Sadness is turned to hope and tragedy is turned to strength in this sensitive treatment.
A young Lebanese boy experiences loss after a war in a story based on the 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli conflict.
Luli lives in a small town in Lebanon. His favorite activity is to play with his cats: Lucy the Fat, Lucy the Skinny, and Lucy Lucy. During a summer trip to visit family in Beirut, Luli must leave the three Lucys behind, but it’s only for a weekend. However, on the way home from the bustling city—back to his Lucys—his family hears a scream in the sky. His father immediately turns the car around, and they huddle together in a Beirut basement every evening for days, wondering if the bombs will reach that city next. After a month of fighting, a cease-fire is declared. Luli’s family rushes home to find much destruction to their town, and hardest on Luli, only two of the three Lucys appear when he calls. Lebanese-American Charara deftly maneuvers through a child’s view of war. Buildings and lives are lost; Luli knows war is unspeakably powerful, but the mountain and sea are still there. They anchor his peace. Iranian-American Kahn’s watercolor palette changes from warm oranges to cool blues and grays, depending on the mood. But even in the middle of conflict and while surveying the aftermath, the glowing warmth of love consistently surrounds the family. An author’s note adds context to what the Lebanese call the July War.
Sadness is turned to hope and tragedy is turned to strength in this sensitive treatment. (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-60060-998-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre.
Ice princess Lina must navigate family and school in this early chapter read.
The family picnic is today. This is not a typical gathering, since Lina’s maternal relatives are a royal family of Windtamers who have power over the weather and live in castles floating on clouds. Lina herself is mixed race, with black hair and a tan complexion like her Asian-presenting mother’s; her Groundling father appears to be a white human. While making a grand entrance at the castle of her grandfather, the North Wind, she fails to successfully ride a gust of wind and crashes in front of her entire family. This prompts her stern grandfather to ask that Lina move in with him so he can teach her to control her powers. Desperate to avoid this, Lina and her friend Claudia, who is black, get Lina accepted at the Hilltop Science and Arts Academy. Lina’s parents allow her to go as long as she does lessons with grandpa on Saturdays. However, fitting in at a Groundling school is rough, especially when your powers start freak winter storms! With the story unfurling in diary format, bright-pink–highlighted grayscale illustrations help move the plot along. There are slight gaps in the storytelling and the pacing is occasionally uneven, but Lina is full of spunk and promotes self-acceptance.
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-35393-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D.
Breakout kid barber J.D. embraces a summer of opportunity.
Readers met J.D. Jones just as he took his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, by storm, winning himself community acclaim and a chair at the revered Hart and Sons barbershop in series opener J.D. and the Great Barber Battle(2021). What’s next for the haircut prodigy? School’s just getting out, and there’s so much life happening outside—if only one can escape home learning with the grandparents. J.D.’s sister, Vanessa, brings along multitalented mutual friend Jessyka to share an ambitious challenge: “Let’s start a YouTube channel!” Can they get millions of views and wow the whole world? They are already amazing at haircuts and hairstyles—all they need is to learn how to make a great YouTube video. The story models strategies for scripting short videos reflecting the templates of viral YouTube hair tutorials, inviting readers to not only see the journey of the characters, but maybe also practice these skills at home. This book is bound to educate all about some of the most storied and cherished traditions within the Black community. Bringing in Vanessa is a great touch to extend the series across gender, and hopefully she’ll get a chance to lead her own adventures. This book blends skill-building, entrepreneurship, and strong family values to give young Black children visions of what’s possible when they follow their passions and embrace their community.
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11155-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
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