Where is My Sister?

Title: Where is My Sister? 

Author: Shannon Gibney

Illustrator: Huy Voun Lee

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

Availability: On sale now

Review copy: Final copy via publisher

Summary: Salome was going to be a big sister. Her brother, Gerald, told her so. They watched Mama’s tummy grow rounder and rounder, and their excitement grew, too. But then Mama went to the hospital, and she came home without a baby. The smiles stopped, and the house grew quiet except for Mama’s tears. 

“Where is my sister?” Salome asks. Mama gathers her and Gerald onto her lap and tells them that baby Toni is in the cemetery, but she’ll always be their sister. Gerald says that she’s in the spirit world. Salome looks for her all over. Is Toni’s spirit in Mama’s tears? Is she in the family’s stories about her? Is she between Salome and her brother at the dinner table, or beside Salome’s favorite tree in the backyard? As her family begins to find peace, Salome understands something important: “My sister is everywhere.” 

In "Where Is My Sister?" Shannon Gibney’s poetic voice captures the heartbreak of losing an infant and the love that joins family members together. Huy Voun Lee’s tender illustrations guide readers with quiet grace, honoring all those who passed from this world too soon. A resource for children and the parents, teachers, and community members who care for them, this book offers a powerful reflection for those who often feel alone during the painful and transformative experience of infant and sibling loss. 

My Thoughts: This beautiful book is one that will be helpful for many young children and families. There are not nearly enough books out in the world dealing with loss and one like this could be so incredibly helpful for young and old as they work through their own loss or are trying to understand what others might be going through when they experience a loss like this. 

Gibney has shared the questions and concerns of a young child as their family struggles to cope with the death of an expected sibling. It deals with the heartbreak and the ways different people try to process what has happened. The book feels honest and open in the face of grief. The adults are grieving themselves and are not always giving her the exact answer she is seeking and the children are puzzling through things on their own.

Salome has so many questions and her older brother, mother, and father all offer their thoughts on where Salome's sister is now. The older brother seems to have wrestled his way through to some answers and offers some helpful possibilities. Eventually Salome arrives at an answer that works for her. In the midst of this difficult time, they each find something to hold onto and ultimately reach for one another. 

Recommendation: This is a book that is incredibly helpful and I am glad that it exists. It's about a very difficult topic, but is even more necessary because of that fact. So many people want to help in the face of loss, but don't know how and are worried about what to say and do. This book could be a lovely piece of literature to help in that time of need. All libraries should have a copy as well as counselors and therapists or anyone who works with children or families dealing with grief and loss.  

Extra: Podcast with author 

Researching Our School

Over the past school year, the fifth and sixth grade students and I have been researching the history of our school and the land where it was built. I work at two schools and will be starting this same project over at my other school next year because it was really engaging for the students and we learned a lot about research and things like primary and secondary sources. We also met people from our community who had information about our school. I thought I would write up something about what we did so I can have it as a reference and so other people can do the same if they are interested. 

Here are some picture books that work for talking about the history of the land:

This Land: The History of the Land We're On story by Ashley Fairbanks pictures by Bridget George

I am on Indigenous Land story by Katrina M. Phillips pictures by Sam Zimmerman

Here are books for talking about the building and naming of schools and one room schools in the U.S.:

School's First Day of School story by Adam Rex pictures by Christian Robinson which led to questions about Frederick Douglass (since that's the name of the school in this book) and led to discussions of how we name our schools. Of course we also had to go on a side quest to learn about Frederick Douglass to know why people would name a school after him. 

Bread for Words: A Frederick Douglass Story story by Shana Keller pictures by Kayla Stark

Hornbooks and Inkwells story by Verla Kay pictures by S.D. Schindler - this pertained to us specifically because the family of the person our school is named after donated land to the school district in the 1800s for the first school in the southern part of our community and it was very near our current school.

The land where our school sits at one time had a silkworm company and lots of mulberry trees, so we also read a book about silkworms:

El gusano de seda by Ron Fridell and Patricia Walsh. (We are a bilingual Spanish/English school)

At my other school the kindergarten students had been raising silkworms so I was also able to bring some over to visit in the library.

The students had a chance to interview a few people including the first principal. I was also able to meet and talk to the first secretary who was very helpful. We got to interview the artist who, with the help of his Chicano Studies students, painted the huge mural on our multipurpose room wall. I have also been in contact with the head of the naming committee. 

