Classroom Library Buy – Page 35

Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun

April 20, 2021 by Kellee

Pippa Park Raises Her Game
Author: Erin Yun
Published February 4th, 2020 by Fabled Film Press

Summary: Life is full of great expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. It seems like everyone, from her family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how her life should look. So when Pippa gets a mysterious basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself by following the “Rules of Cool.”

At Lakeview, Pippa juggles old and new friends, an unrequited crush, and the pressure to perform academically and athletically while keeping her past and her family’s laundromat a secret from her elite new classmates. But when Pippa begins to receive a string of hateful, anonymous messages via social media, her carefully built persona is threatened.

As things begin to spiral out of control, Pippa discovers the real reason she was admitted to Lakeview and wonders if she can keep her old and new lives separate, or if she should even try.

A Contemporary Reimagining of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens for Middle Graders

About the Author: Erin Yun grew up in Frisco, Texas. She received her BFA in English from New York University and served as president of its policy debate team. This experience came in handy when she became the debate consultant for the Tony-nominated Best Play on Broadway―What the Constitution Means to Me. Erin is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and has written reviews and articles for BookBrowse. She developed her author program, an interactive writing workshop, which she has conducted in person and virtually at schools, libraries, and bookstores. She currently lives in New York City, and yes―she used to play basketball as a middle grader!

She’s obsessed with personality quizzes and takes them for her characters.
She is half Korean, and half Polish/Germanic.
Her favorite foods include: kimchi-jjigae, cherry ice cream, and walnut cakes filled with red bean.
She ran a bubblegum-selling business in middle school until it was shut down.
Her family lore says that her grandfather lost part of his farm in a game of Go-Stop.
She likes creating scavenger hunts in which participants dress like secret agents and follow clues.
Her favorite places in the world include Seoul, London, and Tokyo.
She was president of the New York University policy debate team.
Her family dogs, Belle and Yoko, both bark incredibly loudly despite being foolishly tiny.
She lives in New York City, but folks can tell she grew up in Texas by how often she says ya’ll.

Review: Okay, okay, I know we aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this cover was yelling READ ME to me, and I am so glad that I finally had the chance to and now share it with you all!

There is so much good happening in this book!

First, I love a good retelling! It brings a classical tale and its themes to a modern era.

Second, so many readers are going to connect with Pippa either because they understand what it is like to go to a new school or to fit in with a cool crowd or to have people not understand how important something is to you.

Third, there is so much to discuss with the book! You’ll see below in the discussion questions that in addition to connecting it with Great Expectations, there are opportunities to discuss family, the American Dream, culture, empathy, friendship, and more!

Fourth, I loved how complex the characters and situations were. Pippa is our protagonist but anything but perfect. Mina, Pippa’s sister, is so strict and seems heartless, but there is more there. Eliot is so cold, but there is a whole story there. And more! Such truth in the characterization of these middle schoolers and secondary characters.

Author Guest Post: Visit our Author Guest Post by Erin Yun as she shares five classics reimagined as middle grade novels.

Also, in her latest blog, Erin opened up on why she wrote this Korean American story for kids and how the recent #AAPI conversation about the lack of diverse Asian voices mirrors her own experience as a young reader. Read the blog here.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: At Pippa Park.com, there are so many wonderful resources to help use this book in classrooms!

The Tween Book Club Activity Kit includes the discussion questions below, word games, writing prompts, language arts guide, virtual author visit program, and an escape room activity! (The Common Core Language Arts Guide, Escape Room Activity, and Author Program Worksheet can also be downloaded separately.)

Erin Yun is also available for author events!

