Classroom Library Buy – Page 42

LyricPop: A New Picture Book Series from Akashic Books with Don’t Stop, Good Vibrations,We’re Not Gonna Take It, and African

June 2, 2020June 2, 2020 by Kellee

Don’t Stop, song lyrics by Christine McVie, illustrations by Nusha Ashjaee
Good Vibrations, song lyrics by Mike Love and Brian Wilson, illustrations by Paul Hoppe
We’re Not Gonna Take It, song lyrics by Dee Snider, illustrations by Margaret McCartney
African, song lyrics by Peter Tosh, illustrations by Rachel MossAuthor:

Published June 2, 2020 by Akashic Books

LyricPop Summary: LyricPop presents your favorite song lyrics by renowned songwriters as illustrated picture books, instilling a love of music and song among young readers.

“LyricPop represents two things I’m passionate about—music, and books for children,” said Johnny Temple, publisher of Akashic Books. “As both a musician and a publisher, I hope LyricPop will inspire parents, grandparents, and others to read (and even sing!) these books aloud with the children in their lives.”

After these four initial books are released, October 6th We Got the Beat, Respect, and Move the Crowd will be published. Then March 2, 2021 will bring us (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay, Humble and Kind, and These Boots are Made for Walkin’.

Don’t Stop Summary: Don’t Stop is a beautifully illustrated picture book based on Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac’s enduring anthem to optimism and patience. The song was one of the singles on Fleetwood Mac’s megahit album Rumours, which spent thirty-one weeks at number one on the Billboard charts and went on to sell over forty million copies worldwide.

With lyrics by Christine McVie and illustrations by Nusha Ashjaee, this touching picture book imagines a rabbit willing her hibernating friends out of a long and dark winter and into joyous spring. Don’t Stop is a great opportunity for fans of Christine McVie and Fleetwood Mac to introduce their favorite band to their young children, and for parents looking to share a bright message in song.

• Debuting in 1977, this song is one of the most identifiable of that decade
• A classic rock radio staple
• A top-five single in the US, and one of the band’s most enduring hits
• Written by band keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie
• Sung as duet between Christine McVie and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham
• Appears on the Grammy-winning album Rumours, which as of 2019 is the RIAA-certified tenth all-time best-selling album in the US
• It was the theme song for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign

Good Vibrations Summary: Good Vibrations is a lively picture book based on Mike Love and Brian Wilson’s number one hit about absorbing positive energy from the people around them. Often praised as one of the most important compositions in rock, the Beach Boys’ original version of this song was their third number one Billboard hit. With lyrics by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, and illustrations by Paul Hoppe, this picture book follows a girl and her dog as they make their way down to the beach, sharing good vibrations all along the way. Parents and children alike can share and enjoy one of rock’s greatest hits through the colorful pages of Good Vibrations.

• Released in 1966, this is one of the defining and iconic songs of the era
• The recording involved the then-revolutionary process of tape-splicing, cutting up and editing pieces of the master tape together
• The musicians used in the recording of the song included members of the Wrecking Crew, the legendary set of Los Angeles session studio players
• Beach Boys publicist Derek Taylor described the song as a “pocket symphony” (Derek was the former press officer for the Beatles and the Beach Boys, and worked with the Byrds and the Mamas & the Papas, among others)
• The unusual sound featured in the song’s chorus was produced by an electrotheremin
• The song was a transatlantic number one, reaching the top spot in both the US and the UK
• The song was the last US number one the Beach Boys achieved in the 1960s
• Inducted into both the GRAMMY and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame
• Rolling Stone ranked the song at number six on its 2010 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
• In 2001, the RIAA and the National Endowment for the Arts published their Songs of the Century list, with “Good Vibrations” at number 24
• The song is part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s permanent exhibition, 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll

We’re Not Gonna Take It Summary: We’re Not Gonna Take It is a playful picture book echoing 1980s hair band Twisted Sister’s most popular antiestablishment anthem. As part of their triple-platinum album Stay Hungry, “We’re Not Gonna Take It” spent fifteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number twenty-one. With lyrics by Dee Snider and illustrations by Margaret McCartney, this picture book follows three toddlers on a mission to defy their parents, whether it be lunchtime, bath time, or bedtime. We’re Not Gonna Take It is a story both parents and children can relate to, and a song they can enjoy together.

