Ricki – Page 74 – Unleashing Readers

Top Ten Tuesday: 2015 Releases We Wish We’d Gotten To

August 4, 2016January 12, 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: 2015 Releases We Wish We’d Gotten To

Book guilt. The worst guilt of all!

Ricki

1. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

I added this one to my #mustreadin2016 list!

2. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

I’ve heard this book is really intriguing. Another for my #mustreadin2016 list!

3. Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Not only is the cover beautiful, but I hear the story is incredible.

4. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This book intrigued me, but I didn’t have time to get to it!

5. My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

The book summary is so intriguing. But I didn’t have a copy of it and neither did my library, so I didn’t get to it.

Kellee

All of these are on my #mustreadin2016 list! And I wrote this before the ALA Youth Media Awards, and I am so happy to say that All American Boys, Enchanted Air, and George were all honored! I am even more excited about getting to these!

1. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Specifically after reading the NPR interview with the authors, I know I want to read this one.

2. Hook’s Revenge: The Pirate Code by Heidi Schulz

I loved the first one, and I love Heidi!, so I definitely need to read this one!

3. Enchanted Air by Margarita Engle

I want to read this one because I love Engle’s other work, novel’s in verse, and memoirs!

4. More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera

Ricki highly recommends this one.

5. George by Alex Gino

So many people are talking about this book, from educators to Entertainment Weekly, so I cannot wait to read it.

What 2015 releases did you miss?

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Bowls of Happiness: Treasures from China and the Forbidden City by Brian Tse

January 7, 2016 by Ricki

Bowls of Happiness
Author: Brian Tse, Illustrator: Alice Mak, Translator: Ben Wang, Editor: Nancy S. Steinhardt
Published: November 17, 2015 by China Institute in America

GoodReads Summary: Piggy’s mom loves her so much that she has decided to make a special porcelain bowl just for her. As mom makes the bowl, Piggy enters the world being painted on its outside. There she meets and learns about the animals used on these Chinese artworks and the messages of happiness and good-fortune that they convey.

Created by internationally renowned children’s book artists Brian Tse and Alice Mak, this book teaches children about Chinese artwork and culture and their universal spirit of generosity, love, and respect for nature. The lovable illustrations are coupled with photographs of porcelain art found in the Palace Museum’s collection. Children will learn about how bowls are made and be able to draw their own Bowl of Happiness after they have finished reading the story.

My Review: It was a lot of fun reading this book. It begins with an imaginative story reflecting the designs on a Chinese bowl. Then, in the second part, the book shifts to informational nonfiction. The author shares a variety of different bowls and their meaning. In the last portion, the readers are given instructions on how to create their own bowls. This book taught me a lot about these bowls of happiness, and I wanted to make my own bowl! Readers will enjoy learning about these bowls and will be intrigued to learn and research more.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I would love to teach a book like this one. I’d have students begin by researching even more about these bowls, their symbolic meaning. Then, I might have the students create drafts of their own bowls. The book provides a wealth of information about the symbols and colors of bowls, and students could select their own designs and symbols. While their bowls would not be authentic and teachers would have to be careful to explain appropriation, it would teach the students to enjoy and appreciate another culture and reinforce their knowledge about the bowls.

Discussion Questions: What symbols do you find most interesting? If you could have any of the bowls in the book, which would you pick, and why?; What symbols are used in your culture? How might they compare to the symbols on these bowls?; Why do you think the author divided the book into such different sections?

We Flagged: “These two bowls were not used for eating. Chinese emperors used them for important rituals that paid respect to Heaven and Earth.”

Read This If You Love: Books about culture, history, art, or museums

Recommended For:

Ricki and Kellee’s #MustReadIn2016

September 3, 2017January 5, 2016 by Ricki

#MustReadIn2016 is hosted by Carrie Gelson at There Is A Book For That:

“For anyone out there with a To Be Read list that seems like it will never end, this challenge is for you! This is all about making your own personal list of books (5? 10? 20? 30? more?) that you commit to reading in 2016. Books can be published in any year, be from any genre, and be from any category (adult, YA, MG, Graphics, NF, etc.). As your TBR list grows, you promise you will get to the books on this list.”

These are our hopeful lists. Many are books we’ve been wanting to read for a long time, while others are books we just really want to read as of right now (January 2016), and lastly, some are books we really need to read because we’ve promised someone (or each other). Primarily, we included young adult and middle grade books because they are what we are going to try to read more of this year. As Carrie said, we will absolutely be reading many books not on this list! And don’t worry, we will still be reading the latest and greatest picture books to our boys.

