Fourteen Ways of Looking at Jellyfish, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2026. $26.99 ages 8 and up

 

"XII.
By the numbers.
Nearly four thousand jellyfish species;
only fifty with venom deadly to humans. 

Bodies 95 percent water. 
Lifespans from a few weeks
to eighteen months. 
One mouth serves two purposes:
eating food and expelling poop. 
Before you kiss a jellyfish, think twice."

Here are 14 Roman numeral numbered poems that explore the wonder of these ancient ocean dwellers in every possible way: history, biology and even mythology. The poetry is remarkable from first to last entry, sharing facts through rhythmic language that mirrors the ways jellyfish move and live in their ocean home. About the only things I thought I knew about the jellyfish were what they look like and how dangerous they are. I had no idea about their names, their astonishing and beautiful forms, or that they date back to before the dinosaurs. All that by number III!

Moving from one exceptional spread to the next, I quickly discovered there is much I didn't know. Now, I do. Bioluminescence glows through them in numerous colors; in the dark they appear blue, violet, yellow, and red. Scientific classifications are as varied as their shapes. Ms. Weatherford suggests that instead of trying to remember all that, it's okay to 'just call them jellies'. I will take her advice. The fact that they are made of nerve bundles helps to explain the lack of other organs and bones. 

The life cycle is made clear for young readers, although it differs at times and the results of a boom in the births can end up with there being too many in one place with no room for all; causing them to wash ashore to their certain demise. While I have great admiration for every Bagram Ibatoulline 'watercolor, acrylic gouache, pen, pencil, colored paper and digital tools' work of art, I found myself poring over the accompanying image for this poem. A large jelly invites rapt attention from numerous ocean creatures with a detailed drawing of the jellyfish life cycle. It's quite wonderful! 

Even more impressive is how the artist shifts from one style to another to offer perspective for the variety in the poems presented. IX describes the hugeness of two jellyfish in terms of length and size; the image created allows readers to compare both to a nearby diver. Graphic panels are sharply diagonal to show the danger for a child stung by a jellyfish and the pain felt before transfer in an ambulance. 

Each spread shows a different way to consider the jellyfish, both narrative and illustrative. The poems speak to the wonders of learning about something elusive and little known to most people. Each spread is a surprise to its readers as shown through the careful observation of the artist. It is sure to inspire awe in readers and listeners. This tribute to jellyfish is exactly the book I would love to share in classrooms for years to come. 

A bibliography and further resources close this sensational collaboration.
                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                               

Summer Book Club with Sicily (July and August 2026).

The calendar has turned to September, and I thought I would share with you what happened here in July and August. One of the great joys of my life is spending a month each year with my daughter Erin and her two daughters ... Sicily and Chelsea. They arrived on June 27 from Vancouver Island and were meant to leave August 1. Due to strike action at WestJet, they were unable to catch their return flight, which has afforded Sicily and I the opportunity to add another book to our list of books read while we were together. We fashioned our reading time on something Erin does with both girls throughout the year. They each choose a book a month to read ... together or apart. The purpose is to encourage reading outside of school, keeping up a reading habit, and discussing that reading with each other. It might be more than one book; the aim is to read at least one book each month of the school year. Chelsea was not so keen when she was here; so, she kept reading with her mom. 

I will begin by telling you that over the years I have saved some of my favorite books to read again (never happens), or to share with grandchildren should I have them at some point in my life. I've been waiting for the time to be right. I should also tell you that Erin helped us choose the books that might appeal by reading them herself again before Sicily and I got started. 

Our first book was Stargirl (Knopf, 2000) by Jerry Spinelli, a book I read more than 20 years ago. Every scene remains a part of my reading history. I was astonished by the power of Stargirl's persona. She is bright, friendly, a loyal friend, and different. Too different to be quickly accepted in a conformist high school setting; many students and teachers feel she is just too happy, and too weird for words. Her taste in clothes is bizarre, she plays her ukulele in the cafeteria, and she has a pet rat named Cinnamon. Leo falls in love with her as they spend time together. Can he hold onto those feelings against the tide of criticism and unpopularity that she faces every day? Will conformity force him to give her up and choose a different path? Thoughtful and heartbreaking, we agreed that we give it a 10 out of 10 for our book club. Deservedly, we were off to our favorite coffee shop for a treat and a short talk about its effect on us. 

