PICTURE BOOK - Dangerous Jane by Suzanne Slade

Illustrated byAlice Ratterree

2017, Peachtree

HC $17.95
40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.19 - 172 ratings

My rating: 4.5  (just a tiny bit too simplistic...)

Endpapers: Beige

1^st line/s:  "Jane was born beside a sparkling creek on an Illinois prairie in a friendly town called Cedarville."

My comments:  Beautifully illustrated and simply told, the story of Jane Addams is intriguing and informative.  Although she was the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, she was named by the FBI as "the Most Dangerous Woman in America" just 12 years prior!  Why?  For being a woman, and caring about people and peace - people and peace beyond American borders..  I sure want to read more about her now!

Goodreads:  Jane's heart ached for the world, but what could she do to stop a war? This energetic and inspiring picture book biography of activist Jane Addams focuses on the peace work that won her the Nobel Peace Prize. From the time she was a child, Jane's heart ached for others. At first the focus of her efforts was on poverty, and lead to the creation of Hull House, the settlement house she built in Chicago. For twenty-five years, shed helped people from different countries live in peace at Hull House. But when war broke out, Jane decided to take on the world and become a dangerous woman for the sake of peace. Suzanne Slade's powerful text written in free verse illuminates the life of this inspiring figure while Alice Ratterree's stunning illustrations bring Jane Addams and her world to life. 

70. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

read on my iPhone
2017, Balzer & Bray
444 pgs.
YA CRS
Finished 12/30/2017
Goodreads rating:  4.59 - 73,998 ratings
My rating: 5 all the way
Setting:  I'm guessing Jackson, Mississippi area, since that's where the author resides, but perhaps any inner city in the US

First line/s:  "I shouldn't have come to this party."

My comments:  I don't know why I put off reading this for so long, I've had it since it first came out.  So okay, wow.  It was certainly worth the time and effort, and enforced a perspective that as a "white" person I've tried very hard to embrace.  Incredible writing.  Wonderful perspective.  I don't need to write a review for this, it's all been written. This was engrossing, powerful, and very much needed! AND it was terrific to discover what the title represents....

Goodreads synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
          Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
          But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

PICTURE BOOK - Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers

Illustrated by Shawn Harris

2017, Chronicle Books, San Francisco
HC $19.99 (books are getting SO expensive!)

104 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.28 - 918 ratings

My rating:  5

Endpapers:  Cut paper of the fencing around the Statue (at least I think it's from somewhere on the island)

Illustrations:  All cut CONSTRUCTION paper, and India ink.

1^st line/s:"You have likely heard of a place called France."

My comments:  I've decided that I like everything about this book.  How the text is talking directly to the reader.  The illustrations, which are created out of cut construction paper.  The message....oh yes, the message. I'm so glad I discovered this book, since our library has not (yet) purchased it....

Goodreads:  "I want to hold this book in one hand and a torch in the other and stand on an island someplace so everyone can see." —Lemony Snicket
     If you had to name a statue, any statue, odds are good you'd mention the Statue of Liberty. Have you seen her?
     She's in New York. 
     She's holding a torch. 
     And she's in mid-stride, moving forward. 
     But why?
In this fascinating, fun take on nonfiction, Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris investigate a seemingly small trait of America's most emblematic statue. What they find is about more than history, more than art. What they find in the Statue of Liberty's right foot is the powerful message of acceptance that is essential to an entire country's creation. 

Christmas Storytime at the Library

I read three books aloud to preschoolers today, I chose ones with three different animals as protagonists. Then we glued sequins for ornaments, drew garlands with glitter crayons, and topped the pre-cut green construction paper tree with a sticky star.  Very cute, and manageable for little hands.  I had eight books to choose from and the ones I chose were big hits:

Merry Christmas, Merry Crow
by Kathi Appelt
Illustrated by Jon Goodell
2005, Harcourt, Inc.

     "Wind's a blowin'
Sky's a snowin'
     Where's this feathered
               fellow goin'?"

