Holiday House Research Articles

AN INVISIBLE TERROR OUTSIDE: THE ANXIETY OF UNCERTAINTY, PANIC AND ISOLATION IN RUMAAN ALAM’S LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND

Today humanity is going through a period of great upheavals and rapid changes in every sphere of life, including the environment, that inevitably lead to general destabilisation and disruptions. In the latest novel by Rumaan Alam, apocalyptic Leave the World Behind (2020), a crisis appears to reshape our closest bonds and forge new ones. This story of an invisible terror deals with cataclysmic but mysterious events that shut down the communication networks we over-rely on, and sees an almost overwhelming sense of uncertainty, panic and increasing anxiety. Isolated in the remote holiday house with the Vermont stone kitchen tops and night-lit swimming pool, a couple of New Yorkers and their teenage children are looking forward to taking a rest from the routines of city life when catastrophe strikes. In addition to the major theme of the threat of human extinction, Leave the World Behind explores the relationship between class and race and the complexities of parenthood and solitude during an unspecified disaster. Those issues are included in the context of the global problem of anthropogenic impacts on the environment. At the same time, Alam demonstrates how habituation to the ongoing crises in the modern world, including social-ecological transformations, affects the understanding of a severe situation people are facing and ways to prevent it: they have increasing tolerance for the absurd. The suspenseful, provocative and prescient book, Leave the World Behind, captures the generalised panic of 2020, the year of a global outbreak of coronavirus. As a kind of end-of-the-world fiction, the novel is full of moments of exquisite recognition and reappraising of our attitudes the article discusses.

Interpreting the Changing Meaning of the Peri-Urban Holiday House: The Complex and Paradoxical Nature of Housing Financialisation

ABSTRACT In recent studies of housing financialisation, a “financial paradox” has been identified in which owner-occupied houses are simultaneously places of ontological security and financial investment. This paradox influences the way owner-occupiers interpret their primary and holiday houses, particularly if the latter are located in sought after high amenity locations. In this paper, we argue that, faced with rapidly increasing residential property prices, many long-term owners reluctantly reconceptualise their understanding of their holiday house as both a recreational and financial asset. Our study uses in-depth interviews with owners of holiday houses on Waiheke Island, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand to identify how they are interpreting and managing the normalisation of this paradox. The island is historically popular for holiday houses and is currently experiencing substantial property price increases. It is therefore an ideal place to study the complex and paradoxical nature of housing financialisation and thus potential biases in the housing market.

Two successive outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis due to norovirus GII.6 in a holiday camp house

When two outbreaks occur in the same institution within a short period of time, an important health and social concern is generated. Two gastroenteritis outbreaks occurring a week apart in the same facility were reported in Lleida, Spain, in 2018. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical, epidemiological and microbiological investigation carried out and to determine the risk factors. Demographic data, food consumption and symptoms were collected. Health inspections of the facility were carried out. Risk ratio and their 95% confidence intervals were estimated for the implication of each food consumed. The attack rate was 89.7% in the first outbreak and 69.6% in the second outbreak. The most frequent symptoms in the first and second outbreak were abdominal pain (88.5% and 100%, respectively), vomiting (80.8% and 87.5%, respectively) and nausea (69.2% and 81.3%, respectively). The first outbreak was associated with the consumption of a salad and the second with a cheese omelet. Norovirus GII.6 was detected by RT-PCR and sequenced in both groups of students and in the food handlers who prepared the meals. These results highlight the importance of exclusion from work of food handlers with gastroenteritis, the adequate availability of mechanisms for correct hand washing and the correct cleaning of surfaces.

