Monday, January 29, 2018

Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed The World, by Susan Hood

Book description (from publisher):
“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” —Mae Jemison, the first female African American astronaut
Fresh, accessible, and inspiring, Shaking Things Up introduces fourteen revolutionary young women—each paired with a noteworthy female artist—to the next generation of activists, trail-blazers, and rabble-rousers.
From the award-winning author of Ada’s Violin, Susan Hood, this is a poetic and visual celebration of persistent women throughout history.
In this book, you will find Mary Anning, who was just thirteen when she unearthed a prehistoric fossil. You’ll meet Ruby Bridges, the brave six-year-old who helped end segregation in the South. And Maya Lin, who at twenty-one won a competition to create a war memorial, and then had to appear before Congress to defend her right to create.
And those are just a few of the young women included in this book. Readers will also hear about Molly Williams, Annette Kellerman, Nellie Bly, Pura Belprè, Frida Kahlo, Jacqueline and Eileen Nearne, Frances Moore Lappè, Mae Jemison, Angela Zhang, and Malala Yousafzai—all whose stories will enthrall and inspire. This book was written, illustrated, edited, and designed by women and includes an author’s note, a timeline, and additional resources.
With artwork by notable artists including Selina Alko, Sophie Blackall, Lisa Brown, Hadley Hooper, Emily Winfield Martin, Oge Mora, Julie Morstad, Sara Palacios, LeUyen Pham, Erin Robinson, Isabel Roxas, Shadra Strickland, and Melissa Sweet."

This is an original addition to your biographies bookshelf. The diverse young women highlighted in this book pursued diverse interests and causes, but all changed our world in important ways. The contents prompt young readers to connect women across time and place, to discover similarities and differences in the ways that women are important change makers the world over. The book contains some lesser known figures and changes, making it likely to introduce even avid young biography readers to new content. Told primarily in verse, the book is a playful celebration of young female change makers. The book can be read cover to cover, or dipped into to explore individual women, passions and/or places. A great nonfiction book for younger and older readers. 

Friday, January 26, 2018

They All Saw a Cat, by Brendan Wenzel

Book description (from publisher): "The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws . . . In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many lives of one cat, and how perspective shapes what we see. When you see a cat, what do you see?"

This is a fantastic book! The illustrations bring the idea of perspective (and perspective taking) visibly to life. A simple yet powerful concept. Use to provoke awareness of and discussion about how we each interpret the world based on our interests, fears and desires. Great for sharing with readers of all ages.






A 2017 Caldecott Honor Book 
A New York Times bestseller
★"An ingenious idea, gorgeously realized." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Both simple and ingenious in concept, Wenzel's book feels like a game changer." —The Huffington Post

Monday, January 22, 2018

Mae Among The Stars, written by Roda Ahmed and illustrated by Stasia Burrington

Book description (from the publisher):

"A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the perfect book for young readers who have big dreams and even bigger hearts!

When Little Mae was a child, she dreamed of dancing in space. She imagined herself surrounded by billions of stars, floating, gliding, and discovering.

She wanted to be an astronaut.

Her mom told her, "If you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.”

Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents' encouraging words, paved the way for her incredible success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.

This book will inspire other young girls to reach for the stars, to aspire for the impossible, and to persist with childlike imagination."

A beautiful book to share with young children, especially girls. 

Watch Mae's TEDtalk (for parents and educators)

Friday, January 19, 2018

The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid, by Jeanette Winter

Book description (from publisher):

"A Washington Post Best Children’s Book of 2017
Parents’ Choice Recommended

Get to know Zaha Hadid in this nonfiction picture book about the famed architect’s life and her triumph over adversity from celebrated author-illustrator Jeanette Winter.

Zaha Hadid grew up in Baghdad, Iraq, and dreamed of designing her own cities. After studying architecture in London, she opened her own studio and started designing buildings. But as a Muslim woman, Hadid faced many obstacles. Determined to succeed, she worked hard for many years, and achieved her goals—and now you can see the buildings Hadid has designed all over the world."

An inspiring individual! Our favorite line from the book:
"Hadid  means iron in Arabic, and Zaha is strong as iron. She keeps on working - one plan after another. "I made a conscious decision not to stop.""
The illustrations are beautiful and help to highlight the inspiration Hadid drew from the natural world. A great book for nature lovers, design thinkers, and the mathematically minded. A great addition to your books featuring Muslim subjects/characters.



