WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

A book review from Jennifer - Montrose Branch Children's Librarian

Judy Award Winner Book:  Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Set in an unforgiving Nordic landscape, Solveig and her two siblings await news from their father, a Viking king. While a war wages, he’s sent them deep inside a fiord with his most trusted advisors. Initially, it seems a safe place to brave the long, bitter winter. But when Norse warriors appear, sent by her father, Solveig wonders if something is amiss. With more mouths to feed, rations are fewer and tensions begin to rise.

Solveig, besides warranting protection, has little value to her father. She’s neither destined to bring wealth through marriage, nor inherit her father’s crown. So when her father’s skald, or storyteller, suggests an apprenticeship – she eagerly accepts. Solveig quickly discovers the power of stories, both real and imagined. And through her storytelling, helps distinguish friends from enemies.


A gripping tale about loyalty. For grades 5 – 8.

BRAIDS*TRENCITAS

Abuela and Isabela, tell each other stories while Abuela braids and unbraids Isabela's hair every day. Each time Isabela asks Abuela to read a story she has written, the woman finds excuses and says that she is “ a storyteller, not a reader”. When Isabela discovers that Abuela can’t read, she finds a wonderful way to teach her grandmother how to read using the “loteria” ( a bingo-like game from Mexico). This heartwarming book talks about the importance of family and cultural traditions across generations. Colorful acrylic illustrations. Written by Kathleen Contreras, illustrated by Margaret Lindmark. Grades 2-3.