Jenn's Picks of 2017 - Young Children Edition

I promised you all a list of my favorite books from 2017, but it ended up being quite a bit longer than I expected. So, I decided to break it up into four parts: Young Children, Middle Grade, Teen, and Adult editions. All will be listed alphabetically by title. Here's the Young Children's part.

Board Books



Cute photo book with our favorite parts of our favorite companions highlighted. This guy on the cover definitely draws kids in.



The famous author/illustrator of the classic Everyone Poops brings us a fun book about clothes that compares animal coverings to the items that humans use for coverage. Very funny!

Picturebook Fiction



Travel through a nighttime landscape discovering hidden creatures in the moonlight. Soothing text accompanies shades of blue and purple. Fun for kids who love Highlights magazine and I Spy books.



In a brilliant follow up to Creepy Carrots, Jasper Rabbit begs his mom to buy him some creepy cool underwear, but finds that it glows in the dark --- and he can't get rid of them!



Lyrical lines about how a trip to the barber can change your life! Words are strong and crisp, flowing together like the freshest rap. Pictures appear to be oil or acrylic, strong bold colors and confident lines.



A deceptively simple story about a quiet life experience with which many will identify, yet about a group of people some claim don't belong here. An authentic immigrant experience that is also an authentic American experience. Light, shade, lines and colors all work together.



I love this one! Begins as your typical counting book with dogs as a theme. Ends with everyone adopted and happy in there appropriately numbered new homes. Recommended for toddlers and dog lovers of all ages.



A beautiful, twisty picture book with spot on greyhound behavior, body shape and movement. Not as sure about the groundhog, but I don't know one of those personally.



A hilarious "origin" story for one of the best games used by kids to decide who is doing what. Plus who doesn't love an Adam Rex book?!



Another great twist on a classic fairytale. I love the gorgeous textiles with bright colors and patterns. I also love the twist of how the prince and princess got their way!



Roundness is reinforced throughout this book. Not only are there round objects, but also the seasons are featured so the whole narrative is round. The colors are vivid and highlight the roundness, too. Another awesome thing about this book is that it is unexpectedly a daddy book!



A beautiful, deceptively simple book about some deep subjects, such as mining and family expectations. I love the spread with the sun on the water, stunning. And the prose is almost poetic in its imagery and cadence.



A great, simple adventure about being lost and how music can save you. The illustrations are outstanding, especially the way music is represented by splashes of color and movement. I hope lots of kiddos find this one.



Who doesn't love a birthday party? And what kid doesn't constantly ask when their's will be? Beautiful collage work and a very child-like perspective.

Beginning Readers

  

Wow! What a great beginning chapter book series. So simple, inclusive and fun. I was reminded of Frog and Toad in all the best ways. Lovely! Hope these are in the running for the Geisel.



Great first chapter book series. I love the way the dog tells the story and the mystery that they all solve together.



Fun beginning chapter book with a unique family and fun lists.

So, what were your favorites?

What I Read in December plus Aggregate Best of 2017 lists

Bit of a long list but I put that down to lots of holiday time. Also, with all the great lists linked below coming out, I found out about some awesome things I had missed!

Unexpectedly good stuff I found myself includes the following:

Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden

I was a bit worried when I first picked this one up but, luckily, I was pleasantly surprised. Marsden and illustrator Brenna Thumler did an awesome job translating this classic book into a graphic novel. The backgrounds are gorgeous, especially the double-page scenic spreads. The quiet moments work really well, too. Anne's first encounter with Gilbert and the Octobers quote were my favorite parts. I teared up at the end, even though I knew what was going to happen.

Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett
First in a duology, the story builds slowly but is full of adventure with a pretty good mystery at the center. Kamzin and her sister, Lusha, grew up in the shadow of the tallest mountain in the Empire. When Lusha runs off with the Royal Explorer's assistant, Kamzin joins the strangely young Royal Explorer on a dangerous expedition to find a secret relic for the Emperor. Sometimes the love triangle thing seemed a bit forced, but overall it held up well. The last quarter of the book reveals all kinds of things and leaves you with an almost literal cliffhanger.

