Kellee – Page 83 – Unleashing Readers

Kellee’s #MustReadin2021

January 22, 2021January 19, 2021 by Kellee

I love the Must Read challenge! I took part in 2015-2019, so I am so glad that it is back for 2021! Thank you to Carrie at There’s A Book for That for starting this challenge and to Leigh Ann of A Day in the Life and Cheriee of Library Matters for co-hosting the revival.

For those of you new to the challenge, #mustreadin2021 has you take a look at the books you wanted to read in 2020, but for whatever reason, did not get to them. You then make your own personal list of books you want to commit to reading in 2021.

There is no set number of books and books can be published from any year, in any genre or format, and in any category. These books will not be the only ones you read this year but will be the ones included in your personal challenge.

If you’d like to see others taking part, visit the #MustReadin2021 Round Up!

For my #MustReadin2021 challenge this year, I am going to mix it up a bit! I’m going to have two parts to it:

FIRST PART

The first part will be my traditional #MustReadin2021 list although I am not going to include any 2021 titles on it to keep with the description of the challenge. I particularly looked at MG and YA books that came out over my time on the Schneider Award committee and try to read what I’ve missed, but like always it’ll be a mish-mash of things and will probably be WAY too long.

#NoEscape by Gretchen McNeil
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Rainée
Alex Rider: Nightshade by Anthony Horowitz
Alex Rider: Secret Weapon by Anthony Horowitz
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
Apple by Eric Gansworth
Bloom by Kenneth Oppel
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
Hello from Renn Lake by Michele Weber Hurwitz
Jackpot by Nic Stone
Killing November by Adriana Mather
King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender
Land of Cranes by Aida Salazar
Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson
Lucky Caller by Emma Mills
Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullen
On the Horizon by Lois Lowry
Once Upon an Eid Edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza
Shuri by Nic Stone
Slay by Brittney Morris
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
The Cousins by Karen McManus
The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep by Allan Wolf
This is My America by Kim Johnson
This Train is Being Held by Ismée Williams
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
Where I End and You Begin by Preston Norton
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

SECOND PART

When Goodreads first started, groups were really big, and I helped moderate an amazing group called Wild Things for YA which had all sorts of fun reading challenges, so when I saw the #BitAboutBooks Winter 2021 challenge, I knew I had to take part! So, for the second part of my #MustReadin2021 challenge, I want to challenge myself to take part in some other fun challenges like this during the year. I might even do some read-a-thons or other fun things.

Here is my #BitAboutBooks Winter 2021 Challenge plan:

Any book of my choice: Tales of Witchcraft by Chris Colfer
Any book with 100-200 pages: Diana Princess of the Amazon by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale
A book with one word in the title: Starfish by Lisa Fipps
An author’s debut book: From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
A book with with an animal main character: The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
A book that has a direction in the title: The Boys in the Back Row by Mike Jung
A book published in 2021: That Weekend by Kara Thomas
A book set in a country that is not where you currently live: The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
A book that won an award: All of the Schneider Family Book Award winners 🙂
A book with a name in the title: The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
Two books by the same author: (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are both edited by Kelly Jensen

Here’s to an awesome year of reading!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 1/18/21

January 18, 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!

Thursday: Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Remarkable Journey by Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

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

Kellee

Yay! I am so glad to be back! Being back means: the 2021 Schneider Family Awards have been chosen! Now to just wait for the announcement on Monday, January 25th at 8am CST at https://ala.unikron.com/ 🙂

Since I haven’t been able to post at all in 2021, I am going to share everything I have read thus far (that I can share). There is a lot of goodness to share here, so sorry not sorry for the long post!

Graphic Novels:

Katie the Catsitter by Colleen A.F. Venable, illustrated by Stephanie Yue: Well, this was nothing like I thought it was going to be. Instead IT WAS EVEN BETTER! What looks like a cute catsitter story is actually a superhero story with brilliant cat sidekicks! LOVED IT, and it was immediately checked out from our school library!
The Runaway Princess by Johan Troïanowski: Lots of picture books are interactive but rarely do you see a book for older children that is (other than choose adventure type books), but The Runaway Princess has fun interactive sections where the reader gets to be part of the adventure. That, along with the unique storytelling and adventures, makes this graphic novel a wonderful read.

