Published: 2016 Theme: Children, Poets, and Dogs Best for: 7 to 10 "I'm a dog. I should tell you that right away. But I grew up with words. A poet named Sylvan found me at the shelter and took me home. He laid down a red rug for me by the fire..." Prepare to have your heart strings plucked by master storyteller MacLachlan, as a dog and two children comfort each other.
Published: 1987 Theme: Historical Fiction Best for: 9 - 12 "The title 'Joint Reign' is a foolishment and emphasizes what I have always contended: that men are more fortunate than women. Joint reign! It is I who inspects, examines, weighs and wrings her brain ..." Coming on the heels of an historic election, it is interesting to go back in history and understand more about the obstacles women faced hundreds of years ago.
Published: 2014 Theme: Bravery Best for: 14 and older "We'd never been through a war, so we didn't know what war was like. We thought it would be an adventure. Later of course, we realized the truth: that war is almost the opposite to an adventure..." This is a complex, serious book about a very serious topic: war. It asks the question, What is bravery? What does it take to show one's bravery?...
Published: 2011 Theme: Graphic Novel- Ramayana Best for: 9 and up "War, in some ways, is merciful to men. It makes them heroes if they are the victors. If they are vanquished, they do not live to see their homes taken, their wives widowed. But if you are a woman, you must live through defeat..." No matter how you categorize this children's book, it is a wonderful addition to the re-telling of the Ramayana, from Sita's point of view.
Published: 2016 Theme: Middle-school life Best for: 11 and up "We all need goals," he said. "Here's one: Stay away from people who don't know who they are but want you to be just like them. People who'll want to label you. People who'll try to write their fears on your face." This terrific, humorous middle-school story covers bullying, teachers, cliques, change, parental divorce, and gender identity, just to name a few...
Re-Published: 1993 Theme: Dealing with Obstacles Best for: 5 to 8 "Ming Lo and his wife lived in a house at the bottom of a large mountain. They loved their house, but they did not love the mountain." This story reads like a classic Chinese folktale. It's filled with lovely Asian artwork, and it offers a simple life lesson...
Published: 2014 Theme: Biography Henri Matisse Best for: 4 to 6 "If you were a boy named Henri Matisse who lived in a dreary town in northern France where the skies were gray, and you wanted color and light and sun, what might you become?" The images and wonder of Matisse's imagination come to life in a beautifully crafted children's book.
Published: 2016 Theme: Historical Fiction Biography Best for: 9 to 12 "He passes the hammer to me, and I heft it in my hands. It fits my palm perfectly, and it feels good...It seems to be speaking to me, begging to be used, ready to be of service." So many themes in one book - father/son, developing a written language, Native American struggle. Yet it all holds together beautifully.
Published: 2016 Theme: Coming of Age Fairytale Best for: 9 to 12 girls "The first time I tried my hand at magic, I grew roses out of my nose. This was not my intention... Magic is unpredictable, finicky, and dangerous, especially in the wrong hands." This children's book is best thought of as a modern-day Grimm's fairytale. It has all the elements of Grimm stories, including the grim part...
Published: 2016 Theme: Imagination Best for: 8 to 10 "Inside the world of humans is the world of imagination, and the only way you can get there is through the door of your mind." In this very imaginative children's book, the second in a series, we journey with the main character, a young girl, into the world where stories live...
Litkidz 