Wolken's World

Barnhill, K. (2016). The girl who drank the moon. Algonquin Young Readers.      In The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, a small town sacrifices a newborn each year to a witch they believe is dangerous. However, the witch, Xan, is actually kind and nurturing. Thinking the babies have been abandoned, she rescues them and delivers them to loving families on the other side of the forest. Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight one year, filling her with powerful magic. Xan raises the girl, Luna, as her own, but conceals her magic until she is old enough to control it. As Luna’s power begins to awaken, secrets unravel, leading to a confrontation that challenges everything the town believes. The story transitions seamlessly from reality to the imaginative without compromising its credibility. Nothing feels random; everything connects and unfolds with intention.      The story deals with the universal truths of love, sacrifice,...

Grimes, N. (2022). Garvey in the dark . Astra Publishing House.      Garvey in the Dark by Nikki Grimes explores identity, family, and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The story follows Garvey, a thoughtful, music-loving boy navigating life during the COVID-19 lockdown. As he struggles with isolation, fear for his loved ones, and growing tensions at home, Garvey learns to cope through music, friendship, and new ways of connecting.      Written for middle-grade students, readers can easily identify with Garvey. He’s a relatable character: introverted, food-and-music-loving, thoughtful, and sensitive. Readers can see his strengths in his emotional intelligence and growing self-awareness, and his weaknesses in his self-doubt and struggles with his father's expectations. The story is set during a time middle-grade students can remember well: the height of the pandemic. The plot moves logically with dates and events, but also with Garvey facing challen...

Behar, R. (2017). Lucky Broken Girl . Penguin.      Lucky Broken Girl,  written by Ruth Behar, is a historical fiction book for middle school students. The story follows Ruthie, a Cuban immigrant with Jewish roots, nicknamed “The Hopscotch Queen of Queens”. After moving from Cuba to Queens, New York, in the 1960s with her family, Ruthie’s family is in a car accident that leaves her in a body cast for most of a year.       The themes center on real, fact-based experiences, such as immigration, cultural identity, and physical disability. Author Ruth Behar draws from her own childhood trauma, so the “why” behind events, like the struggles of being confined to bed, are deeply personal and realistic. The setting reflects the post-immigration life of many Cuban and Latin American families at the time. References to neighborhood dynamics, schools, hospitals, and even the fashion and décor of the time help anchor readers in the period. Political aspects, ...

Brian, R. (2020). Consent (for kids!): Boundaries, respect, and being in charge of you . Little, Brown and Company, a Division of Hachette Book Group.      Consent (for kids!): Boundaries, Respect, and Being in Charge of You is a children's book written by Rachel Brian. Presented as a graphic novel, rather than a chapter book, it is designed to teach young children about the concept of consent in an accessible and engaging way. The text and illustrations work well together and are easy to follow. The book is intended to help children understand the importance of setting personal boundaries, respecting others' boundaries, and making choices about their own bodies. It uses simple, age-appropriate language and illustrations to help kids understand these concepts. The illustrations are effective and well executed. The plot, or lessons, are easy to understand. I read this book with my 8-year-old daughter and she understood the importance of each lesson. This book is part...

Level One- has 32 pages of bright, colorful artwork to help with comprehension.  the text is set in 17-to-20-point type there are, on average, five words per line the sentences average five to seven words the words that are used are largely sight vocabulary or one-syllable words of five letters or fewer there are generally two to seven lines per page, with as much as two-thirds of each page used for illustrations and white space the illustrations provide plenty of picture clues Fenske, J. (2021). A pig, a fox, and a box. Random House Children’s Books.      A Pig, a Fox, and a Box by Jonathan Fenske is a simple and repetitive book with controlled vocabulary, short sentences, and a strong reliance on illustrations for context clues. It is designed for emergent readers. Similar to Mo Willems’s popular Elephant & Piggie , A Pig, a Fox, and a Box is written in rhythm and rhyme. The text in this book appears in color-coded and differently shaped dialogue bubbles as t...

Johnson, D. (2022). H is for Harlem . Christy Ottaviano Books- Little Brown and Hachette.      H Is for Harlem ’s author, Dinah Johnson, is a distinguished author and professor of English at the University of South Carolina. She is an award-winning children’s book author of many books for young readers. Written in the Note from the Author, Johnson writes about her love of all things unique to each New York City neighborhood. “... I wrote this book because I’ve spent so much time in Harlem that it feels like a second home.” Johnson's academic background and literary contributions establish her as an authority in African-American cultural studies. In H Is for Harlem , she presents the subject matter with depth and authenticity, reflecting her expertise.      H Is for Harlem offers an alphabetic exploration of Harlem's rich cultural heritage, with each letter highlighting significant people and places. This approach appeals to young readers by providing ...