Shelf Awareness--The Wicked King

YA Review: The Wicked King

The Wicked King by Holly Black (Little, Brown, 336p., ages 14-up, 9780316310352)

In The Cruel Prince, human Jude used her place among fey royalty and her training as a knight to install a puppet monarch on the throne. Doing so meant working closely with her bitter rival, the hateful Prince Cardan, but allowed her to keep her murderous adoptive father, Madoc, off the throne, and her young, fey brother, Oak, safe from the court.

The Wicked King sees Jude playing the part of seneschal to High King Cardan, though, in truth, she is "the hand behind the throne." She's tricked Cardan into swearing allegiance to her "for a year and a day," but Jude wants to "keep him in [her] power--and out of trouble--for longer than that." Her plan is to crown Oak who, unbeknownst to most, is a child of the previous High King and therefore "of the right bloodline." But before he can take over for this new (and supposedly temporary) High King, he has to grow up. Unfortunately, Cardan, who never wanted the crown, looks increasingly comfortable playing monarch. Meanwhile, Orlagh, Queen of the Undersea, plots to unseat the seemingly "feckless" Cardan, and Jude juggles different court factions to maintain power.

To complicate matters further, Jude and Cardan become romantically involved, sharing the "sinister pleasure" of ill-conceived desire. Jude begins to get swept away in all of her escalating games of love and hate; stakes rise as her ability to lie, and her growing affinity for murder, may well lead to her downfall. The Wicked King has satisfying twists and turns, sizzling passions, brutal violence, spies and revels of all sorts--no one brings the intricate courtly politics of Faerie to life quite as well, or with as much intelligence, as Holly Black. --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Discover: As de facto ruler of Elfhame, Jude struggles to retain power in a divided court in this sequel to The Cruel Prince.

January Book Picks

Novels:

In THE FRIENDSHIP WAR, by Andrew Clements, Grace and Ellie are best friends, but Ellie’s always been the one in charge. When Grace acquires a storeroom’s worth of buttons, and somehow manages to start a button fad at their school, the social order of the sixth grade begins to shift. Grace finds herself in the center of things for a change, and she’s not sure she likes it. This isn’t entirely new ground for Clements, who wrote the bestselling classic, FRINDLE, some years ago, but it’s an excellent story in its own right. (MG)

THE LOTTERIES, MORE OR LESS, by Caroline Hadilaksono, is a follow-up to 2017’s compelling THE LOTTERIES PLUS ONE. The Lottery’s are a unique, endearingly zany family that kids will enjoy spending time with. In this episode, it’s holiday season, and an ice storm makes all of Sumac Lottery’s plans go haywire. (MG)

NEWS FROM ME, LUCY MCGEE, by Mary Amato, is the first book of an intended series. Lucy can’t believe her luck when Scarlett Tandy picks her-- not Victoria or Mara or Resa--to help make over Scarlett’s garden shed into "a beautiful Craft Cottage." Lucy is so excited, she skips the first meeting of the new Songwriting Club she's signed up for, and doesn’t tell her parents. Somehow it seems like Lucy gets all the hard work and Scarlett has all the fun jobs, but Lucy is not deterred. This is a fun early middle grade with a super-exhuberant title character. (MG)

Picture Books:

In OCEAN MEETS SKY, by the Fan Brothers, Finn misses his grandfather, who "would have been ninety years old today.” From odds and ends, Finn builds a boat which rocks him gently out to sea. There he meets a “great goldfish" who guides him to that magical place where the ocean meets the sky. This book is stunning in all ways: dust jacket, book cover, and endpapers welcome readers to enjoy a sweet and dreamy odyssey.

FOUND, by Jeff Newman and Larry Day, is a poignant, heartwarming, wordless picture book that's illustrated with pen and ink and smart, spare touches of color. A young girl, who has recently lost her own dog, slowly falls in love with a stray, but when she sees a “Lost” poster outside the pet store, she knows what she must do. As she walks away from the newly reunited dog and his owner, there is yet a third dog, in a shelter window, who may be a perfect fit.

INTERRUPTING CHICKEN AND THE ELEPHANT OF SURPRISE, by David Ezra Stein, features the same Interrupting Chicken from her 2011 Caldecott Honor Book. This time, she’s determined to find the elephant of surprise that, according to her teacher, every story has. From The Ugly Duckling, to Rapunzel, to The Little Mermaid, when Papa reads, Chicken manages to find those elephants of surprise. Poor Papa—he was so sure there weren’t elephants in any of those stories….

--Lynn

January's Book of the Month--Wolf in the Snow

Happy New Year!

January’s Book of the Month is the 2018 Caldecott Medal winner, WOLF IN THE SNOW, by Matthew Cordell.

