Kellee

Natumi Takes the Lead: The True Story of an Orphan Elephant Who Finds a Family by Gerry Ellis with Amy Novesky

December 28, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Natumi Takes the Lead: The True Story of an Orphan Elephant Who Finds Family
Author: Gerry Ellis with Amy Novesky
Published November 8th, 2016 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: After losing her mother, shy Natumi is rescued by a team from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an orphanage for baby elephants. At the shelter, Natumi hides behind keepers’ legs to watch the other elephants at the shelter. But soon, she meets several other orphans, and the eight of them play together in the surrounding bush.

As the babies become closer and more like a real family, they need a leader, someone they can trust. Can Natumi grow into this role?

Join the herd to find out what happens when they travel back into the wild. This sweet story, with its heartwarming photographs, explores the challenges and joys of family, love, and growing up, and is a perfect bedtime tale.

Review: In addition to being a story that teaches about elephants, Natumi’s story is one that will warm readers’ hearts. Her story is sad yet inspiring, heart breaking yet beautiful, and the reader gets to be there every step of the way. Gery Ellis’s photographs allow the reader to be right in the story and helps move this book past just a normal informational nonfiction text to literary nonfiction thus allowing it to cross boundaries in the classroom.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Since the text crosses the informational/literary boundaries, there are immense possibilities to how this text could be used in the classroom. When I finished, the two things that struck me right away were the theme of the story and the inquiry that this story could be a basis for. Natumi’s story definitely has a pretty solid theme that can tie into many other texts or even science discussions about animal behaviors. Also, the text talks about one animal in peril in the wild, and it could be a jumping off point for a science/language arts crossover project where students state find a problem in the wild and create information, much like the author’s note, that shows ways to help and learn more about the issue. In addition, there are opportunities for vocabulary development, mapping skills, prediction, cause/effect, and much more.

Discussion Questions: How did poachers change Natumi’s life forever? Why are there poachers in Africa?; Why are elephant orphanages needed? How could we help this problem?; How did Natumi become the leader of her family?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Elephants, Learning about endangered animals, Africa

Recommended For:

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Ricki’s Ten (Ahem…Twelve) Favorite Reads in 2016

December 27, 2016 by Kellee

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

Today’s Topic: Ricki’s Ten (Ahem…Twelve) Favorite Reads in 2016

I narrowed and narrowed, and I simply couldn’t get lower than twelve!

Children’s

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick

My Friend Maggie by Hannah E. Harrison

Pirasaurs! by Josh Funk

Middle Grade

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

Shooting Kabul by N. H. Senzai

Young Adult

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

Kids of Appetite by David Arnold

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Adult

Education for Extinction by David Wallace Adams

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Allison Bechdel

House of Purple Cedar by Tim Tingle

Whew! These are my favorites, but if you ask me tomorrow, I might add in a few others that I loved and adored.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 12/26/16

December 26, 2016 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.

Last Week’s Posts

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

Tuesday: Ten Books We Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing Our Boys

Wednesday: How the World Was: A California Childhood by Emmanuel Guibert

Friday: Wishapick by M.M. Allen

Sunday: MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of our friends and followers who celebrate!

Last Week’s Journeys

I’m writing this quite early because MY PARENTS ARE COMING TO VISIT! I don’t see my parents anywhere as much as I wish I did because they live in Baton Rouge, but I get to have them here with me for 5 days, so I wanted to blog before they got here.

I finished reading the Mock Sibert books that I requested from the library, and they were all brilliant. I am definitely buying Jazz Day and I Dissent for my classroom, and Giant Squid and Radiant Child for my household.

I want to read everything by Matt de la Peña. He has a way of writing that just brings voice to whomever he chooses. This is my last #mustread2016 book I’m reading because I left the other one at school 🙁

I now can definitely see why Ghost was a National Book Award Finalist and is on so many Mock Newbery Lists including my club’s. I couldn’t put this book down. If you haven’t read Ghost’s story: PICK IT UP!

