Butler Bookshelf

This week’s Butler Bookshelf features recently released and coming soon titles! These include It Starts With a Bee by Aimee Gallagher. A poetic look into the world of bees. The colorful illustrations by Jennie Webber show the journey bees take to help the flowers you love, and the fruits and vegetables you eat, grow.  Check it out along with the other titles below!

Blue Badger
Written by Huw Lewis Jones and Illustrated by Ben Sanders
Published by Happy Yak
Available Now!

Don’t Call me a Hurricane
Written by Ellen Hagan
Published by Bloomsbury
Available July 19th, 2022

It Starts With a Bee
Written by Aimee Gallagher and Illustrated by Jennie Webber
Published by QED Publishing
Available April 5th, 2022

The Loophole
Written by Naz Kutub
Published by Bloomsbury
Available June 21st, 2022

A Taste of Magic
Written by J. Elle
Published by Bloomsbury Children’s books
Available August 30th, 2022

You Are Not Alone
Written by The Alphabet Rockers and Illustrated by Ashley Evans
Published by Sourcebook eXplore
Available now!

Empathy in Action: A Review of Our World is a Family: Our Community Can Change the World

Our World is a Family: Our Community Can Change the World
Miry Whitehall and Jennifer Jackson
Illustrated by Nomar Perez
March 8, 2022
Sourcebooks Explore
Ages 3+

We know that young children have lots of questions. Our World is a Family is a simple and sweet explanation of immigration for the youngest and most curious among us. Where might the new people in our neighborhood come from? Why and how do they leave their homes for new ones? Whitehall and Jackson gently explore these questions, and perhaps more importantly, the complex emotions involved in their answers. Vignettes of everyday activities provide examples of before and after homes, and how we can all make a community feel like a more inclusive and welcoming new home. Mini language lessons spread throughout the text provide examples of our similarities and differences. We all say “hello” and here is how—hello, ni hao, jambo, bonjour. And while a language note for each might have been helpful, the bright and joyful spreads are a delight. Superimposed over a map of the world, the diverse cast of children and adults is introduced as a vibrant and varied rainbow of humanity. Perez utilizes a combination of simplistic figures over a more structured and well-drafted backdrop, a juxtaposition that adds softness and humanity to the characters. An author’s note directs adult readers to a resource site to support honest and age-appropriate conversations about migrants and refugees.

A simple explanation for the universal truth that no matter where we come from, we all want to feel welcome where we are.

Registration is open NOW

Join us Thursday, March 31, 2022 for the 10th Annual Butler Lecture with Aisha Saeed.

The Butler Children’s Literature Center will host a live (and live-streamed) event with bestselling author and founding member of We Need Diverse Books, Aisha Saeed. Saeed will discuss the power of books in her own life and how books are the key to helping the young people in our lives see their way through. She will speak to our current moment as well as provide book recommendations for all ages. A book-signing with the author will follow the lecture.

Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 6 p.m.
Presented Online and in-person at Lund Auditorium
Dominican University
This event is free and open to the public, with registration required.

REGISTER NOW

This lecture series is generously funded by the Butler Family Foundation.

Aisha Saeed is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of books for children. Her books, including the middle grade novel Amal Unbound (Penguin), the young adult novel Yes No Maybe So (co-written with Becky Albertalli), and the anthology Once Upon an Eid (co-edited with S.K. Ali) received multiple starred reviews. Amal Unbound was selected as a Global Read Aloud for 2018 and was the winner of the South Asian book award. Her picture book, Bilal Cooks Daal (Simon and Schuster) received an APALA honor. Aisha is also a founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books™. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her family. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram via @aishacs.

For questions, contact butler@dom.edu.

Please visit https://www.dom.edu/arts-minds for the latest vaccine and masking information for attending in-person events at Dominican’s Performing Arts Center.

Butler Bookshelf

This week we are featuring several books that are available Today! Right now! On the bookshelf you will find The Katha Chest. This picture book follows Asiya, a young girl learning about her aunts’ and grandmother’s memories through playing with their handmade quilts made from their worn saris. A beautifully illustrated tale about loving the memories you make and the ones that make them with you. Check it out along with the other titles below!

