Tag Archive | competition

FISH FARTS and Other Amazing Ways Animals Adapt, by Joanne Settel and Natasha Donovan (kids’ Nonfiction)

Jun4
Book cover of Fish Farts and Other Amazing Ways Animals Adapt, by Joanne Settel; illustrated by Natasha Donovan. A large shiny fish swims between the title words, with bubbles trailing behind it.

Animals change over time to cope with their environment, to survive, to thrive.

Meet dozens of fascinating animals in these adaptation categories: curious communications, all-purpose poop, escaping the enemy, super strange insides, and creepy connections.

Hide and stink! Young Komodo dragons survive by rolling in pig poop so they aren’t eaten by huge adult Komodos who smell the air with their tongues as they hunt.

Escape! Green iguanas and other lizards can let their tail snap off when grabbed by a predator, then grow a new tail later.

Move along! Hummingbird flower mites hitch a ride to new nectar sources by jumping onto a hummingbird’s long beak at one flower, hiding out in its nostril, then leaping off when they sense the correct type of flower to find a new mate and avoid enemies.

Elephantnose fish use electricity to navigate through night waters in Africa and communicate with each other, one of 400 species of electric fish who’ve adapted to cloudy or muddy freshwater.

However, elephants communicate and are alerted to danger by sensing ground vibrations through their toes! Only in recent decades have scientists registered these sounds with frequencies too low for humans to hear.

Cooking the Enemy, Whale Poop for Lunch, Ant Shampoo! The chapter titles alone make it worth your while to pick up this book from your local library (https://search.worldcat.org/libraries) or favorite independent bookstore (https://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder).

This accurately and artistically illustrated 42 page book is better for browsing than for research since it has no bibliography or index. Words in color within the information-packed text point to its glossary at the end.

What’s your favorite unusual animal fact?
**kmm

Book info: Fish Farts and Other Amazing Ways Animals Adapt / Joanne Settel; illustrated by Natasha Donovan. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024. [author site https://www.joannesettel.com/] [illustrator site https://www.natashadonovan.com/] [publisher site https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Fish-Farts/Joanne-Settel/9781665918831] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Large, small – meet them all! ATLAS OF DOGS, by Dobiasova, Sekaninova, Sedlackova, and Kralik (MG Nonfiction)

Jun3
Book cover of Atlas of Dogs, by Ester Dobiasova, Jana Sedlackova, Stepanka Sekaninova; Illustrated by Marcel Kralik. As 3 happy children watch, 6 dogs run an agility course counter-clockwise around the title, including a Doberman pinscher, a Nordic hunting dog, a cattle dog, a Chow Chow, an Airedale terrier, and a Norwegian Dunker hound.

Samoyed, chow chow, English bulldog!
Schipperke? Munsterlander? Blue Gascony basset?

In this large illustrated atlas, dogs themselves tell us about their many different breeds: sighthounds; scenthounds; pointers and setters; terriers; sheepdogs and cattle dogs; retrievers, flushing dogs, and water dogs; spitz and primitive dogs; dachshunds; pinschers, schnauzers, molosser breeds, and Swiss mountain dogs; and companion dogs.

You’ll meet dogs whose breeds you know well – beagle, German shepherd, Great Dane – and many that you may never have encountered – komondor, Prague ratter, stabyhoun, vizsla.

Several breeds popular as pets, like spitz, dachshunds, and collies, have a scorecard of intelligence, obedience, activity level, guarding skill, barking level, best family type to live with, and ideal home so you can make a good fit between dog and pet owner – with shelter dogs named as always the best first choice.

Throughout the book are issues of “Dogs’ Post Daily” news highlighting outstanding dogs through history, like loyal Hachiko in Japan, the puppy Honey who ran for help when her master’s car rolled into a deep ravine, Greyfriars Bobby the night watchman, and Barry the St. Bernard mountain rescuer of the Alps.

Be sure to find the dog to human years (no, not 1 to 7) conversion chart, as well as sections on record-holding dogs, dog speech, and how to take care of dogs.

