WHEN WE VISIT ABUELO, I HELP HIM SELL FRUTAS.

WE SING THE NAMES OF EACH FRUIT AS WE CHANT WITH A RHYTHM.

Down the street with her grandfather pushing a cart filled with many varieties, they sing the song of their sweet juicy wares....

"MANGO, LIMON, COCO, MELON..."

Pineapples, bananas, oranges, grapefruits and limes crowd the cart at first, but from their balconies, people let down their baskets with money for their choices and pull them up for waiting children to grab. Along the street the other vendors sing their wares, from eggs to dustpans, tamales to brooms....

BEST OF ALL IS LA DULCERA, WHO CROONS SO SWEETLY IN PRAISE OF HER CHOCOLATES AND OTHER CANDIES.

Narrated by a little girl who only can visit her grandparents annually during the New Year's holiday, she describes how, between times, she lovingly keeps in touch by letter that fly between her home in the north and Cuba.

WE CAN SING RHYMES BACK AND FORTH, VERSES ON PAPER, A HUG MADE OF WORDS.

When I was in fifth grade, our vocal music songbook had a section titled "Songs of Our Land," and several were the musical calls of street vendors. The only one I can remember was, according to the caption, a Charleston, South Carolina song, "Barcolingo, Watermelon," which featured four rhythmic claps, and advertised "water-mel-lions, col' as ice, ber-ry nice...."  And that summer, believe it or not, a man carrying a tray of little baskets of strawberries came walking down my street, singing "Straw... straw... straw BEE-RIES!'" I thought, "That's a real street vendor call!" My worlds were colliding!

But although most American children won't hear  street vendors musically calling their wares, they have the new story book by the award-winning author Margarita Engle and artist Sara Palacios, A Song of Frutas (Atheneum Books, 2021), with sellers singing the delights of sweet summery fruits for sale for people who let down baskets and pull them up with fresh-picked delights.

Author Engle's cheery "Spanglish" songs of holiday food are universal and Sara Palacio's bright and tropically sunny illustrations offer youngsters a wider view of holiday events with a touch of sadness for the separation of families. 

Says Horn Book Magazine, "Engle’s text is rich in sensory details . . . Palacios’s digital illustrations are characterized by soft lines and warm colors that augment the positive mood throughout. . . Fond reminiscences and a nuanced cultural depiction make for another warm ode to Engle’s beloved isla."

Bedtime Story: Time for Bed, Old House by Janet Costa Bates

ISAAC LOVED THE NEW PAJAMAS HE GOT FOR HIS FIRST SLEEPOVER AT GRANDPOP'S HOUSE.

He loved playing blocks and board games on the floor with Grandpop. But he wasn't sure he loved the idea of spending the night at Grandpop's house.

"I'M NOT SLEEPY,"HE SAID.

So Grandpop suggests that he help put the old house to bed. They have to be very quiet and walk softly. They turn off the light switches and lamps as they go, when Isaac hears a weird sniffing sound. But it's only Grandpop's old shaggy dog, Snuffles, ready to go to bed, too.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!"

"WHAT'S THAT?"

It is a scary noise, but Grandpop has Isaac look outside a window to see the old swings in the yard, blowing in the wind. Then it's time to pull down the shades.

"LOOKS LIKE THE HOUSE IS CLOSING ITS EYES TO SLEEP," SAID GRANDPOP.

The two make their way upstairs to Mom's old bedroom. Grandpop hands Isaac a book to read for a bedtime story. Isaac protests that he can't read yet.

"YOU CAN READ THE PICTURES!" SUGGESTS GRANDPOP.

Snuffles settles down, and Isaac climbs in his grandfather's lap and begins to read the pictures on each page. And when he finishes the book, Isaac finds that he's read his Grandpop to sleep. He covers his grandfather with the throw. He pulls down the window shade in Mom's old room. He reads the pictures in another book to himself, turns off the lamp, and pats Snuffles on his head. The old house is asleep, and soon Sniffles and Isaac are, too. No one is awake to hear the snores of all three of them.

It's bedtime and all is well, in Janet Costa Bates' brand-new bedtime book, Time for Bed, Old House (Candlewick Press, 2021).

In this easy-going account of a childhood milestone, it is the child himself who, after some clever priming by Grandpop, takes charge of his own first sleepaway night. Noted artist AG Ford's warm and homey illustrations make the best of this endearing story of grandparent and child. Says School Library Journal, "The rituals of bedtime, as encompassing and timeless as the bonds between generations, elevate a simple tale and make it an essential purchase for every collection."

Be Still and Listen: Quiet by Tomie de Paola

Spring is busy. Everything seems to be rushing toward summer. Baby foxes wiggle in their dens, eager to learn to run. Birds are flocking, singing on the wing.

