Stories that Shape Us
A place where CL/R SIG reviewers share annotations and insights on books that matter.
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Sandip Wilson Reading historical fiction and nonfiction can provide context and detail for readers that can deepen the understanding and insight into places and events, some familiar from textbook introductions and some new for readers. Engaging and transporting, these books introduce unique points of view and perspectives on lives and experiences that can jumpstart thinking about the past.  At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom. Erin Entrada Kelly. (2025). Greenwillow. Joey Guerrero (1917-1996), born in Lubcan, a village in the Philippines, longed to be as brave as Joan of Arc. Living in an orphanage, she became an athlete but developed tuberculosis, and as a young adult, her symptoms of pain, fever, and lesions on her skin were diagnosed as leprosy, a misunderstood disease and one that isolates the sufferers. This biography details her involvement in the Philippine Resistance to the Japanese occupation of World War II after their invasion in December 1941. Her knowledge of Manila and her condition of being a leper enabled her to observe and report the actions of the Japanese. She mapped their resources and movements and, on foot, delivered detailed maps to the allied forces that changed the course of the war. After the war, Joey came to the US for leprosy care in Louisiana and made a life as an editor and secretary. Erin Kelly includes information on the disease, history of the islands, and details of World War II. The book includes archival photographs, maps, primary sources, and inserted boxes with historical detail, tracing the colonization of the Spanish, Americans, and the Japanese. The back matter includes an author’s note, sources, endnotes, and an index. GR 5 Up  Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown. Candace Fleming. (2025). Ann Schwartz Books. Jim Jones (1931-1978), born in Indiana, learned early from preachers how to persuade audiences. With his charm and charisma, he became a preacher and started his own church, appealing to marginalized people and promising community. As the church grew, he and his family moved to California in 1963, founding People’s Temple in Redwood Valley. Candace Fleming chronicles his rise in power, as the Temple grew there and in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Becoming more insular and making himself the godhead, he required members to commit their lives, money, and talents to him. Disaffected members were taunted and punished. Growing fearful of the government and fueled by drug use, he moved the community to the isolated jungles of Guyana. The history of Peoples Temple and Jonestown are detailed through interviews with the disaffected and survivors of the Jonestown massacre of 1978, when settlers died by forced suicide. The book includes archival photographs, an introduction of key people in the front matter, and the back matter includes an author’s note, acknowledgements, source notes, bibliography, and photo credits. GR 9 Up.  The Doll Test: Choosing Equality. Carol Boston Weatherford. Illus. David Elmo Cooper. (2025). Carolrhoda. Dr. Kenneth Clark and his wife, Dr. Mamie Clark, interested in how our minds work, designed a study they called the doll test that they used to interview African American children about who they thought was good, nice, and who they wanted to play with. Told in the voice of the four dolls, this account chronicles their study, the context of segregated schools during which children had to walk far from home to attend neglected schools when better white schools were near their homes, and the 1952 US Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, a case involving five families from four states and Washington, D. C., all wanting better education for their children. The decision marked the beginning of the end of segregation nationally. Stunning illustrations provide historical context of segregated schools and detail the research the Clarks presented during the case. The back matter includes author and illustrator notes, further contextual information on the families and case with archival photographs of Gordon Parks, a timeline, further reading, and credits. GR 2-5  The Eclipse of 1919: How Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity Changed our World. Emily Arnold McCully. (2025). Ottaviano. By 1919, Einstein had been working on his theory of relativity throughout his life. He knew it was elegant, but wondered whether gravity bent a star’s light, making it appear to have moved. A solar eclipse in 1914 was an opportunity to test the theory, but war made that impossible. Although people forgot about the theory, one scientist did not and set out to test it, photographing the sky during the 1919 solar eclipse, under duress of unpredictable rain and cloud cover. In this picture book account of scientific inquiry, colorful illustrations, rendered in watercolor and ink, add detail to illustrations depicting his life, the solar system, and his theory of space-time that Einstein wanted to test. GR 2-5  The Enemy's Daughter. Anne Blankman. (2025). Viking Books for Young Readers. Visiting relatives in America in 1915, German-born twelve-year-old Marta and her father are desperate to return to Germany to stop her brother from entering the German army. Since German ships cannot leave American harbors, she and her father assume the identity of their American hosts and board the Lusitania, planning to arrive in Ireland and cross the channel to Holland. Marta doubts the fears of passengers, sure that the Germans are going to attack civilian vessels, but when her father’s false identity is discovered and he is detained, she tears up all their papers and a package of family photos, destroying their identity. She is rescued in Ireland as an American when the Lusitania is torpedoed. Terror turns to suspense, as Marta hides her true identity and German accent among people who welcome and care for her, yet plans to earn money, travel across the UK, and get to Holland, returning to her family at a time when war in Europe escalates. Back matter includes acknowledgements and an author’s note that provides historical context and separates fact from fiction in this novel of survival, community, and friendship. GR 4-8  March 6 Earthrise: The Story of the Photograph That Changed the Way We See Our Planet. Leonard Marcus. (2025). Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. This biography of an iconic photograph is a history of the 1960s US Apollo space program to the moon, a history that provides context for the Apollo 8 mission, Christmas Eve 1968, during which Bill Anders, trained on the mission’s Hasselblad cameras, set the exposure, and took the picture of the Earth rising as their module rounded the moon. Originally showing the moon on the vertical, how Earth appeared to Anders and Borman, mission commander, and Lovell, mission engineer, the photo was later altered for the public. Archival photographs complement Leonard Marcus’s history. He details the context for the mission with discussion of the lives of the three astronauts, the policies of NASA, which included the belief that photos didn’t matter, and the growing interest in having pictures of the Earth. The back matter includes a bibliography, online and film resources, endnotes, photo credits, and acknowledgements. GR 5 Up  A Most Perilous World: The True Story of the Young Abolitionists and Their Crusade Against Slavery. Kristina R. Gaddy. (2025). Dutton. Moments in the lives of four abolitionists are chronicled from 1854 to 1865 and provide perspectives on the American Civil War. Well-read, well-tutored, in families committed to freedom and equality, they knew one another. Lucy McKim’s father was friends with William Lloyd Garrison, founder and publisher of The Liberator, and knew Charlotte Forten, whose grandfather underwrote Garrison’s newspaper. Lucy and Charlotte knew George Garrison, one of Garrison’s sons who worked on his father’s newspaper, and Lewis Douglass, son of Frederick Douglass who knew Garrison. Alternating chapters detail their experiences related to specific events of the Civil War, 1861-1865, and express their hopes, personal dilemmas, and relationships with their families. Primary documents of letters, news clippings, and journal entries provide context for the events in the narrative. Front matter includes an introduction and prologue. Back matter includes information on their later lives, acknowledgments, bibliography, endnotes, and index. GR 8 Up  Not