Seven Million Steps by Derrick Barnes and Christian Gregory

Today's read head into the nonfiction realm and takes a look at a little-known achievement during the 1970s. A gentleman named Dick Gregory decided to run about 50 miles a day and cross the entire United States from Los Angeles to New York (I believe). His arrival was scheduled to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the US. The entire reason for this venture was to raise awareness for hunger, which it did.

So, let's see how this book presents this amazing moment.

SEVEN MILLION STEPS

The True Story of Dick Gregory's 

Run for the Hungry

by Derrick Barnes

Christian Gregory

Illustrated by Frank Morrison

Amistad Books

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

From award-winning creators, Derrick Barnes, Frank Morrison, and Dr. Christian Gregory comes the true story of comedian and activist Dick Gregory’s remarkable Food Run of 1976.

1 man. 1,011 hours. 3,200 miles. 7 million steps.

What would you do?

In April of 1976, Dick Gregory sets off on a Herculean and grueling two-and-a-half month run. His goal: to raise awareness about the epidemic of poverty and hunger in America.

Sleeping in motels and consuming nothing but fruit juices, vitamins and water, he runs from Los Angeles to New York City. And in each city, he stops to speak the truth about injustice. About the plight of the penniless. About the hopeless.

Lyrical text, stunning art, and compelling backmatter come together to ask you—yes you—what would you do if you had a wild idea to stand up for something you believe in? Find out how far Dick Gregory’s belief in feeding the hungry took him in this unforgettable story of an incredible journey that still reverberates today.

GOODREADS     /      AMAZON     /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Instead of presenting a historical rundown of Dick Gregory's amazing run, these pages draw the reader personally in and emotionally bring across the journey.

This is a brightly and artistically illustrated book, which makes it enjoyable simply to pick up and gaze at each scene. The illustrative style not only brings across the individuals well but also lets the artist deliver various scenes and landscapes that Dick passed to hit with beauty and heart. So, this aspect alone was already enjoyable. 

The book speaks directly to the reader, often asking questions to personally tie them to Dick's experience. At the same time, the reason behind Dick's undertaking as well as a couple highlights are sprinkled in along the way to give it historical meaning and not let the events pass by unnoticed. But this read is all about the emotional connection, which not only does a nice job at making the hunger issue clear in the beginning but also illustrates the difficulty of the journey as well as the lovely sense of community Dick met along the way. 

Especially classrooms, homeschoolers, or anyone interested in themes surrounding hunger, Dick Gregory, or changing the world in different ways will find this book especially useful. I see this as a better fit for the upper end of the age group, since it does open up nicely to discussions. The end of the read offers more facts concerning Dick Gregory's run as well as more information about hunger and the like, which adds a nice touch and some more threads for discussions and research. I, personally, would have enjoyed a little more backstory on Dick Gregory (who he was before undertaking the run) and what affects the run had after he was done. But this is a nice, general flow of the run and inspires listeners/readers letting them know that there are things almost everyone can do to make a difference.

And here they are...

Derrick Barnes is the creator of the New York Times bestselling companion picture books The King of Kindergarten and The Queen of Kindergarten. His graphic novel Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice was a National Book Award finalist and won many other awards. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning picture book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, which received a Newbery Honor, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award, and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers. Derrick currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his enchanting wife, Dr. Tinka Barnes, and their four sons, the Mighty Barnes Brothers. You can visit him online at derrickdbarnes.com.

Growing up in New Jersey, Frank Morrison began developing his own style through "R.I.P" art scenes that brought him considerable street recognition and local acclaim. But it wasn’t until he visited the Louvre Museum in Paris with his dancing group that he realized painting was his true creative path. His talent and hard work paid off with over twenty illustrated children’s books, including the Coretta Scott King—John Steptoe Award winner Jazzy Miz Mozetta and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor book Little Melba and Her Big Trombone. Frank lives in Georgia with his family.

The Secret of the Night Parade by Jem Yoshioka

I saw this one and immediately thought that it'd be a good fit for October. This is the 2nd in a graphic novel series for middle graders, and I believe it slides into the Asian myths surrounding yokai and the like. I'm really curious to see how a night parade goes because this could be very gripping and fun. It doesn't hit the shelves until November, so there's plenty of time to get excited about the release, too.

Let's pick it up and see what it's about!

THE SECRET OF THE NIGHT PARADE

Folk Remedy, Book 2

by Jem Yoshioka

Andrews McMeel Publishing

Middle Grade Fantasy  /   Graphic Novel

256 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING NOVEMBER 10th!!!

Maple and her friends journey deeper into the mysterious world of yÅ kai, where one person's secrets could change everything. A magical middle-grade graphic novel for fans of Spirited Away and Inuyasha .

In Folk The Secret of the Night Parade (Book 2), Maple finds herself in the Hidden City of yokai, the supernatural creatures of Japan. Surrounded by danger, she and her friends Ember, Sky, and Peach must navigate the city's colorful characters, seeking allies and avoiding enemies.

Maple must grapple with how the hidden world is changing her and whether she even wants to return to her old life. The secrets behind her mysterious dreams and Ember's true identity will test who she can trust.

Book 2 of a magical middle-grade graphic novel series

Steeped in Japanese folklore and yokai lore

Art evoking traditional woodblock prints

Perfect for anime and manga fans
Full of friendship, folklore, and fast-paced adventure, return to the world of the yokai!

GOODREADS      /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Starting where book one left off, this adventure circles around growing friendships while visiting the dangers of a yokai realm.

Maple doesn't have much time left to find a way to leave the yokai realm and head back home to the human world. She already has horns on her head and knows that the next mutation is only a few weeks, at most, away. With the help of her odd collection of friends, who also each harbor their own secrets, she's headed to one of the major yokai cities and hopes to find a priestess there who can help. But yokai hate humans, and she's sure to be discovered when thrown into the crowds. Plus, Ember, her best friend, is acting strange and it's becoming more and more clear that he's hiding something huge.

I didn't read the first book in this duology (?) but didn't have too much trouble sinking right in. Of course, a lot of backstory was missing, so I would suggest reading this one in order.

This is a steady paced read, which keeps the pages turning the entire way through. While there are some more dangerous scenes, this read focuses more on the relationships between the group of friends and their very vibrant personalities. A couple of them are harboring huge secrets, and while Maple trusts each of them, sometimes it's questionable if she really should as they disappear without wanting to give a reason as to why. This creates an interesting tension and keeps the reader wondering about the reasons until the end. There's also some possible romances and maybe romances woven in, but the main thrust of the tale still remains on the friendship end. The back-and-forths between each of them adds a smile to the face and keeps the atmosphere light.

The graphics are nicely done and make the world come to life while keeping this lighter feel. It's easy to sink into each character and enjoy their tales thanks to the imagery. 

The plot, in general, is fairly straightforward but still carries enough side-notes to keep it interesting. There was a section toward the end where I grew a little confused as to what was happening but another glance and everything was clear. 

It's an enjoyable world with fun characters to root for.

And here she is...

Jem Yoshioka is an award winning comic artist from the very real and not-at-all-fictional location of Wellington, New Zealand. She fell in love with comics because she can blend together her two loves of drawing and writing. It's been years now and unfortunately no one has been able to get her to stop, so they've given up trying (the lesson here is that stubbornness is a virtue). She lives a cozy life in a central city apartment with her black cat. Folk Remedy is her debut graphic novel.

Hardy Boys Clue Book: Fall Mysteries by Franklin W Dixon

Mysteries are an automatic must-read when Halloween comes around, and Hardy Boys are known to keep those mysteries coming. So, I was excited to get my hands on a a 3-in-1 mystery novel with, at least, one of the tales circling around Halloween. I have the sneaking suspicion that there might be another one about ghosts, too. So, let's open this book up and take a look!

FALL MYSTERIES

Hardy Boys Clue Book 3-in-1

by Franklin W Dixon

Illustrated by Santy Gutierrez

Aladdin

Children's Mystery

288 pages

ages 6 to 9

Brothers Frank and Joe Hardy tackle three spooky investigations in this fall-themed Hardy Boys Clue Book three-books-in-one paperback bind-up!

In The Bad Luck Skate, Frank and Joe are excited to be supporting their friends on the Bayport Checkers hockey team. But when someone dumps paint all over the team’s lucky skate, their star player worries their luck has run out. Then his stick breaks before he takes the ice! Has the team really lost their luck or is someone trying to psych them out so they lose the game? Without a clear suspect, Frank and Joe are on thin ice.

After Frank and Joe’s friend Jason wins a treasure map at Bayport’s Pirate Palooza, a message in a bottle warns him not to hunt for the treasure! Could it be the legendary ghost of Captain Scurvydog? In The Pirate Ghost, the Hardy Boys are on the case to prove that spirits definitely do not exist…or do they?

In The Great Pumpkin Smash, Frank and Joe can’t wait to celebrate Halloween at Bayport’s annual party, Boo at the Zoo. But when the brothers go to check out the painted pumpkin display, they’re all completely squashed! The two detectives must find out who pummeled the pumpkins or else this will be the last Boo at the Zoo.

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON    /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Mystery fans get to dive into three, exciting tales with two sleuths, who are known to find the culprit every time.

This is a collection of three tales, which feature Frank and Joe Hardy in their younger years. This is a book for those readers, who are sure of their words and are edging toward middle grade novels but not quite there yet. It includes three tales, which each take place during the Fall season. One centers around a hockey team's good luck being ruined, another takes on a Fall festival surrounding pirates, and the last jumps into the Boo celebration at the local zoo. Each one heads in an original direction, and the culprit of each mystery is good at covering their tracks. But Frank and Joe know how to concentrate on the five 'W' questions (Who, What, When, Where, and Why) and are very good at collecting clues. 

Each read is around 70-80 pages long. They are broken down into almost a dozen chapters to let readers take breaks as necessary...but it's not easy to set these tales down, since each one keeps the pacing high. There are lovely illustrations sprinkled in, and there is a page of questions to encourage readers to see if they can figure out the mystery themselves. 

Each story involves friends, neighbors, and other characters from Joe and Frank's town. This gives it a nice, community atmosphere . Although crimes are committed, these stay aligned to the intended age group, and the solutions offer wholesome goodness, too. The mysteries aren't easy to guess, so readers won't necessarily be able to predict the ending. Each scene carries familiarity, too, to let readers sink right in.

It's an enjoyable collection of stories for young, mystery fans.

And here they are...

Franklin W. Dixon is the author of the ever-popular Hardy Boys books.

Santy Gutierrez resides in the seaside city of La Coruña, Spain. He has won acclaim as the Best Spanish Young Editorial Cartoonist and Best Galician Caricaturist, among others. 

An Octopus Named Houdini by Zana Fraillon

I've been waiting to pick up today's read for a few months now. First, I find the cover grabbing...what is the girl's relationship with the octopus? Is it a fantasy or contemporary? I'm really curious. Second, it's written in verse. While I'm not a huge poetry fan, I do enjoy a well done one. I'm hoping this read falls into that category because a well done book in verse is a treat.

So, let's open it up and find out what these pages hold.

AN OCTOPUS NAMED HOUDINI

by Zana Fraillon

Illustrated by Corinna Luyken

Simon & Schuster

Middle Grade  /  Novel in Verse

160 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING NOVEMBER 24th!!!

Odder meets Growing Home in this “tender and insightful” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) illustrated middle grade novel in verse about an octopus named Houdini, her unexpected friendship with the aquarium owner’s daughter, and her deep yearning to return to the sea.

All day long we can hear
that Sea howl prowling wild
inside our brains and every part of us is straining
to feel it taste it twirl it whirl it swirl it
inside our body
again.

Houdini the octopus lives in an aquarium, but she misses her home in the wild Sea. She doesn’t like the visitors who bang on her tank. Or the way she can’t feel the sun on her skin or the wind rippling the water. It’s a dull existence for a creature with nine brains.

Then one day she meets someone who is different than the others. Juno’s busy brain buzzes with so many questions and thoughts that Houdini’s skin tingles with wonder.

But the singing of the Sea is growing stronger and harder to resist. Can Houdini make Juno understand what she needs before it’s too late?

GOODREADS     /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

By diving into the head of an octopus, readers see aquariums and humans from a different view and are left wishing they could become friends with this sea creature, too.

Houdini has lived in the aquarium for a long time but still dreams of escaping to the sea. While the caretaker does his best to keep her entertained, he doesn't realize that she's waiting for a chance to escape. She already takes occasional journeys through the halls and has been caught once or twice. Still, she knows that the humans have no clue how intelligent she is...or what she's planning. While she patiently waits for the big day to come, a small human joins the caretaker, a young girl who is so different from the normal groups of kids which pound on the glass all day. Houdini immediately feels a connection to the girl, and it appears that this is reciprocated. But true understanding is difficult between Houdini and the human girl...and Houdini's time is running out.

This is a carefully laid tale with tons of heart. The poetic writing matches the flow wonderfully. Each page holds  a scene, which gains its setting, meaning, and the point of view its coming from with a short title at the top of the page. The text flows very smoothly, carries exactly what is needed, and hits just right. It's never overly wordy or flowery but lets the personality and concerns of Houdini come across naturally. It's easy to sympathize with Houdini and her plight..and also that of the girl. The forming friendship touches the heart, while enough hope that Houdini can escape adds tension. There's also a gentle humor woven in as Houdini outsmarts the humans in little ways. 

Readers will come out of this with a new respect for octopi and aquariums, in general. The message fits the age group well, and even works great for school and homeschooling situations. It's a relatively quick read and the poetic form makes sure the plot stays on point, without wandering in unnecessary directions. It's an enjoyable read with heart.

