571: Graphic Novel - This Was Our Pact

Andrews, R. (2019). This Was Our Pact. First Second.

This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews is a children’s graphic novel written for ages 9 - 12, grades 4 - 6. Separated into eight chapters, beautifully illustrated,the backdrop to this story is a mythic autumn equinox festival, where members of a nameless town send paper lanterns down a river that runs through town as a tradition every year. Ben, along with four of his friends, make a pact to follow the lanterns down the river as far as they go to see what happens to them. As they go farther and farther from town, following the river on their bikes, each of his friends begins to drop off until Nathaniel is left - the kid no one likes, the one everyone wants to leave behind (he’s nerdy! He likes space camp!) When only Nathaniel and Ben are left do the interesting, magically realistic things begin to happen as the boys encounter new beings and new territory. As they press on, the landscape and beings they meet take on an almost dreamlike quality: the forest becomes thicker but more serene than dangerous, encountering creatures who also have mythic lore and traditions about the lanterns that float down the river each year, a giant crow drawing a map from memory after Ben and Nathaniel lose the river. Moving through each chapter, one can’t help but feel an unplaceable sense of nostalgia: the beings, the landscapes, the problems the boys must solve are all familiar but it is hard to place why; you just know that it is. Nothing is scary or insurmountable - Ben and Nathaniel’s only goal is to follow the lanterns and while the ending (they do find out what happens to the lanterns of course) is a little lackluster, it is mythical and fantastical and very much “it’s the journey not the destination”/FRIENDSHIP. 

This would be a great comic for a Tween bookclub or even a comic workshop. Ryan Andrews keeps to a mostly blue color palette in this book with the exception of a flashback scene and some small instances of yellows, reds and purples. This highlights the focus on the nighttime, the stars, the landscape. It would be a good example to use in color theory/color landscape in an art class. 

Awards: 

2019 Booklist Editor's Choice, 2019 Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year and 2019 Parents Magazine Best Children's Book of the Year

571: Picture Book - Evergreen

Cordell, M. (2023). Evergreen. Feiwel & Friends.

Evergreen is Matthew Cordell's newest picture book, released February of this year (2023) for ages 2 - 5, more specifically grades 1 - 2. Comparatively, and keeping in mind the rest of his author/illustrator repertoire, Evergreen is one of his longer picture books, being broken up into six parts that make it reminiscent of an Early Reader. The book follows Evergreen, a scaredy squirrel, on her journey to deliver some healing soup to a sick friend. Evergreen must overcome obstacles including a hawk, countless terrain and not to mention many forest creatures who want a taste of the precious soup. The adventure, all in all, helps her discover her own confidence and self-advocacy and how we are often the ones who most limit ourselves. By the end of the book Evergreen is ready to run more errands to friends in need.

The illustrations are classic Cordell - his signature, scratchy archival ink over muted watercolors. Evergreen dons a muted red cape - she is going on a journey through the perilous forest to deliver food to a sick loved one after all. And while the story structure very loosely follows a Red Riding Hood plot, the story itself and the illustrations feature Cordell's usual humorous moments and expressive characters. There is plenty of action and the fact that it is broken up into parts make it an interesting picture book. This is definitely a picture book for older kids as some pages are very text heavy but there is a good balance between text heavy pages vs. illustration heavy pages. There is only one double page spread in the whole book - the rest feature a good combination of text and framed illustrations - there is plenty of blank boarder space (which is typical for his books) so things don't feel too cluttered. This book would be a great picture book to read to Kindergarten or First grade, especially if you bring the sequencing elements and Red Riding Hood similarities/differences into the discussion.

In terms of Read-Alikes, this book was a little hard to place because there is a lot to consider: the fact that it's broken down into parts (like small chapters), the word density, the sequencing elements, etc. Here are some that work for different reasons.

Cornbread & Poppy series written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell

This is a bit obvious as it's by the same author and while there is no direct evidence of this, Evergreen very much has the feel of taking place in the same...forest shall we say, as Cornbread & Poppy. Forest creatures in cute sweaters who live in cozy homes and need soup when they get sick all while existing in the real-world animal food chain. Cornbread & Poppy follows the tried-and-true Early Reader formula: 2 besties, total opposites, adventures (sometimes scary but always working out in the end) ensue. I include this as a read alike since both books are broken down in the same way: Evergreen in parts, Cornbread & Poppy in early reading chapters. What I'm trying to say is I think Cordell just wanted to make an early reader in picture book format.

