The Watson's go to Birmingham- 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

*Book overview from Barnes and Noble site*

Enter the hilarious world of ten-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. There's Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron, who's thirteen and an "official juvenile delinquent." When Momma and Dad decide it's time for a visit to Grandma, Dad somes home with the amazing Ultra-Glide, and the Watsons set out on a trip like no other. They're heading south. They're going to Birmingham, Alabama, toward one of the darkest moments in America's history.

Want to grab a copy of this book? Click here!

***

There’s something really special about this book. I can’t lay my finger on just one thing that I really appreciate, either. I just love this book in it’s entirety. It covers serious things while also adding a lot of personality and wittiness from the Watson family. The Watson’s live in Flint, Michigan and take a trip to Birmingham to visit family. You can definitely tell a difference in the atmospheres, as this book’s setting was during a time when segregation was still relevant. In Birmingham, things were done differently. There were still “Colored only” signs posted in town.

***

The best part about this book is that we kind of get to go on this adventure alongside Kenny. We see things through his eyes and learn when he does. Kenny does not realize how thankful he is for his family until the end of the novel when he goes through many new experiences alongside them. The author does a really good job of having more of a positive approach to a topic that is mostly seen in a negative light. There’s a sense of hope present, and the Watson’s always stick together as a family through the thick and thin of it all.

My rating: ****

~Everyone should read this, it's too good to pass up. The Watson's are a good example of what a real family looks like, they're genuine and know what it's like to go through a struggle together.

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

*Book overview from Barnes and Noble Website*

In her first novel since The One and Only Ivan, winner of the Newbery Medal, Katherine Applegate delivers an unforgettable and magical story about family, friendship, and resilience.

Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again.

Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?

Beloved author Katherine Applegate proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary.

***

Out of any book I’ve read regarding the topic of poverty, I think this one my favorites. No, actually, I know it’s my favorite. I love the way the book explores the main character’s thoughts. Jackson is a young boy who is very aware of his family’s issues dealing with money. We see how he uses Crenshaw, his imaginary friend as a coping mechanism. This book really captures what it could be like for some children to deal with big family issues. It made me sad to see how Jackson felt like he had to grow up so quickly, but it was also cute to see how he protected his little sister from what was going on in the family. He didn’t want her to be hurt as much as he had been.

***

This book really gives the reader a good idea of what it would be like in Jackson’s shoes. I like how the author focused more on the children and how they struggled rather than how the parents were handling things. If a child picked this up, it would be much easier to relate to the child rather than the parents. Crenshaw is cute and accessible to children. Jackson’s imaginary friend makes this story come alive and really shows the depth of an issue such as poverty.

My rating: *****

~I love how accessible this book is. I think anyone could learn something from Jackson's experience, and it's even written in a tasteful way.

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

*Book overview from Barnes and Noble website*

A beautiful and moving novel from a three-time Newbery Honor-winning author

“Hope is the thing with feathers” starts the poem Frannie is reading in school. Frannie hasn’t thought much about hope. There are so many other things to think about. Each day, her friend Samantha seems a bit more “holy.” There is a new boy in class everyone is calling the Jesus Boy. And although the new boy looks like a white kid, he says he’s not white. Who is he?

During a winter full of surprises, good and bad, Frannie starts seeing a lot of things in a new light—her brother Sean’s deafness, her mother’s fear, the class bully’s anger, her best friend’s faith and her own desire for “the thing with feathers.”

Pick up a copy here!

Ah, Feathers. I don’t even know where to start. I freakin’ love this book. Jacqueline Woodson has a very creative take on civil rights and portrays it in a way that’s relatable to anyone. I think a child who could potentially pick up this book could read it and learn things without them feeling like it’s a history lesson.

***

My favorite thing about Feathers is how there isn’t just one important/relatable character in the book. It’s all of them. I may relate to Frannie more while a child who has been actively bullied may relate to Jesus boy. I admit, even though some of the characters aren’t my favorite (I’m lookin’ at you, Maribel Tanks) they still play an important role in the storyline. I hate it when books solely focus on just one or two characters. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy learning the background of all of the characters in a story. In this book it’s extra important we learn about the backgrounds. Frannie quickly realizes how different everyone really is, and how you really can’t judge someone based off of your initial impressions of them. As the story unwinds, you discover who has more money and who’s still scraping by.

My rating:*****

~I love this book, it's versatile and fun to read. Any teacher could coordinate this with a lesson plan and be satisfied with the results. 

Smart by Shel Silverstein

*Book overview from Barnes and Noble website*

Where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. There you'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.

*Okay, so I decided to look at a poem today not an actual book. It's called Smart, and I found it online so you can read it here (Where would we be without google?)!

Wanna pick up a copy of some of Silverstein's poems? Click here!

Okay, so I mostly chose this poem because it’s by Shel Silverstein (who doesn't love a good Silverstein poem?). Plus, it is too cute! The child/narrator of the story is so proud of himself in the end when he was showing his father how he supposedly made more money by swapping with people. I like this poem because it seems relevant to anyone. We’ve all probably been cheated of something, whether it be money or not.

At the end of the poem, when the father was clearly not happy with what the child had done, it just clarifies how much a human relies on currency. We feel like it is a need to survive. This blows my mind. We care that much about a piece of paper?! Shouldn’t we be focusing on more important topics? At the same time, it makes me question what the world would be like if we did not use currency and just got things for free. Would it make us less selfish?

