Quick Looks At Some Cybils Nominee Books!

 Nominations are now closed for the annual CYBILS AWARDS for 2024. Finalists will be announced on January 1, 2025, with winners announced on Valentine's Day. The groups I'm judging this fall are nonfiction for two groups: elementary readers and  middle grade readers. Among both sets of nominees (about 150 titles!) there are picture books across the ages. 

You can imagine that I'm pretty preoccupied these days with thoughtful reading of those books in the bags that I haul to and from the library. (Bless those folks!) For the next few weeks here I plan to share some short notes about terrific discoveries along the way. I've also written comprehensive reviews (and even interviews) for many of the nominees in posts during the past year. Sharing my reactions to them in prior or upcoming posts does not constitute indicators of where they stand in the judging process, but so many of the nominees deserve your attention.

For this post, I'm all in on some distinctly fun and interactive titles, ones that work as front-to-back reads but also as resources and reference books.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, 2024

I'm guessing LITTLE KIDS FIRST BIG BOOK OF HOW from National Geographic Kids, written by Jill Esbaum, will become a family favorite.

Combine the vibrant visuals of anything from National Geographic with a flurry of "how...?" questions that seem universal in any kids' world with the superb writing of author Jill Esbaum and you'll realize why this is a winner of a choice for loads of kids. Think holiday gifting or birthday gifting to surprise young readers with the book they never knew they wanted, but will love. Adults in their lives will also love the many simply-stated but perfectly clear explanations for things anyone at any age may have wondered about!
Table of contents, index, sidebar terminology explainers, and more informational features make this a terrific addition to home collections and also as gifts to classroom libraries and teachers as holidays near.
This is the latest in a series of related titles you'll want to check out if you enjoy this HOW topic!

Another book based on "HOW" is HOW DO METEOROLOGISTS PREDICT THE FUTURE: A Science Book About Meteorology, written by Lisa Spencer and illustrated by Srimalie Bassani.

FLOWERPOT BOOKS, 2024

This is an amazingly entertaining picture book for direct instruction. Generally, even with nonfiction books, authors are cautioned not to come off as "teaching" but this fully embraces instruction, from the title onward to the back matter and even endpapers. The cartoon-style illustrations and occasional speech bubbles (always instructive, but with a light touch) lift what could have been overwhelming expository text into digestible segments that actually build understanding and engagement. Sidebars and labeled science diagrams lend to that understanding. 

Kids are seriously curious about weather and can devour this on their own, but the subject matter is often a part of classroom study, too. This is a resource that should not be missed (I would have loved to have it on my shelves while still in the classroom!).

It's one of the many nonfiction books for kids that adults will welcome as a source to answer a lifetime of their own questions about weather and forecasting.

Flowerpot Press, 2024

Finally, a quick note about a genuinely unique book, THE OBSERVOLOGIST: A Handbook for Mounting Very Small Scientific Expeditions, written and illustrated by Giselle Clarkson.

What an ideal and delightful book for anyone who watches and wonders about the world around us - the very small world around us. By framing the reader as a "giant" in such a perspective, readers realize quickly that this book invites/challenges them to take the time to observe AND to learn about the living things that so often go unnoticed.

Those 'Small Scientific Expeditions" can be as simple as turning over a rock or standing quietly near a puddle. The universal appeal of this book is that we;'ve all done these things, but not likely with the intention and planning and and safety notes and scientific guidelines;ines provided. All of these seemingly "spoil the excitement" elements are actually elevating the activities to a level of power and purpose and intention. Then author/illustrator provides images that are scientifically accurate and stunning while having a nearly comic appeal. You'll have to see it for yourself in order to recognize what I'm attempting to say. The images throughout are so very kid-friendly and yet the scholarly qualities expected of such a science topic are all there. If you've got a kid in your life who is buggy about bugs, this is the book for them!

Back soon with some other short notes about impressive titles from our nonfiction nominees!

Reflections on Martin Luther King, Jr.

When I began this blog in 2012, I posted quite a few personal reflections.  I feel determined to return to a more reflective approach this year. I'll still write summaries, reviews, interviews, and suggest activities, but in light of the "instant" nature of society and news these days, I feel compelled to slow down, think more deeply, and explore more often. 
As I write this, it is officially Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The federal government is shut down, but not for the holiday, A political stand-off. is underway, with American people being held hostag.  Trump and Pence spent all of two minutes on the capitol mall placing a wreath at the MLK Jr. Memorial. Pence later managed to compare Trump to MLK Jr., -- favorably! 

