CINNAMON by Neil Gaiman and THOSE KIDS FROM FAWN CREEK by Erin Entrada Kelly

We all loved Divya Srinivasan's authentic India-themed illustrations of our picture book, Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman. Long ago a Rajah and a Rani had a daughter, princess Cinnamon, who was not only blind, but also did not talk, and they offered a mango grove, a parrot, and a portrait of the Rani's aunt, once a raging beauty, to anyone who could teach their daughter to talk. All failed except for a ferocious tiger, who (amazingly!) could talk, and who taught Cinnamon about pain, fear, and love. It turned out that Cinnamon never talked because she had nothing to say, but learning about the world from the tiger made her want to go away with him "...for a while to further her education." We all loved that! Some of us loved the writing and the humor in the telling, others not so much; some felt the story was too dark, others remarked that most fairy tales have dark elements; some felt it was too simple or too fantastical. The written and illustrated details that made the story enjoyable are too numerous to mention here, but worth a look. We did feel it could be a good read aloud, and could be used with students alongside other traditional tales with similar motifs.

None of us were thrilled with the title of our novel, Those Kids from Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly, the story of a strange newcomer, Orchid, a seemingly ethereal girl, who arrives to join a very entrenched group of 12 seventh graders who have been together since kindergarten in Fawn Creek, a tiny Louisiana town. As Orchid begins to affect the long-held behaviors of the other kids via her positive attitude, everything seems to be thrown into turmoil. The story, told from many points of view, deals with several of the usual issues among kids of this age: cliques, 'mean girls,' crushes, friendship, gender roles, bullying, lying, etc. etc. etc. Some readers thought the different points of view as the story progressed were confusing, but others pointed out that the drawings at the beginning (as if on a yearbook page) made it easier to figure out who each kid was, and why each of their descriptions/actions/feelings made sense. Some thought that it would have been good to read Orchid's point of view also, but that never arose. Some thought it was a psychological study of kids' thinking/reactions at that age but not so thrilling to read. Others felt that young readers in the target group would certainly relate, and that it was a quick read, including moments of suspense, which kids would also like.

SMART COOKIE by Elly Swartz and THE GARDENER OF ALCATRAZ by Emma Bland Smith

We began our November discussion with our novel, Smart Cookie by Elly Swartz. We had several issues with this book. Although we thought that the major plot point, Frankie's efforts to find a mate for her dad online after her mom's death in a thunderstorm, was a good idea, but it lacked depth. We felt that there was just too much other stuff happening -- ghosts, friendship problems, hoarding, rules, secrets, and more that got in the way of the plot and were never properly developed or resolved. We liked the relationship between Frankie and her best friend Elliot and between Frankie and her dad and grandma, but since there was so much other 'mini-plot stuff' to think about none of us really felt anything as the story proceeded. We did agree that young readers of the target age group (8-12) would probably like the book, and anything that keeps a kid reading is good.

We liked both the great opening and the tone of the writing of our picture book, The Gardener of Alcatraz by Emma Bland Smith, which told an easily accessible story of Elliott Michener, a convicted counterfeiter, who had been transported from Folsom Prison to Alcatraz, decided to be a 'good guy', and ultimately redeemed himself by tending the Alcatraz garden outside of the prison walls. We thought the engaging story showing that people can change would be good for young readers as they read about Elliott's passion and pride as he learned more about gardening and gained skill. We thought Jenn Ely's illustrations were well done in terms of showing facial expressions, changes in perspective, and the way that color crept into the garden that developed in a previously barren place. We agreed that the back matter, for those who would read it, was helpful in presenting further details about Elliot's life and encarceration, the Alcatraz garden, background on (usually un- or poorly-paid) prison labor, treatment of nonwhite prisoners, and other social issues. We thought the book might be especially relatable for students who had incarcerated parents or relatives, and could present some hope of redemption and transformation through the idea that one is not 'just a prisoner.'