Cordell, M. (2022). Cornbread and Poppy. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

This book puts more meat - in that hilarious way that only Mac Barnett can seem to do - on an already well-known story. This is a read-alike for the sequencing elements as well as the word structure and density. It's a little longer than most versions, same grade range in terms of reading ability as Evergreen; it's also hilarious and an excellent book for Preschool read-aloud.

Barnett, M. (2022). The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Scholastic Incorporated.

Farmhouse written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Farmhouse is written for the same age range and also has similar sequencing elements. Like Evergreen and The Three Billy Goats Gruff mentioned above, you can read these books to or with a younger audience and they would enjoy them, but some of the word density and story nuance would be lost on them. It is the same with Farmhouse. In Farmhouse, the sequencing occurs in the passing of time and keeping track of certain elements of the illustrations. Its rhyming structure is more complex than other rhyming picture books and it has a similar word density as the other three books.

Blackall, S. (2022). Farmhouse. Little, Brown.

571: Audiobook - The Journey of Little Charlie

Curtis, C.P. (2018). The Journey of Little Charlie. (M. Crouch, Narr.; C.P. Curtis, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Overdrive. https://clevnet.overdrive.com/clevnet-geauga/content/media/3602502

The Journey of Little Charlie is the third book in Christopher Paul Curtis’ Buxton trilogy, for ages 8 - 12. The story begins in Possum Moan, South Carolina in the year 1858 and this already tells us a lot: pre-Civil war South. Charlie Bobo is the son of White sharecroppers and when his father unexpectedly dies, he must settle his father’s debts by helping a plantation overseer-turned-bounty-hunter Cap’n Buck capture some enslaved persons who fled to the North. If you’re familiar with the previous books in this series, this brings Cap’n Buck and Charlie to Buxton, a free town in Ontario, Canada, where the other two books are set. When Charlie arrives in Buxton and meets the formerly enslaved people he’s supposed to assist in capturing, he has a crisis of conscience. What makes this interesting and what makes this story work is the fact that Charlie’s story is from the perspective of a poor, White, Southerner - he and his family are not enslaved and they are free, a lot of their lives depends on whose land they farm and what work they can come by. So when Charlie arrives in Buxton, a town founded and built by formerly enslaved African Americans who fled the South via the Underground Railroad - he can’t make sense of it. At first he feels angry and vengeful - how come these “slaves” get to live so well, better than he does at home? As the story progresses, he begins asking himself the right questions - why isn’t anyone allowed to live this well at home, including me? How is that right? He also begins to question if he can be complicit in an act like this - these people are now Canadian citizens and cannot legally be taken back to the United States.

Like the previous two books, this book has been written in dialect - it made for a really great listen and Michael Crouch really does an amazing job as narrator. The accent and the dialect is spot on and it sets the tone and creates the atmosphere. This would be a great accompaniment to any school history curriculum for this age - even to just listen to as a class. It would also be a great book club read! 

571: PebbleGo (database from TEL)

"Printmaking". (2023 May 3). PebbleGo. https://pgoplayer.pebblego.com/articles/8911

PebbleGo is a educational resource website available through the Tennessee Electronic Library that is for grades K - 2. Even as an out of state resident (for the sake of this assignment), all I had to do was list a city and a zip code to access PebbleGo through the Elementary School Resources page on the TEL.

When taken to the PebbleGo homepage, it gives you the options of choosing Science (Ciencia) or Social Studies (Estudios Sociales) - props for having a Spanish speaking/reading option! At first glance, this appears rather limited in terms of subject matter but upon further exploration, between the 2 options, covers just about anything you could think of. For example, when I clicked Science, I was taken to a range about 10 topics including Earth & Space Sciences, Technology and Methods of Making Art - which of course is what grabbed my attention. PebbleGo works in a easily accessible and exploratory way - what is included under each of these topics is surprising! Under Methods of Making Art, you are given the option of learning about anything from All About Colors, Comic Making, Fiber Arts...as it is my former academic specialty I chose Printmaking. This takes you to a page, with easy-to-navigate tabs like What is Printmaking?, Materials, Ways to Make Prints, Printmaking Then & Now and Famous Printmakers. Each page includes key words you can click on to learn even more. Along the bottom, there is the option of printing each article, citing each article and more activities and videos about the topic. When you are done exploring your chosen topic, it is easy to return to the home page. The interface is colorful and uncluttered - it is easy to find something specific while also being easy for kids who just want to randomly explore the material offered. There are many pictures and other visual aids that can help an early reader navigate this webpage - it is definitely designed with its audience in mind. Another great aid for early readers or the visually impaired is that you can opt into an audio hover option which will speak whatever you hover over or click on. All in all, this is a great resource for any library or school to offer!

