Cybils Review: SUEE AND THE SHADOW by Ginger Ly and Molly Park

Synopsis: Suee and the Shadow was a Cybils finalist in 2017 for Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novels. This ghost story with a touch of horror—but not too much—will appeal to older elementary kids especially. Set in a school in Korea, it stars main character Suee, a young girl reminiscent of Emily Strange. She wears black all the time and doesn't have any friends at her new school. One day, she discovers the forbidden-to-students exhibit room, and as it turns out, she might not have been alone in there…

And then things start to get REALLY weird. First, her shadow has come to life and started talking. But even more alarming is when she discovers that the school hierarchy consists not only of the usual groups of jerks and wanna-bes, it also includes the Zeroes, who walk around all zombie-like and weird and have to go to a special classroom. What's going on at this crazy school? And just what does Suee's shadow have to do with it all?

Observations: I really enjoyed how relatable this one is; it takes place in a Korean school, but it feels like it could be any elementary school anywhere in terms of the worries and feelings of the students, and in the types of challenges they face. Suee is quirky, but with depth, and a well-developed sense of snark. I really enjoyed the artwork in this one, too—the blend of humor and spookiness was well done, the characters were easy to follow, and the overall style was appealing.

The book does a good job of weaving in common concerns of school and home and family with the suspenseful and supernatural creepiness of the ghost story, with thought-provoking moments that deal with the meaning of friendship, the subtle provocations of classism, and the emotional cost of bullying.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. You can find SUEE AND THE SHADOW by Ginger Ly and Molly Park at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Cybils Review: PASHMINA by Nidhi Chanani

Synopsis: This was such a charming, delightful story about the many questions that come up for kids whose families have in some way crossed cultures. I found a lot to relate to personally here, as the daughter of an immigrant from India/Pakistan. I also really enjoyed the fantastical twist. From the jacket copy:

Priyanka Das has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri’s mom avoids these questions―the topic of India is permanently closed.

For Pri, her mother's homeland can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she find a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a place more vivid and colorful than any guidebook or Bollywood film. But is this the real India? And what is that shadow lurking in the background? To learn the truth, Pri must travel farther than she’s ever dared and find the family she never knew.

Observations: Pashmina is a wonderful and colorful rendition of growing up Indian-American, with all the cultural baggage (sometimes literal baggage) that entails. Children of immigrants in particular will see a lot they recognize here, and those who aren't children of immigrants will catch a vivid glimpse of what it's like to have that relationship with the "old country," its traditions and religion and even cultural mores. The shock of what it's like to visit India for the first time is also nicely rendered.

The book is nicely pitched to appeal to a wide range of ages. The cute animal characters in the world revealed by Priyanka's shawl are adorable and mysterious, and the elements of darkness in this tale are thought-provoking without being scary. I loved the deceptively simple, appealing style of the artwork, too. The drawings of places in India contrasted well with America, and the images were easy to read.

In terms of the language used, the use of Hindi and "Hinglish" was really well done, and provides not just a particular "flavor" for non-Indian readers but is accurate and recognizable for those American-Born Confused Desis among us. The glossary is a great addition, too, although the visuals make it possible to figure out vocabulary from context.

Conclusion: This is one of those books I wanted to hug (but I couldn't, because it was a digital review copy!). There still aren't enough stories about and/or featuring 2nd-generation Indian-Americans—it's such a complex and multilayered and varied experience—so I was happy to see one that not only covers the topic an a thought-provoking and satisfying way, but also doesn't limit itself to being a particular "type" of story. (Priyanka draws comics, and has an identity that isn't just about being South Asian.) I look forward to seeing more from this author!

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher for Cybils. You can find PASHMINA by Nidhi Chanani at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Cybils SpecFic Bookmark: THE MARROW THIEVES by CHERIE DIMALINE

Happy December! The Cybils Countdown Continues!

The Cybils SpecFic Bookmark: As a panelist for Cybils YA Speculative Fiction, Round 1, I'm going to be briefly writing up some of the hundreds of book I read as part of the award. As panelist conclusions are not for public consumption, the purpose of these write-ups is to keep track of what I'm reading, and will mostly touch on plot synopsis, with minimal comments on thematic tropes.

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Synopsis: After the Melt, nothing is the same as it was, though Frenchie has heard stories. Epidemic disease, flooding, earthquakes and other disasters rage and the natural world is wildly out of balance. And then, the madness takes hold, as people lose the capacity to dream. In tribal communities, whispers of "Recruiters" surface. It seems that, together with the Church, the world has discovered a cure for the hopelessness and madness, and a way to save themselves. As always, this salvation comes through the blood of sacrifice - but only the sacrifice of some. The indigenous people in North America have not been touched by the chaos in the larger world. Their communities remain ...sane, and in the marrow of the indigenous peoples has been discovered to be a cure. "Recruited" into "helping" to save the world, indigenous people are being forced into residential housing and robbed of their bone marrow. It saves those unable to dream - and decimates the tribal populations.

With his father gone, his mother abandoning him and his brother lost to him, Frenchie at sixteen is shattered, heartsick, desperate and ill. Feverish and self-destructing, he stumbles on two other Elders and a passel of little kids also seeking their loved ones and trying to make some sort of a family and a home on the run. Wary and hopeful, he falls in with their pack, and begins to lose his heart to this band of survivors - and to make room in his heart for real love. Survival, however, can wear a person to the bone, and then disaster, which is always so close, strikes. In their quest to regain what they've lost, Frenchie and his team find what they weren't expecting -- in loss, promise, in conviction, re-connection. Through disaster and rebuilding, they learn that the things we love we truly never let go.

Observations: Every time I hear people telling me that post-apocalyptic fiction or dystopia is dead, I find a book in which there is a new and clever way of fleshing out what could be a stale and weary literary device. The author doesn't just plug North American indigenous tribes into a trite formula, however, but deeply weaves truth and metaphor into a conflicting and revealing story.