I won't comment on the above, because this is not a blog for political punditry. 

But these and other events did trigger some reflections. The official holiday does not occur on King's birthday, and this post will not go live until after the holiday ends. That is intentional. If you wonder why, take a few minutes to read one of my earliest posts sharing my thoughts on why specific days and designated months can be misconstrued, even abused, when those singular days or months become the "official" times to share history, or lay a wreath,  while not pursuing values that should be a part of daily life all year long. 

January, 2007. Caldecott Honor Book

I had been planning to share a post featuring two recent picture books involving kids in boxes. (Keep reading, I'll get to that). 
Those two titles combined with recent events to remind me of one of my favorite books, HENRY'S FREEDOM BOX. Written by Ellen Levine and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, this biography of Henry Brown reveals his struggles as an enslaved man, married to an enslaved woman. The hardships he survived over the years are described and pictured with wrenching  but age-appropriate clarity. Even so, the scene in which he witnesses his wife and children being sold away to the deep south pains me beyond any descriptions of his physical suffering or humiliation. 
Once that horror occurred, he determined to escape slavery and was aided in doing so by sympathetic abolitionists. In this true story, he was nailed into a shipping crate and sent North by rail. This biographic tragedy has a satisfying resolution, for Henry. 
I hardly find it  satisfying, let alone tolerable, that 2019 finds us immersed in a social climate that fosters and protects voices of racism, anti-semitism, and bigotry of all kinds. It more than unsatisfying to see people of all ages, colors, and backgrounds suffer with little or no recognition of the price they pay for a political debate.
I do admire and recommend this book for all ages, with special attention paid to the informative back matter, the revealing illustration details, and the surrounding history of the time. 

One encouraging outcome of years of movement toward a more fair society has been the admittedly slow trend toward equitable representation in the publishing business. Children's literature has failed to represent or support diverse creators, stories, and business leaders. Now there is finally some growing attention to producing books that reflect our diverse society, with images and stories to serve as mirrors, windows, and even prisms of possibility. 

Flowerpot Press, 2018

The recent release with a "kid in a box" that triggered my reflections is BEAUREGARD IN A BOX, written by Jessica Lee Hutchings and illustrated by Srimalie Bassoni. Beauregard's big dream is told in rhyming text. He dreams of traveling around the world, but his fear of flying limits him to read, write, and learn about the amazing world from home. Not one to travel virtually, though, he executes a plan to mail himself around the world. His romp across oceans and continents carries him, postally, to all the continents and eventually back home, touching on iconic highlights along the way. 
This modern day FLAT STANLEY doesn't need to be flattened and folded into an envelope, and the pals he meets along the way are diverse, healthy, and friendly.
I reread this several times to be certain, but I find no indication in the text that Beauregard is brown-skinned. In the past, that would have led to a default of Beauregard being portrayed as a white boy. The current illustration decision is a good example of the ease with which picture books can reflect the diversity of life and the wide world in which we live it. That, in turn, opens the eyes of young people to acceptance and appreciation of differences rather than suspicion, resentment, or stereotyping. End papers include Beau's "must-see" list of locations around the world. Maps on interior spreads and on the final endpapers encourage exploration of geography. All in all, this is a book that belongs in the world, and on library and classroom shelves.

One last "kid-in-a-box" book to mention is by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko: MOVING DAY! In his signature style, Munsch tells a story involving a family situation with parental stress, sibling struggles, confusions, and solutions with emotional punch. In this case big sister Danielle is told to help out on moving day by tending to her younger siblings. While her parents box up belongings, Danielle boxes up the baby, the little sister, and the younger brother, who is the only one issuing protests. Naturally, they all arrive safely, and Danielle learns that what goes around comes around. It's straightforward and fun, but it's about as simple as a story can be. 
I nearly passed on including this last selection, not because it isn't a fine picture book.  Munsch doesn't need my help to enhance his sales. Then I considered the initial direction of this post. I was second-guessing myself about this being too lightweight to include. Then I realized that it was the idea of being in a box that started the post in the first place. 
These three titles reflect the various ways we can all end up in a box. 

• Danielle's well-intentioned but impulsive behavior led others to want to "get back at her".
• Beauregard boxes himself up to avoid his fear of flying, but realizes his travels make it  worth the effort to overcome fear,  releasing him from that box. 
• Henry Brown risked being shipped to freedom when his only reasons for living were stolen from him. Climbing into a box that could have ended as a coffin allowed him to escape the box of slavery.

Wouldn't this make an interesting exploration with readers of any age?