• Released in 1984, “We’re Not Gonna Take It” is a signature rock anthem of the 1980s
• The song was a Hot 100 top forty hit and reached the top ten on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart
• The album it appeared on, Stay Hungry, was the band’s breakthrough and a US top twenty hit
• Its anthemic quality has propelled the song to become a US pop culture touchstone
• The song has an iconic music video

African Summary: African is a children’s book featuring lyrics by Peter Tosh and illustrations by Jamaican artist Rachel Moss. The song “African” by Peter Tosh was originally released in 1977 on his second solo record, Equal Rights. He wrote the song during a time of civil unrest in Jamaica as a reminder to all black people that they were part of the same community.
The album is considered one of the most influential reggae works of all time.

• A key song from the classic 1970s era of reggae
• Peter Tosh was one of the founding members of the iconic reggae group the Wailers

Review: All four of these classic songs are ones that as soon as you hear the title you start humming the melody or reciting the lyrics and LyricPop books is a great way to introduce these to a new generation of kids. All four are very different songs and illustrations which shows the extension of this new picture book series.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: In the classroom, I would have so much fun with these. I would love to group my students in four different groups (or more if it is after more LyricPop books have come out), have them listen to the songs these books are based on, and create their own picture book. Then, after they do so, they can read the LyricPop books and compare and contrast. This would be a great way to discuss interpretation, figurative language, illustrator choices, etc.

There’s another option too: Have students read the lyrics first without listening to the song and create a book. Then, after listening to the song, ask how they would change their book.

When done with the songs from LyricPop, students could then pick their own songs and make their own books!

Discussion Questions:

Why do you think the illustrator interpreted the lyrics the way they did?
Do you think of the lyrics the same or different?
What is the main theme of the song?
(Before hearing the song) How do you imagine the song is going to sound?
(After hearing the song) Does the book fit the sound of the song?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Music

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Akashic Books for providing copies for review**

Yoga Animals: A Wild Introduction to Kid-Friendly Poses by Paige Towler

February 14, 2021May 28, 2020 by Kellee

Yoga Animals: A Wild Introduction to Kid-Friendly Poses
Author: Paige Towler
Foreword Author: Tara Stiles
Published May 19th, 2020 by National Geographic Kids

Summary: Adorable animal photos and lyrical text guide kids step-by-step through easy animal-inspired yoga poses.

Roar like a lion! Arch like a kitten! Stretch like a cobra! Did you know that many yoga poses were inspired by animals? Let these creatures inspire your young ones to get moving, practice mindfulness, or calm down after a long day. Simple step-by-step instructions explain the kid-friendly moves. Kids will get a kick out of the accompanying photos of animals that mimic each pose, and the sweet poem is sure to delight.

The foreword by Tara Stiles, founder of Strala Yoga, reminds us that we’re never too young to start enjoying the health benefits of yoga and mindfulness. Animal Yoga is the perfect intro to this ancient practice–great for engaging (and quieting!) a class, reading aloud one-on-one, or helping restless little ones fall asleep at bedtime or naptime.

Review: Trent and I love doing Yoga together. We have family yoga mats, and he’s done mommy & me yoga with me though is favorite is Cosmic Yoga on You Tube. I wanted to make yoga part of Trent’s life because not only is it a wonderful form of exercise that he and I can do together, but it is also beneficial for mindset. Yoga Animals is a wonderful introduction to both aspects. I like that it makes the yoga poses accessible for so many ages. For example, it could be for a mom to do with a very young child as an introduction. Or older kids who may have done yoga in the past can use it independently. Here is Trent practicing his poses:

The book structure is also fun. The majority includes the animal photos with a connection to the yoga pose then a photo of the pose with instructions. In the back it goes more in depth about the pose and the animal taking the information to a whole other level.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: As the push for a healthy mindset has become more front and center recently as we realize that the current educational system is adding extra stress on kids, this book is a perfect addition to a classroom to have brain breaks. During the brain breaks, a new yoga pose can be introduced and the animal can be talked about as well. Then past yoga poses can be practiced as well.

Discussion Questions:

What other animals have yoga poses?
How is the ____ pose like a ____ animal?
How does yoga help you physically and mentally?
Come up with your own stretch that resembles an animal.

Flagged Passages:

Also, go to https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/books/yoga-animals/ to see videos of Tara Stiles sharing poses from the book.

Read This If You Love: Yoga, Animals, Brain Breaks

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Karen at Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy for review!!**

The Refuge by Sandra Le Guen, Illustrated by Stéphane Nicolet

May 26, 2020 by Kellee

The Refuge
Author: Sandra Le Guen
Translator: Daniel Hahn
Illustrator: Stéphane Nicolet
Published June 1, 2020 by Amazon Crossing Kids

Summary: “There’s a new girl at school. She never stops looking up at the sky! She likes the stars and comets.”