That the world ends badly and everything goes to hell is, of course, the basis of a post-apocalyptic novel, but too often speculative fiction then retreats into a story of mostly white females escaping from zombies or something. I especially appreciated this book because a.) there is a family here, with the sacred love between siblings that allows them to sacrifice for each other, b.) the story has nonwhite allies who have put their sweat and blood into saving people, and thus does not further the white savior narrative, c.) there is love of all kinds, and in fact that love story rises above the darkness and desperation of familiar losses and desperation. The disaster-and-survival aspect of the post-apocalyptic narrative is another place where the book is different... despite the impacts of global warming, earthquakes, and floods, the survivors don't seem unable to face the task. Not that living rough as an 'Apocalyptic Boy Scout' is anything but wearying and at times, dangerous; not that people don't sometimes greet a bed in an abandoned hotel with the greatest of joy. It's that these characters have their Elders and stories of the past on which to draw courage and techniques to survive. They each take up their burden - with only minimal outbursts of the unfairness of it all - and they get on with their true task, which is to rescue their lost ones, and recover their families again.

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside our bones, which, in newborn babies, produces new marrow cells, or stem cells. By young adulthood, the marrow inside the bones of the hands, feet, arms, and legs stop producing new marrow cells, and active marrow remains only in the spine, hip and shoulder bones, ribs, breastbone, and skull. All bone marrow produces blood cells, called red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells - the things which are key to life, growth, and our survival, by which we fight off disease. When the "Recruiters" come to steal the marrow from the indigenous people in the book, this echoes the metaphor of what was done in American and Canadian history to indigenous children in the Westernizing residential schools. In taking their freedom and their language, their cultural health was being stolen in return for emptiness and death.

Conclusion: There is an exquisitely painful irony in the idea that marrow is what cures society of its inability to dream, and that they are taking the marrow from the indigenous peoples in the story. Despite the metaphor and shifting layers of depth and meaning, this is still an active story with a heart - at turns grim and painful, brutal and inevitable, and in other moments, tender and careful, hopeful and beautiful. It is not a fast-paced adventure, and this is not a book you will be able to skim through and put away. It draws readers in and they may find they care deeply about the wisdom and sacrifice of Minerva; about Miig and the memories he holds around his neck, a pouch full of glass shards and lost hope; about Rose and her round cheeks and flinty will; about Frenchie, and his longing for something - safety, maybe, freedom, and hope. This book will likely resonate with readers who enjoyed Walter Dean Myers' post-apocalyptic novel ON A CLEAR DAY, Patrick Ness' THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, Moira Young's BLOOD RED ROAD, or Ann Aguire's ENCLAVE series.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. You can find THE MARROW THIEVES by Cherie Dimaline at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Cybils SpecFic Bookmark: THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO, by F.C. YEE

The Cybils Speculative Fiction Bookmark:

As a panelist for Cybils YA Speculative Fiction, Round 1, I'm going to be briefly writing up some of the hundreds of book I read as part of the award. As panelist conclusions are not for public consumption, the purpose of these write-ups is to keep track of what I'm reading, and will mostly touch on plot synopsis, with minimal comments on thematic tropes.

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Synopsis: Eugenia "Genie" Lo - one of way too many Eugenias of her generation - has always been a bit of a firebrand. Unlike her fashionable friend Yunie - another Chinese Eugenia - Genie finds her center in her homework - which she does routinely, expertly and superbly - and in ignoring her mother's ranting, which she also does like a boss, because her mother is always screaming about something. A Bay Area kid living in the SiliValley, she also bitterly acknowledges that she's just like most of the hordes of teens living in the land asphalt, parking lots, bubble tea shops and strip mall nail salons: she's an education junkie. She's high-achieving. She's Asian. She's desperate to get out of the reach of her mother's voice, and into A Good School. Princeton, for preference, or even Harvard. So, when this weird new guy at school scopes her out and says, "You belong to me...?" Oh, nu-uh. Nope. Not in this lifetime. Genie Lo has way too many other plans - mainly to work on not being just like her father and to get the heck out of dodge.

But Quentin Sun - new guy - is not prepared to leave Genie alone, and soon, Genie realizes she needs him - and not just because he's ridiculously good looking. Quentin is all Genie has to teach her what she needs to know to save the world... and soon it's time to school herself on perfecting a whole new set of skills -- those of demon fighting. Genie's pretty sure she can't do it, but Quentin Sun is only an international transfer student in Earth's realm... in the Heavenly Realm of the Jade Emperor, he's the Monkey King, down to the love of peaches and the fuzzy tail. ...And Genie? Well, she's a reincarnated sidekick of his. Quentin's convinced that he and Genie's shared power will be enough to answer the rash of demon incursions on Earth - and into the Bay Area. They're terrifyingly strong and flesh-eating, and it's crucial Genie gets on board with the plan before more people - human people on the earth plane - are brutally murdered and eaten. But, what about being on track for an Ivy League? What about all of her plans? Right now, Genie's got a lot of studying to do - about everything, including the world as she once believed it to be - and there's not enough time...

Observations: Many YA readers were first introduced to this oldest and greatest of Chinese fables, the story of the Monkey King, in Gene Luen Yang's AMERICAN BORN CHINESE. The adventures of the Monkey King in that book are myriad and surreal. Author F.C. Yee renders these same surreal battles between "the good guys" and the demons through the eyes of one of the newest good guys - a sarcastic, short-tempered California teen who just wants to get on with things so she can polish up her college entry essays and go back to crushing her opponents on the volleyball court.

Readers seeking the trope of the "strong female character" will find a lot more than they bargained for here. Genie is strong both physically and mentally, and by meeting these characters from Chinese myth, she is learning to be strong spiritually. There is a lot of humor and snark which will appeal to many teens, and a lot of exploration of the various roles of Bodhisattva, gods, and monsters in the Buddhist pantheon, which also makes this an unique foray into the mythological and folktale history of Chinese literature.

Conclusion: This novel is written cinematically, in that readers may be able to envision each chapter as a television episode along the lines of THE MIDDLEMAN or a comic book. The colorful descriptions and sharp-edged snark combined with completely surreal demons and monsters make this a fast-paced, quick read which engages the attention and doesn't let it go.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library. You can find THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO by F.C. Yee at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Cybils SpecFic Bookmark: REBEL SEOUL by AXIE OH

The Cybils Speculative Fiction Bookmark:

As a panelist for Cybils YA Speculative Fiction, Round 1, I'm going to be briefly writing up some of the hundreds of books I read as part of the award. As panelist conclusions are not for public consumption, the purpose of these write-ups is primarily to keep track of what I'm reading, and will mostly touch on plot synopsis, with minimal comments on thematic tropes.

