Winter Reading 2023 Black Boy, Black Boy

 

This rhyming book and its bold and colorful illustrations takes young readers on a grand tour of role models. Scenes show Colin Kaepernick taking a knee, President Obama speaking in front of the White House, and Navy Seal William Goines parachuting through the sky. Text encourages readers to "Dream big, dear boy, like Martin Luther King" or "Show me the style of your favorite dance" like Arthur Mitchell. 

This book encourages young Black boys to be proud of their own abilities and to look to heroes from the past and present, It also introduces many figures that readers may not have encountered before such as inventor Elijah McCoy, aviator Emory Malick, or crooner Sam Cooke for example. Back matter includes short profiles of each of the personalities included in the book complete with dates, what they are most famous for, and a headshot that makes it easy to identify them in the main text.

This is a great gift book for Black boys, but would also make a good read-aloud for all youngsters to introduce a variety of figures and kick off a biography unit or for Black History Month. I would love to share it with a group and then play them some Sam Cooke music or a video clip of Arthur Mitchell.

Winter Reading 2023 Dear Librarian

I love stories about libraries and librarians, but this one actually had me teary-eyed. Based on the real-life experience of the author, it tells the story of a little girl who finds a safe place of acceptance in the library. Lydia's family moves from Colorado to Iowa as her father searches for a new job. They rotate through staying with various relatives, but she feels that "Nowhere had a special spot just for me." 

Then, her mother takes all the kids to the library and there is space for everyone to explore and make up stories with the puppets or watch people going by outside the large windows. And, best of all, "my new friend. She had kind eyes, a gentle face, and a laugh like bubbles. That friend was the Librarian." 

Lovely illustrations highlight the differences between all the homes the family visits. Readers can see Aunt Linda's house where you shouldn't touch any of the "nice things...that aren't yours." Storage boxes and ductwork lurk in the shadows behind the couch in Cousin Alice's basement. And an empty playground sits near Grandma's house. And they share scenes of how Lydia and her new friend shared stories and imagination during every library visit.

For book lovers and library fans everywhere, this story shows how librarians can make a welcoming place for everyone - and even inspire youngsters to grow up and become librarians themselves. An introductory letter from Ira Glass, closing letter from author Lydia, and photos of Lydia as a child and then as an adult reunited with her librarian friend all ground the story and make stronger connections between the book and the reader. 

Winter Reading 2023 The Book Lovers Guide to London

 

Perfect for book lovers and vacationers alike, this book is packed with interesting facts about every corner of London. The book is divided into sections geographically, which makes it useful to plan outings if you are trying to visit many different sites efficiently. It also makes the narrative flow as it begins with a story about a location on one street, then takes you around the corner for the next anecdote. The stories might be about which house Charles Dickens lived in, what pub a certain author liked to frequent, or where a particular author is buried. Stories range from the Soho of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to the statue of Paddington Bear at the train station. There are entries on the British Library, the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (the recipient of the royalties from Peter Pan), and the University of London's Senate House (inspiration for the Ministry of Truth in Orwell's 1984). Photos capture sites, statues, memorial plaques, and headstones - all with explanatory captions. 

If you, or someone you know, will be traveling to London - get a copy to take on the trip. If you cannot go right away, then you can enjoy being an armchair traveler as you read the stories of affairs, elopements, feuds, and friendships (of the authors and their characters). You may want to keep a highlighter or some Post-It flags handy to mark locations you would love to visit.

I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Fall Reading 2022 City Under the City

Ever feel that our lives are being taken over by technology? How many of you have been sitting at a meal and everyone around the table is on their phones instead of talking to each other? Bix lives in a possible future world where the Eyes (big floating eyeball gizmos) help people with everything. Really...everything - brushing their teeth, combing their hair, even choosing what they will read on their screens at school. But Bix follows a squeaky little creature through a hole in a wall and discovers another city. There she and Rat find a library and Bix learns about "art, and animals...And friendship." When she brings these new ideas back to her city, it begins a change in the way people think - a revolution.

The artwork shows Bix and her family living in a Jetsons type world, with the Eyes omnipresent. When she tumbles through the crack in the wall, her path zigzags back and forth across the spread as she travels down, down, down. The library she discovers has stone lions guarding the front steps (sound familiar?). I love the way she makes that her home base, returning there from her explorations each day and using one of the shelves as a bed. And when she returns to her family, the zigzag journey repeats in reverse as she climbs back to the city above. If you are one of those folks who pays attention to the endpapers (yes, I do), then these give a hint of the storyline. The front shows a large group of people all looking alike and paying attention to the small screens in their hands. The back shows a large group, all different, but all watching and listening as Bix reads to them from a pile of books. 

