I have always loved books about animals: wild, domesticated, or imaginary. This book would have been right up my alley when I was in fourth or fifth grade.
It is about Lucy (12), who wanted desperately to join the Wildlands Ambassadors at their nearby Wildlands Safari Park. But there was an incident with something she couldn’t do during her interview for the position (panic attack due to fear of heights).
Now she has another chance. She has been invited to join a team of others her age for the Wildlands Safari Escape Challenge. They will help test the clues and systems in the park before the event goes public.
The clues are interspersed in the book and are a variety of puzzles and brain challenges for animal lovers – a mystery is also thrown in when it looks like some of the systems have been tampered with. The electronics fizzle, the gates don’t work, the walkie-talkies are on the fritz, and some enclosures are empty or have the wrong animals in them.
Can they beat the puzzles and find out what is going on? Get yourself a pencil and paper to help out!
Richards, Natalie D. Survive This Safari.Delacorte Press, 2025.
IMLS supports the Second Lady’s Nationwide Summer Reading Challenge
WASHINGTON, DC— The Institute of Museum and Library Services proudly supports Second Lady Usha Vance’s nationwide Summer Reading Challenge. The challenge encourages kindergarten through eighth-grade students to continue their intellectual and personal development throughout the summer by reading at least twelve books.
To participate, students and their parents should download the Summer Reading Challenge Log, after reading twelve books over the summer. Successful participants can submit their completed logs to read@mail.whitehouse.gov by September 5th to receive a personalized certificate, a small prize, and entrance into a raffle to visit the Nation’s Capital.
“Summer reading reinforces the skills and important lessons that our students learned during the school year while addressing the summer slide, cultivating intellectual curiosity, and fostering a lifelong love of books,” said IMLS Acting Director Keith Sonderling. “The Second Lady’s Summer Reading Challenge is an excellent way to empower young people to dive into reading beyond the classroom.”
As the largest federal funder of museums and libraries, IMLS recognizes the critical role that public and school libraries play in ensuring that students have year-round access to books. For that reason, we are working with our partners in every State Library Administrative Agency to increase awareness of the Summer Reading Challenge.
“In every US state and territory, State Library Administrative Agencies partner with local libraries and community leaders to provide reading materials that support educational opportunities. By sharing the Summer Reading Challenge with their constituents, SLAAs can leverage their broad reach and ongoing alignment with literacy initiatives,” said Teri DeVoe, IMLS Associate Deputy Director.
Covid-19 is over but now there is a new virus called Crown Royale. It kills 1 person out of 25 or 4% of those infected, which isn’t too bad. Those who recover feel completely happy and have empathy for everyone. They have no negative feelings – jealousy, hatred, selfishness, racism – all are gone. The people in power feel this threatens “economic and political stability” and want to eradicate it.
Mariel (about 15) and her mother are living in their car at the book’s beginning. Mariel’s mom dies from the virus, but later Mariel learns she, herself, is naturally immune. Tiberón (16 or so), who goes by Rón, is the youngest son of the third richest man in the world. Rón turns out to be a super spreader of the virus.
Soon there are plots for spreading the virus to save the world; and plots to eradicate the virus to save the world. Mariel and Rón are at the center of everything. Misinformation is being spread, and countered by others. Some people lock themselves up in their homes to avoid the virus and its effects. Many people aren’t sure what to believe.
Kirkus (12/1/24) says, “In his trademark, darkly witty, wonderfully over-the-top style, the author meanders through interesting ethical questions as the action plays out globally with a cast of diverse background characters, eventually leading to a conclusion that leaves things wide open for a sequel.”
Shusterman, Neal. All Better Now. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025.
He was inaugurated on February 6th and the 2023-2024 National Ambassador, Meg Medina, attended.
As quoted in the article, Barnett said, “It’s a profound honor to serve as ambassador. When I got the news, I was speechless, which is unusual for me.” He has chosen to “celebrate the children’s picture book” and the way they “blend words and illustrations to create a uniquely powerful reading experience.”
Congratulations to Mac Barnett! Certainly a popular author with children and he has a lineup of over 60 books he has written. What is a favorite title with the children in your community?
I have read a lot, but not all of his books, one of my favorites is Sam and Dave Dig a Hole from 2014, illustrated by Jon Klassen and named a Caldecott Honor Book. Readers will be delighted by all things the diggers missed.
