I
picked up this book on a blind recommendation, knowing only that it was an
anthropomorphic middle grade novel with illustrations by an artist whose work I
liked. To my absolute delight, I discovered a story that’s unabashedly whimsical
and warm.
Personally, I love skunks, so I was a little frustrated with Badger
for being so unwelcoming when Skunk showed up on the stoop of his townhouse. In
Badger’s defense, though, the amount of mayhem Skunk created would have made
anyone lose their temper, let alone a buttoned-down badger with “very important
rock work” to perform.
I also very much appreciated the celebration of chickens!
Reminiscent of kid-lit classics like A Cricket in Times Square and books
by E. B. White but never antiquated, this book was divine!
Learn how Skunk and Badger first became roommates before embarking on their latest adventure, Egg Marks the Spot, now on sale!
A Best Book of 2020: People * Kirkus Reviews * Booklist * School Library Journal * Publishers Weekly * Shelf Awareness for Readers * New York Public Library * Chicago Public Library * Evanston Public Library
Wallace and Gromit meets Winnie-the-Pooh in a fresh take on a classic odd-couple friendship, from Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake with full-color and black-and-white illustrations throughout by Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen.
I
absolutely adore Dan Santat and generally devour his books as soon as
they come out. Known more for picture books, this one was different—a graphic
memoir for middle-grade readers.
The story follows a trip he and some
classmates took to Europe and all the “first times” they experienced while
traveling as ‘tweens with minimal supervision. Santat had a few of his friends
from that trip as guests at his virtual book launch, and it was so much fun!
The book, which explores insecurities, peer pressure, friendships, first loves,
embarrassing parents, and discovering new cultures, also shows a young man
discovering himself and navigating the world—as his own person, which may or
may not align with his parents’ and peers’ expectations. It’s both hilarious
and heartfelt.
At first, he's right. Stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him, Dan doesn't know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip. But as he travels through France, Germany, Switzerland, and England, a series of first experiences begin to change him - first Fanta, first fondue, first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers . . . and first love.
Funny, heartwarming, and poignant, A First Time for Everything is a feel-good coming-of-age memoir based on New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat's awkward school…
I originally picked this book up from the library.
After reading it—or really, a more accurate term would be experiencingit—I
purchased a copy. I wanted to be able to lend to friends and revisit it when
the mood struck.
A mashup of spoken word poetry and graphic novel, it was
conceived during the pandemic while protesters took to the streets following
George Floyd’s murder. The “Jasons” have created a moment in time in the life
of a Black kid who’s trying to make sense of a senseless world. His father’s
sick with COVID, his mother sick with worry, and his older siblings are coping in
their own ways—which generally involve ignoring him.
This story about a
culture struggling to breathe is a breathtaking creation.
Prepare yourself for something unlike anything: A smash-up of art and text for teens that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds.
Jason Reynolds and his best bud, Jason Griffin, had a mind-meld. And they decided to tackle it, in one fell swoop, in about ten sentences, and 300 pages of art, this piece, this contemplation-manifesto-fierce-vulnerable-gorgeous-terrifying-WhatIsWrongWithHumans-hope-filled-hopeful-searing-Eye-Poppingly-Illustrated-tender-heartbreaking-how-The-HECK-did-They-Come-UP-with-This project about oxygen. And all of the symbolism attached to that word, especially NOW.
"I have this pathetic disease. Never mind what it’s called."
Life doesn’t play by the rules, so fourteen-year-old Ricky decides she won’t either. She curses, cuts school, and lies to the Disaster-Formerly-Known-As-Her-Parents, desperate to keep them from knowing how bad things truly are. When her truancy is finally discovered, she faces the threat of having to repeat ninth grade. Forced to return to school, Ricky's porcupine exterior slowly begins to shed some spines. Maybe asking for help isn't the worst thing in the world? Maybe accepting circumstances doesn't mean giving up?
Loosely drawn from the author’s experience of being diagnosed with juvenile arthritis as a young teen, Cursed is funny, frank, and full of f-bombs. An unsentimental take on the “sick kid” genre.
