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Children’s Blog Recent Posts

Caprice by Coe Booth

Today we welcome a new member of the Matchmakers team, Erika Hogan! Erika writes: A twelve-year old girl finds the words and strength to speak about past trauma in the emotionally resonant middle grade novel Caprice by Coe Booth. On the outside, Caprice’s life appears to be falling into place when she is offered a full scholarship to stay at the school of her dreams after spending the summer at their prestigious leadership institute. The academy isn’t something her family could afford without the tuition assistance, but Caprice struggles with the life-changing implications of the opportunity. Ready to go home, see her friends, and spend time with her family, the decision is not an easy one. Caprice’s memories hold a secret, she has changing feelings for a male friend, and her best friend Nicole has an increasing interest in boys and makeup; all the possible changes around her create confusion around the decision. When a crisis brings estranged family members together, Caprice is confronted with those painful memories of what happened with an uncle when she was a little girl. First person narration keeps the tone and topics accessible, and chapters are spliced with poetry. This approach keeps Caprice’s experiences, insights, and feelings in the forefront and creates an immediate connection for readers to address the struggles facing the young Caprice. Deftly handling microaggressions and the fallout from past abuse, this exceptional novel addresses a serious and timely topic with gentle honesty and respect, providing an important story that may inspire open conversations about intergenerational trauma, the burden of family secrets, and the realities of sexual abuse. A mindfully crafted, powerful, and hopeful story of surviving and thriving.
Fall is for Folktales

Maybe it’s the chill in the air sparking collective historic memories of sitting around thousands of fires, listening to thousands of stories through time; or maybe it’s that the veil is thinner between this world and other possible worlds in this season; but to me, Fall is the best time for reading and hearing folktales, fables, fairytales, myths, and legends. It therefore felt like fate when these two enchanting new books came across my desk: Legendary Creatures: Mythical Beasts and Spirits from Around the World By Adam Auerbach Arab Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook By Karim Alrawi, illustrated by Nahid Kazemi Inspired by these two titles, I would love to share my favorite single stories and collections of folktales, fables, fairytales, myths, and legends—perfect for all your Fall gatherings. There are a great many oral and print versions of all these stories – which tellings are your favorites? Single stories: The Bremen Town Musicians, as told by Ilse Plume Lon Po Po, as told by Ed Young The Opossum’s Tale, as told by Deborah Duvall, illustrated by Murv Jacob Beautiful Blackbird, as told by Ashley Bryan The Weather’s Bet, as told by Ed Young Anansi and the Golden Pot, as told by Taiye Selasi Stone Soup, as told by Marcia Brown It Could Always Be Worse, as told by Margot Zemach The Turnip, as told by Jan Brett Grandma and the Great Gourd, as told by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Collections: Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairytales, and True Tales, as told by Virginia Hamilton Aesop’s Fables, as told by Jerry Pinkney The Hungry Clothes and Other Jewish Folktales, as told by Peninnah Schram Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales, as told by Lucy Cousins The Three Princes of Serendip: New Tellings of Old Tales for Everyone, as told by Rodhan Khalidi The Book of Mythical Beasts & Magical Creatures, by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Pham Quang Phuc Full Moon Stories, as told by Eagle Walking Turtle Classic Tales from India, as told by Vatsala Sperling and Harish Johari Ask the Bones: Scary Stories from Around the World, as told by Arielle North Olson How the Animals Got Their Colors, as told by Michael Rosen And graphic novels! Jim Henson’s The Storyteller graphic novel series, based on the incredible TV show: Tricksters; Witches; Sirens; Ghosts; Dragons Gamayun Tales I: An Anthology of Modern Russian Folk Tales, by Alexander Utkin The Dragon Slayer: Folktales from Latin America, by Jaime Hernandez Cautionary Fables and Fairytales series: Tamamo the Fox Maiden, and other Asian Stories The Night Marchers, and other Oceanian Stories The Girl Who Married a Skull, and other African Stories The Woman in the Woods, and other North American Stories The Nixie of the Mill-Pond, and other European Stories
Spooky Reading for the Spooky Season