A wonderfully illustrated informational book from Albatros in the Czech Republic, who brought us the equally delightful Atlas of Cats (recommended here: https://booksyalove.com/?p=14643).

What’s your favorite breed of dog?
**kmm

Book info: Atlas of Dogs / Ester Dobiasova, Stepanka Sekaninova, Jana Sedlackova; illustrated by Marcel Kralik. Albatros, 2021. [Stepanka’s page https://www.albatrosmedia.eu/writer/stepanka-sekaninova/] [publisher site https://www.albatrosmedia.eu/book/atlas-of-dogs/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher, via Publisher Spotlight.

She was SWINGING INTO HISTORY! Toni Stone: Big-League Baseball’s First Woman Player, by Karen L. Swanson & Laura Freeman (nonfiction picturebook)

May28
Book cover of Swinging Into History: Toni Stone: Big-League Baseball's First Woman Player, by Karen L. Swanson; illustrated by Laura Freeman. Against backdrop of a large baseball among scattered stars, a Black woman wearing a Clowns team baseball uniform reaches up to catch a baseball in mitt on her left hand.

Oh, how she loves baseball!
But her parents keep saying no…
how will she make it to the Major Leagues?

Tomboy longed to play baseball, but her parents tried to keep the tween busy at their Black hair salon instead. Thankfully, their parish priest convinced them to let her play on the church team in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Persistence got her into a summer baseball camp into where good coaching polished her skills. An excellent fielder, accurate thrower, and astounding batter, Tomboy began trying out for semi-pro teams at 15!

Moving to California, changing her name to Toni, and playing several years in front of scouts for pro teams, she was finally signed to the New Orleans Creoles of the Negro minor leagues.

But playing in the 1950s Jim Crow southern states was doubly hard for Toni, always forced to enter stadiums through the “colored” door and often harassed for being a woman in a man’s game.

Finally, she got called-up to the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League – the first woman to play for any Major League Baseball team!

“Worked hard for my dream, gave up a lot, but my dream came true: playing baseball with the big boys,” Toni said – big boys like Satchel Paige and Willie Mays.

Toni lived to see the her name listed among the 75 Negro Leagues players honored at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, where a baseball field is dedicated to her memory.

Includes a timeline of the Negro Leagues, civil rights history, and Toni’s career, a bibliography, and extensive author’s notes about the racism and gender discrimination that Toni endured while playing ball.

Which women athletes are you watching today?
**kmm

Book info: Swinging Into History: Toni Stone: Big-League Baseball’s First Woman Player / Karen L. Swanson; illustrated by Laura Freeman. Calkins Creek, 2024. [author site https://www.karenlswanson.com/] [illustrator site https://www.lfreemanart.com/] [publisher site https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/742890/swinging-into-history-by-karen-l-swanson-illustrated-by-laura-freeman/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Oh, wow! EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT DINOSAURS IS WRONG! by Nick Crumpton and Gavin Scott (MG nonfiction)

May9
Book cover of Everything You Know About Dinosaurs Is Wrong! by Dr. Nick Crumpton and Gavin Scott. Many dinosaurs large and small perch upon, walk through, look at, and fly across the bold capital letters of the title.

Roaring, green, scaly, gigantic – our mental images of dinosaurs are NOT RIGHT!

So much has been discovered in the past decade that we need to correct our old dino info.

Among the many WRONG facts that “everyone knows” about dinosaurs that need updating are

– Dinosaurs weren’t very smart (incorrect)
– Long-necked dinosaurs all looked the same (no)
– Tyrannosaurus could outrun you (also no)
– Raptors slashed their prey (nope)

Dinosaur-hunting expeditions now go beyond the usual deserts to Antarctica, sea cliffs, and deep inside mines.

Recent discoveries include dinosaurs that lived in trees or underground, those that cared for nests full of eggs, and sharp-toothed ones that ate both meat and plants.

