August Recommendations

Novels:

In the middle-grade novel JOSEPHINE AGAINST THE SEA, by Shakirah Bourne, the only thing ten-year-old Josephine loves more than playing cricket (or watching a good match) is sliming her daddy’s girlfriends with fish guts to scare them away. So far, with the help of her best—and only—friend Ahkai, she’s been successful. But when strange and beautiful Mariss arrives on the scene, Josephine finds herself up against a foe she thinks might be more sea spirit than human. Bourne juggles multiple plot threads with ease, creating a story that’s full of heart and humming with magic.

Chapter Books:

JO JO MAKOONS: THE USED-TO-BE BEST FRIEND, by Dawn Quigley with illustrations by Tara Audibert, features perky main character Jo Jo, who lives on a fictional Ojibwe reservation. Jo Jo has a best friend at home (Mimi, her cat) and a best friend at school (Fern, who isn’t saving her a seat at lunch anymore). When Jo Jo sneaks Mimi to school in her backpack, Mimi helps Jo Jo learn to rhyme (with such gems as “Mimi went pee-pee in the tipi,” which—yes—actually does happen). Jo Jo and Mimi make it home without being discovered, but there is still plenty to learn about, including Jim/Gym and making art that doesn’t insult your classmates. This is great chapter book fun!

Picture Books:

NO PANTS! by Jacob Grant, stars a little boy who is very excited for Party Day. He does everything he’s told—eats oatmeal for breakfast instead of pancakes, puts his bowl in the sink, brushes his teeth, uses the potty, washes his hands—but when it’s time to get dressed, he loudly and determinedly proclaims “NO PANTS!” His dad tries to convince him pants are necessary. Charcoal, crayon, pencil, and cut paper art that’s colored digitally works perfectly, and please make sure to check under the dust cover. This funny book felt completely relatable (at least to my family)!

SOMETHING’S WRONG! written by Jory John with illustrations by Erin Kraan, is another book about leaving home in your underwear. As Jeff the Bear goes about his morning, he’s got a feeling that something’s wrong. He greets deer, frog, and other animals in the forest, yet he remains sure that “something’s…off.” His friend Anders the Bunny helps him rectify the situation, and soon Jeff has his dignity back. This story about the very best kind of friendship is told completely in dialogue, aided by illustrations (which look to be digitally manipulated woodcuts) that pop with personality.

THE RESCUER OF TINY CREATURES, by Curtis Manley, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins, is Roberta, who does a job “nobody else seems to care about.” From bugs on their backs to worms stranded on the sidewalk, these “tiny creatures need friends who can rescue and understand them.” There are downsides, like people who don’t like earthworm slime or snails in their garden, and there’s the occasional dragonfly bite. But Roberta’s ingenuity shines through and eventually she wins herself a classroom full of fans and one likeminded friend. The bold, cartoony art, made with gouache, colored pencils, charcoal, and markers finished digitally, are full of heart.

WE ALL PLAY, by Julie Flett, takes readers on a gentle, alliterative romp with a variety of wild animals, pointing to the interconnectedness of the natural world. Come “chase and chirp…slip and slide…rumble and roll” because “animals play. And we play, too: kimêtawânaw mîna.” There’s a list of all the “hoppers and wigglers and wobblers and wanderers” included near the end, along with their Cree translations. The delicate, pastel and pencil illustrations, composited digitally, are brimming with whimsy. It’s a lovely book.

--Lynn