As my regular readers know, I’m a round-one judge for the Cybils Awards in the Poetry category. Because of that, I’ve been reading tons of verse lately! I’m not allowed to share any details about our process for choosing the finalists, but I am allowed (and encouraged) to review the books as I read, so I figured I’d share four of them with you today. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction!
I Wish I Had a Wookiee: And Other Poems for Our Galaxy by Ian Doescher Illustrator: Tim Budgen
Published by Quirk Books on September 28, 2021
Genres: Picture Book, Science Fiction, Verse
Pages: 128
Source: The Publisher
My rating:
Inspired by the beloved world of Star Wars, this collection of over 75 whimsical and original poems is a celebration of childhood, creativity, imagination, and the early years of Star Wars fandom.
In "My Pet AT-AT," a ten-year-old dreams of playing hide and seek and fetch with an AT-AT. In "Dad's Luke Skywalker Figurine," a child opens their dad's untouched action figure but, instead of getting into trouble, helps their dad re-discover his own sense of play. In "T-16 Dreams," a little girl imagines herself flying through the galaxy, the Empire hot on her trail, to help with her real-world fear of flying.
Set in the hearts and minds of young children who love Star Wars, and filled with the characters you know and love, I Wish I Had a Wookiee is the perfect gift for the young Star Wars fan--and the young at heart.
A treasure for any Star Wars fan, young or old! Some people may know Doescher for his inventive William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Series, where he tells the Star Wars stories in Shakespearean language. (My daughter actually took a class at our homeschool co-op where they spent a semester reading these books – a great introduction to Shakespeare’s style). Well, now Doescher has put his expansive Star Wars knowledge to even more good use with this fun collection of poems. I have to confess that I’m not a superfan of the movies (I haven’t seen any of them in years, and I still haven’t actually seen all of the newer ones), so I didn’t get a lot of the references. But even so, I found myself enjoying the book for the whimsical poetry and the way Doescher tied all things Star Wars to everyday childhood experiences. Plus, I found myself melting over Budgen’s utterly adorable illustrations!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher for Cybil’s judging purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
Reckless, Glorious, Girl by Ellen Hagan Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books on February 23, 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Middle Grade, Verse
Pages: 320
Source: Library
Cover Artist: Fotini Tikkou
My rating:
The co-author of Watch Us Rise pens a novel in verse about all the good and bad that comes with middle school, growing up girl, and the strength of family that gets you through it.
Beatrice Miller may have a granny's name (her granny's, to be more specific), but she adores her Mamaw and her mom, who give her every bit of wisdom and love they have. But the summer before seventh grade, Bea wants more than she has, aches for what she can't have, and wonders what the future will bring.
This novel in verse follows Beatrice through the ups and downs of friendships, puberty, and identity as she asks: Who am I? Who will I become? And will my outside ever match the way I feel on the inside?
A gorgeous, inter-generational story of Southern women and a girl's path blossoming into her sense of self, Reckless, Glorious, Girl explores the important questions we all ask as we race toward growing up.
Reckless, Glorious, Girl is a coming-of-age story set in the deep South about the bonds of family and loving your roots. This intergenerational story focuses a lot on the relationship that Bea has with her mother and her grandmother. I love that the book shows an untraditional family structure (Bea’s father died, and it’s her paternal grandmother who lives with them) without making it into a huge deal. But it also deals with the circumstances realistically—Bea’s mother and grandmother don’t always agree, and that can cause tension, especially when it comes to raising Bea. The book explores the theme of class and identity as well. Bea struggles a bit with wanting to fit in with the popular kids at school, a task that feels harder to her because of her clothes bought at Goodwill and her lower-class Southern twang (the fact that she calls her grandma Mamaw is specifically something she gets teased for a bit). But she also feels proud of who she is, and eventually comes to realize that she doesn’t need to change herself to fit into a crowd that might not be her best fit. Kids will relate to Bea’s struggle between what is right and what will get her the most attention—many kids at this age are dealing with those kinds of choices. And there are lots of mentions of Bea’s period—a topic that young girls don’t often see on the page and probably need to. Overall, this is a quiet story, lighter on plot than on character, but it focuses on topics that young girls will relate to and the unique Southern setting makes it stand out.
