#part-one

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Justification: This book received the Newbery Medal in 2020. This book is a very interesting read as it contains a smaller story within the larger overall story, making the experience unique and delightful. This book focuses on a Korean family and often includes references to Korean culture. The writer behind the story is of Korean descent, and used her own experience alongside research to weave a marvelous tale. This story adds diversity providing a voice to those from the culture, and a window to those not from the culture. 

Evaluation: This story was told in an interesting style, woven throughout the main story was a smaller story told like a fairy tale. This story-within-a-story was important because it gave insight into the main character and her family, and encompassed the theme of the major story. This was done beautifully and enhanced the magic of the book. The use of figurative language throughout the book was done well. Keller was able to paint a magical story, and provide beautiful imagery through her word choices. The characters in this story were very believable, often I could feel the pain of the family as they struggled throughout the story. The interactions between characters were done well. Even the supporting characters had life blown into them as they developed over the course of the story, although not as much as the main character who grew in strides. The dialog allowed readers to glimpse into the relationships between the character and gave insight into how those relationships changed over the course of the story. The dialog also gave us a better understanding of each character's personality and mindset, as well as the emotions they were feeling. 

Conclusion: Keller created a magical world through style and language. Her believable characters made it easy to slip into the story’s world, and experience the turbulent emotions of the characters. The story provided a wonderful, magical experience albeit tinged with sadness. This book showed how important stories are to us, and how stories should be treasured. 

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Justification: Instant ramen is something many children are familiar with, the colorful product lines the shelves at grocery stores. Instant ramen is something common for children to eat, and sometimes shown in television shows they watch. The writing in this book is well done and informative. The illustrations are detailed, and the illustrator does a wonderful job working with color. This book is also highly rated on Goodreads with a score of 4.29 stars. This book was recommended in a nonfiction list by Elizabeth Bird through the School Library Journal website. 

Evaluation: The illustrator, Urbanowicz, does a wonderful job with the use of color. The scenes set in the dark of night are carefully lit by the fires the people in the illustrations use to keep warm, you can see the glow of warmth on the faces of the people as they stand near the heat sources. The scenes where Ando is walking at night, looking at the line of hungry people, contrast well with the bright scenes of him hard at work in his home trying to come up with a solution for his community's hunger. The color of the ramen broth looks so delicious and real, it made me a bit hungry. Even the cherry blossoms are a stunning color, signaling a new beginning for Ando. The layout of the illustrations is also done well, Urbanowicz knows when to utilize a two page spread to enhance the artwork. I also feel the layout helps to give the story a nice flow. The author, Wang, uses varying sentence lengths to give the story a nice flow. The text is not constantly blocky, long paragraphs can find relief on the next page from short sentences. 

Conclusion: This book was well put together, illustrations and text were thoughtfully placed to give readers an enjoyable experience. The use of color makes the illustrations pop off the pages. The book contains interesting information over the origin of instant ramen, which was fun for me personally to read about. I found it neat that the Author’s Note included a little information on Japanese naming customs, and a punctuation guide. The Afterword included even more fun information. 

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Justification: This book falls under #OwnVoices. In her author's note Barron mentions the desire she had to see herself in a book, which is something every child wants and why diverse books are needed. In this book Barron incorporates ancestral traditions that she longed to form her own connection with, which I feel says even if you didn’t grow up steeped in your ancestors traditions it’s still a part of you if you want it. This book was on the Kirkus list “Best Middle-Grade Fantasy & Science Fiction of 2020.” It is easy to see why it belongs on that list, as it incorporates an interesting plot, unique background, and believable characters.  

Evaluation: One thing that spoke to me was the plot of this story. It is something that is easy to connect with, the desire to protect your loved ones from harm. As Maya desperately searches for a way to save her father, she learns a lot about herself and the world around her. The plot drives Maya to grasp a better understanding of the new world she has stumbled into, and pushes her to be brave despite her fears. Another thing I liked was the dialogue, which did a wonderful job at painting each character’s personality. Their interactions, witty comebacks, and word choices helped to breathe life into the characters. The dialogue also helped to understand the relationships between characters. Lastly, the setting was really fleshed out and helped to support one of the themes of the book. The book takes place in our world as well as a mirror world called The Dark, through this setting Barron was able to show that although those who lived in The Dark looked different they had lives just like Maya. Descriptions of the setting, in both worlds, were detailed and often used imagery to paint a vivid picture. 

Conclusion: Barron provides readers with a strong character who faces dangers, despite her fear in order to save those she loves. Her characters aren’t perfect, they make mistakes and throw themselves into situations they don’t fully understand but throughout their journey they learn. They learn that everything is not as simple as it seems, and I think that is a great take away for anyone. I believe this book would be an enjoyable experience for young readers. 

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Justification: This is something that could easily capture a child’s interest as it provides them to learn about a popular gaming company. Nintendo systems and games are very popular, and it is common to see children playing on a Switch or hear them discussing their favorite games. This book is very informative and follows a neat timeline to provide information about the Nintendo company. The book includes illustrations, many depicting the various key players in the company's success. The illustrations provide a fun break from the text, while also providing information about people, games, and characters. As a bonus this book also includes fun photographs that were collected over the years.