Another favorite of mine is Mac Undercover from 2018, the first book in his series titled “Mac B., Kid Spy” a novel for grades 3-6. Mac secretly helps the Queen of England – who is disgusted by his attire and “bad” English, but does appreciate his help. Silly and clever, Mac ends up in unexpected situations wondering how he will escape and solve the mystery.
I hope the young readers in your community will love the idea of Mac Barnett as the 2025-26 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature!
One of the picture books School Library Journal included on their “Best Picture Books of 2024” list is I’m Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff. Learning how to apologize, and mean it, is hard, and Jack is not yet convinced he should. But the teacher expects it.
Right off we know Jack must write a note of apology to Zoe, but the teacher must approve it first. His third attempt is the title of the book and he must try again. He is angry while working on the note and the other students have no trouble realizing it.
Through the rejected notes the reader/listener learns that Zoe’s castle was knocked over. And then we begin to learn the reasons this happened.
Finally Jack writes an acceptable note, and Zoe replies with a thank-you note. Maybe tomorrow they will build a castle together.
The artwork adds greatly to the story. In one illustration the pencil sharpener is roaring as Jack uses it – with a big frown on his face, the other students all noticing him. The reader/listeners can tell he is still mad. This is the complete package of story and art – and a great way to let young ones see someone practicing… fighting it… trying… and finally getting it right.
Lukoff, Kyle. I’m Sorry You Got Mad. Dial Books, 2024.
A number of awards honoring titles and media for children and young adults were announced this morning. The John Newbery Medal goes to The First State of Being written by Erin Entrada Kelly, with four other titles named as Newbery Honor Books.
The Randolph Caldecott Medal goes to Chooch Helped, illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz and written by Andrea L. Rogers, with four additional titles named Caldecott Honor Books.
To see the ALA new release listing all the youth awards and titles, go here.
Life After Whale by Lynne Brunelle, was given the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children. This focuses briefly on the life of the blue whale (90 year old), and mostly on how it provides food and shelter to many creatures on its way to the ocean floor, and after it settles on the bottom of the sea. Lots of information paired with amazing art by Jason Chin. The author presents and explains the different phases of the whale fall – the total time of this whale fall ecosystem is more than 100 years. Additional information is found on the back pages, including more information on blue whales; the four phases of a whale fall listed on a two-page spread, and a brief bibliography. An amazing book.
School Library Journal has announced their choices for Best Books 2024, 193 titles were selected. Ten sections were chosen: Picture Books, Transitional Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Nonfiction Elementary, Nonfiction Middle to High School, Poetry, Graphic Novels, Manga, and Top 10 Audiobooks.
You can download a spreadsheet PDF of the entire list, category by category. Every year different lists include titles I have recommended and titles I didn’t encounter anywhere – on blogs, through perusing the library, or in the batches of books publishers have sent to the Library Commission.
The titles I have read includes Medusa by Katherine Marsh. It is the first book in the Myth of Monsters series. Ava, 12, is sent to an institute for descendants of Greek monsters after an incident at her regular school ended with a boy being frozen. But she isn’t sure Medusa was a monster, and she and some new friends go on an unauthorized trip to find Medusa and ask her some questions. This book is for upper elementary school readers.
Ten Little Rabbits by Maurice Sendak is on their Picture Book list. It is copyrighted in 1970, but was never published until 2024. The text is mostly numerals from 1 to 10 and then back to 1. The boy is a showman, but the rabbits get rather hard to handle when there is a group of them. The rabbits, in colors of white, blue, gray, or yellow, keep popping out of the hat. You don’t see them disappear, they don’t go back into the hat, but on each page there is one less – and they are becoming more manageable. Listeners will enjoy the magic show.
I hope you find some good titles to add to your collection from the lists on the School Library Journal web page.
With Halloween later this month, it seems appropriate to choose a story of magic, mayhem, and monsters for Friday Reads.
Living in a town on the fault lines of the magic sealed into the ground … this was every-day to Sid (she’s 17). Occasionally wisps of something floated up from the ground – this was what the tourists were hoping to see.
But then, one of the several Guardians of the sealed area is killed, his key taken, and is used to open one of the several fault lines. Out comes threads of magic that attach themselves to people and animals. Also, zombies and other monsters are now on the loose.
The person behind this event – murder and destroying one seal, so far – keeps claiming magic should be for everyone – but he is absorbing all the magic he can find to keep for himself. He wants all the seals opened to absorb more magic.
