Author Archives for Annamarie Carlson

Diverse Storytime Music

Are you using diverse music in storytime? There is a ton of conversation in the library world about the need to make sure your collections, displays, reader’s advisory, and programming books show diversity. Rudine Sims Bishop is often quoted, citing her wonderful Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors essay. That work is very important, and books are at the core of library services. But, we also highlight other forms of media in our programming, storytimes, and events. Think about your hired presenters and performers (virtual in 2020 and in-person in 2019). How many were diverse? Who are you supporting with your library’s limited funds? What about your storytime music playlist? How often do you share music by a diverse artist?

Since my time on the ALSC Notable Children’s Recordings committee, I’ve been thinking a lot about children’s music, especially the music we use in storytime. Most of the artists I use are white. Jim Gill and Laurie Berkner are great, but there are some really fantastic diverse artists out there. You just need to put in the time to look for them.

And it does take time. The music world is hard to break into at any level. Getting an agent isn’t easy or cheap, and the children’s music world is competitive. An artist might be able to self publish or perform locally, but that creates a very limited audience for a time consuming and costly pursuit. In some ways, the pandemic has opened up more opportunities for smaller presenters and performers to perform, virtually, on a national scale. But, the pandemic has also made it harder for those same smaller performers to survive. Money is tight everywhere, and many libraries who could never afford to bring a big name performer in person, might be able to afford them virtually. Libraries want to attract a large virtual audience, and that is easier with a name that caregivers will recognize. Caregivers recognize children’s musicians that they hear a lot–which they may mostly hear in storytime. So we are back to the beginning again: what musicians are you highlighting in storytime?

I am picky about my storytime music. I present for all ages now, but mostly babies and toddlers. I want music selections that are:

  • Short. Preferably 1-2 minutes, though I’m flexible with this (I can always stop the song myself where I need to).
  • Clear actions that are preferably repeated in a straightforward way. And actions that are appropriate for the age range. We can always adapt words and motions, but it is hard to spin a squirming one-year-old sitting on your lap.
  • Good pace. For me, I don’t want something too slow, but it also needs to be at a speed that is feasible for a toddler or preschooler to follow.

Your storytime music preferences might be very different. Some of my coworkers only use songs that have a rhythm that is way too slow for me, while others really want to theme their music to their storytime topic.

One more note: look at artists that you haven’t heard of. It’s great that you are highlighting Ella Jenkins and other artists that have been around for a few decades–but there are many new, modern artists creating amazing music right now that would appreciate your support.

I’ve been rambling on for months in other blog posts on how I have been working on a spreadsheet with diverse artists and diverse storytime music. That isn’t ready yet, but I want to start to highlight diverse musicians regularly in preparation for that longer post. Many of these names may be familiar if you follow my weekly storytime outlines.

Diverse Children’s Musicians: A Starting List

Some of these artists are my personal favorites while others are ones I plan to explore over the next few months. Who am I missing? Let me know in the comments!

Also, not a specific music group, but check out the Trans & Nonbinary Kids Mix by Ants on a Log and Friends.

Diverse Storytime Music: Favorite Songs

Again, I haven’t listened to every song by every artist listed above (yet–that is the plan by the end of the year), but if you are looking for some diverse storytime music to add to your storytime playlist *right now*, I’ve highlighted some of my current favorites below!

Jazzy Ash

Teddy Bear (preschool or school age)

Baby Loves Beignets (great with shakers)

Leap Frog (great with shakers – wish this didn’t gender with boys and girls)

Kymberly Stewart

I Am a Robot (toddlers, preschoolers)

Timmy the Turtle (Tiny Tim rhyme)

Down Down Up Up (all ages–could be a fun work out for caregivers with babies)

Nathalia

Animal Bop (toddlers, preschoolers)

Alina Celeste

Clap Hands (wish this wasn’t strictly mama and papa repeatedly, but the beat and actions are great)

