Illustrated Novel – Unleashing Readers

Pigeon Private Detectives #1: The Case of the Missing Tarts by Christee Curran-Bauer

August 29, 2023 by Kellee

Pigeon Private Detectives #1: The Case of the Missing Tarts
Author: Christee Curran-Bauer
Published August 29th, 2023 by Union Square & Co.

Summary: The Pigeon Detectives are looking forward to devouring a delectable platter of jam tarts—until the tasty treats are stolen from right under their beaks! With tummies grumbling, the PPD are on the hunt for clues, but can the detectives recover the tarts in time before they are all eaten—or worse—stale? As the list of suspects grows longer, our heroes wonder if they’ll ever catch the thief jam-handed.

Pigeon Private Detectives: The Case of the Missing Tarts, Christee Curran-Bauer’s author-illustrator debut, pokes fun at detective procedurals with kid-friendly humor!

Praise:

“[W]ith a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor and plenty of puns. The narrative, told through a mix of comic book–style panels and prose, is brought to life with crisp-lined cartoons with mostly pastel tones and a bit of film noir thrown in when the mood is right. An enjoyable homage to the dramatic mystery.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will flock to Curran-Bauer’s lighthearted mystery. A glossary defining detective terms and a fact sheet conclude.” —Publishers Weekly

“Full of clues and coos, The Case of the Missing Tarts is a delightful and delicious detective tale!” –John Patrick Green, author of the InvestiGators series

About the Author: Christee Curran-Bauerhas a BFA from Pratt Institute in communications design/illustration, and is a proud member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Christee is a Jersey girl currently living in Virginia Beach with her family and spoiled French bulldog. She invites you to visit her at christeewithadoublee.blogspot.com and on Twitter at @ChristeeDoubleE.

Review: This book is going to be a great ladder between early readers and longer chapter books as it is an introduction to pages with a bit longer text but it is mixed with paneled pages. This aspect, combined with the cartoon-esque illustrations, is going to lend itself to finding so many readers. Oh, and everyone loves a mystery, and this series is off to a great start with its first case. I also was a fan of the three pigeons, their different personalities, job focuses, and sense of style.

Tools for Navigation: The mystery of this text lends itself directly to predicting. Readers can look at clues and make guesses right along side the Pigeon Private Detectives! Also, the book takes the reader through 6 steps of an investigation which could lead directly to activities and could even be compared to the scientific method. OH! And with so much baking in the book–a baking cross-curricular activity would fit right in.

Discussion Questions:

Follow the investigative steps with the Pigeon Private Detectives. Did you predict who the culprit was? If so, what clues did you use? If not, what tricked you and what did you miss?

Flagged Spreads:

Read This If You Love: Mysteries, animal chapter books

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Jenny at Union Square for providing a copy for review!**

Author Guest Post: “What is it Like to be a Dog?” by Dr. John Bradshaw, Author of A First Guide to Dogs: Understanding Your Very Best Friend

June 25, 2023 by Kellee

“What is it Like to be a Dog?”

My middle-schooler grandkids love their superheroes. Posters of their favorites adorn their bedroom walls, their T-shirts feature costumed crusaders extolling their superpowers. Yet few parents realize that the family dog has his or her own set of superpowers, not so flashy as those of their two-legged fictional counterparts, but, in their own way, just as enthralling. If only more people would take the time to wonder, “what is it like to be a dog?” (or, indeed, any other animal).

Imaginary worlds are the very stuff of childhood, and nowadays we have the knowledge to stretch children’s imaginations to include the worlds of animals as well as humans and their ilk. Over the past hundred years or so, science has revealed just how many differences there are between reality as we know it, and the many parallel but distinctive realities inhabited by other animals. The family dog is probably the most accessible example, but any animal could serve, whether the family cat, a small furry, or even a bird perched on a wire outside an apartment window. Any one of these could lead to valuable insights into how the animals around us live in their own worlds.

Dogs make great subjects for such flights of fancy, and not only because they’re so familiar to us. Their version of the family home overlaps with ours a lot – otherwise we’d find them difficult to live with, and vice versa – but there are also many intriguing differences that I reveal in my book for middle-graders, “A First Guide To Dogs”. Dogs can hear high-pitched sounds that we can’t, they’re red-green color-blind and permanently long-sighted, their sense of smell is thousands of times better than ours, and they have a whole other “nose” that sits between their actual nose and the roof of their mouths, that helps them to decode – and perhaps store – the individual smells of other dogs. Indeed, dogs’ social lives revolve around these smells, hence the care with which they choose a place to pee, and their obsession with sniffing underneath each other’s tails.

It’s not only the physical world that must seem different to a dog. Their minds work differently too, even though their brains are laid out in a similar way to ours. Scientists are still arguing about whether dogs are aware of themselves to the same extent that we are (probably not so much), but we are now sure that their sense of time is different to ours. Dogs live much more in the here-and-now than we do, having only a limited perception of the past and even less of a grasp of the future. This has profound implications for the way they interpret our actions. Most pertinently, they seem unable to understand that whenever we leave the home, they should expect us to return. Left home alone, many dogs fear they have been abandoned for good, raising their stress levels sky-high. A simple training regime can overcome this, but too few owners understand the necessity.

Dogs’ lives can also provide great lessons for thinking about what “well-being” really means. Hold on, surely everyone loves their dog, right? But that’s no guarantee that dogs will always get the happiness they deserve. The problems come when dogs get treated as if they were just little people, not animals with their own priorities. How would middle-schoolers feel if their parents ripped their screens out of their hands every time they saw a message from a friend? Yet that’s exactly what dogs must experience when they’re yanked away from every interesting smell by the leash tightening around their neck.

Dogs – and other animals – can provide a springboard for amazing journeys into other worlds, now that science has given us so much insight into their minds and how they interpret their surroundings. Thinking about dogs, especially, can give us a close-to-home stimulus for the imagination, whether the focus of the class is science, or ethics, even creative writing.

Published June 13th, 2023 by Penguin Workshop

About the Book: Featuring fun illustrations (by Clare Elsom) and easy how-tos from animal expert Dr. John Bradshaw!

Uncovering the secret lives of pets, Dr. John Bradshaw invites young readers to learn more about their closest companions: their dogs! Told from the point of view of Rusty the Terrier, this lively, illustrated book gives kids a front-seat view to the everyday lives of dogs, sharing lessons and growing children into the best pet owners they can be.

★ “Perceptive and engaging—essential reading for anyone seeking greater understanding of their four-legged best friends.” — Kirkus, starred review

About the Author: John Bradshaw is the director of the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Bristol in the U.K. He has studied the behavior of domestic cats and dogs for more than 25 years.

Thank you, John, for this fun look into the minds of dogs!

Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold by Mark Leiknes

October 25, 2022 by Kellee

Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold
Author: Mark Leiknes
Published September 13th, 2022 by Union Square Kids

Summary: Comics artist Mark Leiknes delivers a laugh-out-loud story set in a fantastic world of dragons, rock creatures, and golden loungewear.

The Quest Kids are ready for their first real quest. This time, they won’t oversleep, they won’t be put off by a little rain, and they won’t accidentally burn down the village that hired them. All they have to do is find the Golden-Fleeced Rage Beast, shave it, and make a really nice golden tracksuit to appease a furious dragon. Simple, right?

Meet the Quest Kids crew: Gil, a wizard (well, wizard in training . . . the beard isn’t his); Terra, a 700-year-old elf kid; Boulder, a rock troll who is more of a cook than a fighter; Ash, a flatulent pig-dog-maybe-lizard hybrid; and, Ned, the intrepid and overly optimistic leader with his own personal quest to find his missing parents. With humor, magic, mystery, and at least one acid swamp filled with skeletal alligators, Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold is a richly illustrated saga of fantasy friendship for readers from all kingdoms!

Praise: “Young readers dipping their toes into fantasy realms will find plenty to enjoy here….The illustrations bounce along as quickly as the text, making this a bubbly read, one that quickly grabs attention and doesn’t require much hand-holding…. A rip-roaring good time.” — Kirkus Reviews

About the Author: Mark Leiknes lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his wife and three kids. He produced a nationally syndicated comic strip (Cow & Boy) for eight years and now he writes and illustrates books for kids. Mark studied graphic design in college and honed his comedic chops studying improv and sketch comedy at the acclaimed Groundlings School. Visit him online at markleiknes.com.

