Virginia Kroll

"The December day in south India dawned like any other, kissed by the golden sun. Papa came back with his boat full of fish. Mama made breakfast for seven-year-old Dinakaran and his two little brothers. That day seemed like any other day, but Selvakumar knew better."

Selvakumar, the Ramakrishnan family dog, knew better because he could feel the ominous vibrations, and hear the unusual sounds coming from the ocean. Nervous and fretful, "He wanted to run, but he dared not leave his family. show more Sometimes humans didn't realize." And sure enough, when they finally do understand their danger, and flee before the oncoming tsunami, Dinakaran becomes confused, heading for the family house near the beach, rather than making for high ground. But Selvakumar knew better, and through his heroic actions, the young boy was saved...

Based upon a true story, Selvakumar Knew Better is a moving picture-book about the devastating 2004 tsunami, which killed more than a quarter of a million people, and displaced countless others. It is also a heart-warming tale of canine devotion, and would make an excellent introduction to this sad topic for younger readers. Virginia Kroll's narrative is fast-paced and involving, and Xiaojun Li's watercolors ably convey the emotion of the story. The two-page spread showing just Dinakaran and Selvakumar is particularly lovely. A brief afterword gives further information, and a photograph of the real Selvakumar. Highly recommended! show less

A biographical book with great illustrations, the author talks about when she went to school and the religion class at the Catholic church the same day and they talked about heroes and martyrs dying for things they love. Almost all of the kids in the class had veteran parents from WWII. The story then transitions to talking about her neighbor, a sweet African-American woman, and an incident where, after her little brother gets his mouth washed out for saying the n-word, three young men show more committed a hate crime against her neighbor.

This book would be great for older students. It's historical, and puts the struggle of African-Americans at the time into perspective, also framing people who protect them from hate crimes as heroes. It also asks the question of "what's worth dying for?" and gets you talking about such issues. Not for younger students, and not exactly politically correct, but a good discussion book for even middle school. show less

This was really an excellent pairing of author and illustrator. Virginia Kroll is a master of numerous literary devices and it is evidenced throughout this book. Floyd Cooper's illustrations are tough to improve upon. It's a sad circumstance that the two girls must live in such conditions, but with the help of their imaginations they are able to compensate for a bad situation. I loved that it transitioned from the older sister rationalizing the noises outside of their apartment to her show more younger sister to the other way around at the end. This was really an effective book. show less

When Grandma Grace's Thanksgiving bowl topples off the table and into the lives of others, it becomes a useful found object for all who encounter it. From one Thanksgiving to the next, the bowl makes its way upstream and downstream, through sandboxes and snowstorms, carrying goodwill and offering creative inspiration.