It’s a cold, snowy day. In parallel storylines, a little girl and a wolf cub both become lost in a snowstorm. When they find each other, the girl helps the wolf, who’s having trouble walking in the snow. She follows the sound of the wolf pack’s howls, and returns the cub to its pack. But now the girl is tired and alone. And even though her dog is barking in the distance, and she can see there are people looking for her, it doesn’t seem like she's going to make it. But then the wolves begin howling, and they lead the search party to the freezing child, so she can be reunited with her family.

There is so much emotion conveyed in this wordless (except for sound’s like huffing, howling, whining and growling) picture book. Even though the girl is bundled up so we can only see her eyes, we always know how she’s feeling. The story, which begins before the title page, proceeds in alternating spreads of child and wolf, until they meet and the two stories are combined. The colors work beautifully. The girl’s red hooded jacket is offset by the green of the trees, and stands out nicely against the golden (before snow) and white (after snow) ground, and also has a primary color thing going with the blue of the sky. Then there are the blacks and purples of the wolves. And lots of watercolor texture. It’s gorgeous, in all its scratchy, expressive glory.

This is a heartwarming picture book that effortlessly depicts the virtues of helpfulness and the kindness of strangers.

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--Found

PB Review: Found

Found by Jeff Newman, illus. by Larry Day (Simon & Schuster, 48p., ages 4-8, 9781534410060)

One rainy evening, a girl gazing out her apartment window notices a bedraggled dog wading through puddles in the city streets below. She runs downstairs, scoops up the pup and brings it inside. The girl already has all the accessories needed to welcome the stray: dog food, a bowl, a bed, a leash.... As the girl takes care of the stray, readers will understand that she is mourning the loss of another dog, Prudence, who is obviously much-loved and has gone missing (according to the poster tacked up on her wall). The new dog wins the girl over completely and they spend some wonderful moments together. Then the girl sees a "LOST" poster outside a pet store and realizes that this new dog (Roscoe) has an owner searching for it. In a heartbreaking climax, the girl chooses to do the right thing, reuniting Roscoe and owner. Yet, even as she despondently walks away, there is a third dog--in a shelter window--that may well be the perfect fit.

Larry Day uses color smartly and sparingly in this wordless picture book, highlighting key story elements with sunshine yellows, bold reds or glum blues. In a nice design touch, the title page doesn't appear until a few spreads in, when the girl carries the wet dog upstairs, emphasizing how it has been "Found." Endpapers also reinforce the themes of Found, with an abandoned dog basket under the girl's bed in the beginning that is replaced by a glimpse of the newly adopted shelter pup at the end. Found expertly conveys the waves of emotion experienced by one compassionate, nameless girl who retains the ability to open her heart again and yet again. --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Discover: In this charming wordless picture book, a young girl who has recently lost her own dog falls in love with a stray, only to learn that the stray has an owner searching for it.

Shelf Awareness--Carter Reads the Newspaper

PB Review: Carter Reads the Newspaper

Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson, illus. by Don Tate (Peachtree Publishing, 36p., ages 6-10, 9781561459346, February 1, 2019)

Deborah Hopkinson and Don Tate's exemplary picture book about Carter G. Woodson, "the father of Black History," celebrates a lesser-known historic American. Woodson didn't "help people escape from slavery, start a bus strike, or lead a movement of millions"; instead, he "transformed the way people thought about history" and set the groundwork for Black History Month. Celebrated in February, Black History Month serves as a time "to honor heroes like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, Jr.," along with so many others.

Carter Woodson was born on a farm, 10 years after the Civil War ended, to parents who had been slaves. He went to school only part time because he was needed at home, but his father, who had escaped slavery to join the Union Army, "believed in being an informed citizen." Unable to read or write himself, he encouraged Carter to read the newspaper aloud, which gave the boy "his first glimpse of the wider world."

When Carter was 16, he joined his brother in the coal mines. There, he met Oliver Jones, who had a profound effect on him. During the Civil War, Jones "had fought for freedom and equality," and, years later, "[h]e was still willing to do his part to further the cause." Jones held post-work gatherings in his home, where Carter again read newspapers aloud. He also researched answers to questions his friends posed about what they had learned. It was "school of a different kind," and Carter was inspired by these men. "[His] interest in penetrating the past of [his] people was deepened." Carter went on to high school, college and eventually got his Ph.D. from Harvard, becoming "the first and only Black American whose parents had been slaves to receive a doctorate in history."

Throughout his life, Woodson understood that learning occurs in all kinds of places, in all kinds of ways, and he labored to make sure that history included "all people." When one of his professors said "that Black people had no history," it became Woodson's life work to prove him wrong--even though the stories of black Americans "weren't part of any history book," Woodson knew they still had a history. In 1926, Woodson chose "the second week of February" to be Negro History Week "to mark the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln." Later, February became Black History Month, which is now celebrated nationally. Carter Woodson learned the stories of his people, and he wanted to make sure that everyone in the United States learned them, too.