571: Fiction - Small Spaces

Arden, K. (2018.). Small Spaces. J.P. Putnam's Sons.

Small Spaces, written by Katherine Arden, is a horror/mystery novel written for ages 10 -12 (or grades 5 -6). Arden is primarily known for her Winternight Trilogy for adult readers and Small Spaces was her first foray into writing for kids.

This books has everything:

family tragedy.

a dad who bakes bread.

Fall y'all! Chilly weather! Pumpkins! Farm animals! Scarecrows! But NOT Halloween fall.

silly adults who get/got in way over their heads making deals with demonic and malevolent entities.

a mysterious book that may not actually be fictional.

enemies to friends.

children turning into SMILING, CREEPY SCARECROWS.

solving a corn maze IN THE FOG. WITH YOUR SOUL ON THE LINE.

MORE silly adults who don't actually believe what's going on.

truly scary moments that are full of suspense.

ALL IN A SLIM 216 PAGES.

Arden is an excellent writer who gets straight to the point - she sets the tone and the pacing of the book beautifully. She gives you all of the important information that gets you immersed but doesn't bog you down with unnecessary details. Ollie Adler, after a terrible tragedy, is not the same girl she used to be. While no longer interested in the things she was - math (smart), chess (resourceful, patient), softball (athletic) and her friends - she still sticks up for the new girl getting bullied and stands up to the kid doing the bullying (Surprise! They all become friends because shared trauma). We find all of this out in Chapter One - each chapter is just as succinct but informative in moving the story along. Nothing is lost; enough mystery to keep you turning the pages but you're never confused or in the dark about what's happening. When Ollie first encounters a mysterious book, then a class field trip begins to go eerily awry, it's almost as if Arden keeps most of the book more spare so that she can really zero on on the moments of scary suspense. The breathing slows, our characters - alone in the woods, unseasonable fog rolling in, night falling quickly - hear every scraping sound, trying to make themselves smaller, harder to grab. They need to figure out what's happening because time is running out and the Smiling Man doesn't like to be kept waiting.

This is a good book for this age range because if it were any more detailed, complicated or longer it would lose the audience. If it were any shorter it would take away from the mystery/horror elements it needs to work. For any younger ages, it would almost be too scary. Arden keeps the scary suspense up until the final moment - you really don't know if these kids are going to succeed, or if they do, it will come at a price? And while there are hopeful, outwitting, good vs. evil moments, instead of leaving the story at "We won!", Arden leaves it at "Until next time, kiddies!" Spooky!

Awards: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (2020)

Some Read-Alikes...

Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh

Spirit Hunters has a little more age range than Small Spaces (ages 8 - 12, Grades 3 - 7) and has more detail and story-building. Possession by a malevolent entity - knowingly and unknowingly - are the base spookies in this story. What is really neat is how this is resolved with the help of Korean folklore and mythology. Other themes include family history, moving to a new neighborhood and sibling relationships. Plot moves a little slower, Ellen Oh's writing style is more nuanced and leaves space for how different cultures view and respond to horror and superstitious elements. Really neat!

Oh, E. (2017). Spirit Hunters. Harper Collins.

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste

For ages 9 - 12 and grades 4 - 7, The Jumbies is the first book in a trilogy written by Tracey Baptiste and based in Caribbean folklore. Jumbies are malevolent entities in this book and are essentially the evil spirits of dead people who were evil in life (evil in life, evil in death). This book does a great job, like Spirit Hunters, of exposing young readers to folklore's/superstitions from different cultures and regions of the world.

Baptiste, T. (2015.). The Jumbies. Algonquin Young Readers.

The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox

For ages 10 - 13 (Grades 5 - 7), The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle is a historical/mystery/horror novel for children. Taking place during WWII in Scotland, the children are sent to Rookskill Castle to avoid the Blitz before realizing that something sinister is going on as children keep disappearing. Is it spies? Is it ghosts? There's any number of things that could want/feed on the souls of children! Maybe some people just don't like kids. Props for frequent use of the word chatelaine - and as a plot device!

Fox, J. (2017). The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle. Viking Books for Young Readers.

571: Early Reader - Gigi and Ojiji

Iwai, M. (2022). Gigi and Ojiji. (M. Iwai, Illus.). Harper Collins Publishers.

Awards: Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book 2023

Gigi and Ojiji is an Level 3 Early Reader book that is part of Harper Collins' I Can Read! books. Level 3 is the highest level and intended for ages 6 - 7 and grades 2 - 3. Gigi and Ojiji is a bi-lingual early reader that incorporates easy beginner Japanese words; it is about Gigi, who lives in America with her parents and how her grandfather (Ojisan) from Japan comes to live with them. Gigi is excited to do some of her favorite things with her Ojisan when he arrives (like play tag, read books and play with the family dog). What she quickly realizes is her Ojisan may not like to do the same things she likes to do and that there are different cultural norms in Japan than in America (like hugging! opening presents! dogs in the house!). After talking things through with her Mom, Gigi and Ojisan begin to bridge the initial gap between them, with Ojisan asking Gigi to use Ojiji (grandpa, instead of grandfather) at the end to imply to the readers that they're getting to know each other better and will be close.

This book is the first in a new series of early readers featuring Gigi and Ojiji, with Gigi and Ojiji: What's in a Name? and Gigi and Ojiji: Food for Thought following this year. This book is a great example of how to incorporate bilingual words in an easy, accessible way - it's not overwhelming and there is a glossary provided in the back. Yes, the child will have to sound out konnichiwa and arigatoo but the other words included, in English and in Japanese, will boost their confidence to do so. The illustrations are bright and engaging without pulling away from the story - some full page spreads are included at pivotal moments, like when Gigi is planning all the things she wants to do with her Ojiisan, when they pick Ojisan up at the airport and when the family sits down to dinner. I imagine the following Gigi and Ojiji books that follow will incorporate the same features about beginner Japanese words and cultural differences. I'm excited to read the others!

571: Non-Fiction - Mythologica

Mythologica: An Encyclopedia of Gods, Monsters and Mortals from Ancient Greece. Written by Dr. Steve Kershaw and Illustrated by Victoria Topping.

Kershaw, S. (2019) Mythologica: An Encyclopedia of Gods, Monsters and Mortals from Ancient Greece. (V. Topping, Illus.). Wide Eyed Editions

Mythologica: An Encyclopedia of Gods, Monsters and Mortals from Ancient Greece is an oversized non-fiction book for children (ages 8 - 12, grades 3 - 7) that goes through each of the gods, goddesses, monsters and mortals from well-known Greek myths. With a full-page illustration on one side followed by a full page of listed "facts" and affordances highlighting each characters origin story and destiny in the pantheon of Greek myths and legends. With illustration by Victoria Topping, who is typically a fine artist of the pop-art variety, the illustrations - which are done portrait style - are colorful, bright, busy and engaging.

A few interesting aspects about this book:

The author, Dr. Steve Kershaw, is a professor of Greek History at Oxford as well as author of a few books about Greek History and Mythology. He of course draws on this knowledge and experiences for writing this book for children. But there is no bibliography or references - not even to his own books. Is this because it's an "encyclopedia"?

Dr. Kershaw includes the traditional Greek names for each god/goddess, monster and mortal in Greek, but not how to pronounce them. This seems unnecessary to include unless your going to include a brief accessible guide on the Greek alphabet and pronunciation.

Each info page includes a quotation about the character - where are these quotes coming from? Again, from his own books or were the quotations included as a design element to evoke the process of verbal storytelling, which is so tied to myths and legends?

Though engaging, I can see how some of the illustrations by Victoria Topping can be too busy - where the characteristics of each god/goddess, monster and mortal are lost or hard to decipher in the actual portrait.

Some read-alike suggestions...

Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes and Monsters written by Donna Jo Napoli, Illustrated by Christina Balit.

Also intended for around the same ages (7 - 11, officially), Treasury of Greek Mythology takes on more of a chapter book approach focusing more on the stories, myths and legends of classic Greek mythology than the characters. Includes a Table of Contents, as well as organizational guides such as a Map of Greece Today, Time Line, Cast of Characters and an Index, as well as a Bibliography (not so hard, is it...) With some full page illustrations by Christina Balit (stunning), this book is more text heavy with affordances in each story highlighting specific definitions, how ancient Greeks viewed certain elements of the story and places/locations mentioned in the myths and legends.