Nothing. Gayle Foreman. (2025). Aladdin Twelve-year-old Alex hasn’t seen his mother in a year after moving with her fourteen times and going to different schools. By court order he continues seeing his social worker and does community service in a senior living residence, but works under the imperious Maya-Jade, who assigns him gruesome tasks. When the chef asks him to take meals to residents’ rooms, Alex meets 107-year-old Joseph Kravitz, who has not spoken in five years but answers Alex’s question about a portrait hanging in his room, a moment that inspires a relationship. Narrated by Josey, the complex novel recounts his life in Krakow before World War II, his father’s prosperous clothing and tailoring business, his relationship with Olak, a classmate who worked for his father and became Josey’s friend and wife, and the Holocaust from his family’s perspective. As Alex and Josey tell their stories, Alex and Maya-Jade create a project of the residents’ stories and discover that making a difference in people’s lives is not nothing. GR 5-8  Sheller of Pecans. Lupe Flores Ruiz. (2025). Carolrhoda. In 1937 San Antonio, thirteen-year-old Petra has dreams of completing high school, but when her father dies, she takes a full-time job at the pecan shelling factory to help support her step-mother and two brothers. The work is grueling and dust fills the air in the closed building with no ventilation and one toilet. Petra makes friends, including Ofelia, who has a constant cough that leaves her weak but, like other workers, going to the doctor is an expense she can’t afford. Afraid of losing their jobs, working under terrible conditions, and knowing they could be easily fired, the workers learn they will be paid less than the current piece-work rate. Even as Petra’s dreams of school and writing are challenged, she decides to take action, risking her job and her family’s welfare. Back matter of this novel about friendship, community, and social justice includes an author’s note providing historical context for the novel, questions for discussion, and acknowledgements. GR 5-8  Under the Same Stars. Libba Bray. (2025). Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Written in the third person, three connected stories that start in Germany in 1940 follow the friendship between Sophie and Hanna, who find solace in the woods and their favorite tree, a magic tree, so the story goes, where people find true love. Their friendship and sense of duty and justice are tested as World War II takes over their lives. In the 1980s, Jenny, an American transplant with her corporate father, feels lonely and isolated until she meets German punk Lena, who urges her to rebel against society’s expectations. In their friendship, Jenny rediscovers her musicianship with the violin as she plays in Lena’s band. And in 2020, Brooklyn, Miles, a Filipino American, is trying to adjust to the radical changes brought on by COVID-19. His best friend, Chloe, is given her grandmother’s scrapbook. The pair uncover a trail of secrets linked to long-ago disappearances, which connects the three stories in this novel of discovery and connection. GR 9-12.  Will’s Race for Home. Jewel Parker Rhodes. Illus. Olga Ivanov & Aleksey Ivanov. (2025). Little Brown. Set in 1889, twelve-year-old Will and his father leave their sharecrop farm in Texas to travel to claim land in the Oklahoma Land Rush, where they can build on land that belongs to them. Will’s father, silent about his past walking to Texas after emancipation, is reticent about Will’s coming but relents. Determined to live up to his responsibility in the perilous journey, Will proves himself brave and willing, saving their property kept in the wagon, saving their Mule, Belle during a treacherous crossing of the Red River, and racing against time to claim land in the rush on Midnight, the horse belonging to their friend Caesar, an officer of the Union army who has a history of his own, and who they meet in the journey. In this novel of friendship, family, and racism, Will protects the land from claim jumpers who do not know he can read, a skill his mother taught him. An afterword in the back matter provides historical context. GR 5-8 Sandip Wilson is a professor of literacy education and English at Husson University, Bangor, Maine, and past-President of the CL/R SIG.