Moving on, we next chose Rain Reign (Feiwel and Friends, 2014) by Ann M. Martin. This is another of those books that I have never forgotten. Ms. Martin created such a cast of memorable characters to tell her story. Rose Howard is a 12-year-old with high functioning autism. Her main focus lies in prime numbers, rules, and homonyms. Life with her father is not easy, but her Uncle Weldon is a kind and supportive person in her life. Finding a rescue dog she calls Rain (reign, rein) makes her life happier; they are always together. When her father lets Rain out during a terrible storm, the dog disappears. Trying to find him, with the help of her uncle, Rose must live outside her comfort zone concerning rules. It takes time and a great deal of patience, but their search finally comes to a happy conclusion, or does it?  Once found, Rose discovers that Rain has a microchip that names his owners. What will she do? It was a book that was more difficult to read unless we were both focused on the printed text together, as the constant mention of homonyms made reading it aloud without seeing the text more difficult. The story itself was powerful, and provided much food for thought and discussion at out next outing. 

Our third book was Orbiting Jupiter (Clarion. 2015) by Gary D. Schmidt. It is the agonizing story of a young boy named Joseph, a father at thirteen, who has never been allowed to see his daughter, Jupiter. His story leading up to his coming to live with Jack and his family is heartbreaking: almost killed a teacher, incarcerated at a place called Stone Mountain, and desperate to find his baby girl. As the foster family gets to know Joseph, and finally hear the story he is reluctant to tell, they come to love and respect him, realizing that the circumstances of his life are almost unimaginable. His past cannot be forgotten. As the family works together to help Joseph, old wounds are reopened and place huge demands on everyone. Most especially for Joseph.  Beautifully written and heartbreaking! It opened our hearts and made us cry. We gave it a 10 and had a pretty subdued conversation about misunderstandings and their effects on many lives. 

Our fourth book was Katherine Applegate's Home of the Brave (Square Fish, Macmillan, 2007). I have loved it since I first read it, and this was my fourth time. It is a novel in verse about Kek, a Sudanese refugee who comes to Minnesota for a better life with his aunt and cousin after his father and brother died in the war and his mother was lost to him during a raid at their refugee camp. Everything is new to Kek and easily misunderstood as he tries to learn a new language in a new land where nothing is familiar to him. His cousin Ganwar is angry with all there is to learn in this country. Ever an optimist, Kek makes the best of this new life as he longs for his mother to find him again. He forms new friendships, helps an old woman named Lou with her farm work, and begins to appreciate the life he is leading. There is much to love about this book; we enjoyed the characters, the funny misunderstandings that Kek faces and his grit and determination to live a better life away from the war that ravaged his country. We gave it a 9 out of 10. 

Our last book to read together was meant to be Tig (Tundra, 2024) by Heather Smith. Oh, I love this book! Tig has lived her short life with insecurity and abuse. Her mother has abandoned Tig (and her brother Peter), leaving them in a house with no electricity and with no means of caring for themselves. Her new home with her Uncle Scott and his partner Manny is everything her life has not been up until now. Peter is there to help her adapt; the two men do all they can to provide comfort and safety for her future. Tig rages constantly and does her best to make everything difficult. When they adopt a dog, named Guten Morgen, she finds comfort and unconditional love. New friends and a goal help her find community and acceptance. Tig's first-person voice is authentic and heartbreaking. She is reluctant to trust, causing issues with her caregivers who show patience, understanding, and love to help her through the trauma she has faced. It hurts to learn that Peter is imaginary, and has been the rock Tig needed from the time she was six. It is not an easy read, but worth the wonder and the tears. It led to a long discussion as we drank our chai lattes at Forbidden Flavors. 10, for sure! 

When the strike led to a longer stay, we decided we would read another and chose The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise (Henry Holt, Macmillan, 2019). Unfortunately, we could not finish it this year. It is top of the pile for next summer. In the meantime, we will continue to add to our TBR Book Club books throughout the year. I have already started a pile for Chelsea, in hopes that she will be happier to read with me next time. 

There is a constant concern these days that both children and adults are losing their love for reading. Tablets, phones and television provide distractions for many, and that is understandable. I cannot imagine a world where we don't turn to books for all they bring to our learning, our compassion, our ability to see and understand what is happening around us. There are many types of book clubs being formed for those who have a shared love for the written word. Ours is but one way to share some really special and memorable time together during a summer vacation. 

Ritu in the Sun, written by Moniza Hossain and illustrated by Merce Lopez. Crown Books for Young Readers, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

*

"Ritu loves the sun in the evening, when it 
splashes up streaks of orange and pink. 
Abbu and Ammu are busy finishing their 
chores for the day, so Ritu gets to spend
time with just her nani. 
Ritu helps Nani shell peas for dinner. When
she presses on the pods, the peas shoot into 
a bowl in Nani's lap."