Using new equipment and techniques to examine fossils discovered long ago, paleontologists can now tell us that some dinosaurs had feathers or fur, that they weren’t cold-blooded, and that some specimens need to be renamed because they are actually young or teen specimens of an already-named dino!

My favorite new fact: that brontosaurus and apatosaurus were indeed two different dinos, not two different names for the same one.

Lots of new names and great information for dino-lovers to learn in this oversized well-illustrated book, also available in paperback July 2025.

What’s your favorite dino?
**kmm

Book info: Everything You Know About Dinosaurs Is Wrong! (Everything You Know series) / Dr. Nick Crumpton; illustrated by Gavin Scott. Nosy Crow US, 2023. [author site https://www.nickcrumpton.com/] [artist site https://www.gavin-scott.co.uk/] [publisher site https://nosycrow.us/product/everything-you-know-about-dinosaurs-is-wrong/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher, via Publisher Spotlight.

V is for young violinist and friends – AFTER THE WALLPAPER MUSIC, now what? by Jean Mills (MG Fiction) #AtoZ

Apr25
Book cover of After the Wallpaper Music, by Jean Mills. Shows a young teen girl with long flowing red hair, playing a violin whose music swirls up and around the title.

Music soothes, charms,
tells stories, connects us,
divides us?

“My violin has magic powers and transforms into a fiddle at night, and that’s when I play the Newfoundland tunes for Auntie Flora,” says her 13-year-old namesake (pg. 7) who enjoys her great-aunt’s traditional music as much as the classical pieces that she, Kristy, Bas, and Vlad play as a string quartet.

Year 8 begins with a new classmate! Simon’s rock star dad was invited to lecture at the university in their Canadian town. Sadly, his younger sister was killed in a car crash this past summer. Simon is very quiet at school.

When the quartet instructor announces a Battle of the Bands contest coming up and her friends want to play a video game theme song instead of an edgy modern classical composer, Flora isn’t thrilled.

Unexpectedly, Simon asks Flora to bring her violin to his house, and they try jamming to rock music with different instruments – amazing! They’ll enter the Battle of the Bands, too!

Juggling homework, quartet practice, and rock practice is tough – now Aunt Flora has fallen ill and must stay in the hospital! Mom, Dad, and big sister Agnes keep things going at home and nursing home – very tough.

Will her quartet friends get used to Flora playing with Simon, too?
Which band will win those New York City concert tickets?
Can Flora go back to playing the quartet’s classical “wallpaper music” only?

A school term filled with changes and changes! (Look for the lyrics and music to Auntie Flora’s favorite in the back of the book)

When have you had to decide whether to continue a project with friends or go your own way?
**kmm

Book info: After the Wallpaper Music / Jean Mills. Pajama Press, 2024. [author site https://jeanmillswriter.com/] [publisher site https://pajamapress.ca/book/after-the-wallpaper-music/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher via Publisher Spotlight.

Q is for questing with the SHEPHERDESS WARRIORS to protect her village! by Jonathan Garnier & Amelie Flechais (Graphic Novel) #AtoZ

Apr19
Book cover of graphic novel Shepherdess Warriors, volume 1, by Jonathan Garnier and Amelie Flechais. Amid a desolate gray wilderness, two very young warriors sit astride their mounts who rear up on their back legs - on the left, a boy rides a gigantic shaggy dog, on the right, a red-haired girl rides a large short-horned black ram. The youths hold aloft long lances with banners that cross at center.

Ten years with no news,
their men far away at war,
the women must keep their village safe!

Molly can’t wait! Now she’s finally old enough to start training with the Order of Shepherdess Warriors, to join her mother and grandmother in defending their village and their flocks. Only the oldest men and preteen boys didn’t go to war, so women began the Order to protect everyone.

Astride her ram, Black Beard, the ten year old and her friends learn archery, blade fighting, history, and how to stay awake on night watches.

Liam longs to be a defender, too. Even though the Order is closed to men, he and his gigantic dog tag along on training missions, aided by best friend Molly, of course.

