The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books最新文献

{"title":"Subject and Use Index","authors":"","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907123","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135273784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun (review)","authors":"Aaren Tucker","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907106","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907106","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun Aaren Tucker Sun, Miranda If I Have to Be Haunted. HarperTeen, 2023 [368p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063252769 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063252790 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 9-12 Cara Tang can see ghosts, but her mother has made her promise not to tell anyone and certainly not to speak with the spirits themselves; her ghostly grandmother, on the other hand, hopes that Cara will take on the duties of a ghost speaker, helping dead people pass over. If the tension at home wasn't enough, Cara also has to deal with her privileged, handsome, and highly annoying classmate Zach Coleson, who hangs his swim team flyers right over top of Cara's cross-country ones. When Cara stumbles across Zach's corpse in the woods, though, she inadvertently reveals to his ghost that she can see him. It turns out that Zach isn't fully dead yet, though: he has been bitten by a Signet Snake and can be saved if Cara will undertake a perilous journey to find the antidote within seven days. With her nemesis' life in her hands, Cara must finally choose if she is going to obey her mother's wishes or follow her grandmother's path. This ghostly debut is influenced by many myths and folktales—prominently Greek and Chinese—and features a fascinating paranormal world, insightful family dynamics, and two prickly people finding the courage to be vulnerable with each other. Sun effortlessly balances humor, gleeful horror, and sparkling romance on Cara's Homeric journey to self-actualization. Cara and Zach make a great team once they set aside their mutual antagonism, and this book [End Page 72] stands out amongst the ghost romance trend for its intriguing world-building and Sun's mastery of poetic symbolism (\"Cara's stomach hurt from swallowing her words\"). The novel works as a standalone with a satisfying conclusion, but the epilogue teases a sequel which should please series-enjoyers left feeling they have only scratched the surface. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135273787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Later, When I'm Big by Bette Westera (review)","authors":"Kara Forde","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907112","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Later, When I'm Big by Bette Westera Kara Forde Westera, Bette Later, When I'm Big; illus. by Mattias de Leeuw; tr. from the Dutch by Laura Watkinson. Eerdmans, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780802856104 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781467466929 $17.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 3-6 yrs Striding into a large, lush waterpark while holding the hand of their mother, a young child wearing a one-piece red bathing suit narrates: \"Later, when I'm big, I'll dare to do lots and lots of things.\" Their first daring adventure will be simple enough: \"Drinking cold soda, even if it tickles my throat.\" But the waterpark scene has plenty of unusual features hiding in plain sight: a big pink elephant in the hot [End Page 75] tub and a mermaid in the foliage. A page turn accelerates the grandeur of the child's predictions, as they state that they will kiss elephants' trunks and sleep in the attic of a haunted castle. The bulk of this Dutch import picture book's spreads follow this same formula: full-bleed illustrations depicting fantastical or adventurous scenes in which the child and their plush bunny can sometimes barely be found, paired with simple sentences that always start with an action verb. De Leeuw's illustrations have sketched linework and acrylic brushstrokes that echo the art of Ludwig Bemelmans, and a blend of conventional fantasy scenes (swimming with mermaids) and unexpected activities (brushing the teeth of larger-than-life lions and tigers) add appealing variety. The final pages show the child peering down from atop a giant diving board, considering their options, before returning child, mother, and reader to the locker room for one last \"Later. When I'm big.\" For fans of Cornwall's Jabari Jumps (BCCB 5/17) looking for a bit more whimsy, this is it. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"65 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Sky of Paper Stars by Susie Yi (review)","authors":"Danica Ronquillo","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907120","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907120","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: A Sky of Paper Stars by Susie Yi Danica Ronquillo Yi, Susie A Sky of Paper Stars; written and illus. by Susie Yi. Roaring Brook, 2023 [240p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781250843883 $22.99 Paper ed. ISBN 9781250843890 $14.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-6 Korean-American Yuna feels out of place from her friends who eat pizza and have sleepovers, while she is stuck with homemade lunch boxes and overprotective parents. After a heated argument with her mom, she remembers a legend her halmoni (grandmother) told her about folding a thousand paper stars and making a wish. Her wish to go to Korea—where she hopes to fit in better—is fulfilled, but in the worst way: her family receives tragic news that her halmoni passed away and they must travel to Korea for the funeral. As Yuna carries grief and guilt about making the wish, her body starts to turn into paper, and she believes the only way to make things right is to undo the wish and bring her halmoni back. Inspired by personal memories and stories from her family, Yi layers an exploration of intergenerational relationships with magical realism in this heartfelt middle grade graphic novel. The storytelling is well-paced, and the illustrations' compositions and placement of thought bubbles highlight Yuna's struggles as she balances both her Korean and American identities, depicted by her body turning transparent and her blurred reflection in a bathroom mirror. Borderless panels and a cool color palette convey the calm, nostalgic mood of Yuna's family members as they recall memories about her halmoni, immersing young readers in what life was like in Korea before immigrating to America. An author's note is included. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"90 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall (review)","authors":"","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907094","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Pearsall, Kate Bittersweet in the Hollow. Putnam, 2023 [384p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593531020 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593531037 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 8-12 On the night of last year's Moth Festival, then sixteen-year-old Linden James went missing in the deep forest that surrounds her small Appalachian town only to be discovered the next morning with no memory of what happened. The other Caball Hollow residents are convinced her disappearance has something to do with the Moth-Winged Man, a local legend—the James women are already known for their strangeness, after all, so their involvement with the supernatural wouldn't be surprising. Now, however, the body of another missing girl has been found, and Linden knows she must revive her memory to save the next girl from the Moth-Winged Man—or an all-too-human monster. Pearsall pulls on elements of Appalachian lore around Mothman but makes the creature and its origin uniquely her own, setting up Faustian deals and fateful tragedies that build tension and surely break hearts (both of characters and readers alike). The pace is impeccable, and if the ending suffers from the villain's over-explanation, the deliciously atmospheric journey to get there easily earns forgiveness. Mainstays of the supernatural genres are elevated by Linden's poignant narration, which captures both her discomfort with and pride in being a James woman as she figures out who she is outside her family, even as she maintains deep bonds with her sisters in particular. Pair this with Wallace's The Memory Trees (BCCB 09/17) or Sutherland's House of Hollow (BCCB 03/21) for an examination of how we are shaped by family legacy and lore long before we have a say in the matter. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"22 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135275153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"One in a Million by Claire Lordon (review)","authors":"April Spisak","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907088","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: One in a Million by Claire Lordon April Spisak Lordon, Claire One in a Million; written and illus. by Claire Lordon. Candlewick, 2023 [272p] Paper ed. ISBN 9781536213676 $16.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 8-12 In this graphic novel memoir, Lordon describes her grueling teenage years as she battled a series of mysterious symptoms that eventually led to a diagnosis of a brain tumor. Unfortunately, knowing what was causing her exhaustion and headaches didn't mean there was an easy path to recovery, and multiple surgeries (including a heartbreaking first one that Claire hoped might be a cure) take away months of her high school life. With brief glimpses across several years of illness, the memoir reads like a series of snapshots, which seems like an accurate representation of what Lordon's life felt like as most elements of her adolescence got stripped away and her existence became a routine of symptoms, attempts at diagnosis, surgery, and recovery. A vulnerable preface and author's note contextualize the story, offering details about how Lordon is faring fourteen years out from the worst of it all and reassuring the reader that, most of the time, there is light, joy, potential, and hope on the other side of one's darkest moments. Art was one of few things Lordon could do even when she was ill, so the graphic novel format is particularly meaningful; the quiet, purple-hued illustrations that mirror the story are broken up occasionally with sharp, panel-crowding black and white drawings that represent the spikes of pain, anxiety, fear, and anger that sometimes took over her determined focus on embracing the things that still brought her joy while in recovery. Final art not seen. [End Page 63] Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"16 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bompa's Insect Expedition by David Suzuki (review)","authors":"Kara Forde","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907107","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907107","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Bompa's Insect Expedition by David Suzuki Kara Forde Suzuki, David Bompa's Insect Expedition; written by David Suzuki and Tanya Lloyd Kyi; illus. by Qin Leng. Greystone, 2023 [48p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781771648820 $18.95 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-8 yrs Nakina has her backpack packed, Kaoru has his field journal in hand, and both twins are ready for a nature expedition with their grandpa. Bompa always takes them on fun explorations, from ponds to beaches, to find new wildlife and plant discoveries, but for today's insect adventure Bompa says they are staying at home. Nakina and Kaoru are initially disappointed, thinking they know all the creatures that live by their house, but Bompa encourages them to be open to surprises. Suzuki and Kyi's picture book collaboration is a solid foray into informational fiction for younger readers, as kids can follow along with the dialogue and join Bompa and the twins as they learn about the basic physical features and activities of many types of insects. To underscore the remarkable qualities of these insects, the kids imagine what it would be like to be them: to fly, have protective exoskeletons, or to eat or carry many times one's own body weight. Leng's animated watercolor illustrations lean into the humor of these imaginings, interspersing realistic nature scenes with depictions of the human family as dragonflies or alongside a person-sized caterpillar eating at a grand dinner table. While the information conveyed is relatively basic, the message about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary is a worthy one, especially for young explorers who might not have much access to nature spaces. End pages highlight the sketches in Kaoru's field journal (a labeled insect diagram) and contents of Nakina's backpack (including a magnifying glass and snacks) as well as a list of insect facts, the definition of entomologist, and a prompt for readers to revisit the illustrations to count the several categories of insects. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"61 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Saving the Sun by Emma Pearl (review)","authors":"Natalie Berglind","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907093","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907093","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enlighten Me by Minh Lê (review)","authors":"Meg Cornell","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907086","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Enlighten Me by Minh Lê Meg Cornell Lê, Minh Enlighten Me; illus. by Chan Chau. Little, 2023 [144p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780759555471 $24.99 Paper ed. ISBN 9780759555488 $12.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780316395526 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-7 After Bình fights with bullies who had targeted him for his Vietnamese heritage, the introspective gamer doesn't understand why he's the one in trouble with his peers, principal, and parents. He doesn't want to talk about it, but that won't be difficult, since his worried parents respond by taking the family to silent meditation camp. At first, an anxious Bình struggles without the distraction of his Game Boy, but Sister Peace, a Buddhist nun at the camp, soon gathers the youngest camp-goers to tell them Jataka tales, the stories of the Buddha's past lives; as Bình listens, he envisions himself as the hero within the stories. Chau's art references classic fighting and adventure RPG videogames as Bình, in the Buddha's former lives, fights against ferocious demons by selecting weapons from a user interface, with \"Round One: FIGHT!\" slashing diagonally across a panel. Back at camp, Bình grapples with the lessons he takes from these tales and what it means to seek inner wisdom and rely on others in his meditation sessions. Wordless panels following tales are no less thoughtful: after Bình listens to a Jataka tale about the Buddha as a golden deer whose herd refuses to abandon him to a hunter, warm-tone circles drawn around the family as they silently eat tenderly convey their emotional reconnection. As Bình comes to understand more about community building and Buddhism itself, these [End Page 62] same circles of light come to encompass all campers. Mixing a cheerful manga-like style and cheeky gaming references with a deeply reflective protagonist and identitycentered plot, Lê's unique graphic novel provides plenty to contemplate. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brooms by Jasmine Walls (review)","authors":"Aaren Tucker","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907058","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Brooms by Jasmine Walls Aaren Tucker Walls, Jasmine Brooms; illus. by Teo DuVall. Levine Querido, 2023 [240p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781646142675 $24.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 7-12 Set in 1930s Mississippi, this month's Big Picture features rich characters and excellent world-building to make a boldly factual historical fantasy. Whereas many fantastical depictions of history often use the fantasy elements to provide readers some emotional distance from the tragedies of the past, Brooms instead draws on the fantastical to amplify and confront issues of both the past and the present. The result is a heartfelt, gripping, and resonant story about power—how the majority wields it, and how marginalized groups reclaim it. For a team of broom racers called the Night Storms, illegal races held in the dark of night are really their only option if they want to compete; as Black people, heroic athlete Billy Mae and steady, sardonic Loretta are banned from using magic in Mississippi and most southern states. California, however, does allow Black folks to both practice magic and participate in legal races, so the duo are fixing to earn enough in prize money from the unofficial races to head west. Being part of the Night Storms means something different but just as important for the exuberant custom broom maker Cheng Kwan, as it is the only place she can be her true self, and not the boy her parents believe her to be. Meanwhile, Billie Mae's lover Luella sees in the team the chance to help her cousins Mattie and Emma stay out of a government residential school. When Luella manages to convince her family to let Mattie and Emma compete, the Night Storms total five, which means they are eligible to take part in the Witch's Cackle, the most dangerous—and most lucrative—race of all. As the law closes in, racing becomes riskier than ever, and these heroes are faced with the decision to risk it all or give up their hopes for a future. Full-color art is simple but evocative; the carnival-like atmosphere of the races (based on historical queer communities of color) is depicted in the deep purples and blues of the night contrasting with the warm yellow glow of lanterns. Illustrator DuVall's spare backgrounds and panels focus on mid- and close-shots of the character's faces, impelling readers to focus on their beauty and humanity. Scenes where characters' emotions break the surface in bursts of celebration or rage have little dialogue and are all the more powerful for it—facial expressions and body language do the heavy lifting. The creators make excellent use of their page space, too, quickly introducing rival racers in a single panel, such as the androgynously dressed team Enbious, the sour-faced Lou Belle and the Lambs, and the Night Racers' main rivals, a group of white boys dressed in Ivy fashion called the Pedigrees; each team seems to suggest they could have their own comic written about them. The heart of the story, however, beats with the Nigh","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}