A beautifully illustrated insect guide, a story about blending cultures and inter-faith communities and a rescue adventure on the moon--Grand Rapids Area Library children's librarian, Tracy Kampa, shares this new batch of recommendations with What We’re Reading.
Tracy's Takes
Good Morning, Morning, by Maya Myers
I am decidedly not a morning person. Matter of fact, some of my most productive hours happen after 10 p.m. When I need to be up early, though, I wonder about all those daylight hours I regularly miss. A beautiful new picture book reminds me of what I sleep through every day.
Just before daybreak, our protagonist steps outside to a sensory wonderland. Slug trails, mushroom fairy rings, saggy spider webs wet with dew, all lead a child to their special sitting spot, where they peacefully settle to witness the wonder of the very early morning. As the sunlight reaches their face, they climb atop a rock to greet the day with an enthusiastic, ‘Good morning, morning!’
I think everybody will enjoy this beautiful reminder of the magic of the early morning. Treat yourself to Good Morning, Morning by Maya Myers with enchanting illustrations by Jennifer K. Mann.
Buzz, by Richard “Bugman” Jones
Speaking of beautiful books, oh boy, do I have one for you. Titled Buzz, this book is a self-proclaimed family guide to bugs and bees and how to spot them. It is a solid nonfiction reference book, but what sets it apart is the stunning illustrations. All pages are hand-drawn, including all the bugs and bees. Intricate detail teaches anatomy, and each page also includes several fact boxes.
Each bug is granted a title from the Hero of Beautiful Colors (the Picasso Shield Bug), to the Hero of Flight (the monarch butterfly), to the Hero of the Ecosystem (the praying mantis). We are treated to the stunning beauty of nature through the wonder of illustration.
This book begs to be poured over by everyone in the family. I think it would be the perfect gift for nature lovers of any age. Check out Buzz, by Richard “Bugman” Jones, with eye-soothing illustrations by Sarah Boccaccini Meadows.
Hail Mariam, by Huda Al-Marashi
When Mariam's mother heard that in America, private school was more challenging than public school, she signed her up. It didn't matter to her mother and father that the local private school was a Catholic school. Her parents chose it for the education. They did remind her, though, that she would probably be the only Muslim that any of her peers had ever met. So their opinions on Muslims would probably be based on Mariam's behavior.
Mariam headed to school, an entire religion weighing heavy on her 6th grade shoulders. From her first days, Mariam is torn, not sure how to hold true to her beliefs among those of her classmates.
She is greeted with kindness, but she quickly finds herself in foreign territory. She is not number one in her class, as she expects of herself. Indeed, she needs extra help. She runs for class office, hoping to prove herself worthy, but loses to the kids who always win. She's afraid she's not being a very good Muslim, but is at a loss to fix it.
When her younger sister becomes seriously ill, Mariam must handle more responsibility both in school and out. She answers all the messages coming home from school as if she were her mother and tries to make sure her needs are second to her sister's. It is with consternation then that she is presented with a decision. Her teacher, Sister Geraldine, has asked Mariam to play the part of Mary in the school nativity.
What Mariam ultimately decides left me cheering. If you are looking for a book about growing up, about blending cultures, and especially about interfaith communities, I think you'd enjoy Hail Mariam, by Huda Al-Marashi.
Life on the Moon, by Matthew Swanson
Life on the moon proves to be much different than Leo had anticipated. Indeed, shortly after their lunar landing, his father goes missing. While in their moon dome, Leo is taught by the dome itself the two most important rules on the moon: one, there is no life on the moon, and two, don't ask questions.
While Leo is supposed to wait in the dome, he becomes increasingly aware that his father is in trouble and that Leo needs to figure out how to save him.
While the dome tries to convince Leo that there is no life on the moon, Leo soon discovers it is teeming with it. Most notable are the Valrootans, who teach Leo all about life on their moon, which includes one of them getting eaten each day by the Hortle. This is an honor, and it happens on your first birthday. A new Valrootans is born each day to replace the one eaten, thereby carefully maintaining balance. The Valrootans, however young they may be, are also ancient, as they each hold a million years of collected knowledge.
Leo's quest does ultimately end victoriously, as he liberates his father from a giant golden hairbrush handle, as one does. But it's the journey that makes this book so wonderful. We learn Leo's backstory in bursts and come to realize that this adventure is one that helps Leo as much as it rescues his father.
Leo spends much time with the Valrootans Mitchells 1, 2, and 3. And while explaining Earth terms to the Valrootans, they explain some pretty important life facts back to Leo. One of my favorites is when Mitchell 2 asks Leo what ‘smart’ means. Leo explains and the Valrootans responds:
“Each of us knows exactly what we know. It sounds like ‘smart’ is a matter of whether the things you know are useful in whatever room you happen to be in.”
This made sense to Leo and gave him an idea. “Whatever you know is useful somewhere, right?”
“The universe is wide.”
“So….everyone is smart?”
“As long as they're standing in the right room.”
I've been thinking about that line for a couple of weeks and still marvel at the impact it could have on young readers, and certainly the impact it had on this old-ish reader. The book is highly illustrated, which helps keep the story moving at breakneck speed. Yet there are many moments that encourage the reader to pause and think and ponder and marvel.
I highly recommend you spend a little time with Leo and all his lunar adventures in Life on the Moon, by Matthew Swanson, illustrated by Robbi Behr.
Birdy, by N. West Moss
Anybody else out there remember ABC’s After School Specials? They were TV movies aimed at helping kids with certain pitfalls of the times, both personal and societal. Sometimes I feel like reading through much middle grade fiction is a bit like wandering through that movie library: what's the issue of the week?
These books are essential indeed, and in some cases, life-changing. I'm grateful for them as they allow some readers to feel as if they're not alone and help other readers understand what some people might be experiencing.
Yet, it is with a deep gratitude when I read a few chapters in a book and realize that although, yes, the characters are certainly going through some things, I can trust the adults to behave like adults who keep the best interests of children in mind. And so it is with the lovely book, Birdy.
May and her little brother Michael refer to each other by the family nicknames Birdy and Mouse. Their mother has recently died and their father passed years earlier, leaving them wards of the state. They are sent to live with older relatives they've never met, Aunt Mitzie and Uncle Shadow, who reminded me of Anne Shirley's guardians, the Cuthberts in Anne of Green Gables, just to give you the right vibe.
Birdy knows they may have only six months with these people, so she keeps Mouse close and tries to get by. Under the loving hands of their family, Birdy and Michael blossom. And as Birdy relaxes, she allows herself to mourn and miss her mother, who hadn't always treated them very well.
They learn that their mother had a brother who didn't even know that Birdy and Mouse existed. Uncle Clay, who visits bringing his pet raccoon and goat with him, adds a quiet, reassuring strength to lives that are trying to navigate the rocky road of being orphans, foster kids, and the new kids at school.
I loved the time I spent with these good people who create family for the children. I think readers of all ages would be lucky to spend a few quiet hours reading Birdy, by N. West Moss.
Happy reading!
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