Outsiders might consider that 17-year-old Blade has a perfect life. His family has money--lots of money. He drives a sweet ride, lives in an amazing house, and has a girlfriend, Chapel, who is absolutely gorgeous with those amazing blue eyes. But as far as Blade is concerned the only thing right in his life is Chapel. She's his lifeline to surviving each day. She's his solace, his friend. She completes him. 
Still, he can't stand being his father's son. In Blade's eyes, his father is nothing short of a failed human being--a washed-up famous musician who loves nothing else but the limelight and partying hard. Being his father's son, Blade believes, ruins his life. Besides, it seems his father loves music, fame, and drugs more than him. Blade's emptiness intensified after his mother died. He still has nightmares. Nothing besides Chapel seems to make his emptiness subside. But a close relationship with her is off limits because her parents don't approve of his messed up family. They don't  even acknowledge that he is making different choices.

​And then things get worse. His father publicly sabotages his salutatorian speech on his graduation day--ruining his chance to show the world who he is, apart from his father. Blade is told that he's adopted. And he discovers that Chapel is not at all the confidant  she purports to be! 
Blade decides to go solo in search for his birth mom in far away Ghana. But will he find the inner happiness he's looking for? Will he make peace with his father? Will he forgive Chapel? You'll have to read SOLO, a young-adult novel in verse, with legendary concert references throughout, to find out. SOLO is poetically penned by award-winning authors Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess. It is published by Blink YA Books.  Find below a musical video in which Randy Preston sets to music "Excuse Me," an entry found in  SOLO.

Coyote awakes, the moon shining full above her. She is on the hunt,  for she has seven hungry pups to feed. Through a suburban landscape, she prowls, listening for unsuspecting prey. She hears a mouse scuttling beneath a stone wall.
Pounce! 
The mouse gets away.
Inside an alder bush, Coyote's nose twitches. She smells geese. The geese, however, will not be had. They hiss, dive, and nip until Coyote turns elsewhere for her family's meal. Next, Coyote's eyes pierce through the darkness, and she spies a rabbit. But Rabbit is quicker than she, and finds safety in a burrow beneath a play set slide. The sun begins to rise. Coyote is yet to catch her prey. Will she return to her den without a meal for her pups? You'll have to read COYOTE MOON to find out!
COYOTE MOON is, in my opinion, so beautifully written by Maria Gianferrari that it is sure to make your toes tremble. The story, narrative nonfiction at its best, rolls off the tongue as a read aloud. The illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline masterfully capture the nuances of evening and build an element of wonder and surprise that perfectly harmonizes with the text.

For example, on the page that reads "POUNCE!", Coyote is leaping into the air, yellow eyes gleaming, teeth bared, and padded paws seconds away from (almost) catching prey. At the sight of the page, a preschooler I read this book to, put his arm over his eyes and said, "He's gonna get me!" (Don't worry, the little chap was smiling when he said it and asked me to read it again and again.)   
COYOTE MOON is sure to please young readers of all ages who love both nonfiction and animal books, though it is written for ages 7-9. The excitement and anticipation of Coyote's hunt as the evening unfolds will hold their attention, and will build an anticipation for every page turn. Teachers and librarians in search of books about nocturnal animals will not be disappointed when they purchase COYOTE MOON to add to their collection.
In 2017, COYOTE MOON was listed as a Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year in their STEM, ages 5-9 category. In addition, it was listed by the Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) as a 2017 Notable Children’s Book. COYOTE MOON was published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers,  July 19, 2016.

Eleven-year-old Zoe Reindeer loves what her father loves, their home and nursery that's filled with shrubs and plants and trees of all kinds for sale. To Zoe, it is a wonderland, not as her sister calls it, a Weirdland. And Zoe is content with doing little other than learning more about plants, especially the endangered kinds, daydreaming about Imaginary Zoe, and (most of all) spending time with her very, VERY best (and only) friend in the world, Quincy. Quincy loves all thing wonderful just as much as she does, and he never makes her feel like "just Zoe"--ordinary, plain Zoe. 

One day, a mysterious man appears in Zoe's Wonderland. He would like to buy a baobab tree, but since her Wonderland does not have one, Zoe and Quincy decide to grow one from seed. They'll even make a movie about it! But when Quincy's mom gets ill and he has to temporarily move away, Zoe is not quite sure how wonderful her world will be.

