Books to lure kids from screens
My beloved grandmother used to say, “The person interested in reading is never lonely.” To modify that maxim for those with kids at home during the COVID-19 crisis: “The family interested in reading will not drive each other crazy.” Avoid too much screen time and give yourselves some quiet by diving into these great books.
For early readers
The ‘Ordinary People Change the World’ series by Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos: An excellent series of picture-book biographies that kicked off in 2014, the Ordinary People series profiles real-life heroes who made a difference through expertise and activism. Each book is devoted to one subject; the diverse list includes Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, civil rights crusaders Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., conservationist Jane Goodall and scientist Albert Einstein. Eisner-winning comic-book artist Christopher Eliopoulos and bestselling author Brad Meltzer depict the heroes not just at their moments of greatest achievement but also in their childhoods, thus giving kids role models to identify with.
‘The Elephant Queen Stories’ series by Mark Deeble: This particular series for very early readers seems to only be available in e-book format on Apple Books, which means you’ll need an iPhone or iPad to read them. Still, these five books are hard to resist — partly because Apple offers them all as free downloads. The rhyming prose focuses on Wewe, an elephant calf, as he interacts with his herd, including Granny, the majestic matriarch Athena. Director/cinematographer Mark Deeble wrote the books, published in 2019, to accompany his acclaimed documentary, “The Elephant Queen,” filmed in Kenya over the course of four years.
The ‘Zoey and Sassafras’ series by Asia Citro and Marion Lindsay: Science and fantasy mix marvelously in this acclaimed series, which began in 2017. Providing a great leap into chapter books, these clever stories follow the discoveries of Zoey — a girl so inquisitive, she wears Thinking Goggles — and her cat, Sassafras. The pair’s first adventure involves a baby dinosaur; Zoey must combine research with observation to determine key factors, such as what foods it will eat, and if it’s mammal or reptile. Bonus: While schools and libraries are closed because of COVID-19, the first in the series, “Dragons and Marshmallows,” is available free online, in either Kindle or PDF form.
For middle-grade readers
‘Dear Justice League’ by Michael Northrop and Gustavo Duarte: “Dear Justice League” is a 2019
DC Zoom graphic novel, geared for middle-schoolers, from the words-andart team of bestselling author Michael Northrop (the “Tomb quest” series) and brilliant Brazilian cartoonist Gustavo Duarte. The book follows members of the legendary superhero team as they answer fan mail from kids, telling stories full of action, humor and vulnerability.
Duarte’s dynamic art whooshes, crashes and occasionally ka-topples off the page (with an assist from Wes Abbot’s lettering). Meanwhile, Northrup wisely writes the superheroes dealing with mistakes or coping with misconceptions.
‘The Westing Game’ by Ellen Raskin: Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Milwaukee native Ellen Raskin, a graphic-designer-turned-writer, put her design savvy to use when she brainstormed this twist-filled puzzle-box classic, which won the Newbery Medal in 1979. Raskin packs a wonderfully diverse cast of characters into Sunset Towers on the shores of Lake Michigan, then pits them against each other when they’re all named potential heirs to the late Sam Westing. His confounding will leaves his fortune up for grabs, challenging them all to solve a puzzle to win the estate. Readers, of course, also get to piece together the clues, which Raskin doles out with tantalizing efficiency.
‘The Pushcart War’ by Jean Merrill: First published in 1964, this children’s classic is a study in bullying as much as it’s a parable of class war. A fleet of trucks and their business-exec bosses are the aggressors; street vendors on the avenues of New York play the underdogs. Because Merrill writes the Pushcart War as a faux history, later editions keep pushing forward the date of the rebellion; today’s kids might find unintentional humor in the idea of a 21st-century future with no smartphones or social media. But the battle between Big Business and a newly unionized people feels timely as ever. Bonus: A young Lin-Manuel Miranda loved it so much, he made a video book report while in third grade, which you can enjoy on YouTube.
‘The Track’ series by Jason Reynolds: Set very much in the real world, this loosely structured but very smart series — by prolific, award-winning author Jason Reynolds — dives into the complicated lives of youths with tons of talent, and more than a few problems. The tetralogy focuses one novel each on the four members of a track team: “Ghost,” “Patina,” “Sunny” and “Lu.” Packed with marvelously three-dimensional characters and a sly sense of humor, the books prove you don’t have to have young wizards or aliens to create a compelling series. You only need to pick up the first book, “Ghost,” to understand why it became a finalist for the 2016 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.
For young adults
‘The Books of Beginning’ series by John Stephens: For fans of Harry Potter, this underrated fantasy trilogy — “The Emerald Atlas,” “The Fire Chronicle” and “The Black Reckoning,” published from 2011 to 2015 — provides a wonderful new world to dive into, led by a terrific trio of orphaned siblings. Kate, Michael and Emma discover that they’re fated (of course) to find three magical tomes that control time, life and death itself. Although not a surprising premise, each kid’s distinctive personality gets tested as they face complex dilemmas, all while pursued by a chilling rogue’s gallery. Fantasy lovers will easily discern the author’s influences, from Tolkien to Pullman, but John Stephens nevertheless mixes wizards, dragons and time travel into a heart-tugging, pulseracing saga all his own.
‘The Akata’ series by Nnedi Okorafor: This duology, “Akata Witch” (2011) and “Akata Warrior” (2017), tracks the journey of Sunny Nwazue, a 12-year-old girl born in New York, now living in Nigeria. On top of feeling caught between cultures, her albino skin makes her stand out even more. But Sunny hasn’t yet discovered her life’s biggest complication, which also, naturally, is a blessing that explains her outsider status: She’s a magician. Soon enough, she and three friends are thrust into a a battle with monsters and a deadly serial killer. Multiple-award winning author Nnedi Okorafor (who lives in Flossmoor and has won the Nebula and Hugo awards for “Binti,” an adult sci-fi tale) draws on Nigerian myth to spin “Akata,” thus setting these books refreshingly apart from Western magical fables.
‘Arc of a Scythe’ series by Neal Shusterman: Already well known to Y.A. fans for his “Unwind” series (also well worth a read), Neal Shusterman’s knack for writing smart, page-turning dystopian fiction puts him on par with Suzanne “Hunger Games” Collins. His newest series — “Scythe,” “Thunderhead” and “The Toll,” a trilogy published from 2016-2019 — imagines a world that has conquered all ills. Imagine a land with no disease, no poverty, no war … and no natural death. To prevent overpopulation, then, those known as Scythes must glean people chosen to die. The books track two teens, Citra and Rowan, chosen to become Scythes, an “honor” neither desires. Trust: Shusterman delivers on his provocative premise, even if you think you’re burned out on this brand of sci-fi.
‘I’ll Give You the Sun’ by Jandy Nelson: Teens looking for something outside of fantasy or sci-fi genre can find realworld drama in “I’ll Give You the Sun,” whose twin protagonists each tell half their story. Jandy Nelson’s award-winning, page-turning 2014 novel cuts between the twins’ 13th and 16th years. Piecing together the details of the family tragedy that drove a wedge between the once-inseparable brother and sister is just one part of the gripping tale. Noah copes with coming out as gay; Jude struggles with becoming an artist; and both of them have to navigate grief, guilt, awkward romance and complicated family dynamics. Nelson delivers it all in passionate prose that captures the mixedup intensity of teen life.
Many local bookstores continue to ship during the coronavirus lockdown. Visit your favorite Chicagoland bookstore’s website or search for one at indiebound.org.
A former staff editor at Time Out Chicago, Web Behrens has covered arts and entertainment for 20 years.