Ricki – Page 72 – Unleashing Readers

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on Our Spring TBR Lists

August 4, 2016March 15, 2016 by Ricki

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: Books on Our Spring TBR Lists

Ricki

1. The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork

When I heard Francisco X. Stork talk about this book, I knew I needed to read it. I am really looking forward to it. He is an incredible author.

2. Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

I listened to the author present this book in a reader’s theater format at NCTE. It was so, so funny. I’ll be reading it soon, for sure.

3. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

This book is cited often, and I know I am going to learn a lot when I read it.

4. The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

Everyone raves about this book. I need to read it!

5. The Slowest Book Ever by April Pulley Sayre

This book is full of S-L-O-W facts, and I am excited to read and learn from it!

Kellee

I know I was only supposed to do five, but I am so excited for all 7 of these! (And I’m going to read Slow with Ricki also!)

1. The Classy Crooks Club by Alison Cherry

This one looks like a wonderful mix of mystery and humor.

2. Emma G. Loves Boyz: A True Love Journal by Taro Meyer

I cannot wait to book talk this one to my One Direction (and other musicians) obsessed students!

3. Cody and the Mystery of the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

I loved the first one, so I cannot wait to see what Cody is up to!

4. Cici Reno: #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker by Kristina Springer

This looks like a book that middle school Kellee would have loved and her current middle school students will as well!

5. The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin by Elinor Teele

What a fun cover and premise! I love books with quirky protagonists!

6. Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson

This looks different than the other John David Anderson books I’ve read, but his books are always good, and this one doesn’t look like it’ll disappoint!

7. Whatever the choice is for my April and May book club meetings

I started a faculty book club at my middle school, and I found out about one at a close high school, so I am very much looking forward to reading whatever is chosen to go chat about them.

Which books made you laugh?

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Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Review!: Good Morning Yoga by Mariam Gates

March 12, 2016March 10, 2016 by Ricki

Good Morning Yoga: A Pose-By-Pose Wake Up Story
Author: Mariam Gates; Illustrator: Sarah Jane Hinder
Published March 1, 2016 by Sounds True

Goodreads Summary: Yoga helps children learn how to focus, relax, and both self-monitor and self-soothe Good Morning Yoga instills these four skills and more, enabling children to jumpstart the day with energy and excitement and meet the adventures that come with mindfulness and perspective.

Good Night Yoga tells the story of the world retiring for the evening and a new generation of readers has fallen in love with the relaxing sequences and beautiful pictures that lead them to dreamland. Good Morning Yoga weaves gentle exercises with a heartwarming narrative and wonderful illustrations to empower children to manage the energies that visit throughout the day from the fiery volcano to the mountain quiet and still. Good Morning Yoga concludes with a visualization for kids to set intentions for the day.

About the Author: Mariam Gates holds a master’s in education from Harvard University and has more than twenty years’ experience working with children. Her renowned Kid Power Yoga program combines her love of yoga with teaching to help children access their inner gifts. She is the author of Good Night Yoga (Sounds True, April 2015), and lives in Santa Cruz, CA, with her husband, yoga teacher Rolf Gates, and their two children. For more information, visit mariamgates.com.

Twitter: @gatesmariam

Instagram: mariam.gates

Review: My father is a pediatrician, and he is constantly recommending meditation and yoga to his patients. He wasn’t a meditation kind of guy when he started practicing medicine, but he came to realize that many of the children who came to him were asking for natural ways to deal with stress and anxiety. I can’t wait to share this book (and Good Night Yoga) with him! There is a definite need for these two texts. Children are rarely taught stress-relieving practices in school, and I wish I’d been taught yoga as a child.

My two-year-old son and I have had so much fun with this book since it arrived. He constantly asks for the “Woga book.” We practice yoga at least once a day with this book, and it we really enjoy this time together. The narrative that weaves through the book will engage readers and allow them to connect with the yoga moves. The illustrations match the calm beauty of this text, and I think kids will love it. I can’t help but think about how Gates’ books would really help kids grow and develop emotionally and physically.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: As a high school teacher, there were many times that I found my students’ energy was flagging. Also, during exams, they were very stressed. We stopped for stretch or meditation breaks. They appreciated these moments and reminded me of them when they’d visit me many years later. This book would be excellent to use in classrooms of all ages. The teacher might read the entire text the first time and then use excerpts in future yoga breaks, depending on time allowance. Research shows that kids who have more recess time perform better. I’d love to do some research on the effect of yoga breaks during schools! This book should be printed in oversized book format!

Encourage yoga time in your home, bookstore, or library with this downloadable kit!

Discussion Questions: How did reading this book make you feel? How might yoga fit into your life?; What are the benefits of yoga?; How does the author’s language connect you with the narrative and yoga moves? How does the illustrator creatively depict the text?; How do the different yoga moves work together?

