Malala: A Brave Girl from Pakistan and Iqbal: A Brave Boy from Pakistan by Jeanette Winter

Winter, Jeanette  Malala: A Brave Girl from Pakistan and Iqbal: A Brave Boy from Pakistan Beach Lane (Simon and Schuster), 2014.  $17.99  PICTURE BOOK  Content: PG.  

Malala is a young girl who wants to go to school.  When the Taliban start to threaten her and her classmates, they keep going to school.  One day Malala is shot in the school van by the Taliban and she is rushed to the hospital.  Malala had a long road to recovery, but still speaks out that girls should have the opportunity to receive an education.   

Iqbal is a young boy who speaks out against child labor.  He was enslaved at the age of four so his parents could have money.  He worked many years in a carpet factory, but when he was ten he found out it was illegal to be enslaved, so he told all the boys in this factory.  Iqbal continued to tell people that it was illegal to be enslaved and eventually he was killed for voicing the truth about freedom.   

This is a book that has two sides-one tells Malala’s story and the other side tells Iqbal’s.  Both children were from Pakistan and showed that they could make a difference.  The illustrations are basic and simple, but the reason I put it as PG is because the Taliban feels very menacing throughout and Iqbal is killed (it shows his bike behind a building with a blast of light to symbolize the shot).  This would be a simple introduction to child labor and the fight for education.  

 EL-ADVISABLE.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson - ADVISABLE

Pearson, Mary E.  The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles, #1), 486 pgs.  Henry Holt and Company (Macmillan), 2014.  $17.99  Content: Language: PG-13 (13 swears); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13 (attempted rape).   

Princess Lia flees her kingdom of Morgan to avoid a betrothal to the prince of Dalbreck even though it might mean her death.  Lia and her best friend become common barmaids at a distant city and are content to live a normal life as long as Lia can marry for love.  One night two interesting young men come into the bar, Rafe and Kaden, and both are interested in Lia.  Lia is intrigued, but what she doesn’t know is that one of the young men is her betrothed prince and the other young man is an assassin sent to kill Lia because of her supposed ability to foresee.  Everything comes to a head and Lia soon finds that she can’t run away from who she really is.   

This is an intriguing storyline and I was sucked in to Lia’s story.  I liked Rafe and Kaden and the conflict they had with Lia, but I was frustrated by the author’s attempt to cause a twist in the story and keep the identities of who was the prince and who was the assassin a surprise, because it made for confusion.  The story is action packed and I think readers will enjoy this series, but this book is very open ended and abrupt.  

 MS, HS-ADVISABLE.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.    

Fancy Nancy Peanut Butter and Jellyfish by Jane O' Connor - ESSENTIAL

O’Connor, Jane  Fancy Nancy Peanut Butter and Jellyfish  Illustrated by Ted Enik  Harper, 2015.  $3.99  EARLY READER  Content: G.   

Nancy goes to the aquarium on a school field trip.  While there Nancy is scared to see the jellyfish exhibit because Nancy was stung by a jellyfish one time.  Ms. Glass, Nancy’s fabulous teacher, helps Nancy to see how beautiful jellyfish are and that they didn’t hurt her on purpose.  Nancy goes home and makes Ms. Glass a diorama to show her how thankful she is, but only has peanut butter for the sand, so she calls it her Peanut Butter and Jellyfish diorama.   

This early reader has a great storyline and makes the point that if we learn about our fears sometimes we can overcome them.  There are interesting facts about jellyfish as explained by Ms. Glass.  There are 4-5 sentences per page spread and the pictures are detailed and cute.  This is a great addition to any Fancy Nancy collection.   

EL (K-3)-ESSENTIAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.