by Heidi Mordhorst & illustrated by Jesse Torrey ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2005
Mordhorst’s collection of 24 non-rhyming poems is a juicy treat itself, full of evocative images and insightful glimpses into childhood activities, many inspired by her own Southern childhood. She takes ordinary slice-of-life events such as a scraped knee or lying on a sandy beach and turns each into a fresh, adventurous experience that is quite out of the ordinary. In surprising twists, birds grow from birdseed, sand dunes are elephants and a rug turns into a geographic structure for toy cars. The titular poem, “Squeeze,” is especially memorable, comparing a lemon in the hand to one’s own little universe, sometimes sour and sometimes sweet. Torrey’s photographic montages add just the right touch of sugar and spice to the collection: flowers, trees, smiling children and darker shots of the moon, a starlit sky and sparklers twinkling to illustrate a poem about brainpower. Teachers will find this a welcome classroom resource for many age groups. (Poetry. 8-16)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2005
ISBN: 1-59078-292-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2005
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by Heidi Mordhorst & illustrated by Jenny Reynish
by Alyssa Bermudez ; illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 17, 2021
An authentic and moving time capsule of middle school angst, trauma, and joy.
Through the author’s own childhood diary entries, a seventh grader details her inner life before and after 9/11.
Alyssa’s diary entries start in September 2000, in the first week of her seventh grade year. She’s 11 and dealing with typical preteen concerns—popularity and anxiety about grades—along with other things more particular to her own life. She’s shuffling between Queens and Manhattan to share time between her divorced parents and struggling with thick facial hair and classmates who make her feel like she’s “not a whole person” due to her mixed White and Puerto Rican heritage. Alyssa is endlessly earnest and awkward as she works up the courage to talk to her crush, Alejandro; gushes about her dreams of becoming a shoe designer; and tries to solve her burgeoning unibrow problem. The diaries also have a darker side, as a sense of impending doom builds as the entries approach 9/11, especially because Alyssa’s father works in finance in the World Trade Center. As a number of the diary entries are taken directly from the author’s originals, they effortlessly capture the loud, confusing feelings middle school brings out. The artwork, in its muted but effective periwinkle tones, lends a satisfying layer to the diary’s accessible and delightful format.
An authentic and moving time capsule of middle school angst, trauma, and joy. (author's note) (Graphic memoir. 8-13)Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-77427-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
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by Andrea Beatriz Arango ; illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez
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by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand ; illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez
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by Pat Mora ; illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez
by R.J. Palacio ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 14, 2012
A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder.
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After being home-schooled for years, Auggie Pullman is about to start fifth grade, but he’s worried: How will he fit into middle school life when he looks so different from everyone else?
Auggie has had 27 surgeries to correct facial anomalies he was born with, but he still has a face that has earned him such cruel nicknames as Freak, Freddy Krueger, Gross-out and Lizard face. Though “his features look like they’ve been melted, like the drippings on a candle” and he’s used to people averting their eyes when they see him, he’s an engaging boy who feels pretty ordinary inside. He’s smart, funny, kind and brave, but his father says that having Auggie attend Beecher Prep would be like sending “a lamb to the slaughter.” Palacio divides the novel into eight parts, interspersing Auggie’s first-person narrative with the voices of family members and classmates, wisely expanding the story beyond Auggie’s viewpoint and demonstrating that Auggie’s arrival at school doesn’t test only him, it affects everyone in the community. Auggie may be finding his place in the world, but that world must find a way to make room for him, too.
A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder. (Fiction. 8-14)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-86902-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
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by R.J. Palacio
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by R.J. Palacio ; illustrated by R.J. Palacio with K Czap
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by R.J. Palacio ; illustrated by R.J. Palacio
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