Novels

The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate: So, I am an ape fan, if you didn’t know, so I am a HUGE fan of both the Ivan book and picture book, so I was actually a bit worried about a Bob book. But I needen’t be–though VERY different than the first, it is just as heartfelt and emotional and everything you want.
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer: Holy sentient computer and LOVE in space, Batman! Wow. Phew! Couldn’t put this one down! So much to unpack with this one! Love the positives of what a human future could look like, but the negatives were terrifying. And be ready for twists and turns!
Tales of Witchcraft by Chris Colfer: This second book in the prequel to Land of Stories series continues Bristol’s story as The Fairy Godmother. This series feels particularly relevant right now as Bristol fights an secret society that wishes to take over and destroy all that are not like them……. Chris Colfer is a genius.

Picture Books (all read with Trent; if I don’t share below it is just because it is a reread, and I’ve shared before):

Dandy by Ame Dyckman, Illustrated by Charles Santoso: Trent and I loved the humor in this one and the puniness of it being called Dandy with lions as main characters.
Pencil by Ann Ingalls, Illustrated by Dean Griffiths: A clever story looking at how you can find exciting things without technology.
Stand Up! Speak Up! by Andrew Joyner: A good introduction to climate change and activism for children.
Be You! by Peter H. Reynolds: I just love Reynolds’s work and so does Trent. This one is all about being whoever you are and how that is everything.
Fallingwater by Marc Harshman & Anna Egan Smucker, illustrated by LeUyen Pham: I love Pham’s work! And I love Frank Lloyd Wright’s work! And Trent enjoyed the book and immediately asked if we could go to Fallingwater. I call this book a win-win-win.
16 Words by Lisa Jean Rogers, illustrated by Chuck Groenick: William Carlos William is one of my favorite poets and “The Red Wheelbarrow” is one of my favorite poems to introduce him to students. I loved this story of WCW and how the poem came to be (and it was a great introduction to him for Trent).
Digging For Words by Angela Burke Kunkel, illustrated by Paola Escobar: This book tells the story of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogota, and the library he has built in his home for the children of his neighborhood. This is a story I didn’t know, and I’m so glad I do now!
On a Beam of Light by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky: This was a reread of a favorite for me, but my first time reading it with Trent. I was a bit nervous, but I did not need to be–Trent was enthralled and had SO many questions about everything.
Avocado Asks: What Am I? by Momoko Abe: Avocado is having an identity crisis, but a small neighbor helps him see that his identity is whatever they want it to be.
I Am Not A Penguin: A Pangolin’s Lament by Liz Wong: WE LOVED THIS BOOK! Funny and smart and great illustrations! Highly recommended.

Hike by Pete Oswald: A beautiful wordless tale of a father and son on a hike to plant a tree.
Daniel’s Good Day by Micha Archer: I love Archer’s illustrations! This story of Daniel looks at what makes a good day.
Cannonball by Sascha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan: A young Maori boy wants to make a splash but he has to figure out how HE can find the strength to do it.
Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim: BEAUTIFUL illustrations and a beautiful story about a new student in an American school from South Korea and the common language that children can find and acceptance of each other.
On a Sleepy Hill by Patricia Hegarty and Xuan Le: A book of cut outs exploring forest animals settling in for the night.
Welcome to Florida illustrated by Asa Gilland, from DoubleDay Books for Young Readers: This book is part of the Welcome To series which introduces its readers to each state. The illustrations were fun and overall it was a pretty good introduction to Florida. I have some criticisms as a Floridian about the lack of authenticness in what is shown in Florida, but as an introduction it does well.
My Heart is a Compass by Deborah Marcero: Sometimes the most interesting thing you have is yourself! A beautiful exploration of imagination.
Where Happiness Begins by Eva Eland: When Sadness is at Your Door was one of my favorite 2019 picture books, so Trent and I were happy to see this companion. Another great book to help young children deal with strong emotions.

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2020 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

School starts this week for me, and in-person school starts for my first grader, so I am bowing out for a week, but I will see you all next week!