Jeannette tells her mom about her new classmate, who also loves astronomy but seems sad. She realizes it’s not easy to move to a new place. So the next day, at recess, Jeannette asks Iliana to play.

At first, it’s a little hard to communicate because Iliana is learning a new language. The girls have to use their hands and their drawings. But they keep trying, and, soon, Iliana tells Jeannette about her difficult journey as a refugee who had to leave her country. Then their families meet, and Iliana’s parents share their story too. The girls’ friendship blooms, as limitless as the sky and their imaginations.

Originally published in France and brought to life with wonderfully expressive artwork, this is a book about sharing stories and finding refuge in friendship, family, and a new home.

Kellee’s Review: This book is beautiful. It shows pure empathy for a young girl, and her family, who needs all love in the scary new situation she is in. Their journey was harrowing and being in a new place where they do not speak the language must be completely overwhelming; however, this was something they felt no choice in doing because of the horrors of war back at their home. But sadly, refugees have been villainized–once again fear winning over empathy. However, The Refuge puts a narrative to the journey that many children and families face just to stay safe. And it is such a well-crafted narrative with beautiful illustrations–just an overall excellent book. A must read for ALL ages.

Ricki’s Review: Magnificent. This book is truly and utterly magnificent. I am quite hopeful it will win some of the major literary awards. Whew! The writing depicts the myriad emotions that Iliana might have experienced on her journey, and Jeannette has such deep empathy for her classmate. The illustrations take the book to the next level. I would purchase a spread of this book and frame it for the wall in my office—the illustrations are that captivating. We share some of the illustrations below. There’s one illustration in which Iliana is carrying a giant boat on her back, and a star hangs from a string on the front. Two small children walk up the top of the steep boat. The words match the illustrations, and yet the illustrations have deeper, metaphoric meaning. This would be a terrific book to study at the high school and college level. It would sustain several classes of discussion. I plan to purchase a copy to use in my Teaching Reading class. If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it highly.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Metaphor is powerfully used in this text (both in the writing and illustrations). This would be a magnificent text to use as a mentor text for the instruction of metaphor. Students might select a written metaphor to illustrate and an illustrated metaphor to write in words to consider the flexibility and power of the use of metaphor. Then, they might craft their own metaphors related to the story.

Discussion Questions:

Choose one illustration that you like. What is the surface level meaning? What is the deeper meaning attached to the image?
How does Jeannette demonstrate empathy for Iliana?
What did you learn about refugees?
Why do you believe the author titled the book The Refuge instead of Refugee?
How do the illustrations and writing work together?
What creative techniques does the author use?
What creative techniques does the illustrator use?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: The Arrival by Shaun Tan, Refugee by Alan Gratz, Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Recommended For:

and

**Thank you, Barbara at Blue Slip Media, for providing copies for review!**

It Is (Not) Perfect by Anna Kang, Illustrated by Christopher Weyant

August 22, 2020May 7, 2020 by Kellee

It Is (Not) Perfect
Author: Anna Kang
Illustrator: Christopher Weyant
Expected publication: May 12th, 2020

Summary: Two fuzzy creatures are happily putting the finishing touches on their sandcastle when each of them thinks of something that would make it even better. As they work furiously to incorporate each new change, their tiny sandcastle becomes an over-the-top palace…but is it really perfect?

This latest book in the beloved series featuring the pals from Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small reminds us that perfection is in the eye—and heart—of the beholder.

Praise:

“Colorful cartoon illustrations add a lightheartedness to what could be a stressful real-life situation for kids. Another life lesson neatly packaged in child centric humor.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This award-winning duo have created a lovely tribute to the old adage that perfect is the enemy of good. Recommended for purchase for all collections.” —School Library Journal

About the Creators: Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant are the creators of Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small as well as series titles That’s (Not) Mine, I Am (Not) Scared, and We Are (Not) Friends. They also wrote and illustrated Eraser, Can I Tell You a Secret?, and Will You Help Me Fall Asleep? Christopher’s work can also be seen in The New Yorker, and his cartoons are syndicated worldwide. This husband-and-wife team lives in New Jersey with their two daughters and their rescue dog. Visit them at www.annakang.com and www.christopherweyant.com.

Twitter: @annakang27 @chrisweyant05
Instagram: annakangbooks; christopherweyant
Facebook: Anna Kang – Author; Christopher Weyant

Review: This series is one of my favorites. Although the simplicity of the texts makes the books seem straightforward, they are actually multi-tiered and can be used for so many different ages to discuss illustrations as part of the narrative, moral issues, friendship, perspective, and much more. All while following the stories for two super cute monster friends!

