October Recommendations

Novels:

PAX: JOURNEY HOME, by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen, picks up the tale of the fox Pax, and his boy Peter, which was told in the first PAX book. Now on his own, Pax and his mate have three little kits. Peter, badly hurt, conflicted, and full of guilt over abandoning Pax and letting down his father, decides he’ll never let anyone or anything get close to him again. But when Peter joins the Water Warriors to clean up rivers and streams after the recent war, he finds it’s not nearly as easy as he thought to cut all ties. Don’t miss this completely engaging, heart-wrenching, love-affirming sequel.

THE MANY MEANINGS OF MEILAN, by Andrea Wang, is the story of how Meilan Hua must leave the comfort and security she’s always known in Boston’s Chinatown, because after her beloved grandmother dies, her parents, aunts, and uncles can’t seem to do anything but fight. They sell their bakery, and Meilan’s Bàba packs up Meilan, her mother, and her grandfather into their car. Their journey ends in a small town in Ohio, where Meilan finds adjusting to her new and very different life a real struggle. When the school principal renames her Melanie, she begins to question who she really is. It’s a strong and enjoyable middle grade read.

Easy Readers:

CHARLIE AND MOUSE, LOST AND FOUND, written by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by Emily Hughes, tells of how Mouse loses his blanket and Charlie helps him find it, how the two of them find a dog named Silly, but lose it again because isn’t a stray, and how they find a dog named Boop, who really and truly belongs to them. Sweet, engaging story and art!

Picture Books:

In AND THEN CAME HOPE, by Stephen Savage, when the boats in the harbor aren’t feeling well (“Barge got bonked” and “”Ferry felt feverish” etc.) they know who to call. Hope, “with her team of tugboats at her side,” saves the day. It’s a charming, perfectly age-appropriate introduction to the hospital ship dubbed the S. S. Hope, a state of the art floating medical center, now retired. Bold, blocky digital art is sure to please.

TOUGH LIKE MUM, by Lana Button and Carmen Mok, is the heartfelt story of a child dealing with poverty and a depressed parent. Even though Kim is pretty tough, some days are more difficult than others. But there are also the times they can snuggle together in bed telling silly stories. Caring adults can make a difference. Expressive gouache, colored pencil, and Photoshop art helps make the text relatable and enhances how this sweet book can also pack an emotional wallop.

THAO, a picture book by Thao Lam, describes a particular frustration the author/artist felt as a young child. With a name that’s not easy for classmates to say, she gets called many things, some of them not nice at all. But by the end of her story, she embraces her name and heritage in a way that’s perfect for a picture book audience—with excitement over her mom packing her favorite lunch. The art looks to be collage, but may well have a digital component. The story has a nice tight arc, and is a creative approach to building empathy.

--Lynn