The Promise Quilt book review by Aimee

Title of the Book: The Promise Quilt 

Author Name: Candice F Ransom 

Reviewer's Name: Aimee 

Publisher: Walker Children's

Date of Publication: 1999

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Family is what makes a person whole, but when a family member is lost it creates devastation, change, and a loss of hope. In the picture book The Promise Quilt written by Candice Ransom, Addie lost her dad in the Civil War; it was a big change in her family. The only thing they had left was a red flannel from her dad. Her family struggled to get by and couldn’t afford much of anything. Before Addie’s dad left he promised that he would take her to school when she got older. When time came though, there was no school to go to. The soldiers had destroyed it and everything that was needed inside it. To help provide for the school Addie's mom made a quilt to auction off to help pay for books. But because there was not enough material to finish it, Addie decides to sacrifice the only thing she has left of her dad– the red flannel. 

 This story is a story that inspires people. It shows that hope is not lost, and that whatever happened before will come back and help you. It helps give light in hard situations. For example Addie’s dad always wanted her to have a place in the world. Although he couldn’t be there physically with her. He was ultimately the reason why and how she was able to have a start in the world. He wasn't there physically but his shirt was a symbol of what he did. When she actually did go to school, just like how he wanted her to– it all happened. This story just goes to show that even times are hard everything will be alright, that what was going to happen is going to happen. It helps show that your future is always going to be there and that it will always be your future.

Little Libraries, Big Heroes book review by India

Title of the Book: Little Libraries, Big Heroes 

Author Name: Miranda Paul 

Reviewer's Name: India 

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 

Date of Publication: 2019 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Miranda Paul's story, Little Libraries Big Heroes, told the story of a real-life person and his idea to make the world a better place. He wanted to give back to the community the same way his mom had. His mom had taught children in his neighborhood how to read. He thought, since she had died, that he would follow her example. He decided to create a “little free library”. This little free library resembled a big bird house, and was placed outside of his home. The way it worked was that books were placed inside of it, and people from the community could give and take books from it. Soon his neighbors started to crowd his house and tell him what a brilliant idea it was. Who knew the little spark of imagination the main character got from the influence of his mother could make other people's lives just a little bit brighter. His friend told him that his idea of a little free library had a lot of potential. He thought that thousands of these libraries should be placed all over the country. The main character, Todd, wasn't so sure. He was just an ordinary person. He didn't think he could ever achieve such a thing. But his friend ended up convincing him to do so, and so he did. He ended up exceeding his expectations, with little free libraries being placed all over the world. Children everywhere were influenced by Todd's creation and learned how to read. 

The story book is trying to get across the point that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. I think they managed to get that point across pretty clearly, and did a good job inspiring kids that they can do anything they set their minds to. Overall I think this is a great book for developing young minds.

Gleam and Glow book review by Max

Title of the Book: Gleam and Glow 

Author Name: Eve Bunting 

Reviewer's Name: Max 

Publisher: Voyager Books 

Date of Publication: 2001 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This story of a family through war will draw your attention like a moth to a flame. Viktor is the main character, a young boy only 8 years old. It tells the tale of his mother, Marina (his 5-year-old sister), and him after their father leaves to fight in a war for the Liberation Army. After many refugees pass through their house, one man leaves his 2 fish with him which Marina names Gleam and Glow. Finally, the family is forced to leave their home and the 2 fish in order to walk to the safer country. Finally, after arriving and staying at the refugee camp, they meet up with their father. Once the fighting stops, they make the long walk home, seeing nothing but rubble and ash. Only when Marina remembers the fish, do they check their pond, only to find the entire pond filled with golden gleaming fish. 

This beautiful picture book uses the simplicity of the characters and of the art in order to paint a larger and clearer picture. The dull colors highlight the situation of bloody and murky war. The way it is unique paintings with unclear details compounds with the narrator, being the 8-year- old, making the whole book seem like a foggy memory. This accentuates the emotions and feelings which were felt by the family. There is a clear theme and message that any person of any age can take away. The fish represent hope, and the war represents the struggles that someone may face. Despite the war, despite all the struggles, the fish managed to find a way. Just like hope would never run out, the fish survived and found a way. Overall, this book was an extremely good read. I would recommend this picture book to children and adults of all ages.

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt book review by Batul

Title of the Book: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt 

Author Name: Deborah Hopkinson 

Reviewer's Name: Batul 

 Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf 

Date of Publication: 1995 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, a book written by Deborah Hopkinson, is about the story of a young girl named Clara’s trip to freedom. This story is set in the time period when there were still a lot of slaves, and slave owners in America. Clara used to work in the plantations, but she just became a seamstress for her owners that live in the “Big House”. She used to work with her mom but her and her mom were split up when Clara was about 11 or 12. One day while Clara is working she hears the cooks talking about maps and the underground railroad. Clara realizes that with the help of the underground railroad Clara could go to Canada with her and her mom and finally be free, if only she had a map. The only way she could get one is to make one, so she starts making a quilt, and stitches the squares and string in order to form the perfect map that she needs to get to safety. She knows that this is a dangerous plan, but with the help of her friend Jack and a bunch of the other workers, she is able to finish the map. After months, she and Jack go to find her mother and the three of them with her new baby sister make the dangerous trek to Canada, and eventually find their way to freedom. 

 This story teaches the ideas of perseverance, and never giving up. Clara is a very strong character that even due to the situation she was put in, tries to find the good, and starts sewing. She also keeps going even when it takes her months and months to finish her map. She doesn’t give up knowing what she will gain if she finishes. Also, the illustrations and/or paintings in this story really help readers understand the story better. This book is not something that a 5 year old would necessarily read because it has more words that are bigger and harder to understand. With the pictures it is very easy to understand the storyline; this helps the readers improve their vocabulary and become better readers themselves. All in all, this is a really good and important story because it is a way to teach the younger generation about a really important and sad event in American history. It also teaches them to neve give up, this is a lesson that you can never hear too much.

The Secret Footprints book review by Emily

Title of the Book: The Secret Footprints 

Author Name: Julia Alvarez 

Reviewer's Name: Emily 

 Publisher: Dell Dragonfly Books 

 Date of Publication: 2000 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story, the secret footprints, written by Julia Alvarez and illustrated by Fabian Negrin, is about a young ciguapa (which is a secret tribe that lives underwater) girl named Guapa, who is curious about the world above the water she has spent her whole life in. One day, she gets too close to a human family and gets spotted, and since ciguapas have backward feet, the human family thought that she had twisted her ankles very badly. An important lesson that is conveyed in this story is to not judge someone before you know them, as the ciguapas were very afraid of humans and thought that all humans are the same and would turn them over to doctors to be experimented with on. After Guapa had been caught she realized that all humans are not bad, since the boy stayed behind to look after her while his father went to get a doctor, and he was very kind to her. 

