No ordinary kids
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo By F.C. Yee (Amulet; 314 pages; $18.99; ages 13-up)
Grounded in complex Asian mythology but played out in the familiar Bay Area, this debut young-adult novel stars 16-year-old Genie plus Quentin, a mysterious transfer student at her prep school. Turns out he is the Monkey King, and she is a legendary weapon, both reincarnated as techsavvy kids. Genie reluctantly joins an Armageddon-like showdown with more than 100 demons. The action is both credible and incredible. Aiming for the Ivy League, Genie uses newly discovered superpowers to defeat old evil. One thing for sure: Writing a standout college essay just got easier for her! Here, a local author successfully weaves together disparate elements, layering in humor and social commentary. What drives kids to achieve beyond their parents? Is Genie pressured by a Tiger Mom culture? Some R-rated language makes for a PG epic that imaginatively unites East and West.
Balderdash! John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children’s Books By Michelle Markel; illustrated by Nancy Carpenter (Chronicle; 44 pages; $17.99; ages 5-8)
Once upon a time “children had to read preachy poems and fables,” plus religious texts and manuals full of restrictive rules. Then, according to this boisterous picture biography, along comes an 18th century disruptor — a bookseller and publisher of “irresistible” books to nurture, not punish, the young. John Newbery takes London by storm with “A Little Pretty Pocket-Book” and its stories, games, ABCs and proverbs. More than 100 titles follow, all anonymously created “especially for the perspectives and enthusiasms of children.” Perhaps most famous is “The History of Goody Two-Shoes,” the smash-hit novel about a poor but can-do orphan girl. Spirited pen-and-ink art perfectly captures period detail and changing attitudes toward child-rearing. The Newbery Award annually honors the most distinguished contribution to U.S. literature for kids and rightfully bears this Brit’s name.
Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix By Jacqueline Briggs Martin and June Jo Lee; illustrated by Man One (Readers to Eaters; 32 pages; $18.95; ages 5-10)
Food trucks are the rage, and the subject of this spraypainted, graffiti-styled biography about a cool “street cook.” Roy Choi’s trajectory is fitful: born in Seoul, educated in L.A., fan of mom’s kimchi and bibimbop, cooking school student, restaurant chef to Hollywood, restaurant chef dropout, Kogi BBQ Truck owner and catalyst for foodie ventures. Zingy, staccato writing tells how Choi favors fusion and inclusion. Korean beef in a taco for everyone! It’s exciting to see how he brings fresh flavors to “outsiders, low-riders, kids, teens, shufflers, and skateboarders.” It’s exciting to see how he brings folks together, “Koreans with Latinos ... taggers with geeks.” Choi is an innovative, driven, nimble, passionate, generous and creative risk-taker. As we learn, a recipe for success!
Where’s Rodney? By Carmen Bogan; illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Yosemite Conservancy; 32 pages; $16.99; ages 4-8)
A Washington, D.C. pediatrician writes prescriptions for “nature” instead of Ritalin. That’s for real and just what the rambunctious African American boy in this realistically imagined picture book needs. The stage is set in his class: Rodney can’t even concentrate on the word of the week. It’s “majestic.” Outside, not inside, is where he always wants to be. Here, an Oakland author writes with clear purpose about the transformative power of nature, moving the action from a green-free urban environment to a wilderness field trip where Rodney comes to understand what “majestic” really does mean. He is awed by the cliffs, canyons, trees, animals and sky. Dusky, soft focused paintings chronicle his journey of discovery (and self-discovery) with a final note that encourages kids to get out on their own or through nonprofits that promote environmental education.
If Sharks Disappeared By Lily Williams (Roaring Brook Press; 40 pages; $17.99; ages 4-8)
Kids love sharks, so this beginning science book will have an automatic audience. It will also earn extra points for its thought-provoking thesis: Sharks are not as scary as the prospect of a planet without them. So, what happens should such an “apex predator” drop out of the ecosystem? (Terms are explained in a very handy glossary.) Without sharks the pinniped population would explode, their fish food would run short, plankton would run wild and so on. In this, her first children’s book, the California-born and -bred Williams follows a cocoa-colored girl as she boats around, searching out juicy shark facts and aha connections — how old, how many and how essential they are. Carefully vetted, this hypothetical demonstrates the meaning of trophic cascade and what happens if sharks are fished to extinction. Nothing good. Conclusion: We are one.
Flowers of Sarajevo By John McCutcheon; illustrated by Kristy Caldwell (Peachtree; 32 pages; $19.95; ages 6-9)
It’s 1992 at the height of the Balkan War. His father at the battlefield, young Drasko must run the family flower stall in the very Sarajevo Square where a mortar attack kills 22 people in line to buy bread. This sobering fictionalized account focuses on the infamous tragedy and its now famed aftermath — how Vedran Smailovic brings bow to strings amid the rubble for 22 straight days, playing soulful Albinoni to honor the dead and heal the living. That’s Serb and Croat, Muslim and Christian. (He is today known as “the cellist of Sarajevo.”) Boldly outlined charcoal and ink art shows a community under duress, sometimes reduced by bad tempers and sometimes elevated by small acts of kindness. It’s all sadly relevant. Do listen to the accompanying CD with “Streets of Sarajevo,” an iconic song by the author himself.