Sunday, January 14, 2018

Let The Children March, by Monica Clark-Robinson

Book description (from publisher):
"I couldn't play on the same playground as the white kids. 
I couldn't go to their schools.  
I couldn't drink from their water fountains.  
There were so many things I couldn't do. 

In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. They protested the laws that kept black people separate from white people. Facing fear, hate, and danger, these children used their voices to change the world. Frank Morrison's emotive oil-on-canvas paintings bring this historical event to life, while Monica Clark-Robinson's moving and poetic words document this remarkable time. "

Just released, this new picture book presents the history of the 1963 Children's Crusade from the fictional perspective of the children involved. The story captures the love and concern of the children's families, but also their belief in the children's potential to affect change. Powerfully depicts the dignity of their cause and the strength they gained through solidarity and community.

A great book to teach about the role children can play in promoting justice through peaceful protest and creating/joining activist communities. Also a great addition to social justice and civil rights libraries. Proceed with caution when considering this book for younger children, as it contains illustrations of the violent police response against the children's peaceful march (water canons and police dogs). Despite the tough content, the positive outcome of the march makes the book a hopeful one to share with older students (second grade and up).
 


Saturday, January 13, 2018

Love, by Matt de la Pena

Book description (from the publisher):
"From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long comes a story about the strongest bond there is and the diverse and powerful ways it connects us all.

“In the beginning there is light
and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed
and the sound of their voices is love.

A cab driver plays love softly on his radio
while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city
and everything smells new, and it smells like life.”

In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that’s soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age."

A beautiful book that has something to offer readers of all ages. The book can be enjoyed in its own right or used as a great jumping off point for other topics, including expansive definitions of "family" and "community." Clearly this book achieves its creators' goals of helping the show children the love that surrounds them (even in darker/sadder times) and to push them to share their love with the world. 

Watch Matt and Loren discuss their hopes and dreams for the book.
Read Matt's Time Magazine article on his intentional inclusion of "darker" themes of loss and sadness, and then read Kate DiCamillo's response to Matt's article -- beautiful reminders about the need to share books that reflect reality - not just the way that we want it to be, but the way it is and how children experience it. 

Love by Matt de la Peña
Image result for love by matt de la pena

Monday, January 8, 2018

Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Dream and You, by Carole Boston Weatherford

Book description (from the publisher):

"You can be a King. Stamp out hatred. Put your foot down and walk tall.

You can be a King. Beat the drum for justice. March to your own conscience.

Featuring a dual narrative of the key moments of Dr. King's life alongside a modern class as the students learn about him, Carole Weatherford's poetic text encapsulates the moments that readers today can reenact in their own lives. See a class of young students as they begin a school project inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and learn to follow his example, as he dealt with adversity and never lost hope that a future of equality and justice would soon be a reality. As times change, Dr. King's example remains, encouraging a new generation of children to take charge and change the world . . . to be a King. "

Just in time for MLK Jr Day, this new book is a good addition to your social justice library, especially for children in second grade and up. The text is sparse, but the language powerful. The concise advice it provides for young listeners can support thoughtful discussion about how to keep MLK's dream alive in today's context. The vocabulary - with words like: ancestors, bigotry, intolerance, hatred, and conscience - makes the book more suitable for older students or those with time to unpack the text's language and meaning with younger students.

A good book for going beyond windows and mirrors to sliding glass doors this MLK Jr Day.

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Burn: Michael Faraday's Candle, by Darcy Pattison

Book description (from the publisher):
"COOL SCIENCE THAT WILL AWE KIDS
Solid wax is somehow changed into light and heat. But how? Travel back in time to December 28, 1848 in London, England to one of the most famous juvenile science Christmas lectures at the Royal Institution. British scientist Michael Faraday (1791-1867) encouraged kids to carefully observe a candle and to try to figure out how it burned. 

Known as one of the best science experimenters ever, Faraday's passion was always to answer the basic questions of science: "What is the cause? Why does it occur?""
A great book for exploring what it means to be a scientist -- all you need is an inquiring mind and a desire to understand the world around you. And, as a bonus, the book contains an experiment which all children can conduct...all you need is a candle!

Visit the Royal Institute's YouTube channel to watch a video on a simple candle experiment you can conduct with children that is sure to spark their curiosity and cause/effect thinking.