Kellee – Page 131 – Unleashing Readers

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 9/17/18

September 17, 2018 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It’s also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…you just might discover the next “must-read” book!

Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too.

We encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting at least three of the other book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Tuesday: Teaching Tuesday: Using Dialogue Journals with High Schoolers

Wednesday: What If Everybody Said That? by Ellen Javernick

Thursday: King Ben and Sir Rhino by Eric Sallier

Friday: Alice’s Magic Garden by Henry Herz

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Kellee

I am loving the little bookworm Trent is right now! We’ve been reading a a couple of chapters of a chapter books and one or two picture books each night! And he wishes we could do more! I adore this! And I am so amazed at his memory for story, too. We can now have conversations about the books we’re reading, make predictions while reading, and even do a little bit of literary analysis! I won’t share everything we read each week, but I’ll share any new books that we read.

We need to get the next book in this series by Alexa Pearl! I love Sasha’s story as she learns how she fits into the world.
Life on Mars by Jon Agee is such a great sci-fi picture book, and we had some great conversation about the martian.
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner was very foreign for my Floridian son, so he had a lot of questions and loved it!
Ella and Owen: The Dave of AAAAH! DOOM! by Jaden Kent was a fun adventure about two silly dragon siblings who work together to survive!

I read:

Cosmic Conundrum by Cara Bartek, Ph.D. is the first in a series about Serafina Sterling, a super brilliant 6th grader that mixes sciences and middle school!
Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez was a book that I immediately went to school to talk to my students about because I knew MANY of them would connect with her. Stella doesn’t feel like she fits in anywhere because her family is fluent in Spanish and lived in Mexico while her peers are fluent in English and much louder than her. She is a sweet girl that struggles in both English and Spanish–will she be able to find her voice?

Ricki

I am excited to share that I have a book under contract with a publisher that I’ve long admired! I can’t wait to share more, but I spent most of my week working on details for the book! 🙂

I REREAD Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz for the twelve time (maybe more). I am teaching it tomorrow, and it is one of my favorite books to teach. It offers so much to discuss, and my students always love it.

Henry and I also dipped into some older books that were given to us by a neighbor. They were about forty years old. I am not going to post the titles here, but it has been really interesting to see how books have changed in the last forty years. The implicit bias was a bit disturbing, but it offered some great moments for critical discussions about gender roles and the representations of people of color. I got so irritated with one that it is currently in my recycling bin. I’ll probably take it out in the morning. That wasn’t the best idea, I know.

Kellee

I am loving A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem: A Dastardly Plot by Christopher Healy! Just go read the summary of it; you’re going to want to read it, too!
I am about half way through The Young Elites audiobook, and it is returning in 3 days–I have a feeling I’ll be finishing it the traditional way. The Young Elites reminds me of the Embassy Row series mixed with Graceling series.
With Trent, we’re reading the second book in the Ella and Owen series. He loves these two dragons!

Ricki

I am still reading and loving Sadie. I am sorry that I have been lost in some academic work lately that I’ve fallen behind on the good stuff. But this book is amazing!

Tuesday: Teaching Tuesday: Complexity in Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wednesday: Eavesdropping on Elephants by Patricia Newman

Thursday: Carlos Santana by Gary Golio

Friday: Review and Giveaway!: Journey of the Pale Bear by Susan Fletcher

Sunday: 15 Banned Books and Their Reasons for Censorship by Emma from Invaluable

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!

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Alice’s Magic Garden: Before the Rabbit Hole… by Henry Herz

September 14, 2018 by Kellee

Alice’s Magic Garden: Before the Rabbit Hole…
Author: Henry Herz
Illustrator: Natalie Hoopes
Published September 1st, 2018 by Familius

Summary: Curiouser and curiouser!

In this imaginative prequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice finds herself at a gray, dreary boarding school that is decidedly up the rabbit hole. From the relentless clocks to the beastly students, Alice’s world is void of color and cheer–until Alice finds a secret garden and begins tending its wilting inhabitants. When Alice’s love touches an ordinary caterpillar, a lorry bird, and a white rabbit, magical things will happen–and that, as you know, is just the beginning of the story. Filled with literary allusions and clever nods to its classic roots, Alice’s Magic Garden is a delightful prequel that begs an escape to the whimsy of Wonderland.

