Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - March 2013 Releases

As part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, I try to give a heads up on new releases for the month.  Here are some of titles that I found being released in March 2013.  Books marked with an asterik (*) indicated full length chapter books for grades 5 to 8.


March 1, 2013

Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball by John Coy; Illustrated by Joe Morse (Carolrhoda Books)

March 5, 2013

Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, Rey del Mambo by Monica Brown; Illustrated by Rafael Lopéz (Rayo)

March 12, 2013

The World is Waiting for You by Barbara Kerley (National Geographic Children's Book)

Twelve Days of New York by Tonya Bolden; Illustrated by Gilbert Ford (Abrahms)

March 28, 2013

How the Oysters Saved the Bay by Jeff Dombek (Schiffer Publishing)

Don't forget to link up your recent Nonfiction Reviews:

Comic Book Review - Princeless Vol. 1

Author:  Jeremy Whitley
Illustrator: M. Goodwin
Publisher: Action Lab
Source: Copy for Review
Audience: Ages 11 and older

Description from GoodReads:
Princeless is the story of Princess Adrienne, one princess who's tired of waiting to be rescued. Join Adrienne, her guardian dragon, Sparky, and their plucky friend Bedelia as they begin their own quest in this one of a kind, action packed, all-ages adventure!

Graphic Novel. Collects issues 1-4 of Princeless.

My thoughts on this:
Thanks to my friend Maria over at Maria's Mélange, I have discovered some really fun comics featuring strong women protagonists.  As we were chatting on Twitter about Princeless, Jeremy Whitley (author of Princeless) asked if I would consider doing a review.  Here are some of my thoughts...

Princeless begins with the young Adrienne being read a bedtime Fairy Tale about fair-haired maiden who is rescued from the dragon by Prince Charming.  Quickly the reader discovers that our young Princess Adrienne thinks that these kind of stories are ridiculous and has her own opinions about princesses, dragons, and being rescued.  However, at 16, Adrienne finds herself locked in a tower by her parents, and being guarded by a dragon.  Upon finding a sword under her bed, Adrienne decides that she is going to set herself free and with the help of her dragon, Sparky (yes, she named the dragon Sparky), then together they set out to free her sisters who are also being held in towers in various parts of the kingdom.

This graphic novel basically is a parody of the typical fairy tale and princess stories.  Instead of the fair maiden in need of rescuing, Adrienne is smart, quick thinking, and just snarky enough to be funny but not annoying.  Additionally, Adrienne is not a fair-haired maiden.  For those young girls out there looking for a smart, strong heroine of color, then Princeless is a story for you.  In issue 3, we meet Bedelia who is the daughter of the blacksmith and is designing "armor" for women.  Whitley uses this opportunity to challenge the idea of the type of costume vs. armor that women have worn (yes, Princeless aptly pokes fun at the costumes of Wonder Woman and Xena, etc.) and Bedelia finally creates the perfect armor for Adrienne.  

Whitley's writing is spot on and fun.  The artwork in the digital version is well done and compliments the text. 

Princeless Volume 1 is a collection of the first four issues.  These are available as individual issues via  Comixology and Comics+  Princeless Volume 2 will be out in a few weeks.  I will definitely be keeping an eye out for it. 

Note: Regardless of whether I have received a review copy or have purchased a book, all reviews reflect my honest opinion of a book.  If I don't like a book, I simply don't review it. 

Check out this interview from Comic-Con with Jeremy Whitley:


Places to find out more about the author or series:

Action Lab Website: www.actionlabcomics.com
Twitter: @jrome58
Action Lab twitter: @actionlab 
Tumblr: princelesscomic.tumblr.com 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/actionlabentertainment

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA -3/4/13

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen & Kellee from Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.

Here are some of my favorite books from this past week:

Open Very Carefully: A Book with Bite by Nick Bromley; Illustrated by Nicola O'Byrne (Nosy Crow, February 2013) - A fun tale of a crocodile on the loose in a book.

Nora's Chicks by Patricia MacLachlan; Illustrated by Kathryn Brown (Candlewick Press, 2013) - A beautiful tale of immigration, adjustment, and friendship.  The illustrations in this are lovely.

Doug Unplugged by Dan Yaccarino (Random House, February 2013) - A good reminder that sometimes learning is best down actively and in the world around us.

Princeless Volume 1: Save Yourself by Jeremy Whitley; Illustrated by M. Goodwin (Action Lab, 2012) - Check out my review on Princeless tomorrow.