You can see by the smile on her beautiful face that Ritu loves the sun. She loves how it shines through the window in the morning. Ritu is going to help her grandmother make aloo bhaji and roti for breakfast. Before she gets up to help, Ritu takes on the persona of a cat who loves the sun as much as she does. Ritu loves to swim in the afternoon sun with her parents. Nani worries about the sun's effect on Ritu's skin, and the tanning that happens when she is in sunlight for too long. Nani sit alone in the shade of a nearby tree; Ritu gets out of the pool and joins her. In the evening sun, Ritu sits alone with Nani and helps her shell the peas they will have for dinner. Nani is sitting in the shade. 

Ritu asks why. Nani explains that when she was a child, her mother warned her that her skin would grow very dark if she spent too much time in the sun. Nani remembers it as a lonely time in her life; all of her friends were outside playing. Ritu shares that she likes her Nani's skin. 

"Nani looks at their hands intertwined.
They are the rich brown of henna and of
tea steeped just right." 

After a change of heart, Nani plans a surprise for her granddaughter the following morning. They are going to take a breakfast picnic outside to share ... and they are going to sit in the morning sun to enjoy it. 

Illustrations created using acrylic paint and graphite inspire readers to carefully observe both light and shadow on each of the lovely pages. They allow those sharing the story to move from present to past and back again, as Nani explains why she stays out of the sun. An author's note discusses Ms. Hossain's inspiration for writing her story. She wants children to know that being in the warmth of the sun, and the beauty found in skin of all colors are just part of life's many wonderful experiences. Finally, recipes for Nani's aloo bhaji and roti are appended. 
                                                                                  

Have a BITE! How Food Connects Us, written by Heather Camlot and illustrated by Ally Jaye Reeves. Owlkids, 2026. $22.95 ages 9 and up

 

"THE THREE SISTERS

Working in harmony with nature is hardly new. 
It's how Indigenous Peoples have practiced 
agriculture for thousands of years. Called the 
"three sisters" in the United States and Canada, 
and the "milpa" system in Central America 
and Mexico, corn, beans, and squash are planted 
together because they help one another grow 
healthy and strong. They also provide a 
complete meal!"

Food is the great connector. No matter our culture, our country, or our circumstance, food plays an important role in all daily lives. Double-page entries introduce readers to the fact that 'food is steeped in history, tradition, culture, religion, celebration, trade, and geography'. Because food is a big part of our lives, it's important to learn as much as we can about it. Ms. Camlot sets out to help readers learn just that. 

She begins with diet and the essential ingredients that foods provide. Food history is discussed, going back six to seven million years and what our ancestors ate at the time. Moving forward, she explains that what we eat today is heavily influenced by our families and their histories. The format for the entries is similar with each new topic. An introduction, followed by short and pertinent paragraphs concerning certain aspects of each subject. Additional material is presented in side bars, entitled Chew on this, Food for thought, and Hungry for history. 

She refers to many traditional dishes, while also including recent developments in new foods enjoyed by many. Whether it's Hawaiian pizza (a Canadian addition to the already plentiful variants) or the 21 different types of regional breads shared by people throughout the world, the author fills the pages with facts that are sure to surprise. Her discussion of food waste should give all readers pause. 

"Every day around the world, the amount of food wasted equals more than one billion meals."

That might happen because of a lack of workers to pick the crops, foods that rot where there are no proper storage facilities, or food being thrown away. With so many people going hungry each day, wouldn't it be something if that food could be saved? Ms. Camlot suggests that eating more like our ancestors did, and trying new foods would help. 

Sharing engaging nonfiction with middle grade readers invites them to think more clearly about so many things. In this case, it fires their interest in knowing more about the food they eat and what is available if they are willing to go outside their comfort zone to try something new and different. Back matter includes a glossary, a list of sources, and an index. 

Witchward Bound, written by Erin Bow and illustrated by Kelly Murphy. Scholastic, 2026. $21.99 ages 10 and up

 

"Cats do not in general like boats, or water,
But Butter just sat there on the dock, looking at 
the boat. He sat up very straight, like a cat
who had no doubts.
Owl watched him with her shiny eyes for a 
while. Then she craned her neck and tilted 
her head almost upside down so she could 
read the name printed on the boat's side.
"Brrr ... right ... Eye ... dea. Bright idea!"
the raven shouted out. "Butter? Whose 
Bright Idea is this?
"It's ours," said the cat, and leaped aboard."

It's been a while since I read a new book by Erin Bow; I am pleased that this one arrived in the mail recently to remind me just how much I enjoy her writing. She does not disappoint with this story of a young witch and her familiars: Butter, a calico cat with an air of pomposity and Owl, an impulsive raven who gave herself the moniker for its sound. Though they don't get along very well, when their young witch disappears without a note or warning, the two set themselves a quest to find her. 