Sid joins the remaining Guardians (her brother being one) and struggles to help make a difference in this situation. Who will survive? Who else will die?
As the December 1, 2023 issue of Kirkus says, “The thoughtfully developed characters grapple with issues of race, insecurities, self-absorption, isolation, connection, family, loss, grief, and empathy. …readers won’t want to put [it] down.” This book is written for older teens.
Wasley, Robin. Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear. Simon & Schuster, 2024.
Book 1 in a new series, Orris, a rat, lived in an abandoned barn. He was happy there. One of his prized possessions was an old sardine can. It had a picture of a sardine king on the can, and the king said, “Make the good and noble choice.” He contemplated this advice regularly.
One evening Orris hears a horrible screech and a cry for help. Orris looked out from his nest to see a young owl caught in a mousetrap. The rat is not planning on helping his natural enemy until he recalls the sardine king’s advice. Slowly he moves towards the owl, asking him to stand completely still. Next to the talons, Orris pulls on the metal of the trap and tells the owl to move. When the owl is free, Orris is terrified and cowers, then creeps slowly to his nest.
But, rather than prey, the owl, Timble, thinks of Orris as a friend. Orris tells Timble the fable of The Lion and the Mouse. Soon they plan to meet every evening for more stories.
A marvelous introduction to the two main characters and the wonder of storytelling. “Make the good and noble choice” could show up again in future titles of the series.
This is an early chapter book aimed at readers who are ready for something longer than a beginning reader but not ready for a full-fledged novel, though many readers will enjoy it.
Orris and Timble: The Beginning, by Kate DiCamillo.Candlewick Press, 2024.
Olive Zang (almost 12) doesn’t really fit in – at school, with friends (what friends?) or even with her mom and dad. They are always gone on a trip for work, and seem to not really notice her. This time, before they leave again, they put her in a boarding school located on an island in San Francisco Bay.
Once she arrives at RASCH (Reforming Arts School) she undergoes an unusual set of tasks as an aptitude test for placement in the school. Once placed with Pod 101 she is surprised at how quickly the group of five bonds. They are hastily put into training to prepare them to be a contributing group for a secret crime fighting organization. Soon the very existence of the school (the first one where Olive feels connected and appreciated) is on the line, can The Misfits (her group) help capture a jewel thief? Will they help or hinder the effort?
As Kirkus says, “A fantastical blend of quirky characters and goofy adventures.” (11/1/23) Includes occasional black and white drawings by Dan Santat. This is the first book of a new series aimed at grades 3-6 or so.
Yee, Lisa. The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum. Random House, 2024.
To celebrate Smokey Bear’s 80th Birthday the National Forest Service has set up their Smokey Bear Reading Challenge. To learn more about the Challenge, visit here.
The Forest Service is going to ask how many children signed up and filled in a log of the challenge, so please keep a count if you promote it to your community.
We have received the items the National Forest Service mailed to the Library Commission for their Smokey Bear Reading Challenge. Each public library is welcome to receive the following items:
One roll of 500 Smokey Stickers One package of 50 Smokey Cards One Smokey Stamp
I plan to deliver what I can at the Library Systems’ Summer Reading Program workshops. If you do not plan to attend the workshop, or if your system’s workshop has already met, we will be working on a way to get the items to you if you want them.
Also, take a look at the digital toolkit prepared by the National Forest Service.
Amanda Shelton, Director of the Franklin Public Library, made a QR code for their website. Thank you Amanda!
A number of awards honoring titles and media for children and young adults were announced this morning. The John Newbery Medal goes to The Eyes and the Impossible written by Dave Eggers, with five other titles named as Newbery Honor Books.
The Randolph Caldecott Medal goes to Big, illustrated and written by Vashti Harrison, with four additional titles named Caldecott Honor Books.
To see the ALA new release listing all the youth awards and titles, go here.
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow, set in Nebraska, was named both a Newbery Honor Book and a Schneider Family Book Award honor book for middle grades. This title is hilarious, heart-breaking and goofy – an amazing book. Simon and his parents move from near Omaha to a part of Nebraska that is a National Radio Quiet Zone (fictional, the real one is in West Virginia). There is no Internet access and the town (Grin and Bear It, NE) lives with it. Simon has been homeschooled for the past year and now is back in public school for the 7th grade. He makes a couple of friends and begins to settle in. His mom is undertaker for the town and they live in the mortuary. His dad works for the Catholic Church. Amazing writing, quirky people and animals, unusual situations will keep the students reading. Spoiler: a school shooting has happened in the past and is revisited. It will break your heart.