Little Miss Ann

Shake & Sing (with shakers)

Aaron Nigel Smith

Everybody Loves to Dance (featuring Ziggy Marley) (all ages)

Itsy Bitsy Spider (featuring Zion Nigel Smith) (all ages)

Culture Queen

Super Shaker Song (with shakers! or scarves!) (all ages)

Blazer Fresh

Banana Banana Meatball (preschool or school age)

Jay Laga’aia

Wheels on the Bus (all ages)

Uncle Jumbo

Clap Clap Stomp Stomp (all ages)

Book Club in a Bag: New Kid Kit

Take-and-make kits; craft kits; programs to go: whatever your library calls these programs in a bag that have become a staple of no-contact offerings, one thing is fairly standard: these kits are well loved, but they take time to make. I love creating materials for kits and thinking about how a family might interact with program materials at home. I’ve introduced a new pair of kits for ages 6-11 in January 2021: Book Club in a Bag. This week’s feature: New Kid by Jerry Craft.

The Book Club in a Bag kits look a bit different from some of my previous kits. Instead of focusing on just one book universe, these kits each feature four characters, hopefully some old favorites as well as some new, diverse characters.

In January, these featured characters included (links provided as the bag contents are shared on Book Cart Queens):

Each bag contains some repeated resources:

  • List of kit contents
  • List of books in the featured series
  • List of readalike books
  • Discussion questions
  • Swag item (button, sticker, bookmark)
  • 1-3 crafts, games, activities

New Kid Kit

The New Kid Kit can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. Most of this kit can be re-created simply using a printer, with the addition of extra items depending on your budget.

Want to use make a New Kid Kit at your library? Download the PDFs at the links below, or write a comment or send an email (bookcartqueens@gmail.com) for editable files.

New Kid General Materials

Each bag contains some of the same basic materials, and the New Kid kit is no different.

New Kid Bookmark – All Books

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF listing all book titles here.

New Kid Bookmark – Readalikes

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the Readalike titles here.

The New Kid readalike bookmark features these titles:

New Kid Discussion Questions

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the discussion questions here.

The New Kid Discussion Questions include:

  • Which five words best describe New Kid?
  • Why do you think Jerry Craft drew Jordan’s sketchbook drawings completely differently than the rest of the book?
  • Have you ever been the new kid somewhere? How was your experience the same or different from Jordan’s?
  • What makes being a new kid so challenging for Jordan?
  • Jordan’s Tips for Taking the Bus (pages 56-57): Why does his behavior change—how he looks and dresses as he moves around? What is different in each panel?
  • What does this book say about friendship? What makes a good friend?
  • Which character do you identify with the most? Why?

New Kid Swag – Buttons

This bag also included a 2.25″ New Kid button. Download a printable PDF to make them yourself here.

New Kid Crafts, Games, and More

This particular bag only included one activity: make your own journal. Supplies included:

  • Instruction Sheet (below)
  • 3 sets washi tape
  • 2 pieces cardstock (halves of 9 x 12 sheet, pre-punched)
  • 20 pieces of printer paper (10 full sheets in half, pre-punched)
  • 3 binder rings
  • Colored Pencils (not pictured)

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF here.

Book Review Tuesday

Lots of great books this week! Read the book reviews below, and learn more about my favorite reads:

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Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer De Leon (teen)
Gr. 9+. Liliana Cruz knows she won’t fit in at the white school her parents want her to go to. She didn’t even know her parents sent in an application for her–she just got called to the principal’s office one day and told she was accepted into the METCO program and would now be bussed to a different school with more funding. Liliana is sure she won’t go, but when she finds out that her dad ran off again, she finds herself accepting to make her mom happy.

Liliana is one of only a few kids of color at her new school, and she doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere. The other METCO kids laugh at her, and the white kids ignore her–well, all of them except for one really cute boy. Liliana is sure she will drop out of this program and just go back to her old school, but then she learns that her dad isn’t off doing his own thing–he got deported, and he can’t come home because he is undocumented. Suddenly, her classmates and teachers racist remarks sting more than ever before, and Liliana decides she is done making everyone else comfortable at her own expense.

