Ricki – Page 78 – Unleashing Readers

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

October 15, 2015 by Ricki

I’ll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
Published: September 16, 2014 by Dial

Summary: A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah’s story to tell. The later years are Jude’s. What the twins don’t realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

Review: I haven’t been able to stop talking about this book since I read it. I anxiously awaited its release after reading (and loving) The Sky is Everywhere, and it most certainly didn’t disappoint. Jandy Nelson writes characters that step off of the pages and into readers’ hearts. I cried along with Jude and Noah and felt their grief as if it was my own. The passion of the characters was refreshing, and I felt as if they were my friends by the end of the book. Jandy Nelson is a literary genius. This book is quirky, colorful, and different, which makes it unforgettable for me. I plan to use this in my future Methods courses, and I only reserve those reading spots for the best of the best in YAL. It crosses genres a bit (Jude talks to ghosts), and the alternating perspectives span several years in the siblings’ lives. Students and teachers will find many topics and literary qualities that are worthy of analysis and discussion.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Nelson touches on many life lessons in the text, and she presents them in an implicit way. (We all know that readers hate didactic texts!) I would ask my students to create a billboard: “Lessons I Learned from I’ll Give You the Sun.” Then, they could create a word map of different lessons they learned and cut out quotes or draw illustrations of scenes that taught these life lessons.

Discussion Questions: What does this story teach us about humanity?; How do the different characters cope with tragedy? What outlets (creative, emotional, etc.) do the characters use as coping mechanisms?; How does Jude and Noah’s relationship evolve throughout the text?; How does the nonlinear format impact the story?

We Flagged: “I gave up practically the whole world for you,” I tell him, walking through the front door of my own love story. “The sun, stars, ocean, trees, everything, I gave it all up for you.”

Read This If You Loved: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira, The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracey Holczer, Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

Recommended For:

Like Water on Stone by Dana Walrath

October 1, 2015 by Ricki

Like Water on Stone
Author: Dana Walrath
Published: November 11th, 2014 by Delacorte Press

Summary: Blending magical realism and lyrical free verse, this is an intense survival story of three siblings caught up in the horrific events of the Armenian genocide of 1915.

It is 1914, and the Ottoman Empire is crumbling into violence.

Beyond Anatolia, in the Armenian Highlands, Shahen Donabedian dreams of going to New York. Sosi, his twin sister, never wants to leave her home, especially now that she is in love. At first, only Papa, who counts Turks and Kurds among his closest friends, stands in Shahen’s way. But when the Ottoman pashas set their plans to eliminate all Armenians in motion, neither twin has a choice.

After a horrifying attack leaves them orphaned, Shahen and Sosi flee into the mountains, carrying their little sister, Mariam. Shahen keeps their parents’ fate a secret from his sisters. But the children are not alone. An eagle named Ardziv watches over them as they run at night and hide each day, making their way across mountain ridges and rivers red with blood.

Review: This is a beautiful 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.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I would recommend using this book as a literature circle text. Each group could be assigned a text that depicts a different genocide. This would provide rich opportunities to discuss parallels and differences across texts. Then, teachers might consider having students examine both historical and modern genocide. This might involve critical conversations about how we might work to promote social justice. They might even critique conceptions of social justice, such as slacktivism.

Discussion Questions: What does this story teach us about humanity?; How might a feminist read this text? What issues of gender emerge? Is this acceptable due to the historical setting of the text?

We Flagged:

“Hate makes jagged spikes of light,

and blame can crack the sky.

As pierced with wounds

from sharp white teeth,

the Ottoman air had ruptured.

Massacres would come again

as the drum-capped rulers

spread their hate” (p. 17-18).

Read This If You Loved: Tree Girl by Ben Mikaelsen; Audacity by Melanie Crowder; Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto by Paul B. Janeczko; Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys; Night by Elie Wiesel; A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

Recommended For:

Top Ten Tuesday: YA Text Recommendations for Bestselling Adult Texts

August 4, 2016September 29, 2015 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: YA Text Recommendations for Bestselling Adult Texts

I love YAL. I’ll read the adult texts that everyone raves about, but often, I find YAL to be more compelling. If you like the bestselling adult novels below, I recommend specific YA texts (or middle grade text) that you might also enjoy.

