The best way to educate young readers is to provide picture books that are so irresistible that kids feel a compulsion to pick them up and read them. Here are some educational picture books that appear to accomplish just that feat.
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Life on Santa Catalina Island seems idyllic and carefree, but in “What Never Happened,” Rachel Howzell Hall imagines the dark side of the serene, secluded, and supposedly safe vacation spot. Protagonist Colette, also known as Coco, is back on the island after a failed marriage which brought her close to a breakdown. Her aging aunt, who lives on the island, needs help. While they’ve never been close, her Auntie Gwen helped raise Coco, and she feels that she has to help Gwen now that it’s needed.
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In “The Better Half,” coauthors Alli Frank and Asha Youmans give their readers what we have come to expect: a novel with relatable main characters, humor, romance, and very honest talk about race. In this novel, main character Nina Morgan Clarke appears to have it all. She’s the first Black, female head of school at the tony Royal-Hawkins School in Pasadena, CA. She’s worked hard to get there, and with her daughter across the country at a private boarding school that’s close to her ex-husband, Nina can finally enjoy life and the fruits of her years of labor.
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“Crazy Bao You” is a rom-com for our times. An attraction begins on Instagram; who would have thought that an introverted Etsy seller in Oklahoma might fall in love with a handsome firefighter in New York City? Diverging a bit from her clever mysteries, Lyn Liao (Butler) has written a rom-com that could almost appear to be based on her own life. She was born in Taiwan and moved to the States when she was seven. She is married to a FDNY firefighter. She also fosters dogs in need of rescue. Are you hooked yet?
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Most women reading “The Wife App” will agree with Carolyn Mackler’s position that in any heterosexual marriage, it’s the female, the wife, who ends up with most of the duties regarding running a house and a family. In fact, I find myself a bit disgruntled as I go about my daily routine, much of which is mentioned in this perspicacious novel. There is a lot that I do, that most women do, which is taken for granted. We schedule many social activities, we make sure clean sheets are on the bed, we order food or make the grocery lists if we are lucky enough to have a husband who will do the shopping. You are forewarned.
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In “You Were Always Mine,” co-authors Christine Pride and Jo Piazza create two very imperfect main characters whose interactions are brief; but those minimal interactions end up changing the lives of both women. Cinnamon and Daisy meet on a park bench where Cinnamon is eating during her lunch break. They end up sitting on the same park bench each Friday and share idle talk; neither shares any real life experiences with the other. But there’s a connection made, and it’s this connection that determines that one of them, Daisy, leaves her newborn child so that Cinnamon will find her. Daisy’s hope is that Cinnamon will raise her baby and keep her safe, because Daisy doesn’t feel that she is capable of doing that.
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Even if your child or student isn’t bilingual, getting books that come with a Spanish version is a wonderful way of sharing books in two languages. But if you or the children are lucky enough to speak Spanish as well as English, here are some wonderful choices for your home or school library.
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“I’ll Stop the World” by Lauren Thoman is not your typical thriller. When we meet the main character, Justin Warren, he’s not a happy person. He lives in a decrepit house, bought by a distant relative named Stan, for Justin and his seriously troubled mother, Lissa. They live in the town of Stone Lake, and they are known for the fact that Justin’s grandparents were killed in a fire at the high school that was rebuilt and named after them, Warren High School. The fire happened a week after the high school bonfire, a yearly event.
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Books with high interest are really important for kids to read during the summer months when they aren’t reading in school. Teachers will tell you that the summer setback in reading ability is real for kids who may not read much because they are outside playing or at camp. And while want kids to be outside when the weather is nice, reading daily is important, too. And high interest books are the way to go. Here are many books about dogs, cats, and other animals that will not only intrigue kids, but that have important messages to share. Perfect for rainy days, bedtime stories, or just reading at breakfast to get a good start to the day.
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Coming to America for a better life is a common theme in American history. In “Paper Names,” Susie Luo brings us a different kind of immigrant. Unlike those who come to America because there is nothing for them in their home country, The Zhang family had been successful in China. Tony, the Americanized name for the father, was a respected engineer, and his wife, Kim, was a doctor. But they came to the US for a better life for their daughter, Tammy.
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Kathleen Grissom consistently exhibits her brilliant ability to meld historical facts with immersive fiction, and in “Crow Mary” she brings to life an actual historical figure whose bravery and strength inspire us as the beautiful narrative brings that era and its inhabitants to life. Grissom spent years researching Crow Mary’s story, including talking to her descendants. This is one of those rare novels that not only has a gripping story line, a strong protagonist, and a fascinating setting, it also teaches us about history. We learn about “Indian reservations” and their ever-changing boundaries (not in favor of the Indians). We see the blatant racism (no surprises, there), and just one small example of the brutal massacres to which Native Americans were subject.
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Julia Kelly’s elegant historical fiction novels about England now include “The Lost English Girl.” This book isn’t a mystery, or a twisty tale, but rather a beautiful story about making mistakes, forgiveness, and family. When two young people from different cultures—a young Jewish musician and a young Catholic working girl—make a huge mistake, their lives change.
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