Book List – Page 16 – Unleashing Readers

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 1000 Ratings On Goodreads

August 4, 2016July 5, 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: Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 1000 Ratings On Goodreads

Ricki

I avoided new releases because I suspect they will get more ratings!

1. The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings by Anna Llenas (57 Ratings)

Every time I read this book, I am impressed by it. This is my favorite pop-up book of all time (and I read a lot of pop-up books!). I love the way Llenas captures emotions so vividly, and it is really helping my son learn about all of the different emotions he experiences.

2. The House of Purples Cedar by Tim Tingle (139 Ratings)

This book is an epic. I felt like I’d lived another life after I finished it. It is beautifully written and was life-changing for me. Tim Tingle is one of the best authors out there today, in my humble opinion.

3. Thrice Told Tales: Three Mice Full of Writing Advice by Catherine Lewis (140 Ratings)

This book is an English language arts teacher’s dream. Each page features a hysterical rendition of a literary term. I wish I had known about this book when I was teaching.

4. The Racecar Alphabet by Brian Floca (175 Ratings)

I am stunned that this book doesn’t have more ratings. Everyone I know loves it! This book has accompanied my son to bed (in the bed) for the past year. He won’t sleep without it by his side. The rhymes are very fun, and the racecar pictures are awesome!

5. Quicksilver by Stephanie Spinner (539 Ratings)

This is an older book (2006) that I would still recommend highly to teachers. Whenever I book-talked this book, I only had to read the first page to get a line of readers. It is told from the perspective of Hermes, and the book is hilarious. It teaches mythology through the story. If you love the Riordan books, I promise you will love this one (and the others written by Spinner). She’s awesome.

Kellee

As I was scrolling through my Goodreads READ list, I didn’t even make it to books with over 100 ratings because I found these and was so shocked that not more people have read/rated them!
P.S. I decided to focus on books published before 2015 & 2016 because with those books it may be more about time they’ve been out than anything.

1. Dolphin Sky by Ginny Rorby (42 ratings)

I cannot believe that any book written by Rorby doesn’t have thousands of ratings. I love everything she writes!

2. Star Challengers: Moonbase Crisis by Rebecca Moesta and Kevin J. Anderson (10 ratings)

I love the science mixed in with the fiction! It is written by a widow of a Challenger astronaut and hopes to keep kids interested in space exploration and the sciences.

3. How Fast Can You Go? by Kate Riggs (17 ratings)

Trent loved this board book that we checked out from the library! It is a perfect mix of fun illustrations and vehicles.

4. Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson (80 ratings)

This book is a book that all middle grade kids should read. It build empathy, passion, and leadership. I am so surprised more kids and adults haven’t found this amazing resource.

5. Mira’s Diary series by Marissa Moss (#1 301 ratings, #2 91 ratings, #3 37 ratings)

I love this series! It is a wonderful mix of history and science fiction! Mira’s adventures keep you reading, but I personally love all of the history you learn during her journeys.

Which underrated books have you enjoyed?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases For The Second Half Of The Year

August 4, 2016June 14, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of the Year

Ricki

1. You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan

This dynamic duo author pairing will surely be a crowd-pleaser. I love their individual work, so I am very excited about this one!

2. Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King

I love this woman, and I will read anything she writes!

3. Pirasaurs! by Josh Funk

I eagerly await this book! I got my hands on an early copy of Dear Dragon, and it was just as great as Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast. I can’t wait to read Pirasaurs!

4. The Leaving by Tara Altebrando

I love a good mystery and am intrigued by this cover.

5. Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia

I’ve heard this book is excellent, and it is right up my alley! I am very excited for its release!

Kellee

I am so looking forward to King’s newest and Josh Funk’s two new picture books also! Here are some other upcoming novels (if I did picture books too, my list would be way too long!) I’m excited to read:

1. When We Was Fierce by E.E. Charloton-Trujillo

This book reminds me of How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon and Tyrell by Coe Booth, both books which I love.

2. To Stay Alive: Mary Ann Graves and the Tragic Journey of the Donner Party by Skila Brown

I am fascinated by the Donner Party, and I love books in verse, so this one seems like a win-win for me!

3. Still a Work in Progress by Jo Knowles

I cannot wait! First, why is there a hairless cat in a sweater on the cover?! Second, yay Jo Knowles!

4. Radical by E.M. Kokie

I loved Kokie’s debut novel, so I am very much looking forward to the follow up.

5. What Light by Jay Asher

This sounds so unlike Thirteen Reasons Why which really interests me.

Which books are you eagerly awaiting?

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Kate DiCamillo: Collaborative Summer Library Program Summer Reading Champion for 2016

June 3, 2016 by Kellee

Two-time Newbery Medalist, former U.S. Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and bestselling author Kate DiCamillo has another title to add to her growing list of accomplishments. She is the 2016 National Summer Reading Champion for the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) for the second year in a row.

“I know this sounds kind of funny,” says DiCamillo, “but I feel like I was born to be the CSLP Summer Reading Champion. The library was such a magical place for me as a kid—a place of possibility, safety, and promise. And my being a Summer Reading Champion is all about hoping that kids and their families will get the chance to feel the same way about their own local library. Kids and libraries belong together all year long, but the summer is particularly special—a time of freedom and fun in reading. And freedom is how lifelong readers are made.”

CSLP is a nonprofit consortium of state libraries that work together to provide an annual unified summer reading theme and professionally created, evidence-based materials for member libraries to enable them to provide high-quality summer reading programs to their communities at the lowest possible cost. They reach approximately 15,000 member libraries nationwide, representing all fifty states.

The 2016 theme is “On Your Mark, Get Set . . . Read!” CSLP has created a comprehensive array of resources for libraries to use in their summer reading programs, including program ideas, booklists, posters, clip art, and activities for four age groups, from babies to adults. All materials are available in English and Spanish. DiCamillo has provided a top ten list of reasons to join a library summer reading program and will also create a list of her favorite recommended summer reads for 2016.

“We think the 2016 theme is perfect for an Olympic summer and have created a host of materials that are easily adaptable to any community,” says CSLP board chair and Mississippi Library Commission’s Senior Library Consultant Mac Buntin. “We’re absolutely thrilled to have Kate DiCamillo as our Champion. Her passion for summer reading and love of libraries—and librarians—is inspiring and infectious.”

Turn learn more about CSLP, visit their website at http://www.cslpreads.org and view the official press release here.

As a fan of DiCamillo, including her newest Raymie Nightingale, we are so happy to see her promoting not only summer reading, but book and library love in general.

Kellee Signature

Top Ten Tuesday: Non-Shallow Beach Reads

August 4, 2016May 31, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Non-Shallow Beach Reads

These books would be great to read at the beach, and they are not shallow or trashy!

Ricki

1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

This book is gut-wrenching. I love enjoying a romance on the beach, and this one would be a great pick.

2. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Gayle Forman’s writing is anything but shallow. I felt like I was traveling Europe as I read this one!

3. Anything by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen’s books are perfect for vacations. They have a little bit of romance, and their depth of emotions always captures my heart. She tackles tough issues, and I always feel like I’ve grown as a person after I read her books.

4. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

I read this book at the beach, and it was a great pick. I loved the way it swept me away into Anna’s story.

5. Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

This book was always a hit in my classroom. Because I love reading romances on the beach, I think it would be a great choice.

Kellee

When I think of beach reads, I think of romance. These are some well-written novels that have some romance in them.

1. Atlantia by Ally Condie

This book isn’t about the romance (though it has some), but it is about an underground city. Very beach appropriate.

2. Bridget Jones’s Diary series by Helen Fielding

If you have not read the books, you are missing out on hilarity! And with a 3rd movie coming out this year, this would be a perfect time to pick them up.

