Anya #1: Anya and the Dragon written by Sofiya Pasternack and reviewed by Rebecca Lowe

Summary: Anya is a Jewish girl growing up in a non-Jewish medieval Russian-inspired fantasy village where magic is banned but citizens quietly use it anyway, When a family with Fool magic authorized by the tsar arrives, Anya learns that the mayor is planning on evicting her family from their land for the new family but that she has an opportunity to earn the money to save her home by working with the newcomers to hunt the last remaining dragon. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Those with a deep love of fairytales from around the world will enjoy seeing familiar fairytale faces like the rusalka, Baba Yaga, and the Bukavac. That said, readers new to Russian mythology may find the beginning of the story heavy with Russian terminology and vocabulary more difficult to enter than other fantasy stories. Once past the beginning, the story quickly settles into an easier flow with engaging characters and an immersive story that is more accessible for the average middle school reader. More knowledgeable reviewers also have pointed out that there are some minor historical inaccuracies (for example, while Jewish men in medieval Russia would likely be able to read at least some Hebrew, it is unlikely that Anya would have been taught). Teachers could use this book to talk about world mythology, history of Russia, the expectations of children through history (ie child labor), or discussing how the depictions of dragons in stories have shifted over time. While the fairytale of Baba Yaga plays only a minor role in this story, the current resurgence in interest in Baba Yaga may spark interest in this story for some students.

Whole Hole Story written by Vivian McInerny, reviewed by Debra Gantz

Summary:  Zia finds a hole in her pocket and seems unphased by what stays and what is lost. That is until the day she notices it is bigger and wonders what would happen if she fell into it. Cue all the wonder of the rabbit hole from Alice in Wonderland and the Wild Rumpus from Where the Wild Things Are as Zia will offer humor, wonder, and entertainment for a new generation of children! The word play in this story will most certainly entertain parents and teachers who share this story and may lead to it being requested again and again. 

Straight Talk for Librarians:  Zia is a charming African American child with a wild imagination that allows her to travel far until she returns from this magical journey and puts the hole back in her pocket. 

¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market, written by Raúl the Third, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Anastasia C. 
Summary: The story, created by Raúl the Third, follows the journey around town with a fox named Little Lobo and his pet dog, Kooky Dooky, to run errands and see the different sights around town. Throughout the story, the fox character and dog run across new friends and animals that live in the town; incorporating cultural characteristics of a Hispanic-influenced town. As Little Lobo arrives in the market or mercado as translated into Spanish, the pages are filled with color and various activities that take place in the plaza. He pauses to watch a mariachi band along with folk dancers before continuing on to deliver supplies to a theater. Little Lobo continues to make errands and buy food as well as hats, and a magazine while bringing clothespins and other things to store owners. Along his journey he comes along a handful of surprises before heading home to rest before the next day.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book can be utilized in many different settings to aid bilingual education in children or Spanish-learning beginners. For example, in a classroom it could be used to introduce students to new words in spanish or vice versa in english. Libraries who hold this book could make it available to parents with younger kids who are hoping to teach their young children both Spanish and English. The interaction aspect of the book draws the reader in to spend time looking at the pages and discovering the small text in Spanish labeling different symbols within each page. This book further includes a glossary at the end with the majority of words. Along with the sequential plot, the dialogue creates an important connection between cultural aspects found in some Hispanic countries and visual depictions of traditional clothing or food. The reader is taken along a journey through the town and allows for discovery of new vocabulary and excitement. Lastly, the artwork within this book portrays and excellent visual depiction of Little Lobo’s journey; incorporating a contrast between warm and cool colours that follows the adventure through the town. Overall with Gonzalez’s combination of bilingual vocabulary, sequential plot, and cultural references really makes this book exciting. This is a great purchase for high school spanish classes. It’s a great book for a visual arts teacher. It would also be a good choice for an elementary school library where there are a lot of spanish speakers. Having materials available in both languages shows that the school/library value the use of both languages and reflects the reality of many communities.