We are so lucky to get some amazing books for review, and I read two of them this week that I’ll be reviewing in January: Zack Delacruz Just My Luck by Jeff Anderson and Frightlopedia by Julie Winterbottom.

Ricki

Whoops. I started five new books this week and finished none. This is a common theme for me, lately!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

I am currently reading The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner (I just started), and I plan on reading more choices from my Mock Newbery Club after I finish it.

Ricki

I am still enjoying For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…And the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education by Christopher Emdin.

I just started Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia, and I am loving the strong voice. The narrator is very entertaining, and I find myself smiling often.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Ricki’s Top Ten Favorite Reads of 2016

Wednesday: Natumi Takes the Lead by Gerry Ellis

Friday: Kellee and Ricki’s #MustReadin2016 Final Update!

Sunday: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

So, what are you reading?

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!

and

Wishapick: Tickety Boo and the Black Trunk by M.M. Allen

December 23, 2016December 23, 2016 by Kellee

Wishapick: Tickety Book and the Black Trunk
Author: M.M. Allen
Published June 16th, 2015 by CreateSpace

Summary: Darkness. Utter blackness. Was this why his mother had refused to let Jack unlock his father’s old trunk? It had been two years since his dad had died, and all Jack could think about was examining whatever treasures were stored inside the beloved trunk. But when he finally lifted the lid, he didn’t just fall in—he fell through it into a pit of rattlesnakes!

Trying to recall his mother’s stories about “the Breath of All Good Things”—anything to shed light on his current situation—Jack wishes he’d paid better attention rather than mock the tales as childish myths…and that he’d waited to enter the trunk with his sister, Lilly, so they could at least face this together.

Like L. Frank Baum’s Oz and C. S. Lewis’s Narnia, M. M. Allen brings to life the fantastical world of Wishapick—a land of courageous animals ruled by a cruel rattlesnake king who has condemned the villagers to live without light. Chosen as the reluctant hero to save the villagers, Jack must face terrifying creatures and overwhelming odds if he wants to help his new friends—and return home himself.

Be sure to check out the companion music CD, Wishapick, for purchase or download from http://deborahwynne.com/

Review: Wishapick is a fun introduction to the world of fantasy reading, and I think a lot of young readers will enjoy Jack’s story and will find themselves wanting to read more fantastical stories. The summary compares the story to Oz and Narnia, but I actually compare it more to Wind in the Willows and other anthropomorphic stories like Redwall. I also think fans of Spiderwick Chronicles will like the adventure. I am also a big fan of a multi-point of view story when done well, and I liked how the author used Jack and Lilly to tell the story because it allowed us to see all sides of the adventure.

In addition to Jack’s story, the book has a companion CD which brings out some of the mood and tones that the story carries.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Wishapick will be a wonderful addition to any classroom, school, or home library–anywhere the right readers will find it.

Discussion Questions: What character trait did Jack have at the beginning of the book that made him not able to save Wishapick right away?; How did Lilly’s inclusion of the story affect the adventure?; Why did the author choose to switch between points of view?; How does the music help with your interpretation of the story?

Flagged Passages: “He expected his feet to land on the floor of the trunk, but he found himself in a free fall. The lid of the trunk slammed shut above him. The blackness closed in, and the tiny lights he had seen when he first peered into the trunk were gone. He frantically kicked his legs and clutched desperately at the air with his hands. His chest felt tight as a drum, so tight he could barely catch his breath. A groan of despair erupted inside of him. He waved his arms about, trying to slow his fall. As he thundered downward, he felt something with his fingertips, like dirt–no, it was slimy, maybe mud?” (p. 6)

Read This If You Loved: The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black, Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Recommended For:

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books We Wouldn’t Mind Santa Leaving for Our Boys

December 20, 2016 by Kellee

Today’s Topic: Ten Books We Wouldn’t Mind Santa Leaving for Our Boys

Ricki

1. The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet

The premise of this book makes me so happy. I’d love to read it with my boys.

2. Open This Book by Jesse Klausmeier

I’ve heard that this book is interactive and good fun.

3. I Spy a Funny Frog by Jean Marzollo

My older son loves this series.

4. Nerdy Birdy by Aaron Reynolds

Honestly, how adorable is this book?

5. Mix It Up! by Hervé Tullet

Every book that this author writes is incredible.

Kellee

Santa may just be bringing these books for Trent 😉

1. Super Jumbo by Fred Koehler

We loved Little Jumbo in How to Cheer Up Dad, and I read Super Jumbo at an independent bookstore in DC, but now Trent will have his own copy.

2. Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward

I’ve only heard great things about this book, and after meeting Jennifer at NCTE, I knew I had to get it for Trent.

3. Also An Octopus by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

I read this while standing at Candlewick’s booth in the exhibit hall at NCTE, and I knew I, I mean Trent, had to have it!

4. Nanette’s Baguette by Mo Willems

A new Mo Willems book? Yes please!

5. Books 1-3 in the Elephant and Piggie Like Reading! series: The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat, We Are Growing by Laurie Keller, and The Good For Nothing Button by Charise Mericle Harper

I cannot believe we didn’t own the first two yet, but we didn’t; however, after receiving an ARC of the third, I went online and remedied that very quickly.

Which books do you hope to get for Christmas?

and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 12/19/16

December 19, 2016December 19, 2016 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.

Last Week’s Posts

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

Tuesday: Top Books We Want to Read That We Heard About at NCTE/ALAN

Wednesday: On the Construction Site by Carron Brown

Thursday: The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu

Friday: Noodles’ and Albie’s Birthday Surprise by Eric Bennett

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Tricky Gods” by Dorothy A. Winsor, Author of Deep as a Tomb

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

I read some phenomenal nonfiction this week! First I read two titles from National Geographic that I highly recommend! First, Dining with Dinosaurs is a must buy for any dinosaur fan. It is a fascinating look at the different categories of -vores and how dinosaurs fit into them. I also read Arabian Nights by Donna Jo Napoli. This short story anthology of Arabian mythology was fascinating, captivating, and beautifully written and illustrated. The layers of themes and stories built upon each other to create a collection that is a wonderful introduction to true traditional literature.

In addition to these two NF texts, I began trying to catch up on the 2016 nonfiction texts that my friends Aly and Michele are listing as in the running for the Sibert. This is my first year not taking part in the Mock Sibert with Aly of Kid Lit Frenzy because I just hadn’t read enough 2016 NF during the year, but as soon as Michele and Aly put out their lists (here, here, here, and here), I started requesting titles from my library. I have gotten through four of the titles so far, but I will definitely be reading more this week. I highly recommend all four, but my favorite so far has to be Ada’s Violin by Susan Hood.

Ricki

This week, I’ve been rereading a lot of picture books with Henry. He’s asked me to reread Shivery Shades of Halloween by Mary McKenna Siddals and Shy by Deborah Freedman. He’s also strangely obsessed with the new graphic novel, Fish Girl by David Wiesner and Donna Jo Napoli. He isn’t the target audience, but he loves it.

A few books that I am considering using in my Teaching of Language Arts course that I am rereading are They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel, Love That Dog by Sharon Creech, and Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson. I have others on my list of books to re-read, but I decided to get an early jump on these.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

I am definitely going to read more nonfiction before next week. I’ll have my Sibert prediction for you then. I have at least four more to read including Jazz Day by Roxane Orgill and Giant Squid by Candace Fleming.

I just started Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Peña which is on my #mustreadin2016 list, and I am sucked in. After I finish this, I have a pile of #mustreadin2016 titles, Mock Newbery titles, and books I need to read for review; I’ll let you know what I am able to get to.

Ricki

I’ve been doing some traveling this week, and I have been enjoying For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…And the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education by Christopher Emdin.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Ten Books We Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing Our Boys

Wednesday: How the World Was: A California Childhood by Emmanuel Guiber

Friday: Wishapick by M.M. Allen

Sunday: MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of our friends and followers who celebrate!

So, what are you reading?

and

Author Guest Post: “Tricky Gods” by Dorothy A. Winsor, Author of Deep as a Tomb

December 18, 2016 by Kellee

Tricky Gods

When you write a story set in a made-up or secondary world, one of the small but significant problems you run into is giving characters a good way to call on their god(s). They could be cursing, invoking a deity as witness, or maybe asking for a god’s help.

This is challenging because in a secondary-world story, the author makes up things like the god(s), the cultural notions of the afterlife, and what kind of supernatural creatures might be around to tempt or help a character. A character can’t say “hell” if the culture doesn’t believe in such a place, or “she looked like an evil cherub” if the world doesn’t have cherubs.

My first novel, Finders Keepers, is a middle-grade book which compounds the problem because people are naturally sensitive about their child being “taught” religious beliefs other than their own. In some ways, secondary world fantasy eases this problem because the made-up world makes it clearer that this is all pretend. Of course, the furor around witchcraft in Harry Potter shows that some folks are particularly guarded, which I completely understand and see as their right, though I know it means they’re unlikely to enjoy a lot fantasy novels, possibly including mine.

Assuming a reader is open to a world with different gods, though, how does the writer deal with how to invoke them? When I was drafting Finders Keepers, I was reading Patrick Rothfuss’s Name of the Wind, a wonderful adult fantasy. One of the characters in that book uses the exclamation “tiny gods.” I found that charming and suggestive of a whole world of beliefs that’s never spelled out.

So I asked myself, what would my characters say about the gods in Finders Keepers? The answer, I thought, depended on what those gods were like. And, not to sound too delusional, it occurred to me that I was the god of this book. I created the world and the characters. I decided what would happen to them. I even made the weather.

And what kind of god am I? I am, I hope, a tricky one. I believe the character who’s walking along thinking today went pretty well should have the fish cart next to her turn over and bury her in mackerel. I think the one who’s waiting to deliver a vital message to the duke should have a spark fly from the fire and set the message ablaze. The banana peels of life should be spread thickly in a character’s path.

Sorry, characters, but good times make bad stories.

So Cade and Roth look with awed disbelief at how the world treats them and breathe, “Tricky gods.”

I take it as a compliment.

Deep as a Tomb
Author: Dorothy A. Winsor
Published October 12th, 2016 by Loose Leaves Publishing

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Myla feels the land in her blood and bones. Royal heir Beran wants revenge for murder. Forest native Kaven wants to protect Myla from every danger.

Like her people, the Westreachers, Myla’s tied to the green world through tombs the forest made when it made the people. So when she finds she can open tombs long thought sealed, she’s thrilled – until her father demands she use her power to help him rebel against the king. Myla would rather mix herbal remedies and spend time with Kaven, whose family is hip deep in debt and secrets.

Prince Beran is sent to impress the people of Westreach so the council will confirm him as King’s Heir. He’s to use his power to forward the king’s goals, but on his first day, an anonymous forester murdered the guard he loved like a father. Stone royal duty, because Beran wants revenge… he’s willing to make enemies everywhere to find the killer.

Thrown together as fosterlings in the same household, Myla, Beran, and Kaven must each decide how far they’re willing to use personal and political power to get what they want.

About the Author: Dorothy A. Winsor is originally from Detroit but moved to Iowa in 1995. She still blinks when she sees a cornfield outside her living room window. For about a dozen years, she taught technical writing at Iowa State University and served as the editor of the Journal of Business and Technical Communication. She’s won six national awards for outstanding research on the communication practices of engineers. She lives with her husband, who engineers tractors, and has one son, the person who first introduced her to the pleasure of reading fantasy. Finders Keepers (Zharmae, 2015), her first novel, was a finalist in the e-book fiction category of the Eric Hoffer Awards. Her young adult fantasy, Deep as a Tomb, was published in October 2016 by Loose Leaves Publishing.

Thank you, Dorothy!

and