Become a Spider with Jumper and Jessica Lanan

Lynn: Can you imagine ever being a spider? Many of our young readers would shout yes to that Jumper question. Author/Illustrator Jessica Lanan is right here to help with her new book, Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Jumping Spider (Roaring Brook, 2023) where readers can spend the day with Jumper, an impossibly cute Regal Jumper as she hunts in a backyard garden. A human child and her family work in the garden while Jumper also goes about her life, hunting and avoiding being hunted.

Jumper is a completely engaging little creature only the size of a bean but with some extraordinary abilities that Lanan demonstrates in brilliant and beautiful illustrations, giving young readers context and comparisons that make the little spider’s talents fully understandable. Jumper is shown, for example, making a leap after prey while in the background, the little girl also jumps. A double-page spread dramatically reveals what it is like to see with Jumper’s 8-eyed vision. Some scenes are spider-size perspectives and some are from the child’s perspective. Lanan has used ink, watercolor, and gouache and the illustrations are truly beautiful as well as being accurate, and extremely effective, helping children to comprehend a spider’s world.

Extensive back matter provides a plethora of additional information, including a 6-part guide for locating and observing spiders. Science has never been so fun! This is an ideal choice for a STEM classroom or to use as a writing prompt.

Teaching the Past – Kwame Alexander and Dare Coulter

Lynn: American story How do you tell the story of our history to children when that story is a painful one – a story of slavery, cruelty and oppression for example? How do you tell a story that makes us uncomfortable? That is a question being debated across our country. Some ask it because they don’t know how to go about it like the teacher in this new book. Some ask it because they don’t want to upset their children and some ask it because THEY are uncomfortable about our history and prefer to pretend it didn’t happen. This same question has been asked about teaching the Holocaust. the Japanese Internment and other horrors of human history.

An American Story (Little, Brown/2023) is author Kwame Alexander and illustrator Dare Coulter’s answer to that critical question. You teach it because young people deserve the truth. You teach it in the hope that these events will not occur again. You teach it because our past shapes our future and the whole past deserves our understanding in order to move forward with hope.

Alexander and Coulter tell the story using the framework of a teacher starting to tell the story of a happy prosperous people stolen in the night from their land, forced into the dark holds of ships to be sold. She falters in the telling but her young students remind her that, “You always tell us to speak the truth, Mrs. Simmons, even when it’s hard?”

Dare Coulter’s stunning illustrations depict the visual history of slavery, of people cruelly treated but keeping the force of the spirit and hope alive, a people suffering but surviving. Coulter painstakingly sculpted figures, some of water-based clay and some of polymer clay and photographed them. She also created paintings with acrylic and spray paint on wood panels and drawings with charcoal. The combined results are vivid, dynamic and extremely powerful. One jolting page-turn shows manacled wrists against a blue background and another offers the hopeful sign of young hands raised, eager to hear the telling of our history.

The combination of the lyrical text and the unflinching but remarkable illustrations is unforgettable. An Author’s Note and an Illustrator’s Note provide additional information on the creation of this brave and necessary book. Look for awards on this one.

Don’t Go in the Basement – Unless You Are Ben Hatke Readers

Lynn: Everyone who watches horror movies KNOWS you should never go down in the basement! But Ben Hatke may change our minds with his wonderful new graphic novel, Things in the Basement (First Second, 2023.) For one thing, reading will solve the mystery that plagues us all – where do the missing socks go??

Ben Hatke may be my favorite graphic novelist and this new book checked every box for me. The storytelling, art work, pacing, world building, and characters were all richly created. I read this in one sitting and then went back and re-read it more slowly and I can see that each additional reading will yield more.

Young Milo, his mom, and infant twin siblings have just moved into a new rather spooky-looking house. One of the babies has lost a sock, specially knitted for her, and Milo’s mom asks him to go find it – IN THE BASEMENT! If the house was spooky, the basement is terrifying but Milo wants to help his mom. Following a mysterious creature who has stolen the sock, Milo finds a previously unnoticed door. Behind that door is a whole other huge world and it is full of incredible creatures. Some of those creatures are friendly and some, like the Gobbler, are hideous and dangerous. As Milo explores the basement world, he makes some friends and learns just what it takes to really be a true friend.

Hatke’s illustrative work is masterful, brilliantly using light and shadow to intensify the suspense, mystery, and danger. Light touches add moments of relief only to plunge back into the foreboding murky dark. The world’s inhabitants are wonderfully imaginative including the Gobbler and the skull who speaks in pictures. What a great touch.

The story comes to a satisfying conclusion but clearly, the creaky door is wide open for another adventure. A must-purchase for all libraries where kids love graphic novels…. all libraries!