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Synopsis: Lee Jaewon is doing what he has to, to stay in the Neo Seoul military school where he attends. His side-hustle in this war-torn place is actually three jobs - one of student, doing his best to hang on to his grades, and the other two as couriers for war vets - and those who need black market items. He's barely making ends meet, but he's got rent money and food, at least. Alone in the world - abandoned by his bestie, who stepped away from him to gain power in a gang, and by his mother, who, after the execution of his father for being a traitor to the new state, left Jaewon to the Old Seoul gangs when he was eight, so he'd have a "better life," Jaewon is a realist - and bitter. As a realist - and the son of a traitor - the worst thing Jaewon could do is get mixed up with the Director's son and his mad schemes, but here he is -- being recruited to the military weapons complex in Neo Seoul. He's a senior with everything to lose, so he's going to do his best to make his mark, take his money at the end of two years, and escape his past.

At least that was the plan before he discovered what his job for the military is going to be - working in weapons development. And the weapon is a supersoldier... a girl who doesn't exist, who has no future, and no past. She's a weapon. When Jaewon realizes that he sees her as a person, he tries to keep his distance. She warns him that she will hurt him -- that eventually, she hurts everyone. As events hurtle to a confrontation between New and Old Seoul, the state and the seething rebellion of the people, Jaewon wonders what it is that he's been fighting for - and if any nationstate is worthwhile if it treats people as objects. There are choices to be made.

Observations: There are myriad Korean words used within the text, many of which the reader will be able to decipher from context clues, and many Asian groups represented in authentic and matter-of-fact ways, including the correct ordering of their patronymic and given names, which is nice to see. This is a wildly futuristic novel, and the setting is chock full of bright lights, K-Pop style bands, vice and luxury existing alongside filth and poverty, all set against the backdrop of an endless rebellion after the war in the East Pacific. Yet, for all of the Blade-runner vibe, this is a sweeping, deeply sentimental romance -- boy meets girl, girl could break boy in half, they fall in love anyway. The deeper theme of both loving and criticizing a national ideology are especially pertinent for readers of all nations just now, and engage critical thinking beyond the satisfyingly swoony and dramatic romance.

Conclusion: A sure hit for teens seeking cinematic, action-packed, futuristic science fiction, this novel also touches on quieter emotions such as loneliness, loyalty, and love.

I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. You can find REBEL SEOUL by Axie Oh at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: ARROW OF LIGHTNING by JOSEPH BRUCHAC

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

A funny thing happened on the way to reading a book, way back in 2013, that I didn't think I'd enjoy... I fell in love with a world, a character, and an entire series.

"Fast-paced, action-packed, and easy to get into, KILLER OF ENEMIES is a dystopian fantasy that flat-out erases the stereotypical "simple Native" tale in favor of a cold-eyed, sharp-shooting monster-killing menace, whose powers are freaking her out, but who is nonetheless DETERMINED to save her little corner of the world, and those she loves." - my original review.

I eagerly swallowed down ROSE EAGLE, the much-too-short prequel to KILLER that I wasn't aware I was jonesing for, with a character who is NOT superhuman, and who, in fact, falls down, gets dirty, and screws things up. She wins anyway, because she knows how to accept help. I whined until -- finally -- TRAIL OF THE DEAD was released, showing us a different side of the derring-do super heroine main character from KILLERS than we'd known before, as she struggles with being in charge, and mastering herself.

And then, we moved. And I MISSED being part of everything - I missed doing the cover reveal and reviewing ARROW OF LIGHTNING the day it came out. I saw it on Edelweiss and gasped out loud. HOW did I miss it!?! And, as always, I feared, What if it isn't as good??!

Silly me.

Synopsis: As the book begins, Rose and her band are heading out, ranging wider and further from the Valley Where First Light Paints the Cliffs in their quest to find and gather more people who are under the tyrannical control of the Ones and their last henchmen. Just when she feels a little less wobbly on her feet, Lozen's on her own again. Unfortunately, her Power is still... unsettled. Surely all is well now, and all real enemies slain? Nope. And the trouble is not the massive genmod river dweller that she and Hussein discover -- and which her surprising new Power helps dispatch. Her Power shows her something much less reassuring - that her archnemesis Luther Four Deaths is still ... living. And, the Jester and Lady Time are sending him after her. Again. What's it going to take to make this dude finally have to die!? Lozen is frustrated - and afraid. She realizes that the way she's been stomping out fires wherever she finds them isn't going to work anymore. She's made a promise to herself to take no more human life, and so... she must leave her band of family and friends, and stake out herself as bait, in hopes of bringing the fight to herself. She doesn't quite know what she'll do, then. She'll have Hussein with her - and hopefully, between the two of them, they'll come up with... something.

Of course, no plan works that smoothly. Before she can even get away to begin hunting Luther, a plague of locus and some of the Ones' henchmen reappear, and the entire encampment, in their safe, fire-proof, cliff-dwellings are suddenly threatened. Lozen has to make some choices - hard choices - and walk away from the people she believed it was her responsibility to safeguard. She wants a happily-ever-after with Hussein and with her people, she might even want a family, like Rose is carrying for a few more months -- but to get all of that, those hunting her have to go. Lozen, for the first time, is truly overwhelmed. Even Hussein can't calm or cure her - and he doesn't try. Lozen walks her path alone but for the wisdom of Coyote in the stories from her father and Uncle Chato, and from the Horse People, who lend their calm and support. And, putting one foot in front of the other, with no superior wisdom, and with a new Power that seems unreliable and shaky at best, Lozen does what must be done, one more time.

The theme of this novel is change, and who changes, and why, and how may surprise you.

Observations: Of all of the exhausting battles, cleverly unique monsters, diabolical shenanigans of the Ones and hard grind of living with a heightened sense of danger and survival at all times, the one thing that separates the KILLER OF ENEMIES series from other post-apocalyptic/survivalist narratives is that these books are wise... and hopeful. Wise, because Lozen may carry the burden of being the one with the plots and the plans, to keep the life and limb of her ragtag community together, she is but the namesake of another Lozen of long ago, who, too, held the torch for her people, and helped them to overcome. Thus, she is never alone with the burden. There is a Bedu story, to help her remember what to do. There is a Coyote tale, or a visitation from the ever-annoying Halley. There are sparks of skill from her younger siblings, and surprising contributions from the older generation. Lozen is surrounded by stories, wrapped in wisdom, and carried on the shoulders of her people as a leader - they lend her their minds, and they collaborate together to survive.