Announced yesterday, A First Time for Everything has won the National Book Foundation Award for Young People’s Literature.
It is on my Summer Reading Program list for 2024 and is a memoir of a three week school trip to Europe in 1989, the summer after 8th grade. In middle school Dan learned to be “…quiet. Small. … invisible.” (p. 11) Then one day, at the end of a school assembly Dan was unexpectedly asked (forced) to give his speech as practice for the speech tournament. It was a poem by A. A. Milne. He was ridiculed.
Then he took the three week school trip to Europe. Quiet at first, he slowly begins to have fun with some of the other students. And actually enjoying the trip. He does get lost in the middle of the night in France, but manages to steal a bike and find his way back (not proud of stealing the bike). Kirkus says, “Full of laughter and sentiment, this is a nudge for readers to dare to try new things.” (12/15/22)
Other Finalists for the Award for Young People’s Literature were:
Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy Big by Vasti Harrison The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine by Katherine Marsh
Visit their web page to learn more. You can also see the winners and finalists in the other four categories on this web site.
Dan Santat is an author and illustrator of a variety of children and teen books, including After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again), The Aquanaut, Sidekicks: A Graphic Novel, and Lift by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat.
Santat, Dan. A First Time for Everything. First Second/Macmillan, 2022.
A full color graphic novel for tween readers, ages 8-12 or so. Avery (11) the second-oldest of seven children in the loving Lee family, is beginning to feel squished by her siblings. When her older brother is given a room of his own, and her room of two is becoming a room of three, (younger brother Max is moving in with Avery and her sister, Pearl), she prepares a list of reasons she should have her own room, to no avail.
Avery loves her family, she just gets a bit embarrassed and frustrated by them. She also has some good friends who she spends time with – and they share some inside jokes as well.
Now Avery has decided to earn money in order to have a room built for her in the basement. Walking dogs and selling lemonade do not work out well. Then she learns the family may be moving to Oregon for her mother’s new job, and a room of her own is not even an issue anymore. She doesn’t want to move away from her friends and all she knows.
There is plenty going on and readers will relate to Avery’s ups and downs.
Megan Wagner Lloyd. Squished. New York, Graphix, Scholastic Inc., 2023.
Romania, 1989. Cristian Florescu (17) and his family are barely surviving the regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu. There are spies everywhere, and due to a small mistake, now Cristian is forced to spy on his neighbors and the family his mother cleans house for, an American who works for the American Embassy.
Everyone is suspicious of everyone else, for good reason. Only Cristian’s grandfather, called Bunu, is willing to speak out loud – but he is ill, and is taking a risk every time he talks. There is some comedy relief – as Bunu and others delight in jokes about Ceaușescu and the regime.
Cristian finally comes up with an idea that may outsmart the spies – but it could cost him his life. The horrible conditions – little food, little warmth in winter, suspicions, beatings, despair, the threat of wild dogs – are clearly portrayed. Cristian wonders if anyone in the U.S. is aware of their circumstances and their level of need. It has been so hard to visit the home of the American diplomat and know he cannot say anything to ask for help for his country.
The revolution began on Dec. 21, 1989. Cristian joins it.
Includes period photos, references, and an Author’s Note at the back of the book. This title is fiction and is aimed at high school age readers.
Sepetys, Ruta. (2022). I Must Betray You. Philomel Books.
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc. (BCALA) and School Library Journal announced the 2023 Children & Young Adult Literary Awards winners.
First awarded in 2021, the awards, given annually, celebrate outstanding children’s and young adult books by African American authors of fiction and nonfiction in four categories: First Novelist Award, Fiction Award, Nonfiction Award, and Graphic Novel Award.
I have read (among others) the Graphic Novel Winner, Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas a full-color graphic novel. Bree and her father move from Brooklyn, NY, to Florida for his new job. Bree is starting middle school and wants Math Puzzles as one of her electives, but it is full – all that is left is Swim 101. Bree cannot swim but doesn’t want to admit it. Negative talk to herself is shown as black outlined capitals, such as “You’re going to be so embarrassed” and “It must be your fault!”