Now without further adieu:

Kellee’s #mustreadin2016

Ricki’s #mustreadin2016

1. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely Completed 4-25-16

2. Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin Completed 9-18-16

3. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon Completed 2-5-16

4. The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough Completed 4-5-16

5. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith Completed 3-15-16

6. ~~The Honest Truth~~ ~~by Dan Gemeinhart~~ Completed 6-5-16

7. Knockout Games by G. Neri Completed 8-10-16

8. The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork

9. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

10. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

11. See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles Completed 9-5-16

12. Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm Completed 8-11-16

13. A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz Completed 9-28-16

14. This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel Completed 6-17-16

15. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Completed: 11 out of 15

Kellee’s #mustreadin2016

~~1. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely~~ Finished 4-1-16

~~2. Enchanted Air by Margarita Engle~~ Finished 12-10-16

~~3. Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton~~ Finished 1-12-16

~~4. George by Alex Gino~~ Finished 3-30-16

~~5. Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky~~ Finished 6-22-16

~~6. The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson~~ Finished 6-23-16

~~7. The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart~~ Finished 3-9-16

8. Hook’s Revenge: The Pirate Code by Heidi Schulz

~~9. The Marvels by Brian Selznick~~ Finished 8-5-16

~~10. Masterminds by Gordon Korman~~ Finished 5-11-16

~~11. Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Peña~~ Finished 12-19-16

~~12. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera~~ Finished 8-28-16

~~13. The Nest by Kenneth Oppel~~ Finished 7-14-17

~~14. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys~~ Finished 1-16-16

~~15. The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John~~ Finished 4-14-16

Completed: 14 out of 15

We’d love to hear about your #mustreadin2016 list!

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Kellee and Ricki’s #MustReadIn2015: It’s the End of the Year!

December 31, 2015 by Ricki

#mustreadin2015 is a challenged hosted by Carrie Gelson at There Is A Book For That

“For anyone out there with a To Be Read list that seems like it will never end, this challenge is for you! This is all about making your own personal list of books (5? 10? 20? 30? more?) that you commit to reading in 2015. Books can be published in any year, be from any genre, and be from any category (adult, YA, MG, Graphics, NF, etc.). As your TBR list grows, you promise you will get to the books on this list.”

These were our hopeful lists, and we did not achieve as many books as we wanted, but this challenge did lead us to read so many more books than we would have read without the challenge! Next year, we may not do 25 books. 🙂 Many are books were texts that we wanted to read for a long time, others were books we just really wanted to read in January 2015, and lastly, some are books we really need to read because we’ve promised someone (or each other). Primarily, we included young adult and middle grade books because they were what we were going to try to read more in 2015. We read many books not on this list, and that is, perhaps, why we didn’t completely finish our lists! Our sons wanted picture books, too, so we couldn’t say no to them!

Our full, original #mustreadin2015 book lists are available here

You can also read our updates:
Kellee & Ricki’s #MustReadin2015 Spring Update
Kellee & Ricki’s #MustReadin2015 Summer Update

Ricki’s #mustreadin2015 Final Update

Completed: 14 out of 25

I did not meet my goal because I got a bit caught up in new releases, but I am strangely satisfied by the number of books that I finished. Many of these books were on my TBR list for a long time, so I am happy I made some progress on the older part of that list. Next year, I am going to be a bit more realistic.

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky is a beautifully written story about a character named Grayson who was born male but has always felt like she was a female. I have read many books about gender identity, and this one stands out. Grayson felt very real to me, and I felt like I was going on a roller coaster ride right along with her as she confronted the daily challenges with gender. This is a text that is marketed more toward the middle grades, which is refreshing to me. Many (but not all) books about gender identity are geared toward the high school level, and while this is great, I believe we need more books about this important topic for younger readers.

Like Water on Stone by Dana Walrath is a fantastic book in verse that is set in the Ottoman Empire during the 1910s. It blends genres of magical realism and historical fiction. The point of view alternates with each poem, so I came to understand the differing perspectives of the family depicted in the text. The horrific genocide against Armenians is not common in literature, and this text sheds light on a time period that should be depicted more often. The strength of the children in this book will be inspirational to readers.