Readers encountering Lozen's community can't help but wonder how to draw some of that wisdom and hope into their own communities... and therein is woven the magic of a brilliant story. Monsters? Yes. Great evil? Yes. Unbeatable odds? Yes. But community and survival, and a "we'll do it anyway" attitude? Also yes - and that gives me life.

Conclusion: There is nothing on earth as satisfying as an excellent conclusion. I really kind of hate leaving Lozen's beautiful, sere landscape, filled with things which want to strip the flesh from my bones. How Bruchac made this place seem like home, I don't really know... except that he made the Spirits whisper in the wind, and shine down from the stars. No empty landscape filled with enemies here; this place is inhabited, and its heart beats. I want to go back... so it's time to re-read the first one again. You're welcome to join me.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of Lee & Low Publishing. You can find ARROW OF LIGHTNING by Joseph Bruchac at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: BLACKBIRD FLY, by ERIN ENTRADA KELLY

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

It's another Erin Kelly book! I heard a lot of good things about this book from the Cybils crew last year, and was happy to read it. Also, not gonna lie, the title does good things for me, because I can just hear that pretty little guitar riff from the Beatles song. ☺ Content commentary: The bullying in this novel seems pretty brutal to some people, but to me, for middle grade, it feels gruelingly spot on. Your mileage may vary.

Synopsis: Chapel Spring, Louisiana, where Apple Yengko lives, isn't the type of place you'd write songs about. Certainly Apple won't do so, when she becomes famous. She's going to run away to New Orleans where she can have a guitar and make her living from it. Of course, she doesn't have a guitar yet. Her mother won't let her get one, even though music is all Apple has of her father, who died in the Philippines when she was only three. Since they emigrated to the U.S., Apple's mother has become the block in the road to a great many things Apple feels like she needs - like pizza and a normal name, and good friends. Why can't her mother understand the Beatles are everything? Why must they always eat pancit? Why can't her mother stay out of her way, and start calling her Analyn?

Apple knows, if she thinks about it, that it's not anyone's fault that she's on the Dog Log as the third ugliest in the school... and now even her best friends believe that she eats dog - and that her tilted eyes mean she's Chinese. Just as her girlfriends are beginning to "date" suddenly Apple is a social pariah - the boys bark at her in the hall as she passes, and her friends, humiliated by her mere existence, first won't speak to her, then actively seem to hate her... but why? Why don't they care that she's actually Filipino, and has never eaten dog in her life? Why are they acting like the Hot List matters, and listening to the boys? Apple's only escape comes through listening to Abbey Road and other Beatles albums. Her father loved the Beatles, and all Apple has left from him is a single old tape. She holds on to that tenuous link between herself and a man she doesn't really remember, and longs to fly away from her life. When she finds out that her class is going on a field trip to New Orleans, one of the only places Apple has ever seen musicians making a living from their art, she knows where she wants to go, to start a new life. Now, if she could just get a guitar...

As Apple's unhappiness grows, and she bends her natural personality more and more to accommodate her friends, she slowly begins to realize what she's giving up - dignity and character, and for what? For people who don't really see her, and want her to be the same as everyone else. Readers will cheer as Apple learns to stand up against bullying and her new friends help her to cherish the self she was throwing away. And finally, like the blackbird song she adores, she flies.

Observations: Erin Kelly writes emotional books - close to the root of one's feelings, allowing readers into the character's deepest inner mind - yet without making the reader feel guilty about things. Apple falls in line with the mean girls, and through her guilty silence, she shares in their worst behavior. She doesn't outwardly believe in the popularity "tiers" as her friend Alyssa does, but she acts like it, making her complicity actually worse. Because Apple doesn't sit in the seat of the Unassailably Right Behavior Judgment Panel like many other bullied characters do, she is realistically flawed - which as a protagonist makes her easier to relate to and to understand.

Despite her complicity, this is recognizably a redemption story. When it begins, Apple is in a place where nothing she IS is okay, and everything she is NOT is what she wants. She wants to be JUST an American, not a Filipino-American. She wants to be fair and blonde like her friends, have "good eyes," which to her meant eyes with no tilt and no epicanthal fold. She wants to throw away her native language and culture. It takes having a friend who has no special link to a particular heritage valuing her language and food and culture for her to be able to see it as anything worth keeping. Additionally, it's significant that he's white and male -- at Apple's school, where she is the ONLY Filipina, other white males are devaluing her for the same reasons Evan values her. As she learns to look at her mother with fresh eyes, her love outpaces Evan's regard for her culture, and she comes back into valuing herself for her own sake again. This is important, and allows Evan to be simply a catalyst for the work that needs to be done, and not the whole reason Apple sees herself correctly again by the story's end.

Conclusion: In middle school, kids are encouraged to step out of childhood and grow into themselves - but no one can reassure them that their "selves" are okay except their peers, who unfortunately are, at that point, jockeying for position and trying to shine as their best selves. It's an exhilarating and awful time - usually with more emphasis on the awful, unfortunately - but Kelly's characters see themselves through this awfulness into triumph, allowing readers to come along for the ride.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library, but it, like all of Kelly's books, is worth not just a Borrow but a Buy. You can find BLACKBIRD FLY by Erin Entrada Kelly at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: THE LAND OF FORGOTTEN GIRLS by ERIN ENTRADA KELLY

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

Though I don't often do so, after reading this book, I checked to see what kind of critical acclaim it had received. I was pleasantly surprised to see a star from SLJ, a star from Booklist, as well as a commendation from Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.

Content Commentary: This is may be painful or distressing to people who have experienced physical and psychological abuse. It's indirect enough that most kids will likely simply express unhappy surprise at some of the interactions, but more sensitive children (and knowing adults) may find themselves utterly brokenhearted. Provide tissues.

