Kellee – Page 225 – Unleashing Readers

Special Announcement!: Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King Wins the 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award

July 28, 2015 by Kellee

I [Kellee] am excited to announce this year’s winner! The deliberations to narrow down all of the titles we received to these top five then to the top one were so intense because many of the titles we received were worthy of being honored; however, I really believe we came up with the best. This announcement is bittersweet as it is my final one on the committee, but I will definitely continue working with and promoting the Walden Award because of its focus on things I believe in: literary merit, positive approach to life, and widespread appeal.

Congratulations to A.S. King and Little, Brown!

2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award Winner & Finalists Announced

The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is pleased and proud to announce the finalists for the 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for Young Adult Fiction. Established in 2008 to honor the wishes of young adult author Amelia Elizabeth Walden, the award allows for the sum of $5,000 to be presented annually to the author of a young adult title selected by the ALAN Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award Committee as demonstrating a positive approach to life, widespread teen appeal, and literary merit.

The 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award winner is:

Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

The 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award finalists are:

Diamond Boy by Michael Williams

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

Cinco Puntos Press

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

Penguin Young Readers Group

Revolution (The Sixties Trilogy) by Deborah Wiles

Scholastic Press

All Walden Award titles will be identified by an award sticker—gold for the winner and silver for the four finalists. The winning title and finalists will be honored on at the 2015 ALAN Workshop on Monday, November 23rd at 4:25pm in Minneapolis, MN, and authors will be invited to participate in a panel discussion.

The 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Committee would like to thank: the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Foundation, the ALAN Executive Council, the ALAN Board of Directors, NCTE, and the thirty-six publishers who submitted titles for consideration.

The 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Committee considered nearly 300 young adult titles throughout the process. The committee was comprised of eleven members representing the university, K-12 school, and library communities. They are:

2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Committee

Lois Stover, Committee Chair
Dean – School of Education and Human Services
Marymount University, Arlington, VA

Kellee Moye, Past Committee Chair
Teacher/Reading Coach
Hunter’s Creek Middle School, Orlando, FL

Cathy Blackler
English/Journalism Teacher
Santana Alternative High School, La Puente, CA

Nancy J. Johnson
Professor, Children’s/YA Literature and English/Language Arts Education
Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA

Sara Kajder
Assistant Professor English Education
University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Mark Letcher
Assistant Professor English Education
Lewis University, Romeoville, IL

Joellen Maples
Associate Professor, Graduate Literacy Program
St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY

Suzanne Metcalfe
Librarian
Dimond High School, Anchorage, Alaska

Beth Scanlon
Teacher
Cypress Creek High School, Orlando, FL

Lisa Scherff
English Teacher
Cypress Lake High School, Fort Myers, FL

Jessica Lorentz Smith
Librarian
Bend Senior High School, Bend, OR

For more information on the award, please visit ALAN Online: The Official Site of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents http://www.alan-ya.org/

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/27/15

July 27, 2015July 27, 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: Ten (+ Two) Books That Celebrate LGBTQ Characters

Tuesday: Special Announcement! 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalists

Thursday: Civil Rights Text Set/Reading Ladder

Friday: Kellee’s Recently Read Picture Books: Penguin Young Reader Group

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I was reminded of something this week: when I am reading to learn, I read much slower than for pleasure (I’m feeling for you Ricki!) even though I love it just as much. I read Dr. Frank Serafini’s newest book Reading Workshop 2.0 which is about adding digital tools to the reading workshop. I enjoyed, devoured, and tried to suck in every word. I will be reviewing it on Friday. I read the book in preparation for the August Twitter #rwworkshop chat which will feature Dr. Serafini–I am so excited! We would love if you read the book and joined us (or even join us if you haven’t read the book!).

I read two really great, but different, graphic novels. First, Sunny Side Up by Jenni and Matthew Holm. I read it for myself, but also in prep for one of my NCTE presentations. I plan on doing a post on all of my books for that presentation in November, so I look forward to sharing it with you; however, I will say it is a must read. I also read Teen Boat! The Race for Boatlantis by Dave Roman. It is the second book in the Teen Boat series. My students, and I, loved the first book, and this one is just as good as the first! I loved the new adventures of TB! (Thank you NetGalley!)

With Trent, I read four board books this week: The Pigeon Loves Things That Go! by Mo Willems, Where is Elmo’s Blanket? by Nancy Stevenson, Baby Animals: In the Wild by Kingfisher, and Skinnyjon Jones: Up and Down by Judy Schachner. Trent is really loving anything about trains/cars/trucks, animals, or Elmo, so these books were right up his alley!

