Wednesday, January 29, 2020

#ReadYourWorld: Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020!

www.multiculturalchildrensbookday.com

I am so excited and honored to be participating in Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020! I participated last year and it was a great event. I'm looking forward to Friday, January 31 as a day to celebrate diversity and raise young readers' awareness of and appreciation for cultures that are different from their own by reading and reviewing some great books!

Wisdom Tales Press has very kindly sent me this book to review for MCBD 2020:

Spirit of the Indian Warrior 
edited by Michael Oren Fitzgerald & Joseph A. Fitzgerald


Look for my review here on my blog soon! Join in with the hashtag #ReadYourWorld! And there's a Twitter Party at 9pm on January 31 that I am SO excited for because I had a blast participating last year! More information about the event can be found below or on the MCBD website. 


Here's the official information about the event...

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.

Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.

MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board



Super Platinum

Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings,

Platinum

Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls,

Gold

Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS: A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,

Silver

Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,

Bronze

Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books, Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales



Author Sponsor Link Cloudhttps://www.barefootbooks.com/l

Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series Green Kids Club, Inc.

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts

A Crafty Arab, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day
TWITTER PARTY! Register here!


Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.


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Sunday, January 26, 2020

Weekly Wrap-Up: January 19-25, 2020

Here's a recap of my posts from this week, along with my weekly collection of news, announcements, and booklists I've found while browsing around the internet. Hope you enjoy! :)


Here @ PPBN
  • nothing this week :(  It's been an unexpectedly busy start to the year for me!


Awards


Booklists


New & Upcoming Books
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Monday, January 20, 2020

Weekly Wrap-Up: January 12-18, 2020

Here's a recap of my posts from this week, along with my weekly collection of news, announcements, and booklists I've found while browsing around the internet. Hope you enjoy! :)


Here @ PPBN


Awards
  • ok clearly I've been under a rock because somehow last week I missed the 2020 NAACP Image Awards nominees announcement - the award is "recognized as the nation’s preeminent multicultural awards show from an African American point of view" (source) and "celebrates the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts" (source). The award includes Outstanding Literary Work categories for Children and for Youth/Teens.
  • 2019 National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) Freeman Book Awards winners announced - the award recognizes "quality books for children and young adults that contribute meaningfully to an understanding of East and Southeast Asia" (source).
  • 2019 Nation­al Jew­ish Book Awards winners announced - the awards are "intend­ed to rec­og­nize authors, and encour­age read­ing, of out­stand­ing Eng­lish-lan­guage books of Jew­ish interest" (source). The award includes Children's Literature and Young Adult Literature categories.
  • 2020 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction winner announced - the award recognizes a "meritorious book published in the previous year for children or young adults" (source) and is intended to "increase the interest of young readers in the historical background that has helped to shape their country and their world" (source).


Booklists


New & Upcoming Books
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Saturday, January 18, 2020

{ 52WRR }: Review of What Is Given from the Heart by Patricia C. McKissack

Welcome to Week 2 of { 52 Weeks of Recommended Reading }!

I'm reading one book every week that is an award winner (or honor book) or has been included on a list of great books. You can find my reviews from previous weeks here.

(Just as an FYI... the start of this year was unexpectedly busy so I'm a little behind - I'll be posting a few of these in a row to get caught up on my weeks. :/ But then the plan is that it will be a once-a-week feature, posting on Tuesdays.)


What Is Given from the Heart
by Patricia C. McKissack
illustrated by April Harrison


Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Publication date: January 8, 2019
Suggested tags: picture book, generosity


From the publisher:
"This final, magnificent picture book from three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and Newbery Honor author Patricia McKissack is a poignant and uplifting celebration of the joy of giving.

“Misery loves company,” Mama says to James Otis. It’s been a rough couple of months for them, but Mama says as long as they have their health and strength, they’re blessed. One Sunday before Valentine’s Day, Reverend Dennis makes an announcement during the service– the Temples have lost everything in a fire, and the church is collecting anything that might be useful to them. James thinks hard about what he can add to the Temple’s “love box,” but what does he have worth giving? With her extraordinary gift for storytelling, McKissack–with stunning illustrations by Harrison–delivers a touching, powerful tale of compassion and reminds us all that what is given from the heart, reaches the heart."

