Hello friends,
In no particular order, here are some new or newish middle grade titles I’ve loved reading this year:
A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat
Forever Glimmer Creek by Stacy Hackney
Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson
What Stars are Made Of by Sarah Allen
Infinite Hope by Ashley Bryan
Stella Diaz Never Gives up by Angela Dominguez
With gratitude,
Anne
Hello friends,
I’m delighted that Blue Skies is featured in the Middle Grade Kids Summer Reads on the Lone Star Literary Life blog. Check out all of the titles for ages 8-12.
With gratitude,
Anne
Hello friends,
Earlier this week I posted some of my favorite Middle Grade reads by Black authors. Today, I’d like to share some picture books by Black authors and or illustrators that I love.
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford illus. by Kadir Nelson
Just Like Me by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illus. by Vashti Harrison
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, illlus by Orge Mora
You Matter by Christian Robinson
Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton by Don Tate
Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport, illus. by Bryan Collier
Lullaby for a Black Mother by Langston Hughes, illus. by Sean Qualls
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford, illus. by Eric Velasquez
It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw by Don Tate, illus. by R. Gregory Christie
The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali, illus. by Hatem Aly
Alvin Ailey by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illus. by Brian Pinkney
Saturday by Oge Mora
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illus. by Rafael Lopez
The Undefeated by Kwane Alexander, illus. by Kadir Nelsn
A Place to Land by Barry Wittenstein, illus. by Jerry Pinkney
Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barto, illus. by Don Tate
A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story by Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan, illus. by Floyd Cooper
With thanks,
Anne
Hello friends,
Many thanks to fifth-grade teacher Colby Sharp, who recorded his booktalk about Blue Skies. You can access it HERE. I’ve also included it in the Links section of the Blue Skies page on my website.
With deep gratitude,
Anne
Hello friends,
Black lives matter. Books by Black authors matter. Here are a dozen middle grade books I know and love:
Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia, followed by P.S. Be Eleven, and Gone Crazy in Alabama
The Great Green Heist by Varian Johnson, followed by To Catch a Cheat, and The Parker Inheritance
Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
The Watson’s Go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
With gratitude,
Anne
Hello friends,
Happy news! Blue Skies is a Parents’ Choice Recommended Book Award Winner for 2020! I’m honored and overjoyed to be in the company of other books I know and love. Here’s the link to the list:
Parents’ Choice Book Award Winners Spring 2020
With deep gratitude,
Anne
Hello friends,
Here’s a link to my latest guest blog post on Middle-Grade Mojo, where I answer three questions about Blue Skies.
“. . . miracles happen, but they may not look like we expect. And expressions of gratitude, no matter how small, can be significant.”
With thanks,
Anne
Hello, friends,
I’m super excited about sharing Blue Skies with everyone on Facebook Live/SimonKids on Thursday, March 28th at 2PM EST. I’ll be reading, snacking, and leading viewers in a simple art activity. Hope to see you there!
With gratitude,
Anne
Hello, friends,
RAD! is now available everywhere! The illustrator, Daniel Wiseman and I, hope you’ll love reading our book about a fraidy cat, who with the help of his siblings, overcomes his fear of trying something new.
With gratitude,
Anne
Hello, Friends!
Our Tech Check for the Everywhere Book Fest panel is complete. Linda Sue Park, Gail Carson Levine, and I can’t wait to see you!
Please join us next Friday, May 1, at 1:00 EST for “Putting the STORY in history: a historical fiction panel.”
Here’s the link: https://everywherebookfest.com/
If your schedule won’t allow you to join us in real-time, know that our discussion will be added to YouTube.
With gratitude,
Anne