 1. Penguin Day by Nic Bishop
 2. A Time to Act: John F. Kennedy's Big Speech by Shana Corey
 3. Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai
 4. Good Night, Planet by Liniers
 5. Lexie the Word Wrangler by Rebecca Van Slyke
 6. The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson
 7. The Youngest Marcher: the Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson
 8. Dangerous Jane by Suzanne Slade
 9. Nerdy Bird Tweets by Aaron Reynolds
10. Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark
11. The Hidden Life of a Toad by Doug Wechsler
12. Bravo!: Poems about Amazing Hispanics by Margarita Engle
13. Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome
14. Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology and a 3-D Printed Beak Rescued a Bald Eagle by Deborah Lee Rose
15. This Little Piggy: An Owner's Manual by Cyndi Marko
16. Barkus by Patricia MacLachlan
17. Kate Warne, Pinkerton Detective by Marissa Moss
18. Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees by Mary Beth Leatherdale
19. Where's Halmoni? by Julie Kim
20. See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
21. Emmett and the Bright Blue Cape by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
22. Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen by Debbi Michiko Florence
23. See Fred Run! by Kevin Bolger
24. Heads & Tails by Carli Davidson
25. Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden
26. Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy by Laurel Snyder
27. Sleeping Beauties by Stephen and Owen King
28. Love: the Dinosaur by Frederic Brremaud
29. Two Truths and a Lie: It's Alive! by Ammi-Jones Paquette
30. The Old Tobacco Shop by William Bowen
31. Dancer's Luck by Ann Maxwell
32. Princeless vol. 1: Save Yourself! by Jeremy Whitley
33. Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Ann Guglielmo
34. Lockwood & Co. #5: The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud
35. Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
36. Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke
37. Gem & Dixie by Sara Zarr
38. Dear Martin by Nic Stone
39. Science Comics: Dogs: From Predator to Protector by Andy Hirsh
40. Meet Cindy Sherman: Artist, Photographer, Chameleon by Sandra Jordan
41. The Sun and her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
42. Secrets of the Sea by Kate Baker
43. Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
44. Lumberjanes vol. 7: A Bird's-Eye View by Shannon Watters
45. Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick
46. Tortall: A Spy's Guide by Tamora Pierce
47. Earth!: My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty
48. Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett
49. Motor Girls: How Women Took the Wheel and Drove Boldly into the Twentieth Century by Sue Macy
50. Queer, There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World by Sarah Prager

As promised here's some links to awesome awards and Best of 2017 lists.

National Book Awards
Morris Book Award Finalists
ALA Nonfiction for Young Adults Award Finalists
Washington Post Best Children's Books (includes Teen books)
New York Times Notable Children's Books (includes Teen books)
NPR's Book Concierge
Publisher's Weekly
Horn Book Fanfare
Booklist Editor's Choice Books for Youth
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon List
Kirkus Reviews Best Books
School Library Journal

Stay tuned for my picks over the next few days!

And the winner is....Mock Newbery results post

Well, it was an interesting first Mock Newbery overall. At first, I had no idea which way it would go. Orphan Island was the first to fall by the wayside, with The Ethan I Was Before following close behind. Spirit Hunters slowly lost traction, but The Warden's Daughter held on almost to the end. Finally, See You in the Cosmos pulled ahead to win the day, even though there was a strong The Hate U Give contingent. It got an honor, as did Restart.

Here are photos of the short list voting and the final voting. Numbers look a bit funny because of strange voting practices employed by various factions throughout the discussion.

A Few Good Comics: The Dam Keeper, Spinning and Pashmina

    
November was a good month for youth comics reading for me. Grant there were some duds (Constantine vol. 2, I'm looking at you), but overall they were fairly grand. So here are the ones that rose to the top.

The Dam Keeper by Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi
A quick flip through and perusal of the cover leads one to believe that this is a simple story with farm animals standing in for people. But don't be fooled! This is one of the darkest dystopians I came across this year.

