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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 8/31/15

August 31, 2015 by Kellee

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

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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: Texts that Might Be On Ricki’s English Methods Syllabus

Thursday: Review and Giveaway!: Goodnight Songs: A Celebration of the Seasons by Margaret Wise Brown

Giveaway open until Wednesday!

Sunday: Author’s Guest Post and Giveaway!: “Why We Still Need Coming Out Stories in YA Fiction” by Emily O’Beirne, Author of A Story of Now

Giveaway open until Saturday!

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Well… this school year is totally exhausting me already. The first week (preplanning) was the hardest preplanning week I’ve ever had, and last week was just tiring because it was a first week of school. This is my third year as reading coach, but each year I have taught more classes (1 the first year, 2 last year, and now 4 this year), so I am getting back into the swing of teaching while also doing my reading coach job. PHEW! Each night I am falling asleep before I even pick my book up!

I did get to read two funny, wonderful picture books this week though! First, I am so excited that I finally got to read Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast by my friend Josh Funk! It comes out tomorrow, and you all should read it! We’ll be reviewing it Thursday, come back then to learn more about it. I also read That’s (Not) Mine by Anna Kang in preparation for Friday’s review. It was a great follow-up to You Are (Not) Small.

Ricki: Henry and I went crazy reading picture books this week. We absolutely LOVED Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast by my friend Josh Funk. Stop by tomorrow for his Top Ten Tuesday post! Also, we are reviewing it on the blog this Thursday. Yahoo! We also read That’s (Not) Mine by Anna Kang. It is particularly helpful right now because Henry has started saying “mine” and taking toys from me. We are working on his sharing skills.

We loved the beautiful artwork and imagery in The Promise by Nicola Davies. The storyline of The Perfect Percival Priggs by Julie-Anne Graham taught great lessons for kids who feel like perfectionists. And lastly, we enjoyed Roar by Julie Bayless. With few words, it is excellent fun!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I hope to finish The Tiara on the Terrace this week (which is just as good, and maybe even better, than the first) thus finally getting to Hook’s Revenge, but we’ll just have to see how the week goes!

Ricki: My wonderful experience listening to I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson inspired me to ask for an Audible subscription to Audible. Does anyone have it? I am almost done with the book, and I love it. I’ve always loved audiobooks, but getting to pick the audiobook (rather than scrounging for free ones) was very exciting for me.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Extra Special Author Top Ten Tuesday!: Favorite Fictional Picture Book Educators by Josh Funk, Author of Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast

Sunday: 20 Desserts Inspired by Your Favorite Books

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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Tristan Wolf by Mariana Llanos

August 28, 2015 by Kellee

Tristan Wolf
Author: Mariana Llanos
Illustrator: Rocio Perez del Solar
Published April 8th, 2013 by Createspace

Goodreads Summary: When Tristan was a baby he was abandoned in the forest. He was discovered and raised by wolves. Even though he loves his wolf family, Tristan has the need to find himself. He starts a journey where he will find adventures, new friends and a big surprise. Recommended for kids ages 8 to 12, it is also a great read for any adult that enjoys timeless and exciting stories.

The book is available as a paperback or e-book as well as in Spanish

About the Author: Tristan Wolf is Mariana Llanos’s first published story. She’s been writing poetry and short stories since she was a little girl in her native Lima (Peru). She now lives in Oklahoma with her husband and three kids. Tristan came to life one afternoon between laundry and running errands. Tristan has a little bit of each of Mariana’s children in him; he has a bit of every child in him. Book two in the Tristan Wolf series is now available.

Mariana also visits schools across the US and the world, through Skype and Google Hangouts, to encourage children to write and read. Feel free to reach out to her via her website, Facebook, or Twitter.

www.marianallanos.com
www.facebook.com/tristanwolfofficial
www.twitter.com/marianallanos
www.amazon.com/author/marianallanos

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Tristan Wolf is truly a modern fable that really delves into perception, discovery, and, most importantly, imagination. This book is wonderful read aloud material. It lends itself easily to prediction, inferring, and conversations about theme. Tristan’s story also lends itself loosely to the hero’s journey and would be a good introduction to the idea. l I also liked the choice of illustrations. It lends to the feeling of the story and, though a bit abstract, added the additional touch of magic to the story and really pull the whole book together.