Review: I love when I find a twist on a classic story that is new and fresh! Herz’s story about how Alice’s garden came to be is so unique and definitely different than I’d ever heard or read before. While it holds true to the magic and silliness of Carroll’s original, it also adds a nice lesson in the vein of kindness and happiness which will lead to some great discussions as well.

I’m also a huge fan of the illustrations. I loved how color was used to show the shift in Alice’s surroundings and the way the illustrator separated the real from the strange. Additionally, I truly loved the style of the artwork which, in my opinion, was a perfect style for the story: classic with a bit of whimsy.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Use Alice’s Magic Garden as a mentor text for an imaginative prequel and ask students to create their own picture book as a prequel for a book they’ve read, a class novel, or a book club selection.

Also the story has some wonderful word choice that students can look at and discuss why the specific words were chosen.

Lastly, Alice’s could be used with secondary classes if the classic text is being read to look at allusions.

Discussion Questions:

Why does the illustrator go from grayscale to color drawings?
What allusions to the original story do you see in the picture book?
How did kindness save the day?
How is Alice different than the other girls in her boarding school?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Fractured fairy tales or other retellings, “Jabberwocky” and other poems by Lewis Carroll

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Familius for providing a copy for review!**

What If EVERYBODY Said That? by Ellen Javernick

September 12, 2018 by Kellee

What If EVERYBODY Said That?
Author: Ellen Javernick
Illustrator: Colleen Madden
Published August 1st, 2018 by Two Lions

Summary: What if everybody chose to be kind?

If you tell someone that they can’t play with you, there’s no harm done, right? But what if everybody said that? What if everybody forgot to be kind…and made fun of other kids’ artwork at school, or told a fib, or refused to share with a person in need? The world wouldn’t be a very nice place to live. But what if everybody thought before they spoke, so the world would be a kinder place?

With clear prose and lighthearted artwork, this companion book to the bestseller What If Everybody Did That? explores the power of words and shows kids that the things we say matter.

About the Creators:

Ellen Javernick has taught 1-3 grade classes for over 20 years. Her B.A. is from DePauw University. Her M.A. in Early Childhood Education is from the University of Northern Colorado. She has completed classes with Barbara Wise and is Lindamood-Bell trained. In addition to being a teacher, Ellen has written more than 20 books for children. She currently teaches second grade in Loveland, CO.

The weird fourth kid in a family of 8, Colleen Madden made it through childhood pretending to be a wookie and doodling in her cardboard box art studio. Colleen spent some time acting and training at The Second City in Chicago, then went on to graduate from a small liberal arts school on the East coast. Colleen eats and works and runs around in the Philadelphia area.

Praise: “A reminder to be aware of what one says, as well as a discussion starter about actions and consequences.” —Kirkus Reviews

Review: Empathy and kindness are both things that I truly believe need to be directly taught to children. Kids are born thinking only of their own needs and maybe of the needs of their family, but they have to learn how to care about those around them. This teaching can start at a very young age but then needs to be reinforced for years to come. Anyone who teaches knows this is true. We may have some of the best students but even they make a mistake sometimes that is hurtful to someone else. What If Everybody Said That? is a testament of thinking about others. Though a bit didactical, the different scenarios put on each page truly do show a cause and effect of the words we say to others.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This text is a perfect book to add to any community building, kindness, empathy, or anti-bullying text set.

Discussion Questions:

How does each spread show the cause and effect of what she said?
What finally made the young girl realize she needed to apologize?
What if everybody said that? (Pick a page and discuss)
- Look at the cause and effect from everybody saying what the girl said.
- Compare and contrast the two pages.
What is something you can think of that you said before that may not have been the best choice?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, Eraser by Anna Kang, I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoët, and other books helping students think about the words and choices they make

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Two Lions for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 9/10/18

September 10, 2018 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

We encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting at least three of the other book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Tuesday: #MustReadin2018 Fall Update

Wednesday: Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop by Alice Faye Duncan

Thursday: Eraser by Anna Kang

Friday: The Girl with More Than One Heart by Laura Geringer Bass

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Kellee

Journey of the Pale Bear by Susan Fletcher was even better than it sounded! I can’t wait to review it for you!

Another Day by David Levithan was quite interesting because it looked at the exact time frame as Every Day but from Rhiannon’s point of view. I look forward to reading book 3 now to see where it all goes.

Ricki

I REREAD Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson in preparation to teach it this week. I am really excited to talk about it with my college students. My fingers are crossed that they will love it as much as I do.

My son and I finished our read-aloud of The Super Life of Ben Braver. This book makes an incredible read-aloud for a 4-year-old, even though it is written for upper elementary schoolers, in particular. My son absolutely loved it and can’t wait for the next book to be released in March!

I adored King Ben and Sir Rhino by Eric Sallier and look forward to reviewing it later this week!

Kellee

I’ve only start The Young Elites (audiobook) but am not far enough to have an opinion quite yet (though I will say it reminds me a bit of Graceling). The others will hopefully be read this week!

I also wanted to extend a formal apology for not stopping by as many blogs on Mondays for the next couple of months (and last couple of weeks) as I always intend to. Trent has started t-ball, and practice is on Mondays, so it really adds another layer of rushing to the first day of the week. If I missed/miss your blog, please know that I love you being part of the community—thank you for being you! You are appreciated.

Ricki

I am still reading Sadie by Courtney Summers. Ordinarily, this book wouldn’t make it more than a couple of days with me. The suspense is phenomenal. Yet, I am also reading dozens of articles to prepare a manuscript that I am writing, so I am trying to balance my reading.

Tuesday: Teaching Tuesday: Using Dialogue Journals with High Schoolers

Wednesday: What If Everybody Said That? by Ellen Javernick

Thursday: King Ben and Sir Rhino by Eric Sallier

Friday: Alice’s Magic Garden by Henry Herz

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The Girl with More Than One Heart by Laura Geringer Bass

September 7, 2018 by Kellee

The Girl With More Than One Heart
Author: Laura Geringer Bass
Published April 17th, 2018 by Abrams Books

Summary: There are times we all feel we need more than one heart to get through. When Briana’s father dies, she imagines she has a new heart growing inside her. It speaks to her in her Dad’s voice. Some of its commands are mysterious.

Find Her! it says. Be Your Own!

How can Briana “be her own” when her grieving mother needs her to take care of her demanding little brother all the time? When all her grandpa can do is tell stories instead of being the “rock” she needs? When her not-so-normal home life leaves no time to pursue her dream of writing for the school literary magazine? When the first blush of a new romance threatens to be nipped in the bud? Forced by the loss of her favorite parent to see all that was once familiar with new eyes, Briana draws on her own imagination, originality, and tender loving heart to discover a surprising path through the storm.

About the Author: Laura Geringer Bass is the author of over 20 highly acclaimed books for children, tweens, and teens. Her new novel for middle graders about friendship, love, and loss — The Girl with More Than One Heart — is the lyrical story of a courageous girl who imagines she needs an extra heart to navigate her grief after the death of her dad. It will be published by Abrams this Spring. Laura serves on the National Advisory Board of First Book, a non-profit organization that has delivered over 170 million books to children in need and as a mentor for Girls Write Now and Prison Writes, teaching teens at risk.

Review: This book looks at the struggle of grief when life keeps moving on around you. And like another book I love, Courage for Beginners, it shows the struggle a child has if a parent is suffering and they have to step up in a way that is not what their peers have to. Briana doesn’t know how to deal with the grief and with her mother incapacitated with grief also, Briana finds that she needs a second heart to help guide her through this huge bump in her life. Briana’s story also shows the struggle yet love of being a sibling to a child with special needs.

Written beautifully in a way that will pull at your heartstrings, Bass’s story shows how one girl uses art, love, and courage to make her way through a loss that is unimaginable for most of us.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The Girl With More Than One Heart needs to be in classroom, school, and public libraries. There are so many readers that need this book. There are other readers that will want this book. There are definite readers for this book.

Another way in the classroom that it could be used is a mentor text for writing about memories. Briana’s second heart shares memories with her, one of the ways we get to know her dad, and the memories are so full of imagery. There are many sections that could be read for a mentor text when asking students to write a personal narrative.

Discussion Questions:

How did Briana use art to help her through her grief?
How did Briana’s life change after the loss of her dad?
Aaron is described in the summary as her demanding little brother, but Briana loves him. What are some examples in the story that show this love?
How does Grandpa Ben help guide Briana?
Briana’s second heart is only figurative. What does it represent?

Flagged Passage: “The day my father’s heart stopped, I discovered an extra heart deep in my belly, below my right rib. It talked to me. I wasn’t crazy. Before that day, I had just one heart that never said a word.” (p. 1)

Read This If You Love: Courage for Beginners by Karen Harrington, Rules by Cynthia Lord, How to Speak Dolphin by Ginny Rorby, Be Light Like a Bird by Monika Schröder, Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd, Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand, Far from Fair by Elana K. Arnold

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Casey at Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy for review!**

Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan

September 5, 2018 by Kellee

Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968
Author: Alice Faye Duncan
Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie
Publication Date September 11th, 2018 by Calkins Creek

Summary: This historical fiction picture book presents the story of nine-year-old Lorraine Jackson, who in 1968 witnessed the Memphis sanitation strike–Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final stand for justice before his assassination–when her father, a sanitation worker, participated in the protest.

In February 1968, two African American sanitation workers were killed by unsafe equipment in Memphis, Tennessee. Outraged at the city’s refusal to recognize a labor union that would fight for higher pay and safer working conditions, sanitation workers went on strike. The strike lasted two months, during which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was called to help with the protests. While his presence was greatly inspiring to the community, this unfortunately would be his last stand for justice. He was assassinated in his Memphis hotel the day after delivering his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” sermon in Mason Temple Church. Inspired by the memories of a teacher who participated in the strike as a child, author Alice Faye Duncan reveals the story of the Memphis sanitation strike from the perspective of a young girl with a riveting combination of poetry and prose.

About the Creators:

Alice Faye Duncan is the author of multiple children’s books, including Honey Baby Sugar Child, which received an NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Literary Work for Children. She is a librarian in Memphis and is a National Board Certified Educator.

R. Gregory Christie has illustrated more than fifty books for young adults and children. His work has won a Caldecott Honor, a New York Times 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books of the Year Award (two times), the Coretta Scott King Honor in Illustration (three times), the NAACP’s Image Award, the Boston Globe-Horn BookAward, and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award. He currently operates his store of autographed children’s books, GAS-ART Gifts, in Decatur, Georgia.

Praise:

★ “Duncan creates 9-year-old Lorraine Jackson to tell the full story of the Memphis sanitation strike of 1968. The author’s choice to not focus on the singular efforts of King but on the dedicated efforts of community signals a deeply important lesson for young readers. Strong historical details back up the organizing feat…(t)he narrative is set in vignettes that jump between verse and prose, set against Christie’s bold paintings… encapsulates the bravery, intrigue, and compassion that defined a generation, presenting a history that everyone should know: required and inspired.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★“In this impressive picture book, a character inspired by an African American family involved in the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike tells her first-person account of the experience in verse and prose. Each full-page spread functions as a chapter with…informative back matter (which)…includes a time line and source notes. The excellent gouache art is typical of Christie’s distinctive and impactful style, with impressionistic images set on pages saturated with shades of blue, yellow, or orange. Most gratifyingly, the determination of the characters and the import of this part of history are imbued with dignity throughout.” – Booklist, starred review

Review: I was lucky enough to hear Alice Faye Duncan speak about this book. As a librarian, she wanted to tell this story, and, if I remember correctly, she wrote many different versions of this story. And when Boyd Mills Press first acquired her story, she once again revised the text. And wow! I am so happy that she kept going because the book which she, with R. Gregory Christie’s absolutely beautiful illustrations, created a brilliant picture book.

It wasn’t until I read Chasing King’s Killer that I knew the whole story about why Martin Luther King, Jr. was in Memphis at the time he was assassinated. Thirty-six years old is too late to learn about the last fight that MLK was able to stand behind. The story is written in vignettes in a first-person point of view of a Memphis resident who was nine at the time of the sanitation strikes. With the past look, it allowed Duncan’s character to have insight into things a nine-year-old may not while also being able to give a first hand account. The mixture led to a historical narrative filled with emotion and truths.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Use this book. However it works in your classroom. It can be used in a history, reading, writing, or art lesson. Or the text for all of the above. The writing, art, and history in this book is one that needs to be shared.

Discussion Questions:

Lorraine is our main character. How could you change the title to show her part of the story?
How did the author intertwine Lorraine’s and MLK’s stories to tell this story?
Why did the sanitation workers strike in Memphis is 1968?
How does a first person point of view differ the text versus a third person?
As a class, take a historical event and create a multi-format book about the event.

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Be a King by Carole Boston Weatherford, Chasing King’s Killer by James L. Swanson, Books (historical fiction or nonfiction) about the Civil Rights Movement

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Workman Publishing for providing copies for review!**

Ricki and Kellee’s #MustReadIn2018 Fall Update

September 4, 2018 by Kellee

#MustReadIn2018 is hosted by Carrie Gelson at There Is A Book For That. We first shared our lists in January, and are excited to share our updates today:

Kellee’s #mustreadin2018 Update

As of the Spring Update in April, I’d read 12 of my 33 on my list; as of today, I am at 21 of 33–not too bad!

Laurie Halse Anderson
Vet Volunteers #1: Fight for Life 6/14/2018
Vet Volunteers #2: Homeless 6/19/18
Vet Volunteers #3: Trickster 6/19/18
Twisted 6/20/18
Vet Volunteers #4: Manatee Blues 7/7/18
Vet Volunteers #5: Say Goodbye 7/19/18
Vet Volunteers #6: Storm Rescue 7/27/18
Vet Volunteers #7: Teacher’s Pet 7/27/18
Vet Volunteers #8: Trapped 8/5/18

Vet Volunteers is my new comfort series. I’ll definitely be reading more when I have time!

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson is phenomenal. I don’t know why it took me so long to read it; what a great look at the twisted world of boy teenage years and trying to be a “normal” family.

Joseph Bruchac
Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker’s Story 7/21/18
“Choke” from Guys Read: Sports Pages 7/21/18

Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker’s Code by Joseph Bruchac: Navajo Code Talkers should be part of common knowledge. They are heroes. And this picture book biography of Chester Nez is a wonderful introduction or enrichment of this knowledge.

I love Bruchac’s story of finding strength and overcoming bullying in Choke.

Dan Gemeinhart
Some Kind of Courage 4/21/2018
Good Dog 4/28/2018

Dan Gemeinhart is another author who I am starting to realize is one I can trust to write a story I would love. Some Kind of Courage was some kind of book–just amazing. Wow! And the narrator for the audiobook was perfect! I cried of sadness and happiness while reading. Just so many emotions! Wow!

Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart is such an interesting look at the after life, and be on the look out for a tie-over from The Honest Truth.

Mitali Perkins
Tiger Boy 5/15/2018
Rickshaw Girl 5/13/2018

Mitali Perkins writes stories that all will connect to but will also give insight into lives that are very different than ours.

Rick Riordan
Reread The Lost Hero 7/13/18
Son of Neptune 7/29/18
Mark of Athena 8/16/18
House of Hades 9/1/18

I still love Percy Jackson better (I talked with a student on Friday, and we talked about the change of point of view and how the first person POV of the first series really sucked you in more), but man! Rick Riordan can write some epic stories! I cannot wait to see how this ends.

Orphaned by Eliot Schrefer
7/6/18

Have you read everything Eliot Schrefer has written? I have, and I cannot tell you enough to go get his books if you haven’t read them. His newest, coming out in September, is another brilliant book, and I need to tell you how unique and thought provoking it is! Fans of his and new Schrefer readers will not be disappointed. I’ll be reviewing it soon, too.

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
7/19/18

Amal Unbound reminded me so much of Sold, and I am so happy a middle grade story like this exists. Told in conjunction with other books that share stories stories that give windows into people that may be different than us, our world is going to be such a better place!

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan
7/15/18

Amina’s Voice is a special middle grade novel about finding your voice in the midst of hate.

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
8/12/18

I LOVED Dumplin’, and I cannot wait to read Puddin’. I wish Will had existed when I was a kid.

Solo by Kwame Alexander
8/18/2018

Solo is such an interesting look into a life of privilege that wasn’t what the protagonist thought it was. It also tackles poetry, addiction, family, adoption, teen pregnancy, and much more. It’ll be a great title to discuss at my faculty book club!

What Girls are Made of by Elana K. Arnold
7/25/18

What Girls are Made of by Elana K. Arnold is a book that I am so glad exists. It has so much that needs to be talked about that isn’t. It reminds me of Forever for modern day. And the Author’s Note at the end of the book is one of my favorite things ever written.

Ricki’s #mustreadin2018 Update

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

August 2018

This book is breath-taking. It is well worth the hype. If you haven’t read it, I recommend it highly! Everyone I know who has read this book raves about it. I loved this book so much that I added it to my Teaching Reading syllabus!

Piecing Me Together by Reneé Watson

July 2018

Yessss to this book. I added it to my Adolescents’ Literature course readings, and I will be rereading it again next week. It made me think about aspects of privilege in ways I hadn’t considered.

How is your #mustreadin2018 progress going?

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