Pat Cummings

Starts out with a semi-typical kid surviving loss and massive displacement, getting used to a new school, but quickly introduces some genuinely creepy ghost encounters, that then weave throughout the book. Masterful storytelling that allows Trace's relationships to slowly unfold as he gets used to his new surroundings.

Trace is a middle-schooler (12? I think? 6th or 7th grader? I can't remember if this was specified), who has just been picked to lead a group project on the the decade of US history in the 1860s. The group project ends up leading him to the New York Public Library, where Trace has an experience that alienates him from his classmates and shakes up his understanding of the world. I don't want to put spoilers in here, because there's some interesting and delicate plot shifts, and it's cool to see everything gradually connect. Highlights for me: Trace's colorful aunt, with her eclectic crowd of Brooklyn friends and her deep love of exploratory cooking; mean girl comeuppance; kids being kids in the awkward beginning of romance age; Trace's journey to healing as he comes to terms with the recent deaths of his parents and his own survival; particularly vivid and sometimes dreamlike scenes, beautifully conveyed; a really cool take on finding what interests you in history and making it relatable. Enjoyable read.

Advanced Reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.… (mere)

Where is mommy
Pat Cummings
A girl of color is waking up from a nap on the couch with her cat Max. She is looking for her mother but can’t find her. They find a lot of her belongings, like her slippers and her scarf but mommy is nowhere to be found. The girl starts to wear all the things she can which look kind of silly. The reader does get a glimpse of someone else in the house. The girl makes it into a scavenger hunt, following the trail around the house. The cat follows. She even draws a picture of her mom to help her find her.
Cummings, author and illustrator of many books, made the text very simple and the font is large for the early and beginning readers. Illustrations are colorful.
The reviewer had a hardback copy which was larger than your average reader. The publisher uses a letter system for its reading level and has it at level D fit for end of kindergarten according to the publisher
Written
AD+
Pre Kindergarten through 1st grade… (mere)

I've been faithfully purchasing Holiday House's I Like To Read titles, since they're one of the few easy reader series to offer titles in the A-E guided reading levels, but I have mixed feelings about some of them.

This one is a level D, so a little more complex. The pictures are pleasant, but the story is kind of bland. The endpages show a black girl curled up on the couch with her mother and the cat, reading together. Then the title page shows the girl alone, waking up from her nap, the cat still sleeping on her lap. She grabs the cat who makes a dive for the coffee, then wonders "Where is Mommy?" The rest of the story shows her looking for her mother, while glimpses through the window and various clues show that she's in the garden. Eventually, just as Mommy returns with a basket of kale, she figures out where Mommy has been.

The art is simple and colorful and it's nice to see a black mother and daughter enjoying reading and gardening together, but the girl is nearly as tall as her mother. She has to be at least seven but her behavior is more suitable to a preschooler.

Verdict: While this isn't my favorite, it's a good choice for very young children who are learning to read and the simple art will let them concentrate on the words while still following the clues to solve the mystery.

ISBN: 9780823439355; Published November 2019 by Holiday House; Purchased for the library… (mere)