Discussion Questions:

From the back matter (some aspects of the questions removed because of spoilers)

Pippa isn’t an orphan, but at times she feels like one. Describe Pippa’s relationship with Mina, her older sister. Why is Mina so tough on Pippa? Discuss whether Mina resents taking care of Pippa. How is Jung-Hwa, Mina’s husband, a father figure to Pippa? How does he make Pippa feel better after she has a fight with Mina?
What is the definition of family? Explain why Pippa’s mother had to return to Korea. How are Mina and Jung-Hwa realizing the American Dream? Discuss how Pippa’s family situation is similar to that of new American’s throughout our nation. How are many of them separated from their loved ones? Discuss why it’s important to celebrate all types of families.
Pippa says, “At Lakeview I could be anyone, as long as they didn’t find out the truth about me.” What doesn’t she want the kids at Lakeview to know about her? What does she do to keep her home life private? What does Pippa think would happen if the girls found out the truth about her?
How does trying to fit in cause Pippa Pippa to lose her sense of self? Why is she ashamed of her family and the way they live?
Pippa’s best friend at Victoria Middle School is Buddy Johnson. Think about how she betrays him.
Why does Pippa think that Eliot’s life is more messed up than hers? How does knowing about his family make her better understand Eliot?
Olive Giordana is the student ambassador that shows Pippa around the school. How does Olive’s desire to be popular affect her judgement?
Discuss what Jung-Hwa means when he says, “The lower you fall, the more room you have to rise.” What is Pippa’s lowest point? How do you know that she is about to rise? Have you ever felt that way?
Pippa’s family celebrates Chuseok: Korean Thanksgiving Day. Learn more about the traditions associated with this holiday on the Internet. Describe and discuss the holiday and the food that is prepared. What cultural holidays does your family celebrate? Is there anything special that you eat?
Pippa Park Raises Her Game is a contemporary reimagining of Great Expectations. Use books or the Internet to find out about the main characters in Great Expectations. What is each character’s counterpart in Pippa Park Raises Her Game? List the characters side by side and as a group apply two or three adjectives that best describe each of them.
Think about all that has happened to Pippa. Then consider the following quote from Great Expectations: “And it was not until I began to think, that I began fully to know how wrecked I was, and how the ship in which I had sailed was gone to pieces.” What is the metaphorical ship that Pippa sails? at what point does Pippa realized “how wrecked” her life is? How does she turn her life around once she begins “thinking”?
If you were to pick on character from Pippa Park Raises Her Game who is most like you, who would it be and why? Who is most unlike you and why? Which character from the book would you want as your friend and why?

Flagged Passages: “Chapter One: The Strange Encounter

I was the only person in the park.

Tucking a damp strand of hair back behind one ear, I surveyed the abandoned slides and empty benches. It was just past six p.m. on a Friday, but it looked like nobody else wanted to be out in the rain. As I strode briskly forward, icy wind numbed the tips of my fingers, making me clutch my basketball tighter. Even though we hadn’t officially left summer behind, the cold front that had settle over Victoria, Massachusetts, did show any signs of leaving.

So … empty court. Lousy weather. And things at home were just as dismal.

My older sister, Mina, had just grilled me for nearly an hour after finding out about the ‘unacceptable’ grade I had received on my latest algebra quiz. When she finally finished, I stormed out of the apartment, making sure to grab my basketball and water bottle; I planned on being gone awhile. Now I kind of wish I had taken a warmer jacket, too. Or at least a hat. But rain or shine, I wasn’t ready to go home yet.”

Read This If You Love: Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen by Sarah Kapit; Bouncing Back by Scott Ostler; Kiki and Jacque by Susan Ross; It Doesn’t Take a Genius by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich; Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Dienesa at Fabled Films for providing a copy for review!!**

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez

April 15, 2021 by Ricki

Furia
Author: Yamile Saied Méndez
Published: September 15, 2020 by Algonquin

Summary: An #ownvoices contemporary YA set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line—even her blooming love story—to follow her dreams.

In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life.

At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father.

On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.

But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her.

But is it possible that she’s becoming too American—as her father accuses—and what does it mean when her feelings for Harrison and Neo start to change? Ana will spend her year learning that the rules of English may be confounding, but there are no rules when it comes to love.

With playful and poetic breakouts exploring the idiosyncrasies of the English language, Love in English tells a story that is simultaneously charming and romantic, while articulating a deeper story about what it means to become “American.”

Ricki’s Review: I lost a lot of sleep reading this book. I could not stop reading! Camila’s voice was so strong that I was really drawn to her story. I am not a particularly athletic person, yet I loved reading about the soccer within this book. It is set in Argentina, which offered a perspective of the country. It made me want to visit Argentina. There are many rich themes in this text that make it very teachable—in particular, it offers depictions of domestic abuse, sexism, and strength. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I would love to use this book with a translanguaging lens of analysis. It would also be interesting to look at feminist theory as a theoretical framing of the text. But it isn’t about me–instead, I’d ask students what they find interesting in the text and what they want to learn more about. This allows for a freedom of curiosity to explore topics of interest from the text (and there are many!).