Great Carrier Reef by Jessica Stremer

Reviewed by: Great Carrier Reef by Jessica Stremer Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Stremer, Jessica Great Carrier Reef; illus. by Gordy Wright. Holiday House, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823452682 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823455256 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 7-11 yrs After decades of service, the USS Oriskany, nicknamed “The Mighty O,” was decommissioned in 1975; nearly thirty years later, scientists would put the aircraft carrier to new use, under the sea instead of on its surface. As the consequences of global warming and dying reefs became clear in the early 2000s, scientists worked toward creating artificial reefs for the millions of sea creatures left at risk as their homes and hiding spots were lost to warming oceans. The Mighty O became the world’s largest artificial reef, but not without serious effort: toxic paint was stripped away, oil and fuel drained, cables cut, and layers of other harmful material removed. Finally, explosives were used strategically to make sure the ship fell evenly to the ocean’s bottom. The latest entry in the “Books for a Better Earth” series focuses on climate change’s effect on the ocean through an accessible, single account, reminding readers that human ingenuity may very well abate the results of human-driven destruction. The straightforward narrative is concise but informative, conveying details of the boat’s transformation along with blunt facts about a dying marine environment. Full spreads of gouache and acrylic illustrations emphasize the enormity of the ship as it stretches across the pages, while empty underwater scenes are soon populated by various sea life as the Mighty O sinks into its new role. Young readers are becoming increasingly aware of the climate crisis, and librarians and educators should keep an eye on this series as a resource for information that highlights possible solutions, avoiding Pollyanna optimism or fatalistic doomerism. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

A Starlet's Secret to a Sensational Afterlife by Kendall Kulper

Reviewed by: A Starlet's Secret to a Sensational Afterlife by Kendall Kulper Aaren Tucker Kulper, Kendall A Starlet's Secret to a Sensational Afterlife. Holiday House, 2023 [352p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823453610 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823455331 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 9-12 Henrietta Newhouse departs Chicago to pursue her big Hollywood dreams after winning a contest for a one-way train ticket and a screen test, only to discover upon arrival that she's been scammed. Forced to make it on her own, Henny succeeds in part thanks to a chance meeting with up-and-coming starlet Midge, which leads to a real screen test with Silver Wing Studios. Her on-screen partner? Declan Collins. Declan has made a name for himself as the unbreakable stunt man who will take the dangerous jobs others won't. He has no interest in being a star, but he agrees to the screen test, hoping to find out more about several missing starlets that are connected to Silver Wing. Henny and Declan dislike each other immediately, but their sizzling chemistry is a hit, prompting the studio to pair them up as a fake couple. Pretending to date Declan is all part of the job to Henny until her new friend Midge visits her—disturbingly, as a ghost. Henny might have a target on her back, and Declan could turn out to be the only person in this rotten town she can trust. Kulper's follow-up to Murder for the Modern Girl (BCCB 5/22) delivers the same gritty world-building and appropriately antiquated first-person narration to transport readers to 1930s Hollywood. Henny is the sister of Murder for the Modern Girl's Ruby, but this novel stands completely on its own; Henny follows in Ruby's footsteps as another confident, savvy heroine in a glamorous dress navigating a world full of powerful, Weinstein-esque men chewing up hopeful young women and spitting them out. Henny and Declan's sharp, funny banter and earnest chemistry provide the heart and spine throughout the gruesome mysteries and supernatural thrills of another superb novel from Kulper. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Constellations by Kate Glasheen (review)

Reviewed by: Constellations by Kate Glasheen April Spisak Glasheen, Kate Constellations; written and illus. by Kate Glasheen. Holiday House, 2023 [224p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823450718 $22.99 Paper ed. ISBN 9780823454884 $14.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823455386 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 8-12 The 1980s in Troy, New York (and almost everywhere else) is an all but impossible time to freely explore or challenge gender identity, but Claire isn't trying to be an activist—they just don't want the first (and sometimes only) question they get asked to be whether they are a boy or a girl. Heavy drinking smooths out and dulls the sharp edges of their pain until they finally land in court-ordered rehab. Suddenly, Claire is surrounded by other teens who are also struggling with addiction, isolation, anxiety, and depression, and they feel part of a group for the first time. A terrific counselor, some new coping strategies to replace drinking, and bolstering from their new friends all combine to help Claire feel confident they will do okay after their release. Unfortunately, not all their friends from rehab fare as well, going back to lives that are just too heavy, too dark, or too hopeless to not revert to old, destructive habits. Exaggerated size and perspective emphasize raw experiences throughout the graphic novel as emotional faces sometimes fill the panel, crowding out everything else. The watercolor and ink illustrations add even more weight to the scenes, with shadows, color shifts, and even the posture of the characters all conveying despair and, even more notable for its scarcity, joy. An honest, straight-forward author's note identifies the book as having an autobiographical core as they also felt born [End Page 259] into a body that didn't match their identity, were crushed by societal expectations, and went through rehab where they formed intense friendships that were sometimes positive, sometimes traumatic. Glasheen ends with a quiet observation that even if the reader is not hurting as much as Claire, there is connectivity in that we all are carrying something that, if left untended or unspoken, could become too heavy to hold. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Lolo Weaver Swims Upstream by Polly Farquhar

