Sebastian was ten when he first devoured The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen. The moment he finished it, he was ready to jump into the next one in the series, The Runaway King. Nielsen’s entire Ascendance series is an exciting, high-stakes ride with lots of twists and turns, court intrigue, spies, wars, friendship, betrayal, and fun, witty characters.
What started as a trilogy is now a series of 5, with the final volume called The Shattered Castle. These were published through Scholastic and at one time, there were rumors of The False Prince being made into a movie. We’re still hoping for that around here!
I first read This Is Not My Hat during Covid after an online SCBWI summer conference where I was able to learn from many exceptional children’s authors, including Jon Klassen. He gave a presentation, alongside Mac Barnett, on their successful collaborations on picture books. They emphasized that with picture books, it adds so much to the story when the pictures tell a whole different narrative than the words. At the time, I had never thought about it that way! So simple and brilliant!
This Caldecott-winning book by Klassen is the perfect example. He is the author and illustrator for this story where a little fish tells the reader how he stole a big fish’s hat and has a plan to get away with it! Through tiny details in the illustrations, like the big fish narrowing his eyes, you deduce that things are not quite the way that the little fish thinks they are.
I laughed out loud at the twist at the end, and I hope you do, too! Happy reading!
I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of time travel and until scientists figure that out, historical fiction is as close as it gets! This genre is an awesome way for adults and curious kids alike to not only learn about real events in history, but to fully immerse themselves in the experiences and emotions of the time.
The moment I started reading Beneath the Wide Silk Sky by Emily Inouye Huey, my newly minted goal to get more sleep flew right out the window! I absolutely could not put it down! This book immediately transports you back in time to WWII America and into the lives of the future victims of the Japanese internment camps.
Huey’s evocative prose is stunning, and she handles the delicate topics of race, prejudice, and aggression with care and sensitivity. Her characters and their relationships are complex and fully-developed.
This book is a definite must-read for teenagers and adults. When my daughter read it, it instantly became her very favorite book!
I am a huge fan of Jason Chin! He is a such a talented author/illustrator, and I saved his Grand Canyon picture book to give to my boys when we could actually go there. When the day finally came, it did not disappoint! I hadn’t been to the Grand Canyon since I was a child, and I was awestruck—the scale and beauty just cannot be captured in photos.
Jason Chin’s illustrations come close though! My boys poured over this book on the way there, and then dazzled us all with their knowledge of how the canyon was formed, what creatures lived there long ago, and what the various layers of rock signified. It made the experience all the richer!
A clever technique Chin uses in this book to make it fun for kids is the unspoken narrative he tells in the illustrations of a father and daughter who are hiking and camping in the canyon. Whenever her father’s back is turned, she finds a clue to the Grand Canyon’s past, like a fossil. The book uses cutouts for these, and when you turn the page, you see what the canyon might of looked like when that fossil was formed. It’s a lot of fun and really brings home the history and geology of such an incredible place.
The focus of this blog is shifting! While I will still occasionally share writerly updates, mostly I will be sharing recommendations for fabulous children’s books that spark wonder and help curious kids learn about the world! So, welcome to BOOKS FOR CURIOUS KIDS!
Today I want to talk about Breakout by Kate Messner. This is a contemporary middle grade fiction novel, which means that while it is a made up story, it takes place during modern day times and it is geared toward readers, ages 9-14.
The fun part of this one is that the entire story is told through letters, poems, text messages, news stories, and comics that the kids are gathering for a time capsule project. You would think that the story would come across disjointed, but it’s cleverly done and the character development and narrative tension build beautifully.
The book’s plot centers on how a community changes when two convicts escape prison. The three main characters, Nora, Lizzie, and Elidee, see first hand how fear can change people in surprising ways. Messner handles heavy topics like criminal justice and racial bias with grace and sensitivity and at an age-appropriate level for her audience.
If you’re interested in a deep dive of how this book came together, check out Messner’s blog series, “Countdown to Breakout.” She has 23 blog entries on her research and writing process, and it adds a lot to the story to know how it all came together!
Books for Curious Kids 