Discussion Questions: After reading 5 pages, predict what you think it going to happen at the end of the book and explain why you think your prediction will happen. At the end of the book, check to see if your prediction was correct or incorrect? Were you surprised by the ending?; What do you think the theme of the book is? What is the author trying to discuss or teach you?; What did you learn about animals’ perspective of humans? What could we do to help change this perspective?

We Flagged: “Tristan was a loner–mysterious eyes, long, dark brown hair, and a mouth that hardly ever smiled. When he was a baby, he had been abandoned in the forest under an old, leafy tree. A beautiful, white, female wolf found him and adopted him. She treated him like one of her own cubs. He was loved, but he always felt different.”

Book Trailer:

A Planet for Tristan Wolf (Book Two) Book Trailer:

Read This If You Loved: Jungle Book (Little Golden Book) by Walt Disney Company (inspired by Rudyard Kipling); Space Boy and his Dog by Dian Curtis Regan; Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural by Raquel M. Ortiz

Recommended For:

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

Flying Cars: The True Story by Andrew Glass

August 26, 2015 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book 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!

Flying Cars: The True Story
Author: Andrew Glass
Various Photographers
Published August 25th, 2015 by Clarion Books

Goodreads Summary: Humans have always wanted to fly. As soon as there were planes and cars, many people saw a combination as the next step for personal transportation, and visionary engineers and inventors did their best to make the flying car (or the roadable plane) a reality. This book is a breezy account of hybrid vehicles and their creators, and of the intense drive that kept bringing inventors back to the drawing board despite repeated failures and the dictates of common sense. Illustrated with archival photos, this entertaining survey takes readers back as far as Icarus and forward into the present day, with a look toward the future. Includes author’s note, source notes, bibliography, index.

Kellee’s Review: What an odd, interesting part of history! I had no idea I even wanted to learn about this, but I am glad that I was exposed to it. I think Andrew Glass did a good job mixing history of aviation in general and the idea of a flying car. It was a good combination of informational and literary nonfiction, so it will hold readers’ attention throughout. It was also fascinating to see all of the photographs of the prototypes made over time. What innovation! I think the photos will draw the reader in then the history and stories will keep them there.

Ricki’s Review: The minute I pulled this book out of the mailer, my son had his hands all over it. He is much younger than the intended audience (middle or high school), but it made me chuckle. This shows how excited students will be about this concept! Like Kellee, I had no idea that flying cars existed. I asked my husband, “Did this really exist?” He launched into a full history lesson about the development about flying cars and said they were very interesting to him as a teenager. This is yet more proof that this book would be a great resource for classrooms. I liked learning about all of the different attempts of flying cars and think this book would inspire students to be innovative in their thinking, particularly in the context of design and engineering. The prototypes made me feel a bit wistful that I had more of an engineering brain!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The trend of readable and interesting middle grade nonfiction that students will find accessible is really increasing the likelihood of students reading nonfiction text, and this text fits that bill. We think students will find the topic interesting and, thus, pick up the book. Teachers could use it to talk about text features and the importance of captions, photographs, and chapter titles as well as look at how the book is structured and discuss why the author decided to set it up the way it is. The book could also be a resource for an inquiry mini-project (see Discussion Questions below).

Discussion Questions: How would flying cars make our lives easier?; Why aren’t flying cars a reality?; What do you think the benefits of flying cars are and what are the struggles?; After watching some of the archival videos, which of the flying cars interests you the most? Use Flying Cars and other resources to learn more about it.

We Flagged: “Cars fly every day–in fantasy. They soar by pure magic, like the Wesley family car in the Harry Potter series, or by sprouting wings, like Chitty Chitty Ban Bang. Some use high-tech gadgetry, allowing well-equipped heroes like James Bond and Batman to make incredible cliffhanger escapes.

But visionary engineers and inventors haven’t just imagine flying cars. Some actually built them. . . and then drove them up into the sky” (p. 1).

Read This If You Loved: Nonfiction books about aviation or automobiles including Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Barbara for providing copies for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 8/24/15

August 24, 2015August 24, 2015 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: Ten of Our Auto-Buy Authors

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “When Things Aren’t Perfect” by Laurie McKay, Author of The Last Dragon Charmer Series

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Holy first week Batman! This is the first year that I have felt completely overwhelmed with preplanning week. I think it will all seem better once the students start (today!), but this last week was brutal. With that being said, I did finish my reread of A Wig in the Window by Kristen Kittscher, and I loved it just as much as I did the first time. I’ve started the second in the series, The Tiara on the Terrace, but I did not get anywhere near as far as I would have liked to. I’m always super sad when I have these types of reading weeks, but I just couldn’t find the time!

Ricki: Hello! I’ve missed everyone! As some of you know, I broke my right elbow about two weeks ago. I’d tell you the story, but it is embarrassing. I apologize I haven’t commented on anyone’s posts, but I promise I’ve been reading them! And thank you all for your well wishes. I wasn’t able to hold up any books for a good portion of the time, but I read a bunch of books before the injury and in the last few days. I read Kelly Gallagher’s Deeper Reading: Comprehending Texts, 4-12. I loved it so much that I am making my students read it this semester. There are a lot of great, practical strategies to help students break down challenging texts.

Henry and I have read a dozen new picture books, but I will share the best ones. Henry’s favorite picture book from the last few weeks is Planes Fly by George Ella Lyon. We read it three times in a row every night. He loves the illustrations of the different types of planes and the descriptions of the different things that planes can do. Mom’s favorite from the last few weeks is Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall. I added it to his birthday list because I liked it so much! Two other books we enjoyed a lot were the new Dr. Seuss book, What Pet Should I Get? and Sloth Slept On by Frann Preston-Gannon. I love sloths!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: We’ll see! I hope to finish Tiara, but I am not putting any pressure on myself. If I do, I want to start Hook’s Revenge by Heidi Schulz.

Ricki: I am listening to I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. It is phenomenal!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Texts that Might Be On Ricki’s English Methods Syllabus

Thursday: Review and Giveaway!: Goodnight Songs: A Celebration of the Seasons by Margaret Wise Brown

Sunday: Author’s Guest Post and Giveaway!: “Why We Still Need Coming Out Stories in YA Fiction” by Emily O’Beirne, Author of A Story of Now

So, what are you reading?

and

Author Guest Post: “When Things Aren’t Perfect” by Laurie McKay, Author of The Last Dragon Charmer Series

August 23, 2015 by Kellee

“When Things Aren’t Perfect”

A long time ago, in this galaxy and not so far away, I was in an English class. My teacher returned my paper and there was a blue ninety-nine scribbled on the top corner. I looked over my work to see where I lost that one point, and found no marks, no grammatical mistakes, no misspelled words. So, of course, I asked about it.

My teacher raised her brows and told me, “Writing can’t be perfect.”

Well. Isn’t that the entire problem right there? If writing is never perfect, when is it good enough?

After working on my debut novel Villain Keeper, I found that it was good enough for the publisher after three content edits, one copy edit, and at least one proof pages pass. And these by no means were the first revisions I’d done.

When my agent first sold the book series to HarperCollins, I’d already revised book one myself over and over again. Also, my critique partners (from here on known as my mom and my sister) had made suggestions and my agent had given me feedback, all of which I’d applied.

What surprised me the most, however, was how much better the book became after listening to each person’s (my mom’s, my sister’s, my agent’s, my editor’s) critiques, reading their comments, and thinking – with as open a mind as possible – about those editorial suggestions.

Somewhere in the midst of all these revisions, my manuscript got in pretty good shape. I was proud of it at least. It still benefited from additional revisions.

This has changed the way I view criticism. Instead of thinking of it as censure, I think of it as analysis. It’s not meant to condemn my work, it’s meant to benefit it.

There is this phrase I see on writing sites sometimes:

Give yourself permission to write badly.

Or, as I prefer it, Give yourself permission to write not good – at least at first.

It helps me when I get stuck. I remind myself it’s alright for things not to be perfect. I’ve got to start somewhere. Write something down. Practice. Revise. Get feedback. Then write some more. I try not to put the pressure of instant perfection on myself. It’s counterproductive. The idea is to first get something written.

Nora Roberts once said, “I can fix a bad page, I can’t fix a blank one.” She’s written over two hundred books in thirty years. That’s an astounding six to seven novels per year. She’s a NY Times bestselling author. She still has to give herself permission to write bad pages and fix them.