Napoli, D. (2011). Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes and Monsters. (Balit, C. Illus.). National Geographic Society

Goddess Girls and Heroes in Training book series, written by Joan Holub and Illustrated by Suzanne Williams.

Goddess Girls (ages 8 - 12) and Heroes in Training (ages 6-9) are both series books for kids that feature figures from Greek mythology. Both series are written by Joan Holub and illustrated by Suzanne Williams, which although for different age ranges, focus on Greek gods and goddesses as young people. It's easy to see that theirs is a gendered approach to Greek mythology, with goddesses kept to Goddess Girls and gods (with the occasional mortal hero) kept to Heroes in Training. These are great books for kids interested in mythology and that may be reluctant readers - they both have light illustrative elements, easy to digest and there's many books in each series.

Holub, J. (2010-2021). Goddess Girls (Williams, S. Illus.). Aladdin/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

Holub, J. (2012-2021). Heroes in Training (Williams, S. Illus.). Aladdin/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

Olympians graphic novel series, written and illustrated by George O'Connor.

Intended for ages 9 - 14, George O'Connor's Olympians graphic novels are incredibly popular. Olympians covers 12 Greek gods and goddesses, with one volume per god/goddess, beginning with Zeus. Each comic covers each origin story according to Greek mythology and segues into the more well known myths that feature that character. As a graphic novel, they are illustrated in a more classic comic style - think 1980s - 1990s Marvel or DC comics, more graphic design based than illustration based. Inside the front cover, O'Connor features an Olympians Family Tree while in the back, he includes an Authors Note, Greek Notes (where he expounds on the action happening in some of the panels), Discussion Questions, a Bibliography and Recommended Reading. Honestly, I was amazed to get my hands on one to reference since they get checked out like hotcakes at my library.

O'Connor, G. (2010-2022). Olympians. (O'Connor, G. Illus.). First Second.

weekly roundup

OK OK OK I've been a bit behind in terms of getting a chance to read some new releases - and one older release that of course I was led to by a new release.

Twenty Questions - Mac Barnett/Christian Robinson: What can I say, I love these two respectively but hot dog do i love it when these two get together. This reminds me of Barnett/Pizzoli's I Love You Like a Pig - the 20 questions are so vague/philosophical and beg you to scour the illustrations for the answers which of course might or might not even be there. This book would be tough for a large storytime but would crush it with a small group or for individual reading.

I Can Explain - Shinsuke Yoshitake: Listen, the kid on the cover is picking their nose. If that doesn't sell you or any kid on picking up this book quite frankly i don't know what will. I feel like this sensation happens to me a lot with any Shinsuke Yoshitake's books I am lucky enough to get my hands on.

Lunch from Home - Joshua David Stein/Jing Li/with Contributions from: Niki Russ Federman, Ray Garcia, Pretti Mistry, Mina Park: If there are two things I have become surprisingly interested in and passionate about at my age it's A: picture books and B: global cuisines/foods/cooking. (Seriously 15-year-old me would be like Wait what? Aren't we supposed to be in LA?) This book is a great combo of the two, handling the "Ew what's wrong with your lunch? Where's your white bread?" experience so many children have with grace and pride while highlighting not just one child's traditional cuisine but four. For another favorite read-alike: A Normal Pig by K-Fai Steele.

Silver Linings - Fiona Woodcock: Ok, you just need to pick up this book because it's sweet as heck without necessarily being saccharine. Just a gentle reminder that we all hopefully have that one friend who always helps us look on the bright side when we're about to have yet another menty b because doing life is hard no matter what age you are.

My Strange Shrinking Parents - Zeno Sworder: Gee whiz what a beautiful book this is. Quite honestly it made me a bit weepy. It is a new/interesting take and expression of not only what parents will do and sacrifice to ensure their child's comfort and success but especially immigrant parents. Beautiful story, beautifully illustrated. This of course led me to Zeno Sworder's other book This Small Blue Dot, which similarly, is a clever, earth-loving take on a "Welcome to the world little sib!" I highly recommend both.