Flowers are blooming. Bees are buzzing, and butterflies are trying out the flowers, looking for pollen and nectar. Rabbits are leaving their burrows and frogs are splashing into the pond. And a grandfather and two children are taking a walk.

"MY, OH, MY," SAID THE GRANDFATHER. "EVERYONE IS IN SUCH A HURRY."

"OUR DOG IS RUSHING AFTER THE BALL," SAID THE GIRL.

And Grandfather is right. The dragonflies are zipping over the the pond and the trees seem to be exercising their half-grown leaves in the breeze.

"LET'S NOT BE SO BUSY," SAID GRANDFATHER.

He leads them to a wooden bench where they sit, one on each side of him. Their dog stretches out beside them and falls asleep with a quiet sigh. Everything seems to grow still in the moment.

Quiet is what they hear. It's as still as the dragonfly perched on a cattail by the pond.

TO BE QUIET AND STILL IS A SPECIAL THING.

In his New York Times best-selling book, Quiet (Simon and Schuster, 2019), veteran author Tomie De Paola reminds us all that mindfulness, the focusing of the mind quietly in the moment, can be a part of being in the outdoors. Excitement, boisterous laughter, running and shouting has its place, but in a child's day, there is much to be said for learning to listen for the quiet spaces in life. In his trademark style of illustrations, De Paola's animal life is busy, some of it perhaps noisy, but he also suggest the quietness of a line of always busy ants, the soundless flight of the butterfly, and the stillness of resting birds, dreaming dogs and his signature doves. Says Booklist's starred review, "Simple, straightforward, and effective, this book gently encourages children to find comfort in their own quiet moments."

Share this one with Deborah Underwood's "many kinds of quiet" in her notable The Quiet Book

Some Like It Hot; Some Not! Federico and the Wolf by Rebecca J. Gomez

Federico is suiting up to run an errand for his mama, who is planning a batch of perfect pico de Gallo. Rico pulls on his red hoodie and laces up his sneakers, putting his shopping bag in his bike's basket. 

Cuidado!" called his Mama, as he pedaled off to the shops.

"Mind Abuelo's grocery list and don't make other stops!"

At la tienda Federico chooses all the items on his list, with especial attention to picking the perfect red-ripe jalapeno pepper to give the pico plenty of pizzazz! Pedaling along toward his grandfather's shop, Rico stops to remove a branch from the walk and is surprised to be greeted, not by his Abuelo, but by a wolf, one large lobo, who eyes his basket of groceries and begs for a bite of lunch.

Federico grabs his bike and leaves the wolf far behind.

But little did he know the wolf has other plans in mind.

By this time most savvy youngsters will have guessed just where this story is going, in Rebecca J. Gomez' Federico and the Wolf (Houghton Mifflin Clarion, 2020), a saucy, salsa take-off on the classic English folktale of Little Red Riding Hood.

Federico is no babe in the woods, either, and author Gomez has some fun when Rico  arrives at his grandfather's place and recognizes that his abuelo has never been so in need of a shave nor so toothy before! Stalling for time, he inquires...

"New dentures, too?"

"They help me chew!"

... the wolf snarls.

"Here's the deal: I'll make you the meal!"

All's well that ends well with a surprised wolf with a snoot full of a perfect jalapeno, hot as a firecracker, in this rowdy remake of Red Riding Hood with a south of the border flavor. Illustrator Elisa Javarri's bright colors keep the mood light, and author Gomez provides both a succulent recipe for pico de Gallo and a handy glossary of the Spanish words that add spice to this classic story, a tasty and funny, fractured fairy tale that will leave youngsters howling. 

#Everyone Counts! Count Me In by Varsha Bajaj

Chris Daniels and I are like separate planets orbiting in the same galaxy. Like Venus and Earth, we are next door neighbors.

We've been in the same school since I moved to the neighborhood in third grade.Then, of all the crappy karma, there he is, in seventh grade, in five out of seven of my classes. And Chris was a witness to one of the worst moments in my middle-school life.

In sixth grade Karina and her friend Ashley call the boys "hyenas" because they single out the people they picked out to embarrass on the bus ride home, which seemed to bring out that notorious middle-school meanness.

Quinn, or Hyena 1, said, "Let's make a list of the girls with the hairiest arms."

Together the hyenas said, "K Chops."

I, Karina Chopra, was the only one on the list.

But when Karina's grandfather comes to live with them, he volunteers to tutor seventh graders in math after school, and Karina finds herself getting to know Chris Daniels as the two become friends. But walking home from school, sharing a bag of berries and laughs with her grandfather and Chris, the three are suddenly approached by a man with a knife. He goes up to Chris.

When this guy first approaches he touches my hair in a strange way. He asks me if I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?

Alarm bells ring. My heart pounds when he calls Mr. Chopra nasty names. Then he turns on me, pushes me down. When the monster pushes Mr. C. down, I wince as I hear his body smack the ground.