Reviewed by: Lolo Weaver Swims Upstream by Polly Farquhar Ally Byerly Farquhar, Polly Lolo Weaver Swims Upstream. Holiday House, 2023 [240p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823452095 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823455195 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-6 Lolo Weaver’s life is divided into befores and afters. Before Papa died, before their town’s namesake lake was drained, before her grieving grandmother gave away their foster dog, Hank. After Lolo tried to help and ended up making everything worse. Now, Lolo is stuck in summer school contending with her teacher, the pompous Mrs. Cryer, and ruminating on the many ways she falls short of others’ expectations. Lolo resolves to make a bold move to return things to how they were before, starting with getting Hank back. She takes off across the remains of the lake in Papa’s old canoe to reclaim Hank from his new foster family. What she doesn’t count on is her summer school classmate, Noah Pham, being Hank’s new [End Page 219] owner and reluctant to let him go. Farquhar has crafted a fast-paced and engaging middle grade novel with a protagonist who all but leaps off the page. Lolo is gutsy and sharp, and young readers will relish the wry way she calls out the transparent platitudes adults offer young people. Yet for all of her canny observations about human nature, Lolo often draws flawed or incomplete conclusions about the feelings and needs of those around her. This recurring theme elevates the well-worn territory of novels about young people and their dogs to an affecting portrait of a young person navigating not only grief and change but the limits of her own empathy. Recommend this to any young person looking for an engaging summer read, particularly fans of Rebecca Stead and Kate DiCamillo. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

The Last Plastic Straw: A Plastic Problem and Finding Ways to Fix It by Dee Romito

Reviewed by: The Last Plastic Straw: A Plastic Problem and Finding Ways to Fix It by Dee Romito Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Romito, Dee The Last Plastic Straw: A Plastic Problem and Finding Ways to Fix It; illus. by Ziyue Chen. Holiday House, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823449491 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823455133 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 3-5 Any kid who has been paying even a remote amount of attention on Earth Day knows that the plastic straw is quite literally the bane of our planet’s existence (among a host of other banes). This installment of the Books for a Better Earth series collection takes aim at the plastic straw but draws kids in with intriguing historical facts and a sense of generosity as opposed to lectures or condescension. The book opens with the earliest known drinking tubes, hollow reeds used by ancient Sumerians to avoid undrinkable elements of their barley-based brews. Readers are then taken to the 1800s, when rye stalks were being used to drink, and a disgusting mint julep led Marvin Stone to create a waxed paper straw; in 1937, the bendy neck was introduced, and the introduction of more durable plastic versions meant by the 1960s, plastic straws were everywhere. The presentation of the straw’s history is simple and direct, and it tracks the development as human ingenuity to meet a need rather than purposeful ignorance to an increasing planetary problem. Similarly, the book gives actionable items but also acknowledges that plastic straws are still useful and needed in certain settings. The digital art is somewhat flat and undynamic, but its directness matches the text and illustrates some of the larger concepts. An author’s note elaborates further on one-use plastic, and the list of provided sources will serve as a valuable starting point for young environmentalists. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

