Solstice: Around the World on the Longest, Shortest Day
Solstice: Around the World on the Longest, Shortest Day
Solstice: Around the World on the Longest, Shortest Day
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Description
Description
Explore the daily lives of children around the world through the solstice--the longest day and night of the year.
Just two times each year - at an event called the solstice - Earth leans closest to our home star, the Sun. Since ancient times, people have used the Sun as a timekeeper. They knew that the length of daylight changes in a regular way, and celebrated the solstice as a signal of changing seasons. Solstice imparts scientific and cultural information using the global experience of a solstice as its scientific core, and the descriptions of children's lives at each latitude as the cultural narrative. It is a browsable nonfiction appealing to informationally minded thinkers aged 7-11. Enhancing the text and illustrations are fascinating infographics about geography, hours of sunlight, sunrise and sunset times, and how the Earth's tilt creates solstices and seasons. A global event needs a global perspective: non-traditional families, interesting facts that crop up in each account (e.g. in the Chinese entry we learn that pandas need to play or else they get sad). Plus, illustrators for each location represent their home countries with authority and beauty.
About the Author
About the Author
Jen Breach is a children's author of fiction and non-fiction. Their writing credits include a graphic literature adventure about a young archeologist and their robot brother (Clem Hetherington and the Ironwood Race, Scholastic 2018), and a picture book about two clueless zookeepers (Something's Amiss At The Zoo, Hachette 2016). They hold an MFA in Writing for Children and Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. They are a mentor for Girls Write Now and The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP). Jen identifies as queer and non-binary.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"What causes this particular item to stand out for me is the choice the editor made to illustrate the title with fourteen different artists ... So essentially you're getting science and history and cultural significance all at once." - Betsy Bird, School Library Journal
"What is so incredibly cool about this book is that this book goes around the world with how different parts of the country view and celebrate the Solstice." - Liam, aged 12, in Kids Book Buzz
"Especially appealing to and recommended for young readers age 7 to11." - Midwest Book Review
"The solstice is both a symbol of global unity and a celebration of cultural diversity. Here, this unique event takes center stage in a fascinating account of children's lives around the world." - YA Books Central
"Helps open readers' eyes to the vast differences of how the world is experienced around the globe." - Youth Services Book Review
"Does an excellent job of sharing real-life pictures of life around the globe - daily life AND special celebrations." - Glass of Wine, Glass of Milk blog
"Solstice has kept my kids engaged and asking a lot of questions." - Kids Read the World blog
Selected by the Children's Book Council (CBC) for the May 2024 Hot Off the Press list
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
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