The author uses simple language and beautiful imagery to appeal to younger readers and she even added the trait that the ciguapas have backward feet, which may have been to make the characters more silly or to make them stand out among other stories with different or more normal characters. She also uses irony towards the climax of the story, for example when Guapa was discovered by the humans, the readers knew that she was in trouble and were at the edge of their seats until the issue was resolved. The mood of this story is very lighthearted and peaceful. The colors within the pages are dark blues and greens since most of the book takes place at night and seems to be hand-drawn with oil pastels. The main character is portrayed as wild and adventurous. This leads to a feeling of freedom for the reader, who will get lost in the beautiful pages of this story, turning them for more.

American Symbols book review by Benjamin

Title of the Book: American Symbols 

Author Name: Bentley Boyd 

Reviewer's Name: Benjamin

Publisher: Chester Comix 

Date of Publication: 2003 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Have you ever wanted to learn history? In American Symbols by Bentley Boyd, you can learn all about the past and values of the United States. Under the leadership of Chester, the blue crab, a class of students can prepare for a parade while learning American history. With the theme of national pride and a desire for knowledge, the characters go throughout time with a sense of wonder and curiosity in the events taking place before them. Portraying historical events with a heroic, dramatic , and adventurous light, the students are overjoyed to be learning. With many focal points of national sacrifice, pride, and hope, the comic teaches children proper American values and how to be proud of national holidays. Also, with the silly and simple art style, you are drawn to the emotion and charm of the illustrations. Second, using humor and irony, they explain tragedy, hard times, and the melancholy of points in history. This includes the war of 1812, the near loss of the Revolutionary War, and certain breaking points in America’s past. The lessons taught include to never stand with tyranny, injustice, or giving up. Many examples are shown with humor, such as the Statue of Liberty beating up a massive “tyranny” monster, or the comedic timing of the Liberty Bell. 

Overall, this is a fun, quick, entertaining comic that can teach you valuable American values and history. The use of humor, such as “When did the flag get too long?” help teach you effectively while learning on topics as boring as national flags. Lastly, while the tone is largely silly, inspiring moments such as the knitting of the first flag inspire lots of emotion, regardless of your background. The attack of Fort McHenry, burning of Washington, Apollo 11 Moon Landing, and creation of the states all inspire a great sense of patriotism and happiness.

A Big Cheese For The White House book review by Bear

Title of the Book: A Big Cheese For The White House : The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar 

Author Name: Candace Fleming 

Reviewer's Name: Bear 

Publisher: Sunburst 

Date of Publication: 1999 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Do you like cheese? The small, savory, soft bits that just melt in your mouth! Now, Imagine a cheese so big it could squash a person, heavier than a whole cow! That's what this story is about, how a village comes together to make the largest piece of cheese for the president, no other than Thomas Jefferson. This book has lots of funny moments and shows just how strong people can be when they work together, putting their efforts together to leave a mark on history. The illustrations in this book do a very good job of conveying the emotions of the characters and the mood of what is happening at that moment. The cheese looks so tasty it makes me wish I was there to eat it with the villagers! This book is short and is definitely a must-read for all ages, funny pictures, and lots of different emotions, and is also very historically accurate. This helps with the plot as it relates to the real world and makes it much more interesting. 

The theme of this book was to keep pushing even when challenges arose, and how to overcome them. We see the character “Phineas Dobbs” all throughout the book, challenging the task to make such a large piece of cheese. Anytime a challenge approaches, he says “see I told you it can't be done”, but this just gives the villagers more motivation to keep trying and look for a solution. My favorite part of the book was when the cheese was finally made and Phineas says “It's too big for you to travel across the country alone”, and Elder John says “That's why you are coming with me”. This really shows that even though he doubted them, they still accepted him as a person and were kind to him. This was an amazing lesson taught in the book that working together can help you overcome challenges and accomplish anything.

Little Polar Bear book review by Anna

Title of the Book: Little Polar Bear 

Author Name: Hans de Beer 

Reviewer's Name: Anna 

 Publisher: North-South Books 

Date of Publication: 1987 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story begins with a small polar bear named Lars. Lars goes with his father to hunt for the first time, his father teaches him all the things he needs to know, and then they have dinner, a fish, and go to sleep on the ice. During the night, Lars’ piece of ice breaks away from his fathers during the night, and he wakes up drifting out to sea, and out of sight of his father. Lars’ block of ice begins to melt the farther out he gets until it completely disappears. He flounders in the water until he finds a barrel, which he attempts to climb on top of. He slowly drifts through the wind and the waves till he can see a tropical island. Once he is on the island, he burns himself on the hot pale sand so he rushes towards the river to cool his feet down. That is where he meets a hippopotamus named Henry. Lars tells Henry about his journey across the ocean, and Henry comes up with a solution. They begin their journey to meet the eagle, who is the only one who can help Lars home. Lars discovers he likes to climb trees. He was climbing one where he meets a chameleon who turns his color white after meeting the polar bear. They climb a mountain and meet the named Marcus. Further on in the story, Henry and Lars meet a whale. 

 My favorite part of the story is when Lars meets Henry, they only became friends because Henry jumped out of the water to scare Lars. During their journey, they both help each other. Henry helps Lars to cross the deep river, because Lars’ father had not taught him to swim yet, and Lars helps Henry to climb the steep sections of the mountain, by showing him where to put his feet as he climbs. The story overall is very heartwarming and full of curiosity. The polar bear is in a new unfamiliar habitat, and instead of being afraid, he takes it in his stride and makes friends along the way.

This is Paris book review by Mya

Title of the Book: This is Paris 

Author Name: M. Sasek 

Reviewer's Name: Mya 

 Publisher: Universe 

 Date of Publication: 2004 (1959)

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐

In the book, “This is Paris”, by M. Sasek, readers are taken on a tour of the city. Things like famous monuments, bakeries, people, shops, etc are shown. Everytime something is shown, a brief description goes along with it. Because I am not the proposed audience for the book, I am not sure how a kindergartener would react to this book. The book is a little bit longer for a younger audience, a younger child has a shorter attention span so they might not be able to sit through this book. There isn’t really a present theme in this book, because the purpose is mainly to just inform and teach children more about Paris. 

