Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Song for a Whale

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Song for a Whale (Delacorte Press, 2019) by Lynne Kelly is an incredible story. I loved it so much.

Iris is a tech genius who restores old electronic equipment such as antique radios. She’s also only twelve. Being the only deaf person at her school is very difficult. When she learns about Blue 55, a whale who can’t speak to other whales because he sings at the wrong frequency, Iris gets an idea. She wants to communicate with Blue 55 to show him he’s not alone. However, there are lots of obstacles in her way–like being 3000 miles away.

My grandparents and father repaired electronic equipment so loved reading about a character interested in the subject. The uniqueness of a deaf person wanting to help someone else hear is so cool, too.

I recommended Lynne’s book Chained here. Read about Lynne on her author site.

Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The Bridge Home

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

The Bridge Home (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2019) by Padma Venkatraman was marvelous. Such a touching story that made my heart ache for the characters.

11-year-old Viji and her sister Rukka run away from an abusive home to the big city of Chennai. There they find shelter on an abandoned bridge and make a new family with two boys. Still, life is not easy. Viji hates being a ragpicker in the city rubbish heaps, but the children can sell what they find to the waste mart man, which lets them buy food and other necessities. And then . . .

You’ll have to read it to see what happens next.

Go here for bonus material for the book. And here to learn more about Padma.

Posted in PB, So Many Good Books

When a Tree Grows

Perfect Picture Book Friday

When a Tree Grows (Sterling Children’s Books, 2019) by Cathy Ballou Mealey and illustrated by Kasia Nowowiejska is an amusing picture book.

“When a tree grows in the forest, two things could happen.” Then the pages show both choices. Each time there’s a choice where not much happens, and the second one that causes some kind of trouble.

This is the author’s debut picture book. Read more here. Learn more about Cathy here.

See more of Kasia’s delightful illustrations here and read about her here.

Posted in Award Winners, PB, So Many Good Books

The Rough Patch

Perfect Picture Book Friday

The Rough Patch (Greenwillow Books, 2018) by Brian Lies is a touching picture book. The title is appropriate physically and emotionally.

Evan and his dog do everything together. Especially in Evan’s garden. But when Evan loses his companion he hacks down and garden and lets it grow ugly. Eventually, a proper garden plant slips in and Evan begins to tend it like he should. And then . . .

I love how the story ends with hope. And I love the illustrations and how they show both good and bad times. The book is a Caldecott Honor Book and ALA Notable for 2019!

See all of Brian’s other books here. Learn about the author/illustrator here and how to pronounce his last name here–it’s not how it looks.