The Carrefour Curse by Dianne K. Salerni

Reviewed by: The Carrefour Curse by Dianne K. Salerni Danica Ronquillo Salerni, Dianne K. The Carrefour Curse. Holiday House, 2023 [224p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823452675 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823455027 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-6 Twelve-year-old Garnet Carrefour is eager to learn more about the magical extended family her mother has hidden away from her, but when she finally visits the Carrefour House, she is greeted “with its peeling wallpaper and falling-down porch, the burned-out wing clinging to its side like a parasite.” While unexplained events and accidents leave vulnerable relatives trapped on the cursed premises, Garnet starts having visions of other times, including one of a vanished girl connected to the curse. With newfound support from her cousins and family members from the past, Garnet desperately searches for evidence to reveal the truth about a decades-old mystery. The peculiar and cantankerous personalities of the Carrefours are reminiscent of the Addams Family, with the addition of magic in their spellbinding of natural elements. Suspenseful dialogue and pauses allow characters and readers to speculate on clues dating back from the 1700’s, and cliffhangers build tension to creepily escalate the plot and conflicts. Fans of The Haunting of Hill House or Schwab’s Gallant (BCCB 03/22) will surely stay up late at night reading this heart-pounding novel. Includes a map of the mansion, Carrefour family tree illustrations, and gemstone descriptions and properties. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Uncle John's City Garden by Bernette G. Ford

Reviewed by: Uncle John's City Garden by Bernette G. Ford Elizabeth Bush Ford, Bernette G. Uncle John's City Garden; illus. by Frank Morrison. Holiday House, 2022 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823447862 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823453085 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs A blank, lifeless apartment building looms over an equally bare vacant lot full of carefully raked dirt when Li'l Sissy and her siblings arrive with towering Uncle John to begin a transformation. Each has a contribution: Brother, lima bean and corn seeds; Sister, tomato and onion; Li'l Sissy, okra. Mother comments later that they've landed on the fixings for succotash, which is fine with Li'l Sissy. There's planting, hoeing, weeding, and worrying about rainstorm washouts as the summer goes by, but the crops eventually yield a bountiful harvest; even after the relatives gather for a big barbecue (featuring, of course, a succotash side dish), there's plenty to bag up for everyone to take home. Morrison's paintings play with perspective and composition to easily capture the oversized presence of a towering Uncle John and the Brutalist sensibility of a housing project, in which even brick and fabric take on the chilly sterility of concrete. Meanwhile, the madly saturated colors of picture-perfect plants bring vibrancy, and the body language of the siblings is both sturdy and dynamic. A blink-and-you'll-miss-it end matter reference to support from the TERC organization, which develops math curricula, should send adult readers scrambling back over the text to notice how Li'l Sissy's frequent observations of height and length and amount—a believable preoccupation for the youngest of the sibs—can seed a flourishing math discussion. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Seaworthiness and Stability Analysis of a Pontoon for Holiday House

In this paper, the methodology of seaworthiness and stability analysis of a pontoon for holiday house has described. A 3D model of the pontoon was modelled in the NAPA software to perform hydrostatic analysis. It is necessary to emphasize the fact that hydrostatic analysis has been made for several drafts and trims of pontoons. The hydrostatic analysis yielded data such as displacement, moulded volume, longitudinal centre of buoyancy, the transverse metacentric height, change of displacement, moment to change trim, and more. This part of the analysis also includes the loading scale from which we can see the deadweight at a given draft. Further, it is necessary to make weight study to get moulded displacement for pontoon for a holiday house. The pontoon also includes capacity tanks, so it is necessary to know the accurate dimensions of the tanks and their position for further analysis. It is necessary to know the exact geometry of the tanks because of the free surface effect. When calculating the stability of the pontoon, it is necessary to determine the minimum metacentric height and the maximum distance from the keel to the centre of gravity. Intact stability conditions must be met for GM limit curves and also for KG curves. Intact stability criteria of the pontoon were tested for four loading conditions: lightship, pontoon with 10% consumables without passengers, pontoon with 100% consumables with passengers, pontoon with 50% consumables with passengers. It is important to emphasize that all tasks meet the stability criteria.

Dubrovački dani Aleksandra Rankovića 1970–1983.

The paper, using the reports of the Security Service of Socialist Republic of Croatia, discusses how the Security Service conducted surveillance of Aleksandar Ranković and his family while they stayed in their holiday house in Dubrovnik, mostly in the summer season. One of the top officials in communist Yugoslavia, Ranković was ousted from power in 1966. Subsequently, the Yugoslav State Security Service initiated “Action X” whose aim was the surveillance of Ranković and his followers. Ranković’s code name in this project was “Petar”. The reports covering the surveillance of Ranković during his stays in Dubrovnik give various data on him, his family, but they also give insight on the techniques used by the Security Service in its secret surveillance of individuals.

