Amy Willers 9/28/23 Amy Willers 9/28/23

My Newbery Journey

Well, I can’t get around it: my heart belongs to the middle grade novel. I remember when I started writing, my dream (perhaps every writer’s dream?) was to write “The Great, American Novel”. I had about 50 pages written and it just wasn’t coming out the way I wanted when suddenly it clicked: this book wanted to be a middle grade novel. I love reading them and think they have so much worth and value (and too often dismissed as “just for kids”). So why did I think I should write anything else? (Sadly, that book has since been left unfinished, though I did write another middle grade novel earlier this year! More on that another day.)

Once I realized that I wanted to write middle grade novels (as well as picture books), I thought I should read the best of the best. This led me to the Newbery Award.

The great thing about these books is that you can safely recommend them to your preteen kids and know they are getting some clean and quality literature. So even though I am only commenting on a few of the books listed below, please know that any of these would be a great option for your kids! (And if you ever have questions about a middle grade book, I am happy to discuss it with you!)

The Newbery Award (or Honor) books I’ve read so far:

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
(a somewhat creepy sci-fi)

When you Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
(not my favorite)

New Kid by Jerry Craft
(already recommended here!)

Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

The Girl who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
(one of my favorites! will probably purchase and recommend in a separate post)
(also, I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but look how pretty that cover is!)

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
(a picture book - unusual for the Newbery! - already recommended here!)

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
(I did not expect to love this one as much as I did, given it’s about basketball and completely written in verse, but I did and I highly recommend.)

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
(a little boring, though I learned some interesting history)

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
(excellent story and a bit of a mystery)

Al Capone Does my Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
(another of my favorites. this is part of a series of which I intend to read more!)

The Watson’s Go to Birmingham: 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
(I would recommend this as a way to open up dialog about racial violence)

I just became an Amazon Associate, because I link to books so often on my blog! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you want the book and to support me, use my links in this blog post. Thank you!! ❤️

Amy Willers 8/31/23 Amy Willers 8/31/23

Book Recommendation: Ranger's Apprentice

I have decided to start recommending mostly middle grade books, as that is typically what I read now for fun and seems to be where parents need the most guidance. I get asked a lot for reading recommendations for preteen and young teens, so follow along in my book recommendations if you are looking something for your kids to enjoy (without having to read them first!).* I also just love middle grade books because they are always clean and a quick, easy read, but they deal with hard things and often have very interesting plots and characters.

The Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan is the start of an excellent fantasy series about a boy who joins a highly secretive group of people known as the Rangers. The books are exciting, with good characters and plots. The Rangers themselves aren’t magical, just highly trained and skilled fighters and problem solvers, though they live in a world with magic. And I will admit that I have loved this series even before I thought about sharing them with my kids! My daughter never wanted to read them, because the main character is a boy… but now my 9-year-old son is excited to get into the series! I have promised to read the first one to him (this is mostly selfish, as I want to reread them, and I think my daughter will secretly listen in as well), but I think he’ll take off reading them on his own once he gets into them!

From Amazon:

They have always scared him in the past—the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied. . . .

*I love giving out book recommendations for kids if you ever would like to contact me about it! I am happy to tell you if there is ever anything you might find questionable, as well.

Amy Willers 6/2/23 Amy Willers 6/2/23

Book Recommendation: Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

Remember a couple weeks ago when I said I’d read two books recently and then immediately went out and bought them because they were so good? This is the second one of those two books. And not only did I love it so much that I wanted to keep it, my 12-year-old daughter read it and claimed it for herself. So I had to grab it out of her bookshelves even to snap this picture!

The book is Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling and it is an incredibly sweet story (and exciting mystery!), told in the first person, of a girl with no arms. I cannot emphasize enough how sweet the story was or how helpful it was for me to read a book from the perspective of someone who is differently abled* (and I love that my daughter loved it as well!).

So if you are at all curious, buy this book and read it! (Or if you are like me, read this book and then buy it!) There is also a book two: Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, which I have not read yet, but my daughter read and loved.

From Amazon:

Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again.

Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It’s hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven’s about to discover she can do it all . . . even without arms.

*I have decided to go with this term instead of “disabled” because in reading this book, I realized that the main character is very abled, but she just has to do things differently, and sometimes very creatively!

Amy Willers 5/25/23 Amy Willers 5/25/23

Book Recommendation: Pentecost

The Apostles’ Creed for all God’s Children by Ben Myers is actually a book my husband found (he has a passion for liturgy) that I liked so much, I bought a copy for every family in my Children’s Ministry. We also used it as a supplemental curriculum last year, where every week I had each Sunday School class recite the Apostles’ Creed and then read a page of the book. That way, we were reciting the Creed 16 times total, reading through a new set of pages each week.

Whether you recite the Apostles’ Creed every week, occasionally, or never at all, I highly recommend this book. Whether you are a parent of young kids or have no kids at all, I highly recommend this book.

Each page breaks down one line of the Creed, displaying a beautiful illustration and explaining in simple terms what the line means. Since we are approaching Pentecost, I will quote below the page for “I Believe in the Holy Spirit”:

Is God far away?
Has Jesus left me all alone?
No! God is near—
very near!
Jesus lives forever with God in the Holy Spirit.
He shares God’s life in a special way.
And Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with me.
Now I share God’s life too and live in God.
Because of Jesus, I am in the Holy Spirit,
and so are all Jesus’ brothers and sisters.
God is my family and my home.
I will never be far away from God—never again!
That’s what I believe.

Isn’t that beautiful and good to learn/remember at any age?

From Amazon:

What God's children believe. Join FatCat, the friendly feline, as he learns the traditional text of the Apostles' Creed―the earliest summary of the apostles' teaching. Through the Creed, children can encounter the God of the Bible who creates, redeems, and sanctifies. Enjoy vibrantly illustrated scenes of Jesus's life and search for FatCat on every page!
Young readers and families will read a line from the creed along with a simple reflection to tuck into their hearts. With a list of Scriptures for further learning and a family prayer, this FatCat book is perfect to read again and again.
In a fun and accessible way, believers can visualize, memorize, understand, and confess the Apostles' Creed, which has united all Christians for centuries.

Amy Willers 5/10/23 Amy Willers 5/10/23

Book Recommendation: New Kid

I usually read books from the library or digitally from free library apps like Libby. If I like them, I recommend them here on my blog. But recently I liked two books so much that I ended up buying them after the fact. My kids have already read them and I plan on lending them out to others because they were that good!

The first of those two is today’s recommendation, a middle-grade graphic novel called New Kid by Jerry Craft.

As I said, both my children (ages 9 and 12) have already read this book and liked it a lot. It is funny and sweet for kids. But what I found helpful and appreciated about it as an adult was the way it illuminated the subtle racism and the microagressions that are in our everyday life. The main character, Jordan, is a black boy who is attending a new private school and is one of the few people of color attending. The story is about how he adjusts to being there and how he puts up with a lot of things that my kids and I would probably never even think about. Jordan spends the year making friends and learning to understand other people, even as they get to know him. The book just has a lot of heart and would be a good read for anyone.

From Amazon:

Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.
As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?

Amy Willers 4/21/23 Amy Willers 4/21/23

Book Recommendation: Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day on April 22, I am recommending My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan. This book is absolutely stunning and might be one of my favorites that I’ve looked through in a long time. It is very clever, with fun little cut-outs on the pages and the pictures are just lovely. This shouldn’t be surprising given its topic: our beautiful world! This book is not a “Christian” book, but I think as a Christian, I have a calling to care for and celebrate our beautiful planet! And that’s what this book is about.

From Amazon:

Perfect for Earth Day—and every day!—this spectacular picture book is a valentine to our wonderful planet from the Newbery Award–winning author of Sarah, Plain and Tall.
Our friend Earth does so many wonderful things! She tends to animals large and small. She pours down summer rain and autumn leaves. She sprinkles whisper-white snow and protects the tiny seeds waiting for spring.
Readers of all ages will pore over the pages of this children's book that is bursting with color and texture. Its enticing pages feature clever cut-outs, flaps, and curved contours that encourage exploration as its poetic text celebrates everything Earth does for us, all the while reminding us to be a good friend in return.

