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Review: Ghost Cat by Kevan Atteberry

Ghost Cat by Kevan Atteberry (9780823442836)

A little boy thinks that he sees a ghost cat out of the corner of his eye. It reminds him of the cat he used to have but the boy can never get a good look at this ghost cat. The ghost cat seems to sleep on his bed at night, curled up and purring. It plays with cat toys on the stairs. It meows outside of the boy’s door and knocks things off of shelves.…

2019 CBCA Book Awards

The Children’s Book Council of Australia has announced their 2019 winners and honor books for the CBCA Book of Year Awards. Here they are:

THE BOOK OF THE YEAR: OLDER READERS

Between Us by Clare Atkins

HONOURS

Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee

Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein

  THE BOOK OF THE YEAR: YOUNGER READERS

His Name Was Walter by Emily Rodda

HONOURS

Black Cockatooby Carl…

Review: One Shoe, Two Shoes by Caryl Hart

One Shoe, Two Shoes by Caryl Hart, illustrated by Edward Underwood (9781547600946)

With a clear nod to Dr. Seuss and his iconic Red Fish, Blue Fish, this picture book celebrates rhymes, colors and footwear. The book begins with the dog having one shoe and the human having one shoe, then the two shoes are worn for a walk. There are different colored shoes, knotted laces, cowboy boots, and much…

Review: A Slip of a Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff

A Slip of a Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff (9780823439553)

This verse novel tells the story of a girl surviving the Irish Land Wars between the English landowners and the Irish tenant farmers. Anna has grown up on their family farm, but their family struggles to make the required payments to stay. Around her, she sees other families being forced from their homes, the houses themselves knocked down…

2019 Harvey Awards Nominees

The Harvey Awards have announced their nominees for the 2019 awards. Voted on by comic book professionals, the awards celebrate individual works. There is one category specifically for books for youth:

BEST CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG ADULT BOOK NOMINEES

Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Also nominated for Book of the Year)

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary…

Review: The Spacesuit by Alison Donald

The Spacesuit: How a Seamstress Helped Put Man on the Moon by Alison Donald, illustrated by Ariel Landy (9781848864245)

A fascinating glimpse at a woman behind the success of the first moon landing. Eleanor Foraker loved to sew even as a young girl. As an adult, she worked for Playtex, sewing clothing for children and women. When a contest opened to design a spacesuit to go to the moon, Ellie…

YALSA’S Teens’ Top Ten

The voting for YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten is now open and will stay open through October 12th. Winners will be announced the following week. Here are the nominees along with the official video announcement:

  #MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

American Panda b…

Review: Dig by A. S. King

Dig by A. S. King (9781101994917)

Meet five teenagers who either barely know one another or don’t know each other at all, but all are from the same broken family. It’s a family where the roots run deep into potato farming and racism. It’s a family broken by high expectations, greed, and an inability to connect. Each of the teens carries their own moniker other than their first name. There is the…

This Week’s Tweets

Here are the tweets I shared this week:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Cape Coral poet Lee Bennett Hopkins dies at age 81 after prolific career in children’s literature (link: https://buff.ly/2KyWji6) buff.ly/2KyWji6 #kidlit

‘Greta effect’ leads to boom in children’s environmental books (link: https://buff.ly/2TnUCYN) buff.ly/2TnUCYN #kidlit

The Importance of Picture Books – Psychology Today – (link:…

Review: The Feather by Margaret Wild

The Feather by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Freya Blackwood (9781760124212)

A giant white glowing feather floats down into a dystopian world where the sky is always gray. Two children find it and take it to the village, amazed by how light it is to carry. The children know it doesn’t belong inside. The adults in the village though want to contain its beauty, but before they can, the feather…

Review: Migration: Incredible Animal Journeys by Mike Unwin

Migration: Incredible Animal Journeys by Mike Unwin, illustrated by Jenni Desmond (9781547600977)

Explore the many animals who migrate each year from all over the world in this nonfiction picture book. The book focuses on each animal’s amazing journey and provides a wide look at migration in general, the various types of animals who migrate, and the specific story of each animal. The animals…

Review: Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis

Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis (9781536204988)

Based loosely on the story of Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Mary, this graphic novel is remarkable. Margaret has been on the island since she was a baby, cared for by the nuns that live there, not knowing who her parents are. The island has only a few residents, including goats and chickens. The nuns help those whose ships sink or crash making…

Review: Skulls! by Blair Thornburgh

Skulls! by Blair Thornburgh, illustrated by Scott Campbell (9781534414006)

This picture book is a rousing look at your head bones or skull. The book uses clever analogies to allow young children to understand the importance of your skull, such as skulls are “like a car seat for your brain” in the ways that they keep your brain safe. Skulls have your jaws and also your teeth, until they fall out.…

Review: Ultrabot’s First Playdate by Josh Schneider

Ultrabot’s First Playdate by Josh Schneider (9781328490131)

When Ultrabot’s professor invites their neighbor Becky to come over for a playdate at their secret lab, Ultrabot is very nervous. He wonders if Becky will share or break his toys. He pictures her as an enormous furry dog-person with barrettes all over. But Becky turns out to be a little human girl. She brings a ball along with her and…