The Small and the Mighty

I heard about The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon after friends in my book club were going to her book signing a few months ago. I hadn't heard of her or the book but looked into it and started following her on Instagram and then finally got the book from hold on the library. The book description says, "In The Small and the Mighty, Sharon McMahon proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn’t make it into the textbooks. Not the presidents, but the telephone operators. Not the aristocrats, but the schoolteachers. Through meticulous research, she discovers history’s unsung characters and brings their rich, riveting stories to light for the first time. You’ll meet a woman astride a white horse riding down Pennsylvania Ave, a young boy detained at a Japanese incarceration camp, a formerly enslaved woman on a mission to reunite with her daughter, a poet on a train, and a teacher who learns to work with her enemies. More than one thing is bombed, and multiple people surprisingly become rich. Some rich with money, and some wealthy with things that matter more. This is a book about what really made America – and Americans – great. McMahon’s cast of improbable champions will become familiar friends, lighting the path we journey in our quest to make the world more just, peaceful, good, and free."

This was a great read. I really loved learning about the inspiring people she introduced. Most were pretty new to me, while some (Claudette Colvin) I had already read about before and knew a lot about. The stories were engaging, though sometimes I had trouble following how she connected separate people's stories. I thought the book had a valuable message about how the strength of America is in individual people who make a difference in the ways they can.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All

I got Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller after seeing it won a Newbery Honor this year. The book description says, "Down at the bottom of the tall buildings of New York City, Magnolia Wu sits inside her parents’ laundromat. She has pinned every lost sock from the laundromat onto a bulletin board in hopes that customers will return to retrieve them. But no one seems to have noticed. In fact, barely anyone has noticed Magnolia at all. What she doesn’t know is that this is about to be her most exciting summer yet. When Iris, a new friend from California arrives, they set off across the city to solve the mystery of each missing sock, asking questions in subways and delis and plant stores and pizzerias, meeting people and uncovering the unimaginable. With each new encounter, Magnolia learns that when you’re bold enough to head into the unknown, things start falling into place."

This was a great read. It made me laugh (lots of funny little parts throughout), and I thought it had some good lessons layered into the book (friendship, racism, kindness). It's kind of a unique Newbery because it's a little bit of a younger middle grade book (shorter book and has pictures), which I loved. I thought it was an entertaining book with likable characters and an engaging plot (a little bit of mystery). The author definitely has a strong voice, and I think this will end up being an enjoyable series if the author writes more. I'll recommend this read to my kids.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Johnny, the Sea, and Me

I saw Johnny, the Sea, and Me by Melba Escobar on the ALA youth media awards this year as a Batchelder Honor book (an outstanding children's book that originated in a country outside of the US and a language other than English), so I got it from the library. The book description says, "Pedro is dealing with a lot for a ten-year-old kid, both at school and at home. So he's overjoyed when his mom surprises him with a trip to see the ocean—an experience he's been dreaming about for a long time! Maybe this trip will make everything better. Maybe it will make his dad come back to him and his mom. Maybe he will stop being bullied at school, once he's seen the ocean! But things go wrong right from the start between Pedro and his mom, and all seems lost, until Pedro is found and taken in by a gruff old sea dog who has something magical about him."

This was a fun read. It made me smile and chuckle and had great illustrations. It was a pretty short chapter book (I read it in under an hour), and I think it'd be a fun read aloud with my kids. I particularly enjoyed the long story told by the parrot, Victoria. The book was originally written in Spanish, but I feel like the translator did a great job because the book seemed to have a great voice.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Safe Harbor

I saw Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman on a new book list and got it from the library since I really liked the author's book The Bridge Home. This book description says, "When Geetha and her mom move from India to Rhode Island after her parents’ divorce, they leave everything Geetha loves behind—her family, her friends, her dog, and all that’s familiar. As if that’s not hard enough, Geetha is bullied at her new school for her clothes, her food, and her English (who knew so many English words could be spelled or pronounced differently in the US—or just be altogether different!). She finds some solace in playing her flute and writing poetry, and even more when she meets Miguel, a kid with whom she has a lot in common, and the two of them help rescue an injured harp seal stranded on the beach. But Geetha can feel her anger building over lots of things—careless people who pollute the sea and hurt animals, and her mom for making her move. She’s never been so sad and angry. She can see a lot of her fears mirrored in the injured seal when she visits it at the Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center, and this broadens her understanding of survival skills. And when she and Miguel start a beach-clean-up venture, she’s surprised to find how many kind kids are out there. Geetha is torn as the time comes to let the seal go, knowing she’ll miss him, but wanting the best for him. She’s learning to live with mixed feelings and accept that while there will always be rough waters, there are plenty of safe harbors too."