ATTACK OF THE BLACK RECTANGLES by A.S. King and NANO: THE SPECTACULAR SCIENCE OF THE VERY (VERY) SMALL by Jess Wade

We started with the discussion of our novel, Attack of the Black Rectangles by A.S. King. There were things about this book that we all liked: the fact that it dealt with reading, honesty, and current issues of censorship that are part of the general conversation (sadly/still!) in today's society. But most of us felt that much of the characters' 'dialog' regarding not only the fact that words had been redacted (by their teacher, Ms. Sett!) from The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen, but also long discourses re: women's rights, treatment of Native peoples by Columbus, Anglicizing a Vietnamese student's name, and other present-day issues turned 6th-grader Mac and his friends into didactic mouthpieces for the points the author wanted to make in this story. We liked the fact that Mac had been exposed to many well-known and excellent examples of children's literature, and we hoped that young readers, upon seeing those titles in this book might want to read the books mentioned. We liked the idea that Mac was encouraged to speak his mind by his mom and his grandpa, and we saw his growth as he and his friends excited the whole community of his small town and brought them on board to protest this act of censorship in front of the school board. We were somewhat puzzled by the additional storyline of Mac's dad: an impulsive, angry, and somewhat dishonest man who was obviously in the throes of some mental illness issues. Mac just wanted to know the truth about his dad, which was being kept from him and prevented him from feeling whole. But -- though the issue of honesty was emphasized throughout this book -- a couple of us felt that the story itself was somewhat dishonest in the way it ended, where the kids won, Ms. Sett promised to not redact any more books, and everyone lived happily ever after. In today's real world it unfortunately wouldn't happen that easily. We did like the emphasis on keeping an open mind and reacting with grace in uncomfortable situations which Mac consciously always tried to do. We felt that young readers would probably like this story of family, friendship, first crush, and frankness.

We had mixed feelings on our picture book, Nano: the Spectacular Science of the Very (Very) Small by Jess Wade. We thought this simplified explanation of the very complicated science of nanotechnology was basically well-done. We liked how it started in an almost poetic way with the very fundamental knowledge that youngsters have about what makes up our world. Some of us felt that when it got into more scientifically detailed explanation the text became less fun to read and seemed more like a very dryly written textbook. Most (but not all) of us thought the strangely colored illustrations were terrific, and we all liked the fact that a little girl was shown on each page exploring whatever the text was attempting to explain. We thought this was especially encouraging for young female readers who were interested in science. We liked the pages at the end that contained even more detailed explanations of nanomaterials and a brief index. We felt that most young readers would probably not pick up this book on their own, but that an adult might alert them to it and that they might enjoy it. We also felt that it was a basic introduction to nanoscience that would be valuable for middle-schoolers and even those in high school.

THE BEATRYCE PROPHECY by Kate DiCamillo and THE SECRET CODE INSIDE YOU: All About Your DNA by Rajani LaRocca

At our August meeting we began with our novel, The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Most of us had varying degrees of love for this book for a variety of reasons. We all appreciated the seemingly very simple, but actually very deeply thought out text, which at times felt like a fairy tale and at other times felt even biblical. We appreciated DiCamillo's amazing storytelling skill, and we also felt that the black/grey illustrations done with "real and digital pencils" were entirely appropriate. We were enamored by Beatryce, who, during the medieval times in which she lived, was destined, according to an ancient prophecy, to become king. Beginning when she is found in a pen with a goat, Answelica, and with amnesia, the story goes on to explore her quest to find out who she really is, and to find out what her place is in the world. There are so many details that become evident as the story proceeds -- too many to mention here -- but the main one is that she knows how to read and write, which is prohibited for girls in the time she is living. With the help of a monk, Brother Edik; a boy, Jack Dory; an ex-king, Cannoc; and the goat, Beatryce's perseverance leads her through many hairy adventures en route to the palace. We loved the way that the story developed as we learned the reasons that each character joined her quest; we loved the suspense, and the final resolution, which made a reader feel the power of love as well as the power of story and the importance of reading. One reader was less enamored of the book, and although she did like the story and the writing, she felt it might be a bit too didactic as far as Beatryce's strength as a female and the importance of reading were concerned. We all felt that young readers would become fully engaged in this book from the very beginning, and that since it is a relatively easy read (and not too long) they would stick with it until the end -- where they could not help but to feel -- something!

We decided to read The Secret Code Inside of You: All About Your DNA by Rajani LaRocca and illustrated by Steven Salerno because we had loved her writing in Red, White, and Whole, which we discussed in July. We wanted to see what she would do with a nonfiction picture book for younger readers. We had varying opinions on this book whose role was to simplify the very complicated subject of cells, DNA, chromosomes, genes, and how they all create specific  characteristics in humans and animals. Some of us liked the rhyming couplets that comprised the text throughout the book, others thought they were terrible, and that the introductory part of the book -- before getting into the actual science -- was too long. We all basically liked the illustrations, which were quite colorful, and did show what the text talked about -- like the cell and the double helix of the DNA. One reader felt that this book was terrible -- that it wasn't totally scientifically correct, and that it was poorly written. But most of us felt that kids could definitely learn from it but probably would be unlikely to just pull it from a library shelf.  However, if a teacher or parent read it to them and showed them the pictures they might want to read it again themselves, and might even want to read more books about this topic. We did feel that the back matter of the book was helpful, but probably for adults -- since young kids rarely read it. 

MY LITTLE SISTER AND ME by Maple Lam and RED, WHITE AND WHOLE by Rajani LaRocca

We started our June discussion with our picture book, My Little Sister and Me written and illustrated by Maple Lam. We all agreed that this was a very nice, although slight, little story depicting a 'big' brother taking care of his little sister as he walked her home from her school bus stop for the very first time. We were a bit confused as to why the brother wasn't on the same bus as his sister, but figured maybe they went to different schools. We thought this story might feel somewhat dated since -- even though published in 2016 -- the idea of two little kids walking alone for several blocks sadly seemed unheard of in today's world, and we weren't sure if today's little ones would relate. We liked the relationship between the two as the brother tried to protect his little sister on the way and encouraged her to keep heading home when she dawdled along the way, picked up assorted 'stuff', missed her teddy bear, or needed the bathroom. We also liked the way they both bragged about being 'brave' through a twig duel and a thunderstorm, and we liked the heartwarming illustrated note she created for him when they finally got home extolling his caring and bravery. We all felt that the illustrations aided nicely in carrying the story along, although some thought that the brother should have been drawn as being a little bigger than his sister instead of practically the same size. We felt this book might be good as a read-aloud at bedtime or in a pre-K/Kindergarten class, and could certainly engage kids in comparisons between their own lives and those of the characters.

We were unanimous in our fondness for our novel, Red, White and Whole by Rajani LaRocca. We loved the voice of 13-year-old Reha, who is trying to  reconcile her two lives -- one as a member of the close-knit Indian community with all of its customs, expectations, foods, and relationships, and the other as an American kid concerned with MTV, hair, clothing, giggling with friends about boys, etc., -- the usual middle school angst. She feels a great love for her mom, her Amma, although their actual communication (in words) is limited to expressions regarding expectations of how she should behave. We loved how her story is developed in short, flowing, somewhat poetic entries. None of us like the term "novel in verse" but this is how this book is categorized. We loved her voice and the way we really got to know and care about Reha as she explains her life, her activities, her wishes and dreams, her trials and tribulations, and her coping with Amma's becoming ill, needing chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, and finally (sadly) dying. We truly loved how the themes of Reha's story were all tied together at the end when she receives a hand-written letter from her mom that someone mailed exactly one month after her death. Reading the letter causes Reha to understand that her mother really did 'know' her and that she really leads just one life, where everything is intertwined, and that the memories of her mom are always around. [This book requires Kleenex.] We felt this book was so accessible to young readers with its spare writing, vivid descriptions, heartfelt tone, real emotion, and universal tropes related to parents, friends, family, school, community, hopes, dreams, and love. A definite plus all the way around. We were so taken with LaRocca's writing that we decided to read her nonfiction picture book about DNA (she is a doctor in real life) for our next meeting. 

ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT'S ME, MARGARET by Judy Blume and EARTH! MY FIRST 4.54 BILLION YEARS by Stacy McAnulty

Once again at our June meeting we were unanimous in our opinions on both of our books. We began with our novel, Are You There God: It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. We had decided to read (or re-read!) this book because of the recent release of the movie and to see if it would still hold up today. It did! Even the granddaughter of one of our members agreed! We all marveled at its simplicity as 1/2 Jewish, 11-year-old Margaret experienced pre-teen angst related to what -- to her -- were the most important things in her life: 1) whether her bust would ever grow, 2) when she would ever start her period; and 3) how she could figure out what religion she was. We agreed that her voice was very real as she talked to God, and that her descriptions of her interactions with new friends after moving from NY to NJ, her parents, and especially her Jewish grandma were authentic...along with the descriptions of a party, the various boys in her class...from cutest to -- not so much -- and her quest to find religion by attending services at a temple and at other churches. We thought the book also had some quite subtle points related to the adults in the story, which were great to read, even tho' we felt most young readers would probably miss them. We loved the special relationship she had with her grandma, and understood her sorrow when Grandma moved from New York to Florida. We were a group of seven definitely 'grown-up' women, and this book caused us to have one of the most personal discussions we've had -- about 'girl stuff' -- and how we each -- at Margaret's age -- or a bit older -- reacted to the changes that were happening (or not!) in our bodies and in our lives. We remarked that this is the joy and the strength of a terrific book: the way it provides room for personal reflection and can even garner great conversations. We thought that young readers of today could certainly relate to Margaret's story and we hoped it could get them sharing their own stories with each other also.

We adored Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by David Litchfield. We thought that the simple language that conveyed the story of Earth and its development and place in the cosmos was so accessible to young children -- either as a read-aloud, or if read independently. Although most of us loved the illustrations, and the personification of Earth as a talking 'being' with a face, teeth, arms, etc., one reader thought those illustrations were a bit garish and creepy, although she loved the text along with the rest of us. We were pleased with the ending, showing a variety of the Earth's people carrying a large banner that read, "WE LOVE YOU, EARTH," and we hoped that young readers/listeners would get the message about how important it is to 'be nice' to our home planet. We felt that the double-page spread of Back Matter which included specific facts related to the Continents, the Location of Earth, and Life on Earth, along with a list of Sources could be especially helpful for classroom use at many different grade levels, and could be a kickoff for further study and research on the part of students.

COUGAR CROSSING by Meeg Pincus and GREENGLASS HOUSE by Kate Milford

Once again we were unanimous in our reactions to both of our books. Usually we begin with our picture book, but this time we decided to start with the novel, Greenglass House by Kate Milford, because we wanted to get it out of the way because -- well -- here are some of the comments: didn't finish it; too much effort/no payoff; didn't hold the reader's attention; too slow; chapters were too long; too convoluted; too complicated; couldn't figure out when/where the story happened; disengaged parents; main character, Milo, not compelling; secondary character, Meddy, not nice/too bossy; plot had too many names/stories to remember; and I could go on, but I won't. A couple of readers did finish it, and -- on the positive side, liked the natural setting, the vocabulary used in the description of the windows of the house -- varying shades of blue and green, and the fact that Milo, who was adopted, was Chinese, unlike his adoptive parents (although it took ages to get into his actual adoption story.) We did feel that some kids might like the role-playing that Meddy & Milo got into, and other aspects of the mystery, but as a whole we were far from giving it a thumbs up.

We unanimously gave a HUGE thumbs up to our gorgeous picture book, Cougar Crossing by Meeg Pincus, illustrated by Alexander Vidal. We loved the way it described the life of P-22, a local Los Angeles puma who had been born in the Santa Monica Mountains in 2009, and was ultimately tagged in 2012 by the National Park Service (NPS) in Griffith Park, miles away in the middle of northeast L.A. It appeared that he had crossed two freeways in order to make his home in the park, and this set off a huge fundraising campaign to create a wildlife crossing over a major southern California freeway. We loved the way his story was told through clear, simple text and beautiful, earth-colored (rusts, browns, blues, greens & black) collages, and further embellished on many pages with framed circular sidebars which showed a cartoon-style conversation between Miguel from the Natural History Museum and Jeff from the NPS that created a running commentary about what was happening. We thought it was a fantastic book with a fantastic story about a fantastic animal, and how his life made the wildlife crossing, which will be completed in 2025, a reality. We felt it gave a good description of how wildlife fares in a big city, and we thought young readers could learn a lot about how people and animals can co-exist. We especiall liked the Back Matter which contained a timeline of P-22's life, facts about pumas/cougars, suggestions for further research, and a great double-page spread of Wildlife of Southern California. A couple of readers questioned whether kids/teachers outside of So. Calif. would be interested in this story, but we determined that it could serve as a model for people in other areas to explore what animals might be living in their own surroundings, and what might be done to make their lives better. Sadly, P-22 died in December 2022, but many more animals of his 'tribe' will be helped by the wildlife crossing. We were glad to end our meeting with this book that we all loved.