Fantastic! Liliana’s journey of self-discovery felt real. While there was a lot going on, it all felt genuine–from the at home struggles to the micro and macro aggressions at school. Powerful, enjoyable, and an easy one to recommend.

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When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
Gr. 4-6. Lily, her mother, and her older sister Sam move in with Lily’s sick grandmother. As they drive into town, a giant, magical tiger from one of her Halmoni’s stories arrives–a tiger only Lily can see. Halmoni tells Lily that a long time ago she stole something important from the tigers, and now the tigers want it back. Lily manages to talk to one of the tigers, and it offers her a deal: return the stories that Halmoni stole, and the tigers will return Halmoni’s health. Lily knows she has to take the tiger up on its bargain–but tigers are known for not quite telling the truth. And can quiet, invisible Lily ever really be brave enough to trick a tiger?

This was beautiful and brimming with strong feelings of love and family, weaving together culture and magical realism in a quiet but yet still suspenseful fashion. The depth of the side characters really stands out to me–Halmoni’s journey towards acceptance, Sam’s fear of being left behind, Ricky’s want for a real friend who gets it, and Lily’s mom in particular, trying to hold everyone together. I see why this won the Newbery

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

We participate in the blog trend of Monday posts about what we have read during the last week (2/15/2021-2/21/2021).

Annamarie’s Reading

Picture Books & Readers:

Everything Else:

Rambling Thoughts: Not too many books this week–still waiting for that big pile from Baker & Taylor to be delivered. I might start using a family member’s card to request titles that I know have been published for a while from other libraries. Bring on the books! Currently listening to and enjoying Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas.

Make sure to stop by on Tuesdays for short reviews of some of these titles!

Reading by the Numbers:

  • 14 Books Read This Week
    • 8 Books with Diverse Main Character (57%)
    • 4 Books by Diverse Authors (29%)
    • 4 Books by Own Voices Authors (29%)

Favorites of the Week:

Virtual Toddler Storytime: Week 15

Toddler Fun! A longer book compared to my normal selections for toddlers, but I really want to use this book, and I can’t keep agonizing over how to turn Baby Goes to Market into a flannel — someday I will make that happen, but I have no ability to make people out of flannel, and I don’t have the patience for trial and error at the moment.

More Toddler Storytime Content:

Find additional storytime content at the links below:

– Storytime Resources (includes all storytime outlines)
– Virtual Toddler Storytimes
– Virtual Baby Storytimes
– Virtual Preschool Storytimes
– Virtual Family Storytimes (including themed special events)
– All Virtual Storytime Outlines

Toddler Storytime Intro Song & Rhyme

Early Literacy Tip: Toddlers need to move, so don’t worry if they act out stories or just skip, romp, or tumble as you read to them. They may be moving, but they are listening.

Book Recommendation: Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke

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Song: Clap Your Hands by The Alana Banana Show

Fingerplay: Snowflakes Snowflakes

Snowflakes snowflakes dance all around
Snowflakes snowflakes touch the ground
Snowflakes snowflakes in the air
Snowflakes snowflakes everywhere!

— Find more Fingerplays in this post. —

Retelling: The Great Big Enormous Turnip (folktale)

— Find more Book Retellings in this post. —

Action Rhyme: Put Your Hands Up High

Put your hands up high,
Put your hands down low,
Put your hands in the middle,
And wiggle just so.

Put your elbows in front,
Put your elbows in back,
Put your elbows to the side and
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!

Magnet: Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean

Five pigs so squeaky clean
Cleanest pigs you’ve ever seen.
Wanted to go outside and play.
Oink! Oink!

One jumped into the mud.
Landed with a great big THUD
Now there are four pigs so squeaky clean.