This book is a good learning device for those who are interested in the city or who are looking to travel there. There are also multiple lessons throughout the book, teaching about each individual thing shown. However, there weren't many literary devices to work with. The literary devices were very limited. It seemed like every sentence was “This is ___” and then a short explanation. It felt tedious to read and like it wasn’t really getting or going anywhere. Additionally, there aren't really any emotions conveyed. It’s more of an informational book. The book definitely isn’t bad, it’s just not the type of book to have emotions, literary devices, etc. It is very informative and has the potential to be very helpful to a travel guide, even though it’s made for children. Children who are interested in traveling to France, moving to France, or who maybe were even born there and might not remember it also could enjoy this book. It truly all depends on the person reading it, and how interested they are in learning about the city of Paris. Overall, the book was good for a certain audience, but it was definitely more informational and emotionless.

Little Polar Bear book review by Cyrus

Title of the Book: Little Polar Bear 

Author Name: Hans de Beer 

Reviewer's Name: Cyrus 

Publisher: North-South Books 

Date of Publication: 1945 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The book a Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer featured a tiny Polar bear in the cold area. He gets separated from his mom during a storm which was very scary for him. After not too long, he drifts into a new place that is foreign to him. He begins to explore and make new friends. After going to many new places and seeing new things he is taken back to the polar zone with his Dad and has learned new things. 

 I liked the general lessons of the book and thought it was well thought out. The illustrations were very detailed and colorful and did a good job of representing the storyline of what was going on. Many lessons and values reflected certain IB traits such as perseverance and overcoming obstacles. Many young kids would benefit from a book like this as they are often separated from their parents or those who help them and a positive mindset about situations like that could be beneficial. I would definitely recommend this to any person who wanted a nice bedtime story with a happy ending and a good story. It is light and fun while very exploring the world around.

Thirty Minutes Over Oregon book review by Virgil

Title of the Book: Thirty Minutes Over Oregon 

Author Name: Marc Tyler Nobleman 

Reviewer's Name: Virgil 

Publisher: Clarion Books 

Date of Publication: 2018 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

I would rate this book a ⅘. I love its deeper meaning and it is also a picture book.  I didn't realize picture books could be so informative. A picture book about a Japanese Bomber from World War Two? Yes you read that correctly, the book “Thirty Minutes Over Oregon” takes place near the end of World War 2, and after America bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanese decided to bomb the US mainland in a top-secret mission, something no one even to this day has ever done except Nobuo Fujita. This is so important because the pilot Nobuo Fujita was the first and only person to ever bomb American soil. The main character the pilot Nobuo is tasked with bombing Oregon to cause forest fires, however, it doesn't work. Years later the people of the town he bombed honored him and he soon becomes an honorary member of the town before his death in 1997. 

My favorite part is how he still is honored even after attacking their town, and how people eventually warm up to him and forgive him for what would have possibly sparked even further worse conflict between America and Japan. Another thing that's important about this book is how it's a children's book yet discusses themes like suicide, death, and racism. It's interesting to see so many people including children reading books about something that is/would be seen as offensive or inappropriate for the time. I think that this book is great for all ages age, I think it's great for teaching young people and a nice short read for others. I believe that if we were to make more books like this they would be very interesting, and not only is the plot good the illustrations are amazing, and it's very interesting how only two people were able to make, draw, and write this beautiful book, however, the only problem I have for it is the fact that it's just so short, however, they were able to combine all that's needed to know in such a short picture book.

Sky Boys book review by Ariana

Title of the Book: Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building 

Author Name: Deborah Hopkinson and James E. Ransome 

Reviewer's Name: Ariana 

Publisher: Schwartz and Wade Books 

Date of Publication: 2006 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

How do people's perspectives play a role in this story of building the empire state building? A little boy's dad loses his job and they must find wood every day to stay warm during the cold weather. Soon after they see a sign that the empire state building is being built and it will be one of the highest buildings ever. A lot of man strength is needed to build this building and the little boy thinks that his dad would be a great volunteer for this job. As the days go on he puts his energy and perspective of the story and how he sees it through his own eyes. Who does what to make the building and some common and unknown facts about the building as well. 

My favorite part of this book was seeing who would do what and how much work was put into this to truly make the building to how it is now. The emotions and actions and the climax building up to that was quite nice because we could see how the boy felt after the building was built. He felt as though he was on top of the world and that his dad had contributed to making something and he felt proud in him for that. The art was quite intricate in this because it really conveyed what was being said as the text was going on. The theme in this story is surrounded by hard work and the future for the kid and his father due to him losing his job and then being a part of something bigger. I believe this is a good book if you are looking for this sort of theme and wanting to learn more about the process although this is not completely true this is the perspective of one person and from this, you can learn a lot. Through this story the main theme is shown a lot and allows us to be able to understand and even experience how this would be.

Bill the Boy Wonder book review by Michael

Title of the Book: Bill the Boy Wonder 

 Author Name: Marc Tyler Nobleman

Reviewer's Name: Michael

Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc. 

Date of Publication: 2012 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The main idea is how Bill went from almost nothing during the great depression, to becoming a very famous comic book writer. Somehow Bill managed to create all these DC characters including Batman, and many more from nothing. There were no previous superheroes like this, so it all had to be done from scratch. Everything from the character's backstory, what they look like, what their super power is, and much more, all had to be done from the author's own imagination. 

What really hits home for me with this book is the part in the beginning where the author explains his own origin and how he came to be where he is today. He mentions that he was Jewish and how not many Jews were able to get the same jobs as everyone else. My family also went through the same thing, in the Soviet Union where antisemitism was even greater than what we have in the United States, my family had to endure that struggle as well. The number of jobs they had were limited, and even getting into college was harder for them because on all their documents there was a section labeled religion, so if that was Jewish, your chances were almost 0. One thing that surprised me was I didn’t know that almost all of DC was a small company. I thought it would be more like the StarWars franchise where all these people came together and put down their ideas on what they think the characters should be. However in this case it was just people in his family and close people to him. Like many other authors I have heard of, this author also got rejected by the public as the legitimate creator. In 2015, Bill Finger has his name added to the Batman credit line.