Kellee

I’m working on my #BitAboutBooks Winter Reading Challenge! I’ll be sharing it on my #MustReadin2021 post tomorrow 🙂

Tuesday: Kellee’s #MustReadin2021

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

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

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

January 17, 2021January 11, 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!

Thursday: Scooper and Dumper by Lindsay Ward
Giveaway ends Wednesday!

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

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

Kellee

Deliberating on Schneider this last weekend and the press release is due to ALA today, so taking one more week off of IMWAYR. See you next week!

Ricki

This week, I read Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho. It is absolutely lovely, and I am excited to review it in full on Thursday.

I also reread some books for some NCTE presentations. More on those presentations soon. Who else is proposing something for NCTE this year?

Ricki

Admittedly, I am in a bit of a reading rut. Picture books and early chapter books are still going strong, but I haven’t read YAL this week beyond my rereads. I have some really great books in my queue, but the news, lots of children, and the semester starting have made reading a bit difficult. What recent book have you read that really kicked up your reading energy?

Thursday: Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Remarkable Journey by Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 1/4/21

January 4, 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!

We were on a holiday vacation the last two weeks, but we have some great posts from right before our vacation that you might check out!:

Tuesday: Books Kellee Learned About at the ALAN workshop is SO EXCITED to Read

Thursday: Author Guest Post by Erica Perl, Author of The Ninth Night of Hanukkah

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Kenneth Davis, Author of Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy

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

Kellee

Our Schneider deliberation is this weekend, so I am rereading and quickly and thoroughly as I can! See you on the other side!

Ricki

Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh deserves all of the praise it has been receiving. I listened to it on audio and found myself pausing and quietly listening to each word. I loved this book.

When I told two colleagues that I was about to listen to Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson on audio, they both warned me that it was a tough read. Tiffany D. Jackson does not hold back any punches with this book. It sucked me in from the very first words. If you haven’t read this book, I insist that you do.

Lindsay Ward is one of my favorite children’s book authors, so I was so thrilled to see this new book Scooper and Dumper. Ahh, it is so delightful. All three of my kids (20mo, 4yo, and 7yo) loved this one and couldn’t get enough of it. Review to come this Thursday!

Ricki

I just got three of my ALAN e-galleys in, and I am REALLY excited to start them! YAY!

Thursday: Scooper and Dumper by Lindsay Ward

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 12/28/20

December 28, 2020 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!

and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 12/21/20

December 21, 2020 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: Books Kellee Learned About at the ALAN workshop is SO EXCITED to Read

Thursday: Author Guest Post by Erica Perl, Author of The Ninth Night of Hanukkah

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Kenneth Davis, Author of Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy

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

and

Author Q&A with Kenneth C. Davis, Author of Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy

December 20, 2020 by Kellee

Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy
Author: Kenneth C. Davis
Published October 6th, 2020 by Henry Holt and Co.

About the Book: From the bestselling author of the Don’t Know Much About books comes a dramatic account of the origins of democracy, the history of authoritarianism, and the reigns of five of history’s deadliest dictators.

What makes a country fall to a dictator? How do authoritarian leaders—strongmen—capable of killing millions acquire their power? How are they able to defeat the ideal of democracy? And what can we do to make sure it doesn’t happen again?

By profiling five of the most notoriously ruthless dictators in history—Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein—Kenneth C. Davis seeks to answer these questions, examining the forces in these strongmen’s personal lives and historical periods that shaped the leaders they’d become. Meticulously researched and complete with photographs, Strongman provides insight into the lives of five leaders who callously transformed the world and serves as an invaluable resource in an era when democracy itself seems in peril.

Q&A

Q1. What led you to choose this topic and this audience (teens) for your new book?

A1. I have been writing about history for some thirty years and was always fairly optimistic about the future of America. In spite of the flaws I have catalogued in my books, I always believed in the United States as the “last, best hope on earth”—Lincoln’s words—and that its democratic system still moved towards more progress.

But something has changed. And for some time now, I have been concerned that democracy, at home and abroad, was under assault. That is not only sad but dangerous. I felt I had to tell the story of these dictators and how quickly democracy can vanish. It is meant as a warning, a cautionary tale for our time.

