Kellee – Page 255 – Unleashing Readers

Locomotive by Brian Floca (Kellee’s Review)

April 16, 2014 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!

Locomotive
Author and Illustrator: Brian Floca
Published September 3rd, 2013 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Summary: The Caldecott Medal Winner, Sibert Honor Book, and New York Timesbestseller Locomotive is a rich and detailed sensory exploration of America’s early railroads, from the creator of the “stunning” (Booklist)Moonshot.

It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean.

Come hear the hiss of the steam, feel the heat of the engine, watch the landscape race by. Come ride the rails, come cross the young country!

My Review: Rhythm. Onomatopoeias. (Well-researched) History. Gorgeous (and historically accurate) illustrations. Lyrical narrative. Unique point of view. This book has everything.

YOU (second person POV!) are a passenger on a train cross America with your family in 1869. Throughout the book, you will encounter many different landmarks, experience things on a train very few had at this time in history, and learn about the intricacies of the train. So fascinating! And all told in rich, beautiful language. It is hard to even share much more about the book because it is such an experience.

Check out Ricki’s review of Locomotive as well HERE.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I would LOVE to read this to kids. There are so many places to stop and discuss and research and learn, but never without an enthralling story accompanying. It would be a great book to use across subjects. There are definitely opportunities for all subjects: social studies (trans-continental travel, history, trains); science (the science of steam engines); math (travel); reading/writing (onomatopoeia, point of view, rhythm).

Also, and this is fresh on my mind because I just read it, but I would love to read this and The Donner Dinner Party and then look at the two journeys. How long did each take? Dangers? It would be an interesting look at how trains truly changed transportation.

Discussion Questions: How does having the book in 2nd point of view make it more enthralling?; What onomatopoeias were used in the book? How did these words help suck you into the story?; How did the author’s rhythm make you feel like you are actually on the train?; What are the landmarks that were passed on the trans-continental railroad? Why are these landmarks significant?; How does a steam engine work? What are the jobs of all of the different people on board?

We Flagged:
“Here is how this road was built,
with a grunt and a heave and a swing,
with the ring of shovels on stone,
the ring of hammers on spikes:

CLANK CLANK CLANK!

Men came from far away
to build from the East,
to build from the West,
to meet in the middle.

They cleared the rocks
and dug the tunnels.
They raised the hammers
and brought them down—

“Three strokes to the spike,
ten spikes to the rail!”

CLANK CLANK CLANK!”

Read This If You Loved: The Donner Dinner Party by Nathan Hale, Train by Elisha Cooper

Recommended For:

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Things We’d Like To Own

April 15, 2014 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: Top Ten Book Things We’d Like To Own

Not books, but book accessories.

Ricki

I decided to use pictures instead of links like Kellee. Sorry for the inconsistency, but many of my images are on Tumblr, so I can’t find them anymore!

1. I want a row of a dozen bookshelves with a gorgeous sliding, gold ladder. The five bookshelves in my house are not nearly enough. I would post an image of this, but your imagination is better than any image I could show.

2. This dress:

3. This bench for my garden:

4. These stairs for my basement:

5. This vending machine, with unlimited books, please:

Kellee

Click on any of the items to see the bookish things I’d like to own

1. Neil Gaiman’s Bookshelves (OMG, right?! Though I’ll need a bigger house first…)

2. Elephant and Piggie Shirt Toddler Shirt (for Trent; or any of the Mo Willems shirts for me or him)

3. Amazing Harry Potter Wizard’s Blu-ray/DVD Combo Collection

4. One Book Down Lounge Set

5. Hm…. I cannot think of a 5th thing. Can I say Neil Gaiman’s Bookshelves again?!

What are some bookish things you dream of owning?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 4/14/14

July 27, 2015April 14, 2014 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

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Unique Books We’ve Read

Wednesday: Favorite Nonfiction Picture Books About Strong Women in History

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: This week I read All our Yesterdays by Cristen Terrill–SO GOOD! I found myself reading when I should have been doing just about anything else, but it was just so suspenseful! Ricki has already reviewed it, and I will post my review in May. It is a must-read, in my opinion. While nursing this week (well, not nursing, but during the 20 minutes after nursing when I have to keep Trent upright), I also finished Teen Idol Terror by Paul Plunkett, a fun mystery that I’ll review in the future, and Thrive by Meenoo Rami, an education book that we’ll have the blog tour stop in a couple of weeks.