— Find more Flannel & Magnet Activities in this post. —

Manipulative: Stuffed Animals
Put Your Baby in the Air by Caspar Babypants

Closing Song: The Popcorn Song by Laura Doherty

Flannel: Buzz Said the Bee

Welcome to guest blogger Youth Librarian Sarah Simpson! Sarah is the flannel queen at my library, and I am so excited to be able to share some of her incredible flannel work on Book Cart Queens. Read on for full adorableness! – Annamarie

Find more Flannel Fun:

– Flannel Friday Posts (like this one!)
– Flannel & Magnet Activity Videos

Buzz Said the Bee (book)

This is an adaptation of the book Buzz Said the Bee
by Wendy Cheyette Lewison.

Once there was a bee who sat on a duck.
“QUACK” said the duck. “There’s a bee on me.” And the duck said, “Scat,” but the bee just sat.

So the duck quacked again and sat on a hen.
“CLUCK,” said the hen. “There’s a duck on me.” And the hen said, “Scat,” but the duck just sat.

So the hen danced a jig and sat on pig.
“OINK,” said the pig. “There’s a hen on me.” And the pig said, “Scat,” but the hen just sat.

So the pig took a bow and sat on a cow.
“MOO,” said the cow. “There’s a pig on me.” And the cow said, “Scat,” but the pig just sat.

The cow began to weep and sat on a sheep who was fast asleep.
The cow had had enough of all these animals sitting on her so she said “Moo!” (remove cow from pile)
and the pig said “Oink!” (remove pig from pile)
and the hen said “Cluck!” (remove hen from pile)
and the duck said “Quack!” (remove duck from pile)
and the bee flew down to the sheep’s ear and whispered….BUZZ!
He woke up the sheep from a very sound sleep and the sheep left to have fun…and then there were none!



Making Flannels

When making flannels, I use these materials:

  • Stiff Felt (highly recommended!)
  • Puffy Paint
  • Hot Glue
  • Sharp Scissors (Fiskars preferred)

Learn how to use the above photos (or any pictures) as a pattern or template at
Felt-tastic Flannelboard Funtime.

And a big shoutout to Mr. Keith’s blog, Felt-tastic Flannelbaord Funtime, for providing inspiration for my feltboard ideas. None of my flannels are direct reproductions of anyone’s work, but I am inspired most often by his style.

Little People Big Dreams Storytime: Muhammad Ali

As part of our virtual programming, I run a monthly school age storytime, designed for ages 6-8. This program highlights a different diverse individual from the Little People Big Dreams book series. In February, this program featured Muhammad Ali.

Each program features 1-2 books on the famous individual (one book being their matching title from the Little People, Big Dreams book series). I also highlight music from a diverse artist and include a link to an at-home packet to continue the fun and learning.

Explore More Little People, Big Dreams Storytime Outlines:

– Ella Fitzgerald
– Harriet Tubman
– Martin Luther King Jr.
– Rosa Parks

Find additional storytime content at the links below:

– Storytime Resources (includes all storytime outlines)
– Virtual Preschool Storytimes
– Virtual Baby Storytimes
– Virtual Toddler Storytimes
– Virtual Family Storytimes (including themed special events)
– All Virtual Storytime Outlines

Watch the full storytime here.

In the event description, I included the link to the printable at home activity packet.

Storytime Outline

Intro: Teddy Bear by Jazzy Ash

First Book: Muhammad Ali by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Little People Big Dreams)

Image result for little people big dreams muhammad ali

Movement Break: Banana Banana Meatball by Blazer Fresh (GoNoodle)

Second Book: Muhammad Ali: A Champion Is Born by Gene Baretta

Image result for muhammad ali book picture

Closing Rhyme: See You Later, Alligator

See you later, alligator
In a while, crocodile
Give a hug, ladybug
Blow a kiss, jellyfish
See you soon, big baboon
Out the door, dinosaur
Take care, polar bear
Wave goodbye, butterfly!