October is in full swing and with it, the season for spooky reading! At the top of my October to-be-read list is the final book in Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces Quartet. This is by far my favorite horror for middle grade readers and among my overall favorites. In this series, Arden creates a scary story that is appropriate for younger readers and still chilling for an adult who has seen it all in the horror genre. The series follows a group of middle school friends in rural Vermont as they face a mysterious, shape-shifting villain who exists beyond the mist. Two things are certain about the figure they call the smiling man: he loves games, and his power to conjure what you most desire comes at great cost to you. Each encounter with the smiling man and his world beyond the mist brings new horrors. Scarecrows chase you when you’re not looking. Ghosts desperately search for their bones. Sea monsters lurk in the shadows. Arden adds atmospheric tension and very real concerns to fit the seasonal setting of each book. For example, in the wintry second book, the kids are trapped in a ski lodge during a snowstorm (classic!) and must face the smiling man through an unbearably long, dark, and cold night. Their socks are damp, their hands are numb, and they’re outmaneuvering a powerful supernatural entity! While developing the unique, eerie realm beyond the mist, Arden balances it with warm, whimsical life in the real world, grounded in deep emotion and love. The kids’ realistic knowledge, skills, and teamwork allow them to outsmart the villain each time. Home-baked treats sustain them. They receive help from one character’s deceased mother via an inherited wristwatch. Through it all, their safe homes, caring community, and strong friendship hearten the group and keep the books fun and cozy. The opening scenes of the fourth and final book, set in a summer carnival, promise a terrifying adventure ahead. The stakes are higher than ever, but the friends are more determined than ever to defeat the smiling man once and for all. I am thrilled to see what Arden has in store for this match. Horror fans young and old alike are sure to get a chill up their spine as they travel beyond the mist and experience this delightfully spooky series for themselves. Small Spaces Dead Voices Dark Waters Empty Smiles What are you reading for the spooky season?
Photo-illustrated Picture Books

On Monday, November 7th, 2022, a momentous event is occurring: the first ever gathering of the Noble Picture Book Appreciation Society! In the evening, the Society will be offering a ‘tasting’ of the choicest picture books. Esteemed guests to the Noble children’s room will be seated at our finest tables and offered menus from which to order several courses of stories, and will have the opportunity to share their tasting notes. Each section of the menu for the evening is being developed by Society members; my selection will be of deliciously photo-illustrated picture books. Since I have collected too many to fit on the menu, I would love to share the full list with you here. If you enjoy this eye-catching appetizer, please register and join us for the Tasting! The Me I Choose to Be, by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, photographs by Regis & Kahran Bethencourt Guess Who? by Margaret Miller Shapes, Shapes, Shapes, by Tana Hoban Seeing Into Tomorrow, by Nina Crews (very hard to choose a favorite of all her books!) Looking Like Me, by Walter Dean Myers & Christopher Myers Thank You, Earth, by April Pulley Sayre (also very hard to pick a favorite, she was prolific!) Sleep Train, by Jonathan London, art by Lauren Eldridge This is My Eye: A New York Story, by Neela Vaswani My People, by Langston Hughes, photographs by Charles R. Smith, Jr. Gifts of the Magpie, by Sam Hundley Step Gently Out, by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder Wrinkles, by JR Oakley the Squirrel: The Search for Z – A Nutty Alphabet Book, by Nancy Rose Almond, by Allen Say Shape Up, Construction Trucks!, by Victoria Allenby Will You Be My Friend?, by Susan Lurie, photographs by Murray Head
First Readers Explained!

First readers, easy readers, leveled readers, beginner readers… they go by many names. These small books play a mighty role in your child’s reading development, but they can be mighty confusing as well. But fear not, grownups of growing readers! Today, I’m here to give you an explainer. Here at Heights Libraries, we try to do some of the leg work for you in figuring out which books are best for your child’s reading level. Our catalogers place these books into three categories: F-A, F-B, and F-C. The F stands for First, as in First Readers. These roughly correspond to the different aspects of language on which books focus. F-A primarily focuses on letter sounds, letter combinations, and sight words. These are the absolute basics of language. F-A books have very few words per page and usually use only the simplest words. They’re often very repetitive, too. When your child is ready to try reading more independently, this is the section you’ll want. Some of my favorite F-A titles are The Adventures of Otto series by David Milgrim, the Otter series by Sam Garton, and the series by Candice Ransom including School Day!, Garden Day!, and Grandparents Day!. F-B will use some longer or more complex words and include more words per page, but they still are very simple overall. When your child has strengthened their letter and word recognition skills and is ready for complete stories, it’s time to start adding in books from this section. Some of my favorite F-B titles are the Elephant & Piggie series by Mo Willems, the Splat the Cat series by Rob Scotton, and, of course, Kelly Light’s series featuring a little girl named Louise. F-C will increase the length and complexity of words and stories, sometimes including multiple chapters or stories in one book. F-C books are for strong independent readers who are still growing. When your child is confidently completing F-B books on their own, you’ll want to start looking in this section. These titles will get your child ready for their first chapter books and graphic novels! Some of my favorite F-C titles are Kimberly Derting’s series Cece Loves Science, the King & Kayla series by Dori Hillestad Butler, and Arnold Lobel’s classic Frog & Toad books. These categories are not exact, especially since literacy development is not totally linear and quantifiable. The differences between each are more of a gradient, and transitions will be slow. You may be checking out books from two or more of these levels at once. Kids can become frustrated as their skills develop, so be sure to continuously offer support and continue reading to them. You’ll notice that many first readers include popular picture book characters or stories from television shows, movies, and other franchises. Nonfiction first readers are also common, especially ones about animals or historical events. These subjects keep this challenging new skill exciting, but familiar. They also help new readers learn that books are a way to have fun and learn about the world. Depending on a child’s interests, they may have characters and subjects that follow them all the way from board books to chapter books, easing the transition at each level. Whatever your child’s reading level or interests, there is a book out there for them. When in doubt, your youth services librarians are always here to help you find the right books for your child.
Author Spotlight: Nina Crews