Although this is a picture book, so the story is much shorter, it reminds me of The Chronicles of Gwendolyn Gray. Gwendolyn also has a device that tries to control everything in the city where she lives, she escapes and finds out there are other ways to do things, and she comes back to try and set everyone else free. If you have a reader who enjoys City Under the City, then introduce them to Gwendolyn. 

Space Baby Virtual Book Tour

 

Space Baby Book Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Space Baby

Written by Jay Dee

Illustrated by Tom McGrath

Ages 3+ | 32 Pages

Publisher: Kraine Kreative | ISBN-13: 9781777426118

Publisher’s Book Summary: When Angelic hears that Daddy spread his love for her around the whole universe, she worries she hasn’t done the same for her baby brother. Only one thing to do! Brother and sister rocket into the night sky to explore the universe in search of the most awesome thing there. “Space Baby Salute!”

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

MY REVIEW

Besides the hint of the title itself, readers will know they are reading a story with a love of space from the very first illustration onward. A bedroom with pictures of the sun, an astronaut, and a galaxy on the wall; a telescope by the window; and a toy rocket serve as the background. Once the text begins, we learn that Angelic and little brother Ollie love space so much that they don’t want to go to bed and stop “exploring.” But their father says, “Just like my love is in this room, you can feel it in the whole universe.” So brother and sister willingly go to bed, and then have an amazing adventure. Ollie’s crib blasts them off into space on their “Space Baby Mission.” Readers can follow along as the siblings visit the moon, the sun, Saturn, and even pass by a comet and Voyager. They see the rest of the Milky Way, but are sure that Daddy’s love has already been through the universe before them - just as it fills their room at home. This is a story perfect for the space-happy young reader, as well as those reluctant to be tucked in at bedtime. Either one will drift off to star-filled dreams as they perform the “Love Test” on each new place they explore.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Under multiple pen names, Jay Dee is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author behind chart-topping comics, fiction novels, and business books, including THE NIGHT BEFORE THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS and GROW THROUGH IT, which was written, illustrated, and published during the CV-19 lockdown with proceeds donated to coronavirus relief efforts. PASS THE PIG: LEADERSHIP BY ATTRACTION was his first non-fiction book, and he made his fiction debut with the multimedia sci-fi/fantasy THE PLAGUE and EZEKIAL, followed by RENEGAYD, all of which became bestsellers.

To learn more about Jay Dee and his books, visit www.KraineKreative.com and www.spacebabybook.com/.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Tom McGrath is based in the North West of England, working as a freelance illustrator since 2012. Despite being repeatedly told that all artists drink too much absinthe, cut their own ears off , and only make money after they’re dead – he has always wanted to be one. In fact, this has only encouraged him. He still has both his ears.

To learn more, visit www.SpikedMcGrath.com.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, January 9, 2023 The Children’s Book Review A book review of Space Baby

Tuesday, January 10, 2023 The Fairview Review A book review of Space Baby

Wednesday, January 11, 2023 The Momma Spot A book review of Space Baby

Tuesday, January 17, 2023 Me Two Books A book activity to pair with Space Baby

Wednesday, January 18, 2023 icefairy’s Treasure Chest A book review of Space Baby

Thursday, January 19, 2023 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers A book review of Space Baby

Friday, January 20, 2023 Because I Said So A book review of Space Baby

Monday, January 23, 2023 Twirling Book Princess A book giveaway of Space Baby

Tuesday, January 24, 2023 J.R.s Book Reviews A book review of Space Baby

Wednesday, 25, 2023 Cover Lover Book Review A book giveaway of Space Baby

Thursday, January 26, 2023 Confessions of a Book Addict A book review of Dog Park

Monday, January 30, 2023 My Reading Getaway A book review of Space Baby

Tuesday, January 31, 2023 Life Is What It’s Called A book review of Space Baby

Wednesday, February 1, 2023 Barbara Ann Mojica’s Blog A book review of Space Baby

Virtual tour in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Kraine Kreative.

Dog Park Virtual Book Tour

 

Dog Park Book Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dog Park 

Written by Kathryn Kazoleas

Ages 6+ | 116 Pages

Publisher: Kathryn Kazoleas | ISBN-13: 9781777426118

Publisher’s Book Summary: Gibson the Labradoodle is about to begin her first day of training to become a dog park ambassador, something she has been dreaming about her entire life. Dog park ambassadors hold a very high honor within the dog park community and have many important roles to make sure the dog park is a fun and safe place to be. She has so many great ideas and cannot wait to get started.

While Gibson is training alongside lead ambassador and trainer, Meistro the bulldog, things don’t go as planned. Gibson meets challenge after challenge and isn’t allowed to introduce any of her new ideas. Being a dog park ambassador isn’t what she thought it would be, so she starts to question whether the role is really for her. At the end of her very first training shift, and just as she’s about to give up and tell Meistro she isn’t cut out to be a dog park ambassador after all, there’s an emergency at the river. One of the dog park’s new puppies, Clover, has swum too far out and cannot get back to shore.

Gibson’s best friend and greatest supporter, Stretch the dachshund, convinces her she must help. Gibson springs into action, with Stretch at her side and encouraging her the entire time. Gibson saves the day…almost! Having been swept downstream and far away from the dog park, Gibson is forced to lead the trio back to safety. There’s only one way back through a dark forest with strange sounds and smells. The sun is starting to go down and everybody is tired and scared. But Gibson knows she has to get her friends back home, despite what or who gets in her way.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

MY REVIEW

Gibson is an instantly lovable character. She is so eager to do well at her dog park ambassador training that she even made sure her human gave her a bath the night before. “Although Gibson didn’t really understand what all the fuss over the smell of shampoo and clean fur was about, she knew the humans liked it.” And since ambassadors not only make sure all the dogs in the park get along, but also make sure the humans feel welcome - the bath was a great idea. Unfortunately, her trainer is an older bulldog who seems a bit stuck on his own dignity and won’t let her try out any of her ideas. It turns out to be a discouraging day that has Gibson rethinking her desire to be an ambassador. But when Clover, the puppy, gets washed downstream while playing in the water, Gibson shows what a real ambassador can do. With her pal, Stretch the dachshund, and Clover depending on her to help them get home again, Gibson will use all her skills to lead them back to the park and their humans. Clover seems to think it is very exciting, “Adventure with the big dogs! Wait until I tell all my friends! They’ll be so jealous!” and readers will agree. This is a wonderful book for kids who enjoy animal stories with satisfying endings. It also shows the power of perseverance and how important it is to be true to yourself. If Gibson had been exactly like her mentor Meistro, she would never have been able to save Clover or be the hero of the dog park.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathryn Kazoleas is a Canadian author. Her furry roommates and copy-editors Keeva the cat, as well as Koa and Freddy the labradoodles, inspire her stories every day. The way they see and experience the world inspires her to dream up and express what she can only describe as fun, chaotic, and innocent adventures. Kathryn has been writing for many, many years, with her most recent work being the middle-grade chapter books “Dog Park” and its sequel “Dog Daycare”. Her short story “Just Be There” can also be found in Chicken Soup for the Soul’s “My Hilarious, Heroic, Human Dog”.

For more information, visit www.kathrynkazoleas.com, https://www.instagram.com/kathrynkazoleas/, and https://twitter.com/kkazoleaswriter.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Thursday, January 5, 2023 The Children’s Book Review Tour Kick-Off

Friday, January 6, 2023 The Fairview Review A book review of Dog Park

Monday, January 9, 2023 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers A book review of Dog Park

Tuesday, January 10, 2023 Because I Said So A book review of Dog Park

Wednesday, January 11, 2023 Barbara Ann Mojica’s Blog A book review of Dog Park

Thursday, January 12, 2023 Writer with Wanderlust A book review of Dog Park

Friday, January 13, 2023 icefairy’s Treasure Chest A book review of Dog Park

Monday, January 16, 2023 My Reading Getaway An interview with Kathryn Kazoleas

Tuesday, January 17, 2023 Lisa’s Reading A book review of Dog Park

Wednesday, January 18, 2023 Cover Lover Book Review An interview with Kathryn Kazoleas

Thursday, January 19, 2023 Twirling Book Princess Book Giveaway of Dog Park

Friday, January 20, 2023 Me Two Books A book activity to pair with Dog Park

Monday, January 23, 2023 J.R.s Book Reviews A book review of Dog Park

Tuesday, January 24, 2023 The Momma Spot A book review of Dog Park

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 Book Zone Reviews A book review of Dog Park

Thursday, January 26, 2023 Storymamas A book review of Dog Park

Friday, January 27, 2023 The Review Wire An interview with Kathryn Kazoleas

Virtual tour in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Kathryn Kazoleas.