​I loved this book because I saw my younger self in Zoe. I understood her unique view of the world and felt her love for the quieter things of life. As a kid, I liked to use my imagination to experience adventure. I enjoyed the peace and security that was found when alone beneath the thick branches of trees. Zoe's struggles, though small in comparison to the epoch battles that are fought by other book heroines, are the kind many young ones today are confronted with. They feel ugly, weird, like no one gets them but maybe one person out of a thousand. And when that person is removed from the equation, it can be a very scary thing. So I am sure young middle-grade readers will find themselves relating to Zoe and rooting for her, hoping that she will remain wonderful come what may.

Another reason young readers will enjoy this book is the fact that the chapters are short with each page moving steadily along Zoe's journey. Furthermore, this book is very well-written. Zoe's narration is believable and beautiful expressed. Of course, that's no wonder for ZOE IN WONDERLAND is written by Brenda Woods, a Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author, and is edited by the deft hand of Nancy Paulsen, publisher of Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.            

It's a rare thing for me to find a book that I literally cannot put down. But that is exactly what happened when I checked out from my library GARVEY'S CHOICE. This middle-grade novel-in-verse begs for you to turn the page. For one thing, the words are spun absolutely beautiful. They are sparse, yet packed with emotion. They are simple yet profound. They are placed on the stream of a heartfelt story like stones across a bubbling brook. You simply can't help but to skip across.

Another thing that kept me reading is that I had an immediate connection with Garvey, a young man who struggles to find acceptance at school, at home, and within himself. The main reason, however, I read GARVEY'S CHOICE in one sitting is that I just had to find out how things would turn out for Garvey. I had to see him through to the end.

​It's no wonder GARVEY's CHOICE, written by an amazing poet and an award-winning author, Nikki Grimes, and published in October 2016 by Wordsong, an imprint of Boyd's Mill's Press, has garnered so much literary praise, being chosen as a Kirkus Review Best Book of the Year, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and a ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, among many others.

While GARVEY'S CHOICE is a timeless book for all ages, it is a perfect book for middle-grade readers, for the issues Garvey faces are those many younger teens of today face, too. Like Garvey, they may suffer from a lack of self-worth and use food to compensate. Like Garvey's father who would rather find his son on a basketball court than with his nose inside a book, their parents may unwittingly make them feel like they can never measure up. And like Garvey, they may find that being the popular kid in school may not ever be their reality.

But young ones who read this book will come to appreciate as Garvey did that one or two genuine friends, especially the kind who cheer you on, are better than a hundred superficial ones, and that standing up for yourself and believing in yourself is something within everyone's reach.

Along with the other orphaned children, Emmie marches along reluctantly with her gas mask in hand. She is being led away from London, for it's 1939 and the war has made the city too dangerous of a place to live. So she must board a train for the country and find protection at Misselthwaite Hall, the manor house of the patron of the orphanage, Mrs. Craven.
Emmie wants to take Lucy, the stray cat she'd been feeding, along with her. But Emmie has to leave Lucy behind. (Stray cats do not like being placed in baskets.) Emmie is upset. Who will feed Lucy now? And what if the poisonous gas comes? How will Lucy escape? But Emmie is left no choice. She must follow the matrons to her new home.

​Once at Misselthwaite, Emmie begins to discover the secrets of old rooms and passageways, and the freedom of being outdoors. How she loves the smell of the country, the sounds of the country, being in the country! And when a friendly robin takes an interest in her, Emmie can scarcely believe it. Eventually, Emmie follows the bird and ends up beyond a vine-covered door inside a wall and into a well-kept garden. Emmie wonders why this beautiful garden is tucked away. Soon Emmie, from the pages of an old diary, has the answer. This garden once was the secret place of a lonely, little girl named Mary. Perhaps this garden would be Emmie's secret place, too! If only Lucy were there to enjoy it!
​Emmie, however, soon realizes that this garden is not so secret after all. Once, while hidden from sight, she sees Mrs. Craven slipping quietly into the garden to tend the roses. And that rude boy of the house, Jack, he knows all about the garden, too. Still, the garden becomes a place where Emmie can truly feel at home. Then one day, terrible news reaches Misselthwaite, and the old gardener tells Emmie she must keep away from the garden. Will Emmie have to stay away from the garden for good? Will she ever see Lucy again? Will the war take all that is good in Emmie's life away--forever? You'll just have to pick up a copy of RETURN TO THE SECRET GARDEN to find out.
Young readers who love the Classics will enjoy this book, a sequel to THE SECRET GARDEN written by, Frances Hodgson Burnett. As a historical-fiction novel for independent middle-grade readers, RETURN TO THE SECRET GARDEN has a timeless quality about it. There is a bit of a mystery interwoven in the tale, and young readers will enjoy unraveling it. RETURN TO THE SECRET GARDEN is written by Holly Webb, and is published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (November 2016).