Review: This book is perfect for readers of highly illustrated novels, like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries, that want to move into a more fantasy book but keep the illustrations and the humor. The book has parts that will make the reader laugh out loud but also is filled with magic, an epic quest, and likeable characters. It is a wonderful addition to middle grade classroom, school, and public libraries!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Quest Kids follows a hero’s journey, albeit in a ridiculously silly way, so it would be a great introduction to this concept because the book is so engaging to its readers.

Discussion Questions:

How did the author use comics and prose together to tell the story?
Each character had a specific purpose in the book/quest. For each character, determine what their purpose was.
What do the quest kids show us about failure?
How does the dragon show us that you cannot judge a person by first impressions?
Many of the character reveals something within the book. What was the most surprising reveal?
How is this quest different than they expected when they began it?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Highly illustrated novels but want to read some more fantasy and keep the humor1

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Union Square for providing a copy for review!**

Author Guest Post: “Understand the Rules, Then Forget Them” by Erin Entrada Kelly, Author of Surely Surely Marisol Rainey

September 11, 2022 by Kellee

“Understand the Rules, Then Forget Them”

I run a kids book club at my local library. It’s for ages eight to twelve. Each month, we read and discuss a middle grade book then complete a related activity. After we read The Year I Flew Away by Marie Arnold, we created a mural inspired by Haitian art. For Jennifer L. Holm’s The Lion of Mars, one of the students crafted a clay astronaut. To celebrate Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, we excavated bugs.

One afternoon, as we prepared to discuss Dan Santat’s The Aquanaut, I pulled paper and pencils out of my bag. One of the young readers, Anthony, wrinkled his nose.

“Oh, no,” he said. “We’re not gonna write, are we?”

As a lifelong writer, it’s difficult for me to imagine not wanting to write. But over the years I have come to accept a disappointing reality: A lot of kids really hate writing. For them, it feels like work.

“I’m not good at it,” Anthony said. With a tilted whine to his voice, he added: “I haaaate writing.”

While it’s true that some young people hate writing, will forever hate writing, and will instead excel in some other trade or craft, it’s my mission, as a lifelong wordsmith, to make them hate it a little less.

One of the ways to do that is to eliminate all the qualities about writing that feel like work. Anything that shackles them. Anything that limits their imagination. When our goal is to simply create something, without worrying whether it’s grammatically correct or good or even readable, we are suddenly free to make mistakes. And if there’s one thing I know about young people—they don’t like making mistakes. It’s the mistakes that often prevent them from trying. It’s the mistakes that make them think they’re not good at something.

What if we limit the possibility of error? What if we create simply for the joy of creating?

Here are a few things I’ve done with students.

Toss the rules. Give students a writing prompt and encourage them to respond however they want. Tell them not to worry about any rules of grammar or spelling. They won’t be graded on either. In fact, they won’t be graded at all. It will be a ten-minute writing sprint and that’s it. Afterward, give them the freedom of choice: They can keep what they wrote, share it with a friend, or toss it in the trash.
Encourage storythinking. When you read books together, stop at the end of each chapter and ask them what they think will happen next. If too many students answer at once, take differing answers from two or three students then take a poll with the rest of the class. If you want to incorporate writing, ask your students to write one or two sentences with their predictions. They don’t need to show their predictions to anyone if they don’t want to.
Encourage storytelling. When you finish reading a chapter or a book, ask them how they would have written it to make it more interesting. I ask my book club these questions all the time. Their answer is almost always the same: “More dragons.” In their opinion, dragons always make things more interesting. If your students say “more dragons,” your instinct may be similar to mine—you’ll find yourself explaining why dragons aren’t logical in a story like Charlotte’s Web. But instead of launching into your logical explanation, why not embrace all their ideas? That’s what I did with my book club, and they were immediately engaged, firing off one idea after another, until they reached the end of their own story. For me, the importance of the moment wasn’t to force them to think critically about Charlotte’s Web. It was to get them excited about stories and all the possibilities they offer.