On the question of writing for teens, let me first say that I think my books aimed at younger readers are not that different from my earlier work aimed at older adults. In fact, many older readers don’t know these are “Young Adult” books. I try and write for everyone in an accessible style that welcomes the reader, older or younger.

I started writing for younger readers several years ago because I have spoken to so many of them in classrooms over time and came away impressed by their curiosity, engagement, and interest in history. But I wanted to deliver a message to those young people that democracy can’t be taken for granted and that they have a real stake in protecting our rights and freedoms.

Q2. What is the key takeaway you hope that young people get from reading it?

A2. There are several key issues at work in this book and, I would say, all of my work. First is that history is not a collection of facts—dates, battles, speeches, laws – but real stories about real people doing real things. When we read about history that way, it becomes far more compelling and connected to our own lives.

Next is that we read and learn from these accounts to understand who we are and how we got here. Part of that idea is the story of how enormous sacrifices have been made in the name of rights and progress—from abolition to suffrage, civil rights, and fair labor laws. That often comes from the bottom up, not the top down, which means people without a vote still had a voice.

It is also a book that asks hard questions about what people are willing to do in following a leader. And that brings me to my earlier point: Democracy is not a spectator sport. We must protect it if we think it is worth keeping.

Q3. What was the hardest part about writing the book?

A3. I actually write about that in the closing words of the book. This was, in many ways, an extremely difficult project. I have written about many hard and awful events and periods in the past, including the stories of racial slavery I told in my earlier book, In the Shadow of Liberty.

But describing the levels of cruelty, inhumanity, and indecency are unavoidable in writing the history of the Strongmen –the murderous dictators whose stories I tell. We can’t sugarcoat that history. Or ignore it. That made this project a true test of my fundamental belief in the general goodness of humanity. I had to write about the vast numbers of people who were complicit in the genocidal crimes of a Strongman like Hitler or Stalin.

Q4. If a teacher asked for recommendations for teaching your book, what would you suggest?

A4. My writing career has mostly been about asking questions and presenting facts and evidence in real stories. I think that teachers –especially those in Social studies—can follow that general premise with their students. Ask questions and allow students to find answers through accurate, documented evidence.

This approach of getting students to do real research, assess evidence, check sources, and make considered judgments based on facts is the essence of thinking for themselves. It is what today’s education must be about, especially in this era as facts and truth are under such assault.

In a more practical way, this book should fit into a number of curriculum areas – 20^th century history; the Holocaust; civics and government; ethics, religion, and basic philosophy; economics; sociology and the behavior of crowds. I have always been a proponent of crossing disciplines.

Q5. What other resources do you feel would complement STRONGMAN in a curriculum?

A5. I would start with reputable journalism, including newspapers and websites that accurately document their reporting. We must establish the clear connection between history and the headlines. That will also help develop those “media literacy” skills that all of us –not just students—need to negotiate the world we live in.

Certainly, there are also a great many other books that could be placed beside Strongman –biographies, war narratives, Holocaust and other memoirs from each of these eras. I’ve included many of them in the Bibliography of Strongman.

I think you can include some historical fiction –cautiously reminding students that novels are not always accurate depictions of events. There are also a wealth of documentary films and series, often starting with what is offered from PBS.

Finally, I did not set out to write three books as a “set” – but I think that my earlier books can be read alongside Strongman. I think that In the Shadow of Liberty provides more context for how the history of slavery developed alongside American democracy. More Deadly Than War provides background for the role World War I played in shaping the world that produced the dictators I profiled in Strongman. And that is how we must read history – as a long, complex, series of connected narratives, not a list of events that are unrelated.

About the Author: Kenneth C. Davis is the New York Times–bestselling author of America’s Hidden History and Don’t Know Much About® History, which gave rise to the Don’t Know Much About® series of books for adults and children. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed In the Shadow of Liberty, which was an ALA Notable Book and a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, as well as More Deadly Than War, which was named a Washington Post Best Children’s Book of the Month. A frequent guest on national television and radio and a Ted-Ed Educator, Davis lives in New York City.

Ken also offers free classroom visits to teachers through his website, which might be of interest to include: https://dontknowmuch.com/for-teachers/

Thank you, Kenneth, for sharing the truth of history with our students!