Near the edges of the Deadlands, the apprentices encounter friendly-enough witches, bumbling bandits, and a dread unknown creature!

Can they prevent the evil creature from attacking the village?
Who is the girl wandering alone in this wilderness?
Will the being called ‘Great Botanist’ help the Order in their quest?

Volume one (issues 1 and 2) of the graphic novel series, which originated in France after artist Amelie created a squad of goat-riding warrior women for a cavalry-themed art challenge. Look for Volume 2, too!

What historic defensive skill would you like to learn?
**kmm

Book info: Shepherdess Warriors, vol. 1 / Jonathan Garnier; art by Amelie Flechais; translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger; lettering by Vibrant Studios. Ablaze Publishing, 2024. [artist site https://www.amelieflechais.com/] [publisher site https://ablaze.net/products?p=G9781684971695] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

K is for KEEPING PACE: running, academically, she’s gotta win! by Laurie Morrison (MG fiction) #A2Z

Apr12
Book cover of Keeping Pace, by Laurie Morrison. Shows 2 young teens in exercise clothes running up a hilly path; the boy is ahead of the pony-tailed girl and looks back at her.

Striving all year for best grades,
applying for the prestigious writing camp…
No, and no – now what?

Grace worked so hard to get highest 8th grade GPA and impress her novelist dad, but lost the award to former friend Jonah. The summer before high school stretches out before the Philadelphia teen.

Babysitting the young son of Dad’s new girlfriend… not as easy as it looks.
Creative writing class… ahh, like her favorite verse novels, not Dad’s blockbuster novel.
Training for the half-marathon to benefit local wetlands… just as she and Jonah planned in 6th grade…oh.

The treehouse between her house and his grandmother’s next door was their happy place every summer, at least before Jonah’s dad got sick and died a few years ago.

Their competition for grades and honors pushed the friends apart… should they try to fix it?
Getting closer to him at her birthday party… awkward? just right?
Jonah not at the same high school next year… what!?

This summer means new friends at creative writing class, talking through big sister Celia’s plans after high school, running with her and sometimes with Jonah, half-marathon and high school on the horizon!

Who is she if she isn’t the smartest student?
Will she beat Jonah at the half-marathon?
Would she rather be with him instead of being rivals?

Goal-setting listmaker Grace’s weekly training plan for the half-marathon starts each group of chapters as she moves through a summer where winning might not be all that she wants.

When did you decide that an outside goal wasn’t yours anymore?
**kmm

Book info: Keeping Pace / Laurie Morrison. Abrams/Amulet, 2024. [author site https://lauriemorrisonwrites.com/books/] [publisher site https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/keeping-pace] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

V is for her very disastrous Valentine’s Day, on repeat! THE DO-OVER, by Lynn Painter (YA book review) #A2Z

Apr25
Girl in blue van crashes back of red truck driven by boy. Second crash, he comforts her. Third crash, they stand apart. Book cover of The Do-Over, by Lynn Painter. Simon & Schuster.

Determined, organized,
people-pleaser –
now what’s all this!?

Her perfect Valentine’s Day plan gets a jolt when Emilie rear-ends her aloof lab partner’s truck, is told that her summer fellowship fell through, and sees her boyfriend kissing his ex!

This is not on her agenda at all: her divorced parents will be furious about the wreck, she needs that fellowship to pay for college, and how could Josh even do that to her?

Escaping to Grandma Max’s after more bad news from Dad, the high school junior turns in early so this horrible day can finally be over… and wakes up in her own bed on Valentine’s morning!

Her van is fine…until she rear-ends Nick’s truck again. Then she loses the fellowship again, and Josh is kissing Macy again… what is going on?

Next morning is Valentine’s Day yet again, and then the next is, too! Does the universe want her to change something to get out of this time loop?

On every repeated February 14th, she gets to know Nick a little better, but he doesn’t remember the next morning (also Feb. 14).