The Dreamweavers by G. Z. Schmidt

Reviewed by: The Dreamweavers by G. Z. Schmidt Natalie Berglind Schmidt, G. Z. The Dreamweavers. Holiday House, 2021 [272p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823444236 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823450251 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-6 During the Ming Dynasty, twelve-year-old twins Mei and Yun live with their grandfather in a small Chinese village. When the prince hears word of Grandpa’s delicious mooncakes, he visits for the Mid-Autumn festival; alarmingly, the mooncakes’ “secret ingredient” has everyone choking, and Mei and Yun’s guardian is taken away to the imperial city to be tried. When the village is struck by an unseasonable snowstorm that kills its livestock and leaves its residents isolated, Mei and Yun set out to the City of Ashes, a place cursed by a woman named Lotus, whose lover was framed for treason by the Noble General. There they make a deal [End Page 31] with the woman to clear her lover’s name and reputation in exchange for the lifting of the curse, and the Jade Rabbit tells them they’re dreamweavers (the secret ingredient in the mooncakes is accidentally a nightmare) and transports them to the palace, where they pretend to be servants and plan to clear the name of their grandfather. Schmidt creates a beautifully folkloric atmosphere imbued with elements of Chinese culture and myth. Mei, with her gut instinct and fighting skills, and Yun, with his nearsightedness and quick intelligence, make for a compelling lead duo, with plenty of opportunity for comedy and plot-propelling revelations. An author’s note explains cultural references and folkloric icons, such as the Jade Rabbit and Monkey King. Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

Reviewed by: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado Deborah Stevenson, Editor Maldonado, Crystal Fat Chance, Charlie Vega. Holiday House, 2021 [352p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823447176 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823448906 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 7-10 Sixteen-year-old Charlie (Charlotte) Vega thinks of herself as "the sidekick, the brown bestie" to her stunning friend Amelia, who's "the walking embodiment of Black excellence." Charlie also misses her late Puerto Rican dad, with whom she had much in common, while her white mother seems intent on conflating thinness with health, status, and possibility—bad news for food-loving plus-sized Charlie. When she embarks on a romance with co-worker and classmate Brian, she's overjoyed to find somebody who thinks she's the special one, but then she hears something about Brian that undermines her confidence in his affection. Charlie's easygoing narration covers a relatable collection of problems, and while her reaction to the news about Brian (he asked Amelia out first) may seem extreme, it's also understandable in light of her feeling like she's always an option rather than a priority. It's also authentic that Charlie is fat-positive but self-questioning, comfortable with her body but tired of the price the world, ranging from retailers to her mother, makes her pay for it. The book is especially good at her tightly wound mother's painfully misguided attempts to connect with and love her daughter as the two struggle to find a wavelength now that Charlie's father is gone. Readers will appreciate Charlie from the get-go and rejoice when she herself begins to see the Charlie-celebrating light. Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

The Dirt Book: Poems about Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet by David L. Harrison

Reviewed by: The Dirt Book: Poems about Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet by David L. Harrison Elizabeth Bush Harrison, David L. The Dirt Book: Poems about Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet; illus. by Kate Cosgrove. Holiday House, 2021 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823438617 $18.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 2-5 “Creatures large and small retreat/where boulders rest and tree roots drink./There’s more to dirt than we might think.” So advises David Harrison, who offers fifteen poems in a satisfying variety of poetic forms to explore the vitality, benign and sinister, that hums along underground, largely ignored by humans. He begins with musings on the composition of dirt and the tangle of roots that host hidden life, then turns to specific animals that generally evade our view, from earthworms (“Earthworm crawls./earthworm creeps, /earthworm tunnels, /rarely sleeps”) to the moles that prey upon them (“furry demons on patrol/working where it’s black as coal./Tracking down a worm’s the goal/of every tiny mole troll soul”). Like many readers, he’s not a fan of lawn-wrecking grubs and burrowing yellow jacket wasps, but he delights in darting chipmunks (“Chipmunk, for such a little squirt/you sure do move a lot of dirt”) and the hospitable gopher tortoise (“Patiently he walks around their nests, /gently moves some bunnies in his way./He never shows them if he thinks they’re pests”). The vertical double spread layout showcases activity at different depths, with Cosgrove’s lush colored pencil and digital renderings an array of sophisticated colors and designerly patterns that fairly begs to be translated to fabric print. End matter comprises a chatty paragraph of additional information and a brief bibliography for each poem. [End Page 381] Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Houdini and Me by Dan Gutman

