By Super Kitty

Malala Yousafzai is world famous. She has received countless awards and honors, and is the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in world history. Hers is now a household name.

But before all of that, she was an ordinary girl, born and raised in the beautiful Swat Valley in Pakistan, attending school and playing with her younger brothers. Her lifestyle was very different from that of most American children, but her world was a peaceful one, and she was happy.

Then the Taliban came, and her world turned upside down. The Taliban called girls weak and inferior to boys, and said that educating them is a waste of time and money. Suddenly, Malala couldn’t go to school, and she began to realize how much learning meant to her. Her father, a community leader and activist, had always taught her to stand up for what she believed in, and she began to give speeches with him, writing, traveling, and doing anything she could to get her voice heard. She spoke up, and people listened. She gained widespread recognition for her work for women’s rights and education—but it was only when the Taliban tried to assassinate her that she entered the world spotlight.

Powerful, moving, and inspiring, this book completely lived up to my high expectations. Malala’s determination and courage shine through as she writes, exploring the complex politics and history of her native country. Her perspective, as a civilian who survived in a place of countless attacks, threats, battles, and bombs, gives a vivid picture of the bloody conflict that has defined so much of her life, and is deeply honest and human in a way that a news story or government report could never be.

Malala is an amazing speaker and activist, and I loved learning about her. She is inspirational and yet still relatable, and her passion for social justice has made her a symbol of peaceful protest and positive change around the world. This is a story of violence and terrorism, yes, and of the horrors that continue to occur around the world. Yet it is told with hope, voiced by a girl who nearly died for her cause, yet continues to fight—and risk her life—to realize her dreams of education and equality for girls everywhere.
 
Note: I would recommend I am Malala for readers ages 12 and up, since parts of it are upsetting or would be too confusing for younger kids. However, there is also a young reader’s edition available, which Piranha T. read and enjoyed—it’s a story which is important to know, and which version ever you read, you’re sure to be inspired!

By Super Kitty
 
Malala Yousafzai. Yusra Mardini. Madison Kimrey. All over the world, girls are making headlines, whether they’re breaking records, giving speeches, or fighting for social justice. Some have become celebrities, while others have worked against inequality in their own communities. And of course, there are those who are now grown up, but changed the course of history when they were girls.
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Rad Girls Can celebrates the accomplishments of almost fifty amazing young women, all under the age of twenty, who have in some way changed the world for the better. I’m always looking for books like this one, and it has become one of my favorites. Fun, empowering, and inspiring, not to mention beautifully illustrated, I would highly recommend it—especially to girls, but really to any readers who love learning about the incredible things kids can do. As Marley Dias, founder of the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign, says: “You don’t have to be very old to start trying to fix the problems you see in the world around you.”

By Super Kitty

There are lots of books out there about gardening, and plenty of them are aimed at kids, but how about a book not just for kids, but written by one? In Gardening with Emma, 13-year-old Emma Biggs gives young gardeners helpful advice on growing your own flowers and vegetables, planning your garden, and more, along with fun facts and interviews with other gardeners. And if you aren’t sure where to start, Emma also has plenty of suggestions for garden themes, like rainbow veggies, A-to-Z gardens, and how to create cool outdoor hideouts. Not to mention her list of the 130 tomato varieties she planted last year…

And books aren’t the only way Emma gets kids excited about gardening—she speaks at events and has appeared on radio shows, plus she has a blog (https://www.emmabiggs.ca/kids-gardening-blog) where she encourages young growers with advice and ideas!

Full of beautiful photographs and helpful step-by-step tutorials, Gardening with Emma teaches kids all the essential skills they need to create and maintain a garden, and, most importantly, how to have fun with it.

Disclosure note: Thanks to Storey Publishing for sending us this book to review! 

By Super Kitty

In this fascinating new book, Mary Jane Cryan (an American who has lived in Italy for over fifty years) explores the history of one ancient Italian building, or “palazzo,” in which she lives. She tells the stories of people who are now famous, along with those almost forgotten. Cryan creates an in-depth look at not only a single building but also of the town, Vetralla, and its colorful past. This book is illustrated with various photographs that contribute to this historical tale of events, people, and works of art.
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The author has clearly not just researched the town, she has lived in it—descriptions are written in vivid detail, and there is a sense of familiarity with the subject matter that makes the narration much more engaging than that of many other histories. And the fact that it’s written in both English and Italian is a particularly cool! Overall, I would recommend The Painted Palazzo Dipinto for readers interested in Italy, history, or art/architecture, from middle grade to adult!

By Super Kitty
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In this lively, vivid memoir, Mae Jemison tells of her inspiring journey, from a young girl growing up in the south to an astronaut and becoming the first woman of color in space. Written in an engaging, entertaining style, she recounts her life up until shortly after she resigned from NASA, including her escapades as a child and young adult, her experiences as a doctor in Africa, and, of course, her training and historic spaceflight as an astronaut at NASA.

I’ve been interested in Mae Jemison for a while, and recently ended up doing a school report on her, which led me to this book. I loved it for several reasons. First of all, the author’s way of writing makes you feel like you’re being told all these stories by an older sister or cousin, proud of some things, amused by others, and rolling her eyes at some of her more humorous attempts at various skills and projects. It didn’t feel like the story was being written down to younger readers at all, which I also appreciated.