Ricki: My dissertation proposal is due at the end of August, so I’ve been reading a lot of theory. I just finished Ideas by Edmund Husserl and Phenomenological Research Methods by Clark Moustakas. So that took a good chunk of my week. Henry and I read Your Alien by Tammi Sauer. It is a cute picture book about a boy who discovers an alien. After a few days together, the alien gets a bit homesick. I promise I am going to get more interesting soon.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I, like Ricki, plan on reading Cold War on Maplewood Street by Gayle Rosengren in preps for our book birthday post! I do have some more graphic novels from Netgalley to read as well as Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola and Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. I think after Cold War it is going to be a graphic novel week!

Ricki: I fell behind on my plans. I do plan to finish Cold War on Maplewood Street by Gayle Rosengren this week. I’m sorry I am being a boring blogger. I promise I will become more exciting once this dissertation stuff gets a bit lighter. 🙁

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Ten Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds

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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Kellee’s Recently Loved Picture Books from Penguin Young Readers Group: My Cousin Mom by Zachariah O’Hora; Bunny Roo, I Love You by Melissa Marr, Night Animals by Gianna Marino, & Sea Rex by Molly Idle

July 4, 2016July 24, 2015 by Kellee

Recently, I have read four amazing picture books from Penguin, so I wanted to share them with you all:

My Cousin Momo
Author and Illustrator: Zachariah O’Hora
Published June 2nd, 2015 by Dial Books

Goodreads Summary: Zachariah OHora’s distinctive retro art and kid-friendly humor take the stage in this story about accepting and celebrating differences.

Momo is coming to visit, and his cousins are SO excited! But even though Momo is a flying squirrel, he won’t fly for his cousin’s friends. Plus, his games are weird. He can’t even play hide and seek right! But when Momo’s cousins give his strange ways a chance, they realize that doing things differently can be fun…almost as much fun as making a new friend.

Fans of Peter Brown and Bob Shea will fall in love with Zachariah O’Hora’s bold artwork and hilarious characters.

My Thoughts: Everyone was so excited to see Momo, but Momo doesn’t live up to their expectations. He is just a little bit different. In a world where different is not always acceptable, I love Momo. He shows his cousins that different can be fun. It also shows how to compromise and that you can learn from people who are different than you (and they from you). And then in the end, the people who are different may surprise you and be pretty awesome. BUT this book tells you all that in such a non-preachy way. It is entertaining and funny, and the artwork is just so eye-catching. I think this is a must read for everyone.

Bunny Roo, I Love You
Author: Melissa Marr
Illustrator: Teagan White
Published April 14th, 2015 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Goodreads Summary: A warm and tender welcome to the world!

In a gorgeous picture book that’s playfully sweet and visually captivating, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr and talented new illustrator Teagan White celebrate the many ways parents make their new babies feel at home.

The world can seem like a big, bewildering place for new babies—fortunately, their mamas know just how to soothe and comfort them. Through enchanting scenes portraying all kinds of mama animals looking out for their little ones, the mother in this story reassures her baby, and young children everywhere, that their caretakers will always love them and keep them safe. This beautiful picture book has the feel of a classic and its heartwarming premise should make it a family favorite.

My Thoughts: Bunny Roo goes through different incidences of a baby’s behavior and compares it to an animal that acts similar. The theme is clearly: all babies act a little nuts, but you are my baby who I love so much. On Twitter, Marr shared, “Each of those animals represented a stage of his [her adopted infant son who was suffering form withdrawal symptoms after being born to an addict] withdrawal. It was how I explained things & told him he’d be ok.” This information moves this book to an even deeper emotional level for me. To watch your baby suffer must have been one of the hardest thing Marr had ever encountered. Although the book is based on this specific experience, any mother will connect with Bunny Mom and her baby, and any reader will feel the love radiating from the pages.

Night Animals
Author and Illustrator: Gianna Marino
Published July 14th, 2015 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Summary: Something’s out there in the dark!

First Possum hears it. Then Skunk. Then Wolf comes running.“What could it possibly be?” asks Bat.
“Night Animals!” the animals declare.
“But you are night animals,” Bat informs this not-so-smart crew.

Children will love the oh-so-funny animals in this twist on a cozy bedtime book.