3. From What I Remember… by Stacy Kramer

This book has everything. Romance, adventure, drama, humor- it was a roller coaster! I loved it so much. It read like a movie making you feel like you were there, and I loved how distinctly different the multiple point of views were. Perfect fun for the beach!

4. Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

A fun mermaid story? And with romance? A great series for beach reading!

5. The Mediator series by Meg Cabot

This is one of my favorite romance series. It is a bit romance novel-y in that Suze loves a ghost since she is a mediator, but it is also really well done and written well because it is Meg Cabot.

What books do you love to read on the beach?

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Aspiring Author Guest Post!: “Four Books that Challenge Gender Roles” by Ainsley Izzie

May 29, 2016 by Kellee

“Four Books that Challenge Gender Roles”

Most adults were probably raised on the idea that boys did one thing while girls did another, that boys love blue while girls love pink. It’s neither correct nor incorrect to believe in traditional gender roles, but people are more wary these days of such stereotypes and inequalities between the sexes. It’s wrong to discourage a girl from studying engineering as it is a male dominated industry, as it is wrong to deem a boy homosexual just because he has an interest in clothes, and this has inspired numerous parents around the world to support the movement of gender neutral parenting, or GNP as it’s more commonly known. Although the uninformed may see androgyny to be the result of this parenting style, Everyday Feminism explains, “The whole point of GNP is that it doesn’t force any preconceived gender norms onto a child in the hopes that they can find their own comfort spot on the continuum we call gender.”

Parents aren’t the only ones working to eliminate society’s prejudices on gender. From clothes and toys to literature, businesses and individuals are redefining gender roles in various ways. Several companies are doing quite well in the arena, including the unisex clothing brand Tootsa that focuses on colors and patterns that any child would love without the gender biases. Clothes are a great way to express one’s thoughts on the subject and show their support for fluidity, but for anyone that is unaware of the gender continuum could use a lesson or two from a few writers that have changed our outlooks on what it’s like to be masculine or feminine.

Writing about a gender neutral character is a difficult skill to master, but a handful of authors have managed to do it so eloquently that it's time that we help young students break any gender stereotypes they may have.

All I Want Is To Be Me by Phyllis Rothblatt

Gender neutrality is all about individuality, which is exactly what All I Want Is To Be Me promotes through this story of children expressing their personalities with the clothing they prefer and activities they like.

Not All Princesses Dress In Pink by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple

The typical princess is expected to be dainty and damsel-like, but not these royal family members. Jane Yolen shows us that princesses come in all shapes and sizes, and that loving sports and adventure don’t make them any less of a princess, no matter what anyone says.

Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman

In the story of Jacob’s New Dress, a young boy is made fun of when he shows up at school wearing his new favorite outfit. But role models such as his teacher and his mother show him that there are lots of ways to be a boy, and that it’s just a matter of accepting and loving himself.

Ballerino Nate by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Ballerino Nate is about a boy that discovers his love for ballet, but finds it difficult to pursue his dream to be a dancer when his brother says that only girls can be ballerinas. That’s when his mother takes him to a real ballet and meet a real male dancer, in hopes that he will persist no matter what obstacles may come his way.

About the Author: Ainsley Izzie is an aspiring writer. She has been working on sharpening my skills for about 4 years now and has had some of her work published online. Her published works can be viewed on Techie Doodlers and her personal blog.

Thank you Ainsley for this post about such an important topic!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books We Feel Differently About as Time Has Passed

August 4, 2016May 24, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Books We Feel Differently About as Time Has Passed

Ricki

1. American Girl Series

I loved these books and read them multiple times. I am grateful to them because they fueled my reading habits. Now that I am older and perhaps a bit wiser, I realize the flaws in these books. Writing aside, they lack historical accuracy, pigeonhole women in ways that make me uncomfortable, and have problematic displays of tokenism in race. That all said, I do think these books played an integral role in my reading development.

2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I hated this book in high school, and I strongly disliked it the first two years I was forced to teach it. Then, something clicked. I got excited when I was ready to teach it in my third teaching year. I realized what it did for my students and the wealth of aspects I could discuss with them. Now, I love the book!

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I thought this book was okay when I was a freshman in high school. I read it again after college and fell in love with it. When I taught it to juniors, they loved it, too. I strongly believe this book is more powerful to teach to older age groups because there are so many complexities that require emotional maturity and experience. I know that many will disagree, though!

4. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

I liked this book as a child, but it didn’t hit me. After reading it a minimum of 500 times to my son, it feels like it is a piece of me. As a mom, this book has captured my heart.

5. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

I’ll admit that I thought this book was pretty dumb when I first read it. After reading it many times with my son, I love it! It is so fun to read!

Kellee

1. Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

I LOVED this book when I was in high school. I thought it was the best book I’d ever read. But then I read more. Now I know better. It is still quite addictive though!

2. Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings

I actually just read this book for the 2nd time about 8 years since I’ve read it last. When I first read it, it was just a mystery to me. This time I read it with a mom point of view. The heartache of all the moms in the book were so real to me.

3. Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman

This is a favorite picture book of my mom’s and my sister’s, but I really liked the board book better because of the length. The full picture book just seemed to ramble on with the same information. But then Trent fell in love with the picture book, and I realize it teaches him so much. Also, watching your 2-year-old son “read” a book for the first time really moves that book into a special place in your heart.

4. The Giver by Lois Lowery

If anything, I’ve learn to love this book more and more each time I read it. I read it for the first time when I was in middle school, and I’ve probably read it 20 times since then. Every time it makes me think of something new based on what time in my life I am in. It is a book that really makes you look at life differently.

5. Baby-Sitter Club Books

These books are what made me the reader I am. Several summers ago, a handful of teacher friends and I decided to reread the first 30 or so BSC books, and I was so surprised to realize how formulaic the stories are. I still loved them and their girl power and diversity though and for making me love kids and reading.

Which books have you felt differently about after time has passed?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books We Picked up on a Whim and Enjoyed

August 4, 2016May 17, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Books We Picked up on a Whim and Enjoyed

Ricki

1. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

I randomly saw this book in college and decided to give it a try. And so started my love affair with Sherman Alexie.

2. The Bus Driver who Wanted to Be God and Other Stories by Etgar Keret

This is the best collection of short stories that I’ve ever read. In high school, I saw it on the shelf and the title captured my interest. The stories were absolutely hilarious and highly entertaining. My best friend and I don’t enjoy the same books, but we both loved it.

3. Native Son by Richard Wright

I found this book in my school’s book room. No one had taught it in over a decade. I read it and loved it so much that I incorporated it into my college credit course. It’s fantastic!

4. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Computer science isn’t my thing, but I was intrigued by the futuristic take of this book and wondered if the title connected to 1984, a book I love. This book is fantastic, and I highly recommend it!

5. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox

I saw this book and figured I’d pick it up because the binding was a bit different from a typical board book. Oh, I love this book so much!

Kellee

1. Don’t Push The Button by Bill Cotter

This book caught me off guard, and Trent and I think it is hilarious! I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of it before I picked it up at the bookstore.

2. Liberty’s Voice: The Emma Lazarus Story by Erica Silverman

I picked this book up on a whim at the Scholastic Book Fair because I wanted some new nonfiction picture books. This one was fascinating and taught me about a strong, talented woman of history I didn’t know.

3. Tommy Can’t Stop by Tim Federle

I loved the Nate books by Federle, so when I saw this at the library, I knew I had to grab it. I love Tommy! I see him in many of my students.

4. Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova

Graphic novels are what I probably read on a whim the most. I often will judge by the cover and hope that they will impress. This one did and my students love it too.

5. Heavenly Nostril series by Dana Simpson

I love this series! I hadn’t heard of it until I saw the second one on Netgalley, and I adored it when I read it. I then HAD to read the first, and I am currently reading the third. I love Phoebe!

Which books did you pick up on a whim and enjoy?

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