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Nicole Maxwell & Tiffany Watson While read alouds are worthwhile for children’s literacy development at any time of the year, they are particularly fitting for starting off a new school year. Whether you are looking for a book to teach lessons about friendship, classroom behavior, or just to make students laugh, consider reading one of the books reviewed here.  Caboose. Travis Jonker. Illus. by Ruth Chan. (2025). Abrams Books for Young Readers. This entertaining book is perfect for the start of the school year, as it focuses on where students fit in the classroom line. Cedric, the hippo, loves being first in line because of all the power it gives him. He will go to considerable, comical lengths to ensure that he is at the front of the line, regardless of how it impacts the array of animals in his class. However, he soon learns that not using one’s line leader power responsibly will get you sent to the back of the line. Now he has to figure out new shenanigans to fit his position in line as the caboose. With simple sentences and plenty of repetition, Travis Jonker weaves an engaging tale that readers may relate to, given their own experiences with lines. Ruth Chan uses ink and digital color illustrations to accentuate the chaotic and amusing storyline. PreK-Gr 2  Dream a Dress, Dream a Poem: Dressmaker and Poet, Myra Viola Wilds. Nancy Johnson James. Illus. by Diana Ejaita. (2025). Cameron Kids. A beautifully written biography of Myra Viola Wilds, this picture book pairs an inspiring story with brilliant artistry from both author and illustrator. Nancy Johnson James uses a free verse style that mimics the main character’s own poetry to tell her inspiring story of creativity. The poem follows Wilds as she leaves her home in Kentucky to become a dressmaker in a time of turmoil for Black people. The reader experiences the creativity that continued to flow through Wilds, even as she lost her sight and became blind. The story concludes with a charge for the reader to find and harness their creativity, like Wilds did. Just as the story is layered into the poem, Diana Ejaita’s bold images are layered onto a silhouette, representing the dressmaker. She uses colors and textile patterns to weave the images deeply into the story. Gr 3-5  Lawrence & Sophia: Big & Bold. Doreen Cronin. Illus. by Brian Cronin. (2025). Rocky Pond Books. Lawrence and Sophia are back as the best of friends. They spend all their time together acting “big and bold” in their adventures and even breaking the rules at times. When Lawrence embraces different adventures with a new friend named Sydney, Sophia feels left out. Sophia decides not to sit around while Lawrence has all the fun, so she endeavors to be “big and bold” on her own and brings Frog along with her. What will become of Lawrence and Sophia? This relatable and amusing tale of friendship is perfect for reading aloud and sparking discussions about expanding friendships. Using poster paint in a mainly pastel color palette, Brian Cronin’s illustrations are eccentric and complement the humor in the storyline well. PreK-Gr 2  Little Freddie Two Pants. Drew Daywalt. Illus. by Lucy Ruth Cummins. (2025). Philomel. In this silly picture book, a dog named Freddie cannot decide how many pairs of pants to wear or where to put them. Readers are sure to laugh out loud as Freddie tries on one, two, and even three pairs of pants at once, along with wearing his underwear in various places. The narrator attempts to guide him as he gets dressed, and his monkey friend joins in the fun, too. Drew Daywalt’s typical humor is on display in this book, and the use of varying sizes and colors of print makes this text work well for story time. The illustrations by Lucy Ruth Cummins are simple yet entertaining, adding to the hilarity of the story. PreK-Gr 2  The Interpreter. Olivia Abtahi. Illus. by Monica Arnaldo. (2025). Kokila. Cecilia is bilingual–she knows two languages! She loves playing with her friends and helping her family by interpreting English into Spanish at all their important grown-up meetings, such as the doctor, the DMV, and even her own parent-teacher conference. The story follows Cecilia as she does her best to navigate a busy day of interpreting with a good attitude and time for friends. When she just can’t do it all, her family bands together to help. This bilingual book depicts the additional challenges a dual language student may face in day-to-day life. Olivia Abtahi brings light to an experience that, while ever-present in our schools, is underrepresented in children’s literature. Abtahi gives bilingual students a chance to see themselves in a book that is engaging and culturally respectful. Monica Arnaldo blends colored pencils and watercolor to add beautiful illustrations to the story. Gr 3-5  The Peanut Man. Carmen Agra Deedy. Illus. by Raúl Colón. (2025). Margaret Quinlin Books. Carmen Agra Deedy shares memories from her childhood of el manisero (the Peanut Man), who would visit every night when she lived in Havana, Cuba. They had a special bond, and she is heartbroken when she learns that her family is immigrating to the United States. Deedy recounts how homesick she felt while adjusting to her new life in Decatur, Georgia. One bright spot was listening to baseball games on the radio with her father, especially when their favorite player, Henry “Hank” Aaron, was playing. More cherished memories awaited when Papi took her to a baseball game at the Atlanta Stadium. Raúl Colón’s textured illustrations of watercolor, colored pencil, and lithograph help bring the story to life. Among those illustrations is a powerful double-page spread that depicts her family’s immigration journey from Havana to Decatur with a couple of stops in between. The afterword in the endpapers shares yet another related memory from Deedy’s adulthood. PreK-Gr 3  The Wild Robot on the Island. Peter Brown. (2025). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Adapted from The Wild Robot novel, Peter Brown has created a simpler version of Roz and Brightbill’s story. Roz, a robot who inhabits the island by chance, learns to live in a place for which she was not designed. She builds a home in the land and a community among the wildlife. Roz develops a very special parent-offspring relationship with an abandoned goose, whom she names Brightbill. Roz and Brightbill’s story follows the seasons as they change through the year. Brown uses simple sentences and sweet dialogue bubbles to bring his novel to life as a picture book, and the story is enhanced with deeply colorful, detailed digital images. While Roz and other characters are represented quite simply, the setting is more ornate as the seasons change on the island. An unlikely pair, the robot and the goose show readers what true companionship can be. PreK-Gr 3  To See an Owl. Matthew Cordell. (2025). Random House. Matthew Cordell uses his ink and watercolor illustrations to bring to life the story of a passionate, persistent young girl. Janie loves owls. She has read books about owls, drawn pictures of owls, and searched for owls in the woods. She has never seen an owl, though. Janie has become discouraged until Mr. Koji inspires her. Mr. Koji is a teacher who shares Janie’s interest in owls. He says to see an owl is magical. He encourages Janie’s passion. Janie takes her learning beyond the classroom, doing all she can to learn more about owls and finally see one. One day, Mr. Koji sees Janie’s map and tells her where she may find owls in the woods. Janie and her mom go out on another search for owls, and this one is unlike the other. This time, Janie sees the hidden creatures of the night. She finally sees an owl, and it is magical, just as Mr. Koji said. PreK-Gr 3  Willow takes on the Weather. Rachel Noble. Illus. by Annabel Tempest. (2025). Page Street Kids. Willow is an expressive, charismatic little girl who is looking forward to fun in the sun. The weather quickly changes her plans and her emotions. Willow quickly becomes frustrated as Rachel Noble makes Weather an early antagonist through the use of personification. Willow and Weather engage in a push-and-pull battle of wills. Willow wants sun, but Weather doesn’t want to be sunny. Willow’s persistence and a beautifully written character arc take Weather from foe to friend, as Willow learns to make her own fun with wind, rain, and clouds. This lively story aligns well with science standards that require students to observe the weather themselves. Annabel Tempest’s colorful digital illustrations bring Willow’s active imagination to life. The lines used to portray Weather flow across the pages to match Willow’s dancing charisma. The energy of the characters and illustrations is matched through the placement of words and use of onomatopoeia across two-page spreads. Gr K-2  Wish in a Tree. Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Illus. by Nancy Carpenter. (2025). Nancy Paulsen Books. Lynda Mulally Hunt brings characters from her novel, Fish in a Tree, back in this picture book that honors neurodiversity. Oliver’s brain works differently from the other kids in his class as he imagines his pencil as a rocket and struggles to sit still. He is afraid that he will never fit in at school because of it. While some kids laugh at him, his friend, Albert, reminds him of the beauty that comes from our differences. Albert helps Oliver see how amazing brains like his have led to meaningful inventions, discoveries, and pieces of art. Nancy Carpenter’s detailed illustrations, created from a myriad of materials, help the reader follow the thoughts that race through Oliver’s head and showcase the impact of encouraging friends. This story is a touching tribute to the value of uniqueness and friendship, ideal for reading aloud. PreK-Gr 2 Nicole Maxwell is a professor specializing in literacy instruction in the Elementary and Special Education Program at the University of North Georgia.
Tiffany Watson is an Early Literacy Specialist whose career has focused on enhancing instructional practices in foundational reading and writing skills across the elementary grades. |
AuthorsThese reviews are submitted by members of the International Literacy Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG). Categories
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