Mr. Darcy: the swoon-worthy hero we all are waiting for. But maybe not? In The Darcy Myth: Jane Austen, Literary Heartthrobs, and the Monsters They Taught Us To Love (Quirk Books, November 2023), literature scholar Rachel Feder retells this narrative in a more accurate way. With an abundance of humor and with plenty of modern
The Story of Doctor Doolittle by Hugh Lofting (published 1920) is told with a “once upon a time” feel, with a humorous tale told casually about a doctor who can speak with the animals. What a fun concept, but what a shame this concept was written about in such an era. While the writing is
As a large-format fold-out nonfiction picture book, The Street Beneath My Feet by Charlotte Guillain (illustrated by Yuval Zommer; Words & Pictures, 2017) is sure to be fun for the kids to unfold out and explore. The journey is directed by a friendly narrator speaking with the personal “you” to take us from the street
AfterMath by Emily Barth Isler (Carolrhoda, September 2021) portrays the trauma of dealing with a sibling’s death as well as the effects of a school shooting, even years after the fact. Twelve-year-old Lucy still mourns her younger brother, even as she moves into a community still reeling from the school shooting during third grade. Without
A girl raised by squirrels: Why not? The new early chapter book The Girl in the Tree by by Ellen Potter (illustrated by Sara Cristofori; Margaret McElderry Books, June 2023) takes this ridiculous concept and makes a creative story about a girl in Central Park who has only known her adoptive squirrel father since she
I love a good (clean) retelling of Pride & Prejudice that gives a new perspective with a familiar and era-appropriate feeling to the classic story. Lizzy Bennet’s Diary by Marcia Williams (Candlewick, 2014) adds scrapbooking to an illustrated first-person diary-format story to give young middle-grade readers a delightful and fun introduction into the classic novel!
With the story frame of a child growing a garden, Compost!: Growing Gardens From Your Garbage by Linda Glaser (illustrated by Anca Hariton; Millbrook Press, 1996) gives the startling claim that the garden is made from garbage! Throughout the book, the kid describes just what can be put in the compost pile. To make it
Aliya’s Secret: A Story of Ramadan by Farida Zaman (OwlKids Books, October 2023) is a window into the world of one girl excited about Ramadan and eager to celebrate with a daily fast, just as her parents fast. When her parents discourage her from fasting all day, she decides to fast in secret, but it
Beverly Cleary’s Henry Huggins series nicely captures the creative Henry through his upper elementary years, especially focusing on his innovation, his creativity as a kid, and the antics of his adopted stray dog, Ribsy. Although the series is dated, having been written beginning in the 1950s, Henry’s adventures show universal frustrations and difficulties that any
We return to a magical world of music in The Midnight Orchestra: A Mystwick School Novel by Jessica Khoury (Clarion Books, June 2022; audiobook available from Audible Studios, January 2022), which takes place right where the first book (called The Mystwick School of Musicraft) left off. Amelia is officially recognized as a talented Composer after
Imagine D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, but instead of explaining various events in the world, center each myth around a favorite dish to eat. Then, place all of the myths in China. Of course, make sure these myths are true to the Chinese and Chinese-American traditions. Just like in the Greek Myths book, they would
Over in the Ocean in the Coral Reef by Marianne Berks, illustrated by Jeanette Canyon (Dawn Publications, 2021) imitates the “Somewhere in the Meadow” song using the Great Barrier Reef as a setting.The subtitle is “A beach baby animal habitat book.” It follows a counting pattern, mentions a variety of animals, and is available in
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