The Labors of Hercules Beal and Grief

Lynn: What, you might ask, do the Labors of Hercules, grief, and middle-grade books have to do with each other? Everything, if it’s in the hands of masterful author Gary Schmidt. In his new book, The Labors of Hercules Beal (Clarion, 2023),12-year-old Hercules Beal is laboring under a heavy burden of grief and loss after the hit-and-run accident that killed his parents. His older brother has returned from his dream job to take over the Beal Brothers Farm and Nursery and care for Hercules. Neither brother can talk about their pain and daily life is a question of survival. To add to Hercules’ burdens, his brother switches him to a new school he can walk to AND his new teacher, ex-marine, Lt. Col. Hupfer’s assignment of the Classical Mythology year-long project is to consider the Twelve Labors of Hercules and how they would be performed today.

As Hercules labors over the project, life adds much more to his burdens but he also discovers the powers of friendship, love, trust, and being able to heal—and the ability to write in ways that satisfy his demanding teacher.

Hercules and all the characters around him on Cape Cod won my heart and half the fun was seeing how he tackled the 12 Labors and how that affected him. Hercules is a kid that young readers can relate to and his voice is wonderfully authentic. Schmidt understandably writes often of grief and. sadly, its heavy weight is carried by many of today’s kids. Hercules’ struggles to manage that burden are deeply moving and accessibly depicted. His ultimate management of that pain is one every reader can cheer for.

Another reviewer I read has dismissed Schmidt and his books because the readers in her library won’t pick them up to read. That is a criticism of books that I have heard often over the years and while that may be true, it is also true that there are many readers for whom this book will be a truly memorable and enjoyable experience. We live in a world where young people often have little experience with books that take some time or are of places and people far different from their own. Part of our role as teachers and librarians is to open those doors for kids and help them to experience different worlds. Schmidt’s books beg to be read aloud in a classroom, to be discussed and to enable readers to walk in other people’s shoes. I feel it has always been crucial and, especially so today where focus and empathy are lacking, all the more important.

Libraries should have a wide range of popular books and formats and they should also have masterfully written stories that are deeply rewarding and that take time to unfurl. Gary Schmidt’s newest is one of those. Will a lot of kids know anything about the Labors of Hercules? Not at the beginning, but do they know about grief and sadness and the daily struggle to get through a day? Absolutely! And here, a wonderful writer reflects on those issues in ways that will make young readers laugh and cry and perhaps help them in their own struggles. I think this is a must-purchase and a wonderful book to share.

Alerting the World to the Holocaust – Sheinkin Introduces Rudi Vrba to Today’s Teens

Lynn: Award winner Steve Sheinkin’s new book for teens, Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe (Roaring Brook, 2023) is once more a true and important piece of history told with a dynamic and immersive style.

In 1942 Rudolf Verba and school mate Gerta Sidonova were ordinary teens, classmates in their Slovakian town, and suddenly aware of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi rule and the rounding up of Jewish people into concentration camps. Their country, Hungary, had resisted so far but was crumbling under Hitler’s demands. Time was running out. And so begins parallel stories of what Rudi and Gerta did, not just to survive, but to fight back in this terrible time.

Rudi was determined to journey across occupied lands to Britain and join the forces fighting Hitler. He was captured almost immediately and sent to Auschwitz. Young and fit, he was put to work in the camp instead of being sent to the gas chambers. While fortunate, this was no easy life. Horribly malnourished, the prisoners did exhausting labor from sunup to sundown in desperate conditions, brutalized by guards. Workers died in appalling numbers and Rudi learned quickly that survival was a matter of determination, luck and paying close and constant attention. Rudi also learned the truth about what was happening at Auschwitz and other camps and he became determined to escape and tell the world.

Gerta and her family also fled, and with forged papers lived an undercover life for a time, always in fear and privation. Eventually her father was arrested and sent away, Gerta and her mother arrested and severely beaten. All during this time, Gerta worked with the underground resistance, determined to defeat the Nazi’s.

Rudi’s story is the more dynamic of the two and the events of his life and escape naturally dominate the book. Amazingly Rudi and his friend Alfred Wetzler managed a skillful and breath-taking escape from Auschwitz, one of the few to ever accomplish that feat. Making their way through occupied country with the Germans searching for them everywhere, Rudi and Fred astonishingly made it to Hungary. Here Rudi met with Jewish underground leaders and told the full story complete with carefully memorized details of what was happening in the camps and the extent of Hitler’s Final Solution. What had been unbelievable rumors to so many became solid truth that the world soon learned. Thanks to this 1944 Vrba-Wetzler Report, the world finally took action and an estimated 200,000 Jews were saved from extermination.

