Ode to a Nobody by Caroline Brooks DuBois

Ode to a Nobody by Caroline Brooks DuBois (304 Pages)

Summary: Before the storm, thirteen-year-old Quinn was happy flying under the radar. She was average. Unremarkable. Always looking for an escape from her house, where her bickering parents fawned over her genius big brother.

Inside our broken home / we didn’t know how broken / the world outside was.

But after the storm, Quinn can’t seem to go back to average. Her friends weren't affected by the tornado in the same way. To them, the storm left behind a playground of abandoned houses and distracted adults. As Quinn struggles to find stability in the tornado’s aftermath, she must choose: between homes, friendships, and versions of herself.

Nothing that was mine / yesterday is mine today.

Told in rich, spectacular verse, Caroline Brooks DuBois crafts a powerful story of redemption as Quinn makes her way from Before to After. There’s nothing average about the world Quinn wakes up to after the storm; maybe there’s nothing average about her, either. This emotional coming-of-age journey for middle grade readers proves that it’s never too late to be the person you want to be.

Opinion: This Truman award nominee is a realistic fiction kids book written in verse. I'm learning that I'm not a big fan of books written in verse. This story fell really flat for me. While at first you wanna just give the main character a hug, I felt her character development was really stale (as well as every other character) by the end of the book. Everything felt like a cliche. Overall, I wasn't a fan of this book. 

A Voice Named Aretha by Katheryn Russell-Brown

 

A Voice Named Aretha  by  Katheryn Russell-Brown -  40 pgs.

The book is written well for children in a way that gives a lot of information about Aretha Franklin.   The book takes you from her heartache of losing her mother just before she turned 10, singing solo in church in front of thousands of people a few months later, joining the Gospel Caravan with her daddy's traveling ministry at 12, signing a record deal at the age of 18, thru her being the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and more.  At the end of the book there are several pages of other information and facts about Aretha.

Under the bodhi tree a Story of the Buddha by Deborah Hopkinson

 

 Under the bodhi tree  by  Deborah Hopkinson - 32 pgs.

This book is the Story of Buddha.  The book briefly and easily explains how he came to be Buddha.  Starting from his childhood and progressing through his journeys in life, to how he found his inner peace.  The book is illustrated with calming color choices which fits the story. 

Holiday History Independence Day by Kristine Spanier, MLIS

 Holiday History Independence Day by Kristine Spanier, MLIS

Informative children's book about our Independence Day; how it came to be, when it came to be, and when and how we celebrate it. Did you know that even though the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776, it did not become a national holiday until 1870.   The book shows the original American Flag from 1777 and how it compares to our current American Flag.  The book also discusses a few other countries and how they celebrate their independence.