My Thoughts: This is such a silly book! Each night animal is so frightened! And they are frightened of…. night animals! As each night animal is introduced, it gets sillier as every bump scares them and possum keeps playing dead. But if all the night animals are together and scared still–what is still out there to be afraid of?!?! I did really like how Marino included “stats” for each of the animals (possum, skunk, wolf, bear, fruit bat, great horned owl) on the opposite side of the book jacket. What a great way to teach students about these animals. What really stands out about this book, though, is the illustrations. The black background with the gray/silver/white/peach illustrations just pop.

Sea Rex
Author and Illustrator: Molly Idle
Published May 26th, 2015 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Summary: What could that be down in the sea? Is it a fish? A snail? A mermaid’s tail? No, it’s bigger than that… a LOT bigger…

it’s Sea Rex!

Join Cordelia and her crestacious companions as they spend a memorable day at the beach, as only dinosaurs can do!

My Thoughts: Molly Idle is becoming one of my favorite illustrators. Her characters are so expressive, and her illustrations are so soft yet colorful. But what really pushes her book to extraordinary are the whimsy within her text. Sea Rex follows the antics of Cordelia, her brother, and their prehistoric friends at the beach. Filled with fun times like sunbathing, swimming, castle building, and picnicing, this book is full of fun times with some silly friends.

**Thank you to Rachel at Penguin for providing copies for review!**

Civil Rights Text Set/Reading Ladder

November 15, 2015July 23, 2015 by Kellee

Over the last few months, I have found myself reading some phenomenal texts concerning the Civil Rights movement. I began thinking about how beneficial these texts would be in a classroom setting to help students develop a deeper understanding of the time. The Civil Rights Movement is not just a part of history, it is relevant to current events and pertinent to our students’ lives. Today, I wanted to share with you these connections I’ve made, and I hope that together, we can foster conversations about this important time period.

I picture these texts being used in a couple of different ways.

They can be used for a text set for a Civil Rights unit in a social studies or English language arts classroom. This is more of an informal route.
They could be used as literature circle texts or in a jig saw (see Ricki’s post on engaging discussions last week for more info on jig saw). Each group might have a different text to read, discuss, and analyze. This would make for a great sharing environment.
Teachers might intentionally introduce the texts by the age level they are marketed toward. Read-alouds would provide opportunities for rich discussions about the ways that audience plays a role in complex themes and background knowledge of these texts.

I have organized this list kind of as a reading ladder. (If you don’t know what a reading ladder is, I recommend that you start by reading this book by Teri Lesesne and then visit her collaborative resource database to join in the love of ladders. She also shares slides about reading ladders here). Reading ladders are fantastic because they respond to student reading level needs. As they challenge themselves with increasingly complex texts, they remain on a ladder that uses a common theme, format, or genre to connect the books. This idea is much more complex and is detailed in her book. The ladder I’m sharing is connected with the Civil Rights theme, and based on my evaluation of the texts, I tried to generate a ladder for teachers to use. The ultimate goal of reading ladders is to help students move up texts independently and based on their interests, so some of my whole-classroom ideas above do not fit the goal of ladders.

Picture Books (for grades 3-12)

Middle Grade

Young Adult

Click on the book title of any book to view one of our reviews or the Goodreads summary.

You can’t go wrong with these incredible texts, and I recommend all of them for both you and your students!

I know there are many other great books about this topic that I haven’t read. What other titles would you include in a Civil Rights Text Set/Reading Ladder?

Special Announcement: 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalists

August 4, 2016July 21, 2015 by Kellee

I [Kellee], along with the rest of the Walden Committee, am so happy to announce the finalists for the 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award! This is my final year on the committee, so this is a bittersweet day for me. Being part of this award which truly looks for books that are written for a widespread audience with a positive approach to life has been so rewarding. This is the award you should choose books from—they are all phenomenal.

2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award Finalists Announced

The 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award finalists are:

Diamond Boy by Michael Williams

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

Cinco Puntos Press

Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

Penguin Young Readers Group

Revolution (The Sixties Trilogy) by Deborah Wiles

Scholastic Press

All Walden Award titles will be identified by an award sticker—gold for the winner and silver for the four finalists. The winner will be announced on Thursday, July 30^th. The winning title and finalists will be honored on at the 2015 ALAN Workshop on Monday, November 23^rd at 4:25pm in Minneapolis, MN, and authors will be invited to participate in a panel discussion.