Month: October 2017

Hey Kid Lit friends,

Cuba is a country that I am just starting to learn more about, and I’m so glad to have children’s books to help me in my understanding.

Margarita Engle is probably the most well known Cuban-American children’s book writer. Her newest picture book is All the Way to Havana, gorgeously illustrated by Mike Curato. This story follows a young boy and his family as they pile into their car to celebrate the birth of a new baby across the island. Because U.S. – Cuban relations have been strained since 1959 and Fidel Castro had placed a ban on foreign vehicle imports, Cuba is filled with classic cars from the 1950s that are kept running by a hodgepodge of improvised, handmade parts. As you travel through this book, you glimpse this part of Cuba’s history in an unforgettable way.

---

Sponsored by The Little Red Wolf, written and illustrated by Amélie Fléchais.

Once upon a time, in the middle of a mysterious forest stood a strange tree house, the home of a little wolf known to all as Little Red Wolf …

Lose yourself in in the dark forests of Amélie Fléchais’ spectacular artwork. A young wolf, on a journey to bring his grandmother a rabbit, is charmed by the nice little girl who offers to help him…but nice is not the same as good.

A new face to this haunting fairy tale – for children and adults alike.

IN STORES NOW!

---

I have been really excited about the amazing Katherine Paterson’s new book, called My Brigadista Year (Candlewick, 10/24/17). A fictional story based on the real events of Fidel Castro’s literacy campaign, thirteen-year-old Nora joins Castro’s army of literacy teachers who go out to the countryside to teach fellow Cubans how to read and write. A story written in the beautiful way that only Katharine Paterson can achieve, I also learned a lot about Cuba’s history and got a taste of what life must have been like in 1960s Cuba.

Two other middle grade novels with Cuban settings were released this year. Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar is based on the author’s own experiences growing up in New York City in the 1960s after moving from Cuba. Ruthie is just starting to adjust to life in the new neighborhood when a car accident puts her in a body cast and confined to her bedroom. A beautiful story about family, cultural differences, and the role of art to heal lonely hearts.

Refugee by Alan Gratz follows the lives of three refugee families, one of them being Josef, a German Jew fleeing Hitler’s in the 1930s. Josef and his family aboard the St. Louis, en route to Cuba. Another storyline follows Isabel, a girl who boards a raft for America with her family to escape Castro’s Cuba in 1994. A heartbreaking book filled with meticulous historical detail, and a great book to introduce to kids who see the news and wonder what life for refugees is really like.

Last, another book by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Sean Qualls called The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Marzano. Born into the household of a wealthy slave owner in Cuba in 1797, Juan Francisco Manzano spent his early years by the side of a woman who made him call her Mama, even though he had a mama of his own. Denied an education, young Juan still showed an exceptional talent for poetry. His verses reflect the beauty of his world, but they also expose its hideous cruelty.

 

Onto new releases! These all come out this Tuesday, October 24th!

A Boy, a Mouse, and a Spider: The Story of E.B. White by Barbara Herbert, illustrated by Lauren Castillo (Roaring Brook Press)
When young Elwyn White lay in bed as a sickly child, a bold house mouse befriended him. When the time came for kindergarten, an anxious Elwyn longed for the farm, where animal friends awaited him at the end of each day. Propelled by his fascination with the outside world, he began to jot down his reflections in a journal. Writing filled him with joy, and words became his world. A lovely picture book with enchanting illustrations.

Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Richard Jones (HMH Books for Young Readers)
Snow is coming, and it’s time to get ready! The squirrel gathers nuts, the geese soar south, and the snowshoe hare puts on its new white coat. But what should the fox do? Each animal advises the fox that its own plan is best, but the fox thinks otherwise—yet it’s not until he meets a golden-eyed friend that he finds the perfect way to celebrate the snowfall. A perfect picture book for the changing seasons.

Fox and the Bike Ride by Corey R. Tabor (HarperCollins)
It’s the day of the animals’ annual bike ride, and Fox is not excited. Every year it’s the same old, same old. Fox wants adventure. He wants action-adventure. He wants danger–action-adventure! (And snacks too, of course.) So he secretly schemes to make this the most unforgettable trip ever—and his friends are coming along, whether they want to or not!

The Nutcracker Mice by Kristin Kladstrup and Brett Helquist (Candlewick)
A sweet middle grade book about the world’s tiniest ballet fans living in Saint Petersburg’s famed Mariinsky Theater: the Mariinsky mice, including Esmeralda, a rising dancer in the Russian Mouse Ballet Company. Despite being unable to control her tail, Esmeralda has just been assigned the lead role of Clara in a ballet debuting at Christmas: The Nutcracker. But when she learns that the new ballet features mice as villains, her excitement turns to horror: the mice of Saint Petersburg will never come to see such a production. Meanwhile, nine-year-old Irina is convinced that the mice she’s seen in the Mariinsky — the mice her father, the custodian, is supposed to exterminate — are not only fans of the ballet, but dancers themselves.