***

I always question the topic of money. It seems like the topic of money can change the character of someone in the blink of an eye. The sight of the father getting red in the face in this specific poem seems scary to me. A child makes a simple mistake, and the father is getting angry because he simply has less money now. Huh. What a world we live in.

My rating:***
~I love Shel Silverstein, but this isn't one of my favorite poems. It's cute, but he definitely has done better with his writing.

Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting

*Book overview from Barnes and Noble site*

A homeless boy who lives in an airport with his father, moving from terminal to terminal trying not to be noticed, is given hope when a trapped bird finally finds its freedom.

Click here to pick up a copy!

To those of you who may think it isn’t possible for picture books to have a deeper meaning, think again. Fly Away Home explores a young boy’s mind while he lives in an airport with his father. They are trying to look for a home to call their own. This storyline has a very different approach to discussing poverty than what I have usually seen in children’s books. Although the main character Andrew clearly states that his father and himself are looking for money and a place to stay, there is a large message of hope behind the writing. Andrew never pouts and never holds anger towards his father for not being able to find a home. I don’t think he has even started school yet, but he already knows how hard life can get sometimes. Andrew works with what he’s got.

A bird is included in this book in what seems to be a very metaphorical way. Again, the bird goes along with the idea of hope. It’s trying to escape right along with Andrew.

If you have five minutes, read this book! It’s quick but definitely gives you insight to how a young child may feel growing up in poverty. Money is a tough subject, yet Eve Bunting does an extraordinary job portraying how it can be part of someone’s struggle with life. Even more, Bunting shows us how life still goes on without much money and how Andrew makes the most of what he has.

***

You know when you pick up a book and you think it might not be the greatest? Honestly, I did this when recommended to read this book. I always love those books with vibrant colors, the ones that are wonderfully witty. I have to say though, after reading the book I'm gonna have to think again about my choice in picture books. I love the tone of this book. You can tell there were definitely intentional purposes behind the color scheme. Anyways, I love this book and especially love the non-traditional tone of the picture book. But hey, you know what they say! Don't judge a book by it's cover!

My rating: ****
~I really like this book. It's short, but has a deep message in it!

Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

*Book overview from Barnes and Noble website*

Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they?

The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to

It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.

In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Pick up Greg's diary...Ahem, journal... Here!

Okay, so I read this book for like the tenth time recently. I’m just gonna take a minute to say the Diary of A Wimpy Kid series is probably one of my favorite book series EVER. I love these. They’re incredibly witty, easy to read, and fun. Greg Heffley, the main character, writes in a journal exploring his adventures throughout middle school. His best friend, Rowley Jefferson makes quite a few entrances in Greg’s stories. Greg’s goal is to be seen as the “cool” kid in school. He wants to be noticed. Rowley could care less. He’s pretty content with where he stands as a person.

The differences between Rowley and Greg cause a bit of tension. Basically, Rowley can get what he wants at the blink of an eye since his parents have money. As Greg states in the book, he knows Rowley has more money than him and I believe this is a reason there is a bit of tension between them. Greg seems like the jealous type. Rowley unknowingly does things that makes him more “popular” while Greg is trying so hard and cannot seem to ever fit in.

***

As Greg further explains his family dynamic the dysfunctionality of it is very prevalent. Rowley’s family is mentioned less, but from what we see from Greg’s point of view it’s all sunshine and rainbows in the Jefferson household. Rowley may be unaware of how Greg feels but one can tell it definitely affects their friendship. There’s a barrier between them, but Rowley and Greg always find a way for things to work in the end. Despite their differences, friendship prevails in the end.

~If you love these books as much as I do, you should know the new one just came out recently (I think it's the tenth book)! It's called Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School. The book has a sleek black cover with a marvelous picture of Greg holding a boom box almost the size of himself. I can't wait to pick this one up, I love this series.

My rating: *****
~Really, you can't go wrong with any of the books in the Wimpy Kid series. Read all of them. Go. Right now.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

*Book overview from Barnes and Noble website*

Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!
But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

So, you wanna pick the book up? huuuh? Click Me!

WAIT! Before you read, you should know there are spoilers in this post! If you don't wanna know something that could spoil the ending for you, don't read this!

As this was one of my favorite books as a child, I decided to revisit an old classic. I was definitely in for a treat. Roald Dahl seemed to visit the topic of money and even placed a stereotype on each of the characters. Charlie Bucket, the main character/ protagonist of the story, has trouble getting a sufficient amount of food on a daily basis. While Augustus Gloop on the other hand definitely has control issues when it comes to chocolate. Although there are stereotypes laced through the novel, Dahl does a somewhat decent job at making sure nobody really judges someone's character from the amount of money they have (Except Veruca Salt, I mean come on! The girl acts like a witch to get what she wants). Charlie never outwardly complains about being poor. He is a modest, respectful child.

***

The whole purpose of the children to visit the factory was to decide who he wanted to take over when Wonka was ready to retire. Instead of going off of one’s face value, Wonka decided to pick the child based on their judge of character. Dahl seems to magnify stereotypes in this novel to really portray the importance of character in a human, and how money means nothing in comparison to character.

P.S. Roald Dahl is one of my favorite story tellers. Even if this book doesn't seem appealing to you, hes got plenty of other great reads!

My rating:****
~There are some things that are definitely problematic in this book, but it was one of my childhood favorites. I would recommend it to someone but share with someone the weaker aspects of the book.