Tag Archives: family

Camo Girl

Posted on August 1, 2019 by AnEducationInBooks

Kekla Magoon‘s middle grade novel Camo Girl is unexpected in all the best ways. Ella, the narrator, is friends with Z, the strangest boy in the whole grade. Both of them are ostracized, and they cope by creating an imaginary … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's novels, Michigan author/illustrator, social issues, strong characters, Voice | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Big Mooncake for Little Star

Posted on June 24, 2019 by AnEducationInBooks

A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin is a 2019 Caldecott Honor winning picture book, and for good reason. The artwork pops against the lush black night background, and the sweet but mischievous Little Star’s facial expressions add … Continue reading →

Posted in Books with science links, Love that art, Picture books | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Forever, or a Long, Long Time

Posted on July 10, 2018 by AnEducationInBooks

Flora and her brother, Julian, live with Person and Dad, their forever family after being in several foster placements that are hazy in their memory. Person is the name Flora secretly calls her adoptive forever mom, because she’s had too … Continue reading →

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A Different Pond

Posted on May 18, 2018 by AnEducationInBooks

A gently nuanced story of an early morning fishing trip shows the beauty and struggle of a Vietnamese American family. It’s a quiet story, but the words and images are so lovely, it conjures a pure picture of one day … Continue reading →

Posted in Love that art, Picture books, Voice | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Waiting for Normal

Posted on May 7, 2018 by AnEducationInBooks

When Addie and Mommers move into a lonely trailer across from a parking lot filled with potholes and a minimart gas station, Mommers is less than thrilled, but Addie makes the best of it. In fact, Addie does almost everything, … Continue reading →

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When My Sister Started Kissing

Posted on November 2, 2017 by AnEducationInBooks

Helen Frost‘s masterful novel-in-poems When My Sister Started Kissing features Claire and Abigail at their summer cottage on the lake, where they navigate a new stepmother, boys, kissing, and memories. Claire, the younger of the two, is the main narrator, and can’t … Continue reading →

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The War That Saved My Life

Posted on November 11, 2016 by AnEducationInBooks

Everything about this historical middle grade works, beginning with the title. Such an intriguing title it is, and the theme of how a war can save someone weaves delicately and truly through the novel. Never bogged down in historical detail, … Continue reading →

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Sachiko, A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story

Posted on November 10, 2016 by AnEducationInBooks

When Sachiko was six years old, an atomic bomb exploded over Nagasaki, killing Sachiko’s little brother and most of her playmates. While her family traveled to a relatively safer place, her brothers suffered and died from the effects of radiation. Radiation … Continue reading →

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Blue On Blue

Posted on September 13, 2016 by AnEducationInBooks

Blue On Blue is a lyrical look at one day on a farm, from the bright sunny morning to the stormy afternoon and the clearing-up night. Dianne White‘s language is beautifully subtle and Beth Krommes‘ illustrations are vivid. When the … Continue reading →

Posted in Love that art, Picture books, Rhyme, Word choice | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Nest

Posted on March 28, 2016 by AnEducationInBooks

The Nest is a haunting and surreal book about a boy named Steve whose newborn brother is born with a host of medical problems that require surgeries and hospitalizations. Through Steve’s dreams and his conversations with the knife man, we see … Continue reading →

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