"Terrorists don't belong here," the man says, and gives Mr. C. a kick.

Karina's grandfather has a fractured leg and is in intensive care at the hospital, and as they pray for his recovery, Karina decides to fight back against racism. She returns with her camera to the place where the attack occurred:

Mr. K's Ghandi-style glasses are shattered on the street. One of his sandals lies there, too. The berries we were eating are strewn all over. The burst strawberries look like splattered blood.

With a green chalk Karina draws a heart around that spot and makes a photograph that she posts on social media with the hashtags #HateHasNoHomeHere and #CountMeIn.

There are some hate mails, but Karina's messages go viral, and the community rallies to support her family, in Varsha Bajaj moving account, Count Me In (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2019). Writing without sensationalism, author Varsha Bajaj, tells the story of a hate crime in straight-forward prose, allowing her characters Karina and Chris to tell the story in alternating chapters that reinforce the hopeful message that discrimination and hate based on national origin has no place among American citizens. At a time when immigration is a point of contention, this novel tells the story from the point of view of both narrators and the courage of others who unite behind them.

“Compassionate, relatable characters. The story celebrates resilience, the power of community, and even the benefits of social media during a time when hate crimes against the Indian Diaspora are on the rise. Karina's message, that we are stronger together, will easily resonate with readers,” says Booklist's reviewer.

By the Letter! A Visit to Grandad: An African ABC by Sade Fadipe

A is for Adanah

and my school is on Break.

At last Adanah is old enough to visit her grandfather by herself! She packs her Bags, including her Camera so she can make pictures to show her friends. Adanah wears her best Dress for the trip.

Dad drives Adanah all the way.

There are lots of things to see and do on Adanah's visit, in Sade Fadipe's lively A Visit to Grandad: An African ABC (Cassava Republic, 2029 Am. Ed.), and part of the fun is that Adanah sees them in alphabetical order.

E is for Eagles, flying high above the trees.

But that's not all to be seen that begins with the letter E. There is a woman carrying a tray of carefully stacked Eggs, a billboard which pictures an Elephant, a sign that advertises Eyeglasses, and an artist painting on an Easel.

Riding past a patch of Forest beside the road, Adanah also sees a Fisherman with a string of Four Fish and a Falcon in the tree. And then there's the Gate in front of Grandad's yard, and he hurries out to give her a big Hug.

A visit wouldn't be a visit without Stories from Aunt Sumbo under the big Tree and splashing in the rain puddles under a big Umbrella. And when it's time to return home, Adanah climbs into the Van, where her mom has her a present--a Xylophone--to make the trip home fun. And Adanah can't wait to tell her little sister Zainab all about her trip, from A to Z. Kids just learning their alphabet will have fun matching the big capital letters on each page with the matching initial-sound objects in the illustrations on the page, and author Fadipe provides an appended list of objects found on each page for each letter.

Artist Shedrach Ayalomeh fills each page with lively activities, done with fine draftsmanship, rich colors, and lively line and details, full of busy and joyful life being lived.

The Boy With The Bull Fiddle On His Back! Double Bass Blues by Andrea J. Loney

ZIIIIIIIIIIIIP!

HUMMMMM...

"EPIC SOLO, NIC!"

String bass player Nic takes a bow to the applause of his peers as practice breaks up and the kids in the band pack up to go home.

After school orchestra practice Nic straps his big double bass on his back and makes his way across town. It's not an easy trip.

Nic's trip begins with a shortcut over a backyard fence--with quite a tussle between his double bass case and a determined dog. Bass fiddle on his back, he has a crowded bus ride, a run through the rain, and a clamber up several flights of narrow stairways--until he at last knocks on Granddaddy's door.

"LOOK WHO'S HERE!

LITTLE NIC!!"

Little Nic takes his place and the jazzmen jam together--each one, but as one.

Andrea J. Loney's Double Bass Blues (Alfred A. Knopf, 2019) is told in rhythmic language, exuberantly illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez in swirling colors and firm, sure-handed line from rehearsal to jam session in a natural progression in which music, words, and feeling come together as one. Says School Library Journal, "Colorful, full of movement, limited in text but loaded with emotion, this is an ode to the diversity of music...."

Magical Mystery Tour (The Sequel) Hey, Grandude! by Paul McCartney

Lucy and Tom and Em and Bob were spending the weekend with their granddad.

Today was one of those days when nothing felt quite right. It was gray and drizzly and everybody was grumpy and too bored to be bothered.

Bear up, Chillers!" said Grandude.

Grandude is too cool to let a little ennui ruin the day. He pulls out a bunch of picture postcards of intriguing sunny scenes and encourages each one of the kids to choose one they'd like to visit.

Em picks a sunlit beach with sun-kissed sand and blue waves.