My library is--in a word--awesome. In my opinion, one thing that makes it so, is that we have shelves reserved just for newly-published and newly-purchased titles! Each one has a beautiful red NEW label across the spine. How I love NEW!
Every time I visit, there are NEW kidlit titles, too. I so look forward to checking out the NEW nonfiction titles, especially the biographies! It's because I love how kidlit writers use narrative nonfiction to tell their subjects' stories. Kid-friendly facts told in kid-friendly ways equals, to me, a most-delightful read. The text is sometimes lyrical, oftentimes musical, and always informational. And the art! How I love the way publishers marry text and illustrations to bring to life individuals who may have lived over a hundred years ago!
Instead of keeping all this love to myself, I thought I'd share four NEW titles that I checked out during my last library visit. If your library doesn't own copies, I would highly recommend they buy them--NEW.

​WHAT I LOVE:
I love the narrator's voice of this title. You'll feel like you're sitting at the feet of a kind great-grandmother who is telling you her family's story. I love how Dunbar's poems are carefully placed within the text in order to complete the historical narrative. (Reading Dunbar's poems aloud is a delight!) It is encouraging and inspiring to learn of Dunbar's determination to accomplish his goal of becoming a published poet, and attaining it with distinction. It is an added bonus to discover that Dunbar and the Wright brothers went to school together, helped each other out, and were friends. The illustrations, too, perfectly capture Dunbar's emotions. JUMP BACK, PAUL is a magnificent biography for middle-grade readers.
​
​TASTE-SAMPLE:
"Well, graduation time came round, and Paul's class asked him to write words for the song they would sing at the ceremony. Those boys and girls had been going to school most of their lives, but now they had to go out and start finding their own way. Don't you think they were a mite scared? And maybe a little sad? Paul had the same feelings as the rest of them. How was he going to put all that in a song? He decided to compare himself and his friends to little boats just beginning their first voyage." 

​JUMP BACK, PAUL is written by Sally Derby, illustrated by Sean Qualls,  and published by Candlewick Press. 

WHAT I LOVE:
To be honest, I'm not a baseball fan. Nonetheless, I love this picture-book biography because of how Tavares weaves throughout the story the brotherly bond that existed between Pedro Martinez and his older brother, Ramón. It is a narrative thread that makes for an emotional telling and some touching illustrations, too. Pedro is younger than Ramón. He is smaller. And at first, he can't play baseball as well as Ramón. But Pedro looks up to his big brother, and his big brother wants him to succeed. He even teaches Pedro all he knows about being a great pitcher. He lets him tag along whenever he is practicing or trying out or playing. Soon, both brothers are pitching in the major leagues. Both are exceptional at what they do. Even when Pedro and Ramón have to pitch against each other on opposing teams, they cheer each other on. After all, that's what brothers who love each other do! GROWING UP PEDRO is a great picture-book biography that kids are sure to love! 

TASTE-SAMPLE:
"During games, they sit together in the dug out. They coach each other. With his brother by his side, Pedro is better that ever."

​GROWING UP PEDRO is written and illustrated by Matt Tavares, and  published by Candlewick Press.

​ WHAT I LOVE:
I don't recall hearing the name of John Roy Lynch before reading this beautifully-illustrated picture-book biography. I learned that John Roy had an Irish father, and that when his father died he willed to him, his mother and his brother all that he owned. He gave them their legal freedom. It was heartbreaking to learn that his father's "friend" did not do as his father wished. Instead, he cheated John Roy's family out of their rightful freedom and sold them away from their home. It was exciting to learn that during Reconstruction the townspeople of Natchez, Mississippi elected John Roy to be their Justice of the Peace and later their Congressman. John Roy was hoping that, with slavery abolished, a time of liberty and justice would prevail for all. But of course, the time of Reconstruction was short-lived. His hope did not materialize. I do not love reliving this time period, but I do love learning about individuals like John Roy who managed to hold onto hope even when the promise of it flickered like an oil lamp about to burn out. And of course, I love the illustrations of this book! Tate knows how to illuminate hope on every page of THE AMAZING AGE OF JOHN ROY LYNCH.   