When it comes to fixing pages, I’ve probably applied about ninety percent of feedback I’ve received on my writing. But not all criticisms are equal.

There is another quote, this one attributed to Neil Gaiman, which inspires me when it comes to sorting good criticism from not-so-good criticism. He said, “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.”

With my mom and sister, my agent, and my editor, the criticism I’ve gotten has been overwhelmingly wonderful. Writing is subjective, though. Occasionally, I don’t agree with them. When that happens, I make myself consider their opinion as carefully as possible. Sometimes, I decide they’re right. Their suggestion is better than what I have. Other times, I decide they’re not, and that’s okay.

When I see the results of applying those analyses and suggestions, I’m wowed. And appreciative. It’s probably important to note, giving good feedback is hard work, too.

I’m also a teacher. I’ve taught some combination of biology, chemistry, and math for the last ten years. Many of my students are like I was. They don’t want a mark of ninety-nine. They want a perfect hundred. They often don’t want to revise, either. And I understand. It’s almost like they think if it needs improvement, it’s a failure. Or, if they think it’s good already, it can’t be improved.

But I think it’s a better idea to think of writing not in terms of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, but it terms of a ‘work-in-progress’. The goal isn’t to hit perfection. It’s to hone skills. Improve. And criticism and revision are essential. They are part of the process. Once I’ve been over the same piece of work many times, there comes a point where I decide I’m happy with it, and move on to the next thing.

I just finished editing the second book Quest Maker in my series. I went through several rounds of feedback and revisions on it as well. I hope, and believe, my skills keep improving. I’m happy with book two, too.

Besides, there is something wonderful about always having room for improvement, always having something to strive for. Who knows? Maybe that was what my English teacher was trying to tell me way back when with that blue ninety-nine.

Villain Keeper Summary: All his life, Prince Caden has dreamed of slaying a dragon. But before he has the chance, he is ripped from his home in the Great Winterlands of Razzon and finds himself in Asheville, North Carolina—a land with no magic and no dragons.

Or so he thinks. The longer Caden spends in Asheville, the more he comes to realize that there is unexpected and dangerous magic in this strange land. There just may be dragons here, too. But what if Caden’s destiny isn’t to slay a dragon, after all?

Quest Maker (Book 2)
Expected Publication February 2nd, 2016 by HarperCollins

About the Author: Laurie McKay is an author and biology instructor who lives in Durham, NC. When she’s not working, she spends time with her family and her two elderly dogs. Her debut MG fantasy novel, VILLAIN KEEPER (The Last Dragon Charmer #1), is available now, and her second book QUEST MAKER (The Last Dragon Charmer #2) will be available Feb. 2, 2016. To learn more about her or to see pictures of her dogs (and her family) follow her at lauriemckay.net or on Twitter or Facebook. You can find her book at Goodreads, Indiebound, Amazon, BN, and wherever books are sold.

Thank you so much to Laurie for her reflections on revision and critique! Such a great lesson for students (and adult writers!)

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Blog Tour and Review!: Monster Needs Your Vote by Paul Czajak

August 21, 2015 by Kellee

Monster Needs Your Vote
Author: Paul Czajak
Illustrator: Wendy Grieb
Expected Publication September 4th, 2015 by Mighty Media Kids

Goodreads Summary: Election season is here and Monster is ready to vote! But why cast your ballot when you can run for president instead? With speeches, debates, and a soapbox or two, Monster’s newest tale is a campaign encouraging kids to take a stand and fight for what they believe in.

Kellee’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Monster wants to make a difference, but he has to go about it a little bit differently than he had planned. Monster Needs Your Vote is a great look at politics and making a difference in your community within a fun story with enjoyable characters. Monster is a little bit like Elephant in the Elephant and Piggie books. He gets so excited and wants to just go, go, go. The Boy is a bit more like Piggie. He reins Monster in. It is a great relationship! Then you add the fun story and the movie-like, colorful illustrations, and you have a book that kids, parents, and teachers are going to enjoy. Since there is such an underlying political charge to the book (who can be president, voting, education advocacy, etc.) teachers can use it in conjunction with introduction voting and democracy to students.