Book Trailer:

Book Reading:

Another Great Video!:

Read This If You Loved:

Recommended For:

Follow All the Stops on the Tour:

Wed, Feb 24	Teach Mentor Texts	http://www.teachmentortexts.com/#axzz3yHmVeUfE
Fri, Feb 26	Where Imagination Grows	http://whereimaginationgrows.com/
Mon, Feb 29	A Rup Life	http://www.aruplife.com/
Tues, Mar 1	Proseandkahn	http://proseandkahn.blogspot.com/
Wed, Mar 2	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Thurs, Mar 3	5 Minutes for Books	http://books.5minutesformom.com/
Fri, Mar 4	Once Upon a Story	http://mariaburel.com/
Mon, Mar 7	Wrapped in Foil	http://blog.wrappedinfoil.com/
Tues, Mar 8	Sharpread	https://sharpread.wordpress.com/
Wed, Mar 9	A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust	http://www.foodiebibliophile.com/
Thurs, Mar 10	Unleashing Readers	http://www.unleashingreaders.com/
Fri, Mar 11	Children’s Book Review	http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
Tues, Mar 15	The Library Fanatic	http://www.thelibraryfanatic.com/

And Don’t Forget to Enter the Giveaway!:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Thank you to Barbara Fisch for sending us this book and for allowing us to host the giveaway!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Unfortunate Character Names

March 8, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Unfortunate Character Names

Ricki

1. Ponyboy from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Or perhaps I should bring up Soda Pop?

2. Amber Brown from Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger

The title of the book says it all.

3. Peeta from The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

And he bakes bread.

4. Hermione Granger from The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

I don’t think I need to say more.

5. Tea Cake from Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Every time I read this book in college (four times in four different classes), I couldn’t handle this guy’s name.

Kellee

1. Po from Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I love Po, and I know this is just a nickname, but it just makes me think of a Teletubby!

2. Newt from The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Yes, another nickname, but it is oh so ridiculous

3. Beezus Quimby from Ramona by Beverly Cleary

I actually quite like this name, but it is another nickname gone astray.

4. Katniss from the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

Many of the names in this series are quite odd. Peeta, Katniss, Haymitch, and Effie probably take the cake.

5. So many from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

I love Harry and all of his friends, but Rowling had quite an imagination when it came to names! Hermoine, Albus, Mundungus, Rubeus, and Cuthbert are just a few.

What characters’ names did you find to be unfortunate?

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Author Guest Post!: “Visiting Schools” by Iain Reading, Author of The Dragon of the Month Club

March 6, 2016 by Ricki

“Visiting Schools”

I know, I know… it’s been said a hundred times before… One really great way to get kids in schools interested in reading is to invite some authors to come in and talk to them. But at the risk of beating a dead horse by raising this topic again for the hundred-and-first time, let me just say that one of my absolute favourite things in the world is visiting schools and talking about my books and how I ended up writing them.

When I visit schools I have a checklist of things that I always bring with me:

– Many copies of my books to give away. Check.

– Dragon of the Month Club membership cards to give away. Check.

– Trading cards for each of my books to give away. Check.

– Wristbands for my books to give away. Check.

– Pendants from designs from my books to give away. Check.

(As you can see, I always bring lots of stuff for giveaways. Kids love it.)

But even with all the free stuff the kids get I think the most memorable thing for them (although they never really show it – you know how kids are) is when the story in the books I’ve written actually take place right there in their own hometowns and neighbourhoods. One of my own most memorable visits was to a small school in rural Ireland where the kids were amazed to hear that one of the books in my Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency had several scenes that took place just a few miles away. And they couldn’t believe that the boring tiny little village where they lived was actually one of the most favourite places in all the world of some writer they never heard of from Canada.

On visits like these I always have a great time and so do the kids and teachers too. There are writers everywhere in the world. And writers tend to write what they know, so they’ve probably written something about every corner of the world where there’s a school. And I bet they’d love to come out and talk to students about their books.

And if not…. well, give me a call… maybe I’ll be in your corner of the world sometime and I can drop in and give away a bunch of stuff.

The Dragon Of The Month Club, by Iain Reading, was published in February 2015 and is available for sale.

Synopsis:

The Dragon Of The Month Club is the exciting first installment in a new book series that tells the story of Ayana Fall and Tyler Travers, two best friends who stumble across an extraordinarily magical book and soon find themselves enrolled as members of a very special and exclusive club – The Dragon of the Month Club.

