Book List – Page 17 – Unleashing Readers

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Book Titles

August 4, 2016May 10, 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: Favorite Book Titles

Ricki

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

Jude and Noah are twins and since their childhood, they have played a game where they bargain/trade parts of the world. I loved this aspect of the book, and it will stick with me.

2. Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

The title of this book sets the mood for the entire story.

3. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

I feel like this title captures the essence of many adolescents. I think about it often.

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Incorporating Shakespeare in a title always earns bonus points.

5. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

This book is a stunner, and the title feels just right. It makes me think of broken glass, fragility, and revealing truth.

Kellee

1. Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby

This title just captures the theme of the novel for me, and the time in the book where the title is explained makes me cry every time!

2. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

The title of this books comes from one of my favorite quotes “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid,” and it fits perfectly with the book.

3. A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

This title just captures the tone and fluidity and bit of magic within Natalie Lloyd’s book.

4. Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

Federle’s Nate books are some of my favorite audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. Whenever I hear the title, I can hear it in Tim’s voice (he’s the narrator), and it immediately brings me back to the book. The sequel’s title is pretty awesome too!

5. Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

Whoa! This book is so intense, and the title captures the pain, tiredness, sorrow, and resilience of Arn. Brilliant.

Which titles are your favorite?

and

From Kellee’s (Huge) Library Pile Part Eleven: Nonfiction Picture Books | Pink is for Blobfish by Jess Keating, Hillary Rodham Clinton by Michelle Markel, Two Friends by Dean Robbins, Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford, & The Great Monkey Rescue by Sandra Markle

September 4, 2016May 4, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Because of It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? posts, I find myself often with huge piles of picture books from the library that were highly recommended by fellow bloggers. I celebrate many of the nonfiction pictures books on Wednesdays, but I want to share some of the fiction picture books I have enjoyed. So, I decided to start series here on UR where I can pass on the love for these books sporadically as I read them. Here is a list of some great pictures books that I’ve read recently from my huge library pile (part 11!).

Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World’s Perfectly Pink Animals
Author: Jess Keating
Illustrator: David Degrand
Published February 2nd, 2016

Goodreads Summary: Pinkalicious meets National Geographic in this nonfiction picture book introducing the weirdest, wildest, pinkest critters in the animal kingdom!

Some people think pink is a pretty color. A fluffy, sparkly, princess-y color. But it’s so much more.
Sure, pink is the color of princesses and bubblegum, but it’s also the color of monster slugs and poisonous insects. Not to mention ultra-intelligent dolphins, naked mole rats and bizarre, bloated blobfish.

Isn’t it about time to rethink pink?

Slip on your rose-colored glasses and take a walk on the wild side with zoologist Jess Keating, author of How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied, and cartoonist David DeGrand.

My Thoughts: I loved how Keating set up the book. The information that was included was fascinating, there were many text features that added interesting tidbits throughout, and there was some hilarity thrown in. Such a great read! I also was told that it is going to be a series, and that is such great news!

Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls Are Born to Lead
Author: Michelle Markel
Illustrator: LeUyen Pham
Published January 5th, 2016 by Balzer + Bay

Goodreads Summary: In the spirit of Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope andAmelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride comes an inspiring portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton: a girl who fought to make a difference—and paved the way for women everywhere—from Michelle Markel and LeUyen Pham.

In the 1950s, it was a man’s world. Girls weren’t supposed to act smart, tough, or ambitious. Even though, deep inside, they may have felt that way. And then along came Hillary. Brave, brilliant, and unstoppable, she was out to change the world.

They said a woman couldn’t be a mother and a lawyer. Hillary was both. They said a woman shouldn’t be too strong or too smart. Hillary was fearlessly herself.

It didn’t matter what people said—she was born to lead.

With illustrations packed full of historical figures and details, this gorgeous and informative picture book biography is perfect for every budding leader. Includes a timeline, artist’s note, and bibliography.

My Thoughts: Alyson Beecher shared with me that Pham did a tremendous amount of research for this book though she had no issues researching because Hillary is so fact-checked. I think the idea of how much research LeUyen did for this book is fascinating and is also evident in the book. I am also a huge fan of Pham’s illustrations (she does Princess in Black also), and it was so much fun to see Hillary being represented so brightly. I loved learning about Hillary’s journey to the current presidential race. Right now so much is focused on negativity, it is nice to see why she is such an inspirational woman.

Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass
Author: Dean Robbins
Illustrator: Sean Qualls and Selina Alko
Published January 5th, 2016 by Orchard Books

Goodreads Summary: Some people had rights, while others had none.
Why shouldn’t they have them, too?

Two friends, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, get together for tea and conversation. They recount their similar stories fighting to win rights for women and African Americans. The premise of this particular exchange between the two is based on a statue in their hometown of Rochester, New York, which shows the two friends having tea.

My Thoughts: I loved learning about this friendship! I am a great admirer of both Anthony and Douglass; however, I did not know anything about the relationship they had. I love that they were both visionaries within two a civil rights movement though they also realized how their goals were connected, so they fought the prejudice together. Although I really would have loved this story to be longer to learn more about how they worked together, learning about their histories and imagining their tea party was a perfect way to introduce the friendship. I am also a huge fan of Qualls’s artwork, and I loved how this book incorporated his work with the written words of both reformers.

Freedom in Congo Square
Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie
Published January 5th, 2016 by little bee books

Goodreads Summary: This poetic, nonfiction story about a little-known piece of African American history captures a human’s capacity to find hope and joy in difficult circumstances and demonstrates how New Orleans’ Congo Square was truly freedom’s heart.

Mondays, there were hogs to slop,
mules to train, and logs to chop.
Slavery was no ways fair.
Six more days to Congo Square.

As slaves relentlessly toiled in an unjust system in 19th century Louisiana, they all counted down the days until Sunday, when at least for half a day they were briefly able to congregate in Congo Square in New Orleans. Here they were free to set up an open market, sing, dance, and play music. They were free to forget their cares, their struggles, and their oppression. This story chronicles slaves’ duties each day, from chopping logs on Mondays to baking bread on Wednesdays to plucking hens on Saturday, and builds to the freedom of Sundays and the special experience of an afternoon spent in Congo Square. This book will have a forward from Freddi Williams Evans (freddievans.com), a historian and Congo Square expert, as well as a glossary of terms with pronunciations and definitions.

My Thoughts: I found this book to be touching and beautiful and sad. Books about slavery always make me so ashamed of our past, so they are hard to read yet so important. I think Weatherford’s story really captures the brutal conditions of slavery in the South but also the freedom that was felt on the one free day in Louisiana. Also, I personally like rhyming couplets, so I thought it had a great sing-songy quality. And let’s not forget the illustrations. They are pieces of art. They could each be framed and put in a museum.

The Great Monkey Rescue: Saving the Golden Lion Tamarins
Author: Sandra Markle
Published October 1st, 2015 by Lerner Publishing Group

Goodreads Summary: Golden lion tamarins are found only in Brazilian forests. These small, remarkable monkeys once had plenty of space to roam and claim family territories. But years of deforestation caused their numbers to shrink. They were in serious danger of becoming extinct.

To help, scientists studied the animals in zoo settings. But they faced several mysteries. Why weren’t golden lion tamarins reproducing in zoos? If scientists reintroduced zoo-raised tamarins to the wild, would those monkeys survive? And how could scientists give tamarins enough forest area for the population to grow? Find out how scientists and concerned citizens worked together to give golden lion tamarins a hopeful future.

My Thoughts: It is always sad to learn about an endangered animal I didn’t know about before, this story was inspiring because it showed how a team working together could, and hopefully will continue, reverse the loss of a species. This book is so hopeful in that if we all work together to help save species that are struggling to survive. I really want to read more of Markle’s work now because she really is quite brilliant about turning information into narrative nonfiction.

All Recommended For:

Want to see Part One? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Two? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Three? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Four? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Five: We Need Diverse Books (NF)? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Six: We Need Diverse Books (F)? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Seven? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Eight: 2015 Nonfiction Titles? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Nine: 2015 Nonfiction Titles? You can view it HERE.
Want to see Part Ten: 2015 Fiction Titles? You can view it HERE.

Author Guest Post!: “Reading the Middle Grade Mind” by Sally Barlow-Perez, Author of The Unintended Runaways

May 1, 2016 by Kellee

“Reading the Middle Grade Mind”

Have you ever tried to steer one of your favorite kids toward one of your favorite books? You’re in eager enthusiasm mode. “Hey, you are going to LOVE this book!”

Then the kid rears back, looks like you asked him to drink a glass of hot chalk, gives you that look, and says, “Uh, thanks, but I don’t think so.”

Just like adults, kids pick books for their own reasons. And timing is everything. One week a reader might feel like something light that reflects familiar problems like, The Mother Daughter Book Club series; the next week he or she might relish the challenges of Wonder or maybe a visit to a whole to universe in The Lightning Thief or something as wacky as one of the Wimpy Kid books. It all depends on mood, just like it does with you and me. Or stress level. Or time availability. I’ve seen a 9-year old read and enjoy a Babysitter Club book – standard 3^rd grade level reading—during a school week, and Wonderstruck— 5^thgrade level reading–on her vacation. Makes sense. You and I don’t read Dostoevsky when we barely have time for lunch. Middle grade readers thrive on a huge variety of choice. Which is lucky, since as authors, we are just as eclectic as our young readers!

That said, I am sure there are those of us who try to shake loose a few practical thoughts before we set pen to paper to write our deathless prose. No doubt, in addition to prayer, you’ve tried to psyche out just where that sweet spot in middle grade literature is. Sure, there are trends and the Goodreads lists and I’m sure there are some left-brain writers out there who can successfully write to the formula. But since I’ve always favored on-the-spot research, I thought I’d go directly to the source: my sixth grade consultants: Sarah, Haley, Carolyn, Mia and Emily. “What have you been reading lately?” I asked them. These are just a few samples of the many titles they sent me:

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives by Martin Ganda
The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone.
The Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin
School of Charm by Lisa Ann Scott
Black Beauty by Anna Sewall
Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Hope is a Ferris Wheel by Robin Herrera
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Sure, it’s a girls list; not much blood and guts there but look at the variety. From dystopia to Victoriana to the serious issues of an adolescent with a disability to pure escapism. Irving Stone, no less! Remarkable that reading tastes could vary so widely among such friends from the same school in the same grade with such similar backgrounds. My point being, that predicting subject matter that will appeal to every middle grader is a losing proposition.

Picture this—and if you’ve taken your children or your students to the library, you’ve seen it many times. A middle grader sitting on the floor between the stacks taking out book after book off the shelf, looking at it very briefly, and then returning it to that empty slot among the other books. Those poor, forlorn, rejected books. Someone put his or her heart and soul into writing that book! What was wrong with it! Well, it just didn’t suit, that’s all. For reasons we, as onlookers (or the unfortunate author of said rejected volume) will never know. My conclusion: short of writing a tome on the love life of ants, I might as well forget trying to guess what will suit the middle grade reader and suit myself instead.

At the same time—trying with some difficulty to recall my past life as a lit. major—I tryed to find the commonalities in the lists of books my sixth graders sent me. It wasn’t in the eras, the settings or the subject matter. They varied from Hogwarts, to Ghana, to the rural South, to a dystopian future, to small town USA, to ancient Rome. Lots of variety there and choice in those areas can be a matter of cover art, flap blurb or momentary whim. But in the protagonist (Lit. 101 !) I do think young people make a conscious choice to read a book featuring one of two different kinds of protagonists:

A character with whom they can completely identify; someone who shares their sensibilities, their strengths, their weaknesses, and their secret feelings; someone who permits them to sigh in relief, saying, “I am not alone; Someone else feels or behaves that way too.”
Or
A character with whom they can partially identify, but who is perceived as an individual to emulate; someone with qualities to admire, or aspire to, even if those qualities are as basic as patience, or self-assurance, or courage rather than the ability to fly or fight dragons.

It might be simplistic to say that the former is featured in reading that requires a little less concentration than the latter. I’m sure there are examples either way. But the best authors show us well rounded characters who evolve and change in both cases. What a privilege it is to read the work of the many wonderful authors of middle grade fiction who make their characters come alive for us. I see my young friends absorbing Palacio’s Auggie, Hodgson Burnett’s Sara Crewe, Pullman’s Lyra, Selznick’s Ben and Rose; Riordan’s Percy, and Lowry’s Jonas and I think, “These characters are becoming part of who my young friends are.” How could they not?

I too feel as though I too have been influenced by the thousands of fictional characters that have filled me up over the years. A good number have come from middle grade books. Many from young adult books. One memorable one was the picture book that inspired my own middle grade novel, The Unintended Runaways, with its lively painting of a gypsy wagon and the carefree little girl who lived in it.

The tale that formed around that picture was the story I wanted to tell. I fought it. I’d been in marketing and public relations and I knew historical fiction was emphatically NOT in vogue. Would anyone read it? Newsletters and conferences told me I would never sell it. “Write it anyway,” I told myself. I already had visions of the beautiful blue wagon and the big shire horse trotting down the lovely rural roads of mid-19^th century England. market.

“Don’t be an idiot,” I argued back. “You’re a journalist. You wrote a history book. Get out there and write something that’ll sell. How about an academy for shapeshifters? A middle school mafia? An underground society ruled by 12-year olds? You can do it! Get with the program!”

“Yeah,” said my better self. “And it will suck, big time and you will hate every minute of it. This is 40,000 words we’re talking about.”

So I did it my way. I wrote my historical novel about 19^th century young people. Unfashionable as my setting might be, I knew today’s middle graders would identify with the larger themes of justice, freedom, and family. And I hoped they would fall in love with my characters just as I did.

Thus The Unintended Runaways came into being. My sixth grade consultants – who were very generous early readers!—say they like it. (They kind of have to say that.) But the proof will be in the sales figures. Because as a general rule……

There’s just no reading the middle grade mind.

____________________________________________

Links:

Website: www.theunintendedrunaways.com

____________________________________________

Summary: For a girl who loved adventure, twelve-year old Lia Leonides had the perfect life. Every summer, she and her grandfather traveled the rural roads of England in their gypsy wagon, stopping at fairs and selling horse brasses along the way. It was exactly the life Lia wanted, until the day a mysterious letter arrived. Lia’s grandfather warned her not to get her hopes up, but lifelong dreams are hard to ignore. Lia’s father was alive and looking for her. But when her grandfather suddenly passes away, Lia is sent to work as a servant in an orphanage and is left with a choice that she never wanted to make: let the world decide her future for her, or run away and decide it for herself? Lia, with the help of her beloved pets and some unexpected friends, must take her gypsy wagon south on a harrowing journey before her father disappears forever. A persistent sheriff and the constant threat of misfortune won’t make the trip easy, but Lia and her friends don’t plan to let anything stop them from forging their own destinies.

____________________________________________

About the Author: Sally Barlow-Perez openly admits that books have taken over a good chunk of her life. She gobbles down two or three library books a week, ranging in genre from young adult, to middle grade, to fantasy, to mystery. She tries to balance her book obsession with writing, hiking, and hanging out with the young people who inspire her. But no matter how hard she tries, she always comes back to books. As a fiction writer, Sally’s focus is curiosity. “Curiosity is a great excuse for writing, as well as for reading,” she says. “Even when I finish a book, I still wonder what the characters are doing!” Sally makes her life in Palo Alto, California. She has two grown sons, whom she believes to be her greatest contribution to mankind. The Unintended Runaways is her first middle-grade novel. More information is available at www.theunintendedrunaways.com.

Thank you Sally for this insightful guest post!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Make You Want to Make a Difference

August 4, 2016April 19, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Books That Make You Want to Make a Difference

Ricki

Kellee’s list is awesome! A couple would have made it to my list, too! I am also focusing on books about helping fellow humans.

1. Be a Changemaker: How To Start Something that Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson

This nonfiction book is accessible and a fantastic resource for teens. The book is designed and written well. It made me want to go out and be a changemaker!

From my review: My favorite aspect of this book is the way it is organized. The chapters and headings are very clear, and it moves in a fluent, understandable manner. Thompson provides very informative, necessary lessons about honing and fine-tuning leadership skills. Some of the sections I liked most were the tips about leading meetings (from standard operating procedures to icebreaker activities), the sample business plan with budgetary advice, the ways to make money (with grants and marketing tips), and the speaking skills (particularly the section about elevator pitches). Across the country, more and more states are requiring the development of advisory groups for high school students to learn life skills. This text would be perfect for this setting. I can also see the text working well in a business or entrepreneurship class. The best part about the way this book is set up is the fact that teachers can assign chapters to groups or teach the portions of the text that matter most to their syllabi or curricula.

2. How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

This book hit me in the gut. It made me so angry that I wanted to speak out immediately!

From my review: In light of the recent protests, this is an incredibly insightful book that is very important. The point-of-view shifts every 2-3 pages, which was very thought-provoking. Too often, books depict stereotypical portrayals of members of cultures, and the gamut of characters within this text felt very realistic. For some, this book may be too gritty and too uncomfortable. There is nothing comfortable about discussions regarding inequities and privilege in society. But if you walk down the halls of my high school, there is nothing in the book that is not a concern in schools. This is not a feel-good read, but it made me think. And thinking…is a very good thing.

3. On the Run by Alice Goffman

Not only did this book make me want to go out and conduct an ethnography, but it made made me livid at the way society promotes inequity.

From my review: Inspired by a college course in her sophomore year, Alice Goffman seeks an ethnographic experience in inner-city Philadelphia. She gets a part-time job tutoring an African American girl, Aisha, and soon befriends the boys of 6th Street (pseudonym). Mike adopts her as a younger sister, and she comes to live with these boys—studying their every move. This quality piece of ethnographic research is a page turner. While it reads a bit more like a book than a scholarly publication, readers can glean her methodological approach through the footnotes. Goffman’s mission is clear. She wants readers to understand the inequities these African American boys of 6th Street face, and she shows how the criminal justice system (both law enforcement and the justice/prison system) are not working. I was ashamed at the actions of the police, specifically, and think this is very educational to readers of all ages, particularly in the wake of the racially based crimes that we consistently see in the news.

4. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

The first line in my review is that this book made me want to be a better person. I can’t stress this enough. I recommend this book constantly.

From my review: This book made me want to be a better person. It changed the way I look at the world, and it is just as incredible as everyone says it is. A friend urged me to push it to the top of my to-read list and said it was one of those books that everyone should read–regardless of age.

August Pullman was born with severe facial deformities. He says, “I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.” Because he is continually in and out of surgery and recovery, Auggie has always been home-schooled. When his mother suggests he start the fifth grade in a private school, he is against it but decides to give it a try.

Told from multiple perspectives (including his sister who is in high school and other kids in the middle school), this book will capture your attention, page-by-page. I feel compelled to read it aloud to everyone, everywhere.

I urge you to put aside any books on your to-read list and pick this one up. I am convinced it will touch anyone who reads it.

5. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

I tried not to repeat any of the titles from Kellee’s list, but I just couldn’t help myself. I am halfway through the audio of this book, and I have wanted to pull over the car because it makes me so angry. This book absolutely makes me want to make a difference and stand up for what is right.

Kellee

I decided to focus on books that make me want to help my fellow humans instead of animals; we may have to do another post about animal books that make me want to make a difference.

1. The Milk of Birds by Sylvia Whitman

This book made me want to help two different types of kids: refugees and students with learning disabilities. I love how the two are intertwined in this story, and K.C. and Nawra’s story will give students a way to help those that struggle in the middle of war.

From my review: Both of these girls are not represented very often in books, and they are both so important to know. Through this book, the reader gets to see the intensity of the situation in Sudan and refugees’ power in overcoming however they can. They also get to see the brilliance of students with learning disabilities. There are so many students in our school just like K.C., and too many of their peers would judge them by their struggles instead of by their heart and soul.

2. Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Like The Milk of Birds, Linda Sue Park’s too true book puts us smack-dab in the middle of Sudan, but also gives the reader a way to help the situation. How can you help? Read A Long Walk to Water.

From my review: Linda Sue Park took a true story of a lost boy’s survival (watch a video about the true story here) after being chased from his village because of war and transformed it into a novel that will leave the reader with a feeling of awe. Awe of the bravery and pure fearlessness of Salva and the other Lost boys of Sudan and awe of the world of riches and blindness we live in while a horrendous war wages on the other side of the world. I love this book because it is very accessible to children, it won’t bog them down with too much history; however, it will definitely make them aware of the situation in Sudan.

3. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Reading this book shows why those of who love teaching love it. We can be someone’s Mr. Daniels.

From my review: “Mr. Daniels is the teacher that I hope I am, that I wish I could be, that I want all teachers to be, and that I want to be friends with.”

4. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

I’ve always been vocal about supporting the #BlackLivesMatter movement and discussing social justice with my friends and students. This book pushed me even further. It gave me a “in” to discussing this others. Racism, white privilege, and prejudice need to be talked about; I’m so glad there are texts coming out that give an avenue for this discussion.

5. Children Growing Up with War by Jenny Matthews

This books will help those resistant to helping refugees realize what we are trying to save our fellow humans from.

From my review: Fortunately, as an American, very few wars touch our lives. Unfortunately, our news doesn’t focus on many of the tumultuous conflicts that are active throughout the world, so we have become detached from reality. Our students are even more detached. That is why this book is important. It puts it all into perspective and really makes me feel and think. We rarely look at the humans that are being affected by the wars, we always focus on getting the bad guy. This book puts faces to the people, specifically the children, being affected every day.

Which books make you want to make a difference?

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Kellee and Ricki’s #mustreadin2016 Spring Update!

April 11, 2016April 8, 2016 by Kellee

#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.”

Kellee

My plan was to read 5 books between each update, and I am right on track!

Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton
Finished 1-12-15

Goodreads Summary: It’s 1969, and the Apollo 11 mission is getting ready to go to the moon. But for half-black, half-Japanese Mimi, moving to a predominantly white Vermont town is enough to make her feel alien. Suddenly, Mimi’s appearance is all anyone notices. She struggles to fit in with her classmates, even as she fights for her right to stand out by entering science competitions and joining Shop Class instead of Home Ec. And even though teachers and neighbors balk at her mixed-race family and her refusals to conform, Mimi’s dreams of becoming an astronaut never fade—no matter how many times she’s told no.

This historical middle-grade novel is told in poems from Mimi’s perspective over the course of one year in her new town, and shows readers that positive change can start with just one person speaking up.

My Thoughts: I am so glad Carrie told me to read this book! She is definitely learning the types of books I love! What makes Full Cicada Moon special is Mimi’s voice. Mimi is strong in the face of adversity and not willing to stand down vs. those who believe she should be less of what she is because she is different. She is who I want my students to read about because although the novel is historical, the themes within are not.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Finished 1-16-15

Goodreads Summary: Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.

As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.

Yet not all promises can be kept.

Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope.

My Thoughts: Sepetys is a genius. She gives voices to those who had not had voices in historical fiction yet. Her ability to humanize those involved through fictional characters while staying true to the tremendous amount research she does just blows me away. I also was so excited to find out that Salt was a companion to Shades. Ricki did a wonderful job of reviewing Salt to the Sea.

‘

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
Finished 3-9-16

Goodreads Summary: In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He’s got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day.

But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals. And treatments. The kind of sick some people never get better from.

So Mark runs away. He leaves home with his camera, his notebook, his dog, and a plan to reach the top of Mount Rainier–even if it’s the last thing he ever does.

The Honest Truth is a rare and extraordinary novel about big questions, small moments, and the incredible journey of the human spirit.

My Thoughts: I’m so glad I chose this book as our first teacher book club choice. There are few reasons why I loved this book despite the depressing tone and topic: First, Mark’s haiku poems written throughout the book are beautiful and I loved reading them in order once the book was over. Second, I love the part the photography played in the story. It shows how powerful images are. Third, I loved the two points of view because, although I loved Mark’s voice, that allowed us to know the feelings at home. Fourth, I loved how Gemeinhart used personification to make the setting another character within the story. Finally, I was intrigued how he had Mark go through the grieving process for himself throughout the story. So well done.

George by Alex Gino
Finished 3-30-16

Goodreads Summary: When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she’s not a boy. She knows she’s a girl.

George thinks she’ll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte’s Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can’t even try out for the part . . . because she’s a boy.

With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte — but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

My Thoughts: I was so proud to hear about this book being published! It is so important that the existence of transgender individuals becomes a reality to everyone, including children. I was wondering how it would be written to not be didactic or over a young child’s head, and I was so impressed. The story was done so gently and thoughtfully. Right away the pronoun she/her was used for George allowing the reader to know right away that George was female; she just needed to tell others. The way Alex Gino told the story will make it so every reader will understand George’s story. This is a book that is going to help with compassion and understanding within our LBGT community.

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

Goodreads Summary: Rashad is absent again today.

That’s the sidewalk graffiti that started it all…

Well, no, actually, a lady tripping over Rashad at the store, making him drop a bag of chips, was what started it all. Because it didn’t matter what Rashad said next—that it was an accident, that he wasn’t stealing—the cop just kept pounding him. Over and over, pummeling him into the pavement. So then Rashad, an ROTC kid with mad art skills, was absent again…and again…stuck in a hospital room. Why? Because it looked like he was stealing. And he was a black kid in baggy clothes. So he must have been stealing.

And that’s how it started.

And that’s what Quinn, a white kid, saw. He saw his best friend’s older brother beating the daylights out of a classmate. At first Quinn doesn’t tell a soul…He’s not even sure he understands it. And does it matter? The whole thing was caught on camera, anyway. But when the school—and nation—start to divide on what happens, blame spreads like wildfire fed by ugly words like “racism” and “police brutality.” Quinn realizes he’s got to understand it, because, bystander or not, he’s a part of history. He just has to figure out what side of history that will be.

Rashad and Quinn—one black, one white, both American—face the unspeakable truth that racism and prejudice didn’t die after the civil rights movement. There’s a future at stake, a future where no one else will have to be absent because of police brutality. They just have to risk everything to change the world.

Cuz that’s how it can end.

My Thoughts: This is a book everyone should read. I know you have probably read that about this book, but I am saying it again. Rashad’s story allows the reader to be part of an event like we see on the news and truly understand what is going on. It is insightful, thoughtful, sad, powerful, and important. I’m so excited to have this as my second teacher book club book; we meet this afternoon to chat about it!

Ricki

I read three books on my #mustreadin2016 list. I usually get many more books read during the summer, so I am excited for that to start!

Goodreads Summary: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

My Thoughts: I read this book several months ago, and the story still remains at the forefront of my mind. I absolutely loved the character development within this book. The author is very talented, and I could not put the book down because I was so excited to learn what happened next. This book is different from many others, and it is a great go-to recommendation for teachers.

Goodreads Summary: Antony and Cleopatra. Helen of Troy and Paris. Romeo and Juliet. And now… Henry and Flora.

For centuries Love and Death have chosen their players. They have set the rules, rolled the dice, and kept close, ready to influence, angling for supremacy. And Death has always won. Always.

Could there ever be one time, one place, one pair whose love would truly tip the balance?

Meet Flora Saudade, an African-American girl who dreams of becoming the next Amelia Earhart by day and sings in the smoky jazz clubs of Seattle by night. Meet Henry Bishop, born a few blocks and a million worlds away, a white boy with his future assured—a wealthy adoptive family in the midst of the Great Depression, a college scholarship, and all the opportunities in the world seemingly available to him.

The players have been chosen. The dice have been rolled. But when human beings make moves of their own, what happens next is anyone’s guess.

Achingly romantic and brilliantly imagined, The Game of Love and Death is a love story you will never forget.

My Thoughts: This is such a smart, smart book. I absolutely loved how Martha Brockenbrough weaved mythology and history into the book. I selected this book for my book club, and everyone absolutely loved it. This is the first time this has happened, I think! There was so much to discuss, and we had fun analyzing the characters–their motivations and decisions. One of the women in my book club said, “I have never wanted to step into a story more often than this one. I really cared about the characters!”

Goodreads Summary: Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the story of how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin’s hormones are totally oblivious; they don’t care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He’s stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it’s up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.

My Thoughts: This book has been on my Must Read list for two years. I love Andrew Smith and appreciate everything he writes. I am a bit of a prude, so I should be honest that I felt a little uncomfortable in a few sections of this book. That all said, I know that teenagers, in general are not nearly as prudish as me. I’ve recommended this book to many teens, and I think it belongs in every classroom. It is very funny and quite clever. Is it a book that was written for me? No, but this doesn’t matter, does it? This is a quality book that will turn so many kids onto reading.

Stop by There Is A Book For That to see the updates of everyone’s #mustreadin2016 lists!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Recent Five-Star Reads

March 29, 2016March 29, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Recent Five-Star Reads

Ricki

1. Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee

I sobbed from cover to cover (and that isn’t revealing any plot details)! I cared deeply about the characters in this book and love the way it is written.

2. Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

This is a fantastic story. It taught me so much of the frustrations I might encounter if I was blind. The story is very well-written, and it made me think about people differently.

3. Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings by Margarita Engle

This lyrical text is receiving a lot of praise, and the praise is spot on. I loved reading this book in verse and learned so much about the Missile Crisis.

4. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I think I might be cheating by including this book because I read the ARC a few months ago, but it just came out! This book is absolutely phenomenal. It ranks in my favorite books of all time.

5. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick

I was inspired to read this book after it won the Caldecott. I read it with my aunt in the bookstore, and after we finished, she said, “We have to buy this book, Ricki.” So I broke my rule about not buying books because this particular book is very special. I needed to own it! We will be reviewing it tomorrow!

Kellee

I just went through my Goodreads list and picked the last five 5-star reads!

1. The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

I’m so glad that I had this on my #mustreadin2016 list and that I chose it for my school’s first teacher book club. I think it has so much to talk about and think about. It is a heart-breaking yet touching story.

2. Alamo All-Stars by Nathan Hale

I love this series. Nathan Hale has a way of making history come alive and adds humor (without being too inappropriate!).

3. Booked by Kwame Alexander

In my opinion, Booked is just as good as The Crossover. It is rhythmic, easy to connect with, and just plain real.

4. Rescued by Eliot Schrefer

Eliot Schrefer knows how to craft a story. His writing just pulls you in and spits you out. You are in his books while you are reading them and don’t want to leave until it is over.

5. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Ruta Sepetys’s ability to craft a historical fiction novel is just awe inspiring. She gives people of the past a voice again.

Which recent books did you read and love?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books We Really Love But Feel Like We Haven’t Talked About Enough

August 4, 2016March 22, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Books We Really Love But Feel Like I Haven’t Talked About Enough

Ricki

I decided to highlight diverse books. I highly recommend each of the books below and vow to talk about them more frequently on the blog. These are books that I treasure, and I think you will enjoy them, too!

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

Everyone (myself include) raves about The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I love this book, but I don’t think we talk about The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven enough. This book is incredibly lyrical and would be a great text to use in classrooms.

2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

If you missed this book, I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy. This book was life-changing for many of my students, and we had so many phenomenal discussions about humanity.

3. Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Even experienced readers of slave narratives will learn so much about this book. It is told in two perspectives: Amari, who is torn from her village in Africa, and Polly, an indentured servant. I connected deeply with this text and think about it often.

4. The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon

I read this book about six years ago when it came out, and I still remember how frustrated I felt while I read it. I connected with the characters and wanted to urge them in certain directions. This is a great story, and kids will learn a lot from it.

5. Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

When I think about writing and poetry, I think about this book. I love the way the teacher engaged the students in writing about their personal lives and wish I’d had students do poetry slams when I was teaching.

Kellee

These are middle grade books that I adore, but don’t book talk and share with my students enough.

1. Hazardous Tales series by Nathan Hale

For my graphic-novel-loving class, for some reason they are scared off by the nonfiction aspect of this series. I need to book talk it and share it more with them to show them how much fun AND informative they are.

2. Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes

This was the book I book talked the most when I taught 6th grade, but then I moved to 7th and 8th and students were not as interested; however, I have moved back to having one 6th grade class, so I need to share it with them. It is a fantastic (and sad) coming of age story.

3. The Wanderer by Sharon Creech

Sharon Creech is a favorite author of mine. I love how she writes and the stories she tells always touch me in some way. My students read Walk Two Moons in 6th grade and Love That Dog in my class, but I need to share more of her titles, including the adventure-filled The Wanderer with them.

4. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

This book is one that I have never forgotten. Billie Jo is a character that just stays with you, and I often wonder what happened to her next. However, historical fiction is just a hard one to sell, and I forget to book talk this amazing book in verse that is one of the books I say helped me to return to reading.

5. How to Speak Dolphin by Ginny Rorby

Ginny Rorby is another one of my favorite authors because she has a way of telling animal and human stories within the same book that are both equally important, and although we read Hurt Go Happy at the end of the year, I forget to book talk her books throughout the year and by the time we’re done with HGH, the school year is over! I need to remember to share the importance of her books earlier in the year.

Which books do you love and wish you talked about more frequently?

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