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Synopsis: Auntie Jove never did come to take them to live with her. Soledad expected her at seven, after her mother died, but now that she's twelve, she knows Auntie Jove was just a story - her mother didn't have a sister, and now she's dead. To comfort her little sister now, Sol shares the arresting, vibrant, beautiful adventure stories of the dashing Auntie Jove with her little sister, Dominga, to keep Ming's spirits up. Since their father left them, three years ago, things have been going from bad to worse with their stepmother, Tita Vea. Ming doesn't talk to Vea, and sometimes, she hardly talks to Sol. Her silence just pushes Vea to get worse and worse, to scream louder and louder, to pinch and throw ice water, and take their toys... They're not little girls in a fairytale story. There's no one going to step in and save them. And really, who should save them? Tita Vea always says Sol is a bad, bad girl.

Soledad is so bad, she and her best friend, Manny, sometimes pick on the kids from other schools for fun. She's so bad, she steals from the corner store - and now Ming's done it, too, which is NOT what Soledad intended. Sol is so bad, she's responsible for her other little sister, Amelia's death, when Amelia was only ten. And recently Sol threw a pinecone at a girl's head, and the girl ....had to get stitches. Oops.

Sol believes herself to be bad, but not quite that bad. After some effort, she tracks down the girl, with her pale skin and paler complexion, and Soledad apologizes. In doing so, she discovers that it's not so hard to make a enemy a friend... All it takes is listening. The girls share stories, and Soledad begins to feel a little bit heard, realizing that harsh realities feel just as harsh to others, even when they've got different problems. Now that the weird skateboarding girl from the snobby school talks to her, and the boy who hangs around with her, Sol's almost got three new friends. Things get a tiny bit brighter, for Sol, at least. But after Ming's theft, Tita Vea has been told, and there was Real Trouble. Since then, Ming's been... acting odd. She's insisting that Auntie Jove is coming for her -- and her silences grow louder. She's packing her bags. She's retreating inside of her own head, and Soledad can't get her out. Now all of her trips to Blackbeard's junkyard to find her a special something just might be in vain. She's got to find someone to help her -- but is there anyone who sees them?

Observations: It's rare to see a book with Filipino main characters, and these girls were born in the Philippines, and immigrated to the U.S. Most of us who live in California grew up with immigrants surrounding us at work, at school, and in our neighborhoods. More of us who lived on the margins will recognize that at times, the real America to which these families came did not mesh well with dreams the families brought with them, nor with the cultures and mores of the countries these families had left behind. This caused some tension in those families, and for a variety of reasons, in a variety of ways, many of us observed this tension. While I dealt with the fallout from this tension, teaching group home students, I have never seen a book deal with this specifically. It was heartbreaking and strengthening in myriad ways, because how often do kids in trouble - immigrants or no, being bullied by children, or by the adults who are meant to care for them - how often do they wish desperately that someone saw them? The children in this story were visible, by virtue of finding people to listen amongst their peers, by virtue of learning to listen to others, and through the salvation of a silent but kind neighbor. This made me wonder how I could do better at seeing, and will spark some important conversations with the big-hearted and intelligent children who read this.

There are magical elements of the story, as Amelia appears and reappears as Soledad's conscience, in a manner of speaking, but she is ambiguously not much of a ghost, but more of Soledad's inner mind, or what she believes a protective adults would think or say. Amelia tries to help Soledad be an amazing sister to their baby sister, Ming, and her proactiveness allows Ming as much protection as their rough world affords. This tender relationship provides a tendril of hope and allows mature readers to set aside their sadness at the circumstances in which the girls find themselves, and embrace the truths, that story is a lifeline, that sisters can be fierce protectors, and that hope is sometimes found by taking less traditional and unexpected paths.

Conclusion: This novel is not tied neatly in a bow; life, especially lives in the margin, are a series of victories and defeats. The story certainly ends with the traditional "kernel of hope" however, and most readers can clearly see better days ahead. Some readers will find it "too depressing" and be upset that an adult writer articulated so clearly the struggles of children, but I encourage you not to allow your feelings to be centered, and shift your focus to potential young readers. It's important that more privileged children learn that not everyone has their privileges, and it's important for less privileged children to know that their lives and struggles have meaning and validity and that they are seen. The voices in this book are real and true, and Soledad is allowed to be "bad," angry, confused, and flawed. The adults in this book are not irredeemably bad, either; Vea is a selfish, monstrously abusive woman, but she is also an immature person who paid a staggeringly high price for what she wanted, feels trapped, and doesn't know how to better herself. There are complexities available to the reader who doesn't assume this entire book can be understood in a single glance.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library, but for me, this is a Buy book not a Borrow. You can find THE LAND OF FORGOTTEN GIRLS by Erin Entrada Kelly an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: YOU BRING THE DISTANT NEAR by MITALI PERKINS

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

It is the best of times... it is the worst of times. It is the time of unremitting nonsense. It is the time of sobering reality. It is a time of despair, it is a time for hope. Which means it's a perfect time for this gorgeous, gorgeous book.

Synopsis: Bengali sisters Tara and Sonia Das both want different things - Tara, to finally fit in to her place, Sonia, to have a moment -- a moment -- to herself to breathe, and write and think. With the help of their indulgent father and traditional mother, Tara fulfills her need to blend, first in London, then in the U.S. by calling on her vivid acting skills to inhabit and embody someone else. Sonia escapes to the fire escape with her notebook. Each girl's way of coping and acclimating to being an immigrant means stepping away from what they knew in London, and becoming someone new, even as they defend, in each other, what makes them who they are. Tara relies on her acting skills, as Sonia loses herself in her gifted classes. Family, even one as closely knit as the immigrant Das family has to be, is a sometimes fragile boat, and the expectations and stresses of the desire for a "good life" begin to feel like they're going to swamp it -- but finally as things work out, life in America seems sweeter. They finally live out their nicknames of "Sunny and Star" and have learned from living in Flatbush, have gained experiences and lost prejudices and gone where their parents cannot follow. Meanwhile, after tough times, their parents experience a renewal of their love - and Dad receives the promotion of which he spoke. The family ship remains upright and watertight -- and then, capsizes.

