Kellee – Page 213 – Unleashing Readers

From Kellee’s (Huge) Library Pile Part Nine: More 2015 Nonfiction Titles | Poet by Don Tate, Water is Water by Miranda Paul, Winnie by Sally M. Walker, & Earmuffs for Everyone! by Meghan McCarthy

September 4, 2016January 13, 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!

Because of It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? posts, I find myself often with huge piles of picture books from the library that were highly recommended by fellow bloggers. I celebrate many of the nonfiction pictures books on Wednesdays, but I want to share some of the fiction picture books I have enjoyed. So, I decided to start series here on UR where I can pass on the love for these books sporadically as I read them. Here is a list of some great pictures books that I’ve read recently from my huge library pile (part 9!).

I have read and reviewed about some amazing nonfiction titles throughout 2015: Women Who Broke the Rules (series) by Kathleen Krull, Frozen Wild by Jim Arnosky, Fab Four by Susanna Reich, I Am Lucille Ball by Brad Meltzer, Jump Back, Paul by Sally Derby, Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash, The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale, Seeds of Freedom by Hester Bass, The Sky Painter by Margarita Engle, The Red Bicycle by Jude Isabella, and I am Jackie Robinson by Brad Meltzer. I also reviewed Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews, Tricky Vic by Greg Pizzoli, and Drowned City by Don Brown last week (two award winners!).

However, at the end of the year when blogs such as Kid Lit Frenzy and There’s a Book for That were sharing their favorite nonfiction texts from 2015, I realized there were some amazing books I had not read yet, but I made sure to fix that! Last week I shared three of the titles; today I am going to share four more.

Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton
Author and Illustrator: Don Tate
Published September 1st, 2015 by Peachtree

I know that I am blessed to live as I do, but I forget that even words are something that I am lucky to have. Tate’s story of George Moses Horton shows that words are not something we should take for granted, and also shows the beauty and strength of words. In Horton’s story, words not only influence him to become a poet but allow him to make money and live on his own throughout some of his life. Eventually, as a free man after the Civil War, Horton was able to live as the poet he always was. My favorite quote is the last lines of the book: “George’s love of words had taken him on a great journey. Words made him strong. Words allowed him to dream. Words loosened the chains of bondage long before his last day as a slave.”

Water is Water
Author: Miranda Paul
Illustrator: Jason Chin
Published May 26th, 2015 by Roaring Brook Press

Chin’s artwork is some of my favorite of all picture book illustrators, and in this story of the beauty behind the water cycle, Chin’s illustrations bring Paul’s words to life. I really love the set up of this book. It is a mix of science and poetry. The only way to show you the beauty is to give an example:
” Drip. Sip. Pour me a cup. Water is water unless… it heats up. Whirl. Swirl. Watch it curl by. Steam is steam unless…”

Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh
Author: Sally M. Walker
Illustrator: Jonathan D. Voss
Published January 20th, 2015 by Henry Holt and Co.

Winnie-the-Pooh is such a beloved character, but it is not common knowledge that Winnie was an actual bear that had quite a journey, and I loved learning the story behind the story. Walker begins the book with actual photos of Harry, the soldier who owned Winnie, and Winnie which grabs the readers attention and drags you into the time period and the truth of the story. She then writes a tribute to Winnie and Harry alongside Voss’s beautiful watercolor illustrations. By the end you love Winnie as much as Winnie-the-Pooh.

Earmuffs for Everyone!: How Chester Greenwood Became Known as the Inventor of Earmuffs
Author and Illustrator: Meghan McCarthy
Published January 6th, 2015 by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Often times we forget that things we use every day were once none existent and someone had to invent them. This is the story of ear muffs and how one man didn’t invent them but instead made them better and is thought to be the inventor. McCarthy gives quite a history into muffs and ear muffs and other inventions alongside her fun illustrations.

Are there any must read 2015 nonfiction titles that I missed?

Want to see Part One? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Two? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Three? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Four? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Five: We Need Diverse Books (NF)? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Six: We Need Diverse Books (F)? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Seven? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Eight: 2015 Nonfiction Titles? You can view it HERE.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 1/11/16

January 11, 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

Tuesday: #MustReadin2016 Lists Revealed

Wednesday: From Kellee’s (Huge) Library Pile Part Eight: 2015 Nonfiction Books

Thursday: Bowls of Happiness by Brian Tse

Friday: Review and Author Q&A: Alistair Grim’s Odditorium by Gregory Funaro

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I thought all weekend on how to make my week of reading sound better than it was, but then I realized there’s no point. I didn’t read this week. Well, I did, but not enough to finish anything. Or even say that I’m “into” a book. Sad, but true. I’ve been working on NCTE proposals and then Jim had his marathon weekend and then Trent was sick again, and here I am with no books read. Hopefully this upcoming week is better reading-wise! I’ll be home a couple of days with Trent, so hopefully I can read during nap.