Reviewed by: Houdini and Me by Dan Gutman Elizabeth Bush Gutman, Dan Houdini and Me. Holiday House, 2021 [224p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823445158 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823448951 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad Gr. 3-5 Harry Mancini, age eleven, lives in the New York house once inhabited by Harry Houdini, so it's little wonder he's fascinated by the illusionist/escape artist. When Harry and his best friend test out the infamous kid dare of flattening pennies on a railroad track, Harry barely escapes with his life; he emerges from a coma to find, among cards and flowers in his hospital room, the anonymous gift of a flip phone. It's pretty embarrassing as phones go, but cell-less Harry is quietly grateful for any communication device—at least until discovers that it only receives calls, and only from deceased Harry Houdini. It's weirdly cool to chatter with a famous ghost and to hear him explain some of his old tricks, but when Houdini's real agenda comes to light—to escape from death by confiscating Harry's life—it's time to totally crush that flip phone the only way Harry and his friend know how, on the railroad tracks. Even readers accustomed to suspending disbelief in the interest of literary time shifting may have trouble ignoring the holes in this offering, from the way Houdini (who happily blabs his secrets throughout the book) can't account for how he commandeers a flip phone, to how the ability to escape from physical restraints will somehow translate to the ability to switch death for life. This may not satisfy the most discerning fantasy fans, but it's an amusing adventure that may well entice readers to further Houdini investigation. Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Integration and Inequality: Mid-1900s Midwest American History, As Told by Modern Youth Literature

Integration and Inequality:Mid-1900s Midwest American History, As Told by Modern Youth Literature Heather J. Matthews (bio) Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Finding Langston. Holiday House, 2018. 112 pp. $10.99 pb. ISBN 9780823445820. Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Leaving Lymon. Holiday House, 2020. 208 pp. $17.99 hc. ISBN 9780823444427. Cutler, Jane. Susie Q Fights Back. Holiday House, 2018. 112 pp. $6.99 pb. ISBN 9780823439935. As I approach reviewing three children's texts on the subject of race and representation, many Americans are taking to the streets to protest lifetimes of brutality and inequality that stifles Black people and a legal and judicial system that continues to be unequal and unfair. Racism, however, is not just an issue for adults—children are affected by issues of racial and ethnic inequality, and yet many adults are unwilling to talk about these realities with children. In reviewing Susie Q Fights Back, Finding Langston, and Leaving Lymon, it became clear to me that texts such as these need to be available to young readers to facilitate discussions with them about race. Adults must be willing to have difficult and uncomfortable discussions about race and inequality with children, and it is my belief that the above texts can be tools to aid in this discussion. These three middle-grade texts tackle difficult topics with effective and appropriate writing and without minimizing the harsh realities of the American Midwest in the mid-1900s. These fictional, first person novels feature brave and realistic characters doing their best in a system that privileges white children over children of colour. The main characters must come to grips with the fact that they are forced into a place within society, and each must decide for themselves what concepts such as equality, justice, and fairness truly mean. Despite any number of odds stacked against them, such as systemic racism or generational poverty and trauma, each main character struggles and perseveres to create a space for themselves. [End Page 188] Jane Cutler's Susie Q Fights Back, published in hardcover as Susan Marcus Bends the Rules, tells the story of Susan Marcus, a young white girl who has just moved from New York City, New York, to Clayton, Missouri, with her mother and father. Set in the year 1943, Susie is thrust from the diverse northern city she calls home to a small midwestern town where Jim Crow laws are still strictly enforced. Readers learn that Susie is Jewish, and she befriends a young white Christian girl in her building named Marlene as well as a young Black girl who lives close by named Loretta. Susie, Marlene, and Loretta quickly develop a friendship based in the indignation that Loretta is not treated the same as Susie and Marlene, and the three girls set out to "defy" Jim Crow. The girls take a stand together, finding a legal loophole in the segregation rules that allows them to elude legal restrictions and celebrate their friendship in public. The author, Jane Cutler, modelled some of this story on her own experiences as a young white Jewish girl who moved from New York to the American Midwest as a child. Susie Q Fights Back, a PJ Our Way book, was promoted by the PJ Library, which—along with the middle-school branch of PJ Our Way—sends books with Jewish content to families in Canada and the US free of charge ("What Is"). As a PJ Our Way book, Susie Q Fights Back was a promoted title distributed to young readers. Lesa Cline-Ransome's Finding Langston and Leaving Lymon exist in the same universe as one another and thus share some settings and characters. Cline-Ransome, a Black author, first wrote Finding Langston, which tells the story of Langston, a young Black boy who has recently moved from a small town in Alabama to Chicago with his father. The impetus for their move, the recent death of Langston's mother, haunts both father and son, as both miss her in their own ways. Compounding this fact, as he is still wearing his Alabama "country clothing" and speaking with his Alabama accent, Langston finds socializing in school difficult. Adding to Langston's school troubles is his...

A Parade for George Washington by David A. Adler

Reviewed by: A Parade for George Washington by David A. Adler Elizabeth Bush Adler, David A. A Parade for George Washington; illus. by John O’Brien. Holiday House, 2020 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823442522 $17.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 5-8 yrs News arrived at Mt. Vernon that its briefly retired owner, General George Washington, [End Page 118] had been voted the first president of the United States, and his presence would be required in the capital, New York City, for the nation’s first swearing-in ceremony. “He would go there by horse and carriage. The trip would take one week,” and what a week it was. Each town he passed through had arranged celebrations, ranging from excited spectators lining the streets to arches of flowers over the roadway and girls in white dresses tossing roses. In most locales, people joined in to create mini parades, escorting the president-elect miles along toward his next stopover, culminating in the floating extravaganza that accompanied his lavishly adorned flat-bottom boat from New Jersey to New York. O’Brien’s ink and watercolor artwork glories in minute details and offers a hint of what contemporaries might have shared through carefully curated etched images (albeit colorized here); inset maps of the journey are a welcome bonus. Apart from source notes, adult bibliography, and a brief timeline, there’s no addendum to provide context to the event, but a few aptly cited details (Washington dismisses soldiers posted to guard him and appears at his swearing-in garbed in a modest brown suit) imply the inherent irony in festivities befitting a royal progress hosted by those who had so recently overthrown ties to monarchy. Listeners may cultivate their own assessment of Washington himself, but for now they will have lots of fun comparing the 2021 Inauguration with the country’s first. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Bulletin Blue Ribbons 2020