Find Where the Wind Goes is usually categorized as Young Adult, and I think that readers ages ten and up will likely enjoy it the most. Mae grew up in the south during the 1960s, and while she did not directly experience violence, it was not uncommon at the time in the black community. There were dangers that were a part of her childhood, and while there’s certainly nothing graphic or anything, I think that it’s just one of those books that’s better once you’ve learned about that period in history.
The story is wonderful and often amusing, and the narration feels informal and fun: this is a book I would recommend to fans of not just history or space travel, but also those looking for a story about making friends, taking chances, and following your dreams.  

Note: If you enjoyed this book, I recommend learning more about Mae Jemison’s work after she left NASA—she’s done some really interesting stuff, in science, work for social justice, and more!

By Piranha T. and Super Kitty

Sewing School Quilts offers a fun take on the classic art of quilting. Amie Petronis Plumley and Andria Lisle explain the steps of designing, sewing, and putting together fifteen quilts in easy-to-understand, informative text. The projects in this book span both traditional quilts, including a patchwork dog, a family crest, and Pocket Tic-Tac-Toe, and a spin on the classics with the Selfie Quilt, the I Spy Quilt, and the Say Anything Quilt. And for those who want something to snuggle up in, the Waterfall Quilt offers a cool project with a classic quilt look. Crafters are also encouraged to experiment on their own, and suggestions follow each project to help make the finished product even more original and fun.

Whether or not you know how to sew, Sewing School Quilts introduces you to the age-old art of quilting with modern twists. With skill builders, introductory lessons, and step-by-step instructions, Sewing School Quilts teaches crafters to successfully create impressive projects while having a good time.
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Disclosure note: Thank you to Storey Publishing for sending us this book to review!

By Piranha T. and Super Kitty

If you’ve ever wanted to learn fun and creative crafting skills, Stitch Camp is for you. It covers basic sewing, knitting, crocheting, felting, weaving, and embroidery skills. It is ideal for those just learning because of its step-by-step approach, wide range of projects and characteristically beautiful photos (which is one of the reasons we love craft books published by Storey Publishing), but the projects are also engaging for more experienced crafters. One thing which we particularly like about this book is that the projects featured are practical as well as fun, encouraging crafters to be creative and resourceful (what do you do with your drier lint and felt scraps?) Also, we really like  that the authors encourage readers to have a good time and enjoy the process of crafting, not just the finished product, thereby taking the focus off feeling like you need to get a “perfect” piece.

We are experienced crafters with some baseline knowledge of the skills covered in this book, and we found lots to enjoy here. It also provides a great resource for us to share with friends who are learning, as it teaches from a basic level without being boring. Additionally, this book teaches useful related skills, such as tying knots, winding balls of yarn, and making pom-poms with a fork.

Lots of pictures, step by step instructions, and a fun voice make this a craft book that we would highly recommend to crafters of all ages.

Disclosure note: Thank you to Storey Publishing for sending us this book to review!

By Piranha T.

There are many books on writing a first draft. But what about the kids who want to take it further and get published?

Go Teen Writers: Edit Your Novel is an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to polish and publish a novel. Stephanie Morrill and Jill Williamson outline the process from the first draft to a published book, from the initial major edits to what the publishing process looks like after getting your novel accepted. The first section of this book includes sections on improving characters, worldbuilding, plot twists, and more, while later parts discuss query letters, finding an agent, and publishers. The whole book is told in an engaging, encouraging style with an emphasis on improving, self-confidence and creativity. 

Edit Your Novel is focused on kids and teens, and unlike many books for young writers which don't go beyond the first draft (many of which we also love!), this guide specifically details that part of the process. It shows young writers that publishing is possible no matter your age. 

Go Teen Writers: Edit Your Novel is one of my favorite resources when it comes to writing and editing stories; I highly recommend it to young authors who want to improve their own books and someday, publish them. 


Note: Author Jill Williamson also wrote Storyworld First, a great book on writing well-developed settings. 

By Piranha T.
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During the two world wars, not only were the jobs for mathematics at NASA more important, there were less men to serve them. That’s why the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory of Hampton, Virginia opened its jobs to women and African-Americans, and how many talented women got the jobs.

Hidden Figures tells the story of four women who worked at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were four talented, smart, mathematically-minded African-American women who helped create faster airplanes, missions to the moon, and helped other extraordinary ventures. When Dorothy Vaughan first arrived at the laboratory, the women were reserved into ‘computing pools’ to do calculations for the male engineers, but by the time Kathrine Johnson helped send the first manned spacecraft to the moon, she worked side-by-side with some of the men.

In Hidden Figures, Margot Lee Shetterly tells the story of these four women who did incredible work at NASA and helped to launch Americans into space. It was an interesting book to read, because it was not only about these four women but also mentioned many others working in the same field. Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Kathrine Johnson and Christine Darden were part of countless important calculations, and their discoveries in part sent men into space and to the moon. Although it’s not the normal kind of book we review, I enjoyed it’s engaging, informative text.

I’d highly recommend Hidden Figures for anyone looking for an interesting, informative, historical read for kids and adults ages 8 and up.

By Super Kitty and Piranha T.

Have you ever wondered if there’s anything to do with all your empty milk jugs and shoe boxes? If so, Recycled Crafts Box is the book for you! Make Corrugated Castles, Foil Fish Mobiles, Bottle Bugs and more! Complete with recycling timelines, tips, and interviews with recycling artists, Laura C. Martin gives a new twist on recycling—and having fun, too.
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We have made several projects from this book, and have enjoyed them all—some of our particular favorites are the Corrugated Castle, Rag Bowls, and Bottle Bugs. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for earth-friendly craft projects that result in great decorations, toys, and gifts. Happy Recycling!