- Ashley S.
- Thursday, February 15
Check out these January 2024 youth titles you may have missed!
Keeping up with new book releases is an extremely difficult task. Even as a voracious reader, I'm unable to keep up with every single youth title that releases each week. "Did You Miss It" is a new review based series that takes time to explore and highlight youth titles that may have gone unnoticed. Each month, I will showcase a few titles from the previous month providing both a summary and my own personal thoughts. This month's post features a few of my favorite reads from January! I hope you enjoy!
Beginner Readers:
Words Are Magic by Zaila Avant-Garde, Illus. by Felicia Whaley (Released January 2nd)
Summary: New readers will find joyful encouragement in this level 1 easy reader that sings out about the magic of words. Encouraging kids to mix words, match words, shout and rap words, Scripps National Spelling champ Zaila Avante-garde takes readers along on a noisy and boisterous celebration of letters, sounds, and reading. It's the perfect first step for new readers, full of fun and energy, from one of America's most exciting and unique young voices.
My Thoughts: Words Are Magic! is a love letter to words and the different things readers can do with them. It has simplistic text with fun illustrations and is perfect for the earliest independent readers.
Picture Books:
Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu by Ying Chang Compestine, Illus. by Crystal Kung (Released January 2nd)
Summary: The story of Rapunzel where she’s being locked in a tower by a witch is a good one—but it’s not totally the truth.The real story is about a young princess in China named Ra Pu Zel who doesn’t want to talk to princes or look proper. What Pu Zel wants is to cook and eat in peace, her long hair neatly braided to keep it out of her food. And when she gets tired of everyone telling her what to do, she locks herself in a tower with her dog Bao. Although princes from everywhere try to convince her to come down, it’s not until a young chef arrives with an intriguing food to share that Ra Pu Zel finally has a reason.
My Thoughts: Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu is a re-telling of Rapunzel with a strong female lead who takes charge of her own life. Ying Chang Compestine includes a great author's note at the end that gives a brief history of stinky tofu and an explanation about why she wanted Pu Zel to break the traditional expectations of a princess. The artwork was Crystal Kung was fun, bright, well thought out and engaging. If you have younger readers who love fairytales, but you're looking for more diversity then this is the one to check out!
Do You Know Them?: Families Lost and Found After the Civil War by Shana Keller, Illus. by Laura Freeman (Releases January 9th)
Summary: After the war’s end, everyone is missing someone. Lettie’s missing her family. They had been sold and lost long before enslavement was abolished. Every week, she reads the advertisements in the newspapers to her congregation. “Do you know them? I would like to find my people. My mother’s name was Charlotte King, and when I was sold, I had five brothers.” Lettie is determined to find her loved ones, too. She saves every penny she earns, but not to buy candy or toys. She saves for something better—something that could bring her whole family together.
My Thoughts: This was both a phenomenal and brilliantly researched picture book. Not only did Laura Freeman do a brilliant job with the illustrations, but Shana Keller did a wonderful job capturing a little known part of Black history. While the story itself is fictional, it is based on real life advertisements paid for by individuals after the civil war to help families locate each other. It was fascinating to learn more about how these individuals would raise money to place these advertisements, how information was communicated, and how they were used to help people in the Black community gain literacy. This was such a phenomenal read and one that HIGHLY recommend picking up.
Children's Non-Fiction:
Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King by Coretta Scott King with Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds, Illus. by Ekua Holmes (Released January 2nd)
Summary: Adapted from her adult memoir, this is the autobiography of Coretta Scott King––wife of Martin Luther King, Jr., founder of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (the King Center), and twentieth-century American civil and human rights activist.
My Thoughts: This book is a perfect introductory tool for younger readers who are interested in learning more about Coretta Scott King. It is pulled directly from her autobiography and adapted by Dr. Barbara Reynolds for a younger audience. Ekua Holmes brilliantly utilizes mixed media to combine their drawings with clippings of newspaper text and images from the various events described within the text. It is a beautiful and immersive reading experience.
