Favorite June Reads

June was a busy busy month for me so I didn't read as much as I normally do.  I tend to cycle between being behind in reading or life things and rarely ever find a balance between the two.  It's definitely not a bad problem to have.

Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson (Picture Book)

While Milo and his sister take the subway to see their mom, who is incarcerated, Milo imagines and sketches where each passenger is going. At one point during his journey a boy wearing a suit gets on. "His hair is a perfect part, and there's not a single scuff on his bright white Nikes." Milo sketches an elaborate destination for this boy, but is completely surprised to find out he's going to the same place as Milo. When this happens Milo begins to wonder about the rest of the places he sketched for each passenger. It's an eye-opener for him and I think it also makes him feel a little less alone and connected to others. The illustrations of the passengers convey so much personality, movement, and individuality and the language is surprisingly poetic and complex for a picture book. The woman wearing a wedding dress has "a face made out of light" and, just like him, Milo's sister is "a shook-up soda." This is a special book, one for an audience that's surprisingly larger than I first imagined.

A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor (Juvenille Fiction)

I most enjoyed the characters and their relationships with each other in A Home for Goddesses and Dogs. Lydia has just lost her mother and her Aunt Brat steps in to take care of her. Lydia soon discovers she has "three new adults and a greyhound." Aunt Brat, along with her wife, Eileen take care of an elderly man, Elloroy, and they have a dog named Soonie. So Lydia goes from living with her mom to a home full of adults who are all thrilled to have her. It's really special watching their relationships with each other blossom and grow. 

Shortly after moving to her new home, Lydia's family decides to adopt a dog who they name Guffer and he pees in their home and wiggles out of his collar every chance he gets. He's not a bad dog, just a dog who has lots to learn. Lydia isn't initially thrilled with Guffer, but he claims her and wins her over. Lydia also settles into her new school fairly easily and gets along splendidly with her classmates. At first she's not sure about the two girls who try mightily to befriend her, but they win her over as well. Though it sounds like there's not a lot of conflict going on, Lydia is grappling with her mother's death, her father's absence which is sprinkled with birthday and holiday cards, and trying to find where and how she belongs in this new world she is thrown into.

I love how Connor brings out Lydia's insightfulness with beautiful language - Elloroy's white hair is described as a "dusting of snow." When something is baking, "something is getting a beautiful crust." And when reflecting on Aunt Brat and Eileen's relationship, Lydia comes to the realization that "creatures in need were part of their glue as a couple." When Lydia arrives at her new home she carries a box of collages she made with her mom. Each collage is a different goddess created when they needed a little strength. It's really a wonderful idea. In her new home, Lydia is completely surrounded by strong women who exemplify different kinds of strength. It feels a little like the goddesses have come to life and Lydia discovers she's a part of all this strength and beauty.