Next Time: Jean-Michel Basquiat

Book Club in a Bag: Wings of Fire Kit

Take-and-make kits; craft kits; programs to go: whatever your library calls these programs in a bag that have become a staple of no-contact offerings, one thing is fairly standard: these kits are well loved, but they take time to make. I love creating materials for kits and thinking about how a family might interact with program materials at home. I’ve introduced a new pair of kits for ages 6-11 in January 2021: Book Club in a Bag. This week’s feature: Wings of Fire Kit featuring the Wings of Fire books by Tui T. Sutherland

The Book Club in a Bag kits look a bit different from some of my previous kits. Instead of focusing on just one book universe, these kits each feature four characters, hopefully some old favorites as well as some new, diverse characters.

In January, these featured characters included (links provided as the bag contents are shared on Book Cart Queens):

  • Ages 6-8:
  • Ages 8-11
    • Wings of Fire (Tui T. Sutherland)
    • New Kid (Jerry Craft)
    • Phoebe and Her Unicorn (Dani Smith)
    • Shuri (Nic Stone)

Each bag contains some repeated resources:

  • List of kit contents
  • List of books in the featured series
  • List of readalike books
  • Discussion questions
  • Swag item (button, sticker, bookmark)
  • 1-3 crafts, games, activities

Wings of Fire Kit

The Wings of Fire Kit can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. Most of this kit can be re-created simply using a printer, with the addition of extra items depending on your budget.

Want to use make a Wings of Fire Kit at your library? Download the PDFs at the links below, or write a comment or send an email (bookcartqueens@gmail.com) for editable files.

Wings of Fire General Materials

Each bag contains some of the same basic materials, and the Wings of Fire kit is no different.

Wings of Fire Bookmark – All Books

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF listing all book titles here.

Wings of Fire Bookmark – Readalikes

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the Readalike titles here.

The Wings of Fire readalike bookmark features these titles:

Wings of Fire Discussion Questions

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the discussion questions here.

The Wings of Fire Discussion Questions include:

  • Clay is loyal, Starflight is smart, Tsunami is a protector, Sunny is an optimist, and Glory is gentle. Which dragonet is most similar to you?
  • The original prophecy did not include a RainWing. How do the other dragonets feel about Glory? How do the dragonets relationship change over time?
  • Clay believes that he is not a “naturally-hatched hero.” What makes him feel that he does not meet expectations? Have you ever felt that you did not meet expectations? Were you able to overcome those feelings?
  • Think about the world where the Wings of Fire books take place. Can you summarize the way this world works? What are the main factions of dragons? What do you think about this place?
  • The Wings of Fire books are tied to prophecies, fate, and destiny. Can the dragons escape their “destiny”? How do the dragonets feel about their destiny? What do you think—is your destiny written in stone, or do you have the ability to change your fate?

Wings of Fire Swag – Bookmarks

This bag also included four Wings of Fire bookmarks, printed on cardstock. Download a printable PDF to make them yourself here.

Wings of Fire Crafts, Games, and More

There are so many dragon activities, and so much to do with the Wings of Fire universe that it was hard to choose. Thinking about space, prep time, and budget, I focused on three activities: which dragon are you quiz, memory game, and flying dragon craft.

Wings of Fire: Which Dragon Are You? Quiz

I recreated the Wings of Fire dragonet quiz available in the Scholastic Wings of Fire Activities & Resources.

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF here.

Wings of Fire Memory Game

Create your own Wings of Fire memory game. I left the pieces on one sheet for participants to cut out. The back of each square has the Wings of Fire logo.

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF here.

Flying Dragon Craft

Make your own flying dragon craft with a straw, pipette, and some adorable dragon pictures.

Download the dragon images here:

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF here.

And the instructions here:

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF here.

