Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/5/21

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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!

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Tuesday: Kellee’s #MustReadin2021 Summer Update!

Thursday: The Caiman by María Eugenia Manrique, Illustrated by Ramón París

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Sunday: Student Voices: “BookTok” by Angelina Dong, Rising 10th Grader

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

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Kellee

I’m excited to review Secondhand Dogs for you this week! Don’t miss out on the review!

The newest Upside-Down Magic, Night Owl, is just as good as the rest of the series. I love the audiobooks–can’t wait for the next one!

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

Ricki

This week, I read Bloom by Kevin Panetta (Author) and Savanna Ganucheau (Illustrator). This is a beautiful book about a boy, Ari, who feels trapped by his family business (a bakery). He seeks to hire someone in the bakery and meets Hector, who is in culinary school and loves baking. This story has so much heart, and I am so glad I read it.

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Kellee

Reading: Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

On Deck: Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

Listening: Whatever After: Good as Gold by Sarah Mlynowski

Ricki

I am still listening to (and loving) Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian. I have a lot of YA books open, and I don’t like to be locked down, so I’ll probably dabble with them all this week.

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Tuesday: Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi

Thursday: Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor by Kate Messner, Illustrated by Alexandra Bye

Sunday: Student Voices: “10 Books with Muslim Representation” by Basma Heda, Senior in College

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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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Student Voices: “BookTok” by Angelina Dong, Rising 10th Grader

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“BookTok”
by Angelina Dong, Rising 10th Grader & Kellee’s Student 2017-2020

Welcome to BookTok, a virtually available community of passionate readers that is always at your service, with good books to recommend especially when you’re in a slump. #BookTok was created on the well-known platform, TikTok. At first glance it might seem like a collection of your average videos that you’ll swipe and never see again; however, to readers and authors, it has become an interesting and essential way to communicate. Many authors were able to get recognition for their work because creators on the platform give their honest reviews which naturally attracts their followers.

One example of an author on TikTok is Victoria Aveyard. Even though she is well-known for writing the Red Queen series, she is able to share her experience writing the books and help young writers with her content. John Green, the #1 best selling author for The Fault In Our Stars, likes to share what new books he is working on and occasionally collaborates with his brother Hank Green. He has a new book out called The Anthropocene Reviewed. The author of We Hunt the Flame, Hafsah Faizal, is also on TikTok. She likes to share her journey and perseverance towards becoming a writer. She can be seen as an inspiration to young writers and readers who hope to pursue their own career path in literature.

Books recommended from BookTok have become such a topic that bookstores, such as Barnes and Nobles, have created a table just to display them. Some books you might see on that table are: The Song of Achilles, These Violent Delights, They Both Die At The End, Six of Crows, From Blood and Ash, Dance of Thieves, A Court of Thorn and Roses, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. These are only some of the recommended books you’ll find trending on Book Tok!

The book community on Tiktok has certainly grown since it was first started, amassing over 11.2 billion views. If you want to find more books you can also hop over to Goodreads and search BookTok for more recommendations!

Here are some BookTok pages/videos that I’ve enjoyed:

Thank you so much, Angelina, for introducing us to BookTok and sharing some favorite recommendations!

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

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Sofia is a 9-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. On select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with kids! She is one of the most well-read elementary schoolers that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

Introducing the best book ever: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart! This is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it! This is a very adventurous and funny book. The writer has a wonderful writing style but some of the words are difficult to understand, and you need an advanced vocabulary to follow this book. I had to look up a few words in my dictionary while reading this. This book is recommended for ages 9-12.