The crow glides through each double-page spread, collecting all sorts of tinsel and trinkets he finds laying around, to decorate a tree for all his flying friends.  Gorgeously illustrated, with no white edges (I love edge-of-page to edge-of-page illustrations), the continuous snowfall and merry Christmas shoppers and carolers make this a happy, fun book to share with kids.
     Goodreads rating:  3.93 - 87 ratings

Stowaway in a Sleigh
Written and illustrated by C. Roger Mader
2016 Houghton Mifflin

"It was the darkest hour of night when Slipper heard strange footsteps in the house."

Well, of course she went to investigate, and discovered Mr. Fuzzy Boots...and crawled into his now-empty cozy red bag. After she was whisked away to the North Pole where she made new friends, Santa made a special trip back to Slippers' house to return her.  My little listener was at first a little distressed when she realized that Slippers might not be able to get home again, but enjoyed the story and the illustrations greatly.  Again the gorgeous illustrations covered each entire double-page spread from edge to edge and accentuated the story superbly.
     Goodreads rating:  4.15 - 161 ratings

Bear Stays Up for Christmas
by Karma Wilson
Illustrated by Jane Chapman
2004, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster

"The day before Christmas,
snuggled on his floor,
Bear sleeps soundly
with a great big snore."

Bear has such a tough time staying up once his friends awaken him for Christmas...it is time for his "big sleep" after all, but when it comes time for them to doze off on Christmas Eve, he has a wonderful time preparing surprises for them to find in the morning.  A very cute story, again with many double-page spreads.  Three winners today!
     Goodreads:  4.28 - 6,938 ratings



   

PICTURE BOOK - She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton

Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger

2017, Philomel Books

HC $17.99

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.45 - 2139 ratings

My rating: 5

Endpapers:  Bright red

1^st line/s:"Sometimes being a girl isn't easy.  At some point, someone probably will tell you no, will tell you to be quiet and may even tell you your dreams are impossible.  Don't listen to them."

                           

My comments:  Chelsea Clinton, herself someone to be admired, chose 13 really interesting women to inspire the young girls of today.  Each double page consists of a short, informative piece about each woman's accomplishment/s, a quote from her, and an illustration of her "in action."  It was fun to turn each page and anticipate who would be the next person included.  If you, too, would like to anticipate the thirteen persistent women, read no further. 
The are: 
Harriet Tubman, 
Helen Keller, 
Clara Lemlich, 
Nellie Bly, 
Virginia Apgar, 
Mari Tallchief, 
Claudette Colvin, 
Ruby Bridges, 
Margaret Chase Smith, 
Sally Ride, 
Florence Griffith Joyner, 
Oprah Winfrey, and 
Sonia Sotomayer. 
(I would then include Gabby Giffords.)  Great book.

Goodreads:Chelsea Clinton introduces tiny feminists, mini activists and little kids who are ready to take on the world to thirteen inspirational women who never took no for an answer, and who always, inevitably and without fail, persisted.
          Throughout American history, there have always been women who have spoken out for what’s right, even when they have to fight to be heard. In early 2017, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s refusal to be silenced in the Senate inspired a spontaneous celebration of women who persevered in the face of adversity. In this book, Chelsea Clinton celebrates thirteen American women who helped shape our country through their tenacity, sometimes through speaking out, sometimes by staying seated, sometimes by captivating an audience. They all certainly persisted.
          She Persisted is for everyone who has ever wanted to speak up but has been told to quiet down, for everyone who has ever tried to reach for the stars but was told to sit down, and for everyone who has ever been made to feel unworthy or unimportant or small.
          With vivid, compelling art by Alexandra Boiger, this book shows readers that no matter what obstacles may be in their paths, they shouldn’t give up on their dreams. Persistence is power.
          This book features: Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Clara Lemlich, Nellie Bly, Maria Tallchief, Claudette Colvin, Ruby Bridges, Margaret Chase Smith, Sally Ride, Florence Griffith Joyner, Oprah Winfrey, Sonia Sotomayor—and one special cameo.

PICTURE BOOK - Malala's Magic Pencil by Malal Yousafzai

Illustrated by Kerascoet (a husband wife team)

2017, Little Brown & Co.
HC $17.99
40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.47 - 777 ratings

My rating:  5

Endpapers:  BOTH sides are a burst of journal and pencil in white on shiny gold background

Illustrations:  Edge-of-page to edge-of page, though lots of white is used in the background

1^st line/s:  "When I was younger, I used to watch a TV show about a boy who had a magic pencil."

