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Sometimes drastic times call for starting your own

Sometimes drastic times call for starting your own micronation on a raft in the middle of a lake.

@nielsenwriter explored this in her newest middle grade novel, The Free State of Jax, which team member @imtanner320 recently reviewed.

Here’s an edited excerpt from her blog:

🌊🌊🌊

[The Free State of Jax] is written by Jennifer Nielsen, an author whose work I admire greatly.

Jax is a kid who has lived with his grandmother since he was a little boy. But his grandmother developed Alzheimer's disease and he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle and their six children. All of the Grimmitzes except one seem to be [awful]. In desperation, Jax decides to run away, except since he doesn't have any money or way to make a living, he can't go very far, so he decides to establish his own free country, which he does on a raft in the small lake on the adjacent property to his aunt and uncle's house.

It turns out his neighbor, Mr. O'Keefe, is no big fan of the Grimmitz's either and so when he hears Jack out, Mr. O'Keefe agrees to give him the lake and enough land to walk around. Pretty soon there are a number of people trying to help Jax.

I think kids are going to love this one-the aunt and uncle and cousins are a hilarious mixture of stupid and mean and conniving, that through the entire book, you'll be squinting and thinking to yourself like I did, "What on earth are they up to?". The townspeople are interesting and so kind in contrast to the Grimmitzes that you'll be hoping that Jax will end up with ANY of them rather than going back to the Grimmitzes. The premise of starting your own country is just wonderful and the planning around having your own country is too.

I loved this one.

📖 Find the full review over on Debbie’s blog, The Book Search (imtanner.blogspot.com). 📖

And grab a copy of The Free State of Jax, out now from @scholastic.

#middlegrade #mgfiction #middlegradelit #middlegradebooks #mgbook #mgbookreview #bookreview #scholastic #scholasticbooks

It’s never a bad time for a creepy tale. Fortun

It’s never a bad time for a creepy tale.

Fortunately, @roesolo has us covered with a review of the first book in a new series, Troubling Tonsils! by @aaronreynoldsbooks and illustrated by @peterbrownstudio.

Here’s an excerpt from her blog:

🤒🤒🤒

Kids (okay, and adults) who loved the earlier adventures of Jasper Rabbit, get ready: Jasper is back with a new chapter book series, Creepy Tales.

The first up is Troubling Tonsils!, the strange story of Charlie Marmot, an average, everyday marmot who lives in a house, wears clothes, and goes to school. Charlie’s looking forward to Halloween when he develops a sore throat; Mom brings him to the doctor, and the verdict is in: it’s tonsilitis, and the tonsils have to come out. On the day of the surgery, though, the strangest thing happens: there are no tonsils to be found! Where did those fleshy lumps go?

Reynolds and Brown’s stories grow beautifully with their audience, graduating to chapter books with all the creepy humor readers loved in the picture books. Brown’s illustrations, rendered in shades of grey with a punch of occasional red for impact, are a joy to look at. Jasper Rabbit, clad in a Rod Serling-like suit and wearing a grim expression, brings readers into an intermediate reader-level Twilight Zone story. Reynolds injects his trademark humor into the narrative; for instance, Jasper encourages readers who “enjoy peeing their pants for a variety of reasons” to continue on with the story; Charlie’s mother believes his sore throat is due to his adenoids, which “is secret knowledge… imparted only to mothers and those in the medical community”.

A brilliant introduction to what promises to be a popular new creepy chapter book series for readers.

Don’t miss.

📖 Find the full review over on Rosemary’s blog, Mom Read It (momreadit.com). 📖

And grab a copy of Troubling Tonsils!, out now from @simonkids.

#chapterbook #creepytales #simonkids #jasperrabbit #bookreviews #kidshorror #kidsread #booksforkids #bookrecs

@roesolo recently shared with us a review of a won

@roesolo recently shared with us a review of a wonderful picture book, ɬagət̓ hiyt t̓oxʷʊm / Herring to Huckleberries by ošil (Betty Wilson) and illustrated by @prashola.

