are, not who you want them to be. The Korean American characters stand out as the most nuanced and compelling throughout. The culturally authentic details Ok shares in his first-person narration bring his relationship with his parents into sharp focus. Unfortunately, Ok's friends Mickey and Asa speak in pronounced dialects, perhaps to indicate their belonging to uneducated families. Consequently, their dialogue seems exaggerated and their character development suffers. Although the plot has a few logistical holes and the character development is uneven, Ok's sincerity will hook many young readers.

VERDICT The compelling, funny protagonist makes this a solid general purchase for school and public libraries.

Reviewed by Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library

 

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR LITERATURE—YA

They Called Us Enemy

by Takei, George, Justin Eisinger & Steven Scott (text) & illus. by Harmony Becker

Top Shelf Productions . Jul. 2019. 208p. pap. $19.99. ISBN 9781603094504.

Gr 7 Up–In the wake of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, 120,000 Japanese Americans were rounded up, incarcerated in camps, and stripped of freedoms in the name of national security. Among them was future television star and political activist Takei, who as a child was imprisoned along with his family by the U.S. government. Takei, joined by writers Eisinger and Scott, tells a powerful, somewhat nonlinear story spanning 80 years of U.S. history, starting right after Executive Order 9066 was enacted in 1942. The Takeis quickly lost everything they couldn’t carry with them and were treated as criminals, but they persevered and eventually made it out of the camps. As the narrative draws to a close, the writing team strategically refers to the imprisonment of children at the U.S. southern border, the Supreme Court ruling Trump v. Hawaii (which upheld the “Muslim travel ban”), and President Barack Obama’s inaugural address, calling upon readers to ensure that history does not repeat itself. Becker’s grayscale art makes heavy use of patterned hatching to add focused textural intrigue but also casts the individuals in a shadow that reflects what became of their lives. Japanese, used minimally throughout the text, is presented in italics, with translations denoted by an asterisk, though there is at least one occurrence of untranslated Japanese. There is infrequent cursing and violence.

VERDICT This evocative memoir shares stories of the nation’s past, draws heartbreaking parallels to the present, and serves as a cautionary tale for the future. For all readers old enough to understand the importance of our collective history.

Reviewed by Alea Perez, Elmhurst Public Library, IL

 

CHECK OUT: “We Are Better Than This” | SLJ Talks to George Takei

 

YOUNG ADULT HONOR

Frankly in Love

by David Yoon

Putnam . Sept. 2019. 432p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781984812209.

Gr 9 Up–Identity, family, secrets, sacrifice, first love, and transitions all come together in Yoon’s sparkling debut. Frank Li is one of the “Limbos,” a group of second-generation Korean-American children who are forced to hang out once a month when their parents organize dinners that are part support group, part competition. The Limbos are caught between two worlds, a sense Frank keenly feels as he begins dating his first girlfriend, who is white. After his sister is disowned for marrying a Black man, Frank decides to enter a fake relationship with Joy, another Limbo, so that they can both date the people they want without parental involvement. Frank’s romantic relationships change along with his relationship with his family, as he grapples with hard family news. This is an outstanding novel where the emotions are deeply felt but honestly earned. The characters are complex and nuanced, and all are on their own authentic journeys. The highlight of the book is Frank’s voice—he is a sharp observer who is funny, insecure, and deeply conflicted. Yoon’s writing is filled with highly specific descriptions that make Frank’s world feel fully realized, from the fruit-named phone chargers sold at his parents’ store, to his group of unique and nerdy friends, dubbed the “Apeys” for their Advanced Placement course load. This will be a hit with teens who like introspective realistic fiction, romance, and humor.

