“But for a goldfish, the wild promises abundance. Release a goldfish and it will never look back. Nothing fully lives in a bowl; it only learns to survive it.” page 19
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler, illustrated by Simon Ban. Little, Brown, and Company, New York, 2022. Adult nonfiction, 264 pages. Not leveled.
A unique combination of memoir and science writing by a queer, non-binary, Asian-American author.
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler, illustrated by Simon Ban.
Although I’ve gotten back into reading nonfiction again, as of this writing the process has been slow and painful, and it’s harder for adult books to catch and keep my attention. The appealing cover design of this definitely helped, but after starting the first essay, I was hooked.
I haven’t reviewed too many essay collections here lately, so a reminder that I usually consider each separately and then discuss the book as a whole.
“Justin looked at his grandpa. Their eyes caught. A warmth spread over Justin and he lowered his eyes. He wished he could tell his grandpa all he felt, how much he loved him.” page 68
Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Pitts Walter, illustrated by Catherine Stock. Amistad, HarperCollins, New York, originally published 1986, my edition 2010. Realistic/historical fiction, 132 pages. Lexile: 620L . AR Level: 3.9 (worth 3.0) .
Ten-year-old Justin doesn’t see why anyone expects him to clean his room, help with the dishes, or do any sort of housework. After all, his older sisters and mother always do it better than him anyway, so they must just be naturally better at it, right? That is, until he’s invited to stay on Grandpa’s ranch, where men learn how to do things they don’t know yet. Justin also attends a fair, learns about Black cowboys, helps ride fence, and is surprised by the history of his own family. Then he comes back home with a surprise of his own.
Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Pitts Walter, illustrated by Catherine Stock.
Credit where credit is due, our reading of this book was entirely based off Heritage Mom’s recommendation on this list, which I found so helpful – we already had a few, but I bought most of the rest (as I write this I’m reading her book also). Her youth book group also did this book so she has a guide as well.
“Open wide your arms to life, / Whirl in the wind of pain and strife, / Face the wall with the dark closed gate, / Beat with bare, brown fists – / And wait.” page 29 (excerpt from poem “Song”)
The Dream Keeper and Other Poems by Langston Hughes, illustrated by Brian Pinkney. Originally published in 1932 by Alfred A. Knopf, my edition Scholastic, New York, 1994. Poetry collection, 84 pages. Lexile: 1150L . AR Level: Not leveled.
Langston Hughes’ own selection and arrangement of his poems for young readers.
The Dream Keeper and Other Poems by Langston Hughes, illustrated by Brian Pinkney.
It’s books like this one that especially point out the lie that early literary education is not able to be diverse. Although my particular version was published in the early 90s, this book has been around since 1932!
The book opens with an introductory essay by Lee Bennett Hopkins, which succinctly summarizes the key points of Hughes’ life. It is skippable, but does add valuable context for those who choose to read it.
“When I opened my eyes, I was, indeed, back home again. I took a deep, shaky breath. I was tingling all over.” page 49
The Cassandra Curse (Muse Squad #1) by Chantel Acevedo. Balzer & Bray, HarperCollins, New York, 2020. MG fantasy, 360 pages. Lexile: 650L . AR Level: 4.6 (worth 12.0) .
Weird things have been happening to Calliope Martinez-Silva (call her Callie, please). She has a terrifying accident, her best friend transforms into a pop star, then she’s informed that she’s one of the nine Muses and a portal sends her to another country. It’s a lot for an eleven-year old! Thankfully there are some other young Muses too, which is timely because with her best friend unrecognizable, Callie needs some backup.
Muse Squad: The Cassandra Curse by Chantel Acevedo.
This book has so much going on. There’s the usual tween intrigue, but made bearable thanks to the magical and mystery aspects. There’s learning to be a muse, and all the different muses from around the world who each have specific powers and callings, and the many many people in Callie’s life and whom she meets on her adventures.