Milly and The Macy’s Parade book review by Zaid

Title of the Book: Milly and The Macy’s Parade 

Author Name: Shana Corey 

Reviewer's Name: Zaid 

 Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

 Date of Publication: 2001 

 Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Marvelous idea, Milly.” In Milly and the Macy’s Parade by Shana Corey and Brett Helquist, we follow the main character Milly during Thanksgiving in New York. This is her family’s first year in America. When first settling in America her parents missed their old Polish traditions and activities, but eventually, they started settling into the American lifestyle. Milly sees an unhappy couple and realizes that so many people are not going to have a good holiday. And so she rushes up the stairs to Mr. Macy in an attempt to fix it. She has the idea of a parade and it ends up being a great success. This story showcases many human values and ideas. Some of them are culture, change, and identity. The vocabulary of this book is pretty on par with the expected reading level. In terms of character motivation, we see that Mr. Macy is trying to lighten the mood of customers to make more money and Milly is doing it in order to make people have a good holiday. This gives us an interesting sort of “2 sides of the same coin” dynamic between the two. 

The art is beautiful and is able to perfectly convey the intended emotions. For example, the couple staring through the window is in the cold dark snow having nothing but each other. They have bags under their eyes and the man’s cold fingers leave marks on the window. Milly on the other hand is in warm light with colorful items and toys all around her. This subconsciously further exemplifies the issue in the reader’s mind. And thus, further makes us agree with Milly’s actions and ideas. The art style is very refined and pleasant to look at. Another really great moment is the wide shot of the parade. It perfectly contrasts the dark gloomy night. Everyone in sight is happy and cheering, the bright blue sky makes all the warm colors pop. The two drawings contrast each other not only visually but also symbolically. This is a really fitting conclusion that leaves the reader satisfied.

Bretta Bunny Bounces Back book review by Shaan

Title of the Book: Bretta Bunny Bounces Back 

Author Name: Theresa and Alyson Rich (Illustrated by Josh Wise) 

Reviewer's Name: Shaan 

Publisher: Rich Counsel Press 

Date of Publication: 2013 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book is an excellent short story, especially for younger kids. Bretta seems like a genuinely happy person, she has a positive attitude almost every day. She looks forward to school and what else she can do or learn that day. When she had the worst day possible, the illustrators included a color change in the pictures. There was even a slight border, darker and less coloring on pages where Bretta was getting made fun of. She decided to forget about it and move on. She learned that she could still enjoy life despite getting embarrassed and made fun of and clowned. She felt so horrible that day until she had time to think about it. That allowed her to grow as a person and realize that it isn’t that big of a deal. People can learn this to become more confident and forget about things that don’t matter. Other people don’t care or talk about these moments, so forgetting about them will let us enjoy each others’ company. Younger kids struggle with this specific thing and don’t handle it as well as older people. People still take things harshly, though, and hold it with them. 

Overall, the moral of this book is that one must be able to let go of small things in the past and make sure it doesn’t mess with their life. A bunny named Bretta is a bright, young, optimistic, and energetic girl. She loves waking up and going to school, eating a nice breakfast, and loves life in every way imaginable. One day, she has to turn in her school project, for which she worked very hard on. But it was very big, and it was a struggle for Bretta. On the way to school, she tripped on the sidewalk and messed up her project,  and got dirt all over her clothes. When she showed up to school late, projectless, and dirty, she was the laughingstock of the class. Finally, school ended and she could go back home. She was sad during the entire walk and cried on her bed. The next morning, she felt much better. She decided to let go of her embarrassment and continue like it had never happened. It worked, and she had an amazing day. This was my favorite part of the book, as it showed her true character of optimism.

Dad, Jackie, and Me book review by Jane

Title of the Book: Dad, Jackie, and Me 

Author Name: Myron Uhlberg 

Reviewer's Name: Jane 

Publisher: Peachtree Publishers 

 Date of Publication: 2005 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐ 

The book “Dad, Jackie, and Me,” by Myron Uhlberg is about a kid’s love for baseball and Jackie Robinson rubbing off on his dad, who is deaf. His dad wants to learn more about his son’s favorite sport and player, so he asks about the sport and how it works, takes him to baseball games, and tries to play catch even though he can’t even catch the ball. This book can be valuable because it shows a father’s love and passion for his son. The lesson of this book is that a Dad will always love their son with unconditional love. The author uses irony when his dad catches the ball that Jackie throws because when he was practicing with his son, he couldn’t catch a ball at all without using both hands and his chest for support. In the book the son says, “ The only way he could hold it was by trapping the ball against his chest with both hands,” (Uhlberg 19). The title is a good title because Jackie Robinson was basically a connection between the father and son. So Jackie being in between their names indirectly relates to the plot of the book. The vocabulary is perfect for younger kids to understand. 

The art medium used in this book probably painting. The pictures go along with the story very well and make it more interesting to read. The book is realistically colorful and shows some details and blurs out others. Some people’s faces have details to show emotions and the background characters don’t have details. This book could use a little bit more of a plot to make it more interesting to the audience. The author also could’ve used a better attention grabber to get the reader’s attention better. Overall the book was a three out of five because it could have a better plot and attention grabber.

Made in China book review by Jackson

Title of the Book: Made in China 

Author Name: Deborah Nash 

Reviewer's Name: Jackson 

Publisher: Frances Lincoln’s Children’s Books 

Date of Publication: 2004 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Have you ever thought about what animals are really thinking? The story “Made in China”, by Deborah Nash is about a paper butterfly who learns about various aspects of Chinese culture. The butterfly is left behind by her owner, Ming. An orange dragon offers to guide her back home, but only if she can answer his question: “...what was made in China almost 2,000 years ago and is still used today?” The butterfly spends the book trying to figure it out, meeting monkeys, fish, and the Terracotta warriors along the way. The point of the book is to teach the reader more about Chinese history. In the end, the butterfly learns that the answer is paper. The butterfly also learns more things about China on her journey, like the uses of bamboo, or the significance of stone lions. 

In terms of quality, I would give this book a 4 out of 5-star review. This book is clearly meant for young children and seems like it would do a good job educating them. The bright colors and fun animal characters make for easy comprehension. The book induces feelings of grandeur as the reader marvels at the majesty of traditional China. There is a fun activity at the end that teaches kids how to make a real paper butterfly. This kind of engaging learning is also very fun for children. There are not many flaws with this book, but one is that it may be a bit verbose for young children. There is a lot of dialogue that may not be easy to understand. Also, there is little exposition to the story. Other than that, however, the book is well written and educational. I would recommend this to young readers to build cultural awareness, and also to parents to get it for their kids.

