IndyPL_ShellieR's Completed Shelf
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Accused!Accused!, BookThe Trials of the Scottsboro Boys : Lies, Prejudice, and the Fourteenth Amendment
by Brimner, Larry DaneBook - 2019Book, 2019
Added Sep 01, 2020
Added Jun 20, 2020
Comment:
Sweet early Selznick! Beautiful illustrations and a sensitive story. Great for kids who like spooky stuff or who just feel a little different.
Added Jun 20, 2020
Comment:
It's hard for me not to love books for children that employ charming language to tell engaging stories. Published in 1901, it is not a perfect fit for contemporary children. I did read it to a child, but I used many of the opportunities it presented to discuss gender bias. There was also a story included about a little blonde, blue-eyed princess who wore all white clothes. We talked about how authors use descriptions of characters physical appearances to try to communicate about their personalities and that these descriptions often play on biases that readers and writers might not even know they have. We made up new descriptions for some of the characters and had some good conversations. Overall, it was worth a read but might be best to read aloud together with a child or to read side-by-side.It's hard for me not to love books for children that employ charming language to tell engaging stories. Published in 1901, it is not a perfect fit for contemporary children. I did read it to a child, but I used many of the opportunities it presented…
Astrophysics for People in A HurryAstrophysics for People in A Hurry, Book
by Tyson, Neil deGrasseBook - 2017Book, 2017
Added Jun 20, 2020
Comment:
This nonfiction book for middle grade children was really pitch perfect. There was enough science to make it interesting and informative but it did not overwhelm. It was also funny without being too silly. Highly recommend.
Leia, Princess of AlderaanLeia, Princess of Alderaan, eBook
by Gray, ClaudiaeBook - 2017eBook, 2017
All copies in use
Added May 06, 2020
Comment:
A solid and engaging chapter book that would probably appeal more to teens than younger readers. There's a lot about politics and also some romance that might not appeal to the middle grade set.
This Is A Taco!This Is A Taco!, eBook
eBook - 2018eBook, 2018
Added Apr 30, 2020
Comment:
This squirrel will work for tacos, but what he really wants is to work with tacos! Luckily he's a creative guy. We laughed out loud at this picture book. Might not be great for storytime since some of the narrative takes place in speech bubbles (not my favorite for books to share with a group) but still good for sharing one-on-one or for independent readers. This is an especially strong choice for fans of Battle Bunny.This squirrel will work for tacos, but what he really wants is to work with tacos! Luckily he's a creative guy. We laughed out loud at this picture book. Might not be great for storytime since some of the narrative takes place in speech bubbles (not…
Beastly BrainsBeastly Brains, BookExploring How Animals Think, Talk, and Feel
by Castaldo, Nancy F.Book - 2017Book, 2017
Added Apr 28, 2020
Comment:
We have this book cataloged as a teen nonfiction book but, really, it is fine for younger readers (middle grade and up) who have strong vocabularies. I enjoyed the book but I was disappointed that it didn't go deeper into its topics. I think most teens would also be a little underwhelmed. Each chapter deals with a different testable aspect of animal cognition. The tone isn't particularly objective, either. In all, it was fine for my second-grader and it does fill a gap in animal books, but it could do more to address the curiosity of older readers.We have this book cataloged as a teen nonfiction book but, really, it is fine for younger readers (middle grade and up) who have strong vocabularies. I enjoyed the book but I was disappointed that it didn't go deeper into its topics. I think most…
I Am Too Absolutely Small for SchoolI Am Too Absolutely Small for School, Book
by Child, LaurenBook - 2004Book, 2004
Added Apr 27, 2020
Comment:
This is one of my favorite books to read to Ks and firsties. Lola has many concerns about school and Charlie tries to encourage and persuade. In the end, Lola finds that she can be brave for her invisible friend. I love Childs' collages and the rhythms of the children's speech.This is one of my favorite books to read to Ks and firsties. Lola has many concerns about school and Charlie tries to encourage and persuade. In the end, Lola finds that she can be brave for her invisible friend. I love Childs' collages and the…
A Big Quiet HouseA Big Quiet House, BookA Yiddish Folktale From Eastern Europe
by Forest, HeatherBook - 1996Book, 1996
Added Apr 24, 2020
Comment:
A great stay-at-home-time read! Colorful folk illustrations and sometime-rhyming text, plus the chance to make animal noises make this a great read-aloud. Currently available directly through Axis360!
Added Apr 23, 2020
Comment:
Picture book biographies are a great way to introduce fiction-lovers to the joy of a good nonfiction narrative. The colors and lines in this book offer a lovely portrayal of a fascinating woman and her life in science. Kids, with their keen sense of justice, will be insulted on our protagonist's behalf but maybe that is one of the building blocks of change.Picture book biographies are a great way to introduce fiction-lovers to the joy of a good nonfiction narrative. The colors and lines in this book offer a lovely portrayal of a fascinating woman and her life in science. Kids, with their keen sense of…
Added Apr 22, 2020
Comment:
The first half of this book was almost too creepy for me! It was hard to tell who could be trusted and who was totally evil. Around halfway through, things started to get a little clearer, just in time for another threat to surface from a far more ordinary source. This book was a little bit 7th-season-Buffy and a whole lot of awesome girl power.The first half of this book was almost too creepy for me! It was hard to tell who could be trusted and who was totally evil. Around halfway through, things started to get a little clearer, just in time for another threat to surface from a far more…
Added Apr 20, 2020
Comment:
A useful first science book for preschool through K. Conversational and clear, the author guides the reader through a simple experiment with bean seeds.
Added Apr 17, 2020
Comment:
The bunnies! The sass! The quirk! I read this to a child who said, “it didn’t have to be that good. But it was.”
A Song for Gwendolyn BrooksA Song for Gwendolyn Brooks, Book
by Duncan, Alice FayeBook - 2019Book, 2019
Added Apr 16, 2020
Comment:
A powerful book with free verse to carry the reader through the world in which Brooks lived, with stops to glimpse her artistic life. Middle grade through junior high readers who love the paintings that words can make will enjoy this book. There aren't easy handholds for younger readers to grab onto and this is not told as a story of struggle or history or political reform. Rather, it is a biography of her literary life, which she and her work deserve.A powerful book with free verse to carry the reader through the world in which Brooks lived, with stops to glimpse her artistic life. Middle grade through junior high readers who love the paintings that words can make will enjoy this book. There…
Alma and How She Got Her NameAlma and How She Got Her Name, Book
by Martinez-Neal, JuanaBook - 2018Book, 2018
Added Apr 15, 2020
Comment:
A dear book with charming illustrations that manages to be both delicate and strong at the same time. Alma, and her readers, are wrapped up in the beautiful vines and tendrils of family. Alma's connection to those elders she will never meet is forged through her father and her name and his relationship to them is also maintained through Alma and her name. And, even better, this book appeals to children, and not just sappy adults!A dear book with charming illustrations that manages to be both delicate and strong at the same time. Alma, and her readers, are wrapped up in the beautiful vines and tendrils of family. Alma's connection to those elders she will never meet is…
For Spacious SkiesFor Spacious Skies, eBookKatharine Lee Bates and "America the Beautiful"
by Churnin, NancyeBook - 2020eBook, 2020
Added Apr 15, 2020
Comment:
It's always nice when an author and illustrator can illuminate a moment of importance from the past, while also adding dimension to the lives of those involved. The illustrations in this picture book help the text to do those two things quite nicely. The picture book format also makes it accessible for younger readers.It's always nice when an author and illustrator can illuminate a moment of importance from the past, while also adding dimension to the lives of those involved. The illustrations in this picture book help the text to do those two things quite…
Added Apr 13, 2020
Comment:
I loved the early-teen Miles Morales from Into the Spiderverse, and I missed that super awkwardness some in this book, but Jason Reynolds more than made up for it with this story that lets Miles take on white supremacy and win at least one battle. It would have been wonderful if Miles' problems were all solved by this victory but, sadly, Miles, like all of us, has to keep up the fight against racism until it is over. Overall, this is an enjoyable episode in Miles' story.I loved the early-teen Miles Morales from Into the Spiderverse, and I missed that super awkwardness some in this book, but Jason Reynolds more than made up for it with this story that lets Miles take on white supremacy and win at least one battle.…
Added Apr 10, 2020
Comment:
A fun book for kids (and grownups) who love animals and who love making noise! It's always so helpful when talented nonfiction authors make books that can be read in a number of different ways to children. This book can be shared with kids in preschool through third grade, or so, and of course, Jenkins' illustrations are fantastic.A fun book for kids (and grownups) who love animals and who love making noise! It's always so helpful when talented nonfiction authors make books that can be read in a number of different ways to children. This book can be shared with kids in…
