Restart

Restart by Gordon Korman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this funny tale of a bully who falls off a roof while doing something illicit, then wakes with near total amnesia and is pretty horrified to find out what a jerk he's been. I enjoyed reading from the other characters' points of view as well as from Chase's, and I loved watching him choose to be a better person the second time around. It was a little unbelievable that losing his memory would have instantly transformed him into a kinder, better person, but I'm in no way an expert on head trauma, so I will totally give Gordon Korman the benefit of the doubt on this one and hope he did his research.

The other thing that kept this book from being a 5-star middle grade story for me was Chase's dad's abrupt switch from being a grown-up bully into a supportive father at the very end. That didn't ring true. I would like to think he, too, could change! But probably not without a lot of therapy. Dude was a jerk for a very long time, and he didn't have the benefit of amnesia. Otherwise, though, I loved this book!

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Why?

Why? by Adam Rex
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When a would-be supervillain crashes through the roof of a shopping mall, everyone flees except a little girl who keeps asking, “Why?” in response to every proclamation he makes. Soon it’s just the two of them wandering the stores, her repeated question inducing him to ponder how he came to this place and time, wondering if maybe his dreams lie elsewhere. A delightful depiction of curiosity cutting through the bluster of a bully to see the wounded child inside.

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The Rabbit Listened

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When birds knock Taylor’s magnificent building block creation down, Taylor’s animal friends come by one at a time to offer comfort, but it isn’t until Rabbit snuggles up and sits quietly that Taylor feels ready to process the grief, going through all the stages and techniques suggested by the previous animals. “Through it all, the rabbit never left. And when the time was right, the rabbit listened to Taylor’s plan to build again.”

I hope I can be someone’s rabbit. 

This is one of the loveliest books about coping with grief that I've ever seen. 

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The Three Billy Goats Buenos

The Three Billy Goats Buenos by Susan Middleton Elya
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This lovely rendition of the three billy goats gruff has the third goat asking *why* the troll is so unhappy and mean. Instead of just tricking her, he gets the first two goats to help him pull a thorn from her toe and make a salve to put on it, then bring her some apples to eat (instead of goats!). It becomes a story of kindness, compassion, and friendship.

The text is mostly English but with many key words in Spanish. I love the rhythm and rhyming scheme and how the Spanish words flow seamlessly within the structure, letting young readers figure out many of the bilingual words based on context. The author also provides a glossary at the beginning.

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Listening With My Heart: A Story of Kindness and Self-Compassion

Listening With My Heart: A Story of Kindness and Self-Compassion by Gabi Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Esperanza finds a heart-shaped rock and is inspired to share love and kindness, which comes full circle when she makes a mistake and needs help remembering to show herself kindness and compassion as well.

It's a sweet story with a direct message that models simple ways even children can demonstrate compassion. A bit more plot or character development would have bumped my rating to 5 stars, but the message earns every bit of the 4 stars! I absolutely love that nearly all the characters have varying shades of brown skin. It's a very positive, healing book to read with children.

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