Reynie is an orphan. He gets a tutor for school because he has already finished all of the orphanage’s high school curriculum. Reynie likes to read the newspaper. One day an ad in the newspaper calls for gifted children searching for special opportunities. It is a weird ad because it sounds like it is being written directly to children. Reynie thinks this is odd because almost no children read newspapers. To get the special opportunities Reynie has to take a test. There are many time slots available on the weekend so Reynie and his tutor, Miss Perumal, sign him up for the first session of the test. After Reynie arrives the next morning he only has to wait a few minutes. Just after he finishes the first test the test administrator tells him the test is over. When the test administrator calls the names of the people who passed the test Reynie is startled that he is the only one in that room who did. On his way to the second test he sees a girl who drops her pencil into a sewer grate. He thinks it is weird and when he helps her she offers him the answer key. Reynie declines and passes the test without her help. Much to his surprise the girl with the answer key does NOT pass! On his way to the third test he meets another kid named Sticky. He is a super fast reader and everything that he reads sticks in his head. They talk while they wait for the test and Sticky says someone in his test ALSO dropped her pencil! They are very surprised and become even more scared when a third kid enters the room and also had a kid drop her pencil and offer her the answer key. The girl who just entered is called Kate. She is very tall and always carries a bucket with her.

When they finally pass the third and fourth test they eat. They meet a new girl whose name is Constance, she is really small. Then they meet a mysterious man called Mr. Benedict. He tells them about mysterious messages that are being sent to confuse people’s minds. Mr. Benedict tells them that a man named Ledroptha Curtain is behind the messages. He also tells them that Mr. Curtain runs an institute and that he will send them there to go undercover so they can stop the messages. Follow Reynie on the rest of his exciting journey and help him save the world! Also, figure out if Mr. Benedict is to be trusted!

The many laughs this book gave me was only one of the amazing things about this book. This book was very fun to read and as more awkward characters joined the story it became even more hilarious! I do not know if I would consider this book realistic fiction even though I am pretty sure this could happen in real life. The characters are very clever, they even used Morse code to save the day! This is one of the best books I have ever read for sure, and I highly recommend it!

 

 

Kellee’s #MustReadIn2021 Summer Update!

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In January, I shared about the #MustReadin2021 challenge and my plans. In April, I updated you all and today I am happy to update my progress!

I chose 42 novels for my #MustReadin2021 challenge, and thus far, as of April I had read 13 of them and now I am up to 20 of them! I have linked each title to the IMWAYR post where I shared my thoughts on the book.

I also finished the Spring #BitAboutBooks Challenge!

I also challenged myself to read all of the 2021-2022 Sunshine State Young Readers Award titles for grades 6-8, and my recovery was perfect time to tackle it. 

And finally, I have started the Summer #BitAboutBooks Challenge!

  • Book on Your Shelf: Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, & Nicola Yoon
  • Sunset/Sunrise/Nature Picture: ????
  • Nonfiction Book: ????
  • Share a Summer Recipe: ????
  • Book Highlighting a Summer Activity: ????
  • Share a MG Blog or Twitter: ????
  • Book Related to Gardening: Bloom by Kenneth Oppel
  • Book Purchased: Hatched by Kenneth Oppel
  • Favourite Summer Treat: ????
  • Different Format: The Promised Neverland Volume 20 by Kaiu Shirai, Illustrated by Posuka Demizu
  • Book Cover You Love: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
  • Different Genre: ????
  • Book of Your Choice: Thrive by Kenneth Oppel
  • Summer Activity You Enjoy: ????
  • Place You Read in the Summer: ????
  • Book You Want to Buy: ????
  • Backlist Book: ????
  • Recommended Book: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
  • Picture of a Colour You See in Summer: ????
  • A Favourite: ????
  • Adult: ????
  • Favourite Drink in the Summer: ????
  • Book with a Summer Setting: ????
  • Book from the Library: ????

I’m having so much fun doing these challenges!!
What are you reading? 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 6/28/21

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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!