571: Blog - Calling Caldecott

Calling Caldecott

Via The Horn Book

Parravanno, Martha V. (2023, January 25). Results of the 2023 Calling Caldecott Mock Vote. Calling Caldecott. https://www.hbook.com/story/blogs/results-of-the-2023-calling-caldecott-mock-vote

(This is a reference for this specific posting but I will be referring to the blog as a whole)

Calling Caldecott is a blog that is posted via The Horn Book's website. (In case you're unfamilar with The Horn Book). It is a blog that discusses and reviews notable Caldecott contenders that are released throughout the year before the Caldecott is awarded in January of the following year. Blog posts typically begin in April and go until January/February of the next year. What makes this blog great is it is written committee style - Calling Caldecott has an author and co-author of the blog who lead the discussion and post while other authors/children's librarians contribute to blogs and posts each year - each year, the list of who contributes to the blog is different with some repeat bloggers from previous years. Here's why this blog is one to keep on eye on for any children's librarian, school teacher, aspiring illustrator, anyone really who has a soft spot for picture books:

Starting in April, this blog really starts to keep track of the "truly distinguished" picture books that have been released so far in the year and will continue to be released throughout the year. This is helpful because this blog only discusses and lists books that meet Caldecott criteria.

It is concise, easy to follow and accessible to contributions. Anyone can comment and contribute to the discussions. Because what is more fun than nerding out/having lively online discourse with people who also nerd out about that thing? That thing is picture books and there is nothing more fun than that ever.

It helps you keep track of what you should be reading and considering for your collection, notifies you of things you might have missed. Yes, you're going to know if Philip & Erin Stead are putting out another great book this year. This blog does a great job of highlighting the tried and true's as well as exposing you to up-and-coming authors and illustrators that JUST. MIGHT. WIN. (I'm looking at you Doug!)

All this to say, especially if you are beginning your career as a Youth Librarian, this helps you get familiar with your most popular/most circulated children's material in any given year RIGHT QUICK.

571: Highlights High Five

Highlights High Five, Published by Highlights for Children Inc., Reviewing issues April 2023 (Volume 4, Number 4, Issue #196) and May 2023 (Volume 4, Number 5, Issue # 197). Editor-in-Chief: Christine French Cully, Edited by Meghan Dombrink-Green

What a great magazine for kids! Intended for ages 2 - 6, each issue is organized by Reading, Puzzles and Activities and the Table of Contents reflects this - it is not listed in page order, but activity order and where to find them as they are interspersed throughout the issue. Reading is primarily reading practice/ early literacy under themes like Verse, English and Spanish, and Fiction - Non-Fiction and Rhyme Time makes a frequent occurrence under this section too. Under Puzzles, My First Hidden Pictures, Look and Look Again, and That's Silly are literacy based puzzle activities. Activities are always a Move It! exercise, a Recipe to try and a Craft to do. Puzzle activities are set every other with Reading activities which provides children with a break as the readings often span the entire age range in terms of difficulty. Props for always having a English-Spanish reading! Highlights High Five also publishes and releases Spanish issues. Move It!, Recipe and Craft are always at the end. Each Reading, Puzzle and Activity is written by a different author with a different illustrator; illustrations are colorful and engaging without being distracting. A good balance between illustrations and photographs.

I know many schools that subscribe either digitally or on paper to this magazine. I was able to download issues through Libby with my library card, where issues are always available. Ease of access is great!

Awards: 2016 Family Choice Award. 2013 Family Choice Award. 2012 Parent's Choice Award. 2012 Golden Lamp Award for Excellence in Educational publishing.

Age Range: Age 2 can be a young for some of the Readings but the Puzzle and Activities are more accessible for that young. 3 and above is good for everything else included.

Rebel Revisited: Bootsie Barker Bites

It is only fair to kickoff this blog with a picture book I loved so much as a kid. This blog is going to be part class assignment, part children's book/media reviews (some assignment specific/more objective, some not!) and part revisiting some of my favorites through a children's librarian lens - and all that may entail.

Bootsie Barker Bites, written by Barbara Bottner and illustrated by Peggy Rathmann circa 1992, published by G.P. Puttnam's Sons.

This was one of the books that I would continually check out, either from my local public library or my little catholic grade school library and had it read to me endlessly. Bootsie is a grade A bully and her outfit is iconic - many a year have I played around with the idea of going as Bootsie Barker for Halloween. Let's be honest, I'll probably get a tattoo.

Upon reading again as an adult, it still holds up really well as a read aloud. My Pre-K kids loved it although they had many questions about Bootsie and "how was she even allowed" or able to put our young narrator/protagonist into a chokehold or "hurt her like that". Who hasn't been picked on or thought up how they can get their classroom bully (or slightly older cousin perhaps) to literally fall off the face of the earth? The triumphant ending of "I am a PALEONTOLOGIST!...They hunt for DINOSAUR bones!" is still so satisfying.