George J. and the Miserable Monday by Sivan Hong

 I don't normally review picture books on my blog, although I don't know why, since I love a good picture book! I volunteered to review a book for the Multicultural Children's Book Day and this was the book I was sent to review.  

George J. and the Miserable Monday is a book about George, a little boy who does not like change.  His biggest concern is Mondays, he worries that things at school will change and he won't be ready for the change.   George's family helps him understand that change is part of life and that sometimes you have to be brave to face these changes.  When George goes off to school on Monday, he learns to be brave with the help of a friend from home.  

George reminds me of so many kids I see in the early primary grades.  They come to school and worry about all sorts of things and miss their families.  I love how Sivan captured these feelings so many students experience and also provides a simple solution to help them be brave. 

Linked by Gordon Korman

 I have been a fan of Gordon Korman since he wrote "This Can't Be Happening at McDonald Hall" in 1978!  I was so excited to see that he had a book on the Red Maple list for 2022.

Linked is the story of a small town with a racist past that nobody wants to discuss.  When Michael finds a swastika spray painted at the school, he is worried everyone will think it is him who drew it.  But it remains a mystery as to who would draw it and why they would do that.  For Dana, it really hits close to home because she comes from the only Jewish family in town.  When more and more swastika's start to appear, the school chooses to combat hate with an act of love and bringing the school together instead of tearing them apart.  As people are trying to discover which of the students has been vandalizing the school, they start to learn about the history of their town and the connection with the Klu Klux Klan.  Both past and present experiences leave the town exploring their own bias and how racism plays out in everyday life.  

I thought that Linked was a great story, with so many entry points for discussions with kids.  I am looking forward to talking to students about it.  I also think it would make a great read aloud for a class.  

Birdspell by Valerie Sherrard

 I've read several Valerie Sherrard books (although I haven't reviewed all of them apparently!) and I was very excited to see that one of her books was on the Red Maple list for 2022.  I am working my way through all of these books so I can talk to kids about them.  

Birdspell is the story of Corbin who has been trying to hold it together for a very long time.  His mother suffers from bipoloar disorder which means she struggles with highs and lows.  In dealing with her mental health, his mother tends to not be able to hang onto jobs, apartments, furniture and food, this has led to  Corbin having to start over many, many times.  Corbin is resourceful, he knows how to find food, odd jobs and how best to help his mom stay calm and under control.  At his new school, he finds himself making a friend, something he has tried to avoid because it just leads to too many questions.  His friend Izelle tells Corbin she needs to get rid of her pet bird, and since Corbin has always wanted a bird, this seems perfect.  But when Corbin's mom starts to experience another one of her lows, and she loses her job, Corbin is worried not only about his future, but his new pet's future as well.  

I loved reading this story, Corbin's situation was just so sad, and yet he handled it all so well.  He reminded me of so many students who deal with issues at home, and yet are so good at keeping that side of their life hidden.  

One other note about reading YA books- I have always loved reading YA books, but have struggled to read actual books (as opposed to books on my Kindle) during the school year.  However, I've just discovered that I can use Cloud Library on my iPad (and phone) and borrow books from the public library.  This is amazing, since it means I can now have the actual book to share with kids, but read the book digitally.  I anticipate I will be able to read way more YA books now!