JUST TRY ONE BITE by Adam Mansbach and MR. PUTTER AND TABBY STIR THE SOUP by Cynthia Rylant

We began with our picture book, Just Try One Bite by Adam Mansbach, illus. by Mike Boldt. We all mostly liked the premise of the role reversal between two parents and their young kids who tried to convince them to cut down on 'junk food' and eat more healthily. BUT -- we felt that this book missed the boat since it was quite 'one-note' with no real arc of a story and a basic lack of imagination. We felt that the attempt at rhyming text was awkward and often fell short. We also thought it was too long, sometimes too preachy, and some thought it was irritating and outlandish. We did like the illustrations with their realistic depictions of the 'bad' and 'good' foods, also shown, respectively, in the front and rear endpapers. We liked the premise of showing kids good eating habits and we felt that some kids might enjoy reading this, but we hoped that maybe another author/illustrator would present this idea in a better way at some time in the future.

For our 'novel', Mr. Putter & Tabby Stir the Soup by Cynthia Rylant, illus. by Arthur Howard we were unanimous in an outpouring of love! Some of the adjectives mentioned by more than one reader were: wonderful, welcoming, sweet, gentle, and tender. We thought this very short chapter book had everything a good book should have: 1) a great beginning; 2) emotion -- shown in the text and the fantastic illustrations; 3) repetition used to good advantage, 4) suspense & cliffhangers; 5) a good, believable story line, 6) humor; and 7) warm relationships between the characters. We thought it would be perfect for new 1st or 2nd grade readers, who could guess unknown words via context and/or illustrations, and would feel a great sense of accomplishment after finishing the 5 chapters. One reader called it, "...the kind of book I love"...'nuff said.

CURVE AND FLOW: The Elegant Vision of L.A. Architect Paul R. Williams by Andrea J. Loney and CLEMENTINE by Sara Pennypacker

We began our discussion with our picture book, Curve & Flow: The Elegant Vision of L.A. Architect Paul R. Williams by Andrea J. Loney. We all agreed that the digitally created illustrations by Keith Mallett were stunning and elegant, and that it was a very good pairing of artist and author. We felt that the issue of race, as African-American architect Paul Williams was confronted with many challenges -- 'walls' of discrimination that he had to conquer -- was treated with grace and delicacy, while clearly providing the necessary message to readers. We mostly liked the exposition and language of the text, except for a couple of readers who felt that the use of "But" at the beginning of several sentences was excessive. We also questioned the title "Curve & Flow," which was also repeated extensively as Williams' story was told, since -- other than the iconic Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport, which IS 'curvy' and 'flowy' -- the majority of Williams other architectural creations are quite linear. We thought this might be misleading for young readers. We thought  it was a definite plus that this book covered Williams' entire life, which is very rare for even a 44-page picture book bio, since his early life with a loving family who adopted him after both parents died from lung-related illnesses was as important to who he became as were his later degrees and experiences. We wholeheartedly approved of the excellent Back Matter, which included an author's note, an extensive timeline, a list of sources, and photos of several Williams buildings. We all agreed that it was important that this book about a Los Angeles notable (for a change!) is out in the world, and that it would be a great read for all kids -- probably 3rd grade and above -- a definite inspiration for young Black readers, as well as an excellent example for all of persevering one's dream.