As Sonia and Tara leave home, each trying to rediscover her equilibrium, college brings more challenges and changes. There, they still grapple with who they are, and how they present themselves as both South Asians and Americans, as young woman and feminists. Each girls takes a a different track, which leads them into vastly different directions - one to small stages, then larger ones, then finally, to Mumbai; one straight back to Flatbush. Generations follow, each looking at their culture, language, and traditions with different eyes. When we are old, and when we are young, we are still challenged by how the world sees us, and must grapple with the questions of who we are, and who we want to be. What do we keep, that our families give us? What do we let fade away? What do we change to better suit ourselves? These are the heartfelt, crucial questions and observations the reader is confronted with, through three generations of shared sisterhood, culture, faith, and friendships.

Observations: With a shiny four starred reviews so far, we're very, very pleased to have had a chance to read and review our friend Mitali Perkins' latest book. (Also, Tanita is SUPER STOKED to have won it in a Goodreads giveaway - because THAT NEVER HAPPENS.) The beauty of having a hard copy of this book is the ability to pass it on. It could be given to a young adult -- but also to an older reader; the generational saga is beautifully inclusive. The jacket copy of this book uses the word "timeless," and though the eras and continents are distinctly laid out on the page, there is an element of "everyone"-ness that could make this story about any time, any lineage of women in any culture. It's a gifted rendering of what could be a very personal story - because there seem to be hints of autobiographical storytelling included - into something deeply universal.

I got choked up, laughed aloud, and became vexed with and for various characters at various times. Many teens will relate, both biracial and not -- to feeling pressure from family matriarchs who want their grand babies to be juuuust like them, despite the passage of time and eras. Questions of what beauty is, what womanhood means in feminist contexts and who best embodies these roles are things which the young and old women in this book encounter repeatedly. When Chantal's grandmothers join forces, they become TRULY their best selves. When the American cousin and the Mumbai cousins stop trying to change each other into being more or less immigrant or American, and truly see each other as they are - both, - the Das family remains unstoppable - strong, beautiful, and full of love that radiates to the world. Nosy aunties, scolding mothers, tsking uncles; Catholics, Hindus, atheists and all -- you'll want three generations of Das women to be your family, too.

Conclusion: This, more than anything, is a love story. How we love our sisters. How we love our families. How we love our cultures. How we hold each - and ourselves - lovingly, to a standard that says, 'we must improve. We must expand. We must be better than we were.' This is a love story about how we love those who are like us, and can come to loves those who are unlike us. It is a love story to hope, and the belief that, though we came from some distant then, now that we are here, we can choose to bring the old into the new, and love will ground and equal out the equation. We each of us inherits prejudices and circumstances; through our generations, we each can choose to leave those behind, and walk into a new world.

And I cannot articulate to you just how much I needed to have this book in my hand today.

It is lyrical, poetically beautiful writing, with realistic teen voices. It is a feminist book, about equal rights and inclusiveness without feeling like you're being schooled. Full stop: this is just a really great book, and I hope you have a chance to pick it up. It's worth it.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the Goodreads Giveaway. You can find YOU BRING THE DISTANT NEAR by Mitali Perkins at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: A CROWN OF WISHES by ROSHANI CHOKSHI

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

There's a lot of upheaval in moving house, and reading isn't something one often has time to do much of, but I'm choosing books which allow me to savor and enjoy them in snatches. This is one!

Synopsis: There were only impossible decisions left, and then Gauri, the princess of Bharata, was given as a prisoner of war to her kingdom’s enemies. They were supposed to kill her - but instead, Gauri was offered a choice: to play in the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor - for the chance to gamble on everything and win it all - her kingdom back, her respect, the lives of her family and loved ones. But, is it even possible, to change everything on a single wish?

Vikram is the son of a king, for all the good it will do him. A weak king, led by his counselors, a man whose petty cruelties have raised his son to a high estate that he can never possibly maintain. He has a title, but no power, and now he's being offered entrance to the Game... and a chance to have it all. Only, he has to have a partner. This prisoner of war - fierce and sharp-tongued - is hardly the best choice, but she's all he's got, in order to get a chance.

The Lord of Wealth is twisty, and just finding the city where the Tournament is held thrusts Vikram and Gauri into mortal peril. There's too much to battle - too much real, and too many things from their own minds. There's really no way to win, and even if they do make it through -- only one wish? What good will that do?

As long as there's a chance, though, neither combatant - contestant - will give up. Is it worth working together? Can they trust their hearts, to give them what they desire? As beautiful, poison-skinned women swan about, feasting on their fears, and clouds of storytelling birds flutter past, nothing is as it seems - and everything is worth more than they could have wanted...and wanting anything is deadly.

Observations: Though this is a second book in a series, it reads, to me, as a book which could easily stand alone, so can be honestly called simply a "companion novel." The first book in this series enthralled many; this second book will make believers out of many more. It's even better than the first, by my lights.

I dislike having to put books down, and prefer to be a stem-to-stern reader, swallowing stories whole, but that's not always an option. This book is delightfully lush and filled with beautifully descriptive allegory, which can be digested in small bites. I'm reminded of a South Asian Odyssey, with shades of Christina Rosseti's "Goblin Market," and shades of ALICE IN WONDERLAND. There's a lot of loveliness here to take in, and I imagine fans of Cornelia Funke's INKHEART will find common ground here.

Conclusion: I love an adventure story which takes readers through the looking glass and down the metaphorical rabbit hole. Thrown together, two vastly different type of people must first see the value in each other's ways, then together, determine how best to travel the labyrinthine mythical lands and interpret clues and hints to find the Lord of Wealth, and beg entrance to the Game of these magical beings, most of which consider humans great sport, and tasty around the spinal cord... The beautifully written story is evocative and thought-provoking, and there are so many lovely turns of phrase. Also, a lot of sarcasm, anger, and a girl who's the fastest draw in the West with her dagger and sword. Surprisingly fun.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. After March 28th, you can find A CROWN OF WISHES by Roshani Chokshi at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Cybils Finalist Review: MS. MARVEL VOL. 5: SUPER FAMOUS

Synopsis: The level of fun in this teen-superhero series continues to be high (see my previous reviews of Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 for some backstory). Kamala Khan is relatable and diverse, a girl who has concerns about friend and school and family and culture and struggles to balance them with her superhero lifestyle. There's lots of humor here, too, as Kamala makes mistakes like a teenager and they somehow compound themselves into total chaos. Here's the Amazon synopsis:

She's your new favorite. She's everyone's new favorite. And now she's joining the big leagues. Look out world, Kamala Khan is officially an Avenger! But will being one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes be everything she imagined? Or is life as a celebrity harder than she thought? But while saving the world is important, Jersey City still needs its protector too. A development company that co-opted Ms. Marvel's face for its project might well have more in mind for gentrification than just real estate. Can Kamala take down the evil suits destroying her home without ruining her personal life? Speaking of which, who exactly is that with Bruno? Get back on board and cling on, Kamala Korps, the ride is about to get wilder than ever!

