Book Review: Basketball Belles

Author: Sue Macy
Illustrator: Matt Collins
Publisher: Holiday House (February 2011)
Audience: Ages 7 to 11
Source: F & G from ALA MidWinter 
Non-fiction * Women's History * Sports

Description from GoodReads:
This dynamic picture book about the birth of women's basketball will keep young readers riveted. Raised on a cattle ranch, Agnes Morley was sent to Stanford University to learn to be a lady. Yet in no time she exchanged her breeches and spurs for bloomers and a basketball; and in April 1896 she made history. In a heart—pounding game against the University of California at Berkeley, Agnes led her team to victory in the first-ever intercollegiate women's basketball game, earning national attention and putting women's basketball on the map.

Let me start off by saying, I am not a sports fan - especially not a basketball fan - but this book won me over.  Well, I'm still not a basketball fan but I am happy to be a cheerleader for Basketball Belles: How Two Teams And One Scrappy Player Put Women's Hoops On The Map.  While at ALA Midwinter, I managed to come away with a stack of F & G's (Folded & Gathered - think Advanced Reader's Copy but for picture books) from various publishers.  As I read them, I made stacks - the "well it is okay" stack, the "I definitely can use this" stack, and the "Wow! Oh Wow!" stack. There were only about 2 or 3 in the "Wow! Oh Wow!" stack and Basketball Belles was one of them. 

With Matt Collins amazing illustrations, I was immediately whisked back into the late 1890's.  Macy's story of Agnes Morley who was sent to Stanford in an attempt to make her "more of a lady" captured for me what it must have been like for a woman in that time period.  Having spent four years in the Amherst/Northampton area and surrounded by the rich history of women's colleges (Smith, Mt. Holyoke) it was exciting for me to read about this other piece of women's history.  By focusing on the April 4, 1896 historic game between Stanford and Berkley, Macy is able to delve deeply into what that experience must have been like for not only the players but for the spectators as well.  

Admittedly, despite Macy's well written text and powerful words, I had to read this story through several times because for the first one or two read throughs I was so caught up in Collin's illustrations.  Initially, I was just trying to imagine what it would be like to wear the kinds of clothes they had to wear in those days.  The long sleeve tunics and bloomers not to mention the shoes.  His attention to details fully enhances the text and captures the reader.


Skip the italicized part if you don't want to be spoiled (well we all know how the game ends...it was played after all in 1896), but this ending text very much sums up the book beautifully:

"Victory is ours!  We laugh and hug one another, beside

ourselves with joy.  We even give a cheer for the other team,

and they for us.  What a sight we all are!  Our hair is messy.

Our bloomers are torn.  Our faces are streaked with sweat.

This might not be what my mother had in mind when she sent

me to Stanford to become a lady. But I think that a lady can be 

tough and strong as well as refind and polite.  She can even

play basketball." - Sue Macy, Basketball Belles

As I mentioned earlier, this is a "Wow! Oh, Wow!" book for me.  I bought a copy for me, for a friend, for the school library, and keep shouting about it to anyone who will listen.  I hope that this book earns the recognition that it deserves.

Hot Off The Press! New Picture Books (3)

This is a feature that I do weekly called Hot Off The Press! post based on my visits to Vroman's Bookstore and checking out their wall of new picture books.  This week I included a couple of recent releases that I saw at the Charlotte S. Huck Literature Festival as well.  Here are the 5 new releases that stood out from the pile this week:

 Cloudette
Author/Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (March 1, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 8 years

This was a charming read and one of my favorites for today. The story is about a small cloud - aka Cloudette. She is not able to do all the things the other bigger clouds can do nor does she necessarily want to do them. She wants to find her place in the world. After trying to make her mark with no luck, she pursues a new direction thanks to the wind. Then she finds something to really go after which earns her the attention of the bigger clouds. Lovely illustrations work to enhance and bring alive the text.

The book trailer for this book is really cute.  Check it out here. 

Dog In Boots
Author: Greg Gormley
Ilustrator: Roberta Angaramo
Publisher:  Holiday House (March 1, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 8 years


Dog reads about Puss In Boots and immediately wants a pair of fancy boots for himself. The man at the shoe store gives him a pair but boots aren't very practical when you dig. He then goes back for rain boots which work for digging but are horrible for swimming. The book progresses this way until our small friend learns that maybe his paws are just perfect. Until Dog then reads about, nah...I won't spoil it for you.  I found this to be a fun read and liked the tie in with classical stories.

A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis
Author: Matt de la Pena
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Publisher: Dial Book For Young Readers (January 20, 2011)
Audience: Ages 7 and up

Take a strong writer and pair him up with a phenomenal illustrator and you have a winner of a book.  Regular readers of the blog will know of my great love for the artwork of Kadir Nelson.  In Joe Louis, Nelson does not disappoint fans of of his work in books such as We Are The Ship or Coretta Scott.  De La Pena provides the reader with some information about Louis' early life but the significant focus for this story is on the Joe Louis/Max Schlmeling fight at Yankee Stadium.  A fight that was much greater than the two individuals in the ring but something that represented so much more to the Americans in the Stadium or at home listening on the radio.

Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems
Author: Kristina O'Connell George
Illustrator: Nancy Carpenter
Publisher: Clarion (February 22, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 9 years


I am slowly growing to understand poetry and novels in verse.  For years, I thought I disliked anything in those categories but thanks to some special books I am slowly overcoming my hesitation to read poetry or books in verse.  Emma Dilemma is as much about the older to younger sister relationship as it is about poetry.  The story unfolds through a series of poems that are divided into chapters.  There is a sad part, but I do love the way the book wraps up.

Inkblot
Author/Creator: Margaret Peot
Publisher: Boyd Mill Press (March 1, 2011)
Audience: Ages 10 and up


I saw this book and had one idea about it in my mind and then when I opened it the book was something completely different. I'm not sure where to put it. Likely not the picture book section but more likely the art section of the store. It is more of a how-to/activity book for how to create prints with an inkblot style. The pictures are lovely and I can see a teacher using this with older elementary students or high school students even but don't really see this as something children would ne...moWhen I saw this book, I had one idea about what to expect, and then when I opened it the book, it was something completely different. I'm not sure where to put it. Likely not the picture book section but more likely the art section of the store. This is more of a how-to/activity book for those who want to learn how to create prints with an inkblot style. The pictures are lovely and I can see a teacher using this with older elementary students or high school students even.   I would probably recommend this to be shared between an adult and a child.  However, the inkblots and the artwork is creative and worth taking a look at.

Hot Off The Press! New Picture Books (2)

Last week I began a Hot Off The Press! post based on my visits to Vroman's Bookstore and checking out their wall of new picture books. Here are the 5 new releases that stood out from the pile this week:

 Doodleday
Author/Illustrator: Ross Collins
Publisher: Whitman, Albert and Company (March 1, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 8 years

Mother warns Harvey that there is no drawing on doodleday.  Harvey thinks that drawing just a tiny little fly should not be a problem, and then the fun begins and grows.  The ending was absolutely perfect.  This one should cause readers to smile.

The Best Birthday Party Ever
Author: Jennifer Larue Huget
Illustrator: LeUyen Pham
Publisher: Schwartz and Wade (March 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 8 years

Some books just make you smile and Huget's story about a little girl who is counting down the days and weeks to her birthday party is certainly one of them.  As each week or month passes, our birthday girl plans a more elaborate party than the month before.  When her big day finally arrives will she have the birthday of her dreams and plans?  I loved how this book wraps up.

Red Wagon
Author/Illustrator: Renata Liwska
Publisher: Philomel (February 17, 2011)
Audience: Ages 3 to 6 years

Fans of Deborah Underwood's The Quiet Book will recognize Liwska's illustrative work which gives this book a similar tender, gentle, charming quality.  Red Wagon is a story about a young fox who wants to play with her new wagon but must also go into town for her mother.  Her day is less boring and more adventuresome than she expected. 

The Crows of Pearblossom
Author: Aldous Huxley
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
Publisher: Abrahms Books For Young Readers (March 1, 2011)
Audience: Ages 5 to 9

Huxley wrote this story about a mama crow who lays an egg each day and loses it to wiley snake back in 1944 for his niece.  Mr. & Mrs. Crow seek out the help in stopping the snake from stealing the eggs. 
The story has a fable-like quality to it and Sophie Blackall's illustrations are charming and bring the book to life and fit the timeless quality of the story. 

Won Ton
Author: Lee Wardlaw
Illustrator: Eugene Yelchin
Publisher: Holt, Henry & Company (February 15, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 9 years

This is a book that I enjoyed on a couple of levels.  First, it was a fun story about a cat who is rescued from a shelter and his adjustment to his new family.  Younger children will enjoy the book at that level.  Second, the book is written completely in haiku and can be used with older children (even middle or high school) as part of a poetry unit.

Yelchin's bold and bright illustrations bring the story to life on a different level. 

Hot Off The Press! New Picture Books

On Sundays, I have been heading over to Vroman's Bookstore and checking out their wall of new picture books. I started doing this the day after Christmas when my flight back east was canceled and I needed something to cheer me up. Now my weekly treks have become something that I look forward to and hate when I have to miss them. It hit me today that I should blog about my favorite new picture book releases. Here are 5 from today that stood out from the pile:

A Pet For Petunia
Author/Illustrator: Paul Schmid
Publisher: Harper Collins (January 25, 2011)
Audience: Ages 3 to 7 years

Out of all of the books, this was probably my favorite book in the stack.  Petunia has a stuffed skunk and wants a real skunk for a pet.  She does her best to convince her parents that she should have one.  What happens when Petunia encounters a real skunk?

This is a perfect read aloud for young children.  Simple illustrations beautifully support the text.  If I was giving a starred review, then this would be one of them.

To watch the book trailer, click here.

Giant Steps to Change the World
Authors: Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee
Illustrators: Sean Qualls
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (January 4, 2011)
Audience: 2nd to 5th grade

I was a little skeptical when I saw that this book was written by husband and wife team Spike and Tonya Lee.  Celebrity picture books may sell because of a name, but what about quality?  The book starts off with the narrator encouraging a boy to "Listen to the voices of those who came before..."  There follows quotes from famous people but minus their names or images.  Qualls mixed media illustrations provide just enough to help make a guess at where the quotes come from.  I had fun trying to guess who said each quote but a child will need much more instruction to make the connection.  On the inside covers, each quote is listed with who said it.  This would be a fun discussion starter with older children. 

To watch Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee speak about the book, click here.

Look! A Book!
Author/Creator: Bob Staake
Publisher: Little Brown Book For Young Readers (February 1, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 8 years old

Children will enjoy searching for a special item on each two page spread.  The sparse text uses rhyming clues to direct children to the item that they will search for.  Die-cuts on each page provide sneak peaks to upcoming pages.  At the end, the page flips up and encourages children to return and search for more items beginning with 1 cow, and ending with 12 red books.  The colorful sturdy pages will likely hold up in a home but frequent check outs from a school library and serious handling from small sticky hands may provide a challenge in a school setting.

To watch the book trailer for Look! A Book!, click here.

When I Grow Up
Author: Al Yankovic
Illustrator: Wes Hargis
Publisher: HarperCollins (February 1, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 7 years

This one made my top picks for the week partially because it made me chuckle, and partially because I really wasn't sure what to expect from Weird Al.  A little boy is eager to share about what he wants to be when he grows up.  However, his list is quite creative.  I liked the tie in to the child's grandfather, and the tribute to the teacher.  Hargis' watercolor illustrations are lovely and young children will also get a chuckle out of some of the career choices.

To watch the book trailer for When I Grow Up, click here.

Dear Tabby
Author: Carolyn Crimi
Illustrator: David Roberts
Publisher: HarperCollins (February 8, 2011)

Tabby D. Cat is an alley cat.  The various animals of Critterville send him letters seeking advice.  Each letter was formatted in a variety of styles/fonts.  Tabby in his own way provides just the right creative solutions to everyone's concerns.  Boots Whitepaw, a house cat, sends multiple letters about an over attentive owner.  Tabby dishes back a great response.  The twist at the end is cute.

Though I got a chuckle out this book and loved the ending, I imagine that this will be a tough book to do as a read aloud.  There is a lot on the pages that is essential to the story and the illustrations support the text well.  Recommend reading this in smaller groups.

Book Review - Your Mommy Was Just Like You

Author:  Kelly Bennett
Illustrator: David Walker
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (March 17, 2011)
Audience: Ages 3 to 6 years old
Source:  Copy for Review

Description from Press Kit:
Once upon a time - according to Grandma - Mommy loved getting messy, wearing kooky costumes and collecting dandelion fluff.  Sometimes she was a terror, but most of the time she was a sweet potato-doll face-poopsie.  Just like her own little girl today! 

Kelly Bennett's Your Mommy Was Just Like You is a companion book to Your Daddy Was Just Like You.  This time Grandma is talking with her young granddaughter as they flip through a photo album.  She shares with her granddaughter how even from birth she looked like her mother and how they behaved in similar ways and had similar likes.  When I arrived at nearly the last page, I read - "Your mommy is my baby. And no matter how big she gets, or how old she gets, she will always be my baby." - I had to laugh.  I had just heard a mother say something similar to her daughter the other day.  There are many lines in this book that ring true.  Bennett certainly captures the familiar conversations that likely every grandparent has had with their grandchild. 

Children are always curious about things about themselves like the day they were born or other special events.  They will often ask a parent to tell about it over and over again.  And since they often don't have a real sense that their parents were ever children, to learn about the similarities - how they fit into their family line is important to them.

This book can be included in a collection of books centered around families or as a gift from a grandparent to her grandchild.  I can picture the book sparking further conversation about real-life similarities and shared giggles. 

David Walker's illustrations nicely compliment Bennett's text.  I enjoyed the expressions on the characters faces and chuckled at some of the ways the images were presented.  The soft pastel colors bring a gentleness to the book. 

For more information about Kelly Bennett and her books, check out her website www.kellybennett.com.