“Ch’idzigyaak sat quietly as if trying to make up her confused mind. A small feeling of hope sparked in the blackness of her being as she listened to her friend’s strong words.” page 15
Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis, illustrated by James Grant. Originally published Epicenter Press 1993, my edition HarperCollins, New York, 2013. Adult folklore retelling, 134 pages. Lexile: 1030L . AR Level: 6.4 (worth 3.0 points) .
Two elderly women known mainly for complaining are left behind when their people move on in a time of starvation and hardship. If they are to survive in the Arctic, it will take all of their knowledge, strength and determination, plus reserves, or luck, they might not even know they have.
Two Old Women by Velma Wallis.
I took a chance on this one at a used book sale that absolutely paid off. Browsing time was short, and the story looked interesting, but the blurb simply stated that Wallis was “raised with traditional Athabascan values.” This is burying the lede that Wallis is herself Athabascan and thus particularly well suited to write this Gwich’in tale.
I was delighted to see that illustrator Jim Grant is also an Athabaskan native. Most chapters have one or two illustrations (one has none and another has three), and there are also some maps and the chapter ornament. One illustration is full-page, the rest are half-page or less. There are also two frontispieces which depict similar scenes to those found later, but are not the same as those within the chapters. All of the pictures are inserted where they make sense, and have some relevance to the narrative.
Pages 48 and 49 of Two Old Women show one of the full page illustrations, and an example of the text format.
We get a hint of Wallis’ approach to this story when, after the title page, she steps into the dedication – no apologies for those left out, no fluff about how important each person is, simply several pages of names preceded by
This book is dedicated to all of the elders who I have known and who have made an impression in my mind with their wisdom, knowledge and uniqueness.
page ix
Having thanked the elders first, Wallis then steps into a brief, more traditional acknowledgements page which ends with a thank you (Mahsi Choo) to her readers. Only then does she turn to the Introduction about how she first heard this story, her choice to adapt it, and the setting.
“This is not just a book for Black people. It’s a book for *all people* about Black people.” Front matter, emphasis from the author
Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments by Carell Augustus. Ebony Magazine Publishing with Sourcebooks, Naperville, Illinois, 2022. Art book, 230 pages. Not leveled.
Photographs from an eleven year project to recreate iconic movie posters, screen moments, and pinups with Black models.
Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments by Carell Augustus.
Over the last few years I’ve been trying to expand our art collection. We’ve reached the “some disposable income” stage but definitely not the “buy independent artworks” level of wealth. Libraries, digital collections, and museums have been wonderful but I’d like to have more at home. Thus calendars, postcards, and art books!
Because art books tend to be pricey, I usually research and apply coupons, wait for seasonal sales, or buy used. This one was more of an impulse purchase – saw a new copy at 50% discount and bought it without the previewing that I normally would have done.
You know how some kids are really into sneakers, or horses, or rap, or drawing? I was a book kid and always have been, so movies, television, and such tend to be what other people around me want to watch, rather than something I seek out. Honestly, I’d probably only heard of maybe half the movies or people in this book. But I still loved it.
Pages 20 and 21 of Black Hollywood include a scene from Fight Club with all the characters modeled by Wesley Jonathan and notes from both the model and photographer.
Augustus recreates a wide variety of films including comedies, science fiction, horror, and action movies, as well as some portrayals of specific people (like Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin). The majority, although not all, of his models are actors and actresses.
“Fearless and focused, she aims for her goal. / Improving consistency, gaining control.” pages 30 and 31
Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Ebony Glenn. Henry Holt and Company, Macmillan, New York, 2020. Picture book biography, 40 pages. Lexile: AD610L . AR Level: 3.1 (worth 0.5 points) .
A picture book biography in verse of Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles.
Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Ebony Glenn.
I had gotten Brave Ballerina for a child a while back and was delighted to see that the same team worked on this biography of a world-famous gymnast. I’ve previously reviewed her autobiography way back in my first year of blogging, so long time readers of this blog will already know that I’m a fan.