1. Adult Text: Room by Emma Donaghue

YA Text: Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher

Both texts are about girls who are taken captive. Stolen leaves readers with much to think about.

2. Adult Text: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

YA Text: Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

Both texts bring readers into a magical setting. Circus Mirandus pulled at my heartstrings.

3. Adult Text: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

YA Text: Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow

Both texts combine medicine, science, and a notable woman in history (for different reasons).

4. Adult Text: Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

YA Text: Hidden Like Anne Frank: 14 True Stories of Survival by Marcel Prins and Peter Henk Steenhuis

Sarah’s Key is beautiful prose. Hidden Like Anne Frank offers much knowledge about those who were hidden during the Holocaust. I learned many of my assumptions were inaccurate.

5. Adult Text: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

YA Text: Death Coming Up the Hill by Chris Crowe

The Things They Carried is well-loved (and quite deserving of its praise). Death Coming Up the Hill is also set during the Vietnam War. The text is entirely written in Haiku format, and the syllable count of the entire text is the same as the number of soldiers who died in 1968 Vietnam. Chris Crowe is brilliant.

6. Adult Text: The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X

YA Text: X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon

X may not be autobiographical, but it is written by Malcolm X’s daughter and a fantastic YA author, Kekla Magoon. It offers a perspective of Malcolm Little’s teenage years that is quite compelling.

7. Adult Text: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

YA Text: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Gayle Forman’s Just One Day captured my heart and reminded me of the things I liked best of Eat, Pray, Love.

8. Adult Text: The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

YA Text: I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Art weaves through the narratives of these texts. Both have incredible depth and will make readers think.

9. Adult Text: Maus by Art Speigelman

YA Text: Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust by Loïc Dauvillier

Both graphic novels feature a survivor’s story, told a generation (or in the case of the second book, generations) later.

10. Adult Text: The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger

YA Text: The Living by Matt de la Peña

Both texts feature stormy settings on boats. While this is one of the few similarities between these well-written works, both are wonderful and worthy of high praise.

Which adult books have you enjoyed? Would you recommend (or would you like a recommendation for) a YA text?

Author Guest Post: “Teaching Kids Empathy through Story” by Natasha Sinel, Author of The Fix

September 27, 2015 by Ricki

“Teaching Kids Empathy through Story”

“I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person.”

― Walt Whitman, Song of Myself

Recently NPR’s All Things Considered aired a piece about a research study suggesting that school kids who read and identify with Harry Potter display more positive attitudes toward people from disadvantaged groups. The reporter said, “So it turns out Harry Potter may be an effective tool against prejudice…When stories allow us to empathize with people who lead very different lives or come from very different backgrounds, it allows us to get into their shoes in a way that no amount of preaching can accomplish.”

While this doesn’t surprise me, I find it extremely interesting and validating.

I consider myself empathetic to an extreme. To be a writer of fiction, I believe that’s a requirement—we have to get inside our characters’ heads to see who they are, how they live, how they think. If I didn’t have empathy, then all of my characters would be privileged white women in their forties. But that’s not who I write. I write about teenagers—female, male, white, non-white, gay, immigrant, autistic, mentally ill.

In The Fix, some of Macy’s actions could be judged—she’s not particularly nice to her mother, she has a history of sleeping around—but as you get to know her, you learn that there’s a reason for her behaviors that even she doesn’t quite understand, even when the reader already does. Same goes for Sebastian. He’s an addict, he suffers from depression, and he spends several weeks at a psychiatric institute.

For readers who have experienced any of these hardships—depression, addiction, sexual abuse—I hope they’ll see that they’re not alone. I hope a reader who has been abused will see that telling someone can help. But I also hope that readers who haven’t dealt with any of these things will take away an understanding of the difficulties a friend may be going through, and will see how important it is not to trivialize or overlook pain that may be underneath the surface.

This quote I found really struck me, and I think of it now whenever I write: “We could be standing next to someone who is completely broken and we wouldn’t even know it.”

Part of empathy is realizing that people wear cloaks to make the pain and scars inside easier to hide. When we read, we see beneath the cloaks. Maybe that can help us look at our friends, our classmates in a new light. Maybe we can question actions first instead of judging. Maybe we can begin to understand what it feels like to be a survivor of abuse, an addict struggling every day to stay clean, an immigrant who fears deportation, an intersex girl learning about her complex body, a boy with Aspergers who wants close friends but doesn’t always understand the nuances of social interactions, an impoverished girl who doesn’t know where her next meal is coming from.

If the studies are true, and kids can become more empathetic by reading diverse narratives, then we need to keep giving them the stories. I promise to keep writing them, and I hope you’ll keep teaching them.

About the Book:

“Sinel bravely addresses tough topics, demonstrating that the weight of secrets can pull us under––and their release can save us from drowning.” —Holly Schindler, critically acclaimed author of A Blue So Dark and Feral

“Bewitching, beautiful, and brave . . . readers will marvel at Macy’s resilience. Sinel’s writing devastates and uplifts, by turns.” —Carrie Mesrobian, award-winning author of Sex & Violence and Perfectly Good White Boy

“A riveting picture of a teenager haunted by her past and struggling with her present . . . richly drawn, heartbreakingly real, and difficult to put down. The Fix shines.” —I. W. Gregorio, author of None of the Above

“A vivid storyteller, Sinel tackles an emotional topic, portraying the pain and repercussions of Macy’s experience with an honest sensitivity. I was hooked from the opening pages.” —Yvonne Ventresca, award-winning author of Pandemic

“Unflinchingly honest writing.” —Marie Jaskula, author of The Lost Marble Notebook of Forgotten Girl & Random Boy

Perfect for fans of Laura Weiss’s award-winning Such a Pretty Girl and Leftovers, as well as Sarah Dessen’s Dreamland, THE FIX (Sky Pony Press; September 1, 2015; ISBN: 978-1-63450-167-5; $16.99; ages 12 & up), by debut author Natasha Sinel, addresses real-life issues of drug addiction and sexual abuse.

While there are many YA novels that focus on sexual abuse, very few explore the complex effects of sibling sexual abuse, which is extremely prevalent (five times the rate of parent-child sexual abuse) and underreported. The Fix, a contemporary story featuring two teenagers from opposite sides of the track, fills a void in young adult fiction.

Meet seventeen-year-old Macy. Rich, popular, and dating the cute boy next door, Macy’s life should be perfect. But she harbors a secret that could ruin her seemingly flawless family. A late night conversation with loner and recovering addict Sebastian at her friend Rebecca’s party throws Macy’s life off balance. The following morning Sebastian doesn’t show up at school, and rumors fly that he’s been hospitalized after attempting suicide. Though their conversation was brief, Macy feels connected to Sebastian and begins to visit him in the hospital. Their blossoming friendship eventually shakes Macy out of her carefully maintained complacency as she realizes that keeping her secret could destroy her.

The Fix not only tells the story of two good-hearted teenagers coming to terms with the cards they were dealt but is also about the fixes we rely on to cope with our most shameful secrets, and the hope and fear that comes with meeting someone who challenges us to come clean. Written with honesty and sensitivity, Sinel’s heartfelt and courageous debut will inspire readers.

About the Author:

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Natasha Sinel is a writer of young adult fiction. She graduated from Yale University with a BA in English and from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business with an MBA. Before beginning her career as an author, she was director of business development at Showtime Networks. Born and raised in Washington, DC, she now lives in northern Westchester, New York, with her husband and three sons.

You can visit her website at natashasinel.com.

Thank you to Sara at Sky Pony Press for sharing this great book with us, and thank you, Natasha, for your beautiful words.