To develop a love of writing, we must develop a love of creativity, a love of storytelling, and an appreciation of how words create stories. Rules, logic, grammar, spelling—all of these sound like work. Because they are work. They serve a purpose, certainly, but they also confine us.

There are times when it’s okay to prioritize creativity above all else, and let the work come later. As grown-ups, we often forget that.

Published August 9th, 2022 by Greenwillow Books

About the Book: Everyone loves sports . . . except Marisol! The stand-alone companion to Newbery Medal winner and New York Times-bestselling Erin Entrada Kelly’s Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey is an irresistible and humorous story about friendship, family, and fitting in. Fans of Clementine, Billy Miller Makes a Wish, and Ramona the Pest will find a new friend in Marisol.

Marisol Rainey’s two least-favorite things are radishes and gym class. She avoids radishes with very little trouble, but gym is another story–especially when Coach Decker announces that they will be learning to play kickball.

There are so many things that can go wrong in kickball. What if Marisol tries to kick the ball . . . but falls down? What if she tries to catch the ball and gets smacked in the nose? What if she’s the worst kickballer in the history of kickball? Marisol and her best friend Jada decide to get help from the most unlikely–and most annoying–athlete in the world: Marisol’s big brother, Oz.

Told in short chapters with illustrations by the author on almost every page, Erin Entrada Kelly’s stand-alone companion novel to Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey celebrates the small but mighty Marisol, the joys of friendship, the power of being different, and the triumph of persevering.

About the Author: New York Times–bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly was awarded the Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe and a Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space. She grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and now lives in Delaware. She is a professor of children’s literature in the graduate fiction and publishing programs at Rosemont College, where she earned her MFA, and is on the faculty at Hamline University. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Philippines Free Press Literary Award for Short Fiction and the Pushcart Prize. Erin Entrada Kelly’s debut novel, Blackbird Fly, was a Kirkus Best Book, a School Library Journal Best Book, an ALSC Notable Book, and an Asian/Pacific American Literature Honor Book. She is also the author of The Land of Forgotten Girls, winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature; You Go First, a Spring 2018 Indie Next Pick; Lalani of the Distant Sea, an Indie Next Pick; and Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey which she also illustrated.

Thank you, Erin, for this reminder to allow kids to write freely!

Guest Post: Classroom Uses for Jo Jo Makoons by Dawn Quigley, Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman, Melissa by Alex Gino, and Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

September 1, 2022 by Kellee

One of the assignments during my Spring Children’s Literature course at UCF was creating a mini-teaching guide for the books we read for book clubs. We started with picture books for practice then students created them in their book clubs each week.

Today, I am happy to share the classroom uses and discussion questions found by my UCF Elementary Education students about these realistic fiction books.

Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-be Best Friend
Author: Dawn Quigley
Illustrator: Tara Audibert
Published May 11th, 2021 by Heartdrum

Summary: Hello/Boozhoo—meet Jo Jo Makoons, a spunky young Ojibwe girl who loves who she is.

Jo Jo Makoons Azure is a spirited seven-year-old who moves through the world a little differently than anyone else on her Ojibwe reservation. It always seems like her mom, her kokum (grandma), and her teacher have a lot to learn—about how good Jo Jo is at cleaning up, what makes a good rhyme, and what it means to be friendly.

Even though Jo Jo loves her #1 best friend Mimi (who is a cat), she’s worried that she needs to figure out how to make more friends. Because Fern, her best friend at school, may not want to be friends anymore…

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book can be used in the classroom as a tool to show the students that it’s important not to assume what another student is thinking. It is always best to vocalize concerns

Discussion Questions:

Describe what a reservation is according to the book?
Why did Kokum (grandma) move in with Jo Jo and her mom?
In what ways are cats and balloons different?
Why did Jo Jo Makoons cut the toes out of her socks? What did she do with them?
What happens when Jo Jo takes Mimi to school?
What did the new girl, Susan do when she saw Mimi in the classroom? How did JoJo feel about Susan’s reaction?
What are some ways you may relate to Jo Jo?
Has anybody ever felt like they might lose their best friend? Why?
How do Jo Jo’s classmates help her see