Librarians at our county archives helped us to get digital copies of old maps and aerial photos of the land and articles and excerpts from books about the land and school dating back to the mid 1800s. There are two books about the history of our county that aren't written for such a young audience, but the students just looked at a few pages that were pertinent to us. 

Once people knew we were doing the project, a current administrative assistant gave me old newspaper articles and photos that she had found in a file folder in the office and the principal gave me artifacts that had been in a drawer. Those included a slate lap desk like this one in the National Museum of American History. It has been a fun time of discovery and has definitely been a group effort. You can check out some of the videos we've made using the information we've learned about our school on our school history page.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop hosted by Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. 

This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how it offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts. 

It has been quite a while since I have participated in #IMWAYR. Once I was out of the habit, it has been very difficult to get started again. This is me giving it another go and hoping for the best. :)

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at CrystalReading over on StoryGraph. I'm happy to have more friends there if you want to connect. 

Last week: 

The Blue House I Loved is a fantastic new picture book by Kao Kalia Yang illustrated by Jen Shin (out Feb. 10th). It's unique and I reviewed it here. It takes place in St. Paul so if you are interested in supporting an author in the Twin Cities right now, this is a good one to purchase. Also, here is an essay she wrote recently about recent events in MN and how they are affecting her and her family. 

I also reviewed a fun early reader, Rafi and Rosi Menu by Lulu Delacre, that celebrates Puerto Rican food here. It has recipes in the back and I am always a fan of pairing food and books. 

Another picture book that I read recently is The Library in the Woods by Calvin Alexander Ramsey illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. It won a Coretta Scott King Award for its illustrations and a CSK honor for the writing. It's historical fiction about an actual library in the woods that was for Black readers when they weren't yet allowed to go to the public library during segregation. It is a book I will add to my list of titles about censorship and literacy bans. I shared the book with fifth and sixth grade students this week and it had them engaged and thinking.

Another book that completely enthralled my students was The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio. The illustrations are phenomenal and like the Caldecott winner has one extra fold out that extends the reach of the book. It's about a young person who is grieving a loved one as Día de Muertos is beginning. 

There was an additional book that went over well with fifth grade -- Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer by Quartez Harris illustrated by Gordon C. James. The story is very compelling and there seem to be a lot of ways that students can connect with the young Baldwin.

At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom by Erin Estrada Kelly was a quite amazing middle grade narrative nonfiction book. Kelly has a gift of story. This was a gripping biography and Kelly managed to explain complex background information in a kid-friendly way which is not always easy. 

Currently Reading: 

I've started listening to Karuna Riazi's middle grade novel Sabrina Swept Away and am enjoying this storytelling focused fantasy. I'm also working my way through the Spanish edition of the third Wild Robot book - La misión de la robot salvaje. Next up will likely be VT Bidania's new book A Year Without Home which is by a Hmong American author who currently lives in St. Paul.

The Blue House I Loved

Title: The Blue House I Loved

Author: Kao Kalia Yang

Illustrator: Jen Shin

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

Review Copy: ARC via Publisher

Availability: Release date February 10, 2026

Summary: A Hmong girl tells the story of her beloved aunt and uncle’s first home in America—long gone, but still alive in the family’s memories The Blue House I Loved centers on a family of newly arrived Hmong refugees who move into the lower level of a duplex in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The narrator loves her aunt and uncle’s home with its mismatched furniture, but it is too small for the large family. The boy cousins sleep in the three-season porch, where their wet hair freezes in wintertime, and the rest of the family crowds into two bedrooms. Yet this is the cherished home where they live and love, their own small corner of a very large and unfamiliar place, and in this blue house a young girl learns about her new country. Eventually, the family moves in search of more space, and years later the house is torn down. Where it was, green grass now grows. But for this girl and her family, the ghost of the house remains, its memories a strong thread that holds time at bay and hearts close together.

Combining Kao Kalia Yang’s lyrical prose with ethereal illustrations by artist and architect Jen Shin, The Blue House I Loved speaks to the multitude of refugee experiences around the world, honoring the challenges they face and the homes they create together. 

My Thoughts: I always look forward to new books by Kai Kalia Yang and this one was no exception. No matter the topic, her words always make me feel like I am able to step into a space filled with love. 