Discussion Questions:

How do gender roles differ related to soccer in Argentina, according to Camila’s perspective?
What is the role of family in the text?
What does Camila’s mother teach readers? Her brother? Her best friend?
Do you think Camila makes the right choices regarding her future? Why or why not?

Flagged Passage: “Our family was stuck in a cosmic hamster wheel of toxic love, making the same mistakes, saying the same words, being hurt in the same ways generation after generation. I didn’t want to keep playing a role in this tragedy of errors.”

Read This Book If You Loved: Love in English by Maria E. Andreu; Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos, Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok; YA Books with Sports

Recommended For:

Review and Author Q&A: It Doesn’t Take a Genius by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

April 13, 2021 by Kellee

It Doesn’t Take a Genius
Author: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Published April 13th, 2021 by Six Foot Press

Summary: Emmett and his older brother Luke have always been “Batman and Robin,” though they’re quick to bicker about who’s who. Spending the summer at a historic Black summer camp seems like a wonderful adventure for the two to share, but since Luke is there as a junior counselor, he seems to spend all of his time being everyone else’s big brother, and ignoring Emmett.

As Luke seems to be moving on to new adventures, Emmett struggles in unexpected ways, especially in swim class and the “It Takes A Village” entrepreneurship class. Without his brother to turn to for support, Emmett works to build a new crew of “superfriends,” who’ll help him plan something spectacular for the end-of-camp awards night and celebration. Along the way, Emmett learns that no matter what, there can be many ways to define family.

It Doesn’t Take a Genius is the middle grade follow-up novel to Six Foot Pictures’ 2019 film Boy Genius starring Miles Brown (Black-ish), in his breakout role, Rita Wilson, and Nora Dunn. Rhuday-Perkovich was guided by conversations with the actors and screenwriter of Boy Genius as she picked up the thread of Emmett’s story at the end of the film, though it’s not necessary to see the movie to enjoy this continuation. In this coming-of-age tale, Emmett is used to being the smartest in the room but must reexamine how he defines himself when he’s suddenly one of many creative and brilliant peers at camp. Highlighting famous pillars of Black history and pop culture, past and present, Rhuday-Perkovich celebrates Black excellence and joy as Emmett comes into his own.

About the Author: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the author of 8th Grade Superzero, which was named a Notable Book for a Global Society, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, an adaptation for Sesame Workshop’s Ghostwriter, and Operation Sisterhood. She is the coauthor of NAACP Image Award nominee Two Naomis, a Junior Library Guild selection, and its sequel, Naomis Too. She also writes nonfiction, including Above and Beyond: NASA’s Journey to Tomorrow, Someday is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-Ins, and Saving Earth: Climate Change and the Fight for Our Future.

Olugbemisola is a member of the Brown Bookshelf, editor of the We Need Diverse Books anthology The Hero Next Door, and teaches at the Solstice MFA Program in Creative Writing. She holds an MA in education, and has written frequently on parenting and literacy-related topics for PBS Parents, Brightly, American Baby, Healthy Kids, and other outlets. Visit her online at olugbemisolabooks.com and on Instagram: @olugbemisolarhudayperkovich.

Review: I love a good summer camp book, and It Doesn’t Take a Genius has the total camp vibe but to a different level as Emmett is immersed in Black excellence and culture at Camp DuBois. Camp DuBois, though quite fancy, intense, and education-packed, still gives off great summer camp vibes as it is filled with many of the same struggles any camp book is filled with: being away from home, being with new people, and figuring out a different culture.

Emmett’s journey of standing on his own two feet separate from his brother was so important. It showed that finding your own passions, friends, and goals is essential in your identity. The characterization of Emmett, and all of the secondary characters, is what truly raises this book to a different level. I love his mom, his brother, his friends, his crush, his teachers, and even his nemesis. They all, even though secondary, have pretty detailed character development, and you finish the book feeling like you have a bunch of new friends.

Please know, when I started It Doesn’t Take a Genius, I had not seen Boy Genius, and it doesn’t matter. Rhuday-Perkovich did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life both as an extension of the film but also as a standalone away from the film. When I was done, I did jump on Hoopla and watched it–then it take the experience to a different level. It was like reading a prequel!

As soon as I was done with the book and the movie, I had so many questions, and I was so excited that Olugbemisola was open to answering some of them:

Q&A with Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich:

Q: How did this come about?! I love the idea of a book continuing the story of a movie!
- A: Six Foot was familiar with my debut novel, 8th Grade Superzero, and approached my agent about writing a companion to the film, and I love a challenge, so I was intrigued right away! The idea of engaging with a story across different media really appealed to me, and when I watched the film, Miles Brown and Skylan Brooks really drew my heart to the characters – I wanted to know more!
Q: How much freedom did you have in character?
- A: Six Foot gave me a lot freedom! Basically, I just had to make sure the story included Emmett. I really appreciated the opportunity to get grounded in the characters and that particular story, and then take flight from there.
Q: For example, I noticed mom is a bit tougher in your book and E loves to dance.
- A: That’s so funny, I don’t think of mom as tough at all in IT DOESN’T TAKE A GENIUS! In fact, I think I would have been furious with Emmett’s Camp DuBois scheme. I think she’s a very engaged single mom with big hopes and dreams for her children, and for herself. E’s love of dance is really because of Miles Brown. I focused on Emmett and Luke in the book because Miles’ and Skylan Brooks’ performances in the film were so vibrant and nuanced – they really inhabited their characters beautifully. I know that Miles is a dancer and thought that it would be nice to incorporate that part of his real life in this character’s.
Q: Any reason why you chose to not have Mary in the book and why you do not acknowledge that Mac got arrested?
- A: Mary didn’t fit into the book’s setting (an all-Black camp, away from home). The same for Mac; and though he was a very big part of the film, outside of referencing their antagonistic, competitive relationship, I didn’t think he figured too much in a story that took place after the events of the film. Emmett has a new nemesis in IT DOESN’T TAKE A GENIUS: Derek. But this time, he has to figure out how to deal with him without Luke’s help!
Q: How did you go about meeting the goal of being an extension of the movie but it also being a stand alone book?
- A: Because Six Foot gave me so much freedom, I really just tried to let what I learned from the film about the characters inform the book. I really loved Emmett and Luke, and wanted to give them a space where they could be, to paraphrase Langston Hughes (and Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop). “free within themselves,” to be Black without apology, to be joyful in all of the different ways that children and teens can be, to be allowed to have the full emotional lives that often Black characters don’t get to have in widely available stories. Miles’ and Skylan’s performances, Bridget Stokes’ wonderful directing, the cinematography of Meena Singh, the animation, the colors, fantasy sequences – all of the elements of the film helped deepen my own understanding of the characters, and sort of imagine them into a new story, with (I hope) their core selves intact. I really hope that it offers another dimension of these characters’ lives, and not work in opposition to the film! I had a lot of fun with these characters, and giving E these new friends like Michelle, Natasha, and Charles helped me help him become more of himself.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Black to the Future, a camp course within the book, could be taken straight from the pages and moved into classrooms. The discussions within that class in the novel are important, poignant, and ones that we should be having with students.

For example, the very first class in the book, Charisse, the teacher asks: “‘Nina Simone spoke about the artist’s responsibility being to ‘reflect the times.’ ‘An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times. I think that is true of painters, sculptures, poets, musicians. As far as I’m concerned, it’s their choice, but I CHOOSE to reflect the times and situations in which I find myself. That, to me, is my duty. And at this crucial time in our lives, when everything is so desperate, when every day is a matter of survival, I don’t think you can help but be involved.’ Let’s start there. What do you think that means?'” Then the kids got in small groups to discuss, and it was pretty brilliant. And this is just ONE example!

Additionally, the book is filled with Black cultural icons from activists to dancers to movie makers to scientists and everyone in between. It Doesn’t Take a Genius, as a read aloud, would be a phenomenal way to introduce our students to more Black culture and history.

Discussion Questions:

What would your mom have done if you did what Emmett did?
How does Emmett’s realization about his mother’s brilliance change his point of view on himself and his mom?
How does Emmett’s father’s mental illness affect Emmett even though he has passed away?
How does learning about Black culture and history help Emmett understand himself and his future?
How is Emmett’s swimming test and extended metaphor for his whole time at Camp Dubois?
How does Luke’s relationship with Derek alter his relationship with Emmett? How could Emmett had dealt with it better? How could Luke have?
Which of the courses that Emmett took at camp would you want to take and why?
Emmett loves working with his friends and helping them, but how did this end up spreading him too thin and causing him to lose his own passions?
How does Camp DuBois help with Emmett’s views of himself, both positively and negatively?
Who is someone new you learned about in the book that you would like to know more about?

Flagged Passages: “Chapter 5: The house meeting in the lounge is short and all about the rules. Most of the kids from this dorm are musicians, but I hear a couple of kids talking about Street Style, so there are dancers too. Marcus wasn’t kidding–I meet a girl from Jamaica who introduces herself as ‘Clarinet, first chair, all-state’ as if I know what that means; then another from Jamaica, Queens, who says she’s a a ‘social media influencer’ and offers to sell me some likes; a boy from Chicago who says he can hook us up with the best popcorn ever; and a Nigerian kid everyone calls Prince who plays guitar. I try to throw debate champion into conversation to just keep up, but around here, that’s as special as saying grocery list.”

Read This If You Love: 8th Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert, New Kid by Jerry Craft, I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, Camp Rolling Hills series by Stacy Davidowitz

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Casey at Media Masters for providing a copy for review and for Olugbemisola for doing a Q&A with me!**

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

April 8, 2021 by Ricki

King and the Dragonflies
Author: Kacen Callender
Published: February 4, 2020 by Scholastic

GoodReads Summary: Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.

It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. But just days before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship, after overhearing a secret about Sandy—that he thinks he might be gay. “You don’t want anyone to think you’re gay too, do you?”

But when Sandy goes missing, sparking a town-wide search, and King finds his former best friend hiding in a tent in his backyard, he agrees to help Sandy escape from his abusive father, and the two begin an adventure as they build their own private paradise down by the bayou and among the dragonflies. As King’s friendship with Sandy is reignited, he’s forced to confront questions about himself and the reality of his brother’s death.

Ricki’s Review: I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, and it is still on my mind. My goodness, it is beautifully written. I think I’ve recommended it about fifteen times to friends, colleagues, and students in the past two weeks. I don’t want to give away any spoilers in the review, so I’ll just say that this book shares powerful perspectives of friendship and of family. It also offers complex discussions of racism and homophobia—intersections and analysis. I am adopting this text for class use in the Fall, and I am really looking forward to discussing it with others.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might ask students to select one aspect of the text that they want to explore in depth. I can think of many (but won’t name them because they are spoilers). Then, students might group according to interests and develop text sets to expand their understandings and think about the topics they choose from multiple perspectives.

Discussion Questions:

What does Kingston learn in this text? What does he unlearn?
How does Kingston navigate his grief? How do his family members navigate their grief?
What did you learn from this text?

Flagged Passage: “Secrets are best kept hidden, because sometimes people aren’t ready to hear the truth. And that’s okay, King, he said, Because you don’t need other people to know the truth also. Just as long as you got that truth in you.”

Read This If You Loved: Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender; Fighting Words by

Recommended For:

and

Aven Green, Sleuthing Machine by Dusti Bowling, Illustrated by Gina Perry

April 6, 2021 by Kellee

Aven Green, Sleuthing Machine
Author: Dusti Bowling
Illustrator: Gina Perry
Published April 13th, 2021 by Sterling Children’s Books

Summary: Third-grader Aven Green has been solving mysteries for a whole month—cracking such cases as The Mystery of the Cranky Mom. But can this perceptive detective solve two cases at the same time? First her teacher’s lunch bag disappears. Then Aven’s great-grandma’s dog goes missing. Fortunately, since Aven was born without arms, all the “arm” cells went to her super-powered brain instead. (That’s her theory.) This hilarious chapter book showcases a new side to Dusti Bowling’s unforgettable protagonist.