My comments:  A biography/memoir for young kids, written by Malala herself.  It's a gentle story of hope and dreams, touching on the ugliness of what happened to her but not dwelling on it.  The illustrations are magical, with lots of shiny gold used throughout and on the endpapers.  Highly recommended.

Goodreads: Nobel Peace Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author Malala Yousafzai's first picture book, inspired by her own childhood.
          Malala's first picture book will inspire young readers everywhere to find the magic all around them.
          As a child in Pakistan, Malala made a wish for a magic pencil. She would use it to make everyone happy, to erase the smell of garbage from her city, to sleep an extra hour in the morning. But as she grew older, Malala saw that there were more important things to wish for. She saw a world that needed fixing. And even if she never found a magic pencil, Malala realized that she could still work hard every day to make her wishes come true. 
          This beautifully illustrated volume tells Malala's story for a younger audience and shows them the worldview that allowed Malala to hold on to hope even in the most difficult of times.

PICTURE BOOK - I Pledge Allegiance by Pat Mora & Libby Martinez

Illustrated by Patrice Barton

2014, Alfred A. Knopf

available in paper ($7.99) and HC ($16.99)

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.97 - 234 ratings

My rating: 4

Endpapers: A large, faint American flage with the words of the pledge in bold font

1^st line/s:  'On Monday when I get to school, my teacher, Mrs. Adams, asks, "Did your great-aunt pass her test?"'

My comments: A good story and I very much enjoyed the illustrations.  Ms. Mora and Ms. Martinez collaborate on this story based on their great-aunt, who they called Lobo,  who became an American citizen in her late 70s.  It's also a story about memorizing The Pledge of Allegiance - both remembering the words and thinking about what they mean.  Very much recommended.

Goodreads:  Patriotism across the generations as a little girl and her great aunt learn the Pledge of Allegiance together.
     Libby's great aunt, Lobo, is from Mexico, but the United States has been her home for many years, and she wants to become a U.S. citizen. At the end of the week, Lobo will say the Pledge of Allegiance at a special ceremony. Libby is also learning the Pledge this week, at school-at the end of the week, she will stand up in front of everyone and lead the class in the Pledge. Libby and Lobo practice together-asking questions and sharing stories and memories-until they both stand tall and proud, with their hands over their hearts.

PICTURE BOOK - Anna & Solomon by Elaine Snyder

Illustrated by Harry Bliss

2014, Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, NY

OP in hardcover, available for Kindle

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.83 - 109 ratings

My rating: 4

Endpapers: Light blue (solid)

1^st line/s:  "Once -- and not once upon a time, because this is a true story -- in 1897 in Russia there lived a handsome young man who fell in love with a beautiful  young woman, and one bright day, under a canopy of leaves and spring flowers, they were married."

My comments:  Immigration, whether it happened over a hundred years ago or now, is still the story of people moving from one country to another.  So even though the true story of Anna & Solomon happened 1n 1897, we can certainly relate today.  And although this is the story of a loving Jewish couple, it could be the story of any couple of any religion or culture.  And this story has a bit of a twist to it....a twist which shows Solomon's patience and love for Anna!

Goodreads:  In 1897, a young man named Solomon fell in love with and married a beautiful young woman named Anna. They lived in Russia, which was dangerous at that time for a Jewish family, so Solomon moved to the United States, where he worked and saved until he had enough money to send Anna a ticket for the  voyage across the ocean. But when Solomon went to meet Anna’s ship, Anna’s younger brother was waiting for him. Solomon took in her brother and worried and saved until he could send the money for Anna’s passage again—but this time, Anna’s older brother was waiting. When Solomon sent the money a third time and Anna’s mother arrived, Solomon wondered if he would ever see his dear wife again. 
          Anna & Solomon is based on the true story of the author’s grandparents’ immigration. 

PICTURE BOOK - The House of Wisdom by Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland

Illustrated by Mary Grandpre

1999, DK Publishing, NY

currently OP

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.07 - 68 ratings

My rating: 4:  

Endpapers:  peachy/orange

Illustrations:  orangy pastels, no white on the very large pages

1^st line/s: "Over many lands came caravans of camels, six thousand strong, swaying and rocking as the padded single file across the sands and plains on their way to Baghdad."

My comments:  I always get excited when I find a well-written picture book for older kids.  This is certainly one of them.  Based on history, this is the story of 9th century Baghdad and its books, libraries, scholars, and inquisitive minds. I love that it points out that at this time areas to the west (Europe) were basically uneducated and, perhaps, crude.  And when talking about scholars, like Aristotle, coming a thousand years before, the father tells his son, "We are like the leaves of the same tree, separated by many autumns."  What a great quote!

Goodreads:  This is the true story of Ishaq, a young boy in ninth-century Baghdad. And it is the story of the House of Wisdom. More than a house, more than a library, more even than a palace, the House of Wisdom was at the very center of the new ideas that flourished in Baghdad. It was here that thousands of scholars gathered to read, to exchange ideas, and to translate the dusty manuscripts that were brought by camel and ship from all over the world. Ishaq cannot understand why ancient words, words from faraway places, can cause such excitement. Then he embarks on a difficult journey seeking lost manuscripts. But it is what he discovers when he returns that ignites his imagination and changes him forever.Lyrical prose and glorious illustrations capture the splendor of Baghdad when it was the center of one of the world's great civilizations. They tell the story of Ishaq's transformation from a bewildered young boy searching for understanding to a brilliant scholar, the greatest translator of Aristotle, whose work preserved Greek thought for civilizations to come.

69. The Lying Planet by Carol Riggs

read on my iPhone
2016, Entangled Teen
285 pgs.
YA SciFi
Finished 12/11/2017
Goodreads rating: 4.03 - 103 ratings
My rating: 4.5
Setting: Future on a faraway planet

First line/s:  "Right after morning sessions end on Friday, the scavenger team brings a charred body into the safe zone."

My comments:  A perfect YA Syfy, lots of suspense, creepy aliens, and hormonal teenagers (although the hormonal teenager stuff is pretty limited compared to everything else that's going on).  This is one of those once-I-got-into-it-I-couldn't-put-it-down books.  The main character, Jay, is a responsible, smart, well-liked young man who is the first to realize that something is not right ith the adults in his community.  His community happens to be on another planet in another galaxy, but one on which humans can not only live and survive, but thrive.  I highly recommend this thriller - suspenseful, otherworldly, and quite well written.

Goodreads synopsis: Promise City. That’s the colony I’ve been aiming for all my life on the planet Liberty. The only thing standing in my way? The Machine. On my eighteenth birthday, this mysterious, octopus-like device will scan my brain and Test my deeds. Good thing I’ve been focusing on being Jay Lawton, hard worker and rule follower, my whole life. Freedom is just beyond my fingertips.
          Or so I thought. Two weeks before my Testing with the Machine, I’ve stumbled upon a new reality. The truth. In a single sleepless night, everything I thought I knew about the adults in our colony changes. And the only one who’s totally on my side is the clever, beautiful rebel, Peyton. Together we have to convince the others to sabotage their Testings before it’s too late. 
          Before the ceremonies are over and the hunting begins.

68. Sofia Martinez: Abuela's Birthday by Jacqueline Jules

Illustrated by Kim Smith
Read the book - Bosler Library
2015, Picture Window Books
32 pgs. (3 chapters)
Finished 12/8/17
Goodreads rating:  3.48 - 25 ratings
My rating:  4
Guided Reading Level K

First line/s:  "Sofia carried a big bag across the yard to her cousins' house.  The bag held everything they needed to make a pinata."

My comments: Super easy first chapter book with Spanish words to learn in context, includes glossary and a couple of questions to ask the kids who read/listened to answer aloud or in writing.  Very cute, easy story.

Goodreads synopsis: Sofia wants to make her grandma's birthday extra special. With the help of her cousins, she has the perfect plan. But an uninvited helper might ruin the entire surprise.

PICTURE BOOK - Madeline Finn and the Library Dog by Lisa Papp

Illustrated by the author

2016, Peachtree, Atlanta

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.45 - 639 ratings

My rating: 5

Endpapers: pale brown

1^st line/s:  "I do NOT like to read."

My comments:  So many people take reading for granted -- forgetting all those who struggle, get frustrated, then give up, only to spend their life thinking they hate to read.  Meet Madeline Finn, who struggles with reading but wants to be a STAR reader. With the help of a super librarian and a reading-to-a-dog program that's currently popular across the country, Madeline Finn's self confidence begins to soar.  This is a wonderful, feel-good book about a young girl, a dog, and reading.  It's special.  It's cute.  It's quite highly recommended.

Goodreads: Madeline Finn DOES NOT like to read. Not books. Not magazines. Not even the menu on the ice cream truck.
     Fortunately, Madeline Finn meets Bonnie, a library dog. Reading out loud to Bonnie isn't so bad. When Madeline Finn gets stuck, Bonnie doesn't mind. Madeline Finn can pet her until she figures the word out.
     As it turns out, it's fun to read when you're not afraid of making mistakes. Bonnie teaches Madeline Finn that it's okay to go slow. And to keep trying. And to get support from a friend.

PICTURE BOOK - Luka's Quilt by Georgia Guback

Illustrated by the author

1994, Greenwillow Books

HC $16.99 - looks like it's still in print

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.35 - 49 ratings

My rating: 3.5

Endpapers: solid green, the color of the background of the quilt Tutu made for Luka

Illustrations are cut paper Collage!  Gorgeous

1^st line/s:  "My tutu lives with us.  Tutu.  That's Hawaiian for grandmother.  Tutu takes care of me while Mom and Dad work.  We do lots of things together.  I like that, and so does Tutu.  But all that changed when the quilt came along."

My comments:  I loved the cut paper collage illustrations (gorgeous!) and the beautiful quilt that Tutu made for Luka.  I love all the information about Hawaii.  But I don't love that Luka's pretty much a spoiled little brat.  Nothing I can change about that, it's part of the story, and the story about making the quilt, and the leis, is super. Just don't like the kid.  At all.

Goodreads:  Luka and her grandmother Tutu are best friends until Luka shows her disappointment at the traditional Hawaiian quilt that Tutu makes for her. Tutu is hurt, Luka is upset, and things just aren't the same anymore. But when Lei Day comes, the two set aside there differences to enjoy the holiday.
          "Guback's storytelling proves as affable as her bright, intricate cut-paper collages." -- Publishers Weekly.

PICTURE BOOK - Dia de Los Muertos by Roseanne Greenfield Thong

Illustrated by Carles Ballesteros

2015, Albert Whitman & Co., Chicago

HC $16.99

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.93 - 189 ratings

My rating: 3.5

Endpapers: charcoal with small sugar skulls and simple flowers, all in gray and white

Illustrations: all aquas and oranges, with tiny bits of lavender and pink thrown in.

1^st line/s:  "It's Dia de Los Muertos, the sun's coming round,
as ninos prepare in each pueblos and town.
For today we will honor our dearly departed
with celebraciones -- it's time to get started!

My comments:  Here's another fun book about Day of the Dead to add to my collection.  The story is written in verse form using couplets and infusing many of the terms associated with this special holiday in Spanish.  There's a glossary at the back, but most meanings can be gleaned from the text.  The illustrations seem a little busy but they're fun and full of information and items to hunt for from page to page. There's also an excellent description of Dia de Los Muertos at the end, after the poem.  I liked it.

Goodreads:  It’s Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and children throughout the pueblo, or town, are getting ready to celebrate! They decorate with colored streamers, calaveras—or sugar skulls—and pan de muertos, or bread of the dead. There are altars draped in cloth and covered in marigolds and twinkling candles. Music fills the streets. Join the fun and festivities, learn about a different cultural tradition, and brush up on your Spanish vocabulary as the town honors their dearly departed in a traditional, time-honored style.

PICTURE BOOK - The Girl With a Brave Heart: A Tale from Tehran by Rita Johanforuz

Illustrated by Vali Mintzi

2010, Barefoot Books, Cambridge, MA

avail in HC and paper - and at Bosler

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.37 - 112 ratings

My rating: 3

Endpapers- a solid muddy brown

1^st line/s: "On a quiet street in the city of Tehran lived a little girl called Shiraz."

My comments:  Another Cinderella Story - this time from Iran.  Shiraz lives in Tehran and loses a ball of yarn in a very strange woman's garden.  I would have loved a little more cultural "stuff" from Iran, but some of the illustrations give hints about this.  The title seems a little misleading, too, since they never talk - at all - about Shiraz being brave, only being loving and kind.  Excellent for comparing and contrasting several different Cinderella stories.

Goodreads:  After showing kindness to a strange old woman, Shiraz receives the gift of beauty but her lazy and unkind stepsister, Nargues, suffers a less pleasant fate in this adaptation of the Grimm's fairy tale, Mother Hulda, reset in Tehran, Iran.

PICTURE BOOK - Snow in Jerusalem by Deborah da Costa

Illustrated by Cornelius VanWright & Ying-Hwa Hu

2001, Albert Whitman Co.

Only available new, in paper, $6.99

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:3.58 - 65 ratings

My rating: 4

Endpapers:  an illustration:  the walled city, with a golden-domed building on the other side of the wall

Illustrations cover both pages, and the text is on top of the illustration, no white edges!

1^st line/s:  "In the walled old city of Jerusalem, which some call the Center of the Universe, Avi waited."

My comments: I didn't realize there are four ethnic/cultural sections in Jerusalem - Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Armenian.  In this story, two boys from different cultures - Jewish and Muslim - find common ground because of a stray cat who "befriends" them both.

Goodreads:  Avi and Hamudi are two boys who live in Jerusalem's Old City -- Avi in the Jewish Quarter and Hamudi in the Muslim Quarter. To each boy, the other's neighborhood is an alien land. And although neither boy knows it, both are caring for the same beautiful white stray cat.One day the boys follow the cat as she travels the winding streets and crosses the boundaries between the city's quarters. And on this journey something wonderful happens, as unexpected as a snowfall in Jerusalem.

PICTURE BOOK - Math at the Art Museum by Group Majoongmul

From the copyright page:  "Majoongmul is a Korean word that refers to "priming water" poured into a pump to start the flow before pumping water from a well.  Group Majoongmul is the name of the authors' group that creates books that serve as the priming water within children's hearts.
Illustrated by Yun-ju Kim

2015 TanTan Publishing - originally published in Korea

HC $16.95

32 nice, thick pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.92 - 24 ratings

My rating: 4

Endpapers: Mottled cream

1^st line/s: "My sister and I are going to the art museum with our parents!  'It's interesting that math can be found in art," Dad says.'"

My comments:  Many famous artists' work is represented in this art appreciation book for kids, each named and identified well.  At first I was a bit reluctant to see particular paintings included until I realized that point-of-view/perspective is, indeed, math.  Included are famous paintings by Jasper Johns, Seurat, Kandinsky, Leger, Picasso, Degas, Magritte, Matisse, and Dali, as well as two that I must learn more about: Giuseppe Arcimboldo and Kim Jae-hong.   The last five pages are informational and include activities for kids that combine art and math.

Goodreads:  This charming and colorful book incorporates mathematical concepts by introducing children to a fresh perspective on math through art
          When his father tells him there’s math in art, a young boy is suspicious of the idea. But when the boy explores paintings and other masterpieces with his sister and their parents, he begins to understand there is math in art, both hidden and visible. He sees, too, that math in art is brilliant—and beautiful! Hands-on activities and elementary mathematical concepts that relate to perspective, composition, symmetry, patterns, and other elements in artwork turn exploring art into an eye-opening adventure.

67. Consider by Kristy Acevedo

Holo #1
read on my iPhone
2016, Jolly Fish Press
288 pgs.
YA Dystopia
Finished 12/3/2017
Goodreads rating:  4.17 - 621 ratings
My rating:  4
Setting: Contemporary Boston suburb

First line/s:  "When the Boston outbound T screeches to a stop, I lose my grip on the silver pole and slam into Dominick."

My comments:  What an interesting story, and one, I think, worth reading.  It presented a few problems to me, personally, but I'll look past them after a quick mention.  The protagonist and her brother, Benji, are always at odds with each other for some reason.  Although she explains it a bit, she never says anything about how or where it started.  Or why.  It's disconcerting, unless I didn't read carefully enough to pick it up, and that's not like me (I'm a fairly slow reader).  And I never fully understand her overwhelming need to protect her father, her thoughts and actions about and toward him show that she dislikes him.  Maybe she's more like him than she realizes?  Otherwise, the characters are fully relate-able.  The scenario is one that makes you think....and think...and think some more.  What would you do if there was insistence that the world would end and you had the opportunity to escape to another world, with no facts to base your decisions on?  No actual facts.  Whew!  I've got to read the next book!

Goodreads synopsis: As if Alexandra Lucas’ anxiety disorder isn’t enough, mysterious holograms suddenly appear from the sky, heralding the end of the world. They bring an ultimatum: heed the warning and step through a portal-like vertex to safety, or stay and be destroyed by a comet they say is on a collision course with earth. How’s that for senior year stress?
          The holograms, claiming to be humans from the future, bring the promise of safety. But without the ability to verify their story, Alex is forced to consider what is best for her friends, her family, and herself.
          To stay or to go. A decision must be made.
          With the deadline of the holograms’ prophecy fast approaching, Alex feels as though she is living on a ticking time bomb, until she discovers it is much, much worse.

PICTURE BOOK - Aunt Olga's Christmas Postcards by Kevin Major

Illustrated by Bruce Roberts

2005, A Groundwood Book, House of Anansi Press, Toronto & Berkeley

Out-of-print

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.91 - 22 ratings

My rating: 4.5

Endpapers: Red striped background with collage of antique Christmas postcards

Illustrations:  Facsimiles of oodles and oodles of vintage postcards.  Drawings of Aunt Olga and the little girl look like pen and ink and watercolors.

1^st line/s:  "Great-great Aunt Olga is ninety-five.  She calls herself a nonagenarian!  We all think the world of her."

My comments:  This is a wonderfully special book for me.  It's about Christmas and poetry and aging and familial grandparent-type/child relationship.  Its about memories and art and poems that both rhyme and don't rhyme.  There's quite a bit of text, but not so much that snuggling with a child older than a toddler and a gingerbread cookie wouldn't remedy!

Goodreads:  Anna’s great-aunt Olga has collected Christmas postcards all her life. She’s ninety-five, and many of the cards are very old. The holidays are the perfect time for Aunt Olga to share her postcards and her memories with her favorite niece. Decked out in red, Aunt Olga is ready for fun as she teaches Anna how to write her very own Christmas rhymes. Written with warmth and humor, this lovely story is a perfect starting point for discussions of the “olden days”, as well as a charming introduction to the joys of collecting.

PICTURE BOOK - The Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett

Illustrated by the author

2009 in England
2010 US McMillan Children's

HC $17.99

Goodreads rating:  4.24 - 760 ratings

My rating: 5 - This is going to be along-time favorite, I love it!

Back cover:  “The Rabbit Problem:  This book is based on a problem that was solved in the 13^th Century by the Mathematician Fibonacci, but it is NOT (I repeat NOT) and book about math.  It is a book about rabbits… Lots of rabbits!”

My comments:  First of all, the book is made so you can SEE how it’s made, you can see the ¾-inch long stitches, you can see the four signatures, you can take a look at the spine and see how the book is put together.  For me, that’s cool.  Secondly, the book is made like a calendar.  Once you open to the first page you have to rotate the book and read it vertically.  There are even holes punched all the way through the book (including the cover) so that it could hang like a real calendar.  And then the cleverness starts.  So thirdly, each double-page spread has a small “something” attached that you have to read (and totally enjoy!) before you turn the page.  And fourthly (spoiler alert!!!):  the last two pages are a magnificent pop-up.

          An invitation; knitting directions; Bunny’s baby book; The Ministry of Carrots RATION BOOK (all filled in); “The Fibber”, Fibonacci Field’s only local newspaper; and the Carrot Cookbook are all totally delightful and hysterical.  Read every work, these are a riot.  Actually, the entire book is a riot.  Perfect for older kids and even adults for a good ha-ha-ha.

          And Fibonacci’s Principle is fully discovered, disclosed, and discussed.  There’s even a math problem involved if one desires to try to figure it out (I do!).  Every page bears details to delight one and all, so look carefully everywhere, and take your time.  What a treat!  Hugely recommended.

Goodreads:  Hop along to the Field and follow Lonely and Chalk Rabbit through a year as they try to cope with their fast expanding brood and handle a different seasonal challenge each month, from the cold of February to the wet of April and the heat of July.