When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop written by Laban Carrick Hill & illustrated by Theodore Taylor 111

Wow! Just wow! 

It feels like I've been waiting and waiting forever for this book to arrive. 

It's the story of Clive, a boy growing up in Kingston, Jamaica. He loved any kind of music. No matter what kind it was, it made his feet go, "HIP HIP HOP, HIPPITY HOP." His hero was the local DJ, King George, who threw "the biggest and baddest house parties in the neighborhood." 

When Clive was 13 he moved to New York City to be with his mama. It was hard at first, but he found a sense of belonging in sports. He was nicknamed Kool Herc.  Eventually he went to go to the local "house parties where he listened to the hottest tunes and danced like crazy." Soon after his father purchased a monster sound system, Kool Herc and his sister started having parties of their own. He became the DJ he had always wanted to be. Taking what he had learned from King George, Kool Herc's parties became renowned for for their music and dance. Local gang members came together peacefully to participate in break dance competitions. 

I love so much about this book. The illustrations are stunning; full of energy and emotion. The lyrical text has the beat running through it. 

★★★★★

Picture Books to Help us Deal with Loss (nonfiction picture book challenge)

I know these are not all nonfiction books, but they are all books that can help deal with all too real, difficult times. 

A short while ago our school was faced with the death of one of our own. While we already had some books that dealt with this kind of loss, I felt our collection needed some enhancement. These are some of our new titles. 

Lifetimes: the beautiful way to explain death to children by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen

This is a truly beautiful book. It deals matter-of-factly with the concept of death. Flowers, trees, rabbits, butterflies and humans are seen within the following context,

"There is a beginning 
and an ending for everything
that is alive.
In between is living."



Each page of text is accompanied by a beautifully soft illustration. The repetition of the phrase, "It is the way they live and it is their lifetime" provides a sense of normality and solace in the midst of the reality of mortality. 

The Scar by Charlotte Moundlic

This story is told from the perspective of a young boy. My eyes filled with tears as I read his reactions to, and interpretations of, his mother's death and his father's grief. It doesn't make light of the heaviness at a time like this, but it does leave the reader filled with hope by the end.

Rudy's Pond by Eve Bunting illustrated by Ronald Himler

A young girl has to deal with the sickness and death of her best friend. I like how the teacher made space for the children to deal with their loss. They wrote poetry and put it in a book. They created a pond and hung a hummingbird feeder above it. I love the moments of magical thinking that happen at times like this.

Harry and Hopper by Margaret Wild and Freya Blackwood

Margaret wild has the capacity to tackle hard topics with such grace. This book is no exception.  When Harry's dog, Hopper, dies in an accident, Harry has a hard time letting go. Afraid to sleep in his lonely bed, Harry spends his nights on the living room sofa. In his dreams Hopper returns to play with him. Over time the dog fades until Harry is able to say goodbye. Harry's relationship to his father is a beautiful counterpoint to the loss.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

As this book wends its way into your psyche it seeds curiosity, fascination, discomfort, fear, and excitement. I read through dinner gushing to my partner how unique it is.

My brother likes to pontificate on how there are no new stories - just the same ones told over and over again. I suspect The Archived might give him cause to reevaluate. Certainly it abounds with all the classic literary elements: death, heroes, romance, betrayal, trickery, and magical objects. What makes this book unique is the world building. Maybe I am slightly biased about a book that is set in a library - but this is no ordinary library.

Imagine that when you die, you become a History, a record wherein your body becomes a vessel that holds all your memories. It is stored in a place called The Archives, a library that contains all the histories of all the people who ever lived in the world. Occasionally a History wakes up and wanders off into The Narrows, a space between our world and The Archive. Two groups are responsible for returning them. Keepers are trained to guide them back from the Narrows, and Crew are experienced Keepers working in teams to send them back should they escape to our world.

Mackenzie Bishop was trained by her grandfather, Da, to become a Keeper. Her first person narrative is interspersed with memories of him. The book starts with her family in the process of recovering from the accidental death of Ben, the youngest child. They have just moved into a new home in a new town to start over. 

