My Bollywood Dream (Candlewick) by Avani Dwivedi is on School Library Journal’s list for Best Picture Books of 2023. Here’s what they have to say about the book! Nothing about this book should have worked, yet just as Bollywood musicals come together to celebrate spectacle and love, so does Dwivedi’s story. Her aspirations to direct the tale of her life have begun, in colorful pages in and out of the cinema, cast with everyone she encounters in her daily life. Congratulations Avani! See the full list here Get the book here
Amazon’s Best Books of 2023 list is out! I’ll Hold Your Hand (MacMillan) by Maggie C. Rudd, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri, is on the list for books for ages Baby to 2. This Book is Banned (Source Books) by Raj Hadar, illustrated by Julia Patton is on the list for kids ages 6 to 8. Congratulations Elisa and Julia! See the full list here
The NSTA (National Science Teaching Association) has named The Pie that Molly Grew (Sleeping Bear) by Sue Heavenrich, illustrated by Chamisa Kelllogg, an Outstanding Science Trade Book for 2023. See the full list here Get the book here
The California Reading Association has awarded a Eureka! Honor to Jerry Changed the Game!(Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books) by Don Tate, illustrated by Cherise Harris. The Eureka! Non-Fiction Book Award assists teachers, librarians, and parents in identifying outstanding nonfiction books for their students and children. Read more about the award here Get the book here
School Library Journal has given a starred review to My Bollywood Dream (Candlewick) by Avani Dwivedi. Congratulations Avani! ★Dwivedi, Avani. My Bollywood Dream. illus. by Avani Dwivedi. 40p. Candlewick. Aug. 2023. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781536228427. Gr 2-4–Told through beautiful imagery and lyrical prose, this book soars in language, illustration, and cultural importance. A young unnamed narrator describes her love of Bollywood films. As she, Ma, and Baba travel through Mumbai to the theater, the narrator imagines life as a Bollywood movie, including choreographed dancing, heroic feats, and abundant color and food. Great imagery, metaphors, and similes—“Bollywood music is like listening to the first monsoon rain—the rhythm is steady and familiar”—parallel what the young girl sees on the screen and what she envisions in her real life. In an author’s note, Dwivedi describes Bollywood as a bridge between her and her desi community after she moved to the United States. Lyrical language depicts the depth, joy, and mystique of the very specific aspects of this elaborate style of filmmaking. The text incorporates words such as “khushi” (“with happiness”) and phrases (“Aab maaza aayega!” or “Now this should be fun!”) to bring Mumbai culture to life. VERDICT This is a well told […]
On her popular blog A Fuse #8 Production, Librarian Betsy Bird has announced the Evanston Public Library’s 101 Great Books for Kids List: 2023 Edition, and Not a Monster (Charlesbridge), by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez, illustrated by Laura González is on it! Bird calls the book “Adorable, engaging, and informative!” Congratulations Laura! Get the book here