My Thoughts Are Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness by Georgia Heard Illustrator: Isabel Roxas
Published by Roaring Brook Press on February 9, 2021
Genres: Non-Fiction, Picture Book, Verse
Pages: 56
Source: Library
My rating:
A poetry collection that both illustrates what mindfulness is and encourages young, growing minds to be present, from poet and educator Georgia Heard, with art by Isabel Roxas.
Poets have long observed the world in a mindful way. They point out beauty we might have missed, draw our attention to our inner thoughts, and call us to see our society in new ways.
But as daily life become more and more chaotic, children grow distracted. According to the CDC, 9.4% of children have ADHD and 7% have anxiety/depression. And these numbers continue to climb. As treatment doctors recommend healthy eating, physical activity, plenty of sleep, and mindfulness techniques.
Georgia Heard is a poet and educator—and she has long had her own meditation practice. In My Thoughts Are Clouds, she uses poetry to demonstrate what mindfulness is and gives kids—and their parents and teachers—accessible ways to learn mindfulness tools.
This little book helps kids learn ways to center themselves in the moment instead of worrying about things in the past or what’s to come. The poems are simple and sweet with some creative elements mixed in (like fading words to symbolize fading thoughts). I will say that I literally felt myself calming while reading—it feels natural to slow your breathing and pay more attention to it while you’re reading these poems. The illustrations are also meditative, all in greyscale and blues. I’ll be honest and say I’m not sure how many kids would pick this up voluntarily and read it for fun, but I could see it being a good book to have in a doctor’s or therapist’s office. Or parents who have an anxious child might want to encourage them to read a poem when they’re feeling stressed (with some help in the beginning to help them take it seriously). We all need a little help with mindfulness from time to time!
For Every Little Thing: Poems and Prayers to Celebrate the Day by June Cotner, Nancy Tupper Ling Illustrator: Helen Cann
Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers on September 21, 2021
Genres: Picture Book, Verse
Pages: 96
Source: The Publisher
My rating:
How do you find joy in ordinary moments? How do you mark small wonders like the return of the fireflies or a friend’s helping hand?
Arranged from waking up to falling asleep, For Every Little Thing is an engaging collection of the day and its delights. This inspirational anthology gathers classic selections, modern prayers, and new poems from multiple cultures and faiths. From Emily Dickinson to Amma, from Ken Nesbitt to Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro, fifty-one voices encourage children to be present and thankful at all hours.
Accessible language and richly detailed illustrations celebrate simple pleasures like slurping noodles and splashing in puddles. Perfect for sharing around the table or at bedtime, For Every Little Thing will awaken a sense of gratitude in readers of all ages.
For Every Little Thing is a sweet collection of children’s poems collected from various faith backgrounds. The book will bring encouragement to any child and help them see the world through the lens of God’s blessings. The poems are eclectic: some modern, some classical; some are written as prayers or songs. But they all celebrate life and the beauty around us! The book is laid out in sections, and you can see an example of the lush illustrations below:
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher for Cybil’s judging purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
None of these were on my radar, but gosh darn it! That wookie book is adorable.
Aren’t those illustrations great? Love them!
While I am at the high school level, at my new school we have special education kids and what we call and “Every body books” collection. I think the Wookie book looks like a perfect one for my students! I’ll have to order that. Thanks for sharing these!
Oh, yes, it would be perfect for that because it would appeal to Star Wars fans of all ages!
Those look cute.
I Wish I Had a Wookie looks so unbelievably cute! What an adorable idea, thanks for making me aware of that book ♥!
It’s perfect for fans of Star Wars!!
Never even heard of any of these but they all sound so good!
The only one I’d heard of before the judging was Reckless, Glorious Girl. I love finding new books this way!
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lovely covers