Amy Willers 4/3/23 Amy Willers 4/3/23

Book Recommendation: Shy Willow

For many reasons, Shy Willow by Cat Min felt like the right choice for me to recommend today. It is the story of a shy bunny who does something very brave for someone else. I immediately related to the bunny who only wanted to stay home in her cozy mailbox house! But when a letter fell into her lap asking for help, she knew she had to leave her comfortable home to deliver the letter. Not only is it a sweet story, but the pictures are just enchanting and I could spend a while just looking through each one at all the details. Also, we just love bunnies in this house. (See below for a picture of our own little Easter bunny!)

From Amazon:

Willow is shy. VERY shy.

Her home is in an abandoned mailbox, and she'd rather stay put. Outside kids scream and soccer balls collide, trees look like monsters, and rain is noisy in a scary kind of way. It's much nicer to stay inside, drawing. But then a young boy drops a letter in Willow's mailbox: it's a note to the moon asking for a special favor. Willow knows that if she doesn't brave the world outside, the letter will never be delivered, and the boy will be heartbroken. Should she try? Can she?

Amy Willers 3/20/23 Amy Willers 3/20/23

Book Recommendation: Pi Day

I’m a little late with this recommendation for Pi Day (pi = 3.14), but file this one away for next March 14: A Pizza with Everything on It by Kyle Scheele and illustrated by Andy J. Pizza (I had to check out his website to find out if, indeed, he really went by the last name “Pizza”!).

My 9-year-old son absolutely loved this book, laughing all the way through it, and I’m pretty sure my 12-year-old cracked a smile as she pretended not to listen. This proves to me, once again, that the age ranges on picture books are meaningless (though Amazon says ages 3-7). This book is about a father and a son who add everything they can think of to the top of their pizza!

From Amazon:

It's a tale as old as time: a kid wants to make a pizza with his dad, but not just any pizza . . . he wants a pizza with everything on it. That's right, everything. But as the toppings pile on, this father-son duo accidentally create a pizza so delicious, so extravagant, so over-the-top, that it destroys the universe—and the cosmos go as dark as burnt crust. Will anyone enjoy pizza ever again?

Amy Willers 2/13/23 Amy Willers 2/13/23

Book Recommendation: How to Babysit a Grandpa

How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan is another one of our favorite picture books. My son loves the hilarious idea of the kids babysitting the grown-ups for once! (I mean, who doesn’t love a good role-reversal story?) Amazon suggests the age range to be ages 2-6, but I bought this three years ago when my kids were 6 and 9, and they still love it!

From Amazon:

Here's everything a kid needs to know to spend a fun-filled day with grandpa! Written in a how-to style, the narrator gives important tips for "babysitting" a grandpa, including what to eat for snack (anything dipped in ketchup, ice cream topped with cookies, cookies topped with ice cream) what to do on a walk (find lizards and dandelion puffs, be on the lookout for puddles and sprinklers), and how to play with a grandpa (build a pirate cave, put on a scary play).

From the author-illustrator team behind the New York Times bestselling HOW TO... books comes a funny and heartwarming celebration of grandpas and all that they do! This is a great gift for or from a grandparent, and perfect for lap reading when Grandpa comes to visit!

Amy Willers 2/1/23 Amy Willers 2/1/23

Book Recommendation: Mae Among the Stars

Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed is an absolutely beautiful book for children about the first African-American woman in space, Mae Jemison. I will admit that I bought this as I tried to diversify the main characters and authors in my house. But honestly, it stood up on its own. It is a sweet and encouraging book for children to work hard and follow their dreams.

From Amazon:

A beautiful picture book for sharing and marking special occasions such as graduation, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison. An Amazon Best Book of the Month!
A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the perfect book for young readers who have big dreams and even bigger hearts.
When Little Mae was a child, she dreamed of dancing in space. She imagined herself surrounded by billions of stars, floating, gliding, and discovering.
She wanted to be an astronaut.
Her mom told her, "If you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.”
Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents' encouraging words, paved the way for her incredible success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.

Amy Willers 1/19/23 Amy Willers 1/19/23

Book Recommendation: Stranger Safety

Once Upon a Dragon by Jean E. Pendziwol is my absolute favorite book on stranger safety for kids. Not only does it teach a comprehensive list of safety rules (including an actual list to go over with your kids in the back) but it presents them in such a fun and clever way, using familiar storybook characters to get the point across. For example, the Big, Bad Wolf is definitely a stranger you should run away from! I also love that it teaches about “safe strangers” like police officers (and I always included other moms with kids when I discussed this with my own children).

From Amazon:

After a thump-bumping ride on a slide, a little girl and her dragon friend find themselves inside a fairy-tale book. The stories are familiar, and there's lots of silly fun as the dragon is transformed into fairy-tale characters. But danger lurks in the form of strangers --- including the hungry wolf from ?Little Red Riding Hood? and Snow White's evil stepmother. And it's up to the girl to keep an eye on the dragon, who walks alone through deep dark woods and takes treats from people he doesn't know. Little by little, the girl teaches her irrepressible friend to be careful about strangers. The winning combination of fairy-tale adventure and concrete safety information --- including the Dragon's Stranger Safety Rhyme and the checklist of rules at the end of the book --- provide the perfect starting point for discussions with children about stranger safety.

Amy Willers 1/13/23 Amy Willers 1/13/23

Book Recommendation: Author Natalie Lloyd

I have decided to add middle-grade fiction to my book recommendation blog posts. It is one of my favorite genres so I thought it might be useful to pass on some of my favorites.

The first books that come to mind are anything written by Natalie Lloyd. They are always incredibly sweet, with good characters and fun, original storylines. Usually the stories involve some magical/fantastical elements, but within the realm of our world. I would say her audience is probably late elementary/early middle-school aged girls. (I say girls because most of her protagonists are girls, though not all.)

These are the books of hers that I have read and recommend:

The Key to Extraordinary

Over the Moon (this one takes place in a fantasy world)

A Snicker of Magic

The Problim Children (several different narrators, both boys and girls)

Overall, these are all great books if you have a 10-12 year old girl, or if you are looking for a sweet, simple read yourself! If you or your child reads them, I always love to hear what you thought!

Amy Willers 12/21/22 Amy Willers 12/21/22

Book Recommendation: Noisy Christmas!

A Very Noisy Christmas by Tim Thornborough might be my new favorite Christmas picture book for little ones. The illustrations by Jennifer Davison are absolutely lovely, and the reading instructions (loud and soft, “shhhh”) is a charming and captivating idea for toddlers to kindergartners, and maybe even older kids! (I always think the age range given by Amazon is way too narrow.) This was my most recent addition to the nursery at my church, and I highly recommend it!

From Amazon:

Some people think that Christmas was a "Silent Night". Far from it. It was filled with shouting, singing and screaming! It was as noisy as any of our Christmas celebrations.
This fun and fresh retelling of the Christmas story comes with invitations to make some noise, so that children can join in as parents read to them. But it also shows children that at the heart of the Christmas story is something we should all be quiet and see: God’s Son Jesus was born, so that we can be friends with God forever.

Amy Willers 12/4/22 Amy Willers 12/4/22

Book Recommendation: The Littlest Watchman

Today I had the pleasure of reading The Littlest Watchman by Scott James to four kids in Sunday School, all around age 8 and it was a delight. They gasped in all the right places, they made clever predictions, and they wanted to know if it was a true story. That last part was my favorite, because then I could read the very last page, which tells the true story of Christmas (while also explaining that Watchmen are made up). This is the perfect story for Advent, because it is all about waiting.

From Amazon:

Benjamin is a Watchman. It's his job to watch for the sign that all God's promises are coming true. It's his job to watch a stump.
Trouble is, it's hard just waiting. And one night, Benjamin finally gives in and stops watching. But that same night, as he sits outside Bethlehem, he gets to watch something wonderful.
Kids will be gripped by what Benjamin saw, and will be excited by the Christmas story all over again.

