THE NEW FRIEND by Charlotte Zolotow. Illus. by Benjamin Chaud. Canada: Milky Way Picture Books, 2021.  ISBN 978-1-99025201-3 hc. $17.99     PreS - Gr.3    E PIC

Readers are introduced to the main character and her best friend, "a dear friend with long brown hair."  They have a wonderful day together, hiking in the woods, reading books, and snacking on apples from the branches of a tree.  The next day, our girl is in disbelief as she spots her friend doing all their favorite activities with a new friend.  She grieves by crying all day and night, but has a dream that she moves on and also finds a new friend.  The pain of losing a friend, at any age, is verified by the author, making this story perfect for reading at home and in the classroom. Chaud's watercolor and gouache illustrations freshen up the story with vibrant, colorful full page spreads of the friends interacting with each other and nature.  The text was originally published in 1968 and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully.  It's a book that meets the test of time.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

HURRICANE SUMMER by Asha Bromfield.  New York: St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2021. 375p. ISBN 978-125-62223-5 hc. $18.99    Gr. 9-12     YA FIC

Tilla is visiting Jamaica, her father's homeland, for the first time in ten years.  She is longing for her father's approval and goes down all the wrong paths to find it.  Upon arrival, Tilla and Mia's father greets them and leaves them in the care of his extended family, who live in the countryside.  Nine year-old Mia has no problem connecting with the family, but Tilla is the object of jealousy by her cousin Diana, who resents her Canadian middle-class upbringing, tells lies about her and plays dangerous tricks on her.  Driven to find friendship with some of her male cousins and friends, she makes typical teen bad choices while rumors of promiscuity begin to circulate.  As Tilla unwittingly finds out the truth behind her father's behavior, as well as Diana, Aunt Herma and Aunt Adele, she puts the pieces together, taking into account the culture and poverty of her Jamaican family.  At the same time, a hurricane hits the island and causes destruction everywhere.  Tilla also feels that she's experienced a personal hurricane destroying the beliefs she grew up with, prompting her to cut off the toxic relationships she experienced over the summer.  The physical and emotional events of the summer will allow her to build a new resilience within herself.  This book begins with a Patois Word Bank to help American readers connect with the dialect used by native Jamaican speakers.

Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

MR. FILKINS IN THE DESERT by Quentin Blake.  New York, TATE Publishing / Abrams Books, 2021.  32p.  ISBN 978-1-84976750-7 lib. $17.99      Gr. K-2      E PIC

Emphasizing the importance of water, Blake sets this story in the desert where water is scarce.  Mr. Filkins sets off through the desert on a journey to his 90th birthday party.  On the way, he avoids two terrifying creatures, the snerg and the clutterbunk, but comes face to face with the "fearsome zagobert."  However, this ominous beast was laid out flat on the ground from dehydration.  The old man shared his water, reviving the zagobert, who grabbed him and flew him the rest of the way to his destination.  The party welcomed everyone by serving lots of cake, accompanied by lots of water.  The final illustration shows Mr. Filkins and the zagobert celebrating with several glasses of this precious resource.

Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

OVERGROUND RAILROAD: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America by Candacy Taylor. New York: Amulet Books, 2022.  254p. ISBN 978-141974949-0 hc. $22.99     Gr. 6-8   Juv 970.980

It's hard to put this book down after reading the Introduction recalling the personal experience of a black family being stopped by the police, while driving through Tennessee on vacation in the 1950's.  Racial prejudice was so prevalent in the United States that it wasn't safe for black drivers on the road.  Luckily, Victor H. Green came to the rescue with a book titled, THE NEGRO MOTORIST GREEN-BOOK that listed safe havens for blacks traveling around the country.  There were other travel guides also available, but this one was published from 1936 to 1962.  Taylor illuminates readers with photographs postcards, and pages from the original Green Books.  The stories are eye-opening, as they reveal a piece of history unknown to many.  An impressive bibliography of resources and photos close out the book.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI

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