Pajama Press

“…Although the story is fictional, “it is based on real historical events,” award-winning Canadian author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch writes in her ending “Author’s Note.” What happens to the lovers, their families, their homeland, demands and deserves far more attention. Both Zeynap and Ali are Alevi Kurds, an ethnic minority about which is little known in the West. They are Kurdish, not Turkish; they are not Muslim, they are Alevi, “a 6,000 year-old religion that originated in Anatolia. Over the centuries Alevism has incorporated aspects of other religions,” Skrypuch explains.

Already the author of five titles “set during the Armenian Genocide,” Skrypuch elucidates how “in all that writing and research, [she] completely missed an outstanding instance of bravery: the rescue of 40,000 Armenians by the Alevi Kurds of the Dersim Mountains.” Five years earlier, Skrypuch learned about a hundred “enemy aliens” living in her hometown of Brantford, Ontario, who were rounded up in the middle of the night on false charges, jailed, and sent to prison camps.

“These men were victims of shameful wartime hysteria directed at foreigners, yet they had come to Canada because of its reputation for freedom and tolerance.” Listed as Turkish, the men turned out to be Alevi Kurds. And so Skrypuch’s Dance began. The result is an eye-opening, significant literary and historical gift to readers, young and old.”

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“With Once Upon a Line, Wallace Edwards has catapulted himself and his books to the status of must-haves for any home, school or public library.  The USA may have Chris Van Allsburg and most notably The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, but teachers will now be scrambling to use Once Upon a Line instead as the go-to book for story-starters and creative writing projects based on intriguingly unique illustrations that get the creative juices flowing.

…Once Upon a Line is so rich in its visual effects and textual texture that it deserves all the golden stars on its cover and more.”

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“There’s much excitement in a Tanzanian village when the bicycle library arrives in a cloud of dust. There are bikes for all the children except Anna, who arrives too late. Her disappointment is tangible, but rather than feel sorry for herself, she helps her friends learn to ride their new bicycles. She supports, balances, encourages, and accompanies her friends as they twist and turn, skid and slide, churning the dust into clouds of red and gold. Ultimately, Anna’s generosity is reciprocated by a friend who is as kind as she is. Notable for its message of putting others before oneself, the story is buoyed by illustrations that shimmer with movement, light, and feeling. Shades of ochre, amber, and pale gold radiate from each two-page spread, conveying through oil paint the warmth and grittiness of this village and its children. An author’s note explains the role of and constant need for bicycles in Africa.”

—Amina Chaudhri

“Ben, the youngest of three children in his family, can’t swim yet, or use chopsticks, or see much out the car window. His fifth grader sister gets a report card with marks, and his third grader brother “gets comments for his subjects,” but Ben gets nothing. This leaves the preschooler feeling glum, until his siblings take him “into the office” to remedy one of the gaps. “They type on the computer. They print on the printer.” And then they issue him his own report card, awarding A+’s for his achievements, like “tooth brushing” and “shoe tying” and, most important, “making us laugh.” This sweet and charmingly illustrated book takes seriously a preschooler’s need to feel that he is not left behind, while wittily defusing the reverence for grading that’s been creeping into elementary school culture.”

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“Evie Brooks is Marooned in Manhattan, by Sheila Agnew, is the story of a 12-year-old girl living in Ireland who is orphaned when her mother dies (her father having been out of the picture for many years) and who reluctantly agrees to spend the summer with her uncle, Scott, as long as she can return to Ireland in the fall to live with her godmother.

Scott, a veterinarian in Manhattan, is dating Leela, a divorce attorney Evie describes as “beyond painful,” who does her best to get the girl out of Scott’s life…

Throughout this story, the animals that move through Scott’s workday turn out to be the creatures that help Evie cope with her mother’s passing…”

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“Living in a Tanzanian village means lots of walking. Each day, young Anna makes the long trek to and from her schoolhouse from her home. So when a truck shows up from the bicycle library, it means a great relief for the students. Except they run out before Anna gets one. Disappointed, but excited for her classmates, she receives a gift of kindness in the response of her peers. In a Cloud of Dust highlights the daily challenges faced by many in rural villages throughout Tanzania. An author’s note at the end highlights more information about bicycle libraries and their impact in places like Africa…VERDICT Additional purchase for educators wanting to highlight compassion and awareness of different social structures.”

—Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, ID

“A book like Uncertain Soldierdoes not go down easily.  It burns in your throat with the rising bile of injustice and cowardice and the horrors of prejudice inflicted in war and out.  It churns in your gut and then sits like a heavy meal of reality and history.  Sometimes getting beyond that all is tough.  Karen Bass again, as she did in Graffiti Knight, examines an ill-fated part of our history (her author’s note is an especially enlightening and valuable read) and textures it with humanity that makes it a touching story of distressing times.  Uncertain Soldier will blow the historical fiction award juries away with its power.”

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“…As she did in that first book, Rebecca Bender gives us memorable and lovable characters. Her double page spreads provide a close-up look at the developing relationship. Her expressive characters are quite the pair. As you can see from the shared quotes, she uses words that are synonymous to describe their relationship. It allows her young readers to build vocabulary without really knowing that it is happening.

If you haven’t met Giraffe and Bird, you are in for a treat. Your little ones are sure to thank you for introducing them to this charming pair.”

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“Summer vacation gets off to a rough start when Mom insists that Pistachio take her little sister Penny to the park. As she pulls Penny along in a wagon, Pistachio lets her mind wander off. Big mistake. Unsupervised, Penny pinches fruit from the grocer’s stand, wades in the park fountain, and climbs over a wall into scary Mrs. Oldtooth’s garden. What could possibly make Pistachio volunteer for babysitting the next day? A little exaggerated for dramatic and comic effect, the story is nonetheless enjoyable, while lively ink-and-watercolor illustrations brighten every page. This early reader book continues the broad theme of sibling relationships that runs through Gay’s work from the Stella and Sam picture books to the Travels with My Family middle-grade series.”

“Ben is not big. He is just a preschooler. His big sister, Robin, gets a report card in fifth grade, and his big brother Joe, in third grade, gets one, too. Ben feels more and more sad throughout the day when he keeps focusing on all the things his siblings can do that he cannot. That night, his siblings surprise him with a homemade report card, tracking all the things that Ben does best— like feeding the cat, whistling, and making others laugh. With encouraging comments and an A+ in all of his “subjects,” Ben goes to sleep feeling very proud for all that he can do. VERDICT Softly hued illustrations with crayon black outlines showcase a sweet family celebrating their abilities in this board book that is suited for shared reading, preferably while snuggled on someone’s lap.”

—Lisa Kropp, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY