Read All About It!

 The Daily Bark: The Puppy Problem 

by Laura James; illus. by Charlie Alder

128 pages; ages 7-10

 Bloomsbury Children's Books ~ releases January, 2022)

Gizmo was a city dog – until he wasn’t. For some inexplicable reason, Granny packed up the car, loaded up Gizmo, and drove away from the only home he’d ever known. Now he’s far from his familiar world of groundskeepers and manicured landscapes. There are flowers. And bees. And mud!

And the dogs out here in the country are …. Ginormous! Well, at least they look that way to Gizmo, who is a tiny little sausage dog. A sausage dog, NOT a sausage! he has to remind his new friend Jilly, an Irish wolfhound. At least the puppies are Gizmo’s size, more or less. They are cute, energetic, and friendly.

They are also being put up for adoption to people who might live far, far away. And Jilly has no idea what to do to prevent this from happening. Luckily, Gizmo has a nose for a story, and he knows this one will sell. So he does what any newshound would do: start a newspaper. Soon the New Dog in Town finds himself editor-in-chief.

STOP the PRESSES!

Will Granny discover muddy paw prints on her keyboard? 

Will she miss that ream of printer paper? 

Will the puppies be saved?

And why does Jilly insist that Gizmo read the news out loud? 

As a journalist, I totally enjoyed this first book of a new series. I can’t wait to read what adventures lie ahead, and what new stories the Daily Bark will paw-print. I wonder whether they’ll do doggie-bag reviews of local eating establishments… 

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review ARC provided by the publisher.

Journalists defend Free Speech

 

Fearless: The Story of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Defender of Free Speech 

written & illus. by Gattaldo 

32 pages; ages 7-9

‎Candlewick, 2021

theme: courage, biography, free speech,

In a house by the sea, on the island of Malta, lived a little girl named Daphne, together with her mom, dad, and three sisters.

Daphne loved stories ~ especially the story of her great-great-great-great-grandfather who fought against Napoleon. She loved reading books, and carried one with her wherever she went.

“And she loved the freedom of asking questions and then making up her own mind,” writes Gattaldo who, not only wrote this book, but also happened to be one of Daphne’s close friends. Daphne protested injustice and wrote for a newspaper. She was an investigative reporter, uncovering human rights abuses and other wrongdoings. 

What I like about this book: It’s about a courageous woman who tries to reveal truth about those in power. It’s about fighting for justice using a pen instead of a sword. And there is back matter! That's where we learn more about her life, and how those in power worked to silence her.

Beyond the Books:

Write a news story. What’s happening in your town or neighborhood that you think people should know about? Find out the facts and write them up in a newsy story to share with your friends. See if your friends want to help write a neighborhood newsy-letter.

Students, from 6th grade to 12th, are writing and publishing the local newspaper in Pelham, New York. They started doing this when the local paper went out of business. You can see what they write about here.

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.