What I'm Reading: Twenty Yawns, Saving Wonder, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.

I was lucky enough to win a copy of the picture book Twenty Yawns, written by Jane Smiley and illustrated by Lauren Castillo. First, can I just say I love any thing that Lauren Castillo does? If you haven't read Nana in the City, The Troublemaker, or Yard Sale (by Eve Bunting), what are you waiting for? Twenty Yawns does not disappoint at all. I LOVE the detailed illustrations and the rich, soft colors: a sunset with pastel blues, reds, and oranges; a cozy beach house by a big palm tree. It would make a great bedtime story. 

In chapter books/middle grade fiction I've been reading Saving Wonder by Mary Knight. Curley lives in Kentucky with his Papaw (grandfather), who is raising him to appreciate words. Every week they learn about a new word.  Curley's father died in the coal mines and his mother and younger brother died in a freak accident caused by the runoff from the mines. Twelve-year old Curley resents the local mining company but when it's bought out, his world is upended in several unexpected ways. Without shoving a moral down readers' throat, the book will help readers think about the impacts humans have on the land and the earth's finite resources, which impacts animals and other people. 

Finally, I've also been reading The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., by Kate Messner. I love everything I've read by Kate Messner, although I haven't read everything she's written. This one is from 2009. It is a nominee for our state student choice award for grades 3-5, the Bluestem Award.  Kate Messner manages to pack a lot in

this book around the major plot points of a family dealing with a grandmother who is starting to forget more and more, and an important school leaf project. Family relationships, grief, bullies, friendship, procrastination, and a sometimes awkward boy-girl friendship all provide for a thoughtful and intelligent look at a difficult time for a middle school girl. This book is a possibility for my district Battle of the Books, and I will be recommending it for our Battle to the other librarians.