About the Creators:

DUSTI BOWLING is the award-winning, bestselling author of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, 24 Hours in Nowhere, The Canyon’s Edge, and the forthcoming Across the Desert and Aven Green chapter book series. Dusti currently lives in New River, Arizona with her husband, three daughters, a dozen tarantulas, a gopher snake named Burrito, a king snake name Death Noodle, and a cockatiel named Gandalf the Grey.

Gina Perry graduated from Syracuse University, worked as a compositor in animation, then an art director for a stationery manufacturer, before discovering her true passion—writing and illustrating children’s books. She lives with her family in NH.

Praise:

“[Bowling] infuses her writing with humor and empathy.” —School Library Journal (starred)

“A fun series opener with a feisty protagonist who’ll keep readers on their toes.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Unapologetically smart and refreshingly confident in her abilities, this super-sleuth extraordinaire is a joy to tag along with.” —Booklist

“Aven’s candid voice ensures that this chapter book series starter will draw a young audience.” —Publishers Weekly

Review: I am so happy that Aven is now starring in chapter books. Her voice is one of my favorites in middle grade literature because it is full of truth and humor. Her voice is just as strong in this chapter book as it was in Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus and Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, just a bit younger.

In addition to Aven’s voice, the story is a compelling one! I’m a fan of mysteries, and this is a fun kid lit mystery. Also, the cast of characters are wonderful! I am a huge fan of Aven’s friends.

And I cannot wait until August when Aven Green, Baking Machine comes out!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I would love to see Aven Green read in classrooms! It would be such a fun book to read together as a class! The class could even keep track of all of the clues and see if they can figure out the mystery!

There are also opportunities in the book to talk about acronyms and word play!

Discussion Questions:

How did Aven keep track of her clues?
What type of materials does Aven need to be a good detective?
How did Aven help Sujata with acclimating with the new school?
What are your slumber party traditions?
What is a time you have heard a word incorrectly like Emily heard hen droids?
Have you ever lost something? How did you work to find it?
If you were going to do a report on a country

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: The Magnificent Makers series by Theanne Griffith; King and Kayla series by Dori Hillestad Butler; The Misadventures of Toni Macaroni in The Mad Scientists by Cetonia Weston-Roy; The Misadventures of Salem Hyde series by Frank Cammuso; Meena series by Karla Manternach; Questioneers series by Andrea Beaty; Weird Little Robots by Carolyn Crimi; A Boy Called Bat series by Elana K. Arnold

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Sterling for providing a copy for review!**

Blog Tour with Giveaway, Educators’ Guide, and Review: The House That Wasn’t There by Elana K. Arnold

March 30, 2021 by Kellee

The House That Wasn’t There
Author: Elana K. Arnold
Published March 30th, 2021 by Walden Pond Books

Summary: Alder has always lived in his cozy little house in Southern California. And for as long as he can remember, the old, reliable, comforting walnut tree has stood between his house and the one next door. That is, until a new family—with a particularly annoying girl his age—moves into the neighboring house and, without warning, cuts the tree down.

Oak doesn’t understand why her family had to move to Southern California. She has to attend a new school, find new friends, and live in a new house that isn’t even ready—her mother had to cut down a tree on their property line in order to make room for a second floor. And now a strange boy next door won’t stop staring at her, like she did something wrong moving here in the first place.

As Oak and Alder start school together, they can’t imagine ever becoming friends. But the two of them soon discover a series of connections between them—mysterious, possibly even magical puzzles they can’t put together.

At least not without each other’s help.

Award-winning author Elana K. Arnold returns with an unforgettable story of the strange, wondrous threads that run between all of us, whether we know they’re there or not.

About the Author: Elana K. Arnold is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children’s books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Several of her books are Junior Library Guild selections and have appeared on many best book lists, including the Amelia Bloomer Project, a catalog of feminist titles for young readers. Elana teaches in Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and lives in Southern California with her family and menagerie of pets.

Praise for The House That Wasn’t There:

“In this luminous story full of mystery and magic, Elana K. Arnold weaves a shimmering tapestry about the lovely and surprising ways we’re connected to each other. Heart-healing, hopeful, and wonderfully inventive, this beautiful novel by a master storyteller is not to be missed.” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal-winning author of The One and Only Ivan

“Told through alternating perspectives that offer clearly rendered details, this compassionate novel gives a unique twist to familiar situations—feeling lonely, adjusting to new environments, forging new bonds—while inviting readers to open their imaginations to all sorts of wonderful possibilities.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The author enriches her sparely told story with hints of magic, song lyrics, good choices that key sudden sea changes in several relationships, and the small background details that make settings and backstories seem real. A low-key marvel rich in surprises, small fuzzy creatures, and friendships old and new.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Review: I love what Elana K. Arnold can do with a story! She is brilliant when it comes to weaving in secondary stories that often have way more impact than the reader realizes and for building secondary characters that leave a lasting impression.

In The House That Wasn’t There, I was struck with this talent again as I followed Alder’s and Oak’s life as they collide suddenly at the beginning of 6th grade and how their school project, a walnut tree, a dead possum, and adopted kittens all intertwine to help tell their story. The reader at times will wonder why certain things are happening or why something is being mentioned and then BAM it is revealed. It is quite fun to read! And with a bit of magical realism thrown in just for fun, a seemingly “normal” story becomes an extraordinary one!

It was also quite interesting how Arnold set up the chapters, alternating between Alder and Oak but in 3rd person. It helped keep the POV clear while also showing the reader a bit more about each of the character’s lives.

And finally: A shout out to Beck for not being what was expected; Faith for having a name, being a part of the story instead of the background, and being wonderful; and Mr. Rivera for being an innovative teacher that promotes collaboration, cross-curricular activities, and outside of the box thinking!

Educators’ Guide:

Flagged Passages: Preview the first two chapters from the publisher: READ A SAMPLE

Read This If You Love: A Girl, a Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon by Karen Romano Young, Brave in the Woods by Tracy Holczer, Quintessence by Jess Redman, Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor, This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews, The Trouble with Shooting Stars by Meg Cannistra

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Don’t Miss the Other Stops on the Blog Tour!

March 28 Nerdy Book Club @nerdybookclub
March 29 YAYOMG @yayomgofficial
March 30 Unleashing Readers @UnleashReaders
March 31 Teachers Who Read @teachers_read
April 2 Maria’s Mélange @mariaselke
April 7 Bluestocking Thinking @BlueSockGirl
April 10 A Library Mama @librarymama
April 12 Storymamas @storymamas

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**Thank you to Walden Pond Press for providing a copy for review and giveaway!**

Encounter by Brittany Luby, Illustrated by Michaela Goade

March 25, 2021 by Ricki

Encounter
Author: Brittany Luby
Illustrator: Michaela Goade
Published: October 1, 2019 by Little, Brown

GoodReads Summary: A powerful imagining by two Native creators of a first encounter between two very different people that celebrates our ability to acknowledge difference and find common ground.

Based on the real journal kept by French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534, Encounter imagines a first meeting between a French sailor and a Stadaconan fisher. As they navigate their differences, the wise animals around them note their similarities, illuminating common ground.

This extraordinary imagining by Brittany Luby, Professor of Indigenous History, is paired with stunning art by Michaela Goade, winner of 2018 American Indian Youth Literature Best Picture Book Award. Encounter is a luminous telling from two Indigenous creators that invites readers to reckon with the past, and to welcome, together, a future that is yet unchartered.

Ricki’s Review: This powerful book belongs in every classroom. It offers a counterstory that does not fit the typical narrative. The backmatter offers even greater depth and begs for the text to be taught in classrooms. I would use this book with students of all ages (including adults), and it is such an important book to the field. This story is grounded in a primary historical source from the timer period and is beautifully done.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I would love to use this text to discuss the multiple ways in which fiction humanizes experiences and teaches us about history and the world. One theme, for instance, is that of communication. Students might select a topic or theme and read the text through the lens of that theme to offer a better understanding of history, narrative, and the world.

Discussion Questions:

How does the story reach readers?
How does the story offer an account of history, and how does it expand our understandings of history?
How do the words and pictures work together to create meaning?

Read This If You Loved: We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom; The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz; At the Mountain’s Base by Traci Sorell; We Are Grateful/Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell; Fry Bread: A Native American Family Tradition by Kevin Noble Maillard

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