And with a magical flash, they are there, on that actual beach. Wavelets splash their toes and the sun warms their backs. They splash and build sandcastles, and then join a school of flying fish and soar OVER THE WAVES.

Then for Tom, Grandude spins his magical compass needle and the kids find themselves at a dude ranch, lassoing their cayooses and riding like cowpokes, fully at HOME ON THE RANGE. Another compass spin for Lucy take them high on an Alpine meadow, but when they try out their YO-DE-LAY-DEE-HOOS, they find themselves fleeing a rock 'n' roll avalanche with the cows.

By now Bob is ready to call it A DAY IN THE LIFE!

It's Grandude's Magical Mystery Tour, for sure, in Paul McCartney's Hey Grandude! (Random House, 2019). A grandpa six times over, author McCartney evidently knows a lot about entertaining kids.   Along with the fantastic illustrations of Kathryn Durst, McCartney, who owns 18 Grammies and stacks of gold and platinum records, also knows how to keep a top-selling hit rolling.

Grandads (a.k.a Grandudes) Rock!

“This picture book debut from the musical icon hits all the right notes," trills Publishers Weekly.

"I Contain Multitudes:" Where Are You From? by by Yamile Saied Mendez

"WHERE ARE YOU FROM?" THEY ASK.

"I'M FROM HERE," I SAY.

"NO, WHERE ARE YOU REALLY FROM?" THEY INSIST.

The little girl is confused, so she decides to ask her grandfather. He knows everything.

He begins with his homeland, the Pampas of South America. Her abuelo described the Pampas of Argentina, where waves of grain and grazing cattle are spread across the land, where condors fly high in the open sky.

But, he adds, she is also from the the lands beside the sea, where palm trees blow, from the land of sunshine on stone monuments and life-giving rains.

The girl is still not sure about that answer. She needs a place to say when people ask.

He places his hand over his heart.

"FROM THE LOVE OF ALL THOSE BEFORE US." HE ANSWERS.

And as in Yamile Saied Mendez' Where Are You From? (Harper, 2019), isn't that where we all come from--from planet Earth with its bounty and beauty and the human race, smart and sturdy enough to live everywhere and anywhere? From DNA studies, we now know that we are all from every place on the planet that the strength and the nurture of our ancestors took us. We are from all over and now we are here in this place together. This one is a little book that has many possibilities for learning. Says School Library Journal,"A much-needed title that is a first purchase for libraries and classrooms."

Stormy Weather! The Storm by Sam Usher

When I woke up this morning, the wind was rattling the windows. I couldn't wait to go outside.

Granddad said, "It's a perfect day to fly the kite! But we'll have to find it first."

There's a big storm a-brewin'! It's time for some breezy fun.

Boy and grandfather look for the kite in the kitchen. They don't find it, but they do find Granddad's old cricket bat. He demonstrates his swing, and they move on to the study, where Granddad's stack of mail remind them of their trip by boat to post a very important letter. In the cubby under the stairs they come across the telescope, which reminds them of the time they picnicked in their secret cave.

And then they find the KITE!

With caps and scarfs and jackets to keep them warm in the wind they head out to the park at last!

The kite flew so high.

Granddad said, "Hold on tight!"

And well they should, as the wild wind lifts them up, along with all the other airborne kite flyers, into a carnival of kites--whale kites, clown kites, a gorilla kite, even a dragon kite. Boy and Granddad hitch a ride on the dragon as they struggle to hold on to the string. The boy drops it, but Granddad grabs him in time for them to ride the kite down, just as the sky darkens and lightning spikes! But luckily, the wind blows them back to their own doorstep, and inside, over a cozy cup of tea, the two watch as the storm crashes and flashes at the windows.

"The best adventure is an adventure shared," Granddad said.

And it's quite an adventure in Sam Usher's Storm (Seasons with Granddad) (Templar/Candlewick Books, 2018). With whimsical watercolor illustrations, the boy and his unflappable grandfather share another memorable escapade, the sort that grows in the telling. Any kid would love to have such shared adventures with such a grandfather to remember. Says Kirkus,"Usher's watercolor and ink illustrations and his shifting use of color, light, and shadow evokes peril excitement, and finally the security of the kitchen. Other books in the Seasons with Granddad series are Sun (Seasons with Granddad), Rain (Seasons with Granddad), and Snow (Seasons with Granddad).

The Bridge Between! Drawn Together by Min Le and Dan Santat

When a determinedly cheerful mom drops her son off after school at the doorstep of a small house, the boy clearly is not happy. He trudges dutifully up to the door, his backpack heavy on his shoulders and his eyes downcast, and rings the bell.

He's met by an old man, his grandfather, but there are no greetings exchanged. The grandfather bows, his hands together in salutation, and the boy returns the gesture glumly. They seem to know no words in common.