The Book that Did Not Want to Be Read
Written and Illustrated by David Sundin
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available Today!

The Katha Chest
Written by Radhiah Chowdrury and Illustrated by Lavanya Naidu
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available Today!

Listen to the Language of the Trees: A Story of how Forests Communicate Underground
Written by Tera Kelley and Illustrated by Marie Hermansson
Published by Source Books
Available Today!

My Own Way: Celebrating Gender Freedom for Kids
Written by and Illustrated by Joana Estrela
Published by Wide Eyed
Available Today!

Once Upon a Tim
Written by Stuart Gibbs and Illustrated by Stacy Curtis
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available Today!

Turning
Written by Joy L. Smith
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available Today!

A New Take on An Old Story: A Review of Travelers Along the Way

Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix 
Aminah Mae Safi 
March 1, 2022 
Feiwel and Friends 
Ages 13-18 

The third entry of the Remixed Classics series, this young adult novel reimagines Robin Hood as a Muslim teen girl amid the Third Crusade. Rahma followed her older sister Zeena into the war, though really all she wants to do is make sure her sister stays safe. As the sisters travel towards Jerusalem, Rahma continually produces schemes to get them out of trouble. She initially steals a horse that she sees is being abused, only to find out it is the invading Queen Isabella’s horse. This and further thefts lead to her gaining a reputation as the Green Hood. Through their travels, Rahma sees how much the people themselves are affected by the war, and she repeatedly redistributes the spoils of her thefts to the common people who help her. The two sisters meet a variety of like-minded individuals who join them as the group’s schemes escalate. They eventually steal wealth the queen is bringing to negotiate with King Richard. They find a peace treaty with the treasure, learning that Isabella is planning to manipulate Richard into peace on her terms. This leads to a final plan, with the goal being to end the war in a way that is beneficial to the citizens of the land. 

The story is told primarily in the first person, from Rahma’s point of view. Occasional chapters are written in the third person and from the perspective of the invaders, such as Queen Isabella and King Richard. Large bold text indicates the location is shifting, which helps to ease the possible confusion when the point of view changes. The band of protagonists is diverse. While the main character is Muslim, supporting characters include Jewish and Christian representation. There is also an LGBT romance among the members of the group. The pace is quick, with Rahma’s group eventually reaching six members. They bond while the action itself occurs, allowing the story to move forward quickly. Back matter includes a brief timeline of the Third Crusade and an author’s note that encourages the reader to further research the time period on their own, rather than providing extensive notes of Safi’s own research. This novel is sure to appeal to teens interested in historical fiction, especially those looking for representation outside of what tends to exist in this genre. 

Butler Bookshelf

This week we are featuring a few young adult novels we received in the last week.  On the bookshelf you will find The Serpent’s Wake the fantasy adventure novel by Rachel Hartman.  Follow Tess and her friends as they search for the last remaining mystical Serpent.  Check it out along with the other titles below!

Across a Field of Starlight
Written and Illustrated by Blue Delliquanti
Published by RH Graphic
Available now!

Bitter
Written by Akwaeke Emezi
Published by Alfred A. Knopf
Available now!

It Will End Like This
Written by Kyra Leigh
Published by Delacorte Press
Available now!

Rima’s Rebellion: Courage in the Time of Tyranny
Written by Margarita Engle
Published by Athenum
Available now!

In the Serpent’s Wake
Written by Rachel Hartman
Published by Random House Children’s Books
Available now!

The Turning Pointe
Written by Vanessa L. Torres
Published by Alfred A. Knopf
Available today!

 

Bedtime Q&A: A Review of Goodnight, Butterfly

Goodnight, Butterfly 
Ross Burach 
Scholastic Press 
March 3, 2022 
Pre-k to 3rd grade 

In the third installment of Ross Burach’s Butterfly series, the titular Butterfly is awakened in the middle of the night by Porcupine as they are eating their breakfast. Initially, Butterfly is ecstatic at the new experience of being awake at night, learning about what it means to be nocturnal through word play and asking more questions than poor Porcupine can handle. The art shows this through an abundance of brightly colored images in Burach’s signature naïve style of mixed media art. However, as Butterfly tires, the fast pace of the early pages slows down significantly. The puns and traditional wordy jokes of the front half are replaced by sight gags, like Butterfly accidentally mistaking Porcupine for a pinecone. Questions from Butterfly peter out, even if Butterfly is still trying to make night time adventures for the pair to get into, and Porcupine is able to give some advice about falling to sleep. Burach shows the switch in tone using the color of the space between illustrations from a white to the more calm colors of lavender and indigo towards the end of the book. Burach’s use of framing and pace in service of comedy is impeccable. In early jokes, he uses cluttered dialogue and page turns to build tension while releasing it through punchlines. These are given room to breathe by the switch to a single, simpler composition for a spread. While the jokes are less set up later in the story, to aid in winding down, the page turns are still used to hide silly fun, like Butterfly using a book as a bed. In the last few pages, Butterfly finally decides to stop fighting sleep and Porcupine encourages them to think about calming ideas, teaching readers that if you want to go to sleep, it’s better to focus on calm ideas instead of questions you cannot answer. A colorful and funny addition to any bedtime book collection, just be careful, it might be too much fun to fall asleep to.

Butler Bookshelf

This week’s Butler Bookshelf features recent arrivals to the Butler Center, highlighting works by and about African-American creators such as The Faith of Elijah Cummings by Carole Boston Weatherford and Laura Freeman. This picture book biography follows congressman and civil rights advocate Elijah Cummings from his beginning as a struggling student through his success as a lawyer and politician advocating for equality. Check it out along with a variety of other selections below!

Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky
Written by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and Illustrated by Daniel Minter
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman
Written by Kristen R. Lee
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Operation Sisterhood
Written by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers
Available now!

I’m Growing Great
Written and Illustrated by Mechal Renee Roe
Published by Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Sweet Justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Written by Mara Rockliff and Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Published by Random House Studio
Available now!

The Faith of Elijah Cummings: The North Star of Equal Justice
Written by Carole Boston Weatherford and Illustrated by Laura Freeman
Published by Random House Studio
Available now!

Reading Reflections: The Young Adult Book Guide

When it comes to reading preferences, some things are just personal. And when young people are looking to see themselves in a book, they may not always be in a place to announce their identity to the librarians and teachers that might help suggest titles. Enter Reading Reflections: The Young Adult Book Guide. Created as a tool for teen readers, and the teachers and librarians that support them, the book list is organized by category to help readers discover some of the best examples of books on a variety of topical issues including mental health, social justice, and LGBTQ+ identities.

An introduction for teens

The guide is for readers in 7th -12th grade who crave books that reflect their identities, situations, or thoughts. While these books are great for any young reader, they’ve been characterized by topics you may see as helpful or make you feel seen. Many of these characters may have similar lives to yours, or maybe they remind you of a friend. Either way, they are here to ensure that you’re not alone. You’ll also find some useful resources that you can use to seek further information or assistance.

Project inspiration

A Dominican SOIS student created the lists as a scholarship project inspired by her work with teens. She uses the tool as a bridge to teens in need of acknowledgement and/or resources, but who weren’t comfortable discussing their life with an adult. Please consider sharing the guide with the young people in your library or life. You can send questions or additions for consideration to butler@dom.edu.

Butler Bookshelf

Valentine’s Day is coming up soon! This week’s Butler Bookshelf celebrates the holiday with books about Valentine’s Day as well as books about love itself, in all forms. Love Grows Everywhere by Barry Timms and Tisha Lee showcases love between families, neighbors, friends, romantic partners, and more through a family that grows and sells plants in their local community. Check it out along with the other titles below!

Valentine’s Day Jitters
Written by Julie Danneberg and Illustrated by Judy Love
Published by Charlesbridge
Available now!

All the Right Reasons
Written by Bethany Mangle
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Available February 15, 2022

Glimpsed
Written by G.F. Miller
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Bananas for You!
Written by Sabrina Moyle and Illustrated by Eunice Moyle
Published by Abrams
Available now!

Rebel Boys and Rescue Dogs, or Things That Kiss with Teeth
Written by Brianna R. Shrum
Published by Sky Pony
Available now!

Love Grows Everywhere
Written by Barry Timms and Illustrated by Tisha Lee
Published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Available now!