This was a great read. It was super short (and written in verse), and I pretty much finished it in one sitting. I loved the characters of Geetha and Miguel and just felt like the book had just lots of little plot things that progressed nicely alongside the story of the seal. I think this would be a relatable book for kids in lots of ways (bullying, moving, caring about the environment, etc.). Good book.

* * (2/3 = Liked it)

The Enchanted Hacienda

I read The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes for my newer book club with younger friends at church.  The book description says, "When Harlow Estrada is abruptly fired from her dream job and her boyfriend proves to be a jerk, her world turns upside down. She flees New York City to the one place she can always call home—the enchanted Hacienda Estrada. The Estrada family farm in Mexico houses an abundance of charmed flowers cultivated by Harlow’s mother, sisters, aunt, and cousins. By harnessing the magic in these flowers, they can heal hearts, erase memories, interpret dreams—but not Harlow. So when her mother and aunt give her a special task involving the family’s magic, she panics. How can she rise to the occasion when she is magicless? But maybe it’s not magic she’s missing, but belief in herself. When she finally embraces her unique gifts and opens her heart to a handsome stranger, she discovers she’s far more powerful than she imagined."

This was an ok read for me. I don't read a lot of romance type books and felt like a lot of it was kinda cheesy, and there was also quite a bit of language and some sketchier content I had to skip over. I liked the magical realism genre, and the premise was kinda fun (except for the fact that it almost seemed like an Encanto copycat at the beginning in some ways). I did like the message of the book in that our difficulties in life lead us to where we need to be and give us experiences we need to grow. 

* (1/3 = It was okay)

It's All or Nothing, Vale

I saw It's All of Nothing, Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango on a list of new books and so got it from the library. I've read two other books by the author (Iveliz Explains It All and Something Like Home) and loved them both so thought this would be a good read as well. The book description says, "No one knows hard work and dedication like Valentina Camacho. And Vale’s thing is fencing. She’s the top athlete at her fencing gym. Or she was . . . until the accident. After months away, Vale is finally cleared to fence again, but it’s much harder than before. Her body doesn’t move the way it used to, and worst of all is the new number one: Myrka. When she sweeps Vale aside with her perfect form and easy smile, Vale just can’t accept that. But the harder Vale fights to catch up, the more she realizes her injury isn’t the only thing holding her back. If she can’t leave her accident in the past, then what does she have to look forward to?"

I enjoyed this read. The author did a great job creating characters you really get to know and understand, and she really described well the journey Vale was facing. I did feel like the book was kind of heavy -- like lots Vale was dealing with internally and not talking to her parents and sorting through things like she needed to. I don't know if the author could have written it differently to give it more of a positive vibe, but I just felt like that made it hard for me to read for most of the book. I was almost going to rate it "it was okay," but things came together really nicely in the end and gave me a happier feel. This one is for ages 10-14, so it's one of those upper middle grade books--I tagged it as both children and young adult for that reason.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Reasons to Look at the Night Sky

I saw Reasons to Look at the Night Sky by Danielle Daniel on a list of new books and so got it from the library. The book description says, "Luna has always loved the night sky. She's an eleven-year-old who knows everything there is to know about space, and dreams of one day becoming an astronaut. The first step in her plan to get there is to ace the space unit in her science class and secure a spot in NASA's summer space camp. But when Luna's teacher is unexpectedly replaced with a substitute, Ms. Manitowabi, who is looking to shake up science class by bringing in art, Luna's carefully laid plans are crushed. And that's not all that's shifting in Luna's life — changes at home and in her friendships have her feeling topsy-turvy. What on Planet Earth is happening?"

I thought this was a sweet read. It didn't particularly engage me, but I thought Luna would be a relatable character for kids as she encountered friendship issues, unexpected twists to things she was looking forward to, navigating school, etc. There was just a lot for middle grade kids to relate to. I also liked the tie-in to the Native American star stories and found that interesting. And the book cover is really beautiful! I feel like this book was kinda in between liked and it was okay, but it didn't quite make the cut to 2 stars.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)