Reading Matters Winter 2019

Look Up! Jin-Ho, Jung. (2014). Unpaged. Holiday House. 978-0-8234-3652-1. $16.95 (Primary). —by Sarah Cook “I’m here! Look at me!”Take a look through someone else’s eyes as you journey through a seemingly average day down a city sidewalk. Jung Jin-Ho incorporates carefully hand-drawn pictures to help the reader see through the eyes of a young girl in a wheelchair. Each page is filled with images that are captured and detailed by charcoal drawings. The black-and-white contrasts

their squad. As the big school dance approaches, tension arises among the three BFFs. Under increasing scrutiny of parents and their principal, the girls struggle to handle parties, secret feelings about boys, Cece’s potential move to a new house, and the possibility of new friends. Because the novel is written only in text message chains, diary entries, emails, and handwritten notes, it reads as though the action is unfolding in real time, almost as if the reader is looking over the characters’ shoulders while they type the messages. Cece, Prianka, and Gabby’s exchanges become more exclusive until Prianka makes one monumental mistake in a group chat, leaving the girls to wonder WIGO (what is going on). Before they know it, the girls have to navigate the repercussions of one mistaken text message. it remains forever, and any damage that it causes may not be easily undone. Keeping in touch with today’s tech-savvy teens, author Lisa Greenwald exchanges poetic adjectives for expressive emojis to display emotion. Through a unique combination of text messages, emails, IMs, and handwritten notes, this “text- only” novel gives a fresh take on the drama that ensues in middle school, the consequences of cyberbullying, and the importance of true friendship—and all of the OMG moments in between. People who communicate through text have to learn how to use their words carefully, because once the message enters cyberspace,

Reading Matters Literature Matters

of the pages create a blurry image of what the sidewalk would look like from high above. This story uses engaging perspectives that pull readers in and allow them to experience life from the girl’s viewpoint. As the main character rolls to the balcony edge, she realizes what it is like to be looked up to rather than being looked down upon. At first, strangers pass by unconcerned along the street until, finally, a young boy pauses and looks up at her. The boy lies on the ground so the girl high above can see him better. Watch as the development of compassion and kindness that is displayed by random strangers passing by on the street for this young girl comes about because of this small action. “Look Up, Everybody!” and see how changing your perspective can add a little color to your life and bring a smile to your face and everyone else’s around you!

Apex Predators: TheWorld’s Deadliest Hunters, Past and Present Jenkins, Steve. (2017). Unpaged. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 978-0-544-67160-7. $17.99 (Primary/Intermediate). —by Ellie Corbin Have you ever seen a bird or a pig so large that it towered over you in height and weight? Probably not, but if you had lived

Juana & Lucas Medina, Juana. (2016). 89 pp. Candlewick. 978-0-7636-7208-9. $14.99 (Primary/ Intermediate). —by Madeleine Kennedy Have you ever been forced to learn something that you thought was pointless? Juana from Bogotá, Colombia, is having the same problem. She likes many things,

long, long ago, you may have come into contact with one. In this informational text, Steve Jenkins tells of the mighty animals of the past and present that were or are so strong that no other animal could defeat them. These animals at the top of the food chain are known as apex predators. Some predators that Jenkins spotlights are the extinct giant short-faced bear who could stand 12 feet tall, a sea scorpion known as the “sea-floor killer,” and a “strange shrimp” that measured six and a half feet long, as well as the present-day great white shark with a mouth filled with thousands of teeth. Each page of this book is encompassed by a torn-and-cut paper collage predator that is truly terrifying, unique facts about the predator, and a comparison of its size next to a human. These comparisons are sure to show children how truly large some of these predators were in the past and others are today. This book may be intriguing for children who enjoy learning about animals. Jenkins’s intricate collages and titles for each predator (“two-legged terror” and “speedy bear”) perfectly demonstrate the strength, speed, and pure power that apex predators have by giving readers a preview of what each animal is known for. Dive into this text and find out more about why you would never want to encounter an apex predator in the wild.

especially her best friend and dog, Lucas, but she hates “learning the English” (p. 27). She does not understand why her teachers, mom, neighbors, aunt, or grandparents want her to learn this confusing and foreign language. Readers will discover many things about young Juana’s life and her interests as she narrates each page in first person. From her love of reading to her strong dislike of her school uniform to singing songs with her Tía Cris, Juana shares it all. She is a curious and excitable girl in elementary school who does not take on any adventure without her sidekick, Lucas. Will the two of them learn the English language by the end of the story? Every page is filled with colorful illustrations that match the vibrant personality of the author and narrator, Juana Medina. The surprising array of different fonts and text sizes on each page emphasize what is most important to Juana. A more unique aspect of this text is that it is written bilingually: alternating written words in both Spanish and English. The Spanish words are surrounded by English words so readers can use context clues to figure out what they mean, if they don’t already know.

Reading Matters | Volume 19 Winter 2019 | scira.org | 47

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS