The Book Review Club (June 2022)

Welcome to the June 2022 edition of the Book Review Club. We have reviews and recommendations for both kids and adults. Perfect timing for summer reading plans. Under my post are links to terrific reviews by terrific reviewers. Enjoy.

SAME HERE! (picture book, contemporary)

By Susan Hughes

Illustrated by Sophie Casson

SAME HERE! THE DIFFERENCES WE SHARE isn't my typical  read. But it was the perfect book for last week. After the horrific Texas school shooting, I needed something uplifting, something feel good about children happily going about childhood. SAME HERE! more than fit the bill. 

This well-researched 64-page picture book is about children from around the world sharing details of their lives. The reader learns ways in which these children differ from each. Depending on where they live, they speak different languages, live in different kinds of dwellings, eat different foods, etc. 

BUT THE BIG TAKEAWAY is that children from across the map share the same needs. Such as: the need to communicate, the need to feel loved and protected, the need for shelter, etc. Altogether, the author explores nine needs.

A few of my favorite shares: Somchai from Thailand who describes his house on stilts as "a big sun umbrella...always shady and cool underneath." Also, the stilts keep the house above water during the rainy season. (We all need shelter.) And Erica from the US whose first word was "dah woozy" ("strawberry" in Navajo. (We all need to communicate.) And Salma from Bangladesh whose school is on a boat because of the low land and all the rain. (We all need to learn.) And the child from the Bahamas whose favorite food is gooey macaroni pie. (We all need to eat.) And the girl from Nigeria who wants to be a teacher or a doctor. (We all need to dream.) You can see how SAME HERE! isn't just interesting. It's endearing.

I would be remiss not to mention the illustrations that draw you in (no pun intended :) ) and amplify the text. They are delightful with just the right amount of detail. As per the publisher, Owlkids Books, SAME HERE! is written at a third-grade reading level. I can add that this book would be a terrific read-aloud for the younger crowd, too. And, obviously, since it spoke to me, it works for the older crowd. Ha!

There's a reading list at the back of the book. Here's a link to the discussion guide written by the author. 

SAME HERE! THE DIFFERENCES WE SHARE is highly recommended for libraries, classrooms and your kid's/grandkid's/nephew's/niece's/neighbor's bookshelf. This book is a terrific jumping-off point for some important discussions with kids.

(Dear FCC: library)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION BOOK REVIEW

Linda McLaughlin: JOHNNY TREMAIN by Esther Hoskins Forbes (MG, historical)

ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks: THE LAST ISLAND by Zülfü Livaneli (political allegory)

Lucy Sartain: ALL HER SECRETS by Wanda M. Morris (thriller)

Margy Lutz: THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK by Kim Michele Richardson     (historical)

Patti Abbott: MONTANA 1948 by Larry Watson (literary)                                                                                                                                                                   

Ray Potthoff: NORTHWEST ANGLE by William Kent Kruger (mystery)

POETRY BOOK REVIEW

Sarah Laurence: DEAD BURYING THE DEAD UNDER A QUAKING ASPEN by David Cranmer

NONFICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks: THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF PLANTS by Stefano Mancuso

Phyllis Wheeler: AMY CONEY BARRETT: A JUSTICE & A MOTHER by Joyce Claiborne-West          (picture book, biography)

 



Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!