VERDICT Full of keen observations about love, family, and race with a winning narrator, this is a must-purchase (multiple copies!) for any teen-serving library

Reviewed by Susannah Goldstein, The Brearley School, New York City

 

WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager

by Ben PHILIPPE

384p. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray. Nov. 2018. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780062824110. POP

Gr 7 Up–Seventeen-year-old Norris Kaplan has just had his world turned upside-down. When his mother has to relocate to find work in her field, Norris finds his identity as a Black, French-Canadian hockey fan challenged by his new existence in the suburbs of Austin, Texas. While on the surface this is a classic fish-out-of-water tale, there are many more layers to the story. Lots of different elements of identity are brought to bear in Norris's narration: his Haitian/immigrant heritage, racial identity, and viewpoint on American high school stereotypes. The protagonist's smart and funny demeanor will engage readers, even when he makes obviously bad decisions. Norris is particularly adept at letting his assumptions about his peers impact his ability to relate to them as individuals, either as friends or romantically. The authorial decision to have the "outsider" be the character influenced by stereotypes rather than the opposite makes for a very compelling reversal that ultimately works. The unresolved ending allows teens to revel in the messiness of high school social blunders and see the value in doing the hard work of making amends.

VERDICT A witty debut with whip-smart dialogue that will find much love among fans of authors like John Green and Jason Reynolds.

Reviewed by Kristin Lee Anderson, Jackson County Library Services, OR

 

 

WILLIAM C. MORRIS FINALISTS

The Candle and the Flame

by Nafiza AZAD

416p. glossary. Scholastic. May 2019. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781338306040.

Gr 7 Up—Eighteen-year-old Fatima is a human who carries the fire of the djinn within her. She's a devout Muslim raised by her adopted Hindu family in Noor, a city along the Silk Road, when her parents and all but two other of the city's inhabitants are slain in a massacre by the Shayateen, a class of djinn who thrive on chaos and destruction. Noor emerges from the ashes to become a vibrant multicultural city where Muslims, Hindus, and others live together in a brokered peace maintained by human rule and the protection of the Ifrit Djinn, who value order and reason. There are signs, however, that this peace is under serious threat. When Fatima's presence at the violent death of Firdaus, a powerful Ifrit, transforms her into Fatima Ghazala, she is changed in ways that upend her identity, threaten her relationships, and thrust her into the center of the city's ruling class. Under the protection of the Ifrit's leader, Zulfikar, Fatima finds herself grappling with feelings she's never had before. In this sophisticated debut novel, Azad combines Islamic concepts and Middle Eastern mythology with a variety of other traditions to create a magical treatise on identity, community, friendship, and love. Readers will identify with female characters who struggle against limiting societal expectations. The themes of trauma and grief are treated with care. Azad's vivid depiction of the details of Noor's sights and sounds make the city come alive. Back matter includes a glossary of terms. Readers may also enjoy the forthcoming title We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal.

VERDICT A moving commentary on gender roles, identity, love, and loss, and a first purchase for school and public libraries.

Reviewed by Mahasin A. Aleem, Oakland Public Library, CA

 

Frankly in Love

by David Yoon

Putnam . Sept. 2019. 432p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781984812209.

Gr 9 Up–Identity, family, secrets, sacrifice, first love, and transitions all come together in Yoon’s sparkling debut. Frank Li is one of the “Limbos,” a group of second-generation Korean-American children who are forced to hang out once a month when their parents organize dinners that are part support group, part competition. The Limbos are caught between two worlds, a sense Frank keenly feels as he begins dating his first girlfriend, who is white. After his sister is disowned for marrying a Black man, Frank decides to enter a fake relationship with Joy, another Limbo, so that they can both date the people they want without parental involvement. Frank’s romantic relationships change along with his relationship with his family, as he grapples with hard family news. This is an outstanding novel where the emotions are deeply felt but honestly earned. The characters are complex and nuanced, and all are on their own authentic journeys. The highlight of the book is Frank’s voice—he is a sharp observer who is funny, insecure, and deeply conflicted. Yoon’s writing is filled with highly specific descriptions that make Frank’s world feel fully realized, from the fruit-named phone chargers sold at his parents’ store, to his group of unique and nerdy friends, dubbed the “Apeys” for their Advanced Placement course load. This will be a hit with teens who like introspective realistic fiction, romance, and humor.