“That’s the problem. He is so old, he has trouble remembering things now – like where he is. Sometimes he thinks he’s back in Vietnam.” page 87
Sea Sirens: A Trot & Cap’n Bill Adventure (#1) by Amy Chu and Janet K. Lee, with lettering by Jimmy Gownley. Viking, Penguin Random House, New York, 2019. Middle grade graphic novel, 144 pages. Lexile: 240L . AR Level: 2.5 (worth 1.0 points) .
Vietnamese American Trot and her cranky one-eyed rescue cat spend a lot of time surfing at the beach where they mutually babysit her grandpa (he has dementia, she’s not quite old enough to be left alone yet). One day, she sneaks out to catch a wave and wipes out so badly they end up in an underwater world. At first she’s happy to avoid her mother’s rules, but after landing in an undersea war, will Trot and Cap’n Bill ever get home again?
Sea Sirens (Trot & Cap’n Bill Adventure #1) by Amy Chu, illustrated by Janet K. Lee, with lettering by Jimmy Gownley.
I had no clue what to expect when we first got these. Even the blurb does little to explain the awesomeness of Cap’n Bill (turns out cats can talk, we just don’t listen well). The realistic part of the story is also hard-hitting; Trot and Grandpa are grounded because one day she forgot to keep an eye out while surfing and he wandered away from his fishing resulting in a Silver Alert.
“You are already worth of love and belonging. This is not a journey of worthiness but a journey of care. A journey of learning how we can care for ourselves when we feel like we are drowning. // Because you must know, dear heart, that you are worthy of care whether your house is immaculate or a mess.” page 9
How to Keep House While Drowning: a gentle approach to cleaning and organizing by KC Davis. Simon Element, Simon and Schuster, New York, 2022. Previously self-published. Adult nonfiction, 152 pages. Not leveled.
A guide to practical aspects of housekeeping and self-care while struggling with mental health, disability, grief, or other debilitating circumstances.
How to Keep House While Drowning by K.C. Davis.
I first came across Davis through her phrase “care tasks are morally neutral” and it was hugely resonant with me. As longtime readers of this blog will know, after several years of mostly routine posting, in March 2023 I had to take an indefinite hiatus. Those circumstances were also devastating in other areas of my life, so I decided to return to blogging with this book.
Davis works at breaking down some barriers to care tasks and has such a comprehensive, easy plan for dealing with some major struggles that I wept my first time reading this. Not everything she says will be applicable to every life, and I suspect most of us will have a lot to unpack in order to feel good following the plan she outlines here, but this approach is certainly needed by many.
“They got only this one egg a year even though the children’s mother tended chickens and ducks that produced seven or eight eggs a day right there in the front courtyard. But the eggs weren’t for the family. They were a small business that Gao Xiuying ran to earn a little bit of extra money.” page 49
A Girl Named Faithful Plum: The True Story of a Dancer from China and How She Achieved Her Dream by Richard Bernstein. Originally Alfred A. Knopf, Random House, New York, 2011. My edition Yearling, Random House Children’s Books, New York, 2012. Middle grade (YA?) nonfiction, 272 pages. Lexile: 1080L . AR Level: 6.6 (worth 11.0 points) .
In 1978, an eleven year old girl traveled from her small town on the northern border of China to the Beijing Dance Academy for their open auditions, along with sixty thousand other applicants. Against all odds, she managed to be one of the twelve girls chosen – but that was just the start of her troubles.
A Girl Named Faithful Plum: The True Story of a Dancer from China and How She Achieved Her Dream by Richard Bernstein.
Zhongmei spent years in training, and had a long career, but this story focuses mainly on preparing to audition and her first year at school. About half the book focuses on her journey to even make it to auditions and then her progress through the seven layers of audition. The second half covers her first year at the school, and finally an epilogue tells what happened to her after.
Bernstein employs a number of timeline skips to maintain the pacing, although he’s not always successful. His most frequent device is the letters sent back and forth between Zhongmei and her beloved da-jie Zhongqin. He also occasionally has Zhongmei think back on past events. At some points there are skips forward, when reasonable within the story.
Colorful Book Reviews 