Discussion Questions:

What ended up actually being perfect?
What did trying to please all cause?
Who gets to decide what is perfect?
Does everything you do need to be perfect?
How did trying to make it perfect ruin the fun?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Not series by Kang and Weyant including You Are (Not) Small, That’s (Not) Mine, I Am (Not) Scared, and We Are (Not) Friends; How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk, Dexter series by Lindsay Ward including Don’t Forget Dexter and It’s Show and Tell, Dexter

Recommended For:

Giveaway!:

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**Thank you to Blue Slip Media for providing a copy for review and giveaway!**

Abby in Oz and the Whatever After Series by Sarah Mlynowski

April 30, 2020 by Kellee

Abby in Oz
Whatever After #13.5 (Special Edition #2)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Published April 7th, 2020 by Scholastic
(Series debuted May 1st, 2012)

Series Summary: Siblings Abby and Jonah have a magic mirror that leads them into different fairy tales, from Snow White to Rapunzel to the Little Mermaid. In each fairy tale, Abby and Jonah accidentally mess up the story — and hilarity and hijinks ensue!

Abby in Oz Summary: In this second Special Edition of the New York Times bestselling Whatever After series, Abby and her friends enter the magical Land of Oz . . . with hilarious and empowering results!

Follow the yellow brick road . . . I’m with my best friends Robin and Frankie (and my sometimes friend, Penny) when a TORNADO scoops us up and whisks us away. As soon as we land, I can tell we’re not in Smithville anymore — we’ve been transported into The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!

We’re excited to meet Dorothy and Toto . . . but the story isn’t going as planned. The Wicked Witch of the East locks us in her dungeon, so we have no way of getting the magic slippers that will take Dorothy home. Plus, the Emerald City is under attack, and the Wizard himself may be in danger!

Now we have to:
– Befriend the Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow
– Flee the flying monkeys
– Learn to steer a hot-air balloon
– Find the courage, heart, and smarts to save the day

. . . or we’ll never escape — and everyone knows there’s no place like home!

Praise for Abby in Oz:

“Hilarious…with unexpected plot twists and plenty of girl power.” –Booklist

“My daughter loved the young, sassy girl on the cover and I loved the premise of the book…The best part is that they mess up the story and the lead female character has to learn how to stand on her own. The feminist in me adored it, and the mother in me loved how my daughter would long to cuddle in close as we read together.” –The Washington Post

“An uproariously funny read.” –Kirkus Reviews

About the Author: Sarah Mlynowski is the New York Times bestselling author of the Whatever After series, the Magic in Manhattan series, Gimme a Call, and a bunch of other books for tweens and teens, including the Upside-Down Magic series, which she is cowriting with Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins. Originally from Montreal, Sarah now lives in the kingdom of Manhattan with her very own prince charming and their fairy-tale-loving daughters.

Review of Abby of Oz: I am a huge fan of this series. I already love fairy tale retellings, but this is such a unique way of telling them, and I love how each are different and do not follow a predictable pattern.

This newest installment is a special edition of the series and is a bit different. While Abby and Jonah normally go through a magic mirror, the special editions find Abby and her friends entering books because an evil fairy is trying to trap Abby in the story. The addition of Abby’s friends’ personalities definitely makes for an interesting story and more conflict throughout the book.

Lastly, I could not review any book in this series without celebrating the audiobooks–they are phenomenal!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation (series): Immediately, when reading this series, I thought of a creative writing activity for students to take part in and would be a great introduction to the series: Have students take parts of fairy tales that they feel are wrong, unjust, dated, they didn’t like, or even something that would be fun to change; come up with a plan on how they would fix it if they were in the fairy tale; and have them rewrite the fairy tale.

Then, I would read parts of some of the books out loud where Abby does just that: she changes fairy tales for the better! (Even if it is a bit of a mess along the way…)

Discussion Questions (series):

What did Abby change in the fairy tale/story? Do you think this is a good change or not? Explain.
What did Abby do to make the change happen?
Do you think it is okay ethically for Abby/Jonah/Abby’s friends to change things in the story?
Do you think Abby would be as successful as she is without the help of Jonah/her friends?
Why do you think the magic mirror allows Abby and Jonah to go through the mirror?
What fairy tale would you want to go into if you were being transported into one? What would you want to change? Make sure stays the same?

Flagged Passages: Visit the Scholastic website for the series to view the series trailer. I also highly recommend listening to an audiobook sample!