This inspiring picture book combines a rich but focused text with clear, expressive mixed-media illustrations. It sheds light on an important, inspiring, but little-known subject, and the supplemental back matter gives weight to the exceedingly important takeaways that history must include all people, and that anyone can change history. "And we can, too." --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Shelf Talker: Without Carter G. Woodson's dedication to truth and inclusion, we might not have Black History Month as a time to honor key heroes in United States' history.

December Book Picks

Novels:

MAC B., KID SPY #1, MAC UNDERCOVER, by Mac Barnett, features the kind of zany shenanigans that middle schoolers will love, filled with plenty of action, kid-appropriate sarcasm, and illustrations by Mike Lowry. In the first installment, when Mac was a kid, the Queen of England called to ask him to find the missing Crown Jewels. An envelope arrived with “a plane ticket and a stack of colorful British money.” So Mac began his “extremely dangerous” mission as a fully-fledged secret agent for the Queen of England. It’s an absurd story, but one that makes total sense and is heaps of fun. (MG)

In INKLING, by veteran fantasy writer Kenneth Oppel, an ink blob comes to life and turns a sixth-grader’s life upside down. Even though Ethan’s father is a famous artist, Ethan can’t draw anything more complicated than stick figures. But his class is working on graphic novels, and Ethan’s group picked him to be their artist, believing he's just messing around when he says he can’t draw. The ink blob can help! But is it right? And what happens when other aspiring —and established—artists find out about the magic? Drawings by Sydney Smith help bring this surprisingly complex novel to life. (MG)

THE DARK DESCENT OF ELIZABETH FRANKENSTEIN, by Kiersten White, is a dark and creepy reimagining of the original—dark and creepy—classic. Elizabeth Lavenza was being raised by a poor woman of “brutally efficient meanness,” so when she’s given the chance to be a “special friend” to smart, inquisitive, solitary Victor Frankenstein, she’s determined to do whatever it takes. But Victor’s depraved secrets multiply, until he disappears and it’s up to Elizabeth, along with companion Justine, to find him before Elizabeth’s place in the wealthy household is forfeit. This one is really edgy, but it’s edgy in service of a well-written, fascinating story. (YA)

Picture Books:

GIRAFFE PROBLEMS, by Jory John, illustrated by Lane Smith, is a humorous, beautifully designed and illustrated look at Giraffe, who doesn’t like his neck because, among other things, it’s too "necky.” Lots of animals couldn’t care less, until Giraffe finds one who can relate. Page turns are used to great effect as the story unfolds to its satisfying conclusion.

POTATO PANTS, by Laurie Keller, is the story of how Potato is super excited because Lance Vance’s Fancy Pants Store is having a one day sale on potato pants, but he gets aced out of the last pair because of an eggplant, who’s nothing but trouble. This is high energy hijinks, with lots of fun wordplay and dialog depicted in speech bubbles, that follows Potato as he works through his crisis.

SHAWN LOVES SHARKS, by Curtis Manley, with pictures by Tracy Subisak, is a great example of an enjoyable fictional story can integrate elements of STEM non-fiction. Shawn loves sharks so much that he thinks about them all the time, and even pretends to be one at school. He chases all the kids, including Stacy who screams the loudest. But when the class each picks a different animal to study, Shawn gets the seal. And Stacy gets the shark! Clean, clear illustrations do a nice job of showing both facts and fantasy.

--Lynn

December's Book of the Month--Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut

December’s Book of the Month is the highly lauded CROWN: AN ODE TO THE FRESH CUT, written by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James. It’s won a Caldecott Honor, a Newbery Honor, A Coretta Scott King Author Honor, Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, Exra Jack Keats New Writer Award, Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor, and a Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. Oh, and it also won the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature, along with the accompanying hefty cash prize. Probably some more awards that I don’t know about.

So. What makes this book so special? I have to say that I think it’s the sheer enormity of the HOPE gifted to readers by this young narrator. A trip to the barbershop becomes a portal to the fulfillment of every dream. It’s about confidence—how you’ll leave the shop feeling: “Magnificent. Flawless. Like royalty.” Any problems you had had going in? Solved by the cut, which brings out “the gold medal you.”

And the engaging, infectious voice of this young man who’s ready to take on the world. . .

The author, in an endnote, adds that, in addition to this universal moment of self-esteem "when black and brown boys all over America…hop out of the chair,” a trip to the barbershop is also a time to “become privy to the conversations and company of hardworking black men from all walks of life.” And, it’s an opportunity to understand that you have “a soul that matters.” Because you do.

The painterly illustrations capture the boundless pride and personality of the narrator, as well as all the other characters he mentions.

All the acclaim should help ensure that his terrific story finds its way into the hands of readers who need it most.

--Lynn