On the thirteenth of every month a new dragon conjuring spell is revealed and the two friends attempt to summon the latest Dragon of the Month. The varieties are almost endless: Air Dragons, Paper Dragons, Fog Dragons, Waterfall Dragons, Rock Dragons, Tree Dragons – not to mention special bonus dragons for all the major holidays, including a particularly prickly Holly Dragon for Christmas.

But one day when a conjuring spell somehow goes wrong Ayana and Tyler find themselves unexpectedly drawn into a fantastical world of adventure based on the various books scattered all across Tyler’s messy bedroom. Travelling from one book-inspired world to the next with nothing to rely on but their wits and a cast of strange and exotic dragons at their disposal they must try to somehow find their way home again.

Drawing inspiration from some of literature’s most memorable stories – from 19th century German folktales to the streets of Sherlock Holmes’s London – the adventures of Ayana and Tyler bring these classic stories to life in delightfully strange and unexpected ways. Filled with fascinating detail and non-stop action these books will spark the imaginations of readers of all ages to inspire a life-long love of reading and seeking out books that are just a little bit off the beaten track.

Praise for The Dragon of the Month Club:

“No other book bonds together so many stories in such a fashion that is actually readable and enjoyable at the same time. With the title being The Dragon of the Month Club, many might think this is a book strictly about magic and dragons, yet you will find that what’s inside this book will leave you awe struck.” – Red City Reviews

“Iain Reading has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I started reading his Kitty Hawk books and now I’m introduced to a fantastical world. This is the type of book I would have spent hours in my room, wishing I could slip into the pages and have an adventure.” – Sandra Stiles

“The Dragon of the Month Club is a very enjoyable read. I’m a grown adult and I enjoyed it. It reminded me of a Harry Potter meets Goosebumps (the part where the books come alive) meets Sherlock Holmes. I found the book to be engaging and kept me wanting to read on. This is a wonderful series for any young reader.” – sgebhard

Contest:

There is an ongoing contest for readers to win a one-of-a-kind hardcover version of The Dragon of the Month Club with their artwork as the cover.

“Draw a picture! Write a story! Take a photograph! Bake some cookies! Mold a dragon out of clay! Knit one out of yarn! Make one out of LEGO! Whatever you want! Just let your imagination run wild because anything goes – the more creative the better! Send your dragon in and then on the 13th day of every month one entry will be chosen at random and featured on the official Dragon Of The Month Club website. Each month’s lucky winner will also receive a free one-of-a-kind personalized hard-cover edition of The Dragon Of The Month Club book featuring their winning artwork (or other creative content) on the cover or inside the book itself,” says Iain.

To learn more, go to http://www.dragonofthemonthclub.com/

About the Author:

Iain Reading is passionate about Root Beer, music, and writing. He is Canadian, but currently resides in the Netherlands working for the United Nations.

Iain writes middle grade and young adult books. His published works include the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series, The Wizards of Waterfire Series, and the dragon of the month club. To learn more, go to http://www.amazon.com/Iain-Reading/e/B00B0NGI6Q/

Connect with Iain on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

**Thank you, Iain, for this fantastic post!**

and

Normal Norman Written by Tara Lazar, Illustrated by S.britt

October 8, 2017March 3, 2016 by Ricki

Normal Norman
Author: Tara Lazar; Illustrator: S. britt
Published March 1, 2016 by Sterling Children’s Books

GoodReads Summary: What is “normal?” That’s the question an eager young scientist, narrating her very first book, hopes to answer. Unfortunately, her exceedingly “normal” subject—an orangutan named Norman—turns out to be exceptionally strange. He speaks English, sleeps in a bed, loves his stuffed toy, goes bananas over pizza, and even deep-sea dives! Oh, no: what’s a “normal” scientist to do?

Ricki’s Review: Norman is one of those great literary characters that will stick with readers for a long time. The book is quite humorous, and my son was giggling as we read it together. Norman is anything but normal, yet the young scientist makes strong efforts to prove that he is normal. She becomes very frustrated, and then Norman teaches her an important lesson. I enjoyed this book because it was a fresh take on the idea of: What does it mean to be normal? I also enjoyed the layout of each page. The quote bubbles from the characters added another layer to the text that would be great to discuss in the classroom with a close reading. This will be a favorite in classrooms, and I recommend it highly.

Kellee’s Review: I love everything that this book stands for. It shows that normal is whatever you make it, that everyone should be accepted for what they are, and normal isn’t always what it seems. Norman helps mold the young scientist’s mind which will hopefully lead readers to also rethink what they think normal is. I am definitely going to use this book as one of our “precepts” in the future because I really think it’ll make students think.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might consider using this text to teach broad conceptions of normalcy. Often, young students conceive of normalcy as anything similar to them. A teacher might introduce different groups, customs, and cultures to allow students to understand that normal is a socially constructed concept, and people can be different yet still normal. Or perhaps, students might determine that there is no such thing as being “normal.”

Discussion Questions: What does it mean to be normal? Is anyone normal? How might we conceive of normalcy more broadly?; What lessons does the scientist learn? How does she learn them?

We Flagged: “Allow me to introduce Norman. He will help me demonstrate the word normal. You see, Norman is EXCEEDINGLY normal.”

Read This If You Loved: You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang, Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae, Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea, The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail by Maureen Stolar Kanefield

Recommended For:

Check Out Normal Norman at the other stops on the tour!:

and

**Thank you to Josh from Sterling books for providing copies for review!!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Books to Read If You Are in the Mood for a Good Laugh

August 4, 2016March 1, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Books to Read If You Are in the Mood for a Good Laugh

Because laughter and books are the best medicine.

Ricki

1. The Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Every time I read this book, I laugh. It is so funny! I enjoy dark humor.

2. Sloth Slept On by Frann Preston-Gannon

Sloths are very funny, and I remember laughing a lot as I read this book.

3. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

This book uses humor to teach a lesson, which shows how smart Gene Luen Yang is.

4. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

I love this book for so many reasons. One of them is that it is very funny!

5. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

The premise of this book is very funny, but Colin’s best friend Hassan makes this book absolutely hilarious.

Kellee

1. The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series by Caroline Carlson

The gargoyle in this series just cracks me up! He is the best comic relief in any book!

2. Heavenly Nostrils series by Dana Simpson

This series has the same humor as Calvin and Hobbes. I love the imagination and silliness of it!

3. Don’t Push the Button by Bill Cotter

When I read this book with my son for the first time (for both of us), it made up both giggle! Larry goes through quite a lot because of that darn button.

4. Fifteen Animals by Sandra Boynton

We were trying to pick a Sandra Boynton book to buy, so we went and listened to all of the songs on her publisher’s website and this one made me laugh so hard–I had to buy it!

5. The Infects by Sean Beaudoin

Do you like Zombieland humor? If so, you will love this one. He is sarcastic and smart, and it is quite humorous in such a quirky way.

Which books made you laugh?

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Learning to Labor: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs by Paul Willis

February 25, 2016February 25, 2016 by Ricki

A Reflection on the Educational Fallacy We Still Promote in Schools Today

The cover isn’t thrilling. The book is old (originally published in 1977), but goodness, it is still relevant. For those of you who missed this book the first time it came out, I will start with a brief synopsis. Paul Willis interviewed 12 “non-academic,” working class lads in Great Britain. He wanted to learn more about their subscription to a counter-culture and also was curious about their lives after school in the work force. These are the kids who smoked next to the school just to be seen smoking. They drank during lunch just out of defiance of the school. We know “these kids,” and they exist in every high school.

Willis found that regardless of their resistance to join the system, in the end, they ended up right where the system wanted them—in working class jobs in factories. He examines the masculinity perceived in these jobs, and he interviews the lads after they’ve entered the work force, too. He describes the optimism in the lads’ situation. They are very creative in the ways they thwart the school system. They say they’d never want office jobs or “mental labor.” The pessimism of their situation is the fact that the school system does not provide the upward mobility it claims to provide. They end up in “meaningless” jobs that offer them little pay.

When we tell students today to just do their best and work hard and that they will be successful, are we promoting an educational fallacy? We know that higher graduation rates will not produce more quality job opportunities for all. So why do we pretend that each student in our classes has an opportunity to be in a high-paying, “meaningful” job? Willis describes the ways that schools promote classism. Working class kids are prepared for working class jobs. (Obviously, we don’t technically have a working class anymore, but we can still find parallels in our school systems and job opportunities.)

Essentially, Willis describes how only a few individuals from these schools will end up in “meaningful” (according to culture’s standards) jobs, but the whole working class could never have upward mobility. The economy secures this disappointing truth, and without more opportunities, most of these students are destined for jobs in industrial factories. I was disturbed by how relevant this is to schools and jobs today. These lads’ refusal to cooperate in school (as a part of the “counter-school” culture) actually shows their refusal to collude with their own educational suppression. Willis depicts this beautifully. Those students who refuse to participate in lower-class schools may, in fact, have a perspective that is superior to that of the school. They understand, perhaps, that only a few students will make it in meaningful jobs, and they perceive these jobs to be unsatisfying, as well.

While I don’t believe I am as wholly pessimistic as Willis is, I think his points are valid and true. To what extent are we lying to students and promising them jobs that aren’t there? How do we fix this? Can it start in the ways we design schools, or must we rely on the political system? By teaching students about the power of education, I believe we are presenting them with opportunities they can or cannot choose to take. It is my hope that we can devise a system that opportunities truly exist for all who want them, rather than those hardworking, lucky few.