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Book Review: Living with Viola by Rosena Fung

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  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Fung, R. (2021). Living with viola. Annick Press. ISBN: 978-1773215488 2.  PLOT SUMMARY Livy is already having trouble fitting in as the new girl at school—and then there’s Viola. Viola is Livy’s anxiety brought to life, a shadowy twin that only Livy can see or hear. Livy tries to push back against Viola’s relentless judgment, but nothing seems to work until she strikes up new friendships at school. Livy hopes that Viola’s days are numbered. But when tensions arise both at home and at school, Viola rears her head stronger than ever. Only when Livy learns how to ask for help and face her anxiety does she finally figure out living with Viola. Rosena Fung draws on her own early experiences with anxiety and the pressures of growing up as the child of Chinese immigrant parents to craft a charming, deeply personal story that combines the poignancy of Raina Telgemeier’s Guts with the wacky humor of Lumberjanes. Exuberant, colorful art brings Livy’s rich imaginative world—fil
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Book Review: The Lily Pond by Annika Thor

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  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Thor, A., & Schenck, L. (2011). The Lily Pond . Delacorte Press. ISBN: 978-0385740395 2.  PLOT SUMMARY The Lily Pond continues the story of two Jewish sisters who left Austria during WWII/Holocaust and found refuge in Sweden. A year after Stephie Steiner and her younger sister, Nellie, left Nazi-occupied Vienna, Stephie has finally adapted to life on the rugged Swedish island where she now lives. But more change awaits Stephie: her foster parents have allowed her to enroll in school on the mainland, in Goteberg. Stephie is eager to go. Not only will she be pursuing her studies, she'll be living in a cultured city again—under the same roof as Sven, the son of the lodgers who rented her foster parents' cottage for the summer. Five years her senior, Sven dazzles Stephie with his charm, his talk of equality, and his anti-Hitler sentiments. Stephie can't help herself—she's falling in love. As she navigates a sea of new emotions, she also grapples with
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Book Review: Rainbow Hands by Mamta Nainy

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  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Nainy, M., & Loring-Fisher, J. (2022). Rainbow hands . Lantana Publishing Ltd. ISBN: 978-1913747749 2.  PLOT SUMMARY As the long late summer day stretches ahead of them, a young boy eagerly looks forward to his favorite time―painting-your-nails time. He know that when he dips into those magical bottles of nail polish, he will discover a color to express his every mood and feeling. Purple is the color of magic and mystery. White is the color of endless possibilities. At times, his papa frowns and says, "What have you done to your nails?" At other times, he says, "Why don’t you paint on paper instead?" But the little boy knows that painting his nails makes his hands look beautiful. This color-filled story celebrates the joy of finding out who you are and embracing the courage to be yourself.   3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS Another great read that I plan to add to my personal collection. This book presents a powerful message about being true to oneself. Thi
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Book Review: Good Night, Sleep Tight by Mem Fox

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  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Fox, M., & Horacek, J. (2013). Good night, sleep tight . Scholastic Australia. ISBN: 978-0545533706 2.  PLOT SUMMARY When their favorite babysitter, Skinny Doug puts Bonnie and Ben to sleep, he begins by saying, “Good night, sleep tight” followed by classic nursery rhymes such as “It’s raining! It’s pouring! Bonnie and Ben love hearing the nursery rhymes and Skinny Doug keeps sharing more until they finally fall asleep. 3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS I loved this book! Each nursery rhyme is added into the story seamlessly! The book is full of repetition and onomatopoeia that make it easy for young kids to follow along with. Reading through this book, remined me of all favorite nursey rhymes that I grew up with. Although the characters in this book aren’t very developed, adult readers can see themselves as Skinny Doug when they retell their favorite nursery rhymes “they heard from their mother.” The illustrations are simple and fun. The colors used are also simple and basic w
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Book Review: Bonnie and Clyde The Making of a Legend

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  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Blumenthal, K. (2018). Bonnie and clyde the making of a legend. Penguin Young Readers Group. ISBN: 0451471229 2.  PLOT SUMMARY This book details the life of Bonnie and Clyde, through different sources such as news articles and family interviews. This notorious couple is often celebrated and their story is immortalized but in reality, their story of how they came to be “Bonnie and Clyde” is different. Using sequential order, this book shares keys events that led this famous couple to their life of crime.   3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS I want to start by saying that I have heard the songs and I have seen movies that tell the story of these famous outlaws and I admit, I love the Hollywood version! However, reading this book gave me a different perspective on Bonnie and Clyde. Blumenthal’s biography was loaded with facts and stuck only to facts leaving out her personal opinions, which I thought was great! Written using sequential order, Blumenthal really took the time to research
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Book Review: Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary

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  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Brockenbrough, M. (2019). Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary . Square Fish. ISBN: 1250211700 2.  PLOT SUMMARY This biography details the life of Alexander Hamilton and the impact it had on America. This biography shares different aspects of Hamilton’s life, starting from his birth, the key role he played during the American Revolution, post revolution times and his untimely death. As an added bonus, Brockenbrough added additional information at the end of the book that includes timelines and other relevant information to help readers understand the time period. 3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS Let me start by saying this biography was very well researched, I couldn’t put it down. Brockenbrough really put in the time to accurately depict one of our founding fathers as a remarkable leader who greatly impacted the America we know today. After reading the foreword, I was immediately hooked. Hamilton was a portrayed as a fearless leader who brilliantly helped our founding fa
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Book Review: Free Lunch

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  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ogle, R. (2021). Free lunch . W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN: 1324016949 2.  PLOT SUMMARY This novel is a memoir detailing Ogle’s sixth grade year trying to fit in a school filled with rich kids. Some of the challenges he faces include financial struggles, domestic violence, not being able to join the football team, and being humiliated because his mom signed him up for the free lunch program. It wasn’t until he finally visited his friend Ethan’s house that he realized that money wasn’t the answer to all problems. At that moment, he realized that being enrolled in a free lunch program wasn’t meant to hurt him but rather to help him. 3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS This memoir was amazing! I couldn’t put it down. Written as a memoir, Ogle details his family’s financial struggles and how it impacted his sixth-grade year. Rex describes in detail his trips to the grocery store and how his mom only went shopping on Tuesdays to take advantage of “double coupon” day.   Additional
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