The Mighty Mars Rovers

The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch
Which readers? Strong 4th Grade Readers and up

My favorite quote from this book: "I'm stubborn, and stubbornness pays off." - Steve Squyres, Lead Scientist on the NASA Mars Rovers mission

When I laugh and then get teary during a NF book about ROBOTS....I know that it is a winner. Children will cheer for these little robots, and also the scientists who create them, as Spirit and Opportuniy literally become explorers on a new frontier. Engineers are super cool rockstars in this book, and there is just example after example of how passion can drive a vision through rejection, adversity can be turned into opportunity (Broken wheel on the rover? It might not be as mobile anymore, but now we can use that broken wheel to bash rocks open!), refusing to give up, and working together as a team.

My fourth grader chose this book from my "to read" pile and read it from cover to cover in two nights.

This book is part of the Scientists in the Field series, which has many many award winning titles! I am typically skeptical of NF series books, but this series is definitely an exception. These books involve many real authors with tons of credentials and awards.  Anything that involves Sy Montgomery and/or Nic Bishop....immediately put it on hold. IMMEDIATELY. Some of the other great titles from this series that I have read:

Nonfiction on the Bluebonnet List (Bluebonnets '13-'14 Highlights)

There are four wonderful nonfiction picture books on the list this year that kids will love. I can absolutely attest to this because my own children enjoyed them!

Three of them are about people who followed their passions and made a difference, and these stories are always such nice springboards for discussing learning, following your dreams, persistence, creativity, etc. The final one is a fantastic science title that will be wonderful for research or reading for pleasure.



Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet
Which readers? Age 4 and up....adult parade watchers will enjoy it, too!

Written and illustrated by the amazing Melissa Sweet, this picture book tells the story how Tony Sarg followed his passion for learning how to make things move and eventually became the puppeteer behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. There are lots of examples of how the creative process involves trial and error and is usually NOT a straight shot to the finish line. Perfect to read before Thanksgiving or when discussing problem solving.

This book also won The Sibert Award from the ALA.

Melissa Sweet's great website has an educator's guide and an activity kit for making your own puppets.


Barnum's Bones by Tracey Fern; ill. by Boris Kulikov
Which readers? Age 5 and up

Barnum Brown collected fossils unearthed by his father's plow as soon as he could toddle behind it, and as an adult he curated the largest collection of dinosaur bones in the world at the time of his death in 1963. Along with the story of the bones, Fern includes fascinating tidbits such as his propensity for dressing in a fur coat to dinosaur hunt and his fabulous camp cooking skills. My ten year old has read and reread this book several times and told me more than once that this was a "really good book." High praise.



Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman
Which readers? Age 4 and up

As I mentioned before, I have an avid US presidents history buff at my house. Had this book been available at the beginning of his obsession, it would have been perfect for him at age four. It has bright pictures, great info without being too detailed, and the writing is very conversational and from a child's point of view. Great little picture book on Lincoln.

As an aside, I wish the the BB committee would choose more biographies of people who are not as well-known as Lincoln. While this is a wonderful little biography, the Bluebonnet List is a great vehicle for introducing to historical figures who are not already covered in the curriculum. Just my humble opinion! But, obviously, Tony Sarg and Barnum Brown are not as famous, so perhaps I can live with this. :)



Coral Reefs by Jason Chin
Which readers? Age 4 and up

Anytime a book is set in a library, the author has my full attention, of course. And since I am a scuba diver, coral reefs come in a close second. This book is about a coral reef INSIDE a library (and by the amazing Jason Chin) - I have died and gone to heaven.

The detailed text about the reefs makes no mention of the girl in the illustrations who is looking up information about coral reefs in the gorgeous stacks of the NY public library. The library is also never mentioned, but it is obvious from the illustrations showing the famous lions at the steps that this is where she is. As she reads about different parts of a coral reef, they begin to stack up around her and the room fills with water until she is swimming with the sharks and other inhabitants of the reef. The illustrations are stunning.

Chin is a favorite author-illustrator at our house. He also wrote Island: A Story of the Galapagos (not on BBL), which I think I like even more. Gorgeous, gorgeous detailed pictures here and detailed yet simple text that is highly readable for early and middle grade readers. Leo read Galapagos over and over until I returned it to the public library, and it brought about some great discussions about evolution around our dinner table.  We love to talk science!

Ghetto Cowboy (Bluebonnets '13-'14 Highlights)

Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri; Ill. by Jesse Joshua Watson
Which Readers? Third grade +

This middle grade novel grabbed me from the very beginning. Cole has made bad choice after bad choice, and his mom has had absolutely all she can take. She takes him to the father he has never met in inner city Philly, and he is aghast when she just leaves him there. Cole's relationship with his distant father gets off to a rocky start, and he just wants to get back to his mom. But Cole's dad is part of a group of inner city cowboys, and Cole is soon drawn in by the horses and The Cowboy Way. When their stables are threatened by the city, Cole finds that he must take action.

This novel was inspired by an April 2005 Life magazine called "Street Riders" that profiled actual urban cowboys in Philadelphia and Brooklyn.

Yes, I really thought this was a great middle grade novel. But it has received highest honors at my house from my favorite little patron. My 10 year old son, Leo, picked up this novel, and it is now one of his favorite novels to date. Whenever he finds a book he really likes, he always comes up and down the stairs after bedtime so that he can tell me "here's what's happening now" in his book as he reads before he goes to sleep. This has only happened a few times - the first Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and maybe one more book . He was up and down the stairs at least six times with this book. He had questions about the dialect at first, and that offered a great point for discussion. In the days since he finished the book, he has asked me...."Do you think there will be a sequel?," "Has G. Neri written any other books?," and "Do you think they'll make a movie of Ghetto Cowboy?" THAT is a homerun novel for us.