New friends, Humberto and Clara, are upbeat and supportive. She skips swim class, but then an older neighbor agrees to teach her. Over time she learns to float and swim and one day the coach basically assigns everyone in class to try out for the swim team. They race and Bree swims past all her negative thoughts and wins! She joins Clara on the swim team. Maybe this year they can finally win state! It includes overcoming fears, putting in the time needed to succeed, supporting friends and teammates, and not giving up. It is for upper elementary and early middle school ages.
The Newbery Award winner is Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson and three titles were named Newbery Honor Books. This year Freewater also won the Coretta Scott King Author Book Award. The Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award is Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual illustrated by Frank Morrison and written by Carole Boston Weatherford.
The Caldecott Award winner is Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati. Four titles were named Caldecott Honor Books. I have not seen Hot Dog yet, but one of the Caldecott Honor Books is Knight Owl illustrated and written by Christopher Denise. This book was the subject of one of my “Friday Reads” posts. Take a look here if you would like to know more about it.
To learn all the titles that were recognized on January 30th during the ALA Youth Media Awards webcast, just visit this news release.
I hope you find a title on this awards list that you just have to read!
Meg Medina has been named the 2023-2024 National Ambassador For Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress. As it says on the website, “The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature raises national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.”
She is the eighth individual to hold this position. Former Ambassadors are:
Jason Reynolds, 2020-2022 Jacqueline Woodson, 2018-2019 Gene Luen Yang, 2016-2017 Kate DiCamillo, 2014-2015 Walter Dean Myers, 2012-2013 Katherine Paterson, 2010-2011 Jon Scieszka, 2008-2009
I have read several of Medina’s books, including Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away. In this picture book, on the morning of the move, Daniela and Evelyn play among the moving boxes until they must say goodbye. They are número uno to each other and their friendship will never be forgotten.
Asher (17) lost his mother a year ago in a car accident. The semi driver was drunk and ran her off the road. He did not receive the punishment Asher thinks he deserved, due to a technicality.
Over the course of the book certain facts and Asher’s plans are revealed to the reader. Asher has started group therapy, in 2 different groups, since he has made no progress in accepting his loss. He befriends an older gentleman, Henry, from his first group, and then he befriends Sloane and Will, close to his own age, from the second.
All three agree to travel with him from New Jersey to Memphis, so he can take his long-distance girlfriend to the prom. That’s what he tells them but he really is planning to kill the man who killed his mother.
Believe it or not, this is an upbeat book, with the final plan lurking in the distance. They accept and bond with each other as they travel. There are jokes, laughing, supporting each other when needed.
They have fun. Ultimately, what will Asher do?
This book was on my mind for several days after I finished reading it. Something about how the characters interact and how they express themselves made it hard to forget.
The Well is a full color graphic novel published for high school readers. Li-Zhen, called Lizzy, lives with her grandfather and for the first time she will travel to town by herself with some goats to sell, riding in a sailboat in which her friend Eli now rows. While in town, she snitches some coins from a sacred fountain to pay for her return trip. After returning home she is visited that night in her sleep. The well demands repayment, not in coins but in wishes. Lizzy must find a way to provide what has been wished for, or she will be drowned. The well’s servant says it is the wishes connected to each of the three coins that are valuable, not the coins. She has to talk friends and strangers into helping her and she only has a day to accomplish each task. Each task is different, and the last task may kill her.
One of the things that appealed to me about this book is the care put into wishing. Little children wish for candy or toys, they said, but wishing should be more thoughtful. Eli tells Lizzy that her mother explained it this way: “…first you’re supposed to think about what you have, what you are grateful for. Then think about what you want out of life.”
For the first task she asks for help from Eli, and they end up kidnapping a woman who has wished to return to her island, but now no longer wants to go there. The island was destroyed by the leviathan. The well doesn’t care about current wants or changes in wishes. It wants her to give what was wished for on the stolen coin, however long ago the wish was made.
This past summer I saw the movie “Three Thousand Years of Longing” with Idris Elba playing a genie. Wishes are a big part of his existence. That movie and this graphic novel made me think more about wishes. Fairy tales often have wishes involved, almost always tricking the wisher. I liked what Eli said in the book about wishing. It can be done too quickly with little contemplation as to the likely result of the wish. Maybe wishes should stay in our hearts and not be spoken out loud.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free, via the Regional Library Systems, to Nebraska school and public libraries.)