The grandfather turns on the television, but the boy gets little out of the drama, aside from the presence of a dragon in the story. Bored, the boy pulls some colored pencils and paper out of his backpack and begins to draw a spirited young wizard with a wand and powers to vanquish a dragon. The grandfather suddenly smiles and leaves the room, returning with a sketch book, a tiny brush, and an inkwell.

Taking a seat beside the boy he draws a marvelous ancient Asian sorcerer who dispatches the dragon with a broadsword. The boy's eyes are alight as he draws his wizard by the side of his grandfather's sorcerer. Together they create a magnificent magical story.

All the things we could never say come pouring out....

Art is the medium which bridges the gap of age and language between the two as each realize what they share together, in Min Le's wordless Drawn Together (Hyperion, 2018). Inside the unspoken narrative, artist Dan Santat works his visual magic in illustrations that show the two relatives doing their favorite thing together, as both realize that they do indeed share the bond of kinship and a love of art. It is a beautiful story of family love and generational connection, with artist Santat making the most of the opportunity to show off his versatile talents in two different styles, in a book that can be "read" by all ages. A beautiful book that speaks volumes about the ties that bind grandfathers and grandsons.

Says Publishers Weekly "Santat's work dazzles with layers of color, exquisitely worked tradional designs, and ambitious scale. With the grandfather drawing in his idom and the boy in his, the two defeat the dragon of difference that separates them."

Where Have All The Colors Gone? Arctic White by Danna Smith

WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE ARCTIC ALL WINTER, EVERYTHING IS A SHADE OF WHITE.

THE BLUE WHITE OF THE TUNDRA,

THE YELLOW-WHITE OF THE POLAR BEAR,

THE SILVER-WHITE OF THE ARCTIC FOX.

Arctic days are as dark as the night. The only light, from the stars and the moon, is white, too.

True, the girl's parka is brown, her grandfather's sled is brown, and so is her dog. But in the winter darkness, they hardly count as color.

SOMETIMES WHEN YOU WISH ON A STAR FOR MORE COLOR, YOU ONLY GET GRAY,

AND GRAY IS A SHADE OF WHITE.

But one day there is a sort of hum in the air. Grandfather promises something golden, the color of hope. The girl is intrigued as that night he leads the whole family across the tundra to a special spot. Everyone seems quietly excited, and the girl wonders what Grandfather means by his promise. He tells her mysteriously

"YOU NEED THE DARK TO SEE..."

And with first a flash of gold, and then orange and red, then blue and green, the aurora borealis fills the sky with more color than she has ever seen, with just enough light to see the pleased twinkle in her grandfather's eyes.

Danna Smith's Arctic White (Harper, 2015) is set in the far north, but its theme is universal. All peoples who know the long black nights of winter experience some yearning for the light and colors of summer. We gather to share winter festivals, decorating with colored lights that remind us that, as Keats put it, "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" Author Smith gives few details about her Arctic family, but like all of us, they share hope, warmth, and pleasure at the experience of the warmth and colors of the Arctic sky.

Smith's lean and lyrical lines draw us into the simple story, and the artwork of Lee White adds much to the text, lovely in its stark, straight lines and many shades of white, punctuated by the joyous swirls of color from the sky at the ending. With a theme of longing and light that all ages will feel, this book is also wonderful for classroom units on color to show the power of white, which is, after all, the true color of light, and that the blackest of nights can make colors more dazzling.

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

Middle school is like one of those highway restrooms in the middle of nowhere. It's dirty and smelly, and crowded with strange people.

Like the goth kid. He's always in black. He has a pierced ear, eyebrow, and nose; he must set off metal detectors in airports.

When her best friend since Kindergarten splits off to bond with the volleyball girl-jock clique, Ellie feels lost in the crowd at her new middle school. It seems everyone has their thing, but Ellie is a girl who hasn't found her thing yet. And that's not her worst problem.

A tray smacks down on the table across from me.

"Can you believe this?" my grandfather demands.

He's wearing navy-blue polyester pants, a button-up shirt with tie, and a V-neck sweater with his tweed jacket. He definitely stands out, fashion-wise.

"Three dollars for a school lunch?" he says. He polishes off his corn dog in a few bites and then looks at my lunch.

"Are you going to eat that?" he asks.

I sigh and push it over.

It seems Ellie's 76-year-old grandfather, with two PhDs in biology, has discovered the genetics of jellyfish regeneration, and being dedicated to reversing aging through science, has done the first human trial on himself. It worked. But since he's now a thirteen-year-old boy, with a massive adolescent appetite and zits to boot, he has to live with Ellie and her mother. And since he's now a minor, he can't drive and he has to be enrolled in school--Ellie's middle school, unfortunately.

