September Recommendations

Novels:

SKUNK AND BADGER, by Amy Timberlake, with pictures by Jon Klassen, is a fun story of mismatched friends. Badger is staying in Aunt Lula’s brownstone while she’s away, doing “IMPORTANT ROCK WORK" and enjoying his privacy. When Skunk turns up on the doorstep with permission to stay, too, chaos--and way too many chickens--ensue. How these two learn to get along is an energetic odd couple story readers seven to ten should appreciate. (Chapter Book)

In MONSTER AND BOY, by Hannah Barnaby, illustrated by Anoosha Syed, there’s "a monster who loved a boy,” even though they’ve never met. The monster lives under the boy’s bed and, one night, the monster decides it’s time to introduce himself. Unfortunately, the boy looks like he’s about to scream, so the monster, well, he swallows the boy. The rest of this first-book-in-a-new-series is concerned with getting the boy out of the monster’s stomach. It’s pretty darn cute. (Chapter Book)

THE BLACK KIDS, by Christina Hammonds Reed, is historical fiction that couldn’t feel more timely. It takes place during the violent protests in Los Angeles which follow the acquittal of the police officers who beat Rodney King. Ashley is black, but her three longtime best friends are white, her neighborhood is white, and she goes to an exclusive, mostly white private high school. But, as the city burns, long-hidden issues of race bubble to the surface, and Ashley has to figure out who she is and what she stands for. Timely, yes, but the novel is beautifully written and constructed, and it’s a terrific read. (YA)

Picture Books:

A BOWL FULL OF PEACE: A True Story, by Caren Stelson, illustrations by Akira Kusaka, is the story of Sachiko and her family, who live in Nagasaki, Japan. WWII makes life extremely difficult, and Grandmother’s precious bowl, which has “passed from mother to daughter” too many times to count, is not nearly as full of good food as it was before the war. After a devastating bomb falls on the community, Sachiko’s family will never be the same. This book is for older picture book readers, and the focus is on Sachiko’s survival, the comfort of Grandmother’s green bowl, and hope for the future. The accomplished art—digitally painted--adds quite a bit to the mood and depth of this story.

YOU MATTER, by Christian Robinson, is a sweetly reassuring affirmation that everyone, "the first to go and the last,” “those who swim with the tide and those who don’t,” “even if you are really gassy," indeed each and every one of us, matters. Illustrated in Robinson’s signature acrylic paint and collage art, which adds an element of natural history, this is a love letter to our planet and all who inhabit it.

UNSTOPPABLE, written by Adam Rex and illustrated by Laura Park, is the kind of book that should have kids rolling with laughter. It’s the over-the-top story of how a bird and a crab decide to join forces, so together they can both fly AND pinch with claws. They become Crabbird! or (Birdrab! depending on who you ask) and they are UNSTOPPABLE! Then a turtle who swims joins in (Craburtlebird! Birdraburtle! or Crabturd! depending on who you ask) and so on until, finally, they are Congresibirdraburtlebear and they have saved their lakefront and they are UNSTOPPABLE!!!

--Lynn