RICBA Nominees 2019

I finally finished all 20! Summer project completed. Here's what I thought of them ... favorites at the top. Which will be the ones I try hardest to get the kids to read. Hey, it worked with "The Wild Robot" last year!


Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Delightful. I want Eggers to write more nonfiction for kids.


The Real McCoys by Matthew Swanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Silly mystery, riotously illustrated. I am in awe of how much work went into the design of each page.





Walking with Miss Millie by Tamara Bundy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Solid coming-of-age novel with some good advice from Miss Millie that I plan to use this school year:

p 124: "You're never too old to be hurt just a little. But if you're lucky, one day you be smart enough to quit putting yourself in the situations that hurt ya."

p. 192: "I learned it's okay to get mad. It's okay to get sad, but after all that gettin' mad and sad, ya gotta get smart. Ya gotta take a step back, away from all your hurtin', and figure out what ya can change and what ya can't."


Sergeant Reckless: The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero by Patricia McCormick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She ate poker chips and a ceremonial blanket? Ugh. My stomach hurts.

Lively writing and a truly interesting topic.


Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing by Kay Haring
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this better the second time I read it, because I was no longer expecting the text to tell me a ton of biographical information. Instead, it's a celebration of art and generosity.



The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! by Carmen Agra Deedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can just HEAR Carmen Agra Deedy telling the story. #RESIST!





The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Why did I never learn about the kids getting themselves thrown in jail???? Timely in the wake of the Parkland kids' activism.


Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Joseph is an appealing character.

p. 6: "People think having ADD means I can't focus, but that's not really true. I focus very well -- just on the wrong things."

p. 30: "I try to figure out what number I'd have -- if I'd be in the 900s for being from New York, the 400s for speaking English, the 500s for being a primate, or back in the 100s for going to the school psychologist. I wonder who decide which part of you is the most important, and if they're always right."

p. 98: His worry list ... I agree that "it's never too early to start worrying," and that "nothing is too little or unimportant!"

p. 164: When he things he sees "an ab" in the mirror.

p. 191: "'My mom says it's sunny practically every day there. You can surf all year and there are palm trees and coconuts.' I want to say that coconuts fall on your head and sunburn gives you cancer and sharks eat surfers for breakfast."


I'm Just No Good at Rhyming: And Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups by Chris Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Much better than a lot of children's "poetry" out there these days.




Nightmare Escape by Greg Grunberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good setup for a series. Heavy on graphics, which is the point of graphic novels. My kids are going to eat this up and beg for #2. I have to say, I'm a little suspicious of Jake's business plan ... is he involved in this somehow? Like a certain character in The Riverman?



Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pleasant, quick read that I think my kids will stick with.

Middle school drama: "Maddie has nothing to live down and nothing to live up to. I'm more than a little jealous."

Writing prompts from Mrs. Barlow: "Why me?"; "If you had to spend a week living inside any book, which would you choose and why?"; "Write a thank-you note to an uncle who sent you a can of chicken soup for your birthday".


The Marvelwood Magicians by Diane Zahler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Oops, I never added this to Goodreads when I read it months ago. I remember liking the way the reader slowly figures out what Master Morogh is up to. But I also remember not loving the plotting of the big showdown.




A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sweet.






Curse of the Boggin by D.J. MacHale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Horror for the middle-grade set. My students are going to love it. I just wish we didn't have to wait for more books to figure out why Michael Swenor did what he did.


The Time Museum by Matthew Loux
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I think I would have liked it better as all words v. GN. I was confused several times, but intrigued enough about the Gray Earl that I'll probably skim the next one.



The Losers Club by Andrew Clements
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Too didactic for me. Maybe would have added another star if "The Westing Game" or "Mixed-Up Files" had been included.

I also had a problem with the way the after-school program was set up. Why on earth wouldn't the kids all be rotating through different activities?


Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted more information. Like Foldies and Crunchies ... I read an article a couple of years about the recipe development. I felt like some details were missing and others were superfluous ... like telling us that the first Locol was across the street from Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary School.

I try to read the RICBA picture books to my kids, but I don't know that I will bother with this one.


The Trail by Meika Hashimoto
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a slog to finish. Wake up. Hike. Think. Make camp. Repeat. Sometimes meet some other people. Did not like Lucas' voice. Did not need to know about every single Snickers bar Toby ate.

I did appreciate the tip about putting metal spoons into a pot of soup to keep it from burning. And to remove skunk smells with hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish detergent.

p. 126: "Maybe life isn't about luck, good or bad. Maybe it's a lot about leaning on others when things get rough. And being leaned on in return."


Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I'm sure Maddie is a lovely child in real life, and I appreciate that her parents wanted to celebrate her, and I'm sorry they all went through a medical crisis. But. I could not stand this book. The tone was irritating, and I wanted to incinerate all of the mustaches by the end.



The Wizard's Dog by Eric Kahn Gale
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Could not bring myself to finish. Disappointed - I usually love anything to do with Arthurian legend.

Best Reads of July 2018

Summer vacation means way more reading time! Here are my favorites from July. Click on the titles to read plot summaries. If you'd like to see all of my books, you can follow me on Goodreads.

Picture Books

Idea Jar by Adam Lehrhaupt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every creative writing teacher needs this to share with their students!



Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Simple and sweet. Thank you, Abuela. #acceptance



Vernon Is on His Way: Small Stories by Philip C. Stead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's a miracle ... a Stead book I actually really like! Even more miraculous is that I had rated "A Home for Bird" 1 star. But this one made me smile. It reminded me of Frog and Toad a little, with the slow pace and thoughtful (if silly) characters.


Can Somebody Please Scratch My Back? by Jory John
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Point off for Elephant turning out to be quite rude.



Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lovely little snapshot of how to appreciate your heritage.



Run Wild by David Covell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The 5-year-old I thought would love it didn't, but I still like it! Nice little allegory near the end, too.



The Field by Baptiste Paul
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Exuberant.


Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wonder if I could use it for a lesson. Maybe the kids could pretend they got mailed somewhere and make a postcard to send back?

Middle Grade Novels

Bob by Wendy Mass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I want a Bob in my closet! His voice cracked me up.






Front Desk by Kelly Yang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Powerful depiction of an immigrant family trying to make it. Or at least keep a roof over their heads. It gets a little "It's A Wonderful Life" at the end, but we could all use a happy ending. Mia pretty much is the embodiment of grit.

p. 82: "I used to think being successful meant having enough to eat, but now that I was getting free lunch at school, I wondered if I should set my standards higher."


The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Refreshing angle for the standard "Will I fit in at middle school" plot premise with lots of funny lines.





Hunger: A Tale of Courage by Donna Jo Napoli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As soon as I started this, I remembered why I had read so much of Napoli's work back in the day ... she's a darn good writer. But oh, this book is so bleak. Which is realistic. But I felt guilty about eating a snack while reading it ... so I made a donation to the RI Food Bank.

Nonfiction

Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere by Barb Rosenstock
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Crisp writing about an interesting project. The account of the descent was thrilling. Extra star for Katherine Roy's notes about creating the illustrations. Solid nonfiction that's a nice break from the frenetically formatted publisher series.


Speediest!: 19 Very Fast Animals by Steve Jenkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lots of good info, in digestible format. A hit with a 5- and 7-year-old of my acquaintance. Both of whom kept asking me how fast they could run. I have found myself sharing some of the facts with grownups. I predict this will be a hit at my libraries.