Riding the bus and eating lunch with a "cousin" who is her persnickety science-obsessed grandfather is hard enough. But Melvin, whose sudden disappearance as a professor emeritus and loss of access to his university lab has made it impossible for him to continue his work, is determined to get his T. Melvinius specimens and publish what he is sure will be a Nobel-prize winning discovery; and for that he enlists Ellie's help to break into his lab and steal back his jellyfish genes before they expire. But for this caper, Melvin and Ellie need someone suitably stealthy with access to a car and driver. The black-garbed goth boy, Raj, is drafted because he is smart and has an older brother with an inconspicuous car and need for additional income. Grandpa Melvin is certain that with his specimens he can continue his work that will end human aging and save the world. Persuasively, he introduces Ellie to the work of Madame Curie, Salk, Oppenheimer and Einstein, scientists whose discoveries did change human existence.

At first, Ellie is intrigued with the adventure of science--discoveries that can expand human possibilities:

"Scientists never give up... because they believe in the possible." proclaims Melvin.

"The possible?" I ask.

"That it's possible to create a cure for polio. That it's possible to sequence the human genome. That it's possible to reverse aging. That science can change the world." he says.

And I get it.

Ellie agrees to help Melvin complete his work. It is exciting to think that it is possible to end the diseases of aging. That seems like a good thing.

But as she reads more about those scientists Melvin describes, she realizes that there is more than one possible outcome from some of these discoveries. She reads Oppenheimer's words after the first detonation of the atomic bomb.

"We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent."

And Ellie sees what her grandfather in his passion for discovery does not--that an end to human aging would mean that the world would never be the same, in many, many ways, some not so good. She determines that she cannot be one of those who keep silent.

Three-time Newbery winner Jennifer L. Holm's just published The Fourteenth Goldfish (Random House, 2014) is a middle-school novel that has it all, comic family conflicts in which her 13-year-old grandpa tries to tell her mother how short her skirts can be, a believable middle-school social scene with all the usual suspects, action episodes of lab break-ins and car chases, and a plug for science, all entertainingly wrapped around a serious theme of looking at all the possibilities of scientific discovery. Holm's writing is light-handed, respectful while it pokes fun at its well-drawn characters, but leaving the middle reader with an introduction to what possibility really means in human life.

Publishers Weekly gives Holm's latest a starred review, and The New York Times adds "Youth, old age, life, death, love, possibilities and—oh yes—goldfish all come together in this warm, witty and wise novel."

Whale Watching: Elmer and the Whales by David McKee

ELMER, THE PATCHWORK ELEPHANT, AND HIS COUSIN WILBUR WERE VISITING GRANDPA ELDO.

"WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE," SAID GRANDPA ELDO, "AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, I USED TO FOLLOW THE RIVER DOWN TO THE COAST AND WATCH THE THE WHALES COME BACK."

It's no sooner said than done. Elmer and Wilbur have to try out Grandpa's trip for themselves.

Jungle rivers don't have whales, of course, but they do have some big critters. Soon Elmer and Wilbur meet a gigantic crocodile with a great big smile, who suggests that they build a raft to float downstream. Some monkeys pitch in to help. No sooner do they finish their flatboat when they meet another huge beast, the hippo, who offers a push off into the current. All's well until the two hit the rapids.

"HOLD ON, ELMER!" SHOUTS WILBUR.

But the rapids end in a wide delta and soon the two voyagers discover that they are floating rapidly out to sea. Oh, no!

They came to see the sea, not GO TO SEA!

Grandpa Eldo forgot to warn them to take a sail, or at least a paddle. How will they get back home?

Luckily for the two clueless sailors, the whales they came to see see them first and obligingly provide a push back to shore, in David McKee's brand-new Elmer adventure, Elmer and the Whales (Elmer Books) (Lerner, 2014). Elmer's encounter with the leviathans, animals even bigger than elephants, has an intriguing ending when the whales remember that other patchwork elephant who used to come visit with them every year. As Elmer and Wilbur make their way back to Grandpa's place, they have a thought that might lead to another interesting adventure.

"I WONDER WHAT OTHER STORIES GRANDPA ELDO HASN'T TOLD US," SAID ELMER.

Double this one with the newest story in this long-running series, the just published Elmer and the Monster (Anderson Press, 2014).

One of a Kind: Joone by Emily Kate Moon

MY NAME IS JOONE.

SOME PEOPLE SPELL IT J-U-N-E, BUT I SPELL IT WITH A SMILEY FACE.

Joone is not your average five-year-old girl. She insists on turning the two Os in her name into eyes and drawing in a smile underneath. Her favorite color is orange, not pink. Instead of a Teddy bear as a playmate, she has her turtle, Mr. Chin. And her house is a yurt, built by her grandfather, who is a scientist and very smart.

EVERY DAY GRANDPA TEACHES ME SOMETHING NEW.

HE SAY EVERYDAY I TEACH HIM SOMETHING NEW, TOO.

When Grandpa tells her not to wear  her favorite orange dress until it's washed, Joone doesn't.  She just plays outside in her underwear, also wearing, of course, her purple hat at all times.