With the arrival of her newest work, I’m Not Small, I wanted to take a look back at Nina Crews’ catalog of fantastic photo-illustrated picture books and highlight some of my favorite things about this wonderful artist and author. Most of Nina’s work employs a special technique of blending collaged photography with illustration and graphic design, which when paired with simple and poetic text, all works to create a strong sense of movement and magic on each page. She often uses a layering effect as shown in these two pages (from Seeing Into Tomorrow and One Hot Summer Day), which makes the images feel like 3-dimensional scenes that you could fall right into: Crews grew up in Brooklyn, NY, a place which has a large influence on her art and serves as the setting for many of her picture books. Such a busy, angular environmental setting contrasts wonderfully with her imaginative and dreamy collage work to bring excitement and limitless possibility to her stories. Her joyful, tender portraits center and celebrate Black children, of whom she often includes biographical information at the end of the book (sometimes she even photographs family members for her books). All of this comes together perfectly in pages such as this one below from The Neighborhood Mother Goose: I would recommend Crews’ books to anyone and everyone, and certain titles speak to particular experiences: Seeing Into Tomorrow was created for and with Black boys; A Girl Like Me was created as an affirmation and inspiration for Black girls. Nina even created fun tie-in activities for these titles, available for download here: https://ninacrews.com/downloads Get to know Nina Crews by putting these favorite titles below (in addition to the ones linked above) on hold through Clevnet today! A Girl Like Me Snowball A Ghost Story The Neighborhood Sing-Along I’ll Catch the Moon Jack and the Beanstalk You Are Here Below Sky-High Guy
Picture Books and Emotional Resilience

Picture books are tools, not just for developing literacy skills, but also emotional skills. Our well-being depends on a set of emotional skills known as emotional resilience, or the ability to cope with difficult feelings, scary or traumatic experiences, life changes, and other adversities. Emotional resilience lies in the ability to name our feelings and take them seriously, to recognize the impacts negative events have on ourselves, our communities, and the world, and to realistically imagine ways we ourselves can make things better in the future. The following picture books open opportunities to cozy up, talk, and build the skills we need to get through life’s troubles together. Building and maintaining emotional resilience takes a lifetime, so these recommendations are for everyone! And these titles are just the beginning! Your Youth Services staff and Matchmakers are always happy to find books to help you and your family through any one of life’s hardships. Books for Trying and Trying Again Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez It’s Okay to Make Mistakes by Todd Parr Books for Big Feelings When Sadness is at Your Door by Eva Eland Allie All Along by Sarah Lynne Reul Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna Books for Personal Traumas After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again by Dan Santat A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams Books for the World’s Grief Come With Me by Holly McGhee The Breaking News by Sarah Lynne Reul
Favorites of the Year: June to June

It’s my birthday today! Therefore, I am sharing my favorite picture books published this past year (from June 2021 to now). In fact, these are all in my favorites-of-all-time list… you’re welcome! First are six books that are transcendently joyful and beautiful: We All Play = Kimêtawânaw, by Julie Flett (technically published May 25th 2021, but that’s still Gemini season so it stays) Walrus Song, by Janet Lawler, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup, by Hunter Liguore, illustrated by Vikki Zhang Emile and the Field, by Kevin Young, illustrated by Chioma Ebinama The Big Bath House, by Kyo Maclear and Gracey Zhang A Garden of Creatures, by Sheila Heti, illustrated by Esmé Shapiro (to me, this is one of the most beautiful picture books ever created) Next are my favorite funny books: Mr. Watson’s Chickens, by Jarrett Dapier, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi Bathe the Cat, by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by David Roberts My Parents Won’t Stop Talking, by Emma Hunsinger and Tillie Walden Best Day Ever! by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Leah Nixon (I really relate to this one as someone who loves a dog who loves to roll in the worst possible things) And finally, my favorite nonfiction titles: The People Remember, by Ibi Zoboi, illustrated by Loveis Wise Let’s Go for a Walk, with Ranger Hamza, illustrated by Kate Kronreif Happy Sloth Day! by April Pulley Sayre with Jeff Sayre The Wolves of Yellowstone: A Rewilding Story, by Catherine Barr and Jenni Desmond Bodies are Cool, by Tyler Feder (yes, I’m going to find a way to work this title in to every one of my blog posts)
Picture books to celebrate gender diversity

In the past few years, many outstanding picture books have been published featuring trans, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, and queer people and stories. In light of recently introduced legislation and a surge in challenges to and bans of such books, I would love to share some of my favorites here now. These are excellent titles for exploring gender and sparking conversation: It Feels Good to Be Yourself, by Theresa Thorn, illustrated by Noah Grigni A House for Everyone, by Jo Hirst, illustrated by Naomi Bardoff Pink, Blue, and You: Questions for Kids About Gender and Stereotypes, by Elise Gravel Except When They Don’t, by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Joshua Heinsz What Are Your Words?, by Katherine Locke, illustrated by Anne Passchier What Riley Wore, by Elana K. Arnold, illustrated by Linda Davick The Pronoun Book, by Cassandra Jules Corrigan, illustrated by Jem Milton Bodies Are Cool, by Tyler Feder And these titles center and celebrate trans and gender nonconforming characters: Calvin, by Vanessa and Ronald Ford, illustrated by Kayla Harren My Rainbow, by Trinity and DeShanna Neal, illustrated by Art Twink Julián is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love When Aidan Became a Brother, by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita Pride Puppy, by Robin Stevenson, illustrated by Julie McLaughlin Phoenix Goes to School, by Michelle and Phoenix Finch, illustrated by Sharon Davey And finally, here are my favorite titles in which there is incidental queer representation (there are queer characters but that fact is not a central part of the story): Mr. Watson’s Chickens, by Jarrett Dapier, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi Bathe the Cat, by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by David Roberts Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle, by Nina LaCour, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita A Family is a Family is a Family, by Sara O’Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng I Love You Because I Love You, by Mượn Thị Văn, illustrated by Jessica Love My Parents Won’t Stop Talking, by Emma Hunsinger
Great Reads for Autism Acceptance Month

April is Autism Acceptance Month! This observance, now increasingly led by autistic self-advocates, seeks to open discussion and celebration around life with autism spectrum disorder. Everyone interacts with people with autism regularly, whether they know it or not, and everyone can take part in creating more inclusive communities that allow everyone to fully express their strengths and differences. The following books, authored by autistic self-advocates, can help people of any age start understanding themselves and others better: Little Senses series by Samantha Cotterill These picture books, beautifully illustrated by the author, evoke the experiences of children with autism spectrum disorder and sensory processing disorder, or “wonderfully sensitive children,” as Cotterill herself puts it. So far, topics include sensory overload, changes of plans, social missteps, and trying new things. Each title demonstrates for readers an effective strategy for moving through these challenges so that everyone can get back to having fun! Here’s one of my favorite spreads from This Beach is Loud! The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit This delightful middle-grade novel is co-narrated by two very different autistic sisters. Older sister Lara is trying to solve consequential mysteries such as why their father burned the brisket for Shabbat dinner, and who her little sister Caroline has been texting. Meanwhile, Caroline tries to independently navigate starting middle school, making new friends, and handling bullies. Their diversely neurodivergent and Jewish family offers love and support, allowing them to solve mysteries and resolve problems in their own time. This was one of my very favorite new releases of 2021! Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity, edited by Emily Paige Baillou, Sharon da VanPort, and Morenike Giwa Owainu This anthology, published by the Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network, is an invitation to current parents of autistic children to learn from the past experiences of autistic adults. Most essays cover ways that childhood could have been better, if only there had been kinder, more helpful information available to parents at the time. Thanks to this resource, parents of any child, but especially autistic children, can start with that kind, helpful information to more thoroughly meet their needs as they grow up. This title is just one of many ways autistic adults are making the world a little easier for a new generation.

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