Malala a Brave Girl From Pakistan/ Iqbal a Brave Boy From Pakistan book review by Aanya

Title of the Book: Malala a Brave Girl From Pakistan/ Iqbal a Brave Boy From Pakistan 

Author Name: Jeanette Winter 

Reviewer's Name: Aanya 

Publisher: Beach Lane Books

Date of Publication: 2014

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

In the book, “Malala a Brave Girl From Pakistan/ Iqbal a Brave Boy From Pakistan” by Jeanette Winter, there are two stories in one book. One is about Iqbal who fought for his and other people's freedom. Iqbal’s parents were very poor so they borrowed money from a carpet factory owner. He and many other children had to work in carpet factories to make up for their parents’ debt. The kids were practically owned by the owners of the company. Iqbal believed that they were not given freedom. When he found out that this system was outlawed, he rushed to save the kids and help others who had the same problem.

The other story is about Malala. She protested against the Taliban forcing girls to not attend school. She wanted girls to be able to read and learn. The Taliban had threatened her many times yet she continued to defy them. The book displayed a lot of bravery and passion. The characters tell the stories of real people when they were kids. The art looks authentic and it is very detailed. The detailing at the side of the pictures is very captivating. However, the pictures could be a little bigger since it consumes less than half of the page. This book is recommended for ages four to eight. This recommendation is perfect because it will introduce them to new cultures. Also, kids can get inspired to fight for what they believe in as well. After reading about Iqbal and Malala, the kids may be encouraged to stand up for themselves as well. Overall, the book “Malala a Brave Girl From Pakistan/ Iqbal a Brave Boy From Pakistan” by Jeanette Winter, deserves four out of five stars for its interesting stories, compelling and detailed emotions, and the impact it will have on children.

Baseball Saved Us book review

Title of the Book: Baseball Saved Us 

 Author Name: Ken Mochizuki 

Publisher: Lee & Low Books

 Date of Publication:1993 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

The book I read was “Baseball Saved Us “ by Ken Mochizuki. This book was pretty interesting and had a cool perspective. The perspective used was a Japanese-American boy who was moved to the Detainment Camps during WWII in America. One day his father decided to make a baseball field. Soon everyone started helping out and they had a baseball field. The boy played baseball but was short so he wasn’t good. He ends up winning a game-winning ball because the man in the guard tower was looking at him and he wanted to impress him. He then came back home where people didn’t like him. He started playing baseball again and was called bad words like “Jap” from the crowd who didn’t like him. He ends up winning a huge game-winning homer to win the game. There is a lesson you can learn from the story's plot. What you look like doesn’t make you worse or better than anybody else. It only matters how hard you work to meet your goals. The Japanese boy was called Jap and other bad words but still he performed great and maybe even better than others. 

The color scheme was just brown and kind of looked dirty. It showed the emotion of feeling dirty because you're being detained in a dirty camp. It also shows that gritty feeling of being in the desert with the sandstorms and other terrible weather. If I had to rate this book I would rate it a 4.5 out of 5. This is because its a pretty unusual perspective with the drawing and being very interesting, bringing out a lot of emotion of what it would be like to be in that dark situation and making the best out of it. One downside was that it was too short.

Thirty Minutes Over Oregon book review by Corrine

Title of the Book: Thirty Minutes Over Oregon 

Author Name: Marc Tyler Nobleman 

Reviewer's Name: Corrine 

Publisher: Clarion Books 

 Date of Publication: 2018 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book starts out talking about a conflict Japan and America had in 1941 (Pearl Harbor). It follows some of the main events in the Japanese plane bomber, Nobuo Fujita. He was the pilot of the Japanese plain that did the first inland bombing in Brookings Oregon. Once he went home to Japan, he started a hardware store. Years after the bombings, Brookings invited Mr. Fujita to come as a special guest for the town's Memorial Day festival. He accepted, and went to the town. The Illustrations of the people who greeted Mr. Fujita and his family were depicted just as the text said, welcoming and warm. When he got there he was greeted with warmth and hospitality. Since then the town and him have had a great connection all the way until the end of Mr. Fujita’s life. 

This is a wonderfully illustrated book for older/more mature children who are interested in history and historical figures. This was a very informative book that didn’t include some of the more mature elements of this topic. There was situational irony where you thought Mr. Fujita would’ve been against going to America after the bombings, but he decided to go. With that decision it gives a really powerful message that your enemies don’t always have to stay your enemies. It also portrays that he had a good heart and cared for the people he had done something not so good to. The Illustrations that went along with the story, gave the reader a visual aid to reference and a clear image of what that section wants the reader to take away. All together this was a very good book with relevant illustrations, and around the comprehension level of about a 2nd grader. It was a simple read that gave a lens into what happened after the bombings of Pear Harbor.

This is Paris book review by Alexander

Title of the Book: This is Paris 

Author Name: Miroslav Sasek 

Reviewer's Name: Alexander 

 Publisher: Universe Publishing 

Date of Publication: 2004 (original copyright 1959)

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐ 

The book, This is Paris by M. Sasek is a good introduction to the French capital for kids, but it contains a few flaws and outdated information. The book takes kids around Paris introducing different pets, types of people, and landmarks, such as Notre Dame, and many of Napoleon's old monuments. This is Paris uses a combination of Irony, and caricatures to establish a light-hearted atmosphere. One example of irony being established is when M. Sasek states that “this waiter's name is Marcel when you want to call him you yell “Garcon!”-boy- even though he’s sixty years old”. This is ironic because you call the 60-year-old waiter a boy, even though he is way past that age, this creates a lighthearted atmosphere for kids. 

Another example of M. Sasek setting up a lighthearted tone is through the caricatures and style of art. The art is fully done in watercolor with all the human and animal features being exaggerated, just like a traditional caricature. This establishes a lighthearted tone because shapes that are not rough just seem more friendly to the human psyche than bold and dark shapes and colors. Overall these two elements work together in Harmony to create a nice lighthearted atmosphere for kids to enjoy. 

The book This is Paris by M. Sasek has many upsides, but a few things make the book outdated. The Jardin d’Acclimatation theme park has undergone many changes since 2004, especially after Covid-19. One example of this is the go-cart driving course, with it being shut down at the moment due to covid concerns, with park executives deciding on whether or not it should stay or go. One other flaw that the book has is that it only covers the good parts of French history in Paris, with it skimming over most of the 19th century. Overall, This is Paris by M. Sasek is a good book for children’s first introduction to Paris, but in order to become perfect, it must include 19th-century French monuments that were mostly erected after the first world war.

