Kellee – Page 67 – Unleashing Readers

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 11/15/21

November 20, 2021November 15, 2021 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop co-hosted by Unleashing Readers and Teach Mentor Texts which focuses on sharing books marketed for children and young adults. It offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

Tuesday: A-Okay by Jarad Greene

Thursday: A Hundred Thousand Welcomes by Mary Lee Donovan, Illustrated by Lian Cho

Sunday: Author Guest Post: Author Guest Post and Educators’ Guide: I Am Today by Matt Forrest Esenwine, Illustrated by Patricia Pessoa

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

Kellee

Over these last two weeks, I’ve defintely been in the reading zone! It has been awesome!

Jackpot by Nic Stone: Nic Stone writes so many different kinds of book–it is amazing! Jackpot is about Rico and Zan’s relationship. Other may say it is about the lottery ticket or just Rico, but in the end it is about their relatioship and how it changes them both. It was a great read!
Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh: I can see why this novel in verse got the love it did. It is intense, powerful, and needed in our world. It is about Ada finding her way in the world after everything in her world was orchestrated by her highly religious father, her childhood was taken from her by abuse, and her search for identity now that she is on her own.
A-Okay by Jarad Greene: I reviewed this on Tuesday.
As Good as Dead by Holly Black: The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series is over! And PHEW! What an ending! So much happened in this book and everything just ties together from the other two books. But there are also some serious ethical questions the reader will be left with at the end.
A Tale of Sorcery by Chris Colfer: I LOVE THIS SERIES! Chris Colfer does a brilliant job of making his books seem fantastical and not of our world, but truly, the evils in his books allude to evils in our world. The third book in the series did not disappoint, and I do hope there will be more!
Grumpy Unicorn graphic novels by Joey Spiotto: Trent loved these graphic novels, so he gave them to me and told me it was my homework to read them. Why Me? is more just lists and introduction to Grumpy Unicorn where the other two are narrative graphic novels. Both show that there is more to Grumpy than meets the eye, though On the Road is probably my favorite.
Assassination Classroom #3 & #4 by Yusei Matsui: Still need to know if the class is successful! Shared my initial thoughts here.
The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods: I reread this wonderful historical fiction novel for my teacher book club (then had to miss the book club–boo!), and I enjoyed it just as much the second time. I think it is a perfect middle grade historical fiction story that will grab the attention of whoever picks it up!
14 Ways to Die by Vincent Ralph: Although I am not a fan of the title of this book because it doesn’t capture what it is really about, I did really like the book and the premise. Jess has always wanted to catch the man who killed her mother, so when she has a chance to be part of a You Tube reality show, she jumps at it to bring the serial killer’s killing back to the headlines. And boy does she!
Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards: This is a pretty messed up book! As you can tell, I am kind of in a thriller reading mood, so I knew that there had to be more going on than just 5 strangers riding in a car together, but as you learn more and more about the situation as the reader and Mira is still clueless, I got so anxious! And the reveal?! Intense!
Fast Pitch by Nic Stone: I loved softball as a teen, so I was so excited to read this newest from Nic Stone, and it did not disappoint. It was a great mix of softball, social justice, racial history, friendship, and family.
Robin Robin by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, Illustrated by Briony May Smith: I’ll be reviewing Robin Robin this week!
Keeping the City Going by Brian Floca: What a nice tribute to those who kept New York City running during the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic. And with Brian Floca, you know the illustrations are beautiful.
Unlimited Squirrels in Guess What!? by Mo Willems: The latest in the Unlimited Squirrel series is just as silly, but also so clever, as the others in the series. Trent particularly likes the emoti-corns and the A-corny Joke Times.

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2021 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

My book revisions are due tomorrow, so I am busy writing!

Kellee

Reading: Playing with Fire by April Henry, Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez (for my lunch book club) & Assassination Classroom 5 by Yusei Matsui

Listening: Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

Tuesday: Robin Robin by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, Illustrated by Briony May Smith

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

Author Guest Post and Educators’ Guide: I Am Today by Matt Forrest Esenwine, Illustrated by Patricia Pessoa

December 5, 2021November 14, 2021 by Kellee

“Non-grammatical doesn’t always mean wrong”

The year that shall live in infamy…

School was at home, play dates were via computer, vacation plans were stalled.

The pandemic shut-down was difficult for many people in many ways; however, as hard as it was for as adults to deal with, it was especially hard on kids, many of whom had no idea what was going on, or why. I felt like I needed to write something to empower kids, to help them realize they do have some control over certain things.

So in late summer of last year I began brainstorming ideas by doing something unusual. I made a concerted effort to come up with a non-grammatical title. A strange way to begin the writing process, but I thought a non-grammatical title might not only be poetic and thought-provoking but would certainly catch attention sitting on a bookshelf!

As I thought about it, the phrase “I am today” eventually popped into my head, and I loved it! Kids are always being told they are “the Future” – but what if a child doesn’t want to wait, to make a difference? The concept for my next picture book was born.

Non-grammatical doesn’t always mean “wrong”:

These days, it seems grammar police are everywhere; allow auto-correct to add an apostrophe to the word “its” in your social media post and suddenly a cute little possessive pronoun is the subject of derision and ridicule by everyone who reads it. And let’s not even get started on the “your” and “you’re” brigade!

No one appreciates proper grammar more than me. Certainly, it’s important to teach grammar, spelling, and such. Verb conjugations, parts of speech, sentence diagrams are all important and all have their place in education. But as someone who writes a lot of poetry, I would suggest that going out of one’s way to be non-grammatical on purpose might have some uses – and be quite fun.

You see, a phrase is only non-grammatical when there is no context, or it is used out of context. Take the title of my new picture book, “I Am Today.” How can a person be an adverb?? (Yes, “today” can also be a noun, but we’re not going to split hairs) On its own, the phrase “I am today” would not normally make sense – but once the story is read and we understand what the main character is thinking, it suddenly makes all the sense in the world.

We tell kids “they are the future” – which, to be honest, could be considered just as non-grammatical as “I am the future.” So if we are proud when children consider themselves to be “the future,” it’s not much of a stretch to understand why a child might want to be “today.”

Putting non-grammatical phrases to use…

Now that you (hopefully) understand my rationale for cheering on grammar that would make my high school English teacher Mrs. Jencks scream, here’s what I think is really cool: getting students to think creatively and/or poetically by deliberately creating non-grammatical phrases!

Think about it: why can’t phrases like “puddles of books” or “running the rainbow” or “soccer seriously” be legitimate springboards to something fantastic – a story, a poem, a song?

Many of us (your faithful guest poster, included) are always encouraging young people to come up with new ideas for writing, yes? Since essays, stories, homework assignments always need to be correct and proper, why not turn things on their head for a change and give kids a chance to do something totally different?

Encourage students to put together phrases that sound completely wrong, then have them write the story or poem that goes with it. Or better yet, put all their non-grammatical phrases together and draw them randomly so students need to write based on someone else’s phrase.

Phrases like those three I mentioned earlier, while possibly a bit odd-sounding, would all be perfectly at home in a poem. That’s what poets do, after all – coin phrases, turn words around, make unexpected connections.

Poets speak in terms that are new to their readers, using metaphors, similes, and comparisons that are thought-provoking and unforeseen. What better way to get students thinking in this way than by showing them the value of putting words together that everyone normally tells them not to do?

Knowing most middle school and high school students, they’ll seize any opportunity to do something they’re not supposed to do. So capitalize on that – and see what happens!

About the Author from the Author:

As a former radio broadcaster, I spent a good part of my life writing and producing commercials, comedy bits, and news stories. At various times I was also an event DJ, country dance instructor, news reporter, cook, telemarketer, ice cream scooper, and photography sales dude…and never figured out how to make a living doing any of it.

I also loved poetry – my first published poem was in 1984 when I was still in high school – and over the years I’ve had numerous adult-oriented poems published in various journals and anthologies including the Donald Hall tribute, “Except for Love (Encircle, 2019). In 2012 my poem, “Apple-Stealing” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and in 2019 I was the recipient of the MacGregor Poetry Prize, coordinated by the Robert Frost Farm board of trustees and Derry (NH) Public Library.

Anyhoo…little did I know all this short-form writing would lead to my debut picture book, “Flashlight Night” (Boyds Mills & Kane, 2017), which received numerous positive reviews including a Kirkus star and was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the Best Books for Kids 2017. I now have a dozen books out or under contract, including “Once Upon Another Time” (Beaming Books, 2021), co-authored with my friend, Charles Ghigna (aka, Father Goose®).

