Sponsored by The Becket List by Adele Griffin and illustrated by LeUyen Pham, now in paperback.
Becket Branch is on the move! The big city has always been Becket’s home sweet home. Now her family is trading busy sidewalks for winding roads and a new life on Blackberry Farm. And Becket is ready! She even has a “Becket List” for How to Be a Country Kid. Whether chasing down chickens or selling sour lemonade or making new friends, the one sure thing about Becket’s list is that it never goes the way she planned. Living the country life keeps Becket on her toes, but it’s also full of fun!
Hello readers,
It’s that time of the week where I get to tell you all about some delicious new releases in the world of children’s literature. And what a fun week it is! We’re celebrating the stories of women in STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, defeating gender discriminating pirates (*insert down with the pirate patriarchy cry here*), and empowering tiny readers everywhere. Good times.
Changing the Equation : 50+ US Black Women In STEM by Tonya Bolden
Remarkable mathematicians have been in the news recently, so this is a timely read indeed. Telling the real life story of over fifty women who ‘changed the equation’ as doctors, mathematicians, aviators, computer-scientists and more, this is a great non-fiction read for your tiny world-changers.
Show Me A Sign by Ann Claire LeZotte
Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected in her home, but times are changing. Her brother has died, land-disputes are mounting, and a scientist has come to work out why so many people on the island – including Mary – are deaf. Things escalate to the point that Mary becomes a “live specimen” in his experiments…
Inspired by the true history of a thriving deaf community on Martha’s Vineyard in the early nineteenth century, this is a powerful and moving story from an #ownvoices author.
My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano, illustrations by Jillian Tamaki
This is so adorable! We’ve all had those moments when you meet somebody and realise that you’re going to be friends for life. Tamaki’s delightful artwork underscores Fogliano’s lovely text and together, this story of fast, perfect and intoxicating friendship is guaranteed to steal hearts.
How To Be A Pirate by Isaac Fitzgerald, illustrated by Brigitte Barrager
CeCe dreams of being a pirate but the neighborhood boys tell her that she can’t. So she turns to her grandpa – a man with some very pirate-like tattoos. As he shares the story of his ink, they enter a whole world of adventure… Perfect for empowering your tiny pirates, this is a story of never giving up on your dreams. Barrager’s art is lovely and really plays gorgeously with the tattoo motif throughout.
I Believe I Can by Grace Byers, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo
“My presence matters in this world. I know I can do anything, if only I believe I can”
This wise and positive book is a lovely thing, pairing quiet and rich artwork with a series of positive affirmations for children from every background. It’s never too early to be empowered and this celebration of limitless potential does that very nicely.
I think that’s an excellent note to end things on, so I’ll see you next week! In the meantime, you can say hello to me social media @chaletfan (please do!) and also elsewhere on Book Riot co-hosting the biweekly litfic podcast Novel Gazing. Our latest episode includes an interview with the director of EMMA, and we chat about that time the CIA rewrote the ending of Animal Farm…
Happy reading!
Louise.