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Observations: Bonus points for diversity here and for depicting a Pakistani-American Muslim family in positive terms (despite a minor linguistic quibble or two on my part) and for showing the diversity of Muslims as well. In this volume, we see Kamala's brother engaged to an African-American Muslim woman, and we see variation WITHIN a culture as well as variation between cultures. Besides this, I was impressed by the variety of themes covered here in a superhero comic—themes relevant to teen life and growing up, like how to be there for, and be true to, both self and family. It was also a fun addition to see Kamala having joined the Avengers, and struggling with yet another new role to play in her already-hectic life.

Oddly enough, perhaps, I'm impressed with the colorist on this series—the use of color adds a lot of atmosphere and helps focus attention on the characters and the action. As always, it's fun and well-drawn, and just a bit cartoony, appropriate to a superhero with goofy stretching and shrinking powers and a tendency to get into outlandish predicaments.

Conclusion: If you enjoyed the previous installments, you'll want to continue reading this series. There are so many good reasons to spread understanding and acceptance of Islam and Muslim Americans, especially now, and providing young Muslim girls (and young girls in general) with an all-American superhero they can identify with is an admirable accomplishment.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of my library. You can find MS. MARVEL VOL. 5: SUPER FAMOUS by G. Willow Wilson, Leon Alphona, and Takeshi Miyazawa at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: GOD SMITES AND OTHER MUSLIM GIRL PROBLEMS by ISHARA DEEN

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

While I've been pretty quiet lately (apologies, all: packing to move is no joke), I am still reading! I heard about this book from Sarah at SmartB's, and her enthusiasm for the book was catching! After the words "Nancy Drew" and "Muslim" were uttered together, I bought it immediately. I am urging all of you to buy it so I can get the sequel!!!! Reader be advised: while there's not a cliffhanger, and this "episode" is finished, there are loose ends which are effectively left untied; you'll find yourself feening for the next book, too!

Synopsis: Asiya Haque is a Bengali Canadian daughter, a student, a volunteer, a girl with a crush... and a faithful Muslim, which means the crush and the daughter part are kind of at odds. Being alone with boys is not a part of Asiya's life, attending after school activities in mixed company is not a part of Asiya's life, and her mother worries so much that Asiya is improperly supervised that she is reluctant to allow Asiya to volunteer at a local nature conservancy. Asiya's hard-won freedoms comes only for the sake of the Prize: University. Mrs. Haque believes strongly in education for women, and so Asiya has an unexpected opportunity - which leads her to run into her crush, Michael. Asiya, though she often pushes back against her mother, believes in what the Prophet says - she knows that boys are at the very least risky. Yet, she's also not sure she's going to burst into some sort of sexual behavior, so while she tells Michael that this isn't something her parents allow, she allows him to stick around, though she keeps a good three feet between them as they walk. When their impromptu race has Asiya stumbling across a dead body, Michael makes sure she her part is never reported. Asiya goes back to work, with no one the wiser that she was both alone with a boy and a dead body.

That is, until the police show up at school the next day... asking about Michael, and Michael is nowhere to be found.

This is serious - the Prophet teaches that it's Asiya's duty to help those in trouble. Can Asiya, in all honesty, not tell what she knows? ...even if it looks like she's implicating her crush?

Observations: My parents pretty much gave me the same talk about Satan being the third party with me and any boy alone together, So. Many. Times. I got that talk in variously oblique or direct ways, so I laughed out loud when I realized this same talk was Asiya's mother's go-to lecture. Asiya's parents are mine from another mother.

Conservative parents, who are strict for reasons of faith aren't often written about in YA lit in the same ways - because rebellion has higher stakes, potentially, than just being grounded or something. Loss of place within a family, loss of respect within the ethnic community - and possibly loss of place within one's religious organization. I related a lot to trying to figure out how to honor my parents while also not living my life as an exact pattern of theirs. It takes a lot more respectful dissent than you'd expect -- and the novel spends a good deal of time balancing that push-pull. Despite that, rather than this light mystery just being one long argument, which is what my teen years (and let's not lie, into college) felt like, this book is VERY funny. I appreciated that more than I expected. People expect religious communities to be humorless, and Muslims, especially, are within Western cultures misunderstood and feared. All people laugh - and you'll laugh, too, visiting the mind of Asiya Haque.

Conclusion: This book was mentioned as "Nancy Drew, but not," and while I don't think the mystery part of the novel drives the narrative, I like that Asiya wanted to know something, so she made it her business to find out. Her investigative skills were never greenlighted by anyone, especially her parents, but she kept asking questions anyway until they were answered to her satisfaction -- because she had to answer to her own conscience and ideas of faith. This was a lightweight book in some ways, but it had a lot to ponder and was such a delightful way to write about a teen character with a faith tradition - not making fun of the faith, but shining a light on the people of faith, with humor and heart. Religious people - even those in the Muslim faith - are not a monolith, and I appreciate that Asiya and her parents had different expressions of the same faith. I look forward to this sequel.

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I purchased my copy of this book. You can find GOD SMITES, AND OTHER MUSLIM GIRL PROBLEMS by Ishara Deen at an online e-tailer or independent bookstore near you.

Cybils Review: DARE TO DISAPPOINT: GROWING UP IN TURKEY

Synopsis: This memoir of growing up in 1980s Turkey is a fascinating compare-and-contrast with the experience of growing up in America--I can't even say the West, because Turkey has long been a cultural crossroads between what we think of as West and East, between Europe and Asia. It was also one of my personal favorites from the YA Graphic Novels shortlist for Cybils this past year, and I was happy to see it's currently an Amazon bestseller in Teen and Young Adult Artist Biographies (not a category I was previously aware of, but there you go).