Meanwhile, my children’s poetry can be found in anthologies like “The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry” (National Geographic Children’s Books, 2015), “Night Wishes” (Eerdmans, 2020), and “Construction People” (Wordsong, 2020), the latter of which chosen by Kirkus as one of the Best Picture Books of the Year. Take a gander at all my books here.

Matt lives in New Hampshire with his wife, kids, and more pets than he has fingers, so don’t ask him to count.

Expected Publication November 30th, 2021 by POW! Kids Books

About the Book: A young girl realizes that she doesn’t have to wait until she’s grown-up to stand up for what is right and make a big impact.

While playing on the beach in her coastal town, a young girl comes across a sea turtle ensnared by a wire. Her town is home to a factory that has provided jobs for many of her neighbors, including her mother, but it has also been dumping garbage from a pipe into the waters, threatening the creatures that live in them.

Children are used to being asked what they’ll do and be when they grow up, but the girl knows there is so much she can do today to help. Unable to forget the sight of the struggling turtle, with a fantastic act she inspires the townspeople to compel the factory to change its destructive ways.

Written in spare and evocative poetry, I Am Today is an empowering story for children who want to be the change the world needs.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation and Discussion Questions:

Please view and enjoy the educators’ guide for I Am Today

Flagged Passages:

Thank you, Matt, for this post to make us, as adults, think a little bit more out of the box!

A-Okay by Jarad Greene

November 9, 2021 by Kellee

A-Okay
Author: Jarad Greene
Published November 2nd, 2021 by HarperAlley

Summary: A-Okay by Jarad Greene is a vulnerable and heartfelt semi-autobiographical middle grade graphic novel about acne, identity, and finding your place.

When Jay starts eighth grade with a few pimples he doesn’t think much of it at first…except to wonder if the embarrassing acne will disappear as quickly as it arrived. But when his acne goes from bad to worse, Jay’s prescribed a powerful medication that comes with some serious side effects. Regardless, he’s convinced it’ll all be worth it if clear skin is on the horizon!

Meanwhile, school isn’t going exactly as planned. All of Jay’s friends are in different classes; he has no one to sit with at lunch; his best friend, Brace, is avoiding him; and–to top it off–Jay doesn’t understand why he doesn’t share the same feelings two of his fellow classmates, a boy named Mark and a girl named Amy, have for him.

Eighth grade can be tough, but Jay has to believe everything’s going to be a-okay…right?

Praise:

A compelling depiction of teenage uncertainty. –Kirkus Reviews

Supported by expressive, well-drawn, and colorful illustrations, this compelling graphic novel will appeal to fans of middle-grade graphic memoirs. –Booklist

Greene’s use of color, line, and composition in his comic-panel layouts enhances the humor and angst of this particular slice of adolescent life. -The Horn Book

Jay’s arc is distinct and refreshing, and the story’s emphasis on friendships and body image issues is likely to resonate with any reader who has wished to jump out of their skin. –Publishers Weekly

A story about kids learning to feel good about themselves on their own terms is no small thing, and Jay is a low-key, lovely protagonist. Greene’s simple, bubbly color illustrations are friendly and accessible, matching the content perfectly. An earnest exploration of adolescence, recognizable and relevant to middle schoolers coming into their own. -School Library Journal

About the Author: Jarad Greene is a cartoonist originally from Lutz, Florida, who now lives in the curious village of White River Junction, Vermont. In addition to his own comics, Jarad works on staff at the Center for Cartoon Studies and has helped color many graphic novels for younger readers. He is also the author and illustrator of the graphic novel Scullion: A Dishwasher’s Guide to Mistaken Identity. Find him online at www.jaradgreene.com.

Review: My students and I really love middle school memoir (or memoir-esque) graphic novels–I cannot keep them on the shelf, and A-Okay is going to fall right in with that group. What makes a book like this so popular is that it takes something that students need to connect with or that they need to understand and shines a spotlight on a likeable character working their way through the challenge. A-Okay fits this perfectly with Jay’s wonderful character arc as he makes his way through 8th grade figuring out his passions, true friends, and sexual identity; with the focus on Jay’s acne which many middle schoolers deal with but may never have seen in a book; and with the very realistic middle school friendship drama that happens as childhood friends begin to become their own person. This engaging storyline along with Greene’s colorful, detailed, and distinct illustrations will make this a graphic novel I know will never be on my school library’s shelf.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation & Discussion Questions: HarperCollins created a Classroom Conversations page for A-Okay which includes a book talk and five topics with questions for group discussion:

It can also be accessed through the publisher’s A-Okay page.

