CCBC Weekly Book Reviews
Sorry, Snail
Ari is mad, and dancing her feelings out isn’t helping. A snail in the yard provides an outlet for her anger as she furiously whispers, “Look at that slimy body … That silly shell.” She gets right in its face and adds, “Those tentacle eyes! I just can’t look at you anymore, snail.”
December 4, 2023
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
Celine Bangura and Bradley Graeme, Afro-British teens living in Nottingham, are former best friends who fell out in early adolescence.
November 27, 2023
The Lost Year
Three compelling storylines move back and forth between the first months of the pandemic in 2020, and Ukraine and Brooklyn in 1932 and 1933.
November 20, 2023
On the Edge of the World
Vera lives on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, with the Pacific Ocean stretching out beyond the coast. “My mom says we’re on the real edge of the world.” Lucas lives with his family in a small town on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Chile. “It’s the real edge of the world!" his grandmother tells him.
November 13, 2023
Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods
This mouth-watering buffet enriched with history, culture, folklore, and personal anecdotes is divided into sections based primarily on courses of a Chinese meal (Tea, Appetizers, Soup, Side Orders, Chef’s Specials, Dessert).
November 6, 2023
The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale
An author’s note reveals the inspiration behind this delightfully odd retelling: A year after first stumbling upon the Tyrolean folktale “The Skull,” Klassen reread it and found that he misremembered significant parts of it. From that slightly off tale, “[his] brain’s version,” he wrote The Skull.
October 30, 2023
Saints of the Household
Brothers Jay and Max, 11 months apart ... live with their mother, who is Bribri (Indigenous Costa Rican), and their physically abusive white dad. The two live on high alert, and because their dad is much less likely to hurt their mom if one of them is around, they make sure she’s alone with him as little as possible.
October 23, 2023
Gertie: The Darling Duck of WWII
In April, 1945, a duck laid eggs on a high piling in the Milwaukee River, near a drawbridge in the heart of the city’s downtown.
October 16, 2023
Land of Broken Promises
In this follow-up to In the Beautiful Country, Anna (Taiwanese name Ai Shi) is finally adjusting to life in the United States, where she is finishing sixth grade.
October 9, 2023
Beneath
Grandpa wants to talk about Finn’s “horrible mood,” but Finn declines, believing that Grandpa doesn’t understand how Finn is feeling. Finn agrees to a walk but insists on remaining cloaked in a blanket.
October 1, 2023
I’d Rather Burn Than Bloom
Marisol’s mom died following a car accident that happened after she and Marisol had a huge fight. Marisol, 16, blames herself and has been out of control ever since, fixated on her failures as a daughter, especially how she and her mom (Filipina) always fought and how she didn’t say goodbye to her mom as she lay dying at the hospital.
September 25, 2023
The Eyes & the Impossible
Johannes takes his job as the “eyes” of the seaside park where he’s lived in the wild since he was a puppy very seriously.
September 18, 2023
Henry, Like Always
In Classroom Ten, Mrs. Tanaka keeps a predictable schedule. To Henry’s satisfaction, the Big Calendar looks the same every week—except for this Monday, when Mrs. Tanaka makes an unexpected announcement. In lieu of Friday afternoon Share Time, the class will have a special parade.
September 11, 2023
What My Daddy Loves
“My daddy loves starting the day with me.” On each page spread, a simple first-person statement about what the daddy shown loves doing “with me” accompanies an illustration showing a different Black dad and his young child engaged in the activity the child names.
September 4, 2023
First-Year Orientation
A well-rounded anthology of loosely connected short stories explores the excitement, trepidation, and (sometimes literal) magic of first-year orientation at fictional Rolland College.
August 28, 2023- More Books of the Week