Here’s an edited excerpt from her blog:

🍃🍃🍃

Inspired by author ošil’s childhood as a member of the ɬaʔəmɩn (Tla’amin) Nation, Herring to Huckleberries is a bilingual picture book, written in the the ɬaʔəmɩn language and in English.

ošil’s favorite time of the year is spent with her grandparents on the southwest coast of British Columbia, harvesting foods from the sea and land. They fish, pick berries, dig for clams, and curl up together to fall asleep under the stars.

ošil’s descriptions are vivid, so filled with an infectious joy, wonder, and respect for the land. It’s a warm memory of time spent with family, beautifully illustrated by Prashant Miranda, who uses deep natural colors to create the coastal setting. The characters are expressive and affectionate, portraying a loving family. A glossary and pronunciation guide, a map, author’s note, and list of traditional foods round out the back matter.

Recommended for collections.

📖 Find the full review over on Rosemary’s blog, Mom Read It (momreadit.com). 📖

And grab a copy of ɬagət̓ hiyt t̓oxʷʊm / Herring to Huckleberries, out now from @highwaterpress.

#newbookreview #bookreading #readingcommunity #picturebooks #bilingualbooks #highwaterpress #kidsread #bookrecs #readwithkids #bookstagram #bookpost #kidlitread

Seasons come and go, but for this picture book cha

Seasons come and go, but for this picture book character, one question remains constant.

@roesolo recently reviewed Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint? by Tyna Legault Taylor and illustrated by @michelledaoart.

Here’s an edited excerpt from her blog:

❄️🌱☀️🍁

Dad, is it Time to Gather Mint? celebrates the relationship between humans and the land as a First Nations child and his family move through the seasons.

Told in three languages: English, Swampy Cree (n-dialect), and Anishinaabemowin, the story is narrated by Joshua, a young boy who revels in his relationship to the land; his favorite time of year being mint-gathering season. Josh and his dad spend time together in nature through Fall, Winter, and Spring; he drinks in the colors and feels of the surroundings of each time of year.

Each season he asks Dad if it’s time to gather the mint, and each time, his father describes what other work must be done: hunting moose and partridge in the Fall; ice fishing in the Winter; hunting geese and fishing for rainbow trout in the Spring. Finally, the Summer arrives, and with it, the time to gather mint!

It’s a moving story of family and stewardship to our world. Vocabulary in Swampy Cree and Anishinaabemowin are color-coded in brown and green throughout, with English translations in the margins. Back matter includes a glossary and pronunciation guide along with a recipe for Mint from the Land Iced Tea, just like Joshua’s mother makes.

A moving and important addition to season books for collections.

📖 Find the full review over on Rosemary’s blog, Mom Read It (momreadit.com). 📖

And grab a copy of Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint?, out now from @highwaterpress.

#bookreview #childrensbook #highwaterpress #familystories #booksforkids #picturebookreads #seasonsbooks #seasons #readpicturebooks #bookpost

@roesolo recently reviewed a powerful new picture

@roesolo recently reviewed a powerful new picture book, Miya Wears Orange by Wanda John-Kehewin and illustrated by Erika Rodriguez Medina.

Here’s an edited excerpt from her blog:

🟠🟠🟠

A young Indigenous girl learns about residential schools in her class, making her fear that she will be sent to one. When Miya arrives at home from school, she reluctantly tells her mother about her concerns; her mother assuages her fears, telling her that the schools have closed and she will never have to attend one.

When Miya questions why her teacher read a book about them, Mom notes that “We all need to understand the truth of what happened, so we can make sure it never happens again”. Mom tells Miya about wearing an orange shirt as a way of remembering the struggles of Indigenous children, and Miya proudly wears one when she returns to school.

John-Kehewin shows the intergenerational trauma wreaked by the schools and how it reaches the current generation. Medina’s illustrations have cultural details and her characters are inclusive and expressive. An author’s note mentions her inspiration for Miya’s story.

A powerful and moving story about residential schools as seen through the modern-day eyes of an Indigenous girl, Miya Wears Orange belongs in library collections everywhere.

📖 Find the full review over on Rosemary’s blog, Mom Read It (momreadit.com). 📖

And grab a copy of Miya Wears Orange, out now from @highwaterpress.

#picturebook #picturebookreview #kidlitreview #illustratedbook #indigenousstories #readalouds #forkids #bookforkids #recentrelease #kidlit #highwaterpress

Put your book down for just one second and gather

Put your book down for just one second and gather ‘round; it’s time for the November edition of the Cybils Scribbles!

