WISHES by Muon Thi Van. Illus. by Victo Ngai. New York: Orchard Books, 2021. 32p. ISBN 978-133830589-0 hc. $18.99    Gr. 1-4    E PIC

Strap down your emotions, as this story is based on the author's journey from Viet Nam to Hong King to the United States when she was a child in the 1980's.  Every sentence, except for the last one, repeats the pattern,  "The ____ wishes it was ____."  The illustrator makes those sentences come to life by creating the scenarios that almost wordlessly tell the tale of secretly gathering family members for a journey to safety in another country.  But there is nothing safe about the nightime trip to the seashore and the power of the waves that rocked the small, crowded boat.  Despite the sadness conveyed in the illustrations, there is beauty and hope for the future.  
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

WE SHALL OVERCOME by Bryan Collier.  New York: Orchard Books, 2021.  32p.  ISBN 978-133854037-56 hc. $18.99    Gr. 1-5    E PIC

Collier brings the famous words of a Civil Rights protest song to life with his signature watercolor and collage creations that cover the page from top to bottom, side to side.  He presents a timeline of landmark Civil Rights events in shades of gray behind the present day figures enjoying the freedoms their predecessors fought for.  Readers will recognize the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, Rosa Parks sitting down on a bus, and the National Guard protecting students at the newly integrated Little Rock Central High School, all taking place in the 1950's and 1960's. This book is packed with information, emotion, and pure beauty.  Collier has received multiple Coretta Scott King awards for illustration and four Caldecott Honors for MARTIN'S BIG WORDS by Doreen Rapapport (2001), ROSA by Nikki Giovanni (2005), DAVE THE POTTER by Dave Carrick Hill (2010), and TROMBONE SHORTY by Troy Andrews (2015).
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 

UNSPEAKABLE: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illus. by Floyd Cooper.  Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, 2021. 32p. ISBN 978-154158120-3 hc. $17.99   Gr. 2-5   J 976.686

Even though this remarkable tale begins with, "once upon a time," it is a true story buried in time.  The community of Greenwood, on the edge of Tulsa, Oklahoma was divided by train tracks into a white section and a black district.  The black community had a thriving economy from long-term oil investments and was nicknamed the "Negro Wall Street of America," providing good jobs for families and good education for their children.  A single incident between a black worker and a white elevator operator brought both communities to blows on May 31, 1921.  Enraged white citizens raided and burned businesses and homes, killing blacks along the way.  The National Guard arrived the following day and moved homeless residents into camps until they could rebuild or move on.  This incident was swept under the rug for 75 years before it was investigated or made known to the American public.  Most readers are just learning of it recently, as the number of publications on the subject has swelled to commemorate its 100th anniversary.  The Author's Note and Illustrator's Note provide further insight into this tragedy. 
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 

OH MY GODS! by Stephanie Cooke and Insha Fitzpatrick. Illus by Juliana Moon. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021. 202p.  ISBN 978-035829951-6 hc. $24.99     Gr. 4-8     J Graphic

Karen is a typical teen from New Jersey who likes to play video games with friends.  When her mom gets a new job that requires her to be out of town for some months, Karen is shipped off to live with her father on Mt. Olympus in Greece.  As she gets to know her dad and enrolls in school there, Karen finally catches on that she's in the company of mythological gods and goddesses.  Her father reveals that she is a demigod and her powers will emerge, but doesn't elaborate on what they might be.  Meanwhile, Karen and her new friends investigate the mystery of a classmate turned to stone in the library.  They find more stone bodies in the barn belonging to Medusa and her sisters, all homeschooled in order to isolate them from the public, and try to find a way to neutralize Medusa's gaze.  As things normalize around Mt. Olympus, readers are visually guided down dark corridors in the school building which lead to a locked door - and the next adventure in the series.  Don't miss Karen's handwritten notes at the back of the book that keep track of the gods and their powers.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center

TEN BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Molly Beth Griffin. Illus. by Maribel Lechuga.  Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2021. 32p. ISBN 978-1580899369 hc. $16.99     Gr. K-3     E PIC

Readers will have to guess why Lily and her Gram are traveling an entire night and day to get to the farmhouse in Iowa.  Lily is obviously sad to be moving there, but Gram tells her to pass the time by looking for ten beautiful things along the way.  Together they find the sunrise, a river, a flock of birds, clouds, and a thunderstorm, to name a few.  By the time they reach Gram's farmhouse, all the beauty of nature seemed to fill up the hollow places that Lily felt at the beginning of the trip.  Her attitude changed during the journey, allowing her to make a new life with Gram.  Full-page spreads emphasize the beauty of nature, no matter where you live.  What an inspiration for young readers who may have already started a new life in a new location.  Discussion possibilities are endless.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

FORTY WINKS: A Bedtime Adventure by Kelly DiPucchio. Illus. by Lita Judge.  New York: Abrams Books, 2021.  32p.  ISBn978-141974552-2 hc. $17.99     PreS - K     E PIC

Mr. and Mrs. Wink and their 38 children give readers an up-close look at their industrial sized bedtime routine.  With everyone's help, the young mice are bathed, clothed, and read to before being tucked into bed.  The rhyming text is clever and includes a rhythmic role call of all the mice children.  It's a hilarious scene with 38 moving parts!  The watercolor and pencil illustrations build a world of fantasy that lets readers imagine a mouse house with enough beds for everyone.  Pure fun!
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

 ALLERGIC by Hegan Wagner Lloyd.  Art by Michelle Mee Nutter.  New York: Scholastic Graphix, 2021.  237p.  ISBN 978-133856891-2 hc. $24.99      Gr. 4-6     JUV Graphic

How would you feel if your body broke out in a rash whenever you were around animals, or ate eggs, or picked flowers or washed with certain soaps?  After a visit to the pet store to adopt a puppy, Maggie found out that she was allergic to all animals with fur or feathers.  This bad news was compounded by moving to a new school and the addition of a new baby in the family.  Maggie was not happy.  Things turned around for her when Claire moved in next door and a new friendship blossomed.  Their relationship endured a family of mice and Claire's new dog, but Maggie pulled through with a new understanding of her pesky brothers and open lines of communication with her parents.  Anyone who has ever been 10 years old will relate to this timely story.  The graphic novel format by Nutter is clear and easy to follow.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI