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Articles by Jesse Reffsin
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Gr 9 Up–Meet Simone. Simone loves musicals. She loves watching reruns of A Different World. She is a teenager who is curious about sex and she has a crush on Miles, a cute lacrosse player from her school. She’s a typical teen, except she has a secret—she is living with HIV. She had to leave her previous school when someone she trusted outed her, but things finally seem to be looking up at her new school.
Light It Up
Gr 9 Up–A community that had already experienced tragedy at the hands of law enforcement is once again dealing with the effects of police violence after the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old African American girl. A witness is left struggling to rein in his anger and support his family. The local community organizer sees the tragedy as an impetus for social change and possible promotion.
Our Favorite Day
PreS-Gr 1–Oh’s debut picture book captures the precious relationship that exists between a grandfather and his granddaughter. The minimal text is coupled with fetching illustrations done with cut paper and chronicles an old man going through his daily routine. Papa wakes up, drinks his tea, waters his plants, and then takes the bus into town. Once there, he visits a restaurant and gets his usual order of dumplings and then goes home and goes to bed. One day, however, his routine changes.
The Scarecrow
PreS-Gr 3–Scarecrow has a job to do—guard the field. He’s good at his job. The animals don’t come near. His success is lonely though, until one day a baby crow falls from the sky. Scarecrow must decide whether to guard the field or take pity on the tiny lost bird. Scarecrow’s very human desire for companionship wins out as he gently nestles the baby against his straw heart, starting a journey from solitary custodian to much-loved protector.
Small in the City
PreS-Gr 1–Wordless panels show someone’s silhouette looking out of a foggy window. The page turns and perspective shifts to show a child riding the bus dressed for winter. The child disembarks and the next few pages are presented like snapshots, with snippets of city life—buildings, lights, crowds, and sidewalks—painted with dark ink lines that underscore the narrator’s message about how overwhelming urban life can be.
Ghost: Thirteen Haunting Tales to Tell
Gr 3 Up–In this collection of chills, 13 scary stories with roots in many childhood experiences are brought to life. Classics such as a disturbing doll, what lurks underwater, hungry monsters, mysterious old librarians, delightfully disturbing ghosts, and the unknown are explored. The tales vary as to how scary they can be, but each one draws from childhood fears and urban legends that continue to frighten each new generation.
36 Superb Titles | Starred Reviews, September 2019
Essential and exceptional titles reviewed in our September 2019 issue, including picture books, middle grade, YA, nonfiction, and graphic novels for children and teens. Birdsong (Flett) ©2019 by Julie Flett Picture Books Ferry, Beth. The Scarecrow. illus. by The Fan Brothers. HarperCollins/Harper. Sept. 2019. Flett, Julie.Birdsong. illus. by author. Greystone Kids. Sept. 2019. Greig, Louise. Sweep. illus. by Júlia Sardà. S. & S. Sept. 2019. Miyakoshi, Akiko. The Piano Recital. tr. from Japanese. illus. by author.
A Stone Sat Still
K-Gr 4–Wenzel scores another hit with this engaging and though-provoking companion to They All Saw a Cat. “A stone sat still/with the water, grass, and dirt/and it was as it was/where it was in the world.” Lyrical text, stunning mixed-media artwork, and cleverly shifting perspectives reveal how this object is at once static and ever-changing, predictable yet filled with possibility, seemingly eternal yet somehow vulnerable.
Pirates Don’t Go to Kindergarten!
PreS-Gr 1–Entering a new grade can be hard. Emma does not want to leave her pirate-themed preschool class to attend space-themed kindergarten. She does not want to abandon her beloved pirate Cap’n Chu for spaceship Cap’n Hayes. Her teachers work together to lure Emma into kindergarten—fun space theme, good kids and great activities, a guinea pig, a reading nook—but again and again Emma “swims back” to her pirate ship.
Ball & Balloon
PreS-Gr 2–Ball is feeling low. He is envious of Balloon and his ability to soar gracefully into the sky. But “gravity had Ball down.” He can’t even manage a single bounce until helpful hands arrive to give him a beginning push, and suddenly he’s flying high into the air.
Poppy and Sam and the Mole Mystery
K-Gr 2–Poppy and her best friend Sam live in an oversized garden, where mushrooms and blades of grass tower over them. Poppy is a little girl with straight black hair with bangs, pulled back in a bun, while Sam is a panda. First introduced in Poppy and Sam and the Leaf Thief, the two are back to solve a new mystery.
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