VERDICT Full of keen observations about love, family, and race with a winning narrator, this is a must-purchase (multiple copies!) for any teen-serving library

Reviewed by Susannah Goldstein, The Brearley School, New York City

 

 

Genesis Begins Again

by Alicia D. WILLIAMS

384p. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Bks. Jan. 2019. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781481465809.

Gr 5–8—Genesis comes home from school to find her family's belongings on the lawn; they've been evicted again. Her father promises that this next time will be different, renting a house in the suburbs and promising that he will get a promotion at work so they can afford it. At school, Genesis makes friends for the first time and is mentored by Mrs. Hill, the choir teacher, but Genesis's father still drinks too much and her parents' marriage is unraveling. Genesis tries lightening her skin, begs to be able to use relaxer in her hair, and keeps a list of things she hates about herself, believing that if she only looked like her light-skinned mother and not her dark-skinned father, the situation at home would improve. This message is hammered home by her father's cruel comments and her grandmother's story of the "brown paper bag" test. Genesis escapes by singing; she is inspired by greats like Billie Holiday and Etta James. When she has the opportunity to sing in the school talent show, Genesis must find the power in using her voice to speak her truth. Genesis' struggles are age appropriate but do not shy away from the hard truth about colorism within the Afro American community. Through each character, readers come to understand the significance of how one's story plays out in reactions and interactions with the people around them. The hopeful but not happy ending adds to the realism and emotional impact of this powerful story.

VERDICT This is a sensitive and nuanced portrayal of a girl grappling with hard truths about her family and her own feelings of self-worth. A must for all collections.

Reviewed by Kefira Phillipe, Nichols Middle School, Evanston, IL

 

An SLJ Best Book of 2019.

CHECK OUT: Alicia D. Williams on Genesis Begins Again

There Will Come a Darkness

by Katy Rose Pool

Holt . (The Age of Darkness: Bk. 1). Sept. 2019. 496p. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781250211750.

Gr 9 Up–Multiple viewpoints share the narrative in debut author Pool’s imagined world, constructed with hints of Greek and Middle Eastern influences. (For example, places named Pallas Athos, Herat, “the agora,” and Nazirah; meals of lamb stew and pomegranate; characters named Hassan and Ephyra). In this world, the Graced have heightened powers, which make them targets for jealous attacks each time they manifest their enhanced strength, senses, energy, and more. Working-class Anton (with his talent at gambling); prince-in-disguise Hassan; good-hearted Khepri; sisters Ephyra and Beru; and Jude, the Last Prophet and Keeper of the Word, twist in and out of one another’s orbits, caught up in their uncertain times. For the last 100 years, the Age of Darkness has been foretold, and now it looks like these older teens hold the keys to both destruction and salvation. First in a planned trilogy, the book sets the stage rather than concludes the story. The shifting narratives require attention, but there is ample payoff.

VERDICT Teens looking for epic fantasy can immerse themselves in Pool’s world, where the Witnesses have developed deadly Godfire, the Pale Hand is stalking, and the Age of Darkness appears just over the horizon.

Reviewed by Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX

 

THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL AWARD

Stop! Bot!

by James Yang (text) & illus. by James Yang

Viking . Jul. 2019. 40p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780425288818.

PreS-Gr 1–In this book, a boy is enjoying flying his robot outside. He suddenly loses track of the flying bot and desperately wants to get it back. The residents of a building attempt to help him get his robot back as it sails higher and higher alongside the building. Each neighbor uses a unique method to try and stop the bot. These include a trombone, a brush, and silverware among others. These varying methodologies embody the diversity of the hobbies and identities of the people living in the building. The childlike nature of the book’s illustrations make them visually inviting for young children. Geometric shapes are used to illustrate the buildings and windows, and bright pastel colors are blended with vibrant primary colors to create a soft and pleasant look.

VERDICT Yang depicts a group of people from different backgrounds working together to complete a task in this eye catching text; a solid title on teamwork and unity.–

Reviewed by Deanna Smith, Pender County Public Library, NC

 

THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL HONORS

Smell My Foot!

by Cece Bell (text) & illus. by Cece Bell

Candlewick . (Chick and Brain: Bk. 1). Sept. 2019. 72p. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9780763679361.

