“How do you tell a story that starts in Africa and ends in horror…How do you tell a story about slavery?” An American Story (Little, Brown, 7–11 years) by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Dare Coulter, is a picture book framed as a classroom lesson inspired by Alexander’s daughter. Coulter’s unforgettable...
Five questions for Dare Coulter An American Story by Kwame Alexander, illus. by Dare Coulter; Little, Brown. American stories for Black History Month Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar: The Musical Story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Woman Who Invented Rock and Roll by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow; Doubleday. I Am...
Happy 2023! January brings New Year’s resolutions and reappearing library books; this Magazine issue with gorgeous cover art by Jason Griffin and including complete BGHB speeches; our annual at-a-glance Year in Review post (coming soon!); and LibLearnX and the ALA Youth Media Awards. But first: who do you think will...
“The course of true love never did run smooth,” as Lysander points out in the beginning of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As Valentine’s Day approaches on February 14, these six recent young adult novels may help readers realize how complex romance can often be. Lark & Kasim Start a...
These seven historical fiction novels for middle-grade readers introduce a variety of important and engaging topics from different places and time periods in the last century. Wildoak by C. C. Harrington; illus. by Diana Sudyka Intermediate Scholastic 288 pp. 9/22 9781338803860 $17.99 This novel, set in 1963, consists of three...
Before, during, and after February’s upcoming celebration of Black History Month, young readers can check out these six recent picture-book biographies highlighting important figures in American history. See also our five questions interview with debut illustrator Dare Coulter about An American Story, written by Kwame Alexander. Little Rosetta and the...
Welcome to the 2022 edition of Fanfare, the Horn Book’s choices of the best books for children and teens published in the last year. This year’s list features more titles than usual (“Not to fifty[one]!” yells editor emeritus Roger Sutton in a Princess Bride voice), and it encompasses a wonderfully eclectic group...
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story (Charlesbridge, 6–10 years) by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunten, illustrated by Garry Meeches Sr., reframes the story of Thanksgiving as Keepunumuk, “the time of harvest.” The book is dedicated “to our children, who are our ancestors’ dreams come true”; and in it, a grandmother...
Five questions for Anthony Perry and Alexis Bunten Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunten, illus. by Garry Meeches Sr.; Charlesbridge. Stories about storytelling The Flamingo by Guojing; Random House Studio/Random. The Book That Kibo Wrote by Mariana Ruiz Johnson, trans. from Spanish by Lawrence...