Janet Dawson

Blogger at A Kids Book A Day

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Culture shock

1 week ago | kidsbookaday.com | Janet Dawson

Speak up, Santiago! (Hillside Valley Graphic Novel, book 1) by Julio Anta, illustrated by Gabi Mendez (Random House Graphic, 224 pages, grades 3-7). Santi is spending a month with his Colombian American abuela Emma to try to improve his Spanish. His parents hoped to raise him to be bilingual, but because he struggled with speech as a baby, they focused on getting him to speak English. Now he’s studying Spanish but is extremely self-conscious about his level of fluency and his accent.
Spring holiday fun

1 week ago | kidsbookaday.com | Janet Dawson

Crack the Cascarón: An Eggcellent Not-Just-for-Easter Shellebration by Sara Andrea Fajardo, illustrated by Rocío Arreola Mendoza (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Toti has declared himself the King of Cascarones and has big plans for the upcoming weekend celebration (presumably Easter). Not content with the traditional confetti cascarones, Toti makes tiny stealth ones as well as some that are filled with slime.
Supernatural friends

2 weeks ago | kidsbookaday.com | Janet Dawson

As You Wish by Nashae Jones (Aladdin, 272 pages, grades 5-8). Birdie and Deve have been best friends since the first day of kindergarten, but when Birdie tells Deve of her plans to be more “normal” in eighth grade by getting a boyfriend, Deve reacts coldly and before long they’re in a fight. A mysterious new girl named Nancy turns out to be the mythological spider Anansi, who grants Birdie three wishes.
Hook, line, and sinker

2 weeks ago | kidsbookaday.com | Janet Dawson

Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger by Patricia Newman, illustrated by Becca Hall (Millbrook Press, 40 pages, grades 1-5). Although Cristina Zenato grew up in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), she and her family were Italian and returned to Italy every summer. There, Cristina grew to love swimming in the sea and was especially fascinated by sharks.
Life during wartime

2 weeks ago | kidsbookaday.com | Janet Dawson

The Enemy’s Daughter by Anne Blankman (Viking Books for Young Readers, 288 pages, grades 4-7). Marta and her papa are traveling aboard the Lusitania, trying to get back to Germany with falsified documents. Just as her father’s true identity is discovered, the Lusitania is torpedoed, and the two must fight for their lives. Although they both survive, Papa is arrested immediately upon their arrival in England, while Marta manages to slip away.
Let’s hear it for the boys

3 weeks ago | kidsbookaday.com | Janet Dawson

Old School by Gordon Korman (HarperCollins, 288 pages, grades 3-7). Dexter is a 12-year-old who has spent the last six years living with his grandmother in a retirement community while his diplomat parents travel the world. He’s always been homeschooled, receiving an excellent education from a variety of experienced educators in the community.
Mathemagical

3 weeks ago | kidsbookaday.com | Janet Dawson

Zero! The Number That Almost Wasn’t by Sarah Albee, illustrated by Chris Hu (Charlesbridge, 40 pages, grades 3 and up). It’s hard to imagine a world without zero, but for much of human history, calculations were made without it. This book begins with a look at some of the earliest people to use the concept that came to be zero: Babylonians, Mayans, and Indians.
Home is where the heart is

4 weeks ago | kidsbookaday.com | Janet Dawson

Sea Legs by Jules Bakes, illustrated by Niki Smith (Graphix, 256 pages, grades 3-7). Janey’s lived on board her parents’ sailboat before, but it’s harder going back to that life this time, after going to public school for third grade and making a good friend named Rae. But she doesn’t have much say in the matter, as her family sets sail for the Caribbean. Life onboard is much different, with unique adventures and natural wonders every day, but also sometimes with boredom and loneliness.
Teamwork makes the dream work

1 month ago | kidsbookaday.com | Janet Dawson

Neecy and Nay Nay and the Tangled, Hairy Mess (Neecy and Nay Nay, book 1) by Simone Dankenbring and Syrone Harvey, illustrated by Maya Henderson (little bee books, 112 pages, grades 2-4). When Nay Nay wakes up with a big wad of gum in her hair, Big Mama takes her and her twin sister Neecy to Ms. Yvonne’s hair salon, where a spoonful of peanut butter takes care of the problem.
Salem witch trials

1 month ago | kidsbookaday.com | Janet Dawson

I regret to inform you that I’m ending this women’s history series on a bit of a downer with my trip to Salem to investigate the witch trials there. Salem has taken a horrific event from its early history and turned it into a thriving tourist industry which peaks every October. The Salem I encountered on an early spring Saturday morning was quieter, but there were still people walking around with pointy witch’s hats and plenty of witch- and wizard-themed gift shops and restaurants.