It is a truly compelling story and Sheinkin tells it wonderfully, providing background history of the larger war without slowing the urgency of the main story. Often young readers ask why history is important and here both Rudi Vrba and Sheinkin answer. For years after the war, Vrba gave lectures, interviews and documentary films about the Holocaust, even testifying in a trial of a Canadian Holocaust denier. When asked if the Holocaust could happen again he said, “If it was possible yesterday, it is possible again today unless we are always vigilant.” “That’s why it is so important,” he added, “that no one gets away with racial hatred and lies.” Sheinkin connects this answer unnervingly to our current time. Teens will be awed by this tale of courage and quiet heroism and its lessons will long remain in their minds.

Squash the Cat Makes a Big Mistake

Lynn: It’s fall so squash is a common topic! But this time I don’t mean the vegetable – I mean the cat! Sasha Meyer’s new and very funny picture book, Squash, the Cat (Random Studio, 2023) introduces a cat named Squash and his best friend Maggie. Squash is the perfect name for this orange and definitely squash-shaped cat.

Squash is “an early breakfast followed by a mid-morning nap kind of cat.” Maggie, however is a later riser but a “wild playdate” kind of girl. But Maggie and Squash are perfect for each other just the same. Together they take on all challenges and always have each other’s back. Until, that is, Squash, thinking he is saving Maggie, makes a BIG mistake!

This sweet and appealing story shows what happens when a best friend makes another sad. Small children will understand both Squash and Maggie’s feelings and cheer when Maggie decides that even if best friends forever aren’t perfect, that is OK. Meyer’s large bright illustrations wonderfully convey both friend’s experiences and gently underscore the idea that friends forgive each other. This is a wonderful book to use to start discussions about friends and what happens when someone makes a mistake.

I adored the illustration in this tale! Just looking at Squash makes me laugh. But I may have a slight bias here Will on couch since I share a house with a remarkably similar and squash-shaped cat.

Lake Erie Mysteries – Swallowtail Island Returns

Lynn: I Betrayal by the book only discovered Michael Beil’s first book in the Swallowtail Legacy a few months ago. I loved it and I am so happy to report that we now have a second mystery set on beautiful Swallowtail Island to enjoy. Swallowtail Legacy: Betrayed by the Book (Pixiel Ink, 2023) is just as much fun as the first! The series features soccer player/detective/reader Lark and her extended family. Lark, still wearing the cast from the accident at the end of the first book, is thrilled to be picked as a page to her favorite author, Ann Keyhart, for the famous Swallowtail Writer’s Conference. But it is immediately clear that Keyhart is a horrible person who bullies her assistant, and undermines other authors, editors, and agents constantly. AND she hasn’t written a word in several years! Lark bonds with Didi, Keyhart’s assistant who confides that she (Didi) has just completed a book and is to meet an agent at the conference. Then, tragically, Didi is found dead of an allergic reaction and there is NO trace of her laptop or manuscript.

Lark and her band of island friends and family don’t believe Didi’s death was an accident and set out to solve the mystery.

This is another delightful mystery ideal for middle-grade readers. Set in a unique place and with an endearing cast of characters, the identity of the murderer becomes clear early but the real story lies in the proof, the gathering of evidence, and several related threads connecting the books and several of the characters. Twelve-year-old Lark is a feisty, often impulsive protagonist and easy to root for. Her extended family and the large cast of islanders and new friends add interest and warmth and help make this second installment even more fun than the first. Another wild chase scene occurs at the resolution and events set the stage for a third—and VERY welcome—book.

Seeing the Truth – Ritter’s Jackaby Returns for YA Readers

Lynn: For fans of the Jackaby series, it has been a long wait since the last installment but it was worth it! The new installment, Rook (Algonquin, 2023), takes place 6 months after the dramatic events of The Dire King (2017). Jackaby’s assistant, Abigail Rook, has acquired all of Jackaby’s extraordinary Sight abilities. Abigail now clearly sees the essential truth of all things, human, supernatural, natural and inanimate, and is struggling to use them effectively. But the city of New Fiddleham can’t wait as a new and more horrifying crisis is gripping the city.

As one gifted magical being after another disappears, Abigail and Jackaby take on the case alongside several other officials who may or may not want to see them succeed. In the city itself, the uneasy alliance between humans and supernatural beings is fraying and Abigail’s shapeshifter fiance, Charlie, is frantically trying to heal the rift.

And then, Abigail’s proper English parents arrive to bundle her back home and marry her to some noble but awful husband. Which crisis will culminate first and will Abigail and Jackaby and friends survive?