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Middle school memoirs like Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm, Guts by Raina Telgemeier, New Kid by Jerry Craft, and The Dumbest Idea Ever by Jimmy Gownley

Recommended For:

**Thank you to SparkPoint Studios and the publisher for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 11/8/21

November 8, 2021 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy reading!

Tuesday: Giveaway & Review!: A Sari for Ammi by Mamta Nainy, Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Double Life of Danny Day by Mike Thayer

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

Kellee

The weekend got away from me (even with that extra hour!), so this post just didn’t happen this week–sorry!! See you next week ❤

To see what I’ve been reading, check out my 2021 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

Hi! I got my booster shot and am not feeling so great, so I will return next week.

Tuesday: A-Okay by Jarad Greene

Thursday: A Hundred Thousand Welcomes by Mary Lee Donovan, Illustrated by Lian Cho

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Non-grammatical doesn’t always mean wrong” by Matt Forrest Esenwine, Author of I Am Today

and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 11/1/21

November 1, 2021November 1, 2021 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy reading!

Tuesday: Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste, Illustrated by Amber Ren

Sunday: Student Voices: Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s Visit to Kellee’s School

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

Kellee

Once Upon an Eid edited by S.K. Ali & Aisha Saeed: I loved this anthology! I learned a lot about Eid and different ways that it is celebrated. As with any anthology, it is so much fun to read snippits by so many different authors.
Where I End & You Begin by Preston Norton: I am so glad my high school librarian friend recommended this to me! It is a fun twist on a Freaky Friday story, but with so much in it about identity, friendship, love, family, forgiveness… so much! And it is funny–I laughed out loud too many times during family reading time.
Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui: Trent’s sensei recommended this manga to me, and I can definitely see why. The concept is fascinating: an alien(?) had destroyed the moon and is now threatening to destroy the Earth in a year, but first, he wants to be a teacher for a year allowing his pupils chances to assassinate him. This is the first manga since Promised Neverland that I have been sucked into and want to read, read, read.
Rereads with Trent: The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt & It’s Shoe Time! by Bryan Collier

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2021 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I just finished listening (on audio) to Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya. (I’d read it previously in print.) I love this book so much and am excited to discuss it with my class this week!

Kellee

Reading: As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

Reading during family reading time: Assassination Classroom Vol. 3 by Yusei Matsui

Reading for my Lunch Book Club: Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Listening: Jackpot by Nic Stone

Trent reading during family reading time: Catstronaut 3: Space Station Situation by Drew Brockington

Jim reading during family reading time: Fables Vol. 10: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham

Ricki

I just started listening to We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez to prepare for my class in two weeks. So far, I might be liking the audio more than the print version! It’s hard to tell. Both are so good.

Tuesday: A Sari for Ammi by Mamta Nainy, Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Double Life of Danny Day by Mike Thayer

and

Author Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s Visit to Kellee’s School

April 22, 2023October 31, 2021 by Kellee

Having authors visit my school will NEVER get old! It is such an amazing experience for my students (and me)!

For Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s visit, she was at our school for half a day (we were splitting with another middle school), but we were able to fit in 2 presentations and book signings during this time.

The first presentation was to our two-way dual language students, and Christina gave the presentation completely in Spanish! It was awesome to support the magnet program and literacy! For this presentation, she talked a bit more about Red Umbrella because my Spanish Honors teacher plans to teach the book.

The second presentation was to our Student Literacy Leaders, 7th grade Latinos in Action, Lunch Book Club members, and several students who signed up to fill in the last of the 75 available spots. This presentation was focused on promoting her newest book, Concealed, which we were able to give a copy to each student who attended! After the presentation, Christina signed each students book and chatted with each student.

It was a whirlwind of an visit, but it was wonderful! I highly recommend Christina Diaz Gonzalez for visits–she was engaging, interesting, and the students loved her! I asked my Student Literacy Leaders to reflect on the visit, and here are some of their responses:

I really liked the author and she seemed like a great person and learning about her secret dream of being an author and her becoming one was honestly really inspirational.
It was very inspirational! I also loved how passionate she seemed about writing and reading books.
My favorite part was when she was talking about her idea process and how she got the idea for Concealed.
I learned that being an author doesn’t mean you need to have your whole book planned out from chapter to chapter, as long as you have a start and finish, you could write a book.
I learned that anyone can be an author if they enjoy it.
The visit was important to me because I love meeting an author and seeing what they are like outside of what is written in their books.
The visit was important because she was a Latina author, and I haven’t met that many female authors of color.
The visit was important to me because it was a new experience for me when it comes to visiting authors and getting a little sneak peek of their life. I enjoyed every second of it and getting a signed book for free just seemed like a huge honor.
It was important because it was my first time meeting an author!
The visit was important to me because it gave me (alongside others) a chance to take things in from an author’s perspective; it really was refreshing to hear and gain a sense of.
I learned that even if there’s no motivation left is to always push through the matter/problem.

Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s Books

Concealed

The Red Umbrella

Moving Target & Return Fire

A Thunderous Whisper

Stormspeaker

Hope Nation

Thank you so much, Christina, for this wonderful visit!

Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste, Ilustrated Amber Ren

October 26, 2021 by Kellee

Looking for a Jumbie
Author: Tracey Baptiste
Illustrator: Amber Ren
Published September 21st, 2021 by Balzer + Bray

Summary: New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste and acclaimed illustrator Amber Ren take readers on a fun, creepy, storytime-ready romp through a forest filled with creatures from Caribbean folklore.

I’m looking for a jumbie, I’m going to find a scary one.

But Mama says jumbies exist only in stories. So Naya sets out on a nighttime adventure to find out for herself.

No such thing, say the friends she makes along the way.

But Naya is sure that jumbies are real. Some have big mouths. Or thick fur. Or glowing skin. Or sharp teeth. Kind of like her new friends….

Looking for a Jumbie is a gentle, bouncy, and creepily fun read-aloud inspired by traditional Caribbean tales.

Praise:

“A vibrant and entertaining tale filled with mythical creatures from Caribbean stories that is perfect for Halloween and year-round.” -School Library Journal

“The illustrations are colorful and dreamlike, and Ren pays special attention to accentuating the features of characters. A nice addition to offerings on being afraid of the dark, monsters, or nighttime adventures.” –Booklist

About the Author: Tracey Baptiste is the New York Times bestselling author of the middle grade novels Minecraft: The Crash, The Jumbies, Rise of the Jumbies, and The Jumbie God’s Revenge. A former elementary school teacher, Tracey is now on the faculty at Lesley University’s creative writing MFA program. Raised in Trinidad until she was fifteen, she now lives with her family in New Jersey. You can visit her online at www.traceybaptiste.com.

About the Illustrator: Amber Ren is the illustrator of Because by Mo Willems, a New York Times bestseller. She is also a visual development artist, and her work has been featured in the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art’s first online exhibition, “ART in PLACE: Social Distancing in the Studio.” You can find her online at www.amber-ren.com.

Kellee’s Review: This book is equally compelling, spooky, and fun! Trent and I had a great time chanting the “I’m looking for a jumbie…” part of the story (great repetition & rhythm!) and meeting all of the jumbies that Naya meets along the way. The illustrations were also perfect for the story! I loved the way that Ren was able to bring such beautiful coloring in even in a story happening at night. After we were done, we went on a Google hunt to learn more about jumbies, and I introduced Trent to Baptiste’s middle grade Jumbies books too–he says he can’t wait to read them when he is older!

Ricki’s Review: This book feels like an instant classic to me—it is one that I will read and enjoy with my kids again and again. There are so many different ways to approach this text for kids, and it offers so much potential for classrooms. I love the ways in which the jumbies are made approachable for kids. It offered wonderful conversations in my family about fears and bedtime scary things. This is a book that belongs in every home. I think it will find a place in all readers’ hearts.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: What a great addition to lessons about mythology/folklore for young readers! Looking for a Jumbie is a perfect introduction to Caribbean folklore and can start a delve into more stories.

Discussion Questions:

Which Jumbie would you like to meet?
Why was Naya never scared of the Jumbies?
Was Mama right or wrong about the Jumbies?
How did the illustrator leave clues about the upcoming Jumbie?
What is the mood of the book? How did the illustrations add to the mood of the book?

Flagged Passages:

Activity Guide:

Read This If You Love: Folklore & Mythology; Magical Stories

Recommended For:

**Thank you to SparkPoint Studio for providing copies for review!!**