Bulletin Blue Ribbons 2020 Deborah Stevenson, Editor Deciding the Blue Ribbons was a whole new experience in 2020; we revamped the procedure to share titles digitally and, of course, worked amid the chaos of a pandemic-disrupted world. It was gratifying to find our enthusiasm undiminished, and in fact we've consciously chosen to go with a generous list this year. Whether for Zoom sharing or private escapism, books matter intensely right now, and it's stirring to see how many stellar titles appeared this year despite the obstacles. PICTURE BOOKS Barnes, Derrick. I Am Every Good Thing; illus. by Gordon C. James. Paulsen/Penguin. 5-7 yrs This first-person self-affirmation celebrates the multiple wonders of young Black boys in rollicking, readaloud-friendly text and rich painterly portraiture. (October) Gay, Marie-Louise. The Three Brothers; written and illus. by Marie-Louise Gay. House of Anansi/Groundwood. 4-7 yrs Gay offers a gentle introduction to climate change as three young brothers trek through a wintry forest; dappled textures and delicate lines imbue solemnity but pops of color and the youngest brother's joyful gamboling suggest hopefulness. (September) Lam, Thao. The Paper Boat: A Refugee Story; written and illus. by Thao Lam. Owlkids. 5-10 yrs This wordless picture book creatively tells parallel stories as it follows a Vietnamese family forced to flee from their home when Communist forces swarm southward after the 1975 fall of Saigon. (July/August) Medina, Meg. Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away; illus. by Sonia Sánchez. Candlewick. 5-8 yrs Young Daniela tells of the joy of friendship and the genuine, important grief at parting when her "mejor amiga, my numero uno best friend" moves out of the neighborhood. (September) Novesky, Amy. Girl on a Motorcycle; illus. by Julie Morstad. Viking. Gr. 3-8 Based on the experience of a French journalist in the 1970s, this story follows an intrepid young woman as she travels alone across the world on her motorcycle, experiencing a multitude of countries, people, and possibilities. (September) Sullivan, Mary. Up on Bob; written and illus. by Mary Sullivan. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Gr. K-2 The queen of few-word narratives returns here with a hilarious story of a sausagey dog preparing his bed for naptime and the cat who seeks to make Bob a cushion himself. (January) [End Page 241] Tate, Nikki. Home Base: A Mother-Daughter Story; illus. by Katie Kath. Holiday House. 4-8 yrs Parallel storylines unfold as mother and daughter tackle their respective challenges: Mom scoring a job building a patio and kiddo earning a spot on the baseball team; spare narration and energetic watercolors complement the book's warm, can-do spirit. (March) Underwood, Deborah. Ducks!; illus. by T. L. McBeth. Godwin/Holt. 3-6 yrs When a duck becomes separated from its ducky family, a heated search ensues involving playful visual red herrings and text restricted to a comically histrionic seesaw between "Ducks?" and "No ducks!" (February) Underwood, Deborah. Outside In; illus. by Cindy Derby. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 4-8 yrs The ever-versatile Underwood takes on a very different tone in this evocative, childfriendly contemplation of outside and inside, aided by Cindy Derby's stunning, luminous watercolors. (April) Weatherford, Carole Boston. Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom; illustrated by Michele Wood. Candlewick. Gr. 4-8 A compelling combination of poetry and paintings provides a unique retelling of the story of Henry "Box" Brown, tracking the specifics of Brown's tale of escape from bondage while examining the larger horrors and scars of slavery through visual motifs. (May) FICTION Anderson, Sophie. The Girl Who Speaks Bear. Scholastic. Gr. 4-7 This fantastical story is a loving tribute to Russian folklore as it follows a (mostly) human girl and the animals she encounters as she seeks the truth about her family. (February) Brown, Echo. Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable True Story of a Teenage Wizard. Ottaviano/Holt. Gr. 9-12 Told with brutal authenticity and tender compassion, this fantastical story dramatically shifts between the past and the present of young Echo as she negotiates her family's intergenerational trauma. (February) Chee, Traci. We Are Not Free; illus. by Julia Kuo. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt...

Give Us the Vote!: Over 200 Years of Fighting for the Ballot by Susan Goldman Rubin

Reviewed by: Give Us the Vote!: Over 200 Years of Fighting for the Ballot by Susan Goldman Rubin Elizabeth Bush Rubin, Susan Goldman Give Us the Vote!: Over 200 Years of Fighting for the Ballot. Holiday House, 2020 [160p] illus. with photographs Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-8234-3957-7 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-8234-4407-6 $11.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 5-8 Who in the U.S. has been fighting for the ballot across the span of more than two [End Page 224] centuries? Just about every citizen, at some time or other, who wasn't a propertied white man. A prologue discussing voter suppression in the 2018 North Dakota election, which involved a state law requiring IDs with house numbers, which many Native Americans lacked, is a strong and provocative opener, reminding readers that voting rights must be continually reviewed and safeguarded. Then, however, Rubin shifts to a fairly generic treatment of voting rights history centered on women's suffrage and Black civil rights, returning in later chapters to consideration of quasi-legal methods of voter suppression (e.g., public voice votes, literacy tests, drivers' license IDs, gerrymandering), and extension of voting rights to citizens under twenty-one. As the book straddles the line between chronological and topical approaches, readers with little background are left with a less than satisfying history, and those ready to explore extension and/or suppression of voting rights among various demographics will find specific accounts scanty. Photographs are scattered throughout; back matter references to pertinent Constitutional amendments, a timeline, an extensive list of print and online resources, source notes, and an index are included. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois