Recommended Reads

Barely Floating by Lilliam Rivera (New Tween)

Cover image for Barely floatingNat Santiago loves all things sparkly, glamorous and pretty. However, her mother, a serious feminist activist, finds sparkles and such to be frivolous and a waste of time. Nat doesn’t see what’s wrong with enjoying girly things every once in a while. So when a 12-year-old Nat sees the LA Mermaids perform an amazing, synchronized swim routine in their bedazzled swimsuits she is besotted. A combination of her two favorite things? Swimming and glitz and glam? Sign her up! But her parents are concerned the focus is too much on looks, like being thin and white. And not enough on the important things like athleticism and community. Nat knows as chubby girl with rolls so she’s not the traditional body type for a synchronized swimmer but also knows she has the swimming prowess to join the team! With some help from her cousin and a little tricky scheming Nat is determined to join the team. Maybe she’ll prove you can be big and glamorous, glitzy and a serious athlete and being a true feminist is to lift everyone up. Lilliam Rivera’s Barely Floating is a heartwarming novel about family, community, friendships and learning to make peace with one’s self.  

 

 

 

 

Children’s Quick & Easy Cookbook: More than 60 Simple Recipes by Angela Wilkes (New J Nonfiction)

Cover image for Children's quick & easy cookbook : more than 60 simple recipes.

Many cookbooks for children involve very little actual cooking and are mostly about assembling snacks, but that is not the case with this book. There are more than 80 recipes full of large, bright pictures of each. The book is divided into sections including Superfast Snacks, Speedy Meals, Delightful Desserts, and Treats and Sweets. Most of the recipes can be completed with prep and cook times of under 30 minutes each. Ingredients called for are diverse, yet assessable, and many recipes have ideas for ingredient substitutions for differing tastes. There are tips on food and kitchen safety at the beginning with applicable recipe steps marked with a red exclamation point throughout. Possibly the best part of this cookbook is the Chef’s Know-How section in the back. It defines a multitude of cooking terms and includes clear photographs for better understanding. In all, this is the perfect cookbook for a budding young chef, or even a time-strapped parent looking for some kid-friendly variety on the meal rotation.

 

 

 

 

 

Elena Rides by Juana Medina (New j428.6)

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Elena the elephant wants to learn how to ride a bicycle. She is prepared, she is enthusiastic, but she is not a pro the first time she tries to ride. Like many things in life, riding a bike takes practice, patience, and persistence. After many failed attempts to ride, Elena stops and cries. She is comforted by a little red bird friend and encouraged to get back up and try again. This time, Elena does a little better, and then falls again. Full of rich vocabulary, rhyming words, and onomatopoeia, this early reader book shows kids that trying something new can be difficult, but with the right attitude and some encouragement they too can be successful. If this lovable and relatable purple elephant can ride a bicycle, there is nothing they can’t do! Parents and kids alike will be cheering for Elena on each attempt and then celebrating her triumph at the end.

 

 

 

 

Greenlight by Breanna Carzoo (jE)

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Everyone STOP! (Actually, you won’t have a choice if the green traffic light is in the midst of a very public existential crisis!) Why doesn’t anyone want to spend time with Greenlight? No one thinks about him except to leave him in the dust, but everyone stops in their tracks for Redlight. How is that supposed to make Greenlight feel? In what we might recognize as depression and diffidence, Greenlight laments, “Maybe I’m not exactly alone, but I still feel alone. . . . What’s the point in shining my light if no one likes it anyways?” This. Is. Serious.  (Not to mention, quite introspective for a traffic signal.) Breanna Carzoo deftly tackles difficult concepts with sensitivity and mindfulness, ultimately communicating a sense of relief and a boost of self-confidence to send us off into the world — a world that (as Carzoo’s dedication reminds us) “is waiting to see you shine. Take your time. You’ll know when you’re ready.”

 

 

 

 

 

Beneath by Cori Doerrfeld (jE)

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Finn was in a bad mood and didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t think Grandpa would understand, but agreed to go on a walk as long as he could stay under his blanket. As they walk, Grandpa talks about what can lie beneath parts of nature and how things aren’t always what they seem. Finn gradually comes out from under his blanket as he makes the connection that people are the same way. Underneath the appearances and actions of people are experiences, explanations, and similarities that others will never see unless they look deeper. Grandpa might understand how Finn feels after all. The two bond and heal from their unspoken, but illustrated, loss through their walk through the forest, finding comfort and love in each other’s company.