Bad Girls: Sirens, Jezebels, Murderesses, Thieves, & Other Female Villains by Jane Yolen; Illustrated by Rebecca Guay (Charlesbridge Publisher, February 2013) - Jane Yolen is such a diverse writer.  Just in time for Women's History Month, Bad Girls is a collection of short pieces on 24 notorious women. 

I am still working on:

So, what are you reading?

Take Me Out to the Ball Game - Books on Baseball

Last week, I was hanging out at Vroman's and noticed that they had a display for children's books featuring baseball.  Either I like baseball and I am more attune to the number of books featuring America's favorite past time, or there are simply more children's books on baseball than any other sport.  Regardless, I decided I needed to share some of the new releases and some old favorites that you might want to check out.  If you are looking to increase your collection of baseball related titles, there is something here for everyone. 

Baseball Books released in 2013...

Becoming Babe Ruth by Matt Tavares (Candlewick, February 2013)

Pete the Cat: Play Ball! by James Dean (HarperCollins, February 2013)

Who's On First? by Bud Abbott, Lou Costello; Illustrated by John Martz (Quirk Books, February 2013)

Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon (Simon & Schuster, February 2013)

Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud that Changed Baseball by David A. Kelly; Illustrated by Oliver Dominguez (Millbrook Press, April 1, 2013)

Something to Prove: The Great Satchel Paige vs. Rookie Joe Dimaggio by Robert Skead; Illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Lerner/Carolrhoda Books, April 1, 2013)

Perfect Game by Fred Bowen (Peachtree Publishers, March 2013)

Some favorites from previous years...

We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson (Jump at the Sun, 2008)

There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived by Matt Tavares (Candlewick, 2012)

Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team by Audrey Vernick; Illustrated by Steve Salerno (Clarion Books, 2012)

Silent Star: The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer William Hoy by Bill Wise (Lee & Low, 2012)

She Love Baseball: The Effa Manley Story by Audrey Vernick; Illustrated by Don Tate (Collins, 2012)

Poem Runs: Baseball Poems by Douglas Florian (Harcourt Children's Books, 2012)

Players in Pigtails by Shana Corey; Illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon (Scholastic, 2003)

ABC's of Baseball by Peter Golenbock; Illustrated by Dan Andreasen (Dial, 2012)

King of the Mound: My Summer with Satchel Paige by Wes Tooke (Simon & Schuster, 2012)

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Hoop Genius

Author:  John Coy
Illustrator: Joe Morse
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books/Lerner (March 1, 2013)
Source: Netgalley - Digital Review Copy
Audience: Grades 1 to 4
Basketball * History * Sports

Description from GoodReads:
Taking over a rowdy gym class right before winter vacation is not something James Naismith wants to do at all. The last two teachers of this class quit in frustration. The students--a bunch of energetic young men--are bored with all the regular games and activities. Naismith needs something new, exciting, and fast to keep the class happy...or someone's going to get hurt. His only resources are a gymnasium, a couple peach baskets, some soccer balls, and his imagination. Saving this class is going to take a genius. Discover the true story of how Naismith invented basketball in 1891 at a school in Springfield, Massachusetts.

My thoughts on the book:
I will admit that basketball is probably my least favorite sport.  Really, you have a bunch of players who run down a court and toss a ball into a hoop and then turn around and repeat in the opposite direction.  Yes, I have completely over simplified the game. *sigh* 

However, the 1890's is an interesting time period and well, the history of how basketball began is far more exciting to me.   Plus the cover of Coy's book Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball is eye-catching.  If you are looking for a picture book history of the sport of basketball, then you may be disappointed.  Coy's focus is truly on James Naismith and how his need to discover a game to keep a rowdy group of young men busy resulted in the game of basketball.  The book briefly touches upon how the game spread including when women began playing and when basketball became an official Olympic sport in 1936.  (For fans of the TV series Murdoch Mysteries which is set in 1890's Toronto, there is an episode where women are playing basketball and using a wooden basket for the hoop. I loved that little detail.)

The end of the book includes an author's note, a selected bibliography, and the "original" two-pages of rules created by Naismith.  Joe Morse created the illustrations with an old-time feel.  Each picture appear to be sepia-washed which mutes the bold blues, greens, and burgundy colors.  Fans of the sport of basketball who might want a book that features key players or the great highlights of game may not find this the book for them.  However, if you are interested in history and how basketball began, then this is definitely a book to add to your collection. 

Check out this video about James Naismith Founding Rules of Basketball:

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews: