Oasis By Guojing New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2025. Graphic novel. 112 pages. JieJie and DiDi live in the barren desert surrounding the utopic Oasis City -- which is protected from frequent sandstorms by a geodesic dome. Their mother works in the city, trying her best to save money and bring the siblings to live with her, but in the meantime they are left behind to ration water, save food, and wait for calls from their mother on the payphone. One day, while picking through the trash, they discover the body of a humanoid robot who, after being revived, becomes a perfect robot caregiver. This graphic novel is spared from feeling too bleak by its emphasis on familial love -- and there's plenty to be found. Though the circumstances that keep JieJie and DiDi from their mother are sad, it is quickly apparent to readers that they are loved -- by their human mother and later by their AI mother also. Relying mostly on soft strokes in neutral tones to evoke the environment overrun by san...
Virginia Wouldn't Slow Down!: The Unstoppable Dr. Apgar and her Life-Saving Invention Written by Carrie A. Pearson Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter New York: Norton Young Readers, 2023. Informational. Born in 1909, Virginia Apgar wouldn't conform to what girls were expected to do. She was loud, played sports, wore what she wanted, and pursued an atypical career, becoming the second board-certified female anesthesiologist in the United States. Virginia excelled at her job--she worked hard, was a keen observer and teacher, and she used those skills to create a simple method for quickly evaluating the health of newborn babies that is still in use. The Apgar Score continues to save infant lives to this day. Virginia was so fun to learn about. I love a rebel gal, braving the judgement of a society stuck in its antiquated gender roles. Virginia had a confidence and competence I envy, and she used both to make a change so epic to health care that it's still th...