Vamos Let's Go To The Market book review by Aishani

Title of the Book: Vamos Let's Go To The Market 

Author Name: Raul the Third 

Reviewer's Name: Aishani 

Publisher: Versify Books and Houghton-Mifflin. 

Date of Publication: 2019 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The book, Vamos Let's Go To The Market, is about two characters Lobo (the main character ) and Bernabe (his dog), Lobo delivers goods to people while Bernabe is his companion. Their task is to deliver goods to the people who ordered them. Lobo and his dog travel all throughout the town to deliver his goods; they both discover and see many new things along the way. Lobo seems like a very friendly character and a social butterfly, as he was traveling all over the town everyone seemed to know him and even if they didn't know him they still said hello, not to mention Lobo said hi to everyone and asked things about their day.

Lobo is a perfect role model for the age group this book is trying to reach. The book's mood is very upbeat and energetic, this is perfect for the younger kids age group. The book mentions many Spanish words, and gives the definitions at the back of the book, everything is labeled and descriptive. This is a useful tool when trying to learn Spanish, or wanting to teach younger kids Spanish. As you go deeper into the story and analyze it then you realize the plot is slightly mediocre. There is no challenge they face and need to overcome or no lessons to be taught. This book just outlines the discovery of things the main characters saw on their journey. Although there is a negative about this book there was one thing that truly stood out when analyzing the book, the art style/visuals. The visuals of the book truly outlines Mexican culture and the many different traditions and values along with it. Each picture was meaningful and important when analyzing it. These visuals also teach others who are not familiar with Mexican culture a little bit about it.

Gleam and Glow book review by Isabella

Title of the Book: Gleam and Glow 

Author Name: Eve Bunting 

 Reviewer's Name: Isabella 

 Publisher: Clarion Books

 Date of Publication: 2001 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This story is about a little boy named Viktor and his family. The story takes place during the Bosnian war in 1990. The perspective of this story is of the little boy Viktor and how he is experiencing the war. He had to travel with his mother and sister to the border in order to reach a safe place, leaving their home behind. My favorite part of the book was the end when Viktor was able to see the tree in front of their old home. This part was also very upsetting because he later looked behind the tree to find his house and said, “Our house was only a skeleton”. I like that the author didn’t let this upset him, highlighting the strength the child had gained. This reflects what the child had been through and that he was just happy to be back in a familiar place, even if it wasn’t the same anymore. 

The point of this book was to teach children about this war and what people had to go through during this period of time. They turned it into a lesson for young children to be able to understand. They did this by using a little boy around the same age as the intended audience so they were able to better understand the message of the story. The lesson they wanted to teach the children was that there were people just like them that had to go through something they had never experienced before. The author wanted the children to feel sympathy for this child and his sister. The overall mood of the book is different then you would expect it to be. The book is discussing a very upsetting topic but is conveyed in a different light. The little boy tries to stay positive during this situation and only expresses sad emotions when times are very tough. So the mood of the book is very uplifting because the boy is trying to get through the tough times and look ahead hoping for a good future.

A is for Amazing Moments book review by Brianna

Title of the Book: A is for Amazing Moments 

 Author Name: Brad Herzog 

 Reviewer's Name: Brianna 

 Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press 

 Date of Publication: 2008 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This inspiring book follows the stories of many successful athletes and teams, one for every letter of the alphabet. The book consists of many different sports, some being football, baseball, swimming, hockey, running, golf, etc... Many encouraging and uplifting role models were mentioned like Rackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, and Billie Jean. The showcasing of real underdog stories was really interesting and beautiful. Along with detailed illustrations and informative captions, this book is great for children above the age of eight. My one complaint for this book would be the lengthy descriptions. While they were very helpful and explanatory, there may have been too much information for a children’s book. It did not do the best job of holding my attention. The book did leave me feeling impressed and in awe of what others have accomplished. It would help anyone realize the importance of sports and its impact on our world. Regardless, I enjoyed reading about these monumental moments that not only affected sports, but the entire world.

Monsters First Day of School book review by Morgan

Title of the Book: Monsters First Day of School 

Author Name: Karen Bell-Brege 

Reviewer's Name: Morgan 

Publisher: Team B Creative LLB 

 Date of Publication: 2016 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Today I read the book Monsters First Day At School by Karen Bell-Brege. This book is about many little monsters experiencing what it is like to go to their first day of elementary school. It helped demonstrate that even with struggles school is a fun exciting place that has many opportunities to try new and different activities. The biggest connection this book made to the IB learner profile is with open mindedness. While it might have been scary for all those little monsters to go to school for the first time, they were able to overcome their fear and were able to ejoy their day with their friends. This book also has a happy joyous mood kept throughout the story which made it an easy and fun read. The theme that continues throughout this book is that sometimes trying scary new things cann be rewarding. The story also had nice pictures throughout the book. 

The illustrator, Darrin Brege, used an abundance of different colors throughout. He also made very cute creatures with a variety of different shapes. It looks like he used digital art to create these cute monsters. The emotion conveyed from the illustrations was friendly and happy. The book states,”It was a monstrous first day, in fact it was a delight” (Bell-Brege 31). This highlights the intent of the book is to teach kids that school is a fun environment to learn new things and meet new friends. This would calm the nerves of scared young children about to go into elementary school. In conclusion, I would recommend this book to be read on the first day of elementary school. I would give this book five stars because of the quality of the illustrations and the fun cute topic.

Yatandou book review by Jieming

Title of the Book: Yatandou 

Author Name: Gloria Whelan 

Reviewer's Name: Jieming 

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press 

Date of Publication: 2007 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yatandou is a picture book primarily revolving around the daily life of the titular character, though it also shows a subplot of the village she lives in slowly modernizing and adopting technology from the outside world. It starts with her talking about her daily life, and depicts scenes of her with her goat Sunjata, who is named after a Mali ruler from the past. Her mother, father, and brother perform certain tasks. Later on, Yatandou joins her mother and her grandmother in grinding millet to make meal, which would then be used to feed her family or be sold to the market. She also aids in making onion balls. Then, she walks to the market with her family and sells the items, and also has a sorrowful parting with Sunjata as she sells him to a woman after she promises not to eat him. This earns the village enough money to buy a millet grinding mechanism. This renders her grinding stick essentially useless, but she still cherishes it, writing her name down and intending to pass it down to future generations. 