Read This If You Love: Fairy Tale Retellings

Recommended For:

It’s Okay To…

April 25, 2020April 9, 2020 by Kellee

Exit the Editor

We are in a global pandemic—more people are dying daily than on 9/11. This means, we are teaching, and kids are learning, in a time of crisis.

We’ve been observing my fellow educators (teachers and parents alike) during this pandemic, and we have noticed that so many feel the pressure to continue as normal as much as possible; however, as more areas are deemed uninhabitable and unsafe, more adults lose jobs, and more kids are questioning their needs related to Maslow’s Hierarchy, we call for us to stop what our normal was because our normal is misguided for this situation. (We won’t even get started on the misguided aspects of our “normal” education system in general right now…)

To all educator adults (teachers, administrators, librarians, and parents/guardians):

It’s okay to…

not get to every assignment you had planned for the school year.
not follow the scope and sequence you originally had planned.
just have well-being conversations with kids instead of talking about content.
accept late work.
pause that absent policy you valued.
give less work.
listen to excuses right now—they’re probably reasons.
let students guide instruction.
allow students a chance to just chat with each other.
have kids’ screen time be at an all time high.
focus less on standards (we have grave concerns with how standards are implemented in schools anyways!).
give choice in learning.
not master online teaching (because this is not online teaching at its best).
seek other’s advice and use their ideas (with their permission).
focus on depth and spend the next several months working on one intensive project (that uses the outdoors, if possible).
be forgiving of ourselves and each other in general.
be honest with our students/kids about our own fears (at an age-appropriate level).
show mistakes and learning curves.
have some fun with your kids because they may be drowning in fear and anxiety.
not get this right; no one will get this perfectly right.
take a break if you or your family needs the break.
cry.
teach with empathy and grace. https://medium.com/@gross_75366/crisis-teaching-with-empathy-and-grace-891850a635a8
[Insert what we are missing in the comments. We know we are missing a lot here.]

Actually, all of this is more than just okay,

Be patient with the kids in your lives and, more importantly, be patient with yourselves.

and

Review and Giveaway!: Tag Your Dreams: Poems of Play and Persistence by Jacqueline Jules, Illustrated by Iris Deppe

April 7, 2020 by Kellee

Tag Your Dreams: Poems of Play and Persistence
Author: Jacqueline Jules
Illustrator: Iris Deppe
Published April 1st, 2020 by Albert Whitman & Company

Summary: Whether just trying out for the team or reaching for the Olympics, there’s something for every reader in this playful poetry collection! From baseball, basketball, and football to double-dutch, mini-golf, and turning a cartwheel, these poems look at facing fears, dreaming big, and never giving up. This well-rounded collection explores sports and play across all abilities and backgrounds.

About the Author: Jacqueline Jules has been writing poems since middle school. Her poetry has been published in over a hundred publications. She is also the author of more than forty books for young readers, including the Zapato Power series, the Sofia Martinez series, and Duck for Turkey Day. She lives in northern Virginia and enjoys giving poetry workshops to students, teachers, and anyone else who loves poetry as much as she does. To learn more, and to download free classroom materials, visit her online at jacquelinejules.com.

Praise:

“Jules presents a plethora of possibilities as the theme of children at play provides the structure for a collection of poems that encourage and applaud. . . . Fun and games, with something deeper to think about.” —Kirkus

“If you are looking for lighthearted, joyous, and youthful poems about childhood, this is the perfect selection for your bookshelves.” —Booklist

Review: Happy National Poetry Month! To celebrate, I knew I had to highlight this wonderful poetry book for two reasons:

1) It combines playing and poetry which will help with the engagement of reading poetry. It also teaches great lessons.

2) During this time of sheltering in place, play and persistence are both things we definitely need to encourage!

Jacqueline Jules does such a fantastic job with adapting each poem to the activity she is writing about and the fun illustrations by Iris Deppe bring the play to life. This is a poem book I recommend specifically now but also for all classrooms to use and have to explore this playful poetry.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: While Jules’s book represents many playground and outdoor activities, it doesn’t include everything. Have students write their own poems of play about the activity they love to do the most. To challenge them, ask them to put a conflict in the poem that must be overcome, so the poem includes a lesson of persistence.

Discussion Questions:

Pick one of the activities written about that you have never done (that is reasonable to do). Do it then write a journal reflecting what it was like–maybe even try writing a poem about it!
Find examples of figurative language, such as imagery or personification, in one of Jules’s poems.
Which poem’s activity did you connect with the most?
Which poem’s lesson did you connect with the most?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Poetry, Sports

Recommended For:

Giveaway!:

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**Thank you to Blue Slip Media for providing copies for review and giveaway!**