Pig's father invented and maintained the dam that protects the walled city of Sunset Valley, until one day when he walked outside and gave himself over to the dark mists. Now Pig tries to maintain everything while continuing to go to school without letting anyone know that he is alone. One day his friend Fox and her friend Hippo are visiting when the fog rolls over the windmill that controls the dam and sweeps all three of them over the wall and into the wilds. They survive but have no idea where they are or how to return home.

The first thing I noticed with this book was the atmosphere. The soft edges and overall smudginess lends itself well to a world where the greatest threat is a random fog. Even the characters are kind of muted with some, like Fox, coming into sharp focus at specific times. There is a definite steampunk feel to it and I love that about it. By the end of this first volume the story is shaping up to be deeper and darker than you expect.

Spinning by Tillie Walden
Walden relates six years of middle/high school and the experiences as a figure skater, details her struggles with parents, bullies, and her own lesbian identity. Manga-esque style art using purples with some touches of yellow create an almost hypnotic effect. I really like the use of lots of quiet panels with people but no words and single zoomed in images. Dark panels with yellow light effectively capture the early morning world.


Walden's life is frantic in a quiet, desperate way and her story and style clearly communicate that. Disturbing scenes both affect the reader and reveal the feelings of the author. Her pain and isolation practically leap off of the page at times.

This one was also interesting to me for purely personal reasons. It is set in Austin, Texas at a time I was living there. So, of course, I had to look for familiar things. I used to work near the mall with the skating rink and left shortly before it was replaced by other stores. It was kind of fun to see a familiar place in a comic.

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
Priyanka's mom moved to the United States when she was pregnant and raised her alone, with the help of friends. Now Priyanka is a teen and wants to know more about India, but her mom refuses to talk about it. But a pashmina in her mom's old luggage allows Priyanka to travel to a seemingly perfect India with an elephant and a peacock as her guides.  However, Pri is this the real India or some kind of dream?

This was such a strong book, a great ownvoices book with some striking fantasy elements. I like the art style and the way color is used to represent the two worlds. The characters are amazingly detailed and the plot is well-paced and feels authentic. No one is stereotypical here and the message is fantastic, timely, and needed.

So, have you read any good graphic novels this year? What should I check out?

So Many Choices: A Review of Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore

Summary: When Jane accepts an invitation to her former babysitter's fancy island home, she is presented with a variety of mysteries and must choose which path to follow.

So I was a little skeptical of what amounts to a Choose Your Own Adventure for teens. But the beginning pulled me in with an Agatha Christie meets Doctor Who vibe. And it delivers. Jane is a fascinating character and the house and the people who live in it are equally intriguing. The set up works and explains itself in one of the plot lines.

The different worlds work well, too. I don't want to reveal too much, but be prepared for Jane Eyre, Rebecca, and Bradbury with spies, art thieves, possession, and a bit of romance (although maybe not with who you expect). And the dog! Who doesn't love a cool and lovable dog?

If you are expecting Cashore's previous work, this is not it. However, if you like mysteries, complex characters and a setting that is almost a character itself, this is your book. I would tell you more, but no spoilers.

What I Read in November

A Lot!!!! Granted a good portion were graphic novels and picture books, but it was a busy month. There were quite a few good ones, too. So I think I'll review the best ones over the next few days.

1. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
2. Give Me Back My Book! by Ethan Long
3. Why Am I Me? by Paige Britt
4. The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse by Marc Barnett
5. Wee Sister Strange by Holly Grant
6. It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton
7. Fallingwater: the Building of Frank Lloyd Wright's Masterpiece by Marc Harshman
8. Baabwaa and Wooliam: A Tale of Literacy, Dental Hygiene and Friendship by David Elliott
9. Be a Star, Wonder Woman! by Michael Dahl
10. When's My Birthday? by Julie Fogliano
11. I'm Just No Good at Rhyming: And Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups by Chris Harris
12. Jane, Unlimited by Kristen Cashore
13. Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
14. Fire Dancer by Ann Maxwell
15. Spinning by Tillie Walden
16. The Long Way Home in the Night by Akiko Miyakoshi
17. Accident! by Andrea Tsurumi
18. Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh
19. On a Magical Do-Nothing Day by Beatrice Alemagna
20. The Dam Keeper by Robert Kondo
21. Strange Fruit: Billy Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song by Gary Golio
22. Mama Africa!: How Miriam Makeba Spread Hope with her Song by Kathryn Erskine
23. Costantine vol. 2: Blight by Ray Fawkes
24. Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case for R. B. G. vs Inequality by Jonah Winter
25. The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
26. Goldie Vance vol. 2 by Hope Larson
27.  Superbat by Matt Carr
28. Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff
29. Scooby Apocalpse vol. 1 by Keith Giffen
30. Dad and the Dinosaur by Gennifer Choldenko
31. Crown: An Ode to a Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes
32. Scooby Apocalypse vol. 2 by Keith Giffen
33. The Ghost and the Lady Book 1 by Kazuhiro Fujita
34. The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz
35. There's a Pest in the Garden! by Jan Thomas
36. Zoey and Sassafras Book 1: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro
37. Lockwood & Co. 4: The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud
38. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
39. Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse by Tamara Will Wissenger
40. Alfie by Thyra Heder
41. Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin
42. Windows by Julia Denos
43. La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya
44. Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters by Michael James Mahin
45. A Pig, a Fox, and Stinky Socks by Jonathan Fenske
46. King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats by Dori Hillstad Butler
47. Grandma's Tiny House: A Counting Story by Janay Brown-Wood
48. Green Pants by Kenneth Kraegal
49. Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
50. Bob, Not Bob!: *to be read as though you have the worst cold ever by Liz Garton Scanlon
51. I Want That Nut! by Madeline Valentine.

Mock Newbery Madness

So, for the first time, I'm running a Mock Newbery group at a public library. The members of the group are 6-10 graders who volunteer for hours earned. I started with two separate groups this summer with around 8-10 teens and I'm ending the Fall with 16 teens. We voted for our short list last week and will be discussing and choosing our winners on December 13.

Here's our list! After the vote I'll post again with everyone's responses.

The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish
Following a tragic accident involving his best friend, Ethan and his family move from Boston to the Gulf coast of Georgia to live with a grandfather he has never met in a small town he has never visited. Through a series of mysteries, Ethan faces what happened, makes a new friend, and discovers strengths he never knew he possessed.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
When Starr's childhood friend is shot and killed by a police officer in a random stop, she must confront racism in a way she never has before, as well as deal with her own place as a minority student at a private, mostly white school 45 minutes from her neighborhood. She must decide whether she will testify, who she can trust and how she will make a difference in the community.

Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder
On the island, everything is provided and the nine children live in perfect harmony. Every year the oldest one leaves and a new young one arrives in the boat. This year Jinny is the oldest and, while she misses her friend Deen, she thinks she is ready to be the Elder. But what will happen when it is her turn to leave?

Restart by Gordon Korman
When Chase falls off the roof and hits his head, he loses his memory. As he tries to return to school and life, he discovers that he wasn't a very nice person. Now he has to decide if he wants to return and remember who he was or decide to begin as a new and better person? And what if everyone else doesn't want to accept the new Chase?

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
Alex loves space, rockets and his dog, Carl Sagan; and he has decided to record a Golden iPod and launch it into space on a rocket for aliens to find. But his destination and purpose keep changing and what started as a simple mission changes into a discovery about himself and his family.

Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh

Harper's family moves to a new house that seems to be haunted and she's also missing some memories after a fire at her old school. When her little brother starts acting weird and mean, she seeks help in some unlikely ways.

The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli
Cammie and her dad live in the women's prison where he works. But since her mother died when she was a baby, Cammie feels like she must find her own "mother" and her choices are among the inmates of the prison. Will she find someone by her thirteenth birthday?