Novels in verse - Sharon Creech
I did a lot of reading and rereading novels in verse in honor of National Poetry Month. Here are some of my favorites by Sharon Creech:
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Book reviews for children by library staff and guest contributors
I did a lot of reading and rereading novels in verse in honor of National Poetry Month. Here are some of my favorites by Sharon Creech:
Once upon a time, Elizabeth of York was a little princess who enjoyed playing with the family dogs. When she turned 18, her father gave her a puppy of her own, named Susan. Susan, a Pembroke Welsh corgi, became Elizabeth’s constant companion. She was supportive when Elizabeth joined a women’s regiment during WWII. Susan stowed away in the bridal carriage taking the princess to be married, and she comforted Elizabeth when her father died. Soon Elizabeth was crowned queen. After Susan’s death, she owned a succession of corgis and regarded them as family.
Each profile features a fantastic poem by a different author who also has something in common with the young activist. Different types of poems (hello, curriculum!) and a succinct truth bomb about activism on each page ("In your city or state, who has the power to make things change? Write them a letter and ask for what you need.") drive home the message that all voices are powerful and unique, and that even the youngest voices can make a big difference!
This book should come with a warning - it is going to make you hungry. I ordered take out when I was about half way through, and again when I finished and I would like to try pretty much everything mentioned in this book.
Grace Lin does a fantastic job combining food, history, myth, and personal stories in this collection of stories of Chinese and American Chinese cuisine.
This beautiful picture book tells the story of a family who celebrates two New Years - Rosh Hashanah in the fall and Lunar New Year in the spring.
The simple text details the any differences between these two holidays - for example, one follows the Jewish calendar and one follows the Chinese calendar - as well as some of the similarities - both inspire delicious dishes! Bold colorful illustrations are full of cheerful details, and this is a great book for kids who celebrate these New Years to see themselves represented, or for anyone to learn more about different holidays.
Sam, Otter, Atim, and Chickadee are four inseparable cousins growing up on the Windy Lake First Nation. Nicknamed the Mighty Muskrats for their habit of laughing, fighting, and exploring together, the cousins find that the best mysteries are the ones that are solved through teamwork by loving families.
Also available in Spanish as ¿Qué te pasó?
It's Seollal (Lunar New Year), and Sohee can't wait to prove how much of an eonni (big girl) she is! To celebrate Seollal, everyone eats tteokguk, a delicious soup. For every bowl one eats, they get a year older, and Sohee wants to eat as many bowls as she can! But as she helps prepare for the celebration, responsibilities keep getting in the way of eating her delicious tteokguk. This fun book includes a recipe at the end for how to make tteokguk.
Cha's story features twin brothers Doki and Kebi, Korean magical Goblins who couldn't be more different. Doki loves reading and secretly performing acts of kindness, while Kebi is happiest when exploring or playing tricks on people. This spooky tale explores their adventure to find a new haunted house in the United States. Although it’s not spooky season, this fun tale has a surprise ending that will delight adults and children alike!
A helpful author’s note explains the prominence of dokkaebi in Korean mythology, art, and history.
--reviewed by Melissa
Fox has a problem - their kite is stuck in a tree! And unfortunately, this is the not first time this has happened, as we zoom out to see a forest filled with kites. Fox drags out a giant fan, but that just leads to a problem for Bear, when their house is filled with leaves. Fox's fix for this leads to a problem for Rabbit, and pretty soon all the animals have a problem! Finally, thanks to Elephant, all the problems are resolved and all the friends are happily flying kites.