Amazon suggests this book for grades 1-2, but the kids I read to today were grades 2-4, and they all loved it! I highly recommend this story for you and your family as you await the coming King this Advent season.

Amy Willers 11/15/22 Amy Willers 11/15/22

Book Recommendation: A Native American Family Story

Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard.

I was hoping to get this book recommendation done for Indigenous People Day, but I didn’t want to rush reading through this book. It has some author’s notes at the end that explain each picture and about what it’s like to be an American Indian. I wanted to take the time to really soak it in and learn, and now think getting this book recommendation out in time for Thanksgiving is equally appropriate.

This is a book that celebrates the Native American culture, through the story of Fry Bread. I definitely recommend it for young readers for it’s lovely pictures and sweet story, but maybe even more for adult readers who want to honor what was lost.

A lot of people will relate to the idea of food and recipes being handed down as part of their heritage and culture. Additionally, there was a line in the book that was especially powerful for me, as a Christian. “[Bread] are communions, meant to be shared and loved with others, because bread is not meant to be cooked for one.” What a lovely picture of the Eucharist, a meal of bread meant to be shared with our family of believers, handed down from the generations before us.

If you are looking for a book to read to your kids around Thanksgiving, pick this one up. Not only can you learn about the indigenous people of this land through the story (and end notes), you can show your kids the value of sharing a special meal together.

Amy Willers 10/31/22 Amy Willers 10/31/22

Book Recommendation: If I Built...

The If I Built Series by Chris Van Dusen.

These have been my kids absolute favorite picture books for the past few years. And yes, that includes my 11-year-old daughter. They are witty and clever and told in a fun rhyming scheme. And the illustrations tell half the story! We enjoy pouring over the pictures to see all the details of the imaginative construction of the school, house, and car. I brought two of these books to my son’s second grade class last year, as well, and they were a huge hit!

Amazon says these books are great for ages 3-6, but I would extend that up to 11 or 12! These books are great for inspiring a kids’ imagination, too. Your kids will be drawing blueprints or building with legos for their new house or car ideas after reading these.

From Amazon on If I Built a Car:

If I built a car, it'd be totally new!
Here are a few of the things that I'd do. . . .
Young Jack is giving an eye-opening tour of the car he'd like to build. There's a snack bar, a pool, and even a robot named Robert to act as chauffeur. With Jack's soaring imagination in the driver's seat, we're deep-sea diving one minute and flying high above traffic the next in this whimsical, tantalizing take on the car of the future. Illustrations packed with witty detail, bright colors, and chrome recall the fabulous fifties and an era of classic American automobiles. Infectious rhythm and clever invention make this wonderful read-aloud a launch pad for imaginative fun.

Amy Willers 10/20/22 Amy Willers 10/20/22

Book Recommendation: The Owl Who Asks Why

The Owl Who Asks Why by Michelle Garcia Andersen.

I picked up this book because I appreciated the clever title and beautiful pictures, and it didn’t disappoint! It was a sweet story about curious woodland animals who learned to use their own minds and voices.

From Amazon:

This heartwarming tale of friendship from author Michelle Garcia Andersen and artist Ayesha Rubio will remind young readers that by staying true to yourself and embracing what makes you unique, good things come to you.

Amy Willers 10/18/21 Amy Willers 10/18/21

Book Recommendation for Autumn

The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming.

This is a cute story and my kids and I chuckled quite a bit as we read it out loud together. Also, the illustrations are just lovely and perfect for fall reading.

From Amazon:

Perfect for fans of Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, The Leaf Thief is a funny picture book that teaches kids about autumn, adapting to change, and the seasons.

Squirrel loves counting the leaves on his tree--red leaves, gold leaves, orange, and more. But hold on! One of his leaves is missing! On a quest to find the missing leaf, Squirrel teams up with his good friend Bird to discover who the leaf thief could be among their forest friends.