Geo Librarian

LIGHT FOR ALL by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Raul Colon Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5344-5727-0 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Cover image comes from Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A lyrical and unifying picture book that “will inspire young readers” and “magnificently showcases the immigrant experience” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) in America from Newbery Honoree Margarita Engle and award-winning illustrator Raúl Colón. Discover the myriad contributions that all immigrants have made as they come to join family or start their own lives together in a new country they call home. Coming with their hopes, dreams, and determination, generations of immigrants have made the fabric of this country diverse, vivid, and welcoming. This vibrant and timely celebration demonstrates the thousands of immigrants who built America and the importance of having acceptance and light for everyone. REVIEW This lovely p...

CHUNKY by Yehudi Mercado Katherine Tegan Books, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-297278-1 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Graphic Novel--speculative  All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover obtained from goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Yehudi Mercado draws inspiration from his childhood struggle with his weight while finding friendship with his imaginary mascot, Chunky, as he navigates growing up in a working-class Mexican Jewish family. Hudi needs to lose weight, according to his doctors. Concerned about the serious medical issue Hudi had when he was younger, his parents push him to try out for sports. Hudi would rather do anything else, but then he meets Chunky, his imaginary friend and mascot. Together, they decide to give baseball a shot. Hudi has found the cheerleader he never had, as Chunky cheers him on even when Hudi barely makes the team. Baseball doesn’t go well (unless getting hit by the ball counts), but the two friends have a great time drawing and making jokes. While Hudi’s...

NOT THAT PET! by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw Candlewick Press, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-5362-1776-6 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Cover image obtained from Goodreads.com REVIEW This hilarious tale follows the misadventures of young Mabel and her family as they try to choose a family pet.  Naturally, Mabel starts the process by choosing an elephant.  After getting sat on by said pet, the mother insists Mabel choose a smaller pet.  But ants, it turns out, are too small and get lost in Dad's underpants.  And so it goes as the family then proceeds to go through a skunk, a python, a spider, and several other animals. What makes it especially funny is that the children take the chaos all in stride, it's the parents and grandparents who get upset.  Finally, Mabel realizes that the best pet would be something "furry and sweet".  She lists every characteristic she can think of for the best pet an...

THE FAITH OF ELIJAH CUMMINGS: The North Star of Equal Justice written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Laura Freeman Random House Studio, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-593-30650-5 Source: Blue Slip Media Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Cover image copyrighted by illustrator/publisher, obtained through Goodreads. ABOUT THE BOOK Congressman and civil rights advocate Elijah Cummings dedicated his life to public service. This comprehensive and visually stunning biography details his humble beginnings and unwavering faith as he waged an endless battle for truth, justice, and equality. We can do better. When Elijah Cummings was a little boy, he struggled in school. His teachers thought he talked too much and asked too many questions. They said he'd never be able to read or write well. Despite his difficulties, Elijah never gave up. He persevered, having faith that with hard work, he'd be able to achieve his goals. Best known as a voice for people of color and an ad...

MY GRANDMA'S PHOTOS by Ozge Bahar Sunar, illustrated by Senta Urgan translated by Amy Marie Spangler Amazon Crossing Kids, 2022 ISBN: 978-1542031158 Source: Blue Slip Media Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. All images provided by Blue Slip Media Book description comes from Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Ali’s grandma can’t hear or see very well these days, and she doesn’t remember very much anymore. But Ali likes hanging out with her. So when Ali’s mom takes out a wooden trunk full of Grandma’s old photos, he sits with his grandmother, trying to figure out who is in all the old pictures. At first, his grandma doesn’t seem to remember. But with a little help from Ali, she is soon sailing through the photos—and taking Ali along with her through the wondrous journey of her life. With daring, joy, and love, Ali’s grandma shows him the importance of making and sharing beautiful memories that will live on in the ones we love. First published in Turkey, this endearing pict...

PLAYING WITH LANTERNS by Wang Yage, illustrated by Zhu Chengliang translated by Helen Wang Amazon Crossing Kids, 2021 ISBN: 9781542029842 Source: Blue Slip Media for Review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. All images provided by Blue Slip Media. ABOUT THE BOOK Zhao Di wishes the New Year would never end! Zhao Di and her friends are excited to go out at night with their paper lanterns and celebrate Chinese New Year. Each holding a unique colorful lantern with a lit candle inside, they admire the breathtaking colors while doing their best to avoid the wind and the sneaky boys in the village. Every night, until the fifteenth day of New Year, Zhao Di and her friends take part in this fun tradition, experiencing the thrill of nighttime in their village. And then—it’s time to smash the lanterns! In this cheerful book first published in China, readers are invited along with Zhao Di and her friends as they experience all the joy and excitement of this folk Chinese custom. Det...

CORNBREAD & POPPY by Matthew Cordell Little, Brown & Company, 2022 ISBN: 978-0-7595-5486-3 Source: purchased Ages 6-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Cover image & book description from Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Caldecott medalist Matthew Cordell debuts his first early reader series about two best friends who are as different from each other as can be. Cornbread LOVES planning. Poppy does not. Cornbread ADORES preparing. Poppy does not. Cornbread IS ready for winter. Poppy...is not. But Cornbread and Poppy are the best of friends, so when Poppy is left without any food for the long winter, Cornbread volunteers to help her out. Their search leads them up, up, up Holler Mountain, where these mice might find a new friend...and an old one. Celebrating both partnership and the value of what makes us individuals, young readers will find this classic odd-couple irresistible as they encounter relatable issues with humor and heart. REVIEW This adorable early reader fol...

INTERRUPTING CHICKEN: COOKIES FOR BREAKFAST by David Ezra Stein Candlewick Press, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0778-1 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Wake up! The little red chicken is hungry--and sillier than ever--in her latest star turn since debuting in the Caldecott Honor Book Interrupting Chicken. It's bright and early on a Saturday morning, and the little red chicken wants cookies for breakfast. What better way to persuade Papa than by jarring him awake and gleefully interjecting cookies--and herself!--into every nursery rhyme they read together? Though the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe heartily endorses the little red chicken's plan, Papa has his own idea for a sweet breakfast for his determined daughter. Featuring the same riotous charm and bright, bold art as Interrupting Chicken and Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise, David Ezra Stein's third installment will have any fan with a sweet tooth an...

THE GENIUS UNDER THE TABLE Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Eugene Yelchin Candlewick Press, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5362-1552-6 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK With a masterful mix of comic timing and disarming poignancy, Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin offers a memoir of growing up in Cold War Russia. Drama, family secrets, and a KGB spy in his own kitchen! How will Yevgeny ever fulfill his parents' dream that he become a national hero when he doesn't even have his own room? He's not a star athlete or a legendary ballet dancer. In the tiny apartment he shares with his Baryshnikov-obsessed mother, poetry-loving father, continually outraged grandmother, and safely talented brother, all Yevgeny has is his little pencil, the underside of a massive table, and the doodles that could change everything. With equal amounts charm and solemnity, award-winning author and artist Eugene Yelchin recounts in hilarious detail his childhood...