Review of A Mind of Her Own

The Story of Mystery Writer Agatha Christie

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Beach Lane Books

(Simon & Schuster)

(pub. 5.28.2024)

40 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Author: Robyn McGrath

   Illustrator: Liz Wong

Character:

Agatha Christie

Overview:

" Before Agatha Christie became the greatest mystery writer of all time, she was a girl who loved books, make-believe, and puzzling out problems. She was a keen observer, always noticing the secrets hiding in the shadows and the clues just waiting to be uncovered.

More than anything, Agatha loved detective stories. She longed to write her own mysteries, but she struggled when she put pen to paper. The letters came out jumbled, the words twisting and snagging. Writing became a new puzzle for her to solve.

Her family and teachers chided her for being lost in her head, but Agatha wasn’t lost…she had a mind of her own!"

Tantalizing taste:

"Setting acting aside, Agath returns to writing.

Tim and time again, she puts pen to paper,

conducting a symphony of ideas,

but teachers reject her compositions

and criticize her grammar...

Back at home, Agatha retreats into her imagination...

Her mind fills with story possibilities ...

but again the words twist and snag

when she puts pen to paper...

Putting together one clue at a time, she begins

filling her six-pence notebooks with

suspicious characters,

fast-paced plots,

engaging scenes,

and sharp dialogue.

Agatha's detective story becomes a puzzle for her to solve.

A mathematical equation.

Just like she did with her father."

And something more: The More About Agatha Christie explains: "With with no playmates or formal schooling, Agatha was often alone with her imagination. She spent a great deal of her time with her imaginary friends and family pets, as well as her nursemaid... As a young girl, Agatha was paralyzingly shy. Family often teased Agatha for appearing to be lost in her thoughts"

Review of Call Me Roberto

Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinos

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Calkins Creek

(Astra Books for Young Readers)

(pub. 8.27.2024)

40 pages

Ages 7 -10

Author: Nathalie Alonso

   Illustrator: Rudy Gutierrez

Character: Roberto Clemente

Overview:

" Roberto Clemente always loved baseball. Growing up in Carolina, Puerto Rico, he swung tree branches (since he didn’t have a bat) and hit tin cans. He was always batting, pitching, running, sliding. His dedication paid off when, at the age of 19, he was tapped for a major league team.

First stop: chilly Montreal . . . where he warmed the bench and himself, longing to play baseball.

Months later, he finally got his chance with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Clemente had an instant impact on the field—hitting the ball and making it to first base and finally home. Many Pittsburgh fans loved his bold style on the field, but not everyone was quick to embrace a Black man from Puerto Rico who spoke español.."

Tantalizing taste:

"But newspaper reporters don't praise Roberto's energy: They call him a show – off. And when his back hurts and he can't play, lazy! To make things worse, people call him "Bob." They think it sounds more familiar – more American.

Roberto doesn't like being called Bob.

Call me Roberto, he insists, orgulloso to be from Puerto Rico.

And Puerto Rico is just as proud of him..."

And something more: The author, Nathalie Alonso, shared in the Author's Note: "...Roberto has long been honored primarily as a humanitarian figure. And while he certainly deserves to be recognized as such, that narrative has obscured what I see as his greatest contribution to baseball: his battle to get the sport to accept and embrace players from Latin America. It is this legacy that most resonates with me as a first – generation Latina, who covers baseball for living, a job that has traditionally been the domain of White men.…

... When Roberto arrived in the majors, he encountered an industry that, years after Jackie Robinson's debut with the Dodgers, remained hostile to people of color.…

His refusal to bow to bigotry and his defiance of racist stereotypes are what most inspire me. As someone whose first language is Spanish but who wasn't always comfortable speaking it in professional settings, the moment when Roberto addressed his parents on national television [when he was named MVP of the World Series in 197 - a first for a Spanish-speaking player] is incredibly validating."

Review of As Edward Imagined

A Story of Edward Gorey in Three Acts

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Cover of picture book biography about Edward Gorey titled As Edward Imagined

Knopf Books for Young Readers

(pub. 9.17.2024)

48 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Author: Matthew Burgess

   Illustrator: Marc Majewski

Character: Edward Gorey

Overview:

"Discover the unique childhood and life of the enigmatic and eccentric Edward Gorey whose artwork and books had a profound impact on creators such as Neil Gaiman, Lemony Snicket, and Tim Burton.

Even as a young boy, Edward constantly forged his own path, passions, and pursuits never forsaking his individuality for fame. This picture book biography is paired with a whimsical art style that captures the unrelenting creativity Edward brought to his playfully macabre creations."

Tantalizing taste:

"But in the many books Edward left behind…

Mr. Earbrass still broods and frets,

the alligator rides the bicycle on his back,

and from deep inside the Wuggly Ump,

the children sing glogalimp, glugalump,

just as Edward imagined."

And something more: The author, Matthew Burgess, shared in the Author's Note: "From early childhood to the very end, [Edward Gorey] was intensely creative, and in both art and life, he was completely himself. This is one of the reasons I want to share his story with young readers. I remember, as a child, how important it was to encounter grown-ups who followed their own path. We all need people to remind us that we can be truly ourselves, and that we are free to create and even inhabit the worlds we imagine."