Book Review Tuesday

Lots of great books this week! Read the book reviews below, and learn more about my favorite reads:

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The Coldfire Curse (Dragon Kingdom of Wrenly Book 1) by Jordan Quinn (graphic novel)
Gr. 1-3. Enter the kingdom of Wrenly in this dragon-filled graphic novel. Young Ruskin loves his life as the pet of the prince of Wrenly, but when another young dragon, Cinder, tells him that it is his destiny to save the kingdom, Ruskin reluctantly agrees to help. He wants to do his part–he just isn’t so sure he is the dragon everyone has been waiting for.

This was fun! I struggled with some of the other Little Simon graphic novels, but this felt fresh, with a good plot, interesting characters, and a simple enough story and vocabulary to still appeal to first and second graders. Dragons are always in demand, so this series will not struggle for readers.

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Don’t Hug Doug by Carrie Finison (picture book)
Gr. PreS – Gr. 2. Doug just doesn’t like hugs. No particular reason–he just doesn’t like them. And that is okay. But how do you know if someone is like Doug and doesn’t like hugs? You ask!

I see you Doug. I feel seen by you Doug. Some people love hugs and some people don’t, and I am so glad to see a book that says this is okay. A great starting conversation about consent.

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Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho (picture book)
Gr. PreS – Gr. 2. A young East Asian girl notices her eyes look different than her friends’ eyes. Instead of being big and round, her eyes kiss in the corners. But her eyes are just as special–they are her mother’s eyes, her Amah’s eyes, and her Mei Mei’s eyes–they are powerful and wonderful and beautiful.

A lovely, gorgeously illustrated book with lyrical, perfectly paced text. A must-read and recommend book that needs to be on your shelves.

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From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
Gr. 4-5. Zoe Washington just wants to succeed at her new baking internship, so she can audition for the cooking show, Kids Bake Challenge. But her priorities shift when she checks the mail on her twelfth birthday and discovers a letter from her birth dad–someone she has never met because he has been in prison for murder. Zoe doesn’t know what to think, but eventually she decides to write back. She discovers a kind man who wants to get to know her–and who says he is innocent. How is that possible? Aren’t people who go to prison guilty? And if he is innocent–what is Zoe going to do about it?

I feel like everyone I know has read this book already and rightfully so–it was a delightful read. Zoe is such an honest character, feeling genuinely 12, trying to balance her knowledge that she is not a kid anymore with her nerves about lying and sneaking around behind her parents’ backs (for a good cause!). Author Marks also touches on prejudice and racism, particularly in the legal system, in a way that would easily lend itself to discussion and research in a classroom. A great read for fans of Three Keys, A Good Kind of Trouble, or The True Definition of Neva Beane.

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Give It a Try, Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi (beginning reader)
Gr. 1-2. Yasmin is back for more fun! This collects four beginning reader book into a longer chapter book: Yasmin the Librarian, Yasmin the Scientist, Yasmin the Recycler, and Yasmin the Singer.

Yasmin the Librarian: Yasmin is so excited to help in the library this week that she even brings in her favorite book from home to share with the librarian. But when her book goes missing, Yasmin has to quickly retrace her steps to track it down. Bonus points for showing a Black librarian.

Yasmin the Scientist: Yasmin has to make a project for the science fair, but sometimes science can get a bit too messy for Yasmin. Can she make her project work before the deadline?

Yasmin the Recycler: Yasmin’s school is starting a new recycling program! Yasmin is excited to help, but her classmates don’t seem to care. How can she make them just as excited as she is?

Yasmin the Singer: Yasmin gets to attend a very special party! Everyone is dressed super fancy, and suddenly Yasmin feels shy. Can she move past her nerves and let her singing voice shine?

As always, Yasmin’s adventures are sure to delight. More please!

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A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong (graphic novel)
Gr. 7+.Luna returns to Ren’s life, acting like Luna didn’t just vanish after one amazing summer years ago. This isn’t just Ren and Luna’s story–soon five girls, Ren, Luna, Jetta, Neil, and So-Young, are brought together due to a common goal: making their new women’s high school basketball team a success.