The Brilliant DeepThe Brilliant Deep, BookRebuilding the World's Coral Reefs : the Story of Ken Nedimyer and the Coral Restoration Foundation
by Messner, KateBook - 2018Book, 2018
Added Apr 08, 2020
Comment:
Messner's excellent nonfiction storytelling skills are apparent in this picture book but what stands out even more are the evocative illustrations. The delicious palette and salty textures of the underwater world work so remarkably with the strong text that I could almost smell the sea.Messner's excellent nonfiction storytelling skills are apparent in this picture book but what stands out even more are the evocative illustrations. The delicious palette and salty textures of the underwater world work so remarkably with the strong…
UndefeatedUndefeated, BookJim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
by Sheinkin, SteveBook - 2017Book, 2017
Added Apr 07, 2020
Comment:
In Undefeated, Sheinkin has done more than I would have expected, even from him. He has a gift for making a nonfiction subject into a highly readable and engaging narrative that manages to entertain while it teaches so I was willing to give this book a try, despite the topic. I think this is probably the only book about a sport that I have ever read and, here's the kicker, I really enjoyed it!In Undefeated, Sheinkin has done more than I would have expected, even from him. He has a gift for making a nonfiction subject into a highly readable and engaging narrative that manages to entertain while it teaches so I was willing to give this…
Added Apr 06, 2020
Comment:
A kids' version of the classic folktale The Fisherman and His Wife, in this telling, it's both parents who are greedy, which at least eliminates the gender stereotyping in the original story. This telling also ends happily for everyone, making it a gentler version in some ways, but there is a fairy tale-level of parental abandonment during most of the story, so there's still some edge.A kids' version of the classic folktale The Fisherman and His Wife, in this telling, it's both parents who are greedy, which at least eliminates the gender stereotyping in the original story. This telling also ends happily for everyone, making it a…
The End of Something WonderfulThe End of Something Wonderful, BookA Practical Guide to A Backyard Funeral
by Lucianovic, Stephanie V. W.Book - 2019Book, 2019
Added Apr 03, 2020
Comment:
It's always good to have some books to lean on when hard things happen to kids, like the loss of a beloved pet. For some kids, this could be that book. For others, perhaps kids who are taking the loss pretty hard, this might not be the right choice. Though it is completely legit for kids to grieve any way that feels right and also legit for authors to write about the variety of ways that children deal with death, the glib tone in some of these pages of this book might not feel quite right to kids who are really mourning.It's always good to have some books to lean on when hard things happen to kids, like the loss of a beloved pet. For some kids, this could be that book. For others, perhaps kids who are taking the loss pretty hard, this might not be the right choice.…
Added Apr 03, 2020
Comment:
A sweet picture book for kiddos who connect better with spiders and cicadas than with crowds of cousins and uncles. It's nice for more extroverted kiddos to see things from a different perspective, too. Sometimes it seems like kids seem to think that other folks don't know things unless they say them out loud. This book may offer a peek into a different way of being in the world.A sweet picture book for kiddos who connect better with spiders and cicadas than with crowds of cousins and uncles. It's nice for more extroverted kiddos to see things from a different perspective, too. Sometimes it seems like kids seem to think…
Added Apr 01, 2020
Comment:
Sweet gentle rhymes and friendly vegetable faces are great but I really loved Ohora's colors more than anything else. A lovely book for gardening times or for times when you are missing the dirt and the squiggley worms!
Lift your Light A Little HigherLift your Light A Little Higher, BookThe Story of Stephen Bishop : Slave-explorer
by Henson, HeatherBook - 2016Book, 2016
Added Mar 31, 2020
Comment:
Collier's illustrations evoke the cave and its environs so powerfully, which is the biggest strength of this book. The text has a simple beauty but there wasn't a lot there to connect with. Written as a fictionalized first-person narrative of an enslaved person, the author walks a thin line and she doesn't fail or fall but the experience of sharing this book with a child was a little disappointing. I don't blame the author for this. There simply isn't enough known about most historical figures who were enslaved to create a full structure and creating too much out of nothing to hang on that structure risks asserting falsehoods about a person who deserves as much truth as we can offer. The story of Stephen Bishop should be told and told again.Collier's illustrations evoke the cave and its environs so powerfully, which is the biggest strength of this book. The text has a simple beauty but there wasn't a lot there to connect with. Written as a fictionalized first-person narrative of an…
Comment: