Sunday, March 11, 2018

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green (ISBN: 978-1772780178)

Okay, time to recap.  Things this pink librarian loves:
- bright colors
- sweet baked goods
- books (especially that connect to our summer reading themes)

This next book checks all but one of those boxes.  Can you guess which one it does not?  If you guessed football, you guessed correctly. (Tom Brady, I still love you forever.)  So back to Macy McMillan... she's a hearing impaired girl being raised by a single mother whose life is pretty great.  But all of that is about to change as her mother plans to remarry a guy with two kids of his own who lives on another side of town.  Macy's best friend will no longer be within biking distance, and her new family is not yet fluent in American Sign Language (ASL).  Macy can really only imagine a dim future.  To make matters worse, Macy's mother insists that she go next door and assist her elderly neighbor in packing up her home for an eventual move into an assisted living facility.  Macy has only ever known Ms. Iris to be cranky, and the older woman doesn't know a single sign (unless you count a pretty nasty face scowl as the universal language for 'get-off-my-lawn').

Yet upon entering Iris' house, Macy discovers rooms painted in beautiful rainbow shades, shelves full of carefully curated books, and the scent of cookies wafting from the kitchen.  Iris is a woman with lots of stories to tell, and as the two women learn to communicate through notes and gestures, Macy begins to understand that a long view of time and friendship is the only way to weather the temporary swells and storms of life.  This book provides a glimpse into the deaf experience, as well as a lovely perspective on aging and end-of-life issues.  Definitely deserving of the various accolades it has so far received, Macy McMillan is a quick and delightful read about a girl who is really like all of us: yearning to be heard and understood.

Want more? The following video shows multiple images and quotes that the author compiled to reveal important elements, themes, and moments of the story.  It's just a fun, visual way to explore the story a bit!

Homemade tees: Iris is an expert baker and cookies sort of become a traded language throughout the story.  Especially at her age, this shirt probably sums up Iris' philosophy regarding life and sweets:



Or, if you were wanting to show some specific love to Macy and other individuals with hearing impairments (or rainbow goddesses in general), try this shirt instead!


Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Lucky Broken Girl

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar (ISBN: 978-0399546440)

Hey guys, remember how I'm looking for books about diversity?  You know how the ALA announces the winners of their various youth media awards every February?  I thought to myself, "Hmm... let me see if any award winning books this year perhaps address the experiences of minorities in the US or elsewhere!"  Sure enough, I've found another gem!  The winner of this year's Pura Belpré Author Award is Lucky Broken Girl and I am a lucky (librarian) girl for having the chance to read it.

Ruthie is a young Cuban-Jewish immigrant whose family moves to NYC in the 1960s in hopes of a better life, away from oppression in Castro's Cuba.  She struggles with a language barrier, a mother who misses her home, and a boisterous family full of interesting characters who cannot always 'see' her through the chaotic noise of their lives.  Her grandparents emigrated to Cuba from Germany during WWII because of their Jewish heritage - they speak a delightful mix of Yiddish-German-Spanish.  Her mother makes both Caribbean pastries and kosher dinners.  Her neighbor on one side is from India and teaches her to pray to Shiva, a little girl friend from Belgium gives her endless cream puffs, and a Mexican artist neighbor on the other side introduces her to the paintings of Frida Kahlo.  Her life really is a bouillabaisse of flavors and cultures; but everything comes to a screeching halt when she is bedridden as the result of a terrible car accident.  For months, Ruthie's life is on hold as she waits to heal from wounds both physical and emotional.  

Yet in her waiting, she discovers a new inner strength.  In her moments of darkness and anger, her neighbors and family share their sources of light: good books, art kits, snacks smuggled past over-protective mothers, piñatas, prayers to saints and painters, and Cuban cha-cha-cha music.  Ruthie emerges as a shining example of female resilience, beauty, intelligence, and ingenuity.  Her buoyant and brave family and neighborhood friends provide for all of us an example of how love and courage are all you really need in life.  This book is a must read!

Want more? Here's the book trailer, made by the author herself!

Here's also a lengthier interview with Ruth Behar about her writing and the importance of diverse literature for middle grade readers:

Homemade tees: one of my favorite tid-bits in this book is the similarity between Ruthie, in her bedridden state, discovering painting and her connection with Frida Kahlo as a bedridden artist.  Therefore, this t-shirt seems perfect for any fan of Lucky Broken Girl.











PS - remember how I recently reviewed Refugee by Alan Gratz?  I am loving the connection between all of these various books about immigrants and how many of them have characters from Germany, Cuba, and the US. #BookNerdAlert

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Refugee

Refugee by Alan Gratz (ISBN: 978-0545880831)

There are only so many books or movies or commercials that have made me tear up and cry in my life.

Just kidding. I'm full of lies.  I cry really easily and probably 234,098,234 different things have evoked this reaction from me, and sometimes I purposefully watch YouTube videos of soldiers coming home and surprising their families just to have a good ugly cry.  I am ridiculous.

But this book made me cry properly.  It did it in all the best ways and for all the best reasons.  (See also, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas."  That one resulted in me having to move to a fresh spot on my couch because I had significantly dampened one arm-rest.) This historical fiction novel weaves together the seemingly unconnected lives of three refugee children: Josef escaping Nazi Germany during WWI, Isabel attempting to flee from Cuba in the 1990s, and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy on the move in 2015.  Each chapter rotates from child to child, and each face surprisingly similar perils and challenges.  Without giving away the beautifully satisfying ending, the reader will come to discover that their lives intersect in the most meaningful of ways.  It reminds me of the clichéd (and truly preposterous) saying, "Everything happens for a reason."  But again, in the most wonderful way and with lovely literary artfulness (is this a word?).  

The subject matter is definitely heavy at times, but very timely given that estimates show that 5.1 million Syrians have fled their country since 2011 and another 6.3 million Syrians are displaced within their country.  Families fleeing their homes because of political, civil, or religious unrest is nothing new - but for many kids growing up in the US, it's a somewhat foreign idea.  Fiction can communicate real truth, and Refugee conveys the massive challenges of human migration while also revealing the human heart at the center of each child's journey.  These stories may be made up, but the realities behind them were and are not.

This book has already been sitting on best seller lists, and has racked up its fair share of starred reviews and awards, but I suspect it's not done yet.  I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it take a few more major awards before all is said and done.  It's a fabulous story for any middle grade reader and I'm excited to share it all around town!

Want more?
Alan Gratz is no stranger to the historical fiction genre.  If you think this one sounds good, you should also check out Prisoner B-3087 and Projekt 1065 - both good books in their own rights!
 

Here's Scholastic's book trailer for the novel, which they're promoting.  Because they want you to buy it.  But they should be promoting it anyway... because it's fantastic.

Furthermore, if you have 45 minutes to spare, here's the author himself answering questions about Refugee and his process as a writer:



Homemade tees: I'm actually going to take a break from posting t-shirts you should buy or wear, and instead applaud the volunteers sporting these jerseys:
The UNHCR is an organization under the United Nations that is dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. They do amazing work, and provide really helpful information for advocacy on their website.  While I'm not asking you to donate, I certainly think that giving money to them is probably more effective than just buying another t-shirt...