SD 129 Youth Book Talks Spring 2022

"A-Okay by Jarad Greene is a vulnerable and heartfelt semi-autobiographical middle grade graphic novel about acne, identity, and finding your place." -- Amazon.com "When Jay starts eighth grade with a few pimples he doesn't think much of it ... But when his acne goes from bad to worse, Jay's prescribed a powerful medication that comes with some serious side effects ... Meanwhile, school isn't going exactly as planned. All of Jay's friends are in...

A genie informs twelve-year-old Amira and her younger brother Hamza that they are the chosen ones who must defeat a monstrous demon of Islamic folklore to save the Earth and a parallel dimension.

When Norma, Belly, and their friend little B go into uncharted territory--the apple orchard--to find spy-master Pops, who has been squirrel-napped, they wonder if their adventure will end in tragedy--or apple pie!

Astrid is anxious about her family's camping trip because she is afraid of the dark (and bears), but her twin Apollo is looking forward to the experience; and Astrid is doing okay, despite the bugs and the dark, until she hears the scratching outside the family's tent--but Astrid is determined not to let her father face the threat alone.

"It's Nimra Sharif's first time going to public school. Nimra's nervous, but as long as she has her best friend, Jenna, by her side, she figures she can take on just about anything. Unfortunately, middle school is hard. The teachers are mean, the schedule is confusing, and Jenna starts giving hijab-wearing Nimra the cold shoulder around the other kids. Desperate to fit in and save her friendship with Jenna, Nimra accepts an unlikely invitation to...

Photo illustrations capture a boom of blooming flowers in the springtime.

"A look at culture's relationship with journalism, and an effort to teach kids what is "real" versus "fake" news"-- "Headlines leap out at us from mobile phones, TV screens, computers, newspapers, and everywhere we turn. Technology has opened up exciting new ways to tell interesting stories, but how much of it is news ... and how much is just noise? This refreshing and up-to-date media literacy book gives kids the tools they need to distinguish what...

"An exuberant celebration of the Buffalo's return to the wild. Since Declan was born, his kokum has shared her love of Buffalo through stories and art. But Declan longs to see real Buffalo. Then one magical night, herds of the majestic creatures stampede down from the sky. That's when things really get wild! Azby Whitecalf's playful illustrations add to the joy and reverence in Deidre Havrelock's picture book debut. A reprinting of the Buffalo Treaty...

"As a young Nahua girl in Mexico during the early 1900s, Luz learned how to grind corn in a metate, to twist yarn with her toes, and to weave on a loom. But when the Mexican Revolution came to her village, Luz and her family were forced to flee and start a new life. In Mexico City, Luz became a model for painters, sculptors, and photographers--artists interested in showing the true face of Mexico and not a European version. Through her work Luz found...

"To say Virginia "Dindy" Hall was ambitious would be an understatement. She was that girl at your high school who makes everyone else look like a slacker, no matter how hard they're working. But how many of them can say they've been on Nazi Germany's Most Wanted list? At a time when most women were expected to becomes wives and mothers, Virginia craved adventure. And with the world gearing up for a second World War, this fearless woman knew that she...