When Grandpa tells her to remember to do things for others, Joone does.  She decides to take all his books off his shelves and re-arrange them by color--in "rainbow order."  And she knows just the right thing to do for the nice mail lady:  Joone leaves her a ice cream sandwich--in the mailbox! It's a surprise, all right.

In Emily Kate Moon's debut picture book, Joone (Dial Books, 2013), we meet one of those different drummer characters, one who is perfectly happy with her world, right down to the perfect tree house --with stone steps she builds for Mr. Chin (who can't climb ladders) to climb up and play with her. Moon's artwork is done in singular gouache and pencil drawings which extend her quirky character's personality perfectly against her warm and homey setting. As Kirkus says, "Joone could be a contemporary, country-dwelling cousin to Eloise: another precocious, articulate and turtle-loving child with charm to spare."

Shell Game: Splat the Cat: A Whale of a Tale by Rob Scotton

SPLAT THE CAT BUCKLED HIS SEAT BELT.

"LET'S GO!   IT'S VACATION TIME!"

It's summertime, he's on the way to the beach, and Splat the Cat doesn't have a care in the world.  Except for one job.

"BRING ME BACK A SHELL SO I CAN HEAR THE SEA, TOO!" Grandpa had said.

So before Splat can have a carefree frolic in the sea, finding that perfect seashell is job one.

Splat heads down the beach,

He spots small, boring shells, clam shells, even an egg shell left from someone's picnic. He spies a golden shell mostly buried in the sand. It turns out to be a cool ship's bell, but it's not what he wants.  He just has to find a shell that will bring Grandpa back the sound of the sea!

Splat notices that the sand is mysteriously littered with broken shells. But then he looks up just in time to see a seagull dropping an intact shell. CRAAACK! It hits the sand and shatters. Mystery solved.

But how is Splat going to get a perfect shell with the sound of the sea still inside?

Splat's seaside hunt takes a fantastical turn in an encounter with a friendly whale in Rob Scotten's new summer-themed I-Can-Read book, Splat the Cat: A Whale of a Tale (I Can Read Book 1) (Harper, 2013). In another funny story from the prolific Rob Scotton starring his jittery kitty, Splat muses on the way home that he has two gifts for Grandpa, a shell with the sound of the sea and a whale of a tale!

Grampsitting: How to Babysit a Grandpa by Joan Wildish

Babysitting a grandpa is fun--IF you know how....

Gramps management is easy. You know what he likes to do--eat ice cream, take slow walks, color pictures for his fridge, and catch a quick snooze....

When Grandpa says "Naptime!" the best way to to put him to sleep is a lo-o-o-n-ng book!"

While he's getting his ZZZs, you need to play or read quietly so he gets his nap out (so he won't wake up grumpy), and then it's time to take him outside for a walk.

If it's sunny, sunscreen up--especially the top of his head!"

If you want to get this sitting job again, be sure to clean up any mess you two make. So, when it's getting to be time for Mom and Dad to return, get Grampa started on the cleanup. Pitch in and do it with him, and don't forget to make it a game! Then, when you hear them coming, reassure Gramps:

"See, they always come BACK!"

Jean Reagan's wry switcheroo on babysitting, How to Babysit a Grandpa (Alred A. Knopf, 2012) will keep kids chuckling at the role reversal, as she puts all those oft-repeated babysitting mantras in the mouth of her preschool protagonist. Lee Wildish's wry comic illustrations are suitably tongue-in-cheek and offer lots of visual humor which further extend the fun. On Fathers Day, grandfathers with a sense of humor will enjoy reading this one to their grandkids, and pointing out that they, of course, would NEVER, EVER, fall asleep on the job.

Sisters, Sisters! Ten Rules for Living with My Sister by Ann M. Martin

Half and hour ago my sister locked me out of her room. Then she opened her door long enough to hang this sign on it:

NO PEARL

Then she closed the door again. It was the sixth time Lexie had hung the NO PEARL sign that month.

Lexie is thirteen. She has a lot going for her--a neat room, great grades, lots of friends, many interests, from violin to soccer to knitting, a boyfriend, a bra, and her own key and cell phone. Inveterate list-maker Pearl charts her sister's qualities in a table along with her own and sees that Lexie has a point in finding her company uninteresting at best. Lexie is nine, a reluctant student; her room is a mess; she has no friends except Justine, a first grader who lives down the hall. Her only notable interest is collecting stuffed animals, and she is forced to list her cat Bitey as her boyfriend.

Pearl looks at her list ruefully, but is clueless at what to do with her uninspiring life. Spying on Lexie and struggling to overhear her phone conversations through the bathroom wall are the only exciting activities she can come up with, and Lexie understandably retreats to her room behind her NO PEARL sign and her locked door.

But then Grandaddy Bo has a bad fall and it becomes evident that he's not going to be able to continue to live alone out in New Jersey. As he moves in to Pearl's room, Lexie and Pearl suddenly find themselves unwilling roommates, sharing bunk beds, a small closet and bureau, and more time together than Lexie thinks she can bear. It's time for Pearl to come up with another of her famous lists, new rules for living with (and understanding) her big sister. Some items become immediately obvious after Pearl's first efforts to get attention from Lexie's friends:

1. Don't hide Lexie's shoes, even if you think it's funny.

2. Don't show Lexie's boyfriend her baby blanket.

3. Don't talk about her throwup.

Some take more observation and and something new to Pearl--insight:

7. Listen to what Lexie says. I mean really listen and then pay attention. It's important to pay attention.

8. Take her seriously. She has no sense of humor about herself and everything embarrasses her.

Pearl has an epiphany when she realizes that fear of embarrassment is the secret to Lexie's behavior. The breakthrough in their relationship comes when Lexie, who claims to be too "mature" for Halloween, finally agrees to dress up and take Pearl and Justine trick-or-treating. Lexie even comes up with a costume as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, and as they make their rounds, she gets in the spirit of the night and begins to have fun--until she meets up with a frenemy from her class at school:

Our buckets--all three of them--were growing heavier, and when we stepped into the fourth-floor hallway, I heard Lexie draw in her breath. "Uh-oh," she said softly.

"What--," I started to say, but I stopped when I saw a girl Lexie's age at the other end of the hall. Lexie didn't expect to run into Mandy or anyone else she knew.

Mandy was walking with two little kids, holding tight to their hands. Mandy, I hate to point out, was not wearing a costume--or carrying a bag.

"Lexie!!" exclaimed Mandy, and she began to laugh. "WHAT are you doing?"

By now it was plain to just about everyone in the world, probably even to babies, that my sister was trick-or-treating. It was also plain that Mandy Stanworth was not.

"She's--," said Justine, but I clapped my hand over her mouth.

"My sister's taking my friend Justine and me trick-or-treating," I spoke up. "Lexie didn't want to wear a costume," I went on, "but I had a tantrum and yelled, 'I can't go without my sister with me! And she has to wear a costume.' I cried until my parents made her dress up like Dorothy."

Pearl even ad-libs a non-existent sick cousin for whom Lexie has thoughtfully offered to collect a bag of treats, and Mandy is suitably impressed with Lexie's maturity. Lexie is grateful for her sister's rescue and suitably impressed with Pearl's insight into the situation from her point of view. It's a turning point in the sisters' relationship, and the reader is sure that Pearl's side of her sibling comparison list is going to be looking up from now on.

Ann M. Martin's latest, Ten Rules for Living with My Sister (Feiwel & Friends, 2011) shows off the Newbery-winning author's insight and skill in portraying developing relationships with friends and siblings in fiction that rivals that of Beverly Cleary's famous stories of Beezus and Ramona. Publishers Weekly says, "Credible characterizations, on-the-nail humor, and well-observed family dynamics add up to another hit."

Evergreen: Grandpa Green by Lane Smith

He was born many years ago.

Before computers and cell phones or television.

In fourth grade he got chicken pox.

How to tell the story of a lifetime? In his much-heralded new picture book, Grandpa Green (Roaring Brook, 2011), best-selling author-illustrator Lane Smith (It's a Book) shows the lifetime of Grandpa Green through the medium of arbor sculpture, the shaping of living plants into the forms of people, animals, or objects.

What seems a strange choice of storytelling becomes both philosophical and amusing, as a fond grandchild straightforwardly narrates the everyday milestones of Grandpa Green's life in the shapes of the shrubs and trees Grandpa has so skillfully created with his gardening shears and his artistic sensitivities. There is a bawling baby that he once was, chickens and eggs from his childhood farm chores, even an apple-spotted tree in the shape of the nine-year old chicken pox sufferer. The love of his life is sculptured as a topiary maiden, and his many children and grandchildren fill the landscape with childlike paper-doll shapes.

Grandpa Green did grow up to study horticulture, but he also saw duty in World War II, which he remembers in the shapes of the warplanes and parachuting soldiers he sculpts in his garden, and even when he grows old, he still manages to preserve much of his life in what he has created, both in his green and growing garden and in the evergreen memories of those whose lives he has also shaped. And the boy narrator has learned from him, and to show that he has, he shapes the figure of his grandfather with his own shears to add to the garden his Grandpa Green has given him.

Now he's pretty old.

And he sometimes forgets things, like his favorite straw hat.

But the important stuff

The garden remembers for him.

…An unassuming little masterpiece…the book's power lies in its rich, allusive artistry," says The New York Times. And in its starred review, School Library Journal agrees: "Visually intriguing and emotionally resonant, this is a book to pore over and talk about. With each subsequent reading, it offers new layers of meaning and visual connections."