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Tuesday: Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia D. Williams, Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani

Sunday: Student Voices by Kellee’s Students of the Past & Present: “Shadow and Bone: Readers vs. Non-Readers” by Amy Calvo, Rising 10th Grader

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

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Kellee

  • Bloom by Kenneth Oppel was the last SSYRA book that I had to read, and I am glad I saved it for last because I wanted to read the next two in the trilogy AS SOON AS I FINISHED! What an intense sci-fi novel! Kenneth Oppel, once again, does not disappoint and kept me intrigued, engaged, and interested until the very end!
  • The Who Would Win? series is a favorite in our household. It is a perfect mix of nonfiction and narrative that is perfect for my science and book loving son!
  • I WAS APPROVED FOR THE PROMISED NEVERLAND VOLUME 20 E-GALLEY!!! 😲😮😯 I was so excited to read the finale of the series, and BOY will fans not be disappointed by the conclusion. Just as wonderful as the rest of the series!
  • Trent chose one night of bedtime stories to be unicorn focused, so we read It’s Okay to Be a Unicorn by Jason Tharp, Unicorns 101 by Cale Atkinson, Nerdycorn by Andrew Root, and Unicorns are the Worst by Alex Willan. All 4 books are so different, so colorful, and so fun! Nerdycorn was new to us, and we loved the message of this book, while the other 3 are old favorites.

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

Ricki

The Caiman by María Eugenia Manrique was first published in Venezuela and feels like a beautiful, classic story. I can see why this book was translated—it is one that will stick with me. The illustrations are quite magical. I loved reading it with my children.

I read Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian and instantly put it on my syllabus for next semester. This book is so important and will offer powerful classroom discussions.

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Kellee

Reading: Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi

Listening: Upside-Down Magic: Night Owl by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins

Ricki

My son is reading Whitney Gardener’s Long Distance to me, and we are really enjoying it.

I just started Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau last night and like it a lot so far.

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Tuesday: #MustReadin2021 Summer Update!

Thursday: The Caiman by María Eugenia Manrique, Illustrated by Ramón París

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Sunday: Student Voices: “BookTok” by Angelina Dong, Rising 10th Grader

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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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Student Voices: “Shadow and Bone: Readers vs. Non-Readers” by Amy Calvo, Rising 10th Grader

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“Shadow & Bone: Readers vs. Non-Readers”
by Amy Calvo, Rising 10th Grader & Kellee’s Student 2017-2020

Shadow and Bone, a popular young adult trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, was recently adapted by Netflix into its own 8-episode series. Netflix decided to mix  Six of Crows, the best-selling duology of Bardugo’s, into the plot line.. It wasn’t only fans of the original trilogy and duology excited for the upcoming television series, many people outside of the book world were eager to see the show after the trailer was released on February 26th, 2021. When the show came out a month later, there were many mixed reviews. The show has remained in Netflix’s Top Ten with a 7.5 out of 10 stars from IMDB and a 86% from Rotten Tomatoes. But there was a question many critics prompted: would the show be as enjoyable for non-readers? Would the adaptation fall short in the eyes of fans of the original series? 

We sat down with Paola Mendez, a fan of the show who has never read the books and got her insight on the question. 

“I am very satisfied with the show,” Mendez said. “It was fun, action-packed, and emotional.” 

She touches on different aspects of the show that impacted her: the characters, the fantasy version of racism displayed in the show, etc. Although Mendez admits the magic system became muddled and confusing, her enjoyment far outweighed the cons. When asked if she would consider reading the original Shadow and Bone trilogy, she explains: 

“I’ve heard many people say the show is better than the books [so] I’m a bit scared that the books wouldn’t live up to the show I’ve come to love.” 

To answer the question if readers or non-readers preferred the show better, we asked Duda Guedes and Estela Rivera to add perspective. Both of the young girls enjoyed the trilogy and duology and were excited to speak on the adaptation. When asked what fell short in the adaption, both agreed that Kaz Brekker, one of the many ruthless characters, was made “too soft”. But their opinions varied on how satisfying the show actually was as a whole. 

“I am satisfied with the show,” Guedes answered. “I feel like they managed to blend new elements…and make something that feels really familiar but is still a new adventure.” 

Rivera on the other hand admits that although she was satisfied to a certain extent, many of the differences from the page to the screen didn’t work for her. She uses character changes, abandoned plot points, and more to explain her quails with the series. 

“I feel since I have been a huge fan of the books, the fact that a lot of things were adapted differently didn’t resonate with me at all,” Rivera ends with. 

All in all, through the differing opinions, it seems readers and non-readers liked the show for what it was. Even through the changes or confusion, they all agreed the show adapted as well as it could. 

“It’s similar to getting a new book in the same universe,” Duda Guedes said. “The differences [are what] keep you on the edge of your seat.” 

Have you read or seen Shadow and Bone? Where do you fall in this discussion?

Thank you so much, Amy, for sharing your article with us and looking into how the show was received by readers versus non-readers of the series!

Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia D. Williams, Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

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Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston
Author: Alicia D. Williams
Illustrator: Jacqueline Alcántara
Published January 12th, 2021 by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Summary: A picture book that shines the light on Zora Neale Hurston, the writer and storycatcher extraordinaire who changed the face of American literature.

Zora was a girl who hankered for tales like bees for honey. Now, her mama always told her that if she wanted something, “to jump at de sun”, because even though you might not land quite that high, at least you’d get off the ground. So Zora jumped from place to place, from the porch of the general store where she listened to folktales, to Howard University, to Harlem. And everywhere she jumped, she shined sunlight on the tales most people hadn’t been bothered to listen to until Zora. The tales no one had written down until Zora. Tales on a whole culture of literature overlooked…until Zora. Until Zora jumped.

About the Creators:

Alicia D. Williams is the author of Genesis Begins Again, which received a Newbery and Kirkus Prize honors, was a William C. Morris Award finalist, and for which she won the Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe Award for New Talent. A graduate of the MFA program at Hamline University, and an oral storyteller in the African American tradition, she is also a teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jacqueline Alcántara is the illustrator of the critically acclaimed The Field and Freedom Soup. Her favorite days are spent drawing, painting, writing, and walking her dog. In 2016, she was awarded the inaugural We Need Diverse Books Illustrator mentorship. Find out more at JacquelineAlcantara.com.

Praise: 

*”A lively, joyfully rendered portrait of a literary legend.” – Publisher Weekly, starred review

* “Williams’ narration is a readaloud dream….it will be a joyful guide for folklore enthusiasts” – BCCB, starred review

* “This introduction to an American icon feels just right.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “A welcome addition to any picture book biography collection.” – School Library Journal, starred review

Review: Zora Neale Hurston has a special place in my heart as Eatonville is right around the corner, and I love the opportunity to be so close to Zora’s home, be inspired by her story, and learn from her. If you are ever here, stop by the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts!

Alicia D. Williams does a beautiful job capturing the spirit of Zora and showing how truly special she was as a person and story teller. And I loved learning new things about her that I hadn’t known before (like that she graduated from high school at 28 and that she may have been lost to white-washed history if not for Alice Walker). And Alicia’s words mixed with the colorful and active illustrations of Alcántara, Zora is brought to life through the pages of this book.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The publisher provided Curriculum Guide is the best resource for using this book in your classroom:

Discussion Questions: 

  • How are the end pages representative of Zora?
  • How were Zora’s stories important to American literature?
  • Why did the author call Zora a “storycatcher?”
  • How did the author integrate fictional characters and stories within her nonfiction biography of Zora Neale Hurston?
  • Why was some of Zora’s storytelling looked down upon?
  • What does the figurative phrase “reach/jump to the sun” mean?

Flagged Passages: 

Read This If You Love: Zora Neale Hurston, Picture book biographies

Recommended For: 

classroomlibrarybuttonsmall 

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**Thank you to Simon & Schuster for a copy of the book to review!**