At the bottom of Syd’s garden, through the gate and past the tree, is Grandad’s house. Syd can let himself in any time he likes. But one day when Syd comes to call, Grandad isn’t in any of the usual places. He’s in the attic, where he ushers Syd through a door, and the two of them journey to a wild, beautiful island awash in color where Grandad decides he will remain.
Secret Agent Man (S.A.M.) needs new shoes. His mom — er, sidekick, “K” (short for Kay) — takes him shopping. But the operation will be dangerous: to start with, Shoe Store Man looks shifty. “Frisk him,” says S.A.M. With the help of a Team of Expert Spies and keen observation skills, will Sam find that his brand-new tiger-striped shoes convey a new superpower . . . and that he can now tie his own shoelaces?
Little Bear tries to impress his Dad by doing a big jump from one rock to another, but he falls over. When he picks himself up and keeps going, his dad says, “I think a brave bear is probably the bravest thing in the world.”
African-American football player Chuck Ealey grew up in a segregated neighborhood of Portsmouth, Ohio. Against all odds, he became an incredible quarterback. But despite his unbeaten record in high school and university, he would never play professional football in the United States.
Sometimes, as a treat, Mom takes Charlie and Lola to the store and says they may choose one thing. With Lola bending everyday numbers to her will, the math goes down easy.
Alan is very scary. He says things like, “I’m big, scary Alan! Fear my razor-sharp teeth!” But all is not as it seems. Alan, you see, has a very BIG (not-so-scary) secret.
When Jane Sutcliffe sets out to write a book about William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre, in her own words, she runs into a problem: Will’s words keep popping up all over the place! What’s an author to do? After all, Will is responsible for such familiar phrases as “what’s done is done” and “too much of a good thing.” He even helped turn “household words” into household words.
An aspiring bear spotter ventures into bear country. But coming face-to-face with the furry creatures themselves, whether black or brown, can be dangerous, and our protagonist, accompanied by a trusty teddy bear, might need to use some unconventional means to stay out of trouble and avoid being (gulp!) eaten.
The Book Itch is the story of the National Memorial African Bookstore, founded in Harlem by Louis Michaux. Told from Lewis’s son’s perspective, the book complements Nelson’s award-winning novel No Crystal Stair.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 8, Issue 4
Silence, sent on a mysterious mission by the ancient trees that raised her after she was sent away from her village, reconnects the villagers with their forgotten ancestors.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 8, Issue 4