As in her other works, Yang has shared much of her heart within these pages. We see children tumbling through the rooms of this home, a baby nursing, and cousins enjoying their days, but also getting into a fight. There are so many everyday details of how they interacted with each other. It's a nostalgic book and leads readers to contemplate the spaces in their own past experiences. It reminds us that the spaces we spend time in and the people we encounter in those places shape us and help to make us who we are in the present and who we will be in the future. 

The illustrations support the text very well and make me eager to share the book with my students. I will likely read it soon with some of my classes. There are activity sheets provided on the publisher page, but even without those prompts, the book looks perfect for inspiring readers to draw a place that is special to them from different perspectives. There are views of the rooms from the top, from the outside, and cross-sections too. It feels like we are getting architectural input along with the interior emotions. They provide somewhat technical images along with the warmth of the colors and the family interactions.

Recommendation: This is a fantastic addition to any library and is somewhat unique in its perspective. We see an immigrant family settling into their new country and finding their way to new paths, but we also see that we can hold onto memories even if those places and spaces no longer exist in the world. Change plays a part in shaping us and it's possible to remember and honor those changes and the spaces where that change and growth has happened. 

Extras: 

Activity Sheets

Podcast Interview with author and illustrator

Rafi y Rosi

Title: Rafi y Rosi ¡Menú!/Rafi and Rosi Menu

Author: Lulu Delacre

Publisher: Children's Book Press

Review Copy: Final copy provided by publisher

Availability: On shelves now

Summary: Rafi and Rosi, the curious, fun-loving tree frog siblings, are cooking up a storm with delicious Puerto Rican treats on the menu. Rafi y Rosi, los hermanos rana arbórea curiosos y amantes de la diversión, están preparando una tormenta con deliciosas delicias puertorriqueñas en el menú. 

My Thoughts: This is a fun beginning reader that is part of the Rafi and Rosi series. The book focuses on the two young frogs who are helping their grandmother with the cooking. After checking the kitchen to see if they have all of the ingredients, they must go make a purchase for her and there are complications along the way. 

The storyline is fun and cheerful even when the characters are facing difficulties. I read the book in Spanish and in English. There are some challenging words for beginning readers, but there is a glossary at the beginning to help with some of that. 

This is a light-hearted and interesting way to read about some Puerto Rican foods. A bonus feature is the inclusion of recipes at the end and some background about the treats. 

I'm looking forward to sharing this book with students and seeing their responses. I am currently learning Spanish and this was a delightful way to practice my reading fluency so I believe that beginning readers will also enjoy spending time with these frog siblings. 

Censorship and Literacy Bans

Back in 2017, I wrote a post including books that addressed censorship when I was preparing lessons for Banned Book Week in my elementary school library. There are quite a few more titles in existence at this point, partly because censorship is significantly increasing so creators are responding. I have a list over on Storygraph, but it seems that some people can't access it, so I am updating my post and sharing the newer titles. I am only sharing titles I've read myself so there are certainly more out there in the world. Feel free to comment with any that you think are helpful and that should be added to my TBR. 

One definition (Britannica) of censorship is "the changing or the suppression or prohibition of speech or writing that is deemed subversive of the common good"

Another (Merriam-Webster) is "to suppress or delete as objectionable"

I wanted to share with students more than just which books have been banned and why, so we also looked at books that dealt with the banning of literacy altogether. Here is a list of books that show some of the many ways that censorship can happen with books, art, literacy laws, and even in the banning of the languages we may use to communicate.

Picture Books

Censorship in General

The Book Tree by Paul Czajak, illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh

The Day the Books Disappeared by Joanna Ho & Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Dan Santat

I am a Story by Dan Yaccarino (censorship is not the theme, but is part of what has happened to stories over the years)

Is it Wrong to Ban Books? by Mary Austen

A Kids Book About Banned Books by National Coalition Against Censorship

The Rooster Who Would Not be Quiet by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

This Book is Banned by Raj Haldar, illustrated by Julia Patton

This Book is Not for You by Shannon Hale, illustrated by Tracy Subisak

Censorship of Specific Individuals/Materials

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle

Martí's Song for Freedom: Martí y sus versos por la libertad by Emma Otheguy, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal

Miguel's Brave Knight: Young Cervantes and His Dream of Don Quixote by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Raúl Colón

My Night in the Planetarium by Innosanto Nagara

Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei by Peter Sís

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sís

Language Bans/Erasure

Boarding Schools by Heather Bruegl

Home to Medicine Mountain by Chiori Santiago, illustrated by Judith Lowry

I am Not a Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer, illustrated by Gillian Newland

Spanish is the Language of My Family by Michael Genhart

The Train by Jodie Callaghan, illustrated by Georgia Lesley

When I Was Eight & Not My Girl by Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, Christy Jordan-Fenton, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Julie Flett

Literacy Bans in U.S. History

Bread for Words: A Frederick Douglass Story by Shana Keller, illustrated by Kayla Stark

Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History by Walter Dean Myers

Light in the Darkness by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome

Midnight Teacher: Lily Ann Granderson and Her Secret School by Janet Halfman, illustrated by London Ladd

Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton by Don Tate

Steamboat School by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Ron Husband

They Call Me Teach: Lessons in Freedom by Lesa Cline-Ransome illustrated by James Ransome

Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome

Chapter Books and Middle Grade Novels

Arthur and the Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club by Marc Brown

Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King

Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

Finally Seen by Kelly Yang

Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge

The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Eugene Yelchin

The Landry News by Andrew Clements

Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen

For Adults: That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones

Blog post - (censorship resources) by Kelly Jensen

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop hosted by Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. 

This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how it offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts. 

I post about my reading here, at the YA blog Rich in Color and as crystalreading at Storygraph. 

Last week I was able to attend a Intensive Spanish Summer Institute at Lake Tahoe Community College. I had thought my college days were behind me, but this was such an awesome opportunity. There were Spanish classes all day every day and I learned a lot. 

While I was gone, my family rescued a dog so now we have what appears to be a border collie mix that is somewhere around one year old. That's quite an adjustment since we haven't had a pet around for more than three years. It's fun though since he is content to be on the floor near me when I'm reading.

Last Few Weeks: I really enjoyed the YA thriller Beast by Richard Van Camp. I reviewed it for Rich in Color here. I also adored the saphic fantasy Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe. It was definitely cozy and cute. 

A fun middle grade book was On These Magic Shores by Yamile Saied Méndez. I was a little concerned when a major plot point was tryouts for the school play and it was Peter Pan, but the characters acknowledge and even push back on the Native representation in the play. 

I was able to visit Birchbark Books in Minneapolis when we flew over to visit with our adult children in July. There I purchased Phoenix Gets Greater by Marty Wilson-Trudeau with Phoenix Wilson and illustrated by Megan Kyak-Monteith. It's a lovely telling of Phoenix's actual life experience of feeling different and then learning about Two Spirit/Niizh Manidoowag people in Anishinaabe culture.

Currently Reading: Because my Spanish acquisition is coming along, I have finally started to read books at a higher level than picture books and Elefante & Cerdita. This means that my reading has slowed way down, but I'm getting more Spanish practice. It is taking me a long time, but I am progressing through the Spanish version of The Wild Robot - Robot Salvaje by Peter Brown. I've been reading and listening to it. The chapters are very short and it feels great to keep finishing them in a short amount of time. I am also most of the way through Easy Spanish Reader by William T. Tardy which has a bunch of short stories and informational texts that have brief comprehension checks at the end. 

I am also excited because after a spectacular session about the Asian diaspora in Spanish speaking countries by Alejandro Lee at the Spanish institute in Lake Tahoe, I started reading the adult graphic novel Gazpacho agridulce: Una autobiografía chino-andaluza by Quan Zhou Wu. The professor had a copy in class and then I found a used copy online and it arrived at my house over the weekend. 

I am also most of the way through Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao which is about college students and is generally light hearted. There is an exploration of a-spec identities along with college life, online interactions and communication mis-steps. 

K-Drama Viewing: Since it is summer and I'm not working for a few more weeks, I got a subscription to Viki so I am catching up on dramas that aren't available elsewhere. I'm finally watching Moon Lovers which has the reputation of being a tear-jerker and heartbreaker so I expect sometime later this week to need a box of tissues.

I've binge-watched several dramas so far this summer that I enjoyed: Perfect Marriage Revenge, Lovely Runner, Love Scout, Reborn Rich, and The Story of Park's Marriage Contract. 

Also, while not a K-drama, I have watched K-Pop Demon Hunters three times now. Once in English, once in Spanish and once in Korean. The music is soooo fun. Did you know that the YA author Maurene Goo is married to one of the directors? That's how I learned about it.