Each month we post an annotated bibliography of books that were rated ‘Outstanding’ and nominated for our Distinguished List at our previous month’s meeting. Members can see full reviews of these books and many more in the July edition of BayViews. Not a member? Join, come to our monthly meetings, and hear about these Outstanding books in person!
Picture Books
I Love My Colorful Nails written by Acosta, Alicia and Amavisca, Luis and illustrated by Gusti; Egalité/NubeOcho, 2019.
Ben loves painting his nails until some boys at school make fun of him. Simple text and loose, watercolor illustrations tell a sweet tale of parental love and individuality. Ben’s family is white with an ethnically diverse case of secondary characters. (Grades PreK-2.)
Inside Outside written and illustrated by Ramstein, Anne-Margot and Aregui, Matthias; Candlewick, 2019.
Without words, each full page spread of bold, detailed computer-generated illustrations invites readers to consider concepts such as point of view, as it depicts the inside of something vs. the outside of that same thing. Details and connections, perhaps a story, build as the book progresses. (PreK-3.)
Mommy Sayang written and illustrated by Sullivan, Rosana; Disney Press, 2019.
In a beautiful picture book from one of the artists who worked on the movie Coco, mixed race Aleeya (Caucasian and Asian) describes her loving relationship with her family, and particularly with her Muslim mother, who becomes ill but eventually recovers. (PreK-1.)
The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! written and illustrated by Willems, Mo; Disney-Hyperion, 2019
Pigeon returns, this time not wanting to go to school, until realizing how much fun school will be. (PreK-2.)
This is the Construction Worker written by Godwin, Laura and illustrated by Hector, Julian; Disney-Hyperion, 2019.
An unnamed female construction worker prepares for work by putting on her special hear, including a hard hat and steel-toed boots. She and her crew include females and males of various skin tones, all working together to successfully do their jobs. (PreK-1.)
FICTION
Aru Shah and the Song of Death written by Chokshi, Roshani; Rick Riordan Presents/Disney-Hyperion, 2019.
The god of love’s bow and arrow have been stolen, and Aru, Mini, Brynne, and Aiden must go on an action-packed quest through celestial realms where they learn to work together to fight, outwit, and charm their opponents. Full of humor, adventure, and character building, and hard to put down. (3-7.)
Heroine written by McGinnis, Mindy; Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins, 2019.
Micky Catalan has made it through a lot with best friend and teammate Carolina Galarza by her side. But when both suffer severe injuries in a car crash, somehow oxycontin becomes Micky’s closest ally and her story spirals by slow, and very believable, steps into a nightmare of addiction. (9-12.)
The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali written by Khan, Sabina; Scholastic, 2019.
When 17-year-old Rukhsana’s conservative Bengali parents discover she’s queer, they take her to Bangladesh and arrange a marriage. This powerful book explores the things about Bengali culture which Rukhsana loves without excusing how dangerous it makes life for some of its people. (9-12.)
Sweeping Up the Heart written by Henkes, Kevin; Greenwillow, 2019.
Seventh grader Amelia has an unexpectedly life changing week over the course of spring break. Henkes’ latest middle grade novel has the well-drawn characters and deep emotional pull that he brought to The Year of Billy Miller as the author deftly handles self-identity, secrets, and possibility. (4-7.)
NONFICTION
A Ray of Light written by Wick, Walter; Scholastic, 2019.
Dramatic color photos are the distinctive element of this look at the nature of light, paired with a thoughtful but demanding text. Concepts of incandescence, electromagnetic radiation, light waves, the color spectrum, iridescence, color, and the sun are included. (4-8.)
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