This one meanders a bit, touching on many tough issues including self harm, death, toxic family relationships, racism, drug addiction, and more. The coloring sometimes added to the story, but other times made characters or plot points fade into the background (intentional, I’m sure, but it left me having to super-focus to keep up).

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Milo Imagines the World by Christian Robinson (picture book)
Gr. K-2. During a long subway ride, young Milo draws pictures of the imagined lives of his fellow riders. Milo is sure the boy who got on with his dad is off on a grand, fancy adventure, but when that boy gets off at Milo’s stop and heads to the same place as Milo, Milo begins to realize that maybe other people’s lives aren’t what we assume.

A powerful book about assumptions that makes you think about what we presume about others–and how little we really know about them.

Gr. 1-3.

Pup Detectives by Felx Gumpaw
Rider Woofson and his team of sleuths are on the case to discover the conniving Lunchtime Bandit. Can they solve the case?

Super Turbo by Edgar J. Powers
Super Turbo, the pet in Classroom C at Sunnyview Elementary, teams up with other class pets to make a formidable superhero team that saves the school from evil.

I wasn’t thrilled with these, though I am wondering if I am struggling more with the direction of Little Simon graphic novel line than these particular novels. I’m glad to see more graphic novels for younger students, but this felt like it was filling off a checkmark of tropes that are deemed “popular” with kids rather than writing a fun, original, engaging novel. I’ve enjoyed other more recent graphic novels for young kids more, including Pizza and Taco, Beak and Ally, and Pea Bee and Jay. It feels like this might be aiming for Dog Man fans, but the humor in Max Meow, InvestiGators, and even Agent Moose does a better job for that audience.

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A Sled for Gabo by Emma Otheguy (picture book)
Gr. PreS-2. Gabo is so excited for the snow, but he doesn’t have all of the clothes and toys the other kids from his new school have. His socks aren’t wool, and his shoes aren’t waterproof, but his Mami helps him figure out ways to make what they have stretch. But, even once he is outside, Gabo still doesn’t have a sled of his own. Can someone in his neighborhood help?

A fun, family-filled book that touches on childhood shyness and socio-economic realities while telling a story of a boy who just wants to play in the snow. An adorable winning book that begs to be snuggled with on a cold winter day

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Time for Kenny by Brian Pinkney (picture book)
Gr. Toddler-PreS. Follow Kenny’s adventures in four simple, repetitive stories as Kenny gets dressed, Kenny defeats the vacuum cleaner, Kenny learns to play soccer, and Kenny eventually heads to bed.

Short and simple, but this one stands out in its simplicity and vibrant illustrations. Looking forward to more like this.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

We participate in the blog trend of Monday posts about what we have read during the last week (2/8/2021-2/14/2021).

Annamarie’s Reading

Picture Books:

Readers:

Graphic Novels:

Everything Else:

Rambling Thoughts: I got a good sized stack of picture books this week, so a lot of reading to record here. I’m hoping to tackle more of the chapter books that have been sitting around gathering dust–essentially I’ve only been listening to audiobooks of chapter books for a while now, and it has been a bit sluggish getting back into reading something longer. But then I turn around and look at the big (virtual) stack of eaudiobooks I have checked out and well…I need three weeks to catch up on reading. Which I may have someday soon since I can’t go on a trip anywhere, and I am approaching my vacation day capacity at work. We shall see… but in the meantime I am really enjoying listening to Newbery winner When you Trap a Tiger. More on that title next week!

Make sure to stop by on Tuesdays for short reviews of some of these titles!

Reading by the Numbers:

  • 43 Books Read This Week
    • 24 Books with Diverse Main Character (56%)
    • 15 Books by Diverse Authors (35%)
    • 14 Books by Own Voices Authors (33%)

Favorites of the Week:

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