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Review and Giveaway!: Sloth Slept On by Frann Preston-Gannon

September 24, 2015 by Ricki

Sloth Slept On
Author: Frann Preston-Gannon
Published: September 1, 2015 by Sterling

Goodreads Summary: Who’s that sleeping in our tree? When a group of kids finds an animal happily napping in their backyard, they set out to discover what it is and where it belongs. As they search and search—never noticing all the posters and news articles about a sloth that’s broken out of the zoo—they finally discover the identity of the snoozing creature. And when sloth wakes up, it’s in for a BIG surprise! Frann Preston-Gannon has created an endearing, adorable, and huggable title character; a group of intrepid children; and a wildly humorous situation that will appeal to young readers.

Ricki’s Review: The characterization of this text is simply marvelous. I smiled through my entire reading of the book! The sloth’s facial expressions and all of the advertisements that the students miss will make them giggle. This humorous story would be a fantastic read-aloud for classrooms. It provides a good balance between nonfiction and fiction because readers learn about sloths while following an engaging story. I suspect that the sloth will become the favorite animal of many students after they read this book. Reading this book made me want to meet the author/illustrator, Frann Preston-Gannon, because I suspect she is a very entertaining woman!

Kellee’s Review: I really love books that combine fiction and nonfiction because it truly makes reading fun and interesting. This book does a great job of throwing in the factual information within a humorous story. I think it would be so much fun to read this book with students/kids because it would be so easy to make it interactive. I also really loved the illustrations. They are so full of clues and facial expressions and humor and colors. Really made the book even better.

I will say that I do I feel really bad for the sloth though! (You’ll have to read to see why!)

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The obvious navigational tool would be to ask students to research about sloths to learn more about the animal and the ways this information connects with the text. Teachers might ask students to research other animals and create similar stories to share. Another idea would be to ask readers why the children in this book miss all of the signs that the sloth is missing, and zookeepers are searching for them. Teachers might ask students to consider the ways they might miss blatant signs around them.

Discussion Questions: How does the author infuse information about sloths within the fictional story line? What did you learn from the story?; Why do the children miss information about the sloth? How might the story be different if they saw the signs?; How does the story end? Can you think of alternate endings?

We Flagged:

Read This If You Loved: Sparky by Jenny Offill, “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly” Said the Sloth by Eric Carle, Dinosaur Farm by Frann Preston Gannon

Giveaway!:

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Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Lauren at Sterling for providing copies for review and giveaway!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on Our Fall TBR Lists

August 4, 2016September 22, 2015 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Books on Our Fall TBR Lists

We really want to get to these books.

Ricki

I am determined to get back to my #mustreadin2015 list!

1. Like Water on Stone by Dana Walrath

This has been on too many of my must-read lists. I’ve heard it is incredible!

2. Knockout Games by G. Neri

I just learned what this book is about, and now I really want to read it. I had no idea what “the knockout game” was until recently. I am horrified, and I feel compelled to learn more about this awful phenomenon.

3. See You At Harry’s by Jo Knowles

Everyone raves about this one. I love Jo Knowles, so count me in!

4. When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds

I am embarrassed to say I have not read anything by Jason Reynolds yet. I follow him on Facebook and the web like crazy. I’ll be reading (at least!) one of his books before the ALAN Workshop.

5. Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper

Has this book reached “classic” status yet? I better read it very soon because everyone says it is incredible!

Kellee

I hope that I get to my #mustreadin2015 list; however, my fall is going to be filled with preparing for NCTE and ALAN.

1. Hook’s Revenge by Heidi Schulz

I cannot wait to present about humor with Heidi and some other wonderful ladies at NCTE.

2. – 5.

The Edge by Roland Smith

Hellraisers by Alexander Gordon Smith

Undertow by Michael Buckley

The Lost Tribes by C. Taylor-Butler

I am the moderator of the “Keeping ‘Em on the Edge of Their Seats” panel at ALAN with these great authors.

What books are on your Fall Must-Read List?

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Author Guest Post: “An Element of Fun: A Teacher’s Reflection” by Melissa Polyakov, Author of Mr. Fact and Miss Opinion

April 22, 2023September 20, 2015 by Ricki

“An Element of Fun”

In every job that must be done there is an element of fun. – Mary Poppins

I believe that my experience as a teacher is very much like the students’ experiences. The school year starts with excitement, anticipating what’s new. The work isn’t too much of a bother because we’re fresh and there just seems to be a feeling of, “Well, that’s what we’re back to school to do!” Two months later…

Teacher thoughts: How long is this grading going to take? I’ve only graded 10 papers? It feels like 20! When will the work end? I just want to sip some coffee and read a good book.

Student thoughts: How much more homework are we going to have? Seriously? I just want to go outside.

The school year officially begins and the days start to feel longer. If the routine stays the same, everyone will be worn out by December. After teaching my first year and experiencing the need for change in my daily routine, I learned something very important about myself, and I believe about students as well. Sometimes, you just have to have fun and make work feel like play in order to stay motivated.

In my training for becoming a teacher, one of the main pieces of information we were given about students was that they need to stay motivated. If they are going to keep learning and stay engaged, they need to stay interested in the topic. I know this to be true about myself. I noticed in the slow months of teaching, I had to do things to keep my job fun so that I would stay motivated to continue working hard and being the best teacher I could be. Around Thanksgiving I would buy new pumpkin and fall scents to put in my wax burner. As the room would fill with the smell of a nice, warm, baked pumpkin pie, all of our faces would smile, our shoulders would relax, and questions would arise from around the room saying, “Mmmmm!! What’s that smell?!” Immediately, the feeling of the classroom went from “reading my 2 chapters” to reading a book in a cozy home. The smell would motivate the students to work because the environment had changed to something different. A good different.

At the end of teaching a unit, I could always tell the students seemed to be trudging along, needing a boost in their step. I would also need a little boost in my step after all the work put together to organize and teach the unit. All of us needed some kind of break, while still having class and continuing to learn. This was when I would put the books and pencils away and play Jeopardy. The students loved playing Jeopardy and it was a way for them to review all the information they had been learning over the last month or two. After playing Jeopardy over a couple days, the students were re-motivated and re-energized to learn and continue working hard. I believe this is because we all are motivated by something we enjoy. For students, playing is something they enjoy. When learning and working feels like play and there is an element of fun, the energy goes up and everyone is motivated to continue working.

This brings me back to the original quote from Mary Poppins which says, “In every job that must be done there is an element of fun.” When we work, we must find the fun. We must find ways to make it engaging and motivating. This was my goal when writing my recent book Mr. Fact and Miss Opinion. I wanted to give parents and teachers the opportunity to teach about fact and opinion through a story and not through a workbook. I wanted to add a fun, playful element to a not-so-interesting topic. Not only does the story teach the difference between fact and opinion in a silly and entertaining way, it also shows how two completely different characters can become the best of friends. It can act as a teaching guide for both parents and teachers while also being a cute, beautifully illustrated story about a goat and a pig who develop a friendship and learn about each other. When a story such as this is used to teach a lesson, students remember it because it was wrapped up in a fun, playful package. Children’s literature plays a vital role in the education of children, and I believe that it can and should be used to educate children on a multiplicity of subjects. That is my goal as an author and teacher. I would love to see more books that teach about specific concepts within a story that is fun and entertaining. If you have a favorite children’s book that taught you or your children or your grandchildren something important, please share it so we can benefit from each other’s wealth of knowledge.

Mr. Fact and Miss Opinion Summary:

This book is a lively and lyrical story about unlikely neighbors, a goat named Mr. Fact and a pig named Miss Opinion.

Miss Opinion shares a flavorful meal with Mr. Fact, attempting to show him that opinions can add spice to his life. This educational children’s book uses endearing characters to introduce terms such as objective and subjective by personifying fact and opinion.

About the Author: Melissa has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Multnomah University in Portland, OR, and is a member of SCBWI. An educator since 2012, she has taught multiple ages and subjects. However, it was working as the school librarian where her love for children’s literature grew. During her free time, Melissa and her husband enjoy playing volleyball and spending time outdoors with their beloved Goldendoodle.

Thank you so much to Melissa for her reflections about finding the fun in teaching!

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