K-Gr 2–Bell (El Deafo; I Yam a Donkey!; “Rabbit & Robot”) returns with another story about grammar, miscommunication, and odd couple friends. In this graphic novel send-up of the “Dick and Jane” primers, Brain, clad only in heart-patterned boxers and sporting either an external brain or a gray hairdo that resembles one, is trying to convince a politeness-obsessed chick to smell his foot. Chick criticizes Brain’s phrasing (“I will not smell your foot until you say PLEASE”) and intelligence (“Brain, you look very smart...But you are not very smart”). This focus on manners at the expense of kindness almost causes Chick to miss out on what turns out to be Brain’s truly alluring foot odor. When Spot the dog wanders by, sniffs Chick’s foot, and invites the oblivious bird to lunch (as the intended main course), Brain comes to Chick’s rescue by knocking Spot out with the aroma from his (apparently stinky) other foot. New readers may be thrown by the beats of Chick and Brain’s dialogue, since the humor relies on unexpected responses (as in the opening exchange: “HELLO, BRAIN.” “Yeah, I know. I am Brain.”) and discussion of conversational norms. However, the short length and engagingly goofy art—reminiscent of James Proimos’s “Johnny Mutton” series—will be a draw for kids who love quirky characters and the amusing premise.

VERDICT Although not as successful as Bell’s best work, and potentially confusing for some new readers, this hilariously wacky tale will resonate with many children

Reviewed by Miriam DesHarnais, Towson University, MD

 

ROBERT F. SIBERT INFORMATIONAL BOOK AWARD

PreS-Gr 2–Maillard explores the rich and varied cultures of modern Native Americans through the lens of fry bread. Each section opens with “Fry Bread” in red capital letters, followed by a short lyrical verses tying the food to different aspects of Indigenous life. For example, the verse for “Fry Bread Is Time” reads “On weekdays and holidays/Supper or dinner/Powwows and festivals/Moments together/With family and friends.” The verse for “Fry Bread Is History” explains, “The long walk, the stolen land/Strangers in our own world/With unknown food/We made new recipes/From what we had.” Double-page color sketches in muted tones show the diversity of tribal members, with thoughtful details. As elders tell about the Trail of Tears, dark birds turn into sad people in the background. The author, a member of the Seminole Nation, shares his family recipe for fry bread and provides an extensive and thoughtful Author’s Note, providing more information on each topic covered and occasionally calling out special details in the drawings. These notes deal with and dispel many stereotypes associated with Native peoples, while providing historical and contemporary facts.

ROBERT F. SIBERT INFORMATIONAL HONORS

CHECK OUT: Nikki Grimes Explains Why Mental Illness Is Not A Weakness

PreS-Gr 2–This simple introduction to water is an ideal read-aloud for the youngest scientists. Bold, beautiful, and equally simple illustrations are rendered with brush, sumi ink, and digital color. In addition to the brief running narrative, each page or spread features a word that refers to a different form of water ("tear") and descriptive text ("sometimes you slide down my cheek without a sound"). The book makes for a fun guessing game—children will enjoy figuring out, for instance, that "I stomp in you and scatter droplets everywhere" refers to a puddle. The book explores ways water can be found in homes, yards, and neighborhoods (in faucets, hoses, sprinklers) but also describes streams, rivers, oceans, dewdrops, clouds, fog, and icebergs. The final page shows a girl in the bath and her toy whale spouting sprays of water. Appended are accessible explanations about water forms, the water cycle, and conservation. The endpapers sport thick brushstroke waves in grays and blues.

MILDRED L. BATCHELDER HONORS

SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARDS—YOUNG CHILDREN

YOUNG CHILDREN'S HONOR

SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARDS—MIDDLE GRADE 

MIDDLE GRADE HONOR

CHECK OUT: Finding the Kindling for Each Tiny Spark with Pablo Cartaya

SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARDS—TEEN 

TEEN HONOR

SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS—PICTURE BOOK

PICTURE BOOK HONORS

Gr 2–5—"What if Mama's cousin Mendel doesn't like me?…What if English is too hard to learn? What if I never see Mama again?" Nine-year-old Gittel is alone on a ship to America after her mother's eye infection causes a health inspector to refuse the woman passage. Finding comfort in Basha, a favorite rag doll, Mama's candlesticks, and some children on board, Gittel finally steps foot on Ellis Island only to learn that the precious folded paper with cousin Mendel's address is watermarked and illegible. Not even knowing Mendel's last name, the girl feels that her situation is hopeless until a kindly Yiddish interpreter comes up with the perfect solution. Newman based the book on two true family stories. An author's note includes photos as well as a brief history of the approximate three million Eastern European Jews who fled the shtetls and pogroms in the early 1900s. A short glossary of Yiddish words and phrases and a bibliography are also appended. The book is beautifully designed and illustrated; blue endpapers feature prints of the ship approaching Lady Liberty, while the other pages are light brown with black printed borders or classical arches. The watercolor illustrations artfully capture an era and people, from their simple woolen clothes to their expressive faces.

Gr 2-5–Levy’s captivating picture book biography tells the story of Flory Jagoda, known today as the “Keeper of the Flame” of Sephardic culture and music. The narrative begins centuries after Flory’s descendants, the Altaras family, were expelled from Spain during the Inquisition due to their Sephardic identity. After centuries of living peacefully in Bosnia, Flory’s family had to escape the dangers of World War II for the same reason. Forced to flee her home for America, Flory relied on music to stay connected to her family’s heritage, even as war ravaged her home and stole away her loved ones. Levy’s writing and Wimmer’s mixed-media illustrations strike the perfect synergy, working together to celebrate music, heritage, and family histories. The writing is poetic and lyrical, effortlessly weaving centuries of history into the story while maintaining a strikingly intimate tone. Wimmer’s illustrations are nuanced, and readers will enjoy discovering new details upon each rereading of the book.

SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS—MIDDLE GRADE

MIDDLE GRADE HONORS

SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS—YA HONORS

EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION AWARD

Free Lunch

by Rex Ogle

Norton Young Readers . Sept. 2019. 208p. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781324003601.
Gr 6-8–Heart-wrenching, timely, and beautifully written, this is a powerful and urgent work of autofiction. Telling his own story of growing up in Texas, Ogle looks back at starting middle school while navigating the crushing poverty and intermittent violence of his home life. It is especially humiliating to sixth-grade Rex that he is required to announce his free lunch status every day in the school cafeteria, wear secondhand clothes, and give excuses for not playing football when the truth is that there’s no money for the uniform. At home, where he lives with his unemployed mother and her boyfriend, Rex is the one who cares for his baby brother, balances the checkbook, and cooks dinner. His mother, overwhelmed and hopeless, clearly loves Rex, but does not know how to care for her sensitive son. At school, Rex struggles to maintain friendships with boys who have joined the football team and to make new friends—until he meets Ethan, a classmate who encourages Rex to recognize that every family is complicated. He also has to contend with his English teacher, Mrs. Winstead, who does not miss an opportunity to make Rex feel bad about himself. Over time, and with the support of his loving Mexican grandmother, Rex grows into an empathetic boy who begins to recognize the hardships his mother faces and starts to look outward in ways not restricted by his immediate situation.

EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FINALISTS

Gr 7 Up–Readers of Marrin’s new biography will learn that the only memorial stone in the cemetery of the razed Treblinka extermination camp is that of Janusz Korczak (the pen name of Henryk Goldszmit). The outline of his life is sketchy, as most documents have been lost. Korczak was a pediatrician who served Poland in three wars and volunteered for World War II. Nicknamed the Old Doctor, he is primarily known for his work caring for orphans in the Warsaw ghetto. He believed that children should be treated with respect and as individuals, rather than as objects to be molded by adults. Korczak protected the orphans through the Holocaust, turning down several opportunities to escape. On August 5, 1942, a Nazi patrol rounded up everyone in the Dom Sierot orphanage and marched them to trains headed to Treblinka. None survived. In a larger sense, this volume is about Hitler, his racist agenda, and his attitude toward children (and humanity in general), which stands in sharp contrast to the philosophy of Korczak. Marrin describes the horrors of the Holocaust in graphic detail. Often disturbing black-and-white photos enhance the text. Extensive notes for each chapter, accompanied by a comprehensive bibliography and an excellent index, make this book a good research source.