Ricki’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: What a wonderful text to introduce kids to politics! Teachers might consider asking the class to look at different platforms that politicians might select. Then, they could consider different political platforms that interest them. Depending on the age of the students, these platforms could be silly or serious. Teachers might use this text to introduce the basic concepts of the election process or the requirements to run for presidency. As a child, I loved when we had mock votes in elementary school. This book is just in time for the election season and would be a fantastic way for teachers to connect literature to current events!

Campaign Kit: http://mightymediapress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/MMP_MonsterCampaignKit.pdf
The kit contains presidential timelines, infographics, and activity sheets—even a ballot so kids can practice voting!

Info about the purpose and vocabulary in the Monster and Me series: http://www.bigredpaint.com/words_edit.mp4

Mini Monster and Me story: http://monsterwants.com/

Discussion Questions: Why wasn’t Monster able to run for President? What other laws are there for who can run for President?; Monster advocates for libraries and education. What would be your platform if you ran for President right now?; Why wasn’t summer and food something that drew attention from the masses? What did the people want instead?; How are Monster and the Boy different? How do they help each other?; What is the author’s purpose for writing this book?

We Flagged:

Read This If You Loved: Other Monster and Me books, Books about politics, the Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems, the Mal and Chad series by Stephen McCranie

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**Thank you to Sammy at Mighty Media Press for providing copies for review!!**

Blog Tour and Review!: Fab Four Friends: The Boys Who Became the Beatles by Susanna Reich

August 19, 2015 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Fab Four Friends: The Boys Who Became the Beatles
Author: Susanna Reich
Illustrator: Adam Gustavson
Published August 18th, 2015 by Henry Holt and Co.

Goodreads Summary: In 1957 in Liverpool, England, a young lad named John Lennon and his band played music at a local church fair. In the audience was Paul McCartney, who liked what he heard and soon joined the group. Paul’s friend George Harrison kept showing up at rehearsals until the older boys finally let him in. Eventually they found the perfect drummer, Ringo Starr, and the perfect name: The Beatles.

Told through a lyrical text and stunning paintings, this book spotlights four ordinary boys growing up amid the rubble of postwar England who found music to be a powerful, even life-saving, force.

My Review: I adore The Beatles. I think they, along with other artists like Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Bob Dylan, really changed the direction of music and opened up a whole new world of music that truly made modern rock and roll possible. Because of that, and how much I love their music, I have always enjoyed learning about them. This middle grade picture book biography really gives us a wonderful look into the childhood and the creation of the band. In addition to really giving us insight into each boys’ lives and how The Beatles began, Susanna Reich did a beautiful job combining fact, primary sources, and lyrical writing. In addition to the beautiful writing, the art that accompanies it is stunning. They are truly paintings as the summary states.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I really hope that kids read this book! I want the story of The Beatles to continue because of their importance within music history.

I think one really interesting analysis of the book that the students could partake in is a visual analysis. Students would first read the text completely. They would then go back and reread a single page then look at the full page illustrations. They should discuss or write about why the artist chose the specific scene/person/activity to illustrate. What else could they have chosen to illustrate? Which do you think makes a bigger impact?

Discussion Questions: Which Beatle is the creator of the band?; What vocabulary in the text are obsolete in modern times?; How would The Beatles rise to fame be different if it was the 21st century when they formed?; What traits do each of the members have?

We Flagged: “John attacked the guitar, strumming as fast as he could. He didn’t give a fig about wrong notes.”

http://us.macmillan.com/fabfourfriends/susannareich

Read This If You Loved: Any books about The Beatles including The Beatles Were Fab by Kathleen Krull and John’s Secret Dreams by Doreen Rappaport, Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown, When Bob Met Woody by Gary Golio, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Recommended For:

Make sure to visit other stops on the blog tour!

Monday, August 17 Booktalking
Nonfiction Monday

Tuesday, August 18 Shelf-Employed
Review plus Susanna reveals her favorite Beatles song

Wednesday, August 19 UnleashingReaders.com

Thursday, August 20 Elizabeth Dulemba
Susanna & Adam interview each other

Friday, August 21 Maurice on Books

Tuesday, August 25 Kidsbiographer’s Blog
Susanna writes about choosing subjects for kid’s biographies

Wednesday, August 26 Gail Gauthier

Thursday, August 27 Tales from the Rushmore Kid

Friday, August 28 Alphabet Soup
Interview with Susanna

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