Ricki: This week, I read House of Purple Cedar by Tim Tingle. What a beautiful story! I thought it was YA, but then I learned that it is an adult book that is also marketed to YA. I feel like Tim Tingle’s writing is like Sherman Alexie met John Steinbeck. Tingle beautifully develops character and interweaves a variety of plots in a way that is quite masterful. The book is quiet and loud at the same time.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I started two books that I am so excited to read! First, Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys! I hope to finish it this week though that won’t be enough time to review it with Ricki on Thursday, but it’ll be my first #mustread title for 2016 🙁 I also started Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton. Carrie Gelson recommended this one and it is on my #mustread lit. After these, I have some books to read for the blog that I am looking forward to.

Ricki: I’ve been listening to Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith. I made the mistake of downloading this one on Audible. My son is always in the car when I listen to audiobooks, and there are simply too many swears for his 2-year-old ears. So I’ve been listening to it when he isn’t in the car. Anyone who is a mom knows that is not a frequent occurrence! I am also reading several books, but I haven’t gotten far enough in any of them to comment yet. 🙂

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: 2015 Releases We Meant to Get to But Didn’t

Wednesday: From Kellee’s (Huge) Library Pile Part Nine: More Nonfiction 2015 titles

Thursday: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Friday: Dewey Bob by Judy Schachner

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!

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Review and Author Q&A: Alistair Grim’s Odditorium by Gregory Funaro

January 8, 2016 by Kellee

Alistair Grim’s Odditorium
Author: Gregory Funaro
Illustrator: Vivienne To
Published January 6th, 2015 by Disney-Hyperion

Summary: Grubb, age twelve (or thereabouts), has never known anything beyond his miserable existence as a chimney sweep, paid only in insults and abuse by his cruel master.

All of that changes the day he stows away in the coach belonging to a mysterious guest at the inn that he is tasked with cleaning. Grubb emerges from Alistair Grim’s trunk and into the wondrous world of the Odditorium. Fueled by a glowing blue energy that Grubb can only begin to understand, the Odditorium is home to countless enchanted objects and an eccentric crew that embraces Grubb as one of their own.

There’s no time for Grubb to settle into his new role as apprentice to the strange, secretive Mr. Grim. When the Odditorium comes under attack, Grubb is whisked off on a perilous adventure. Only he can prevent the Odditorium’s magic from falling into evil hands-and his new family from suffering a terrible fate.

Grubb knows he’s no hero. He’s just a chimney sweep. But armed with only his courage and wits, Grubb will confront the life-or-death battle he alone is destined to fight.

About the Author: Gregory Funaro is the NY Times Best Selling author of the Odditorium series from Disney-Hyperion. He grew up in Cranston, Rhode Island, and wrote his first story, “The Ghost in the Window”, in the fourth grade. He considers this to be his finest work, but unfortunately it has been lost to time. Following high school Greg majored in theatre at the University of New Hampshire, and after various acting gigs, received his AM in Theatre Arts from Brown University and an MFA in Acting from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory. Greg teaches drama at East Carolina University, and spends far too much time on the internet looking for vintage lunchboxes.

Follow him on Facebook or Twitter (@GregoryFunaro) and visit his website at http://www.gregoryfunaro.com/

Review: Take a bit of Oliver Twist add in some Harry Potter and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory mix it with the snark of Lemony Snicket and Frankenstein’s monster then top it off with some Emerald Atlas and (more) Harry Potter adventure with mythology and fairy tale sprinkles and voila! You have yourself Alistair Grim’s Odditorium. But do not let me fool you into thinking that Gregory Funaro’s story is like anything you’ve read before because even though it alludes to many fantastical adventures, it is its own story through and through.

What makes Odditorium soar is not just the amazing adventure that Grubb and Mr. Grim go on (because it is amazing!), but the cast of characters that accompany them. Without Mrs. Pinch, Nigel, Mack, Lord Dreary, the samurai, and others, the book just wouldn’t be the same. Gregory Funaro did an amazing job creating a fully-developed supporting cast of characters that help push this adventure to the next level.

Author Interview: Thank you so much to Gregory for being willing to answer some questions for us!

Kellee: Alistair Grim’s Odditorium seems to allude to many traditional stories such as mythology and Grimm fairy tales. What other pieces of literature inspired your story?

Gregory Funaro: The works of Charles Dickens, especially Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. The setting is Dickensian London, and you’ll find a lot of common themes from Victorian literature running throughout the series, such as hidden identities, unrequited love, upper-class destiny, etc. There are echoes of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, of course, and the fantasy works of Lloyd Alexander (The Chronicles of Prydain), but like so many Dickens novels, underneath all the magic and adventure, Odditorium is just a simple story of one boy’s journey toward acceptance and self-discovery.

K: Grubb has quite an odd name–how did that come about?

GF: His original name was Twip–a mash-up of Twist (Oliver) and Pip from Great Expectations. However, one day when I was writing in my office (the building is very old) I spied what looked like a maggot in the cracks between the floor tiles. It ended up being just a rogue grain of rice from some sushi I’d had a few days earlier, but the “maggot” sparked the idea for grub. The extra “b” was just something I threw in there for fun.

K: The illustrations in the novel really help bring it to life and seem to perfectly embody your words. What was your process with working with the illustrator?

GF: Along with the editors, at the beginning of the publication process I was very involved in the initial shape explorations of the Odditorium itself, but after that, as far as I know Vivienne To was pretty much on her own. I was also involved in some tweaking of illustrations along the way to make sure they jived with the story–especially in Aquaticum–but in terms of conceptualizing characters and whatnot, all that came from Vivienne. Fine by me. She is amazing.

K: Although the story is primarily adventure and fantasy, you threw in some humor throughout (I particularly love Mack!). How important do you think it was to add that to your story?

GF: Indispensable. You must have humor even in the most tragic of stories. You need a break once in a while from all the tension(Shakespeare was the master at this) and having a humorous character like Mack (who can also be serious if needed), provides a much richer experience for the reader. I think having a “comedian” in children’s books is especially important because kids can relate. However, you have to be careful, because too much (i.e., just throwing in a bunch of random jokes or snarky comments) can get annoying very quickly.

K: You majored in and teach theater–how did you find yourself writing for young adults?

GF: I actually started writing thrillers during my spare time about eight years ago. I had a couple published (they weren’t very good) and then moved over to children’s literature after the birth of my daughter. Oddly, though, I didn’t see Odditorium as a children’s book at first. In the original premise, Nigel (Mr. Grim’s right hand man) was going to be the focus of a story about Frankenstein’s monster being reunited with his long lost daughter. That idea rolled around in my head until the following summer, and by the time I started Odditorium, it was a children’s book, the monster’s daughter had somehow become Grubb, and the focus was on his journey with Alistair Grim. Nigel and his daughter’s story still exists in the book, but it’s one of the subplots.

K: Book 2 is out now! Can you give us a non-spoilery peak into what Alistair and Grubb are up to next?

GF: Book 2, Alistair Grim’s Odd Aquaticum, centers around an underwater quest for the legendary sword Excalibur–the only weapon powerful enough to penetrate Prince Nightshade’s armor. That’s right, the evil prince and his gang of baddies are back, along with some new characters, including a banshee assassin and a witch named Mad Malmuirie, who wants revenge on Grim for stealing her magical objects. The rest of the Odditorium’s crew is back, too, and they all journey to the mythical realm of Avalon, where the story takes a magical turn that not even Alistair Grim could have predicted.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: First and foremost, I think this book is going to find some major love in libraries. If we can get this into students’ hands, they are going to talk about it and pass it around. It is that kind of book. Students will want to talk about it.

In addition, aspects of the book can definitely be used to discuss allusion. Teachers can pull out excerpts of the text and excerpts of the alluded text to compare and contrast and look at how the author made parts of or ideas from the classic text come alive in this new story.

Discussion Questions: Do you believe what Mr. Grim did to help Nigel was right?; What part does Mrs. Pinch play in the story?; What stories/books does Alistair Grim’s Odditorium remind you of? Which parts of the story remind you of what story/book?; Did the author give you any clues (foreshadowing) about Grubb’s true identity?; What do you think happened to Kiyoko?

Book Trailer:

Read This If You Loved: Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Emerald Atlas by John Stephens, Series of Unfortunate Events (series) by Lemony Snicket, The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo, Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley, The Vanishing Islands by Barry Wolverton, The Dungeoneers by John David Anderson

Recommended For:

From Kellee’s (Huge) Library Pile Part Eight: 2015 Nonfiction Titles | Tricky Vic by Greg Pizzoli, Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews, & Drowned City by Don Brown

September 4, 2016January 6, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

However, at the end of the year when blogs such as Kid Lit Frenzy and There’s a Book for That shared their favorite nonfiction texts from 2015, I realized there were some amazing books I had not read yet, but I made sure to fix that!

Tricky Vic: The Impossible Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower
Author and Illustrator: Greg Pizzoli
Published March 10th, 2015 by Viking Books for Young Readers

This is one of the most fascinating, page-turning, funny, exciting nonfiction picture books I’ve ever read! Pizzoli does a wonderful job of bringing Tricky Vic’s story to life. Learning about all of his cons from conning Al Capone (and living!) to making people believe he was Count Victor Lustig to selling the Eiffel Tower, you just want to keep turning the pages to see what else he gets away with! I also loved the artwork. It is a simplistic almost political cartoon style, but Tricky Vic’s face is always just a finger print because who is he, really?!

Trombone Shorty
Author: Troy Andrews
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Published April 14th, 2015 by Harry N. Abrams

I love stories that celebrate music, diversity, and passion, and this book does all of that. Troy’s story of learning how to play a trombone at age four, playing with Bo Diddley at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at age 4, leading his own band by age 6, finding a deep love in music, and becoming a successful musician is inspiring. I love his stories of forming a band with his friends–nothing could stop them, even the lack of instruments! It is also so amazing that The illustrations are beautiful as well. They are collage and watercolor and truly bring the story to life. I love how Collier brought the music to life by visualizing it in his illustrations.

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans
Author and Illustrator: Don Brown
Published August 4th, 2015 by HMH Books for Young Readers

I am a big fan of both of the books I’ve read by Don Brown because he does an amazing job at telling truth in an interesting way but without bringing any bias into it. He includes all of the truth with illustrations that make history come to life. Drowned City transports you back to the terror that was felt after Hurricane Katrina, but also shares information that wasn’t common knowledge because the media didn’t include it. This is a must read.

Check back next Wednesday for some more 2015 nonfiction titles!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 1/4/16

January 4, 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

Tuesday: Books Ricki Loved in 2015

Wednesday: Best of 2015 Book Lists

Thursday: #mustread2015 Final Reflection

Friday: Favorite Books Kellee Read in 2015

Happy New Year!

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I completely failed on my winter break book-a-day (though I had started so well), but I definitely had fun-a-day! My sister, who I hadn’t seen since May, was here as was my WHOLE family; we visited Universal & Harry Potter; I took Trent to Sea Life Aquarium and the Orlando Eye; we saw Elmo’s Christmas Show at Sea World; and I just overall spent an entire week being a mom, wife, daughter, and sister. Though not much reading was none, I loved it!

The one book I did finish, and couldn’t put down once I started it!, was Alistair Grim’s Odditorium by Gregory Funaro. I will be reviewing this on Friday, but it is best described as a completely unique story that will reminds me of Frankenstein, Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, and Emerald Atlas all rolled into one but with its own magical awesomeness.

Ricki: I was on a sprint to tackle more books on my #mustreadin2015 list, and then 2016 hit, and I focused on transcribing my dissertation interviews. I typed for eight hour straight yesterday, and I only finished one interview! Ah! I finished A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, and I plan to tackle much more this week.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: This week we go back to work, so I don’t know how much reading will be done again, but I hope to read Ruta Sepetys’s Salt to the Sea, so I can join Ricki in reviewing it next week. I also have a nonfiction text, Kid Athlete, to read which I’ll pick up after. I didn’t complete my TO DO of going through my room of books, so I am sure when I do I will find even more in there I want to read!

Happy first day back at work to all the teachers returning! I hope it is a wonderful day/week/month/year!

Ricki: I am halfway through Rules by Cynthia Lord, and then I plan to get a kickstart on my #mustreadin2016 list. Yahoo! Happy first day back to work, teacher friends!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Tuesday: #MustReadin2016 Lists Revealed

Wednesday: From Kellee’s (Huge) Library Pile Part Eight: 2015 Nonfiction Books

Thursday: Bowls of Happiness by Brian Tse

Friday: Review and Author Q&A: Alistair Grim’s Odditorium by Gregory Funaro

So, what are you reading?

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Favorite Books Kellee Read in 2015

January 1, 2016 by Kellee

Happy New Year!

My reading resolution for 2015 was to get some of my reading mojo back since last year, because of being pregnant and Trent’s birth, I read much less than I wanted to (about 100 non-picture books), and I think I met my resolution! This year I read a total of 290 books (127 of which were non-picture books).

73 novels
11 early chapter books
20 graphic novels
131 fiction picture books
1 adult novel
7 nonfiction graphic novels
32 nonfiction picture books
12 nonfiction books
2 poetry collections
1 complete professional text
100s of rereads of picture books with Trent (I’ll share Trent’s favorite reads of his 2nd year closer to his birthday)

Today I want to share with you my favorite reads of 2015
**Click on any cover to view my review or its Goodreads page**

10 Favorite Young Adult Novels