Observations: This memoir of growing up contains many relatable elements for non-Turkish readers—windows and mirrors are both available here, and the blend of new and recognizable will intrigue most readers who are also going through that journey of finding their own voices and facing family and societal obstacles. It's got plenty of humor, too, although a memoir about finding your calling isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea.

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Like Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, this is a valuable glimpse into growing up in a society that struggles between a long cultural history and Westernization, with competing directives for women growing up in that environment. Within that, the character proves to be a unique voice in and of herself, but also standing in for anyone struggling to find their own path among competing inner and outer voices. For its cultural diversity, its deceptive simplicity, and the thematic content, for me this scores high on literary merit (one of the Cybils criteria along with kid appeal).

This is one of my favorites of the Cybils shortlist for sheer artistry—the author is so well versed in traditional comic-book conventions that she can easily toy with them (removing panel borders, inserting art that meanders across the page) without sacrificing ease of readability. Characters were easy to distinguish and emotionally easy to "read," and the use of collage elements was outstanding.

Conclusion: Lots of readers, especially those with a creative bent, will relate to this story of not quite fitting in and finding the courage to be yourself in the face of external pressures--daring to disappoint those who might have wanted something different.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of my library. You can find DARE TO DISAPPOINT: GROWING UP IN TURKEY by Ozge Samanci at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Happy MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN'S BOOK DAY! WHISPER OF THE WOODS by D.G. Driver

Finding Wonderland is happy to participate in today's awesome online kidlit event, Multicultural Children's Book Day—read more about it on their website, and don't forget to download goodies like the free Classroom Kindness kit. And make sure you visit the big Linky tomorrow (Friday) for a plethora of reviews of multicultural children's books, and come to the Twitter party, too! (And keep an eye peeled for a couple of reviews of my own books--yay!) Thank you so much to Becky Flansburg, Valarie Budayr, and Mia Wenjen, the genius bloggers who made it all happen. It's such a great way to connect with other diversity-minded readers and bloggers. Scroll down below the book review for more info about this great event!

Synopsis: Whisper of the Woods is the sequel to Cry of the Sea, which is the first book featuring narrator Juniper Sawfeather. Fortunately, there was plenty enough in this book to get me up to speed on Juniper's adventures—all you really need to know is that she saved mermaids from an oil spill and now is known as kind of being "that girl"—which could be good or bad, depending on whether you actually believe in mythological creatures. In most cases, unfortunately for Juniper, it's bad.

Her latest supernatural encounter doesn't promise to make her any less…um….famous around town. It starts off with an activist protest (topical!) against the logging of some old growth forest. Juniper's parents are environmentalists, and they're butting heads this time not just with corporations, but with family. Her uncle works for the logging company, but some of the forest is on reservation land. Trouble is, her uncle, who is also American Indian, might convince the reservation officials to cede the rights to that part of the forest. And then things get a little…magical. Juniper falls asleep at the base of one of the oldest, largest trees—and wakes up on a branch in midair. Turns out there's a spirit inside the tree…and the spirit wants company.

Observations: The book I was matched up with for this year's MCCBD was a great pick. A paranormal/mythological fantasy with a half American Indian protagonist, it was up my alley in multiple ways. Firstly, I appreciated seeing another addition to the realm of books with mixed race main characters. Secondly, of course, you know we love us some spec fic around here.

I also am happy every time I get to read a good quality indie book. Published by Fire and Ice (an imprint of Melange Books), this was a solidly well-written fantasy with a unique premise, with my only minor complaints having to do with production/layout (for instance, I'm weirdly picky about books whose margins seem too narrow to me). I appreciated the environmental themes (again, topical!) and thought they were incorporated into the plot well, without being heavy-handed.

I am not particularly qualified to address how the depiction of American Indian culture was handled, but as far as I can tell, the author did appropriate outreach and research to address issues of ethnicity, and most importantly, all the characters of color (American Indian or otherwise—there was also "my" sort of Indian in there, too! Heh) were fully fleshed-out individuals. There weren't any "magical Indian" stereotypes to be found—which is the kind of thing I worry about in a fantasy that has mythological elements. Here, the Other isn't exoticized; rather, it's a story about real people with real concerns…and a girl who is just a bit magical, and can see the magic in the world and in her own culture(s).

Conclusion: I'm glad I got the opportunity to read this book. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to fans of mythological fantasy—Charles de Lint readers would enjoy it, I think.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the author/publisher. You can find WHISPER OF THE WOODS by D.G. Driver at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

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Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017 (1/27/17) is its fourth year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness on the ongoing need to include kid’s books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators. 

Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. Using the Multicultural Children’s Book Day holiday, the MCBD Team are on a mission to change all of that.

Current Sponsors:  MCBD 2017 is honored to have some amazing Sponsors on board. Platinum Sponsors include Scholastic, Barefoot Books and Broccoli. Other Medallion Level Sponsors include heavy-hitters like Author Carole P. Roman, Audrey Press, Candlewick Press,  Fathers Incorporated, KidLitTV, Capstone Young Readers, ChildsPlayUsa, Author Gayle Swift, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee& Low Books, The Pack-n-Go Girls, Live Oak Media, Author Charlotte Riggle, Chronicle Books and Pomelo Books

Author Sponsor include: Karen Leggett Abouraya, Veronica Appleton, Susan Bernardo, Kathleen Burkinshaw, Maria Dismondy, D.G. Driver, Geoff Griffin,  Savannah Hendricks, Stephen Hodges, Carmen Bernier-Grand,Vahid Imani, Gwen Jackson,  Hena, Kahn, David Kelly, Mariana Llanos, Natasha Moulton-Levy, Teddy O'Malley, Stacy McAnulty,  Cerece Murphy, Miranda Paul, Annette Pimentel, Greg Ransom, Sandra Richards, Elsa Takaoka, Graciela Tiscareño-Sato,  Sarah Stevenson, Monica Mathis-Stowe SmartChoiceNation, Andrea Y. Wang

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 work tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

MCBD Links to remember:

MCBD site: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

Free Kindness Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teachers-classroom-kindness-kit/

Free Diversity Book Lists and Activities for Teachers and Parents: http://bit.ly/1sZ5s8i

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