A small boat named Bright Idea seems the perfect transport for the two as they spend an extended time on their search. Using a neighbor goat's 'canny bell', meant to keep them on the right path to success, they set off on a series of misadventures that will have middle grade readers fascinated. As they face a number of obstacles, the two become better friends, always with the same goal in mind: to find their witch and bring her home. Often terrified, they cling to an otter-god's claim that heroes are not necessarily big, strong, and fearless. Rather, "What makes them heroes is that they go on." Go on they do, eventually completing their quest and learning why their witch left without warning. 

Erin Bow's exceptional storytelling gives readers worthy characters who exhibit both human and animal traits. I have added a number of quotes to my growing collection of favorites. The way she plots her story will keep readers involved and moving constantly forward. Kelly Murphy's illustrations are a brilliant addition to the fun found here.  

Inspired by Homer's The Odyssey, which is very much in movie news today, this first book in a new series about Butter and Owl is sure to become a classic. It's going on my 'keepers' shelf to be read with Chelsea when she returns next summer. It will be our first book club book. 
                                                                                           

No Ungapatchka, written by Deborah Kerbel and illustrated by Yaara Eshet. Owlkids. 2026. $22.95 ages 4 and up

 

"WEDNESDAY was gusty and blustery. Sarah dressed
like a swirling puff of wind. 

Whooosh - she breezed out the door past her sisters. 

On THURSDAY, Sarah dressed like a shower of 
twinkly raindrops. 

"Hello, glitter!"

"Don't you think that's a bit shiny for school?" asked 
Rachel. 

No, Sarah did not."

It is time - time for Sarah to make her own decisions about what she will wear to school. She knows she can do it. Her sisters, who have been choosing their own clothes for many years, have some tips for their little sister. Sarah does not understand what the NO UNGAPATCHKA! rule means. The girls explain that it is a Bubbie word and means "something that is too bright, too busy"; also "Too weird. Too loud." Sarah loves her Bubbie's words; she hears them every Friday when the two walk home from school together. 

Each day of the week, Sarah chooses an outfit, matched with the weather and the way she feels that day. Her sisters' establishment views lead to their telling Sarah on Friday that she must change what she is wearing. 

"Sarah's heart felt as heavy as the clouds outside."

After making the change, Sarah feels less. She is consumed by the blahs when she meets Bubbie for their walk home. Sarah explains that her sisters insisted she change that day - no ungapatchka! As they sit to talk, Bubbie asks Sarah what she wants when her sisters' rules don't suit her. Sarah explains that she wants to be loud, and bright, and busy, and weird. Once home, Bubbie removes her coat to show off her 'splendiferous' outfit. Together, the two make a new list, only for Sarah!  

I love the encouragement offered by Ms. Kerbel to be yourself, and the delightful artwork created by Ms. Eshet that perfectly matches the rousing and powerful message that making your own choices is a worthy pursuit. 

Nora At Night, written and illustrated by April dela Noche Milne. Kids Can Press, 2026. $21.99 ages 3 and up

 

"For brunch, Nora would help her papa make eggs, 
rice, bacon, grilled tomatoes, and (sometimes) 
empanadas.

It wouldn't have been so bad if her 
papa didn't also watch nature and 
animal shows at the same time."

It takes no time at all after Nora wakes in the morning for her ears to be inundated with the sounds of her very noisy family. Even the cat scratches at her door for entrance. Her parents are up and having coffee, her twin sisters are rising filled with excitement for a new day. It is a cacophony of loud sound! 

Once breakfast is consumed, the noise continues with phone calls, the vacuum, her family in the bathroom getting ready for the day while she is trying to take a comforting shower. The afternoon means a trek to the park and the endless noise of people at the pool there. A quick stop at the grocery offers squeaky cart wheels, loudspeaker information, chat with friends, and the endless beep as groceries are scanned for payment. Outside again, it's traffic noise, and talking. Poor Nora. Upon arrival at home, she has had all she can take and lets everyone know it is just too LOUD for her. 

Evening is decidedly different. She goes to her room where there is no sound. She can listen at the window to the sounds of the coming night. 

"There were no clamorous 
cars: only raccoons scrounging 
for food in the bushes outside, 
the branches brushing against 
the windowsill." 

Nora reads quietly on the floor, away from TV shows, laptop sounds, visitors, and sisters playing quietly together as the day winds down. Later, Mama comes in to share lullabies as Nora settles in to sleep and dream. Waking in the middle of the night to share the soothing sounds of everyone's snoring is perfect. 

Ms. Milne's artwork is 'rendered in pencil and Procreate' and invites readers to share in the chaos of a busy and bustling family whose days are full. Plentiful onomatopoeic sounds add appeal and empathy for Nora as she navigates a day that is an assault to her ears and her head. Discussion following reading this story will lead to focusing attention on listeners' experiences and their response to the world's sounds around them.