TASTE-SAMPLE:
"For John Roy, true emancipation came the summer he turned sixteen. It did not come from the president's pen, or even from the arrival of two hundred blue-clad men on horseback. It came instead when he sold a chicken for a dime to a Yankee soldier and bought himself a boat ride across the river back to Natchez."

​THE AMAZING AGE OF JOHN ROY LYNCH is written by Chris Barton, illustrated by Don Tate, and published by Eerdman Books For Young Readers.

WHAT I LOVE:
Imagine a little New Orleans fellow finding himself a beat-up old trombone, one so big he falls beneath the size of it while trying to play. But there's nothing small about his determination. He teaches himself to play that horn. After all, he wants to join his big brother's band! Never mind how young, how small, how short he is. Soon, he is playing his big brother's songs. What's not to love about that image? He even forms his own band with other little guys, never mind that most of them don't have real instruments. They just make their own. He sleeps with his trombone, no doubt dreaming of the music he and his friends will make in the morning. And when he attends a Bo Diddley concert with his mom, he gets right up there on that stage and starts to play! It's a delightful thing when a kid like Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews recognizes what he is passionate about. And Collier's illustrations for this book are truly amazing! His collages remind me of the instruments that Troy and his friends made using a hodge-podge of materials to create music. I love that this story is told by none other than Trombone "Shorty" himself, who is still making music with his trombone today. TROMBONE SHORTY is nothing short of a delightful read!
​
TASTE-SAMPLE:
"The crowd passed me overhead until I was standing on the stage next to Bo Diddley himself! I walked right up to the microphone and held my trombone high up in the air, ready to blow!

"What do you want to play?" Bo DIddley asked.

​​"FOLLOW ME," I said.

​TROMBONE SHORTY is written by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier, and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers.​

When Thérèse's father returns home with a painting for her, she gets an idea to create a gift for him, a tapestry that looks like his painting. Papa will be leaving again, only this time when he returns, he will have King Louis XIV with him! Thérèse hopes to have Papa's gift woven by then! Even though girls like her at the Gobelins Manufactory were not trained as weavers, she is determined to make her gift as beautiful as Papa's painting.

Thérèse's family and friends help her along the way. The dye-makers allow her to collect colorful leftover yarns. Her older brother, Henri, creates a copy or outline of Papa's painting that she will place behind the loom's frame for patterning. Her mother helps, too. But it would be Thérèse's hands that would warp the loom, trace the pattern of Papa's painting on threads, and organize her yarns by color. She would weave Papa's gift all by herself! And soon, after hours of tireless work behind her, it is finished!

But when Papa returns home with King Louis XIV, what has become of her gift? Thérèse runs into the courtyard to find out. Sure enough, there is her tapestry, and there is Papa and the king staring at it! Her brother Mathieu had placed her tapestry with all the others that the king was to inspect for use in his palace.
​
Thérèse holds her breath as the king stared. What would the king think of her work? What would he say if he found out a girl had woven it? What would Papa say? And would Papa ever know that this tapestry was her gift to him? Readers will just have to get a copy of  Thérèse Makes a Tapestry to find out.

Thérèse Makes a Tapestry weaves art-history as colorfully as the one that inspired its writing--the tapestry that hangs in the J. Paul Getty Museum today. This well-researched picture-book is gorgeously illustrated by Renée Graef, and is beautifully written by Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs. The yarn is so expertly woven that readers will be surprised to discover that the young, female heroine, Thérèse, is fictional. But the journey back to where Thérèse lives and works with her family of weavers--the bustling Gobelins Manufactory of 7th Century Paris--is so real that readers will nonetheless feel transported through time. Elementary-school art teachers everywhere should own a copy of Thérèse Makes a Tapestry for their classroom libraries, for this story is sure to inspire many of today's young artists. 

                Discover more about the making of this book HERE.