A detailed theme of this picture book is the fact that even when the outside world is changing, some traditions from the past are still worth valuing. This is shown when Yatandou keeps the grinding stick even after the millet grinding contraption is bought, making the process of making meal much more simple and less time-consuming. The pictures also aid in conveying emotion. The images are slightly blurred, adding a sensation of heat haze which could be present in the village, and also adds to the simplicity of the story. Overall, the story is quite decent - the only criticism of it is that it a more simple story. However, as it is targeted toward readers similar in age to the main character of the story, this is not necessarily a negative fact of the story.

Mama & Papa Have a Store book review by Grayson

Title of the Book: Mama & Papa Have a Store 

Author Name: Amelia Lau Carling 

Reviewer's Name: Grayson 

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers 

Date of Publication: 1998 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the award winning children’s book, “Mama & Papa Have a Store,” by Amelia Lu Carling, a little girl shows the reader what a day in her life is like. It usually is busy and consists of a lot of thrill and curiosity. In the story, she shows the great diversity and uniqueness of her parents’ store’s items. Soon, the reader is able to see the Indian family coming over and how they maintain a good relationship with her parents as they talk about their Indian and Chinese homelands. Soon the little girl plays with the family’s kids, and they all go on about their night, as well as experiencing a casual power outage. While reading Amelia’s picture book, my curiosity flowed once I saw the children playing games using their creativity. It reminded me of my childhood and how I was like them too - always wandering around, and using any appropriate chance for fun. Because of this I concluded that the detailed theme was how much one can explore in a day with the right creativity. This allows kids to exercise their imagination to have fun in any given situation, and so I believe this storybook gives a gorgeous message. 

Additionally, the art work contributes to the execution of the story. The bright colors demonstrate the curiosity and creativity of the environment. The cultural elements in the story give a good representation of each culture’s beauty. And lastly, the vast yet lively environment of each picture includes the reader to each moment, and better helps to portray the message. Due to the heartwarming theme and realistic elements of the story such as the characters, culture, and environment, this book is certainly recommended for your child. It provides them a good representation of the real world and not only gives them but everyone a new perspective with living any moment in their lives.

Malala: A Brave Girl From Pakistan book review by Jude

Title of the Book: Malala: A Brave Girl From Pakistan 

Author Name: Jeanette Winter 

Reviewer's Name: Jude 

Publisher: Beach Lane Books

Date of Publication: 2014 

Rating: 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

The book Malala: A Brave Girl From Pakistan, written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter, is based on the real-life story of Malala Yousafzai, an activist for women’s rights and an inspiring figure. The value of the book is to spread the story of Malala. Malala’s story goes as follows; Malala, being an activist for women’s rights in Pakistan, was the main target of the terrorist organization the Taliban. Malala advocated for young women to have the right to an education and spoke out about it, against the Taliban's ideas. One evening Malala was traveling home on the bus after school when a man stepped onto the bus and asked “Who is Malala?”, after being pointed out Malala was shot on the left side of her head. She woke up later in a hospital in Birmingham, England, Now telling her story. The purpose of this story is to inspire young girls around  all parts of the world to speak up and do something even if you are afraid to. The purpose of this story is to share Malala’s story. The story itself is truly inspiring and really should give people all around the globe hope for the present and future. The adaptation and the illustrations are put together very well and make the story easy to understand for the intended audience. It is illustrated very well and really complements the story well. While there doesn’t seem to be any figurative language, it does not detract from the novel. The story, while being very grim and very advanced, is easy for the intended audience to comprehend what is going on and what the story means for them. The story of Malala Yousafzai is very inspiring for the intended audience (young women) and should be inspiring to all. Overall I think that for what this is, this book is a very good interpretation and adaptation into a lighter novel meant to inspire.

Milly And The Macy’s Parade book review by Tess

Title of the Book: Milly And The Macy’s Parade 

Author Name: Shana Corey, Brett Helquist 

Reviewer's Name: Tess 

Publisher: Scholastic Inc. 

 Date of Publication: 2002 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

This is a great book because it has elements of encouragement that the little girl by the name of Milly had. Milly, was a little girl who immigrated to America from Poland and has now grown and she’s watching people look at the windows of stores during celebration feeling homesick. Which felt relatable to her. She wanted to make a change to help those people feel like they are at home because she knew how bad that feeling might actually be and therefore she went to the one person that would help her ( no more spoilers to the story). 

I really enjoyed this story, I personally related to it as my parents were immigrants and they told me how bad it felt when they got here as they couldn’t make many connections with the environment right away. I definitely recommend this book, whether for children or adults it’s great! First of all, it is a picture book so little kids can easily follow along with it, but besides that, it provides an ideology of courage and acceptance of cultural diversity to help add it in a place. Not even that, it also presented how hard work can pay off which is a theme that's presented throughout the book when Milly is trying to make a celebration for those who are not from the country and help them. 

This is a book that teaches hard work, and collaboration and emphasizes the love for others; which is really cute and lovely in my opinion. It also teaches to reflect on one’s self and how they can impact others and it shows great thinking and problem-solving skills. Besides it all it leaves an impact of a sense of change in the reader in which they would like especially if they can relate to it. Lovely book, I would recommend it, especially to kids! 

The Tuskegee Airmen book review by Kennedy

Title of the Book: The Tuskegee Airmen 

 Author Name: Lynn M. Homan, Thomas Reilly 

Reviewer's Name: Kennedy 

Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company, Inc 

Date of Publication: 2002 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was about the Tuskegee Airmen. The children were playing with, what looked like, grandpa's old war uniform. They asked the grandma what it was and she said to ask the grandpa and so he explained everything. According to the book, the Tuskegee Airmen were a group of blacks that helped work in World War ll, during a time of racial oppression against blacks. The men had numerous jobs to cover whether it was cooking, fighting, or fixing the planes. The women helped too. They did some of the lighter jobs like fixing parachutes and cooking as well. The pilots were nicknamed the red tails because their planes often had a red end painted on them. When the Tuskegee Airmen had enough professionally trained people, they were sent to Europe to fight but the war had ended before they could fight. 

Some of the themes that are present in the story is you don’t have to have an extraordinary role to help, a little help from a lot of people goes a long way. Another one is to try your best. Don’t let anyone stop you from chasing your dreams. Fight for what you believe in. Meanwhile, I really liked the illustrations and the way the pictures were painted. It looks like watercolor and acrylic paint. The moods of the story are sadness, determination, happiness, curiosity, and more. Those ones were more prevalent. The book is good at appropriately educating the intended audience. The only problem I would say is that this book is written by white people on a heavily black subject. I personally have never educated myself further on the Tuskegee Airmen but what are the chances the authors wrote false information. Overall the book was good. The use of third-person added a nice detail to the story.

A Picnic in October book review by Kayla

Title of the Book: A Picnic in October 

Author Name: Eve Bunting 

Reviewer's Name: Kayla 

 Publisher: Voyager Paperbacks 

Date of Publication: 2004 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A Picnic in October” by Eve Bunting is about a boy and his family going to Battery Park for a birthday picnic for his grandma. Even though her birthday was in October and it was cold outside. The boy in the book is stopped by a frantic lady and child. The boy couldn’t understand what she was saying but he understood she was worried that she missed the ferry to Liberty Island, he assured her that there are other ones. When the family arrives at Liberty Island, his grandma thanks lady liberty and blows kisses to her. His grandma was an immigrant and she was thankful that she reached America. The boy thinks this is weird how much she is obsessed with the statue of liberty and hopes no one sees. The boy then sees the woman from earlier with her child and husband nodding respectfully and peacefully to Lady Liberty. His grandma says she knows how they feel because they are most likely immigrants that had a long journey here. The boy didn’t find thanking Lady Liberty weird anymore and he did it too. The message of this book is to always be considerate of others' feelings. The boy, after seeing what his grandma must have felt and went through, understood and didn’t find it weird to express thanks to the statue. 

The illustrations were vibrant and helped you to visualize the situations happening in the book. The pictures created a sense of movement because they were of parts where the characters are doing an action presented in the text. This book is perfect for kids to learn about respecting others and their feelings. Also, teach them to learn more about your family and others’ pasts to better understand and sympathize with them. This book proves you can teach these important life lessons to children while still keeping them engaged and interested in the story.

The Bracelet book review by Alex

Title of the Book: The Bracelet 

Author Name: Yoshiko Uchida 

Reviewer's Name: Alex 

Publisher: Philomel Books 

 Date of Publication: 1996 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An innocent, young girl named Emi tries her hardest to stay strong and holds back tears, knowing her family has to leave their home due to war. Their home looks bare and empty, unlike how it used to be. Her friend in the same grade, Laurie, gives her a bracelet as a gift to take with her. Out of all the scenes in the book, my favorite had to be the part where she learned that losing the bracelet did not mean she wouldn’t be able to remember Laurie. Emi is part of a Japanese-American family and lives with her mother and older sister. Although they have not done anything wrong, they are sent to a prison camp due to their ethnicity and the war going on. She imagines how her home used to be filled with decorations, furniture, and other goods, unlike the way it looks now. An IB Learner Profile attribute that is connected to this scenario is Reflective. This is because Emi reflects on the changes that have been made to the environment and how it has affected her family. She has a good understanding of the reasons for this change. The sadness and frustration taking place are due to leaving the home they have made several memories in. 

After reflecting, Emi says her final goodbye to her best friend, Laurie, and is given a bracelet to take to camp. The facial expressions of the characters in the illustrations convey a sad, miserable, and downhearted mood. This causes the readers to feel sympathetic for the characters as well as show empathy. After arriving at the new apartment, the family is not as happy with the overall appearance and has a hard time adjusting to it. Not too long after, Emi then realizes she lost the bracelet Laurie gave her. She starts to panic and begins searching the area. Although Emi loses the bracelet, she pulls out her red sweater that matched Laurie’s on the first day of school and soon learns that there are other ways to remember her. A valuable lesson in this story is “a missing valuable item that signifies someone does not necessarily mean they will be forgotten completely and there’s no hope left.” In conclusion, this book conveys sad emotions but contains several values. Important lessons can be learned and we can get a better understanding of the perspectives of people like Emi. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn about the experiences of Emi’s family and step into their shoes.

Train to Somewhere book review by Ella

Title of the Book: Train to Somewhere 

Author Name: Eve Bunting 

Reviewer's Name: Ella 

Publisher: Clarion Books 

Date of Publication: 1996 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story is based on the true fact of homeless children being sent by train to small towns to find homes from the mid-1850s to the late 1920s. The story begins with a group of orphans standing in a station waiting to enter the train in New York. With St. Christopher's orphanage in New York too full to keep all the children, the kids including Marianne are sent to the small towns to find a home, the last stop being Somewhere. Miss Randolph, the kind caregiver, has the task of finding the children people to live with, handling the adoption papers, escorting the children on the train, and adopting them out in the towns they visit. Marianne, who is looking to find her mother after her mother said she would return for her, is close to another orphan, Nora. Nora is a five-year-old girl with a sweet personality who hopes she will get adopted with Marianne as sisters even though they are not related. 

The book continues to give the reader a sad and hopeful feeling of what will happen next. The story is based on fact, it allows the reader to connect to the past and feel how the children could have been feeling. With Marianne's deep emotions, the reader can not help but feel concern and closeness not only to her but to the children who are going through the same situation as her. The reader can only wonder how the other children are feeling, some of which is revealed throughout the text. The main message readers can get from the text stated as words by the character Mrs. Book is “Sometimes what you get turns out to be better than what you wanted in the first place” (Bunting 30). The quote reveals though you might want and not get something, what you do get could be greater than what you had imagined.

A Picnic in October book review by Josie

Title of the Book: A Picnic in October 

Author Name: Eve Bunting 

Reviewer's Name: Josie 

Publisher: Eve Bunting 

Date of Publication: 1999 

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There is a child that does not really understand why they are going to the Statue of Liberty for Lady Liberty’s picnic birthday. He thinks this is a bad idea. He meets a small family in the line on the way to the statue and helps them find their way. When they get there, the boy starts to understand why they are there and he finds that the small family he met earlier has found the same thing. The boy starts to understand because his grandma reveals the reason why Lady Liberty is very important to her. My favorite part of the book was when the boy realized why they went to the picnic. There is a lesson presented in the story that is you should enjoy all of the experiences you have. The connection to the IB learner profile is that the grandma and the boy in the book reflect back on their origin with Lady Liberty. They reflect on the past they had with Lady Liberty and how she is truly grateful for her. The grandma explains to the boy and her family how Lady Liberty took her in when she first came to the city from the old country. She also tells how she is a part of this community. The small family is grateful for her as well. The grandma also states how the small family is there for the same reason, thanking Lady Liberty for taking them in. 

The colors they used are bright but also used more cool colors. It looks like they used some kind of paint for the medium. The emotions that are conveyed through the picture are on the happier side because of the bright colors. The people's clothing and the landscapes are colorful. They also drew all of the families together which gives it a warmer feeling.