Awards/Booklists (as of the time of my review - if you know of more please let me know!):


I had tears in my eyes by the time I was done with this one. Such a sweet, touching story about helping others with a spirit of kindness and generosity, even when you have little to give. James Otis and his Mama are going through some very hard times, and you can feel Mama's despair and James Otis's uncertainty at the beginning of the book through both the words and the artwork (which is a really gorgeous type of mixed media work that fit the story perfectly). James Otis puts a lot of thought and effort into his gift for another family, once he sees that Mama is happily working hard at turning one of her most prized possessions into a gift, and he comes up with something that is equally hand-crafted and heartfelt. By the end of the story, James Otis and Mama both seem a little happier and settled, and they find that their kindness and generosity has come around and been returned to them. It's a wonderful story, beautifully told and illustrated, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for an uplifting story about helping those who are less fortunate and finding value in what you have to offer, even when you are facing difficulties yourself.

Also, I love the idea of "love boxes" - this book inspired me to start a Valentine's Day tradition in our house where we make a love box to donate to an organization, like supplies for an animal shelter or notes and necessities for soldiers overseas. I could see this book being the center of a library program too, where kids can donate or create items for a love box to be distributed where it's needed within their community. 


Final verdict: I loved it! I thought this book was great! I might buy it for myself and I would definitely recommend it to others.



{ My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; 
your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }
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Sunday, January 12, 2020

Weekly Wrap-Up: January 5-11, 2020

Here's my weekly collection of news, announcements, and booklists I have found around the interwebs, along with a recap of my own posts from this week. Hope you enjoy! :)


Here @ PPBN


Awards
  • 2019 Costa Book Awards winners announced - the award includes a Children's category and is "one of the UK's most prestigious and popular book prizes and celebrates the most enjoyable books of the year by writers resident in the UK and Ireland" (source).
  • 2019 Epic Reads Book Shimmy Awards winners announced - the awards recognize the "best and most feels-inducing YA books the year" (source) and include 20 categories such as Cover Lust, We Need Diverse Books, and Squad Goals.


Booklists

New & Upcoming Books
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Saturday, January 11, 2020

{ 52WRR }: Review of Ojiichan's Gift by Chieri Uegaki

Welcome to my new weekly feature, { 52 Weeks of Recommended Reading }!

One of my goals for 2020 was to do better about reading books that have won awards or been included on "best of" booklists. I feel like my tastes tend to run a little more off-beat and don't naturally take me to the books that everyone is buzzing about, so by not actively keeping up with these awards and lists, I'm missing out on a lot of great books. So for this year, I decided to read one book every week that has won an award (or is an honor book) or has been included on a list of great books.

(Just as an FYI... the start of this year was unexpectedly busy so I'm a little behind - I'll be posting a few of these in a row to get back on track for week 3. :/ But then the plan is that it will be a once-a-week feature, posting on Tuesdays.)

So here's my first review for my { 52 Weeks of Recommended Reading }!


Ojiichan's Gift
by Chieri Uegaki
illustrated by Genevieve Simms


Available as: hardcover, ebook
Pages: 32
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Publication date: April 2, 2019
Suggested tags: picture book, gardens, nature, Japan


From the publisher:
"When Mayumi was born, her grandfather created a garden for her. It was unlike any other garden she knew. It had no flowers or vegetables. Instead, Ojiichan made it out of stones: “big ones, little ones and ones in-between.” Every summer, Mayumi visits her grandfather in Japan, and they tend the garden together. Raking the gravel is her favorite part. Afterward, the two of them sit on a bench and enjoy the results of their efforts in happy silence. But then one summer, everything changes. Ojiichan has grown too old to care for his home and the garden. He has to move. Will Mayumi find a way to keep the memory of the garden alive for both of them?

This gentle picture book story will warm children's hearts as it explores a deep intergenerational bond and the passing of knowledge from grandparent to grandchild over time. The lyrical text by Chieri Uegaki and luminous watercolor illustrations by Genevieve Simms beautifully capture the emotional arc of the story, from Mayumi's contentment through her anger and disappointment to, finally, her acceptance. The story focuses on an important connection to nature, particularly as a place for quiet reflection. It contains character education lessons on caring, responsibility, perseverance and initiative. It's also a wonderful way to introduce social studies conversations about family, aging and multiculturalism. Mayumi lives in North America with her Japanese mother and Dutch father, and visits her grandfather in Japan. Some Japanese words are included."

Awards/Booklists:


A sweet story about a girl and her grandfather, and the rock garden that they care for together. Mayumi visits her grandfather in Japan every summer, and they spend time together taking care of a rock garden. As she grows older, she is able to do more and more to help tend the garden. But as her grandfather grows older, he is able to do less... And although Mayumi is angry and frustrated at first, she finds a way to keep the rock garden going for them both.

I've always found rock gardens to be very peaceful places that invite me to pause and reflect on nature for a while, and the book does an amazing job of conveying this tranquil feeling through its illustrations. The words provide wonderful details of the plants and structures around the garden, and the story itself reads very calm and peaceful. Mayumi's sense of despair when she sees their garden neglected is palpable, but the story ultimately moves back into a feeling of tranquility and ends on a happy note, even though things have changed.


Final verdict: I loved it! I thought this book was great! I might buy it for myself and I would definitely recommend it to others.



{ My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; 
your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }
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Sunday, January 5, 2020

Weekly Wrap-Up: December 29, 2019-January 4, 2020

Here's my weekly collection of news, announcements, and booklists I have found around the interwebs, along with a recap of my own posts from this week. Hope you enjoy! :)


Here @ PPBN


Awards
  • 2019 Cybils Awards finalists announced - the awards recognize "children’s and young adult authors and illustrators whose books combine the highest literary merit and popular appeal" (source) and are judged by bloggers who focus on children's or young adult lit.


Booklists


Articles


New & Upcoming Books
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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Welcome to 2020!

Happy New Year and 🎵hello from the other siiiiiide🎵 of a new decade!

I like to do a little New Years post every year to set some goals for myself and my blog. I'm gonna try to keep it kind of simple this year since I always overestimate how much reading and blogging I will have time for. (The whole being an adult/parent-to-a-small-human thing is still taking some time to sink in... the fact that I cannot just spend my life reading 24 hours a day is still very disappointing to me... although I do get to make a lot of block towers and Duplo buildings and pretend food in a day so, there's that.)

Anyway, here are some of my goals and plans for my blog for 2020!
  
Reading Goals:
  • Double last year's reading goal: try to read at least 104 books this year. That's 2 books a week... I feel like that's doable, but I only managed 54 this year, so we'll see! 
  • Read all the picture books on the 2020 Amelia Bloomer List. It's an annual list of "the best feminist books for young readers, ages birth through 18" (source). Since I discovered the list, I've wanted to try to read some of the titles, but I've never committed myself to doing it... Well, now is the time and this is the year! The 2019 list came out last February, so as soon as 2020's  list is announced I want to get reading! I want to read some books on the list for older readers too, but I feel like limiting my goal to picture books is more realistic.
  • Read more classic children's books. I want to introduce my son to some of the classics I enjoyed when I was young, and I want to rediscover them for myself. And I want to try some new classics I've never read too. We'll probably be reading mostly picture books since he's firmly in the picture book category right now, but I want to try to read some classics for older readers too.
  • Get my NetGalley feedback ratio up to 80%. Probably not totally realistic in one year, but I'm setting it all the way up at 80% as a challenge. I got a little over-eager in my requesting for a while there, and while I'm doing much better at limiting my requests now, I still really need to devote some time and energy to picking my ratio back up. We'll see how well I can do in a year! 

New Blog Features Coming/Returning in 2020:
  • I want to bring my { bon voYAge! } feature back to life, but turn it into a kidlit friendly version. I was doing just YA books set in countries around the world, but I'd like to include everything from board books up through middle grade too, so I'm going to try to come up with some other kind of "reading around the world" feature that includes kidlit for every age.
  • I'd also like to wake up the { Something Old, Something New } feature. This year, I want to do better about keeping up with new releases, but I really need to catch up on my backlog too. This is a great way to make sure I read at least one "old" and one new book a month!
  • I'd like to try to come up with some kind of feature for awards and lists of great books. I've been following a lot of awards and booklists for a while, and I just started a weekly wrap-up post where I share some current lists and announcements I've come across each week. But I'd like to do maybe a monthly feature where I share some more detailed info about an award or booklist, maybe even try to read and review a book from the list. I discover a lot of great books by checking these awards and lists, and I love finding new lists and awards to keep up with. If you have any favorites you follow, please share them in the comments!

So there are my goals and plans for this year at PPBN! Trying to keep it simple and doable... we'll see how things change as I go along! Good luck to you on your reading and/or blogging plans this year, and I wish you a very happy 2020!

And as I always do on New Year's each year, I'll leave you with my favorite quote that always puts me in a hopeful and positive mood for everything the year has in store...

(image via Pinterest)
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