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is based on the true story of Salva Dut, a Lost Boy of Sudan. I would love to teach this book alongside Ishmael Beah’s A Long Way Gone because there are many parallels across the story—and yet, there are also differences that would provide rich discussions. This is a book that made me want to be a middle school or elementary school teacher. I would love to do the Water for South Sudan challenge with my students. This sort of advocacy would be very empowering for students.

Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper. I could not put this book down. I don’t think I will ever forget Melody. She is a fifth grader who has cerebral palsy and has never spoken a word. Melody has such a strong spirit, and she is hysterical. Despite so many setbacks and frustrations, she is such a powerful force. Not only does this book teach empathy, but it makes me want to be a better person. The ways Melody is able to perceive others will teach readers a lot about being human. This is going on my favorites list!

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick is another book I’ve wanted to read for quite some time. Everyone raves about Brian Selznick, and now I understand why! I loved the way he layers illustrations with story. The book follows two characters (many years apart), and the parallels in their story make this book quite powerful. This is my first Brian Selznick book, but it most definitely will not be my last.

Kellee’s #mustreadin2015 Final Update

Completed: 17 out of 25

I love having a #mustread list because it really pushes me to read books that others have recommended or that I’ve been meaning to read for many years. Many of my 8 that I didn’t read will be moved to my 2016 list.

Here are the books I’ve finished since our summer update:

How It Wend Down by Kekla Magoon is a book that I think should be read and discussed by all teens. It looks into prejudice, point of view, gangs, love, abuse, and so much more. Mostly in this time where more and more black men are being shot, we really need to be talking to young people about why and look at our prejudices and how to stop this from continuing. Kekla Magoon brilliantly intertwines all of the stories and truly makes you look at Tariq’s murder.

Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles is another brilliant text by Jo Knowles. Her ability to find the truth in so many different types of teens is just incredible. This book has a whole other aspect that I am so impressed with: the way the stories intertwine and all revolve around the middle finger but all in different ways. I definitely recommend this and all of Knowles’s books.

Heidi Schulz must have read my mind when writing Hook’s Revenge because I’ve always felt that Hook was the most interesting character in the Peter Pan stories (Peter himself is actually a bit obnoxious), and I wanted to know what ever happened to him. These books tell me not only that, but also the story of his feisty daughter. Jocelyn overcomes so much to finally become a pirate then, once in Neverland, she goes on quite an epic journey to avenge her father’s honor. Jocelyn is a spit fire and is ready to lead her crew on an adventure of her lifetime.

I am so glad that Ricki told me that I must read Tyrell by Coe Booth. I had read Bronxwood years ago, but it wasn’t until I read Tyrell that I really understood the context of Bronxwood and really found the love for Tyrell. Actually after reading Tyrell, I went back and reread Bronxwood and also read Kendra because I just didn’t want to leave the world. Coe Booth’s voices in her novels are so real and her stories are heart-wrenching and authentic.

Did you have a #mustreadin2015 list?
Share your final update below!
And don’t forget to share your #mustreadin2016 lists next Tuesday!

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Great Books Ricki Read in 2015

December 29, 2015 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Great Books Ricki Read in 2015

This is always the most painful list I create each year. I want to highlight a few great books, but please know that these are not the only great books I read this year. I simply couldn’t limit the list to ten books, but I did manage to narrow the list to fifteen great texts that I highly recommend. If you don’t find any books on this list interesting, PLEASE message me, and I can email you fifteen more great ones. The books are in alphabetical order by the marketed age group, but all books cross over and can be read by all ages!

Children’s (See this post for other great children’s books that I read in 2014 and 2015):

1. Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson

I loved the message of this book, and I think kids will really love it, too. This is a great story that is quite inspirational.

2. Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast by Josh Funk

This is a clever, engaging book. Readers will be impressed by the excellent writing. There are many books on my son’s shelf that we read again and again, and this is one of them.

3. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

Let me count the ways I love this book. The writing is stellar. My son and I simply adore this story and read it quite often.

4. What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada

After I read this book, I immediately bought it as a gift for several friends. It is quite cleverly crafted and brilliantly written and illustrated.

Upper Elementary/Middle Grade

5. Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

This magical book will stick with me forever. I can’t wait for my son to be old enough to understand more of it when I read it aloud. He’s two now, but we might do our first reading when he is four or five, and then again and again!

6. Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle

Margarita Engle’s memoir captured my heart. It made me wish I was teaching middle school. I’d love to use this book in the classroom.

7. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

I know this book wasn’t published in 2015, but I read it this year. Wow. I understand the hype now! This is a book that teaches empathy.

8. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

This is another book that people love that wasn’t published this year. I read it in one sitting and could not put it down. I am in awe of Selznick’s talent.

Young Adult

9. Dreaming in Indian by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Leatherdale

This nonfiction collection of native voices (both in writing and in artwork) is absolutely stunning.

10. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I get a bit emotional when I think about this book—not necessarily because of plot points but because I felt so connected to the characters. I plan to use this book in my methods classes for years to come.

11. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

I still haven’t had the courage to blog about this book because I worry I won’t do it justice. I plan to use this text in a few NCTE presentations. This book is a teacher jackpot. There is so much to discuss!

12. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I’ve waited and waited to share about this book. It will be published in 2016, but I can’t help but include it here because I read it in 2015! I wrote my blog post months ago, and I am so eager to share the love of this text. It is one of those drop-everything-and-read-this-book kind of texts. 🙂

13. X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon

YES. Based on Malcolm X’s early life (and co-written by his daughter), this book takes a very compelling look on this eminent man in history. I loved it.

Adult

14. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

I plan to blog about this book soon. I can’t stop thinking about it! I read this text in short spurts because there was so much to think about. I couldn’t stop underlining (and I don’t typically underline)!

15. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

I loved, loved this audio book. My brother and sister-in-law were looking for a book for their trip back to Maine. They got home and realized they wouldn’t have much more driving time together. So they put the cell phone in the middle of the table, sat, and listened to the rest. This is a great book—one you won’t be able to put down.

What great books have you read and loved this year?

Text Sets for Teachers: Gender’s Lens: Society’s Views and Expressions of Gender

December 24, 2015 by Ricki

Gender’s Lens: Society’s Views and Expressions of Gender
Text Set for Every Day by David Levithan
created by Jack Dunn

At a time where celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner exist, society is increasingly regarding gender as a fluid construct. With this established, one can better examine the how’s of society’s view of gender. I chose this approach because I think too often the context of gender is lost in its portrayal in different texts. When it comes to women, often the discussion is framed as a “How does (female character) embody/defy the stereotypes of women in (role)?” While ideas like “strong female archetypes” are important, it is equally important to understand why roles like this matter in literature. Women do not exist merely as affirmations and challenges to society and so should not be regarded solely as such within the classroom. We must consider womanhood as a varied, independent structure, not a response to a long-established, less-than definite construct of genders and their roles. As for masculinity, any discussion at all would be breaking from the norm. The ways that Pudge in Looking for Alaska challenges masculine stereotypes, that Finny in A Separate Peace might embody them are not typical discussion topics. I am not suggesting that these are questions that warrant discussion, but why they are not discussed is something worth exploring.

Every Day by David Levithan seemed like a logical choice as an anchor text. Its protagonist is genderless, and is afforded a unique perspective into the lives of both men and women. From there, I looked for texts that could be explored from this particular perspective in new and interesting ways. I tried to include as many different perspectives as possible. I wanted to then expand the context that this conversation exists within. I tried to include both anecdotal and objective information about gender from numerous perspectives. I also included information about transgender people as it is a growing important part of the gender discussion. This text set is mean to open up the conversation about a topic that has been contentious lately.

Anchor Text (although other texts may be used!):
Every Day by David Levithan

Books or Book Excerpts
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Poems and Songs
Jezebel – Iron & Wine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=990kOZxIOKw
Shrinking Women – Lily Myers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQucWXWXp3k
Gender Bender by Jennifer Michael Hecht

Short Stories
How to Date a Brown Girl (Black Girl, White Girl, or Halfie) by Junot Diaz
he Wife of Bath’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

Videos/Movies
The Dark Knight Rises
The Demise of Guys? – Phillip Zimbardo
A Powerful Poem on What it Feels Like to Be
Darius Simpson & Scout Bostley – “Lost Voices” (CUPSI 2015)

Articles/Internet Sources
Caitlyn Jenner – Diane Sawyer interview
Beyond ‘he’ and ‘she’: The Rise of non-binary pronouns
Excerpts from Constructing New Masculinities: The Representation of Masculinity in U.S. Literature and Cinema
Tips for Allies of Transgender PeopleGLAAD
Toys Are More Divided by Gender Now Than They Were 50 Years Ago by Elizabeth Sweet

Guiding Questions

What does being a woman mean? What does being a man mean?
Is gender binary? Should it be binary?
How does gender affect individuals?
Is gender a necessary categorization of people?
To what extent is gender a fluid construct?
What do we talk about when we talk about gender?
How does American culture define/express gender through different media and language?
What traits and ethics are associated with gender? What are the implications of those associations?