If you’re not a regular reader of the Scribbles, it’s our official Substack newsletter dedicated to all things Cybils. It’s packed with news, book lists, and other features curated for readers like you.

Check it out over at cybilsawards.substack.com/ (link also in bio).

This edition includes:

📚 A celebration of National Native American Heritage Month
📚 A book list featuring social justice leaders for Nonfiction November
📚 News about a new film adaptation of a children’s book classic
📚 Author birthdays
📚 And more!

Books featured in this post:

📖 Bud Finds Her Gift by Robin Wall Kimmerer & illustrated by Naoko Stoop
📖 Faye and the Dangerous Journey by Kim Sigafus
📖 Fierce Aunties by Laurel Goodluck & illustrated by Steph Littlebird
📖 Legendary Frybread Drive-In edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith
📖 Moon Song by Michaela Goade
📖 Of the Sun by Xelena González & illustrated by Emily Kewageshig
📖 Our Ancestors' Kitchen by Willie Poll & illustrated by Shaikara David
📖 Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley

#cybilsawards #booklists #booknews #newsletter #substack #booktalk #nativeamericanheritagemonth #nonfictionnovember #novemberbooks

Going up! @roesolo recently reviewed a picture bo

Going up!

@roesolo recently reviewed a picture book that’s sure to put a smile on your face: The Elevator on 74th Street by @authorlauragehl and illustrated by @yas.imamura.

Here’s an edited excerpt from her blog:

🏙️🏙️🏙️

Do you ever think your building’s elevator has it out for you?

Well, Ellie the Elevator is not one of those elevators. She loves her job, even when the people she works for don’t notice her, and she has a favorite person: Thea, the little girl who was born just as Ellie was installed in her building.

She’s watched Ellie grow up and make a best friend, and feels terrible when Thea’s best friend moves away. Nothing she does manages to cheer Thea: not lighting up floors in a “T” shape, playing her favorite song over and over, even keeping her safe from a neighbor who wears a lot of perfume.

When a new girl moves into the building, though, Ellie’s mission is set: get these two girls to be friends!

Gehl’s storytelling is always playful and fun to read and Imamura’s mixed media illustrations present a bevy of individuals in the building, all with personalities you can guess at with a glance. Ellie the Elevator has lights that look like eyes, complete with happy pink lights reflecting and standing in for cheeks. Her floor numbers curve, giving her a smile, when her mission is complete.

All in all, a feel-good, playful story that kids will enjoy.

📖 Find the full review over on Rosemary’s blog, Mom Read It (momreadit.com). 📖

And grab a copy of The Elevator on 74th Street, out now from @simonkids.

#picturebooks #kidsbooks #recentbooks #bookreviews #bookishthoughts #booksforkids #illustratedbook #simonkids #readalouds #beachlanebooks #readingkidsbooks

Here be dragons: Cybils Awards team member @imtann

Here be dragons: Cybils Awards team member @imtanner320 recently reviewed @struan_c_murray’s recent release, Dragonborn.

And here be an edited excerpt from her blog, The Book Search:

🐉🐉🐉

I haven't read anything by Struan Murphy before, but I'm definitely going to look for some of his other work, because this one was terrific.

Alex is leading a tightly controlled existence with her mom after her dad died two years earlier. Her mom doesn't want her to go into the woods (too dangerous) or spend time with other kids or leave the house at all unless it's to go to school. Alex has tried to be a good kid, but when she goes into the woods and roars, a man comes and starts hinting about the fact that there might be more.

In fact, it turns out that Alex is a dragon. Dragons have learned to mask themselves as humans for protection but Alex seems to be a little stuck and can't access her full dragon potential because of her fears of what happened to her dad. There's also an evil presence that may be trying to destroy all humans, so Alex needs to learn to harness her dragon energy and fast.

Kids who like Percy Jackson will like this one too and there are dragons! I thought it was a really fun mystery with some excellent plot twists along the way. There are themes of friendship, allowing yourself to reach your full potential, trust and making good choices.

I thought it was terrific.

📖 Find the full review over on Debbie’s blog, The Book Search (imtanner.blogspot.com). 📖

And check out Dragonborn, out now from @penguinkids.

#middelgrade #mgfiction #kidlit #mgfantasy #fantasy #kidsbooks #bookreview #bookrecommendation #kidlitreview #recentrelease #fantasylit

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