It is pure reading joy to be back in the intriguing world of New Fiddleham! William Ritter’s world-building is masterful, the characters deeply engaging and the plot enthralling! It took me only a few minutes to catch up with the situation and then I was off on a whirlwind story. It is always more fun to start at the beginning of a series but I think first-time readers could hop in here and quickly catch up. Ritter’s cast of supernatural creatures is one of the highlights for me, each one more imaginative than the last! Here’s hoping that there are more adventures in this series soon. And if you and your young readers haven’t found this terrific series, get reading!

Cindy: Count me in as a new-to-Jackaby reader who had no problem getting immersed in this world and Ritter’s new story. When Lynn and I worked together we often didn’t read books we knew we’d love in an effort to read a wider variety to booktalk to our students. She had the Jackaby series covered, and our middle school fans were legion. Still, why didn’t she TELL me that I would love this series as much as Jonathan Stroud’s Lockwood & Co. series? Teens with special abilities to save their cities from paranormal entities and snarky humor in spades? Yes, please! She probably did tell me, but I don’t always heed her wise advice. Lesson learned. Now that I’ve read Rook, I’ll be psychically hunting down book one in the series, Jackaby, to start at the beginning.

Sy Montgomery Introduces Kids to Turtles

Lynn: The publisher blurb for Sy Montgomery’s new book describes her as “part Emily Dickinson, part Indiana Jones” and I think that is not wrong. I am a huge fan of Montgomery’s many books and look forward to each new one. Often her books are filled with stunning photographs but this time, she teams up with wildlife painter Matt Patterson to bring one of my favorite creatures to kids with The Book of Turtles (Clarion, 2023).

Montgomery and Patterson take the basic concept of a nonfiction information book to a new level with this wonderful book. Excellent writing provides fascinating facts on turtles in a captivating way. Did you know that by 220 million years ago, turtles looked the way they look today—flourishing alongside dinosaurs? Different types of turtles are introduced along with many did-you-know additional facts. Did you know that Eastern Box Turtles can climb fences or that turtles are as smart as laboratory rats?

The Celebrity Turtle Profiles were my favorite part of the book. Here you meet some famous turtles such as Lonesome George, Myrtle the green sea turtle in the New England Aquarium who loves to photobomb film shoots, and the couple at the Austrian zoo, Poldi and Bibi, who after 115 happy years together, finally couldn’t stand each other. An excellent section on how to help turtles provides practical advice.

Matt Patterson’s beautiful and carefully accurate paintings illustrate the book. Turtles come to life with his skillful brush and the book is so visually enticing that it won’t stay long on the shelves.

All the stars for this must-purchase! Kids will love this one!

Deb Caletti’s New “Abortion Road Trip Love Story”

Lynn: One in four. That is the number—current and historic. One in four women have chosen abortion, often at the cost of their lives, sometimes legally and sometimes hidden and secret. One in four women has a story about this immensely difficult decision. Deb Caletti tells a few of these stories in her new YA novel, Plan A (Random/Labyrinth, Oct. 2023). And because it is Deb Caletti, we have a brave girl finding her path, warm family relationships, vivid characters, and of course, a road trip.

When Texas teen Ivy becomes pregnant she faces difficult choices complicated by the new anti-abortion laws in her state. Ivy is working hard and saving money to go to college and she dreams of a future that would be devastated by a pregnancy. When she tells her mother and boyfriend, they support Ivy’s decision and plan a journey to Oregon where her grandmother lives and where she can get a legal abortion.

This is a brief inadequate summary of a powerful story filled with the painful emotional journey of a young girl facing a difficult choice which is trebled when her schoolmates discover her condition accidentally. The judgment and fall-out are especially hateful in this largely fundamentalist town and it impacts her mother, younger brother, and boyfriend as well. Ivy’s journey is an actual journey as well and the road trip she makes with Lorenzo is a joy. I don’t think anyone writes a road trip better than Caletti! It is fun to make the trip with the teens as they drive the “Avalanche” along the trip mapped out by Lorenzo, visiting diners, parks and corny attractions along the way. For Ivy, it is also a journey of discovery as women relatives along the way divulge their own secret histories and provide strength and encouragement.

Sometimes the plot is purposeful and there are also some conveniences to be accepted. But I was never bothered by these nor by the definite point of view of the story. I am certain this book is going to get a lot of criticism from those who oppose abortion. But I think it is an important book for young people. If anything, the history of women’s reproductive rights is even more difficult than portrayed here. In a time of great polarization of view on this subject, Caletti’s book presents one side clearly and strongly.

The characters are delightful and their emotional struggles ring true. And the many stories told here need to be told. Caletti does this in a compelling and outstanding tale.