Packed with vibrant illustrations, this engaging road trip of a picture book shows how many of the cars driven in Cuba are pre-1959. Cinematic in nature, Mike Curato’s art feels like a wide-screen movie as a boy travels with his family from his small town to Havana in order to see his newborn baby cousin. They drive in their old blue automobile, also known as “Cara, Cara,” which makes all kind of chattering noises. Margarita Engle punctuates her lively text with sound effects and some Spanish words that invite audience participation. Curato gives the reader different views of the car as the boy and his Papá attempt to give the rattling parts a fixer upper. As the car zooms along, picking up neighbors who also need a ride, Curato fills the drawings with eye-popping colors (especially in one spread when we see a wide array of vehicles). After the family arrives to their destination readers will feel that they too have made this journey. A beautiful final image promises that one day Cara Cara will belong to this resourceful boy.
Archives: Book Reviews
This Is Just a Test by Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Set in 1983, this funny yet poignant middle grade novel (good for Grades 5 and up) stars David Da-Wei Horowitz, a Jewish-Chinese boy about to celebrate his bar mitzvah. After he and his buddy Scott watch the terrifying TV movie The Day After (about the aftermath of a nuclear missile strike), they decide to build a fallout shelter (cruelly leaving David’s pal Hector out of the picture). Meanwhile, David must deal with the battles between his constantly warring grandmothers as his big day approaches. This skillfully written collaboration between two authors gives readers a hero trying to understand the conflicts between his friends and family members, while also feeling perplexed by international tensions. The novel moves at a brisk pace, offering some laughs and real tension. Fans of thoughtful realistic historical fiction should check this out!
The Girl With All The Gifts by Mike Carey
This is the expanded version of a short story called “Iphigenia in Aulis” that Mike Carey wrote for a collection of horror stories set in schools (An Apple For The Creature). To describe the premise beyond that would spoil the story for you, so I will just say that it is beautifully written and has stayed with me ever since I read it. It is deeply creepy, and yet heartwarming and, ultimately, hopeful.
(Well, OK, just a taste: “Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her “our little genius.” Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be taken to class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite, but they don’t laugh. Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children’s cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she’ll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn’t know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.”)
This book is also available as an eBook, an eAudiobook, and a recent movie adaptation, if that’s more your thing! Don’t miss the sequel, The Boy On The Bridge.
I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda (2015)
This book is a Rebecca Caudill nominee for 2018. The two teens in this true story make really compelling reading. Caitlin in Hatfield and Martin in Mutare begin a pen pal correspondence in 1997. The two of them connect in fits and starts but grow slowly into best friends and finally into brother & sister. Liz Welch, who crafted the story, adroitly sidesteps the “white savior” trap and concentrates instead on the joyous reciprocity of the main characters. Could be read as a primer on gratitude, or an introduction to World Studies, or a manual on how to be a friend, but it succeeds simply as a true story well told.
The New York Times says about the book, “It is quite a little miracle of unexpected genuineness.”
Tiny Pretty Things
Drama, romance, back stabbing and ballet fill the intriguing pages of Tiny Pretty Things. Told from three points of view, you see the rise of Gigi, the fall of Bette, the insight of June and all of their dirty secrets. Everyone’s hiding something. Gigi is sweet and authentic, scoring the lead role in the Nutcracker and Bette’s man. Bette will do anything to stay on top; she’s been known to end young ballerina’s careers. June is trying to earn a place in the spotlight and uncover her mother’s past. A great juicy read and guilty pleasure complete with a sequel, Shiny Broken Pieces , you can devour.
The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich
There is a secret organization that cultivates teenage spies. The agents are called Love Interests because getting close to people destined for great power means getting valuable secrets. Both Caden and Dylan are living in the outside world for the first time. They are well-trained and at the top of their games. They have to be – whoever the girl doesn’t choose will die. What the boys don’t expect are feelings that are outside of their training. Feelings that could kill them both.
I found this book to be disappointing and problematic in many ways. I was on board with the premise, and the idea of a queer super spy novel; however this book failed to deliver even a thrilling escape. There is little action and there is little romance. You know what there’s a ton of though? A ton of body-shaming. I would not recommend this book to anyone unless they were actually Zac Efron, or had the confidence of him.
Also problematic is the fact that, in all of the post-release chit chat people talk about how it’s a “parody” or a “satire” of the YA genre but at no point is this book clever or funny enough to be either of those things.
All in all, stay away from this one.
The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez
In this fast-paced and entertaining middle grade coming of age novel, funny but with touches of bittersweet sadness, author Celia C. Pérez introduces readers to Malú, a punk rock loving girl who has just moved to Chicago where she starts at a brand new school. She also makes zines, and in a cool touch, we see her artistic creations scattered throughout the book. A rebel at heart, Malú questions the school’s dress code and her academic mother’s many rules. Readers feel as if they have made a new friend after being introduced to this intriguing character, learning all about what she loves (Mexican punk bands) and cannot stomach (cilantro). The story becomes even more fun and suspenseful after Malú forms a punk rock band with some other middle grade misfits. Will they get their act together in time for their very first gig? Packed with energy, the delightful The First Rule of Punk is great for those seeking a relatable realistic middle grade novel with a strong leading character. Extra points for being set in Chicago!
The Privilege of the Sword bu Ellen Kushner
If you are a fan of Arya Stark, this is the book for you! Set about 10 years after the events in Kushner’s first “Riverside” novel (Swordspoint), but you don’t need to have read the first one to enjoy this swashbuckling coming-of-age story (although you should, because it’s terrific!). The central issues of whether women in a Victorian-ish society have their own honor, unconnected to that of their male relatives, and of a girl first pushed past societal limits and then finding she prefers life without those limits, were handled very well – not at all preachy or heavy-handed. A pleasure to read throughout!
Professional Crocodile by Giovanna Zoboli, illustrated by Mariachiara di Giorgio
This hilarious nearly wordless picture book import from Italy has a twist ending so surprising I could not stop laughing. I will not spoil this surprise, but will attempt to describe what makes this delightful creation work. Presented in a graphic novel format and possessing longish dimensions perfect for a book about crocodiles, this title shows an anthropomorphized crocodile rising from bed in the morning and going through his daily ritual of picking a tie for work, enjoying a quick breakfast, and heading out for the commute. di Giorgio’s humorous yet gorgeous art is packed with amusing details (for example, one funny sequence shows the crocodile sharing an awkward elevator ride with a shy stranger) as the protagonist makes his way across a crowded cityscape. He peeks in stores, gets soaked thanks to a careless driver driving through a curb-side puddle, and ends up smooshed on a packed subway train (adults will relate to this scenario). As he heads to his final destination, we feel as if we have walked a mile in his shoes. This is the kind of book that you can look at again and again and find new details to savor. It also emerges as a surprisingly indelible character study. Fans of Bernard Waber’s Lyle books will find another crocodile to cheer. Those who like funny books, wordless books, and/or picture books starring affable animal characters will love this book.
Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis (2017 US) (2015 UK)
Terrific book about a girl caught up with a violent militia that is mining coltan in gorilla territory in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a boy whose father was a ranger. Respectful, empowering, with no stock characters, not only is Gorilla Dawn the best book I have read for young people about the DRC but it is a gorgeous and intense coming of age for kids.