The U.S. publisher, an arm of the American Psychological Association, suggests shared reading to prompt discussion; some...
This private, off-limits diary of a young girl records ideas and feelings that she doesn't want to reveal to anyone else, turning readers into instant voyeurs.
The fictional Marilou writes narrative and simple poetry in a convincing voice. She includes things that make her sad or happy, disappoint her or make her proud, thoughts about friendship and solitude, examples of courage and fears and feelings about growing up, life, war, death, peace, hope and sharing with the world. Two common events prompt many of her musings: the death of her red goldfish and her parents’ announcement that they are expecting another child. These short entries are presented in a variety of handwritten printing styles (no script) and taped in a scrapbook, leaving plenty of white space on each page. They are accompanied by slightly surreal images, usually filling a single page but sometimes spilling over the gutter. Done with a variety of media, some illustrations look like watercolor paintings enhanced with crayon and some collage, others are more textured with brushwork visible. First published in Canada in French, this was shortlisted for a readers' choice award in Atlantic Canada. No translator is credited.
The U.S. publisher, an arm of the American Psychological Association, suggests shared reading to prompt discussion; some readers may prefer to maintain the illusion of learning someone’s secrets, responding to them without adult interference. (Picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: July 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4338-0958-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: June 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2011
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
A nice and timely depiction of an immigrant child experience.
Speaking up is hard when you’re shy, and it can be even harder if you’ve got two languages in your head.
Third-grader Estrella “Stella” Díaz, is a shy, Mexican-American girl who draws pictures and loves fish, and she lives in Chicago with her mother and older brother, Nick. Jenny, Stella’s best friend, isn’t in her class this year, and Stella feels lonely—especially when she sees that Vietnamese-American Jenny is making new friends. When a new student, Stanley Mason, arrives in her class, Stella introduces herself in Spanish to the white former Texan without realizing it and becomes embarrassed. Surely Stanley won’t want to befriend her after that—but he seems to anyway. Stella often confuses the pronunciation between English and Spanish sounds and takes speech classes. As an immigrant with a green card—a “legal alien,” according to her teacher—Stella feels that she doesn’t fully belong to either American culture or Mexican culture, and this is nicely reflected in her not being fully comfortable in either language, an experience familiar to many immigrant and first-generation children. This early-middle-grade book features italicized Spanish words and phrases with direct translations right after. There is a small subplot about bullying from Stella’s classmate, and readers will cheer as they see how, with the help of her friends and family, Stella overcomes her shyness and gives a presentation on Jacques Cousteau. Dominguez’s friendly black-and-white drawings grace most pages.
A nice and timely depiction of an immigrant child experience. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-62672-858-5
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2017
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