Ida B. Wells Marches for the Vote by Dinah Johnson, Illus. by Jerry Jordan (Released January 2nd)
Summary: Ida B. Wells grew up during a time when women did not have the right to vote. But Ida aspired for equality; she had learned from her parents to forge a life through hope and bravery, so she worked tirelessly to fight for an America that was fair to everyone regardless of race and gender. Her courageous activism made her one of the most influential civil rights leaders in American history. Here is Ida’s story with a specific spotlight on her fearless role in the Women’s March of 1913.
My Thoughts: When people think of suffragettes and the vote, they don't automatically think of historical figures like Ida B. Wells. Unfortunately, as stated by Dr. Johnson, the process for obtaining the right to vote was more complicated for Black Americans especially Black women. Their right to vote didn't officially come until 1965. Many individuals that worked hard to secure the vote for all, like Ida B. Wells, never got to see what came of their hard work and efforts. This story was beautifully told filled with life and truth. I loved (as a Delta I'm a bit biased) the nod to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the hard work and dedication that they have had to community service and civic engagement. If you haven't read this one, I definitely recommend checking it out.
Teen Fiction:
Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa (Released January 16th)
Summary: London, 1812 . Oliver Bennet feels trapped—not just by the endless corsets, petticoats, and skirts he's forced to wear on a daily basis, but also by society's expectations. The world, and the vast majority of his family and friends, think Oliver is a girl named Elizabeth. He is therefore expected to mingle at balls wearing a pretty dress, entertain suitors regardless of his interest in them, and ultimately become someone's wife. But Oliver can't bear the thought of such a fate. He finds solace in the few times he can sneak out of his family's home and explore the city rightfully dressed as a young gentleman. It's during one such excursion when Oliver becomes acquainted with Darcy, a sulky young man who had been rude to "Elizabeth" at a recent social function. But in the comfort of being out of the public eye, Oliver comes to find that Darcy is actually a sweet, intelligent boy with a warm heart, not to mention attractive. As Oliver spends more time as his true self, often with Darcy, part of him dares to hope that his dream of love and life as a man can be possible. But suitors are growing bolder―and even threatening―and his mother is growing more desperate to see him settled into an engagement. Oliver will have to choose: settle for safety, security, and a life of pretending to be something he's not, or risk it all for a slim chance at freedom, love, and a life that can be truly his own.
My Thoughts: I'm a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice and I haven't found a retelling yet that captures the essence of the original text while also having some feeling of originality. I appreciated that Novoa was able to capture the original personalities of each of the characters while addressing social issues that were relevant to Oliver as a character. I was worried that Oliver wouldn't receive the same support that Elizabeth experiences with her father and sister, but it's no different for him. Reading the author's note at the end will provide context for his research and decisions to include certain historical liberties within the story. The writing was beautiful, and the pacing was superb creating such a cute and endearing romance between Oliver and Darcy.
Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta (Released January 9th)
Summary: Belén Dolores Itzel del Toro wants the normal stuff: to experience love or maybe have a boyfriend. But nothing is normal in East Oakland. Her father left her family. She's at risk of not graduating. And Leti, her super-Catholic, nerdy best friend, is pregnant--by the boyfriend she hasn't told her parents about, because he's Black, and her parents are racist. Weighed by a depression she can't seem to shake, Belén helps Leti, hangs out with an older guy, and cuts a lot of class. She soon realizes, though, that distractions are only temporary. Leti is becoming a mother. Classmates are getting ready for college. But what about Belén? What future is there for girls like her?
My Thoughts: I absolutely adored the relationship between Leti and Belén. Although it appears that Leti is dependent upon Belén due to her pregnancy, it eventually felt as though Belén began to need Leti more to add some sense of stability to her life. They love each other deeply and it's clear that Leti wants Belén to make smart decisions that prevents her from sharing Leti's experiences. Ixta does such a wonderful job illustrating the impact of parental abandonment whether it is physical or emotional. After her father leaves, Belén begins to perceive her mother's mental and emotional absence as abandonment as well. It sends her on a whirlwind of a spiral that Ixta beautifully addresses with the incorporation of decisions related to mental health and therapy. It's not an easy read and definitely made me emotional at times especially those moments when Belén finds herself in a physical relationship with someone who doesn't value her as a person. The robust discussions related to racism and colorism only elevated my reading experience of this novel. Ixta handles these topics in a realistic manner, but with care and in a way that will connect with teen readers.