Trent and I continued our #bookaday and read some great picture books:

No Two Alike by Keith Baker (This will be a good way to show Trent snow and also how unique everything is, and I really liked the rhyming.)
Spot the Dot by David A. Carter (A super fun interactive book that will be great for teaching colors and having fun while doing it.)
Daddy Wrong Legs by Nina Laden (Trent is going to love this book when he is able to flip through the book mixing and matching the legs and heads. Some of them are quite hilarious.)
The Biggest Kiss by Joanna Walsh (Love this cover! A cute book that will be a good Valentine’s Day read.)
Chickia Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. (I haven’t read this book in a long time, but it is as fun and rhythmic as I remember.)
Disney’s Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp (Final two books in the Disney Bedtime Stories tower. I really enjoyed the Lady and the Tramp adaptation–very cute.)

Ricki: Like Kellee, I also read Thrive by Meenoo Rami this week. This is a fantastic book for beginning teachers, and I can’t wait to use it in my classes. I also read several picture books to Henry. One of our favorite books was The Fox in the Library by Lorenz Pauli. (We are biased because we love any books about books.) I will be reviewing it next week. We also loved a recommendation by Carrie in her children’s book post (bit.ly/1fOCOdu): Hug by Jez Alborough. There is something magical about animals hugging each other. We also enjoyed the classics, The Napping House by Audrey Wood and Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman, a newer book called Hello, My Name is Ruby by Philip C. Stead (great for bird-lovers), and The Dead Family Diaz by P.J. Bracegirdle (fantastic for teaching about The Day of the Dead). If you are looking for an adult book, my husband just finished The Strain by Guillermo del Toro. It is a new, adult, horror book. He enjoyed it, and he is a tough critic.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I am going to start (should have started already!) Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein. It is going to be interesting to see how it connects to Code Name Verity. I also plan on starting another e-book, probably Coyote Summer by J.P. Kapchinske, to read after nursing. E-books are much easier to read with one hand than hard/paper books. Trent and I will continue our #bookaday, of course, but I never know what is in our plans 🙂

Ricki: I am currently reading Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira. I am almost finished with the professional development book, The Shame of the Nation by Jonathan Kozol. Henry and I are also almost finished with our graphic novel book of classic fairy tales called Fairy Tale Comics, which is edited by Chris Duffy.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Top Ten Bookish Things We’d Like to Own

Friday: Amulet Graphic Novels: Teaching Guide

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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Bruised by Sarah Skilton

April 11, 2014 by Kellee

Bruised
Author: Sarah Skilton
Published March 5, 2013 by Amulet/Abrams

Goodreads Summary: Imogen has always believed that her black belt in Tae Kwon Do made her stronger than everyone else–more responsible, more capable. But when she witnesses a holdup in a diner, she freezes. The gunman is shot and killed by the police. And it’s all her fault.

Now she’s got to rebuild her life without the talent that made her special and the beliefs that made her strong. If only she could prove herself in a fight–a real fight–she might be able to let go of the guilt and shock. She’s drawn to Ricky, another witness to the holdup, both romantically and because she believes he might be able to give her the fight she’s been waiting for.

But when it comes down to it, a fight won’t answer Imogen’s big questions: What does it really mean to be stronger than other people? Is there such a thing as a fair fight? And can someone who’s beaten and bruised fall in love?

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Imogen is broken and she must overcome this feeling of hopelessness that surrounds her constantly. What an intense way to introduce us to a character? We then go on a journey with Imogen as she tries to rebuild her life, her memories, her friendships, and her family.

At first I struggled with this book because the timeline was choppy, and Imogen was hard to pinpoint. But then, through the flashbacks, Imogen starts to become clearer to us, the reader, and Imogen’s memories start to become clearer to her. Then you are so sucked into wanting to know everything, and you can only know everything if you stick with the book and see Imogen’s memories as they are revealed. This is a pretty brilliant tactic in making the reader feel like they are in the protagonist’s brain.

Bruised actually reminds me a lot of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Both young ladies are thrown into a tragedy, let that tragedy eat away at their hearts and souls, and have to figure out how to find themselves again. Truly a remarkable journey to go on with a character. And, like Speak, there are some intense topics/themes dealt with in Bruised that will definitely grab a teen’s attention: sibling rivalry, a disabled parent, disconnected family, friendship, sex, love, survival, and martial arts. It is one of those books that teens need to read, so they can learn to become resilient and to overcome whatever is in their path.

Discussion Questions: Is it ever okay to lie?; Would you have been able to forgive your best friend if she’d done what Shelly did?; Was it right of Imogen to call Grant down during the demonstration?; Why was having Ricky there such an important part of Imogen’s recovery?

We Flagged: “Don’t you recognize me?” says Ricky after a moment.
Confused, I force myself to look up from the floor, up his legs and along his body, until I’m looking him in the eyes.
I hear gunshots, the cashier crying, and the police sirens, but I don’t look away.
He’s my friend from under the table.” (p. 60)

“Today, eleven days later, I slide down the wall of my own shower and curl up in a ball, tuck my knees under my chin, and wrap my arms around my head. I’ve taken showers since the diner, but this one’s different. Get smaller. Small as you can be. Low to the ground is comforting, standing up is bad. Why is standing up bad? What happins if you stand up? (You don’t want to know.) Reset button. Start at the beginning. Gretchen’s in the bathroom when the gunman comes in. I see the glint of his gun, and I hide under the table. There’s Ricky, under a different table, he brings his finger to his lips. Shh…” (p. 95-96)

Read This If You Loved: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Stained by Cheryl Rainfield, Rape Girl by Alina Klein

Recommended For:

Biographical Picture Books about Strong Women

July 27, 2014April 9, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Over the last few years I have noticed a trend (a trend I love!) of biographical picture books about strong women from history. After reading a wonderful batch of them, I decided I need to share all of the amazing ones that I have read.
[Each picture book cover can be clicked on to take you to either Goodreads or a review of mine.]

I love that these woman are getting their stories told!

Were there any that I missed? Please share!

Top Ten Tuesday: Unique Books We’ve Read

April 8, 2014April 8, 2014 by Kellee

Today’s Topic: Top Ten Unique Books We’ve Read

Ricki

1. Nothing by Janne Teller

The plot of this book was extremely clever and very different from any other book I have ever read. It is one of my favorites. I read the first few pages aloud to my students and they are fascinated by it.

2. Wonder by R. J. Palacio

The voice of this book was so powerful that it felt unique. I felt as if I was trapped in this young boy’s body. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

3. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

I didn’t particularly love this book, but it was one of the most unusual books that I have read. The text features were very neat.

4. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I love how Riggs used old photographs to create this story. I found that to be very different from any book I have ever read.

5. Liar by Justine Larbalestier

The premise of this book is that the main character is a liar. The story is very interesting because she lies to the readers throughout the book. I liked the confusion this provided.

Kellee

1. Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri

Horse stables in the middle of Philadelphia and a boy dealing with all of a sudden living with an absent father—unique. I love how this book is written and the premise of it. There is no other book like it.

2. Graceling by Kristen Cashore

At the time when I read Graceling, I’d not read any high fantasy like this. Katsa is such a unique character and the book is just as amazing. I mean, the whole idea of being “graced” is a unique concept.

3. Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

I was so enthralled with this book! I was fascinated by the idea of airships as cruise ships, Kate going against everything that she has been taught is right, and the zoology discussed throughout. I have not read anything else like this series.

4. Battle Bunny by Jon Sciezska and Mac Barnet

This is a “golden book” given to Alex by his grandmother; however, Alex makes it his own. This picture book cracked me up, made me want to share it with everyone and anyone, and was just so well done. And there is nothing like it.

5. Anything by Roald Dahl

He was so ahead of his time and all of his books are unique (mostly if you compare it to other books being written at the time).

What really unique books have you read?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 4/7/14

June 26, 2018April 7, 2014 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

Top Ten Tuesday: “Gateway” Books/Authors in Our Reading Journey

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: This week I finished Wild Awake by Hilary Smith. It was an interesting journey of watching a character’s life run out of her control. I was a big fan of the way the author wrote the story because if helped you feel the chaos that was happening in Kiri’s life. A very impressive debut novel.

Trent’s picture book #bookaday continued, and we actually doubled up on a couple of days. This week, we read:

Disney Bedtime Stories Board Books: 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, Lion King, Dumbo, Lilo & Stitch, and Pinocchio (These stories are all touch and go. Some are so sweet, especially Dumbo, 101 Dalmatians, and Lilo & Stitch. We have 2 more left that we plan to finish this week.)
Listened to Go Dog Go, Are You My Mother?, and The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman on You Tube (These videos are perfect for the 20 minutes Trent and I have to spend upright after nursing. I’m sure we will listen to them over and over.)
Baseball Is… by Louise Borden (Friday was the Cubs home opener, and we celebrated by having a baseball filled day! Thank you to Michele Knott for recommending this beautiful book to me.)
Black on White by Tana Hoban (I learned about Tana Hoban’s books at the Mommy-Baby Tea that I go to. Since babies’ eyesight is not mature yet, the contrast in these wordless books keeps their attention, and it worked great for Trent. I made a little story for each picture to make it a little more interesting for me.)

Ricki: This week, I read a lot of great books. I am going to divide them up by category to make it easier to read.

Professional Development: I finished Life in Schools by Peter McLaren. It was good, but it wasn’t my favorite PD text. I felt like many of the ideas were contained in several other texts I have read recently. That said, I agree with the ideas he puts forth about the hegemony that exists in schools.

YA/Middle Grade: I read We Were Liars by e. lockhart. It was incredible. If you are looking for a good YA book, this one will blow you away. It has strong literary merit and is haunting. I get the shivers thinking about how powerful it is. I also finished Aphrodite by George O’Connor. I love how he re-imagines Greek mythology in graphic novel form!

Children’s Books: We pounded through our library books this week. Henry and I have a new tradition. We read a book downstairs before we go upstairs for his last feeding, so he and I enjoy double the reading time. My favorite from this week was The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Shotter. It highlights the magic of collecting words. I also loved Jane Yolen’s How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?. The other books we read and enjoyed together were: Robie Harris’ When Lions Roar, Mark Moulton’s Change the World Before Bedtime, Mem Fox’s Koala Lou, Chris Allsburg’s The Stranger, and Taro Miura’s The Tiny King.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I have already started All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, and I am intrigued by the premise already. At only 30 pages in, I am excited to keep reading it. And, of course, Trent and I are going to continue our #bookaday. We’ll first finish the Disney board books then move to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and other books Aly kindly sent us.

Ricki: My next PD book is Jonathan Kozol’s The Shame of the Nation. I have always wanted to read this one, so I am looking forward to learning a lot from it. I just started the young adult book, Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira. I pre-ordered it because I heard such good things about it. Henry and I are reading Fairy Tale Comics (edited by Chris Duffy). It retells seventeen fairy tales in graphic novel form. He love the bright colors, and I enjoy how each fairy tale is short, so I can keep his attention!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Unique Books We’ve Read

Wednesday: Favorite Nonfiction Picture Books About Strong Women in History

So, what are you reading?

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