Different outfit, drive another route to school, talk her way back into the summer program, stop Josh from being alone with Macy, talk her way back into the summer program, convince Dad not to move – what else should she try?

Time for ultra-organized Emilie to go way off-script!

What single day would you want a do-over for?
**kmm

Book info: The Do-Over / Lynn Painter. Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, hardcover 2022, paperback 2023. [author site] [publisher site] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

U is THE UMBRELLA HOUSE and the stories it could tell! by Colleen Nelson (MG book review) #A2Z

Apr24
Two kids and dog entering an apartment building whose fire escapes hold many colorful umbrellas - book cover of The Umbrella House, by Colleen Nelson; Pajama Press

Young Voices video contest!
At Veracity News!
She just needs the right story to tell…

Growing up in Umbrella House with her grandmother, 12-year-old Roxy knows all about its origins as an abandoned building brought back to life by creative people who fought for the right to live there.

She and her best friend Scout love to show off the neighborhood on their EaVillKids video channel, from their umbrella-covered co-op to unique shops and restaurants to the 3-story high murals defiantly created by the mysterious Midnight Muralist some years ago. Surely Roxy’s contest entry will convince Veracity News to make a documentary about it!

Researching East Village history, Roxy finds out more about her late father (didn’t know he was such a talented artist!) and fellow residents, plus articles and photos about the murals and Umbrella House’s early days – who exactly was the Midnight Muralist?

Oh, no! A fancy real estate developer is buying up nearby properties – could he convince the city to change its rules and force the co-op owners to sell it?

Scout is being evasive about his photography portfolio – will he still have time to video and edit Roxy’s contest entry? Just three weeks till the deadline!

A tense meeting with the City Council, the whole neighborhood working together to save Umbrella House – if only the Midnight Muralist could help!

Although the secret Muralist is fictional, this book is based on the real Umbrella House‘s journey to legalizing the building as low-income co-op housing in 2010.

What stories could your home tell?
**kmm

Book info: The Umbrella House / Colleen Nelson. Pajama Press, hardcover 2023, paperback 2024. [author site] [publisher site] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

M is for THE MONKEY KING: THE COMPLETE ODYSSEY – perilous journey to the West! by Chaiko (YA Graphic Novel review) #A2Z

Apr15
book cover of The Monkey King: The Complete Odyssey, adapted and illustrated by Chaiko. Published by Magnetic Press

Clever and powerful Sun Wukong isn’t content to be king over the monkeys – he wants to live forever!

After traveling far to learn the secret, he rejects the master’s teachings of humility, instead stealing immortal peaches and magical weapons.

The great gods’ efforts to punish the now-indestructible Monkey King lead him to encounter the Amitbha Buddha, with dire results.

Young Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang longs to help all those in need, so he is directed to find sacred sutras in India.

Thanks to Bodhisattva Guanyin‘s compassion, Tang meets the mischievous Monkey King who can protect him on the long, perilous journey to the West.

Can Sun Wukong renounce his wickedness to help Tang on his pilgrimage?

The monk and scoundrel-hero are joined by a dragon-horse, a pig, and a sand-monk who want to atone for their own past sins.

Many adventures and battles with villains of the natural and supernatural worlds lie between our travelers and the object of their quest!

Known widely as Journey to the West, this adventurous saga inspired by the travels of a Buddhist monk was written by Wu Cheng’En (Ruzhong) in China during the late 1500s and is considered a Classic Masterwork of Chinese literature.

Where has your search for knowledge and peace taken you?
**kmm

Book info: The Monkey King: The Complete Odyssey / adapted and illustrated by Chaiko. Magnetic Press, 2023. [artist site] [publisher site] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher*.

*Full disclosure: Chaiko’s drawing style seemed very familiar to me and after reading the entire book, I realized why: I had backed the Kickstarter for publication of its English translation from French! That PDF was still in my digital to-be-read folder when the beautiful full-color glossy paper 320 page edition recently arrived for review.