One of the assignments for my children’s literature course last term was to write 25 annotations (snapshot reviews between 50 and 150 words) on all sorts of kidlit. It was a great opportunity to delve out of my comfort zone of MG spec fic 😉 Today’s post, featuring chapter books, is the fourth in a series where I share those annotations by type. Links will be updated as the rest of the series goes live.
Board books | Picture books | Early readers | Chapter books | Graphic novels | Middle grade novels | Information books
Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus! by Atinuke
Anna Hibiscus lives in amazing Africa with her father’s large family, but now she is visiting wintry Canada alone for the first time to stay with her maternal grandmother. Her visit addresses the cultural complexities of being a visitor in a foreign land, and particularly an African in Canada. The writing avoids being heavy handed, however, and Anna Hibiscus also has plenty of fun enjoying the activities Canadian winter has to offer. Age 7+.
Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel by Nikki Grimes
Smart and confident third grader Dyamonde Daniel has just moved across New York City with her mom after her parents divorced. Now she’s attending a new school, wondering how long it’ll be before she makes new friends. When another Black student, Free, joins her class, she wonders why he’s such a grumpy bully – but she doesn’t let him get away with it. With a positive focus on friendship, Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel also casually explores how divorce and unemployment can affect children. The comprehensive themes yet accessible storyline make this a strong beginner chapter book. Age 6+.
Sofia Martinez: My Family Adventure by Jaqueline Jules
Seven year old Sofia experiences three family adventures as she strives to be the center of attention, makes a piñata for her abuela, and enlists her sisters’ help to find a missing pet mouse. The stories incorporate untranslated Spanish words in pink, with a glossary at the end. A bridge between early readers and chapter books, Smith’s colourful and expressive illustrations of Sofia feature on nearly every page. Age 6+.
I took children’s and young adult literature as an education course and had to do annotations, I only had to do 12. I chose to follow the children’s literature track.
That’s great! There’s so much to explore with children’s literature. Was it an undergraduate course? Maybe the difference between undergrad and grad school is that you have to do twice as many annotations 😛
It was an undergrad class, I’m still not done with the program yet.