4 Stars | Clean Getaway | Nic Stone | 2020 | Realistic Fiction | Grade 4-6 | 5.0 Reading Level| 239 pages | 4 hours listening time
I thought this book would be a funny book about a feisty grandmother who takes her grandson on an adventure in her Winnebago. It has cute illustrations and seemed to be good for elementary kids. And yes it was, however, it has a darker ending and I would say upper elementary is more appropriate.
This book unveils racism, historical events, and problems of the Jim Crow south as Scoob and his grandmother (G'Ma) travel to various states. The stories that G'Ma tells Scoob gives him a first-hand account of what she faced as a white woman who married a Black man. The ending is surprising so hold on tight!
Nic Stone is a great writer! I recommend this book. I started listening to it which was very enjoyable but when I picked up the printed copy, I found some fun illustrations to enjoy as well.
4 Stars | Once Upon an Eid | Edited by Ali and Saeed | 2020 | Short Story Collection | Grades 3-7 | 5 hours listening time
This is a short story collection about families celebrating Eid which is the culmination of the observance of Ramadan. If you ever wondered what this holiday was like, then this is your window of discovery. There is a variety of stories and some are more serious and others more celebratory. Just as the subtitle says, it is a book filled with joy and hope.
I recommend this book and can see teachers reading some of the stories with their students around the holiday to give their class a window into the culture. This is really an essential book from Muslim own voices.
5 Stars | Genesis Begins Again | Alicia D. Williams | Realistic Fiction | 2019 | 364 pages | Grade 4-8 | 4.5 Reading Level | 9 hours listening length
This book wrecked me this week. I found myself thinking about Genesis and tearing up because I connected with her emotionally.
Genesis is a thirteen year African American girl from Detroit who hates herself. Her father and grandmother have told her of their disappointment in how dark skin colored she is. They perceive that lighter color skin, smoother hair, and finer features put you in a better class of people. What a load to carry! This is also reinforced at school with bullying and derogatory name-calling.
The father is also an alcoholic and gambler and as a result, their family’s financial status has been precarious. They have been evicted many times with their stuff dumped on the lawn. The mother keeps threatening to leave but continues to stay. The parents have plenty of baggage of their own.
Once again, Genesis starts over at a new school which happens to be in a better neighborhood outside of Detroit. She makes friends and her school life begins to look up. Her choir teacher recognizes her vocal talent and introduces her to some famous blues and jazz vocalists such as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. She encourages her to try out for the school talent show.
So much of this book is about Genesis trying to be beautiful and not accepting her natural beauty. She is obsessed with bleaching her skin and straightening her hair. I was just so sad for her as she struggled to change her appearance. I also identified with her because I have done the same thing with dieting, perms, hair coloring, and all kinds of lotions and potions my entire life. I also connected with her introduction to singing. I also had a choir teacher who encouraged me in singing. My accomplishments in music got me through a hard time in high school.
Although this book is a little longer than I like for upper elementary kids, I think it is worth it! Williams is a debut author and her theme of self-esteem shines through her first novel. I highly recommend this book!
5 Stars | Becoming Muhammad Ali | Patterson & Alexander | 2020 | Biography | Grade 3-7 | 5.4 Reading Level | 2 1/2 hours listening length
I picked this book up and never put it down until I was finished. There is no doubt that this is a five-star book and should be put in the hands of many kids. The writing team of James Patterson and Kwame Alexander is a dream. Patterson writes in prose with the voice of Lucky who is a good childhood friend of Cassius Clay. Alternating chapters are written in poetry by Alexander from the point of view of Cassius. This works perfectly in the book and creates a wonderful reading experience.
The book tells us the story of Cassius Clay's childhood, neighborhood, family, friends, and of course boxing through his late teen years. A final round or epilogue ties up his remaining life. You also get a view of the history of racism, segregation, and treatment of blacks in his life.
Cassius Clay changed his name later in life to Muhammad Ali after he converted to Islam when he was 22. This is not mentioned until the epilogue. However, after reading about his life, you understand that he followed through with his convictions.
This would be a fabulous audiobook for listening. Kwame Alexander is the narrator and he adds so much drama. I listened to the sample and loved it.
The illustrator also added a lot to this novel. His name is Dawud Anyabwile and is an African American comic book artist. His artwork adds a lot of appeal for kids it is a wonderful support to this biography.
This book has been on many contender lists for the 2021 Newbery Award and it would not surprise me if it does win. It is a wonderful addition to middle-grade reading and would be a great title for class book clubs or a read-aloud. The teacher would have to be able to read some Spanish. Cisneros does much of the dialogue in Spanish and then uses context clues to help the reader comprehend. He also includes a good glossary at the end for words and phrases. At first, I was a bit intimidated but I was able to get into the rhythm of the book after a few chapters. Including Spanish made this book very realistic.
So what is this book about? It is the story of a loving Latino family of mother, father, middle school son, and kindergarten twins. The children were all born in the United States but the parents are undocumented and crossed the border to look for a better life for their children. They live in California and work hard to barely scrape by but they always can make do. One day, the mother is arrested and deported back to Mexico. Efren is left to help with the younger children. The father begins working around the clock to make money to help get his wife smuggled back home.
There is another storyline where Efren and his best friend are getting involved in running for school president and dealing with typical middle school situations. You will fall in love with Efren. He is such a good kid who has to deal with the heart-wrenching problems of immigration and family separation. I will be rooting for this book to be a Newbery winner!
Do you have reading goals for this year? I usually have some in the back of my mind, but I decided to write them out and try and work on some sort of recording system to see how I do this year. Maybe a bullet journal would work for this? I am not going to stress out if I don't get it all recorded.
I don't usually set a goal number for books to read but usually, I read about 100 books each year. This year I read 130. Sometimes I forget to write down the audiobooks that I listen to but this is fairly close to my yearly number. Of course, I read a lot of middle grades which are usually faster books to read. Makes my book totals add up faster. Again, this is not a race.
I want to stay caught up. This is my second year with this book subscription service and I enjoy choosing one new release each month to read. I just love reading hardcover books that are hot off the presses. It feels like such a luxury. I just signed up for another entire year and so each book will only be 12.50. I think that is a great deal and actually less expensive than a trade paperback. You can also order add-ons and they are only 10.00. If anyone is interested, let me know and I can find you a referral code. Otherwise, borrow the books from me that I have already read. I don't mind. This goal keeps me up to date on newly published books.
Book Club
Read a book club book each month.
With the pandemic, my book club has been pretty small over Zoom but I still have enjoyed it. I want to keep reading with a group each month. I read differently than I do on my own and I like to talk about books! So I will continue to make this book a priority. Although I am allowed to not finish a book if it just is not for me. This goal expands my genres and gets me out of my comfort zone by reading what others have picked.
Read at least one book from the book list each month.
Read all sixteen of the books nominated this spring for 2021-2022.
I have been reading with my local reading group for years. We have a huge book list to read from to select the new nominees for Minnesota middle-grade readers for the next school year. Currently, we are working on next year's list for 2021-2022.
My goal is to read at least one new book each month from the list or a new middle-grade release. I usually manage many more than that but some months I do come up short. So I want to even this out.
I also want to read each book on next year's list. This list will come out in late spring. Usually, I have read many of them already, but I feel like I can't properly promote a book if I haven't read it. This is my professional reading goal and makes such a difference when I talk about these titles when I have read each one. This year I will not allow myself to abandon any of them!
I have a new devotional book called New Morning Mercies that is organized in a daily reading for one year. I want to read from this book to start my day. Or maybe at the end? This will be my goal for my spiritual reading. I have never done a yearly devotional. It will be fun to see this through to the entire year. I might even consider jotting notes on each day like a mini diary. I will see how this goes. I have never been a journal keeper before.
Podcasts
Walk every day and listen to a book podcast.
I like to listen to book podcasts when I walk and so I have three favorites that I stay up to date with their shows. They are: From the Front Porch, The Currently Reading Podcast, and What Should I Read Next with Anne Bogel. These shows keep me updated on what books I might want to read. None of the hosts are my book twins but I do get many good suggestions. I just love listening to people talk about reading and loving books.
I am also looking for a favorite podcast that is about children's literature but I have not landed on one yet. I will keep trying different ones. I really want to hear about new middle-grade books with a format similar to my adult podcasters.
In the meantime, I enjoy my daily walk when I have these podcasters in my ears discussing the books they are reading. This is my goal for exercise and reading. It makes me want to put on my sneakers and go walking.
I want to keep posting book reviews about the books that I finish. When I started this blog, I just posted about middle grade books. Lately, I started posting my adult books too. I usually never posted a book if I gave it lower than 3 stars but I may start adding the books that were not for me. It helps me when I see why someone did not like a book. So, it may help you too.
I have also been playing around with Youtube book reviews for middle grade and will keep adding them as well. I even have a ring light now...so fancy!
For both my blog and YouTube channel you can subscribe and get notifications of my new posts. I also post my new posts to Facebook too. I think lots of people find this helpful.
Well, it seems so formal to write all these reading goals down. All of these things are what I was naturally planning on doing. What are your reading goals or do you just go with the flow? It will be fun to look back next year and see how I did!