And here they are...

Zana Fraillon (she/they) is an internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning author of books for children and young adults. Her work has been published in over fifteen countries and is in development for both stage and screen. She has a doctorate in creative writing and degrees in history and teaching. Zana’s passion for empowering young people to find their voice is a feature of both her books and her work with writers of all ages.

Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of numerous picture books, including the New York Times bestselling My Heart, the “sublime” (The Wall Street Journal) The Book of Mistakes, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library selection ABC and You and Me, and NCTE Notable Poetry Book The Tree in Me. She also illustrated Patchwork by Matt de la Peña, a New York Times and Kirkus Reviews Best of the Year. Corinna lives in Washington near the Salish Sea, where she likes to dig in the dirt, surf, and read with a cat (or two) on her lap. You can see more of her work at CorinnaLuyken.com.

Time-Traveling Chickens by Kaz Windness

 

TIME-TRAVELING CHICKENS

Nugget and Tenders's Eggcellent Adventure

A Star Chapter Book #2

by Kaz Windness

Simon Spotlight

Science Fiction   /   Graphic Novel

112 pages

ages 5 to 9

COMING NOVEMBER 24th!!!

Star Chapter Books are the perfect bridge for kids moving beyond beginning readers but not yet ready for longer chapter books. With short chapters, bold two-color illustrations, and fast-paced, funny stories, these confidence-building books make reading fun and rewarding.

Two chicken friends use their time machine to foil an evil plot for world domination in this second tale in the rollicking Time-Traveling Chickens series from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness!

Nugget and Tenders discover that evil scientists are hatching a plan for world domination—and chicken is definitely on the menu! To make matters worse, the fowl friends’ baby chick, Waffles, has been kidnapped by the scientist ringleader. Nugget and Tenders are going to need help from the greatest minds in history to rescue Waffles and stop the scientists, so they fire up their time machine and jump through history to recruit the perfect team. Can they work quickly enough to save their baby…and the world?

Each Star Chapter Book is 112 pages long, divided into six to eight short chapters with illustrated panels on every page to keep kids engaged from start to finish. This highly visual early chapter book format supports the transition from leveled readers to chapter books, making Star Chapter Books a perfect fit for independent reading, classroom libraries, or shared story time.

Look for more Star Chapter Books adventures to help kids grow confident and develop a love of reading, including the chickens’ first adventure, Bawk to the Future!

GOODREADS      /       PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Nugget and tender humor meets historical figures and quirky adventure to form a read which even time can't categorize.

Nugget and Tender can't believe it—chicken is back on the menu! An evil scientist has plans to use the perfect chicken, Nugget and Tender's chick, to rule the world. Nugget and Tender can only jump into the time traveling chicken bucket and try to stop the horrible plans, but time-travel is a tricky thing, and they find themselves everywhere...and nowhere useful. Meanwhile, their poor chick is about to be used, but then, the evil scientist isn't exactly as hard as everyone thought. Instead, there's another super villain behind all of it, and his plans are truly monstrous.

I didn't read the first book in the series, but that wasn't an issue, since this one is no problem to sink right into. This is a very quirky adventure with an unique humor surrounding chickens, life and food, robots, time travel, evil plans, and...well, so much more. It took me a few pages to settle into the humor and adventure, but the characters are easy to like. While action and adventure drive every scene forward, there's also historical goodness woven in. The author incorporates some of the brightest, female scientists into the weirdness and has them helping in unexpected ways. Did you know a time-traveling chicken bucket might need repair? Well, these women might be just right for that and many other jobs. 

The graphics are in shades of white and gray with just a detail or two in each scene highlighted in bright red. It works very well with the chicken tale and gives the world an unique visual atmosphere to fit the quirky plot. The text works well for those readers, who are sure of their words but need a little more practice before hitting middle grade reads. Still, the influx of the historical figures does lean toward knowledge of middle graders. So, this book works for both age groups.

This one is for those readers, who love humor and adventure...and are looking for something different.

And here she is...

Kaz Windness is the author-illustrator of picture books Swim, Jim!; Bitsy Bat, School Star; Bitsy Bat, Team Star; and Bitsy Bat, Snow Star. She created the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Level 1 Ready-to-Read Graphics book Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends, and its sequel, Worm and Butterfly Are Friends, Always; the Star Chapter Book Time Traveling Chickens series; and the Level 1 Ready-to-Reads Cat vs. Vac; Go! Go! Dino!; and Squid in Pants. Kaz is also the illustrator of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea by Andrew Hacket and the author of When You Love a Book, illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee. Kaz lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two children, and Boston terrier. Visit her at WindnessBooks.com.