We had a great discussion about humor after reading our novel, Clementine by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee. All but one of us loved it for a variety of reasons, but one reader -- not so much. She thought it was thin, boring, lacked richness, somewhat colloquial, and not so funny. She felt that although it would probably serve to get kids into reading 'longer' books, she preferred books with role models who weren't always getting into trouble through their actions. Others of us loved the book entirely. We thought it was a well-edited, heartwarming, reassuring, tightly written book without a wasted word, and that Marla Frazee's lively black ink drawings worked perfectly with the text. We thought the vivid details of Clementine's narrative of her 8-year-old daily life were entertaining, and several of us were reminded of female heroines from books of earlier times like Eloise and Ramona Quimby. We loved the way Clementine's arty, energetic parents honored her 'out-of-the-box' way of looking at the world, as they surrounded her with love. We came to the conclusion that each reader has a different conception of what is actually funny; it can depend on age, culture, life experiences, and view of the world. We felt that Pennypacker really knows her audience of young readers, and that -- given the book's popularity -- they are eating it up.

THE GREAT ZAPFINO by Mac Barnett and THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM by Christopher Paul Curtis

We began our discussion with our picture book, The Great Zapfino (2022) by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Marla Frazee. We all loved the black Prismacolor pencil illustrations, which actually served as the main vehicle to tell this story, which begins with a very few words as "the Great Zapfino" -- a young man/boy (?) climbs a 10-story ladder at the circus, walks out on a platform and then prepares to dive down onto a trampoline. BUT WAIT! -- where is Zapfino? It seems that he got scared and disappeared and after a taxi/airplane/taxi ride ends up taking a job as an elevator operator at a seaside hotel. He even gets his own apartment on the tenth floor! The bulk of the story is told with large and small very sensitive and expressive drawings which show young Zapfino's daily life as it passes between work and making toast and sleeping in a chair at home. The expressions on the faces of the elevator riders are bored/happy/excited/inquisitive/celebratory/amorous/and more, but the expression on Zapfino's face is always...sad. When Zapfino falls asleep in his chair as his burning toaster sets the apartment on fire, he runs to the window, and -- his courage returns and he jumps! he twists! he turns! he dives!-- straight into the firefighters' net. He is a hero! ...and now -- at the very end -- he is smiling as he stands beside his elevator door with a big Z on the front of his uniform! Behold the Great Zapfino! We mostly liked the story as Zapfino found his courage, and did it for himself -- without help from anyone. We thought this might be a good message for young readers. But one reader felt that perhaps it might not be so good for young kids to see the actions in this book. Perhaps it needed a "Do NOT try this at home" disclaimer. We were unsure that it would work as a read-aloud, but felt that youngsters would individually enjoy really exploring all of the visuals as the pictures told the story.

We chose our novel, the Newbery Honor book The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis, to see if it still held up 28 years after its original 1995 publication. We decided that it basically does. We all liked10-year-old Kenny's voice as he introduces us to his family by commenting on their lives, daily activities, personal quirks, and some family history. When Kenny's 13-year-old brother Byron, who Kenny describes as an "official juvenile delinquent" has some problems, it is decided that the family will drive from their home in Flint, MI to Birmingham, AL so By can live for a while with his Grandma who will certainly ' 'straighten him out'. It's a long ride, with various incidents, conversations, music, and events that solidify the family further. There is suspense as we learn that on Sunday a "bomb has been dropped" on the church where younger sister Joey has gone -- all dressed up -- to Sunday school, and then Kenny finds her shoe on the street near the church. We thought that it was important for today's middle-grade readers (age 10+) to be aware of this atrocity that occurred on September 15, 1963 at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham where the KKK planted the bomb that killed four young girls: three who were 15, and one who was 11 years old. We thought the family's reunion back at Grandma's home at the end left a good feeling for the reader. We appreciated that Curtis included an Epilogue, which gave the reader a short historical perspective on conditions in the U.S. South in 1963 and the Civil Rights Movement which was an outgrowth. A couple of readers felt that the story took too long to actually get to Birmingham (since that was the title) while others thought that really getting to know Kenny and his family made the climax and the ending of the book better. We agreed that it was a good read for the designated age group, and that today's kids might want to give it a look.