Dèja had never heard about the day the towers fell, even though she lived in Brooklyn her whole life, even though her father was a first responder. Unbeknownst to her, that day was the thing that placed her family's stability on pause. It is the reason why she and her younger siblings are stuck living at Avalon Family Residence, a homeless shelter. It is why Ma is left to juggle the family's finances with only her wages as a waitress. It is why Pop barely rises from bed, has angry moods, and gets those horrible headaches. Ma has never talked about the day the towers fell. Pop has never talked about it. Her teachers at her old school have never talked about it. So how could she know about 9-11?
But that's about to change.
At her new school, the teachers and the principal will never allow that day to be forgotten. It's etched in the school's collective--for right outside the school's windows and across the water is a clear view of where the towers once stood. Her fifth-grade teacher, Miss Garcia, saw the towers fall. And so, despite Pop's objection to the past being discussed, Dèja is about to discover all about the day the towers fell.

"I turn to go. It's raining. Figures. It's a light, misty rain, and across the river, I see the new sparkly tower. In class, every day, I'm going to be bothered by it. Why did Miss Garcia show us a picture of what used to be?"

​Towers Falling is sure to be a read-aloud favorite for teacher's with middle-grade readers for a number of reasons. First, the story contains main characters, preteens from vastly different cultural backgrounds, who get along organically as they work together on a difficult school assignment. Second, it's enjoyable to watch Dèja blossom into a confident young lady as she, along with her friends, Sabeen and Ben, discover that the past is interwoven with the present. Third, award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes's writing is easy off the tongue and sweet on the ears.
Lastly, the ending is satisfying and hopeful. It shows how confronting the past is more empowering than ignoring it. TOWERS FALLING will be released by Little, Brown Books for Younger Readers in July 2016, in time for the fifteenth anniversary of the terrorist attack of  9-11. It is, in my opinion, a must-read--especially for young people, who like Dèja, were not alive when those fateful events unfolded.
TOWERS FALLING, a middle-grade novel for ages 8-12, is published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (July 2016), and written by Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of NINTH WARD, a Coretta Scott King honor book, and SUGAR, winner of the Jane Adams Peace Association book award.

What was your first response when reading the text for Marvelous Cornelius?

As I first read Marvelous Cornelius, I realized right away how powerful and beautiful the narrative was. The story is set in the incredible city of New Orleans, with all its unique and artistic signatures of music, food, architecture, and celebrations. The main character of Cornelius is impressively showcased with a passion and positive enthusiasm for his work and for his neighborhood. As the story progresses, the narrative challenges us with a message of how love and its spirit can function to address serious events that occur in one’s life and community. I saw elements of everyday heroes and community activism that inspired me. For me, Marvelous Cornelius is a story that works on so many wonderful levels. It creates an emotional experience both powerful and simple. It shows us the good we all are capable of.

 How did you go about doing research for the illustrations?

Like most projects, I start by researching online and looking for related references, such as images and text, pertaining to any elements described in the story. Through this technique, I begin to enhance my visualization and feelings for the book. Since this book was about a real person, Cornelius Washington, and a real place, New Orleans, these elements are all examined with great detail in the run up to the drawing and sketch process. In addition to the standard references, I love examining the regional artists and cultural aspects established in the book’s setting. Local renowned New Orleans folk artist, Clementine Hunter, had a big visual inspiration for me when thinking about the book. Once research is done, I begin sketching characters and environments looking for pacing and story arcs. Some pages I see clearly in my mind while others require much more work. My goal is to be as comprehensive as possible so that any reader familiar with the setting would feel it to be true and accurate to its presentation but still be accessible and fun for readers of all ages.

Did you find painting Hurricane Katrina's fury on New Orleans emotionally difficult?

It was difficult working on the Hurricane Katrina scenes. At the time I began the project, Hurricane Sandy was hitting New York and causing much destruction. Many people I knew here lost everything. There are of course differences between the two storms, but there is a connection of empathy and understanding that comes from going through something similar.

Describe your painting process for Marvelous Cornelius.

Many people think I paint on wood because of the texture seen in my paintings, but I am actually working on illustration board. There is a process where I add different layers of color acrylic paint to a board. After about four layers, I sandpaper into it to give it a worn and old fashion look that I use for the background foundation. Once ready, I begin to transfer the sketch to the board through masking out shapes and painting various elements. As characters and scenes take shape, the final aspect is to add all the detail and shading to complete the art.

What do you hope children will take away from reading this marvelous (almost-true) picture-book biography?

I do hope they enjoy the story of Cornelius and learn the history of Hurricane Katrina. I hope they reflect and see that no matter who they are in life, where they come from, or what they do, they too can be the best version of themselves, and be a hero and role model to family, friends, and community. That also when difficult things happen in life, it is okay to be sad or upset but to always try and never give up on it, that life is beautiful in so many diverse ways.