Reign of Outlaws by Kekla Magoon (Bloomsbury) (P.S. The first book in the series, Shadows of Sherwood, is an ebook deal – see below!)
When twelve-year-old Robyn Loxley set out to save her parents, she never could’ve predicted that she would become Robyn Hoodlum, leader of the rebellion against the harsh government led by Ignomus Crown. But Robyn’s attempt to free her parents has failed, and on top of that, her friends have been captured. And now Crown has given her 72 hours to turn herself in–or else. Now Robyn must decide between sacrificing herself, saving her parents and friends, or advancing the rebellion. With the stakes higher than ever, will Robyn be able to succeed?

The Elephant Whisperer (Young Reader’s Adaptation): My Life With the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony (HarperCollins)
When Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a rogue herd of elephants in his reserve in South Africa, it was the last chance for these elephants. If Anthony didn’t take them, they would be shot. But he had no experience with elephants at all. What was he to do? Take them on, of course! What follows is an exciting and heartwarming series of adventures, in which Anthony learns about elephants and becomes part of their family. Full of both triumph and tragedy, this fascinating account of living with the majestic elephant is unforgettable.

The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid by Colin Meloy, illustrations by Carson Ellis (HarperCollins)
It is an ordinary Tuesday morning in April when bored, lonely Charlie Fisher witnesses something incredible. Right before his eyes, in a busy square in Marseille, a group of pickpockets pulls off an amazing robbery. As the young bandits appear to melt into the crowd, Charlie realizes with a start that he himself was one of their marks. Yet Charlie is less alarmed than intrigued. This is the most thrilling thing that’s happened to him since he came to France with his father, an American diplomat. So instead of reporting the thieves, Charlie defends one of their cannons, Amir, to the police, under one condition: he teach Charlie the tricks of the trade.

Ryan Quinn and the Lion’s Claw by Ron McGee
Ryan Quinn has never been a normal kid, and after everything that happened in Andakar, he’s about as far away from normal as could be. His parents want him to forget all about his death-defying escape, his role in the Emergency Rescue Committee, and the fact that they’ve been keeping secrets from him his whole life. But forgetting just isn’t an option for Ryan—not when there’s a traitor in the ERC who’s looking to ruin Ryan’s parents and expose the whole organization. (HarperCollins)

Ebook Deals

Shadows of Sherwood by Kekla Magoon, $1.99

I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichenheld, $1.99

Ember Falls by S. D. Smith and Zach Franzen, $1.60

Wildwood by Colin Meloy, illustrations by Carson Ellis, $1.99

This has been a fun week of reading for me. All three of these books are hilarious with lovable characters. I adored Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher, a book about seventh grade Joseph Friedman who, at the encouragement of his Resource Room teacher, joins the track team. (Spoiler alert: he’s not a natural runner.) In Greetings from Witness Protection by Jake Burt, Nicki Demere gets plucked from foster care to help keep a family safe in witness protection. And if you’ve been following these newsletters, you know that I LOVE Debbi Michiko Florence’s chapter book series. The third in the series, Jasmine Toguchi: Drummer Girl will be released on April 3, 2018.

Want more book recommendations? Check these links out:

The Best Children’s and YA Books of October 2017, by the Brightly editors

Best Books of October, chosen by Amazon’s editors
Ages 3-6
Ages 6-8 (Beginning and Early Readers)
Ages 9-12 (Grades 4-6)

9 Books Recommended by Tweens, for Tweens, via Book Riot

8 Halloween Picture Books for You and Your Little Goblin, via Book Riot

Great Books About Amazing Girls, via Book Riot

15 Beautiful Books That Introduce Mexican Culture and History to Kids, via Brightly

And hey, did you know that Book Riot is giving away a $500 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice? Enter to win using this link (contest open until November 26th)!

One more thing: the New York Public Library is automatically resetting all kids’ and teens’ book fines to zero! High school students ages 18 and up can have their fines cleared in person through November 2, 2017. Find out more here.

That is it for me this week! I’d love to know what you are reading this week! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.

Until next week,
Karina

Don’t interrupt Izzy – she’s reading!

*If this e-mail was forwarded to you, follow this link to subscribe to “The Kids Are All Right” newsletter and other fabulous Book Riot newsletters for your own customized e-mail delivery. Thank you!*