Evaluation: The pacing for this book is done well, the text flows in unfolds in a linear fashion according to specific events in the company’s history. Each chapter covers specific information and each section is clearly labeled, a lot of information is provided but it is not overly packed. An illustrated portrait is included each time a new president of the company is introduced, which acts as a way to mark a new section in the company’s history. Information is presented accurately, it is clear that a lot of research went into the creation of this book. The author, Gina Shaw, is an experienced writer who has been working in the children’s book publishing industry for over forty years. The illustrations in this book are in black and white, and very detailed. Many of the illustrations serve to provide additional information such as a visualization of a product, illustration on how a product is used, identifying information, or location information. This book uses mixed media: drawn illustrations and photographs. The photographs at the end of the book showcase individuals, products, and events that were covered within the book. 

Conclusion: This is a fun and informative book over a topic children tend to love. The illustrations balance with the text to provide a break between sections. It also helps to give a better understanding of the section as it illustrates items and concepts featured in that section. This book was well written and enjoyable to read. 

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Justification: This story provides a child’s point of view on an important part of history. It educates children on the hardships faced by many people who had to walk The Trail of Tears. The author is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. She was mentored by several Indigenous writers and teachers. A lot of research and care went into the creation of this book. 

Evaluation: Rogers conducted a lot of research in order to tell this story. She consulted historic documents (including documented interviews from individuals who walked The Trail of Tears), reached out to employees of historic sites and employees of Cherokee organizations, reached out to experts on the Cherokee language, and had other Indigenous writers read over her drafts. Rogers also took a trip to the site of The Trail of Tears. Rogers also does a wonderful job at setting the mood. She skillfully uses the internal thoughts of the main character, Mary, and the setting to express specific moods. Another great aspect is how Rogers treats the readers. She had a habit of defining difficult vocabulary and words related to Indigenous culture; however, the way she went about this was not condescending but helpful. The kindle version of the book allowed for easy access to the definition simply by clicking on the word, these words were stylized differently than the other words in the text. 

Conclusion: It is clear that this book was carefully written and researched. The events take place through the eyes of a child, which should make it easier for children to connect with the story. This story gives insight to the hardships those who walked The Trail of Tears faced, and the perseverance they needed to overcome those hardships. I feel that it is important that the voice to tell this is an Indigenous writer. 

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Justification: This book is a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor book. It was also on the ALA’s Notable Children’s Book list in 2020. It was also one of the Best Picture Books of 2019 on Kirkus reviews. This book tells the story of slavery from the eyes of a child, which can give a child a more personalized view of history. It explains a dark and important time that must not be forgotten. This book is well written with wonderful illustrations. 

Evaluation: The body language and facial expressions in the illustrations are well done, they allow a reader to get a sense of how the characters must be feeling. Attention to detail can also be seen in the background of the buildings, plants, and tools. It is clear that Ransome put a lot of work and care into the illustrations, as they look like they are ready to jump right off the page. The illustrations have an interesting style, as if they were painted with oils or some other kind of paint. This often gives things an interesting texture. The images do a great job at reinforcing the text. The text is well written, the sentences vary nicely, sometimes it reads off like a little list when this happens it has a sort of sad musical feel to it. The repetition in the text serves to strengthen the musical tone of the story. Lastly, the last page leaves off in a way that brings the story full circle, which signals that although we see the end the girl’s days continue to repeat the same pattern. Honestly, it’s a poetic end. 

Conclusion: The artwork in this book is absolutely stunning, and serves the girl’s story well. The illustrations and text work together well to tell this piece of historical fiction. Since the story is told from a young girl’s perspective it should make it easier for children to relate to her plight. This story was beautifully told, and I highly recommend reading it. 

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Justification: This book was on the 2020-2021 Tejas reading list. This book has two editions: a Spanish edition and an English edition. This book’s age appropriate text, and illustrations that reinforce the text make it an excellent book for those picking up a second language. The book is also an excellent example of the responsibility of pet care, as Lola models excellent behavior in regards to preparing for her first cat. Lola also models literate skills as she is shown going to the library and researching cats. 

Evaluation: This story uses precise vocabulary that can help build a reader’s confidence and knowledge. The words and sentences are not complex, and fit the story well. The text pushes for new words to be learned through it’s simple sentence structure. This is further assisted by how the illustrations reinforce the text. Each illustration clearly shows Lola acting out the text on the page, therefore if a word is not known it can be inferred through context clues. The book also has a nice composition. Many of the illustrations are spread across two pages, which gives the image a nice balance. Often, triangles are formed within the image directing the reader's eyes to a specific part of the illustration. 

Conclusion: This book is a wonderful edition for those learning a second language. The illustrations work to promote a better understanding of the vocabulary. This would be an excellent book to encourage bilingual readers. I found this book to be a fun read in both English and Spanish. The illustrations are fun to look at, and are full of color and fun items. 

Reference: McQuinn, A. (2019). Lola quiere un gato (R. Beardshaw, Iluss). Charelsbridge Publishing.