Gr 5-8–Heiligman tells a story of bravery, courage, and despair through the eyes of the passengers on the SS City of Benares, a ship commissioned to sail to Canada with 100 children on board during World War II. The SS City of Benares was torpedoed by a German submarine. The imagery of the waves hitting the lifeboats and rafts as the survivors hung on for life is so vivid that readers almost feel as if they, too, are fighting for their lives. Heiligman includes information about the lascars, or Indian sailors, many of whom gave their lives to save as many people as they could. The book is filled with photographs, illustrations, and letters written from the children to their families, as well as the telegraphs reporting the deaths of those on board. The extensive back matter, paired with the author’s deft narrative touch, makes this title a must purchase for libraries, a must-read for all, and a beautiful memorial for those who perished in this tragic event.

ALEX AWARDS (Adult Books for Young Adults)

In mesmerizing prose, Cruz (Let It Rain Coffee; Soledad) captures the heartbreaking coming of age of Ana Cancion. Based on Cruz’s mother’s story, the novel centers on 15-year-old Ana’s transactional marriage to the much-older Juan Ruiz and her immigration to the United States from the Dominican Republic in the 1960s, after dictator Rafael Trujillo’s assassination. It also provides a window into the changing landscape of Harlem during the time period, as our resourceful young heroine must figure out how to survive New York City’s cold winters, her abusive husband, and being thousands of miles away from her family. Flashbacks of her life on the island serve as points of comparison for Ana—the short passages conjure moments of both trauma and bliss. She finds solace (and love) in her brother-in-law’s arms and her eventual pregnancy. It’s these two things, along with learning English, her beloved faceless “Dominicana” doll, and her burgeoning entrepreneurial skills that help her find her voice.

Gr 9 Up–Kobabe, who uses the pronouns e, em, and eir, was assigned female at birth but never felt that this designation fit. As e grew up, e learned about the spectrum of gender designations and settled on nonbinary as the best descriptor. E came out to eir family as nonbinary and asexual and found that eir family supported em however e identified. In this memoir, Kobabe chronicles eir life from the time e was very young through eir coming of age and adulthood. E describes common situations from the perspective of someone who is asexual and nonbinary: starting a new school, getting eir period, dating, attending college. The muted earth tones and calm blues match the hopeful tone and measured pacing. Matter-of-fact descriptions of gynecological exams and the use of sex toys will be enlightening for those who may not have access to this information elsewhere.

Middlegame 

This epic sci-fi adventure will grab fans of Doctor Who and Blade Runner. Twins Roger and Dodger were genetically manufactured in a lab so that their psychotic creator, Reed, who is also genetically manufactured, could unlock godlike powers. The twins are separated and raised on opposite ends of the country. Despite the distance, they are linked and nothing will stop them from connecting with each other. The plot is intricate yet fast paced, with classic sci-fi elements such as genetic engineering, psychic links, alternate dimensions, and time loops. The book follows the protagonists through elementary to graduate school, and teens will readily identify with the characters' thoughts and actions.

DEBUT Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of U.S. President Ellen Claremont, doesn’t consider Prince Henry of Wales his arch-nemesis, not exactly. It’s just that Henry is a generic blank canvas with zero personality and a truly unfair resemblance to a real-life Prince Charming, and Alex can’t help despising every bland thing about him. After the two have a very public confrontation at a royal wedding, damage control is required from both sides of the pond. In order to maintain friendly international relations, Alex is forced to pretend to be longtime best friends with Henry. When the two actually spend time together, however, they learn that there is much more to the other than they’d realized. As a contentious reelection campaign for Ellen looms on the horizon, Alex and Henry tentatively forge a genuine friendship, which grows into more, until reaching an inevitable boiling point.

See also SLJ's additional coverage of the 2020 Youth Media Awards.