Something is seriously wrong in the Coronado, the apartment building they move into. A string of murders took place in the past but were never solved. Decades of history have been removed from its records in the real world, and Histories in the Archive have been altered or wiped clean of memories. Something is also very wrong in The Archives as the numbers of Histories waking up increase.

I loved this book. It was a scary mystery, but not terrifying. It is the first in a series, but completely satisfying all by itself. I'll definitely get this one for our library.  I've already got readers lined up for it. 

I look forward to reading more by Victoria Schwab. I've just put The Near Witch by her on hold at the VPL.

★★★★★

How to be Bad by by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle

How to be Bad 

by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski  and Lauren Myracle

This was a good read. I laughed out loud numerous times. It's the story of three young women who head out on a road trip. (Who doesn't love a road trip?) They come from different backgrounds and are dealing with different issues. 

Along the way they survive a wild party, an encounter with an alligator, and a hurricane.  Their friendship deepens as they learn how to be honest with themselves and each other. They discover what's important in life, and have a lot of fun. There is even romance. 

I especially liked the way the novel was organized so that the authors presented their characters' perspectives in separate chapters.

Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord

Lucy and her family have just moved to a lakeside home in a new town. They barely arrive when her father heads off to work as a professional photographer in another part of the country.

It's summer and the cottages nearby are filled with holidaying guests. As Lucy gets to know the family next door she becomes involved in their research and monitoring of the local loon population. Nate, their son, and Lucy collaborate on a set of photographs in hopes to win a local contest. What begins at first as a way to make her father notice her, ends up being about helping Nate's grandmother, who is dealing with dementia. 

This quiet little book is chock filled with beautiful imagery and lessons to be learned. It deals with loss, family relationships, and friendship. It tackles the challenges of trying to live up to other peoples standards. Ultimately the message delivered is revealed in these words:

"Oh people will think what they think!" Grandma Lilah said. "Don't ever choose the people who don't matter over the ones who do."

★★★★

Serafina's Promise by Ann E. Burg

I'm going to start off by telling you that this is a beautifully written book. I'm a bit of a sucker for verse anyway.  It seems like people can pack such a wallop into a few words using this format. This book is no exception. 

"What good is being brave
if being brave gets you killed.
Which is better,
to tell the truth and die,
or to give the bad people
what they want and live?"

"I wonder what hunger is like 
without a family
to fill the emptiness."

11 year old Serafina is an ordinary kid with a big dream. She wants to go to school to become a doctor. While their family is rich in love, they work hard just to survive. Serafina must stay home to help her mother. Everyday she must trudge to get water for them. Then she has to gather wood and help with other numerous chores. Even if she didn't have to pitch in, they just don't have enough money for a school uniform and school fees. 

Through this book the reader will learn something of Haiti.

• that it was the first free black country
• that in recent history people have endured both flood and earthquake
• that poverty results in malnutrition which leads to infant mortality

Ann E. Burg, the author, is a white woman who has never been to Haiti. In the acknowledgment section she notes working with the Haitian People's Support Project as well as thanking the librarians who helped her with her research. I'm still left with these questions - Is it appropriate for a white woman to write the story of a black girl who lives in a country she has never been to? Where does the profit from this book go? If it goes to support schools and learning conditions in Haiti, then I will be more likely to let go of my discomfort. 

Irrespective of my quibbles, I plan to read much more of Ann E. Burg's work. This is an excellent book that will lend itself to all kinds of conversation. Perhaps the issue of cultural appropriation will be one of them. 

If you are interested in Haitian history I recommend you read In Darkness by Nick Lake. 

★★★★

Texting the Underworld by Ellen Booraem

I am glad I finally discovered the safe place where I lost this book.  While it may not be a truly unusual meme, it is a really really good read. 

Connor O'Neil is not at all hero material. But when a banshee comes to visit, he travels with her (and his sister and grandfather) into the underworld to save someone in his family from death.  In the process he finds out that he has more strength than anyone, including himself, suspected. 

The humorous use of technology in the afterlife is delightful. Putting demigods and immortals into a modern day context adds to the fun. 

I really liked the big picture perspective of this narrative.  There are connections through time and space to multiple aspects on death and the afterlife. There are human relationships that connect, and maybe even repeat, across time. 

Ultimately this book is about accepting death as part of life.

★★★★