Writing Prompts

What does gender mean to you? Does YOUR gender mean something to you? If so, what?
How are the stereotypes and ideas that are applied to femininity/masculinity a woman/man?
How do ideas about gender affect those they apply to? How does this manifest itself in literature and the real world?
What does it mean to be a Strong Female Archetype? How does the way society views gender influence their prevalence in fiction? People to consider during your response: Meg Murry, Selena Kyle (Catwoman), Melinda Sordino, and Jezebel
Compare and contrast the relationships of Ponyboy-Cherry Valance, Bruce Wayne/Batman-Selena Kyle/Catwoman and A-Rhiannon? What part do gender and society’s views of gender play in each? What factors affect/complicate the role of gender in these relationships?

A special thanks to Jack for taking a unique perspective on the topic of gender. We hope this text set will prove useful for many anchor texts and classroom discussions! What do you think?

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Text Sets for Teachers: Finding the Line: What is “Good?

December 22, 2015 by Ricki

Finding the Line: What is “Good?
Text Set for The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
created by Alexandria Bottelsen

What makes someone a good person? When are you beyond redemption?

For many young adults, the world seems black and white. In many forms of literature and pop culture, there is a dichotomy between good and bad, heroes and villains. That being said, things such as morality and the “right” thing to do are rarely clear-cut. Not only do these determinations depend on cultural and societal norms, they are also based on individual values. Through The Kite Runner, students will have the opportunity to explore what it truly means to be good, and when—and ultimately if—people are beyond redemption and forgiveness.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini deals with these issues of morality in a modern, engaging way and thus serves as the anchor text for this unit. That being said, the novel does take place in Afghanistan, where the culture and values are far different than those of high school students in the United States. While it is important for students to see that these issues are universal, I wanted to choose other texts—such as Harry Potter and Scandal—that they could easily relate to and grabble with. Similarly, many of the Internet texts are very modern. I want our discussion in class to transfer to other classes as well as their daily life, so including local police blotters, news articles about Snowden, and discussing the morality of current wars will expose them to wide range of contexts in which this argument exists.

Anchor Text (although other texts may be used!):
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Book Excerpts
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Videos
Episode of Scandal (e.g. Season 4, Episode 19) and Abby and Harrison Talk About Morality
Clips from Harry Potter: Snape vs. Dumbledore
Les Miserables (2012): Clip where the bishop forgives Valjan
Criminal Minds Episodes (various)

Websites
The Scales of Good and Evil
Thought Experiment I
Thought Experiment II or Thought Experiment III
Who would you forgive?: List of Historically Famous “Bad Guys” (Instead of giving students the website rankings, ask the famous “bad guys” and debate/discuss this process. Can we rank evilness?)

Charts
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

Short Stories
“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
“Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Tellez
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Articles
“Does Reading Good Literature Make You Moral?”: Boston Review
“Is War Ever Morally Justified?”: The Week
Newspaper Scavenger Hunt for Good and Evil: Police Blotter
Bill Cosby vs. Michael Jackson: How Are They Remembered?
Edward Snowden

Essay
“The Prince” Machiavelli

Guiding Questions

How does the culture we live in help/hurt our definition of morality? How does the line between good and evil differ between cultures?

Does someone’s position in society (e.g. a role model, celebrity, or public servant) change where the line of morality is for them?

Is anyone entirely “good” or “bad,” or can people move freely between categories?

How does someone’s fall from morality affect our memory of them as a person?

Is there a point at which we can no longer forgive someone? Who defines that point?

Are good and bad situational, or are they concrete across all contexts?

Do the “ends justify the means”? In other words, is it ok to act “badly” if the result is “good”?

Writing Prompts

Think of a time when someone betrayed you. What did they do and why was that so bad for you? Would someone have taken equal offense to it? Were you able to forgive them? Why or why not?

What is one thing you think is beyond forgiveness? Why did you choose this? Can you think of any situations where you may forgive a person for that action?

List your top three values as an individual. Where do these values come from? How do they affect your view of “good” and “bad”?

Trace Amir’s morality throughout the novel, then decide, is Amir ultimately a moral person? Do you forgive him? Write a short paragraph for each side of the argument, then highlight which one you personally agree with the most.

A special thanks to Alex for this critical, thoughtful text set! We hope this will prove useful for many anchor texts! What do you think?

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