Here are Leo's thoughts on the book:

i like the setting of the characters and the characteristics of each one. the way Cole acts like he dislikes Harper at first and then learns to like him, and the same thing happens to Harper. the way  the story starts out kind of tragic and then turns into a suspense novel. when i told myself, "are you sure you gonna like this book?", what was i thinking?

Titles for Black History Month - New and Old

There are a couple of new middle grade historical fiction stories that would be perfect for this month.



Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood
Bluebonnet Book 2013-2014
Which readers? 3rd grade and up

In the summer of 1964, Glory's hometown of Hanging Moss, MS decides to close the public pool rather than allow it to be desegregated. Civil Rights organizers from the North appear in town, and Glory becomes friends with the children of one of the visitors. Throughout this tense summer, Glory's friendship and family ties will be tested as the community goes through upheaval.

This is a title for the youngest readers on the Bluebonnet List (3rd grade), and it paints a picture of this time through the eyes of a young Southern white girl. Many of Glory's observations about the annoyances of the pool being closed are somewhat self-centered, but I think it is an accurate portrayal of what a twelve year old would experience at that time. This is a good choice for third or fourth grade.





The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine
Which readers? Strong 4th grade readers and up

Set in Little Rock in 1958, this wonderful selection tells the story of two girls who decide to take great risks to keep their friendship alive. This story takes place just a year after the Little Rock Nine integrated Little Rock High School, and the high school has been closed for the year while the elementaries and middles schools remain open. Marlee is twelve, and she has difficulty speaking in public and making friends. When she returns to school in the fall, she is quickly befriended by Liz, the new girl at school. Liz even convinces her to participate in an oral presentation. Suddenly, Liz disappears from school, and the rumor is that she was a negro passing as a white person. Marlee is so thrilled to have finally made a friend that she puts both of them in great danger by seeking out Liz so that their friendship can continue.

This is one of my favorite books that I have read in the last few months. The characters are well-developed, there is tension but humor in the story, and Levine does a fanstastic job of weaving in both historical and narrative elements.

One little book nerd point of interest is how the publisher has chosen to change the cover of this book from the publication of the hardback to the recently released paper back. The top image is the hardback. The symbolism of the black and white doves soaring around the fence that surrounds Little Rock HS really appeals to me as an adult who has had many history classes, but I think the paperback cover with the interracial hand holding will get more kids to pick up this book.

For old times' sake, here are some of my favorite suggestions for Black History Month from years past.



This is an absolutely BREATHTAKING picture book from 2002. I think it would be an excellent read-aloud all the way through middle school. After reading the book, I would pull up footage of Marian Anderson singing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Oh, there are no other words except breathtaking. This book won an ALA Sibert Award and the 2003 NCTE Orbis Pictus.

For more advanced readers, Freedman's biography of Anderson is wonderful. This one was awarded the Sibert AND a Newbery Honor. Love this book.






MLK: Journey of a King by Bolden is the best MLK biography for kids I have ever read that is not a picture book. For younger readers, it could be excerpted with pictures shown to students. There are many pictures in this book, and they really bring MLK's life into the classroom. This book won the 2008 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award, which is my favorite nonfiction award for kids. There are so many fabulous titles on that list. It is a treasure trove.



I recommend Martin's Big Words for preschoolers and up. It won so many awards that I won't even list them all! This book brings King's vision alive through emphasizing his words without overwhelming children with the details of his life story.





The Story of Ruby Bridges (preschool and up) and Through My Eyes (3rd grade + ) are amazing selections for telling this woman's remarkable story.



Ruth and the Green Book  by Ramsey was on last year's Bluebonnet List, and this is a part of history that I did not know! It tells the story of a black family who needs to travel into the segregated South, and they find out that there is a "Green Book" that will tell them places along the way that will serve and sell to blacks. Fabulous story for all ages.

And, finally, I will come back to historical fiction for my final suggestion. When I taught sixth grade language arts, one of the highlights of my year was when we read Taylor's Newbery Medal winner, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. This book is timeless, and it gives middle grade readers lots to think about and discuss in the classroom.

This is what it looked like when I first read it in middle school years ago.



This book has had so many covers. This is what it looks like now. They have updated it recently to a textured mustard yellow with a brown strip at the bottom and no graphics. I think it gives it the "I'm a classic, and I don't have anything to prove." look.

Up, Tall, and High! by Ethan Long

Early Reader
Recommended Age - Late preschool; Kinder



This little early reader won the Geisel Award at last week's ALA Midwinter Meeting. I had not read it, so I immediately put it on hold at the library. Tonight my kindergartener, Henry, read it aloud to me during his reading time after dinner. The basic storyline is that three birds banter back and forth as they demonstrate the concepts of up, tall, and high in three short sections. The illustrations are simple, colorful cartoons, and there is one flap to lift at the end of each section.

 Up, Tall, and High! was a hit with Henry. He laughed at the antics of the birds, picked up on the jokes, made sound effects to go with the wordless pages, and enjoyed lifting the flaps. The book is definitely for someone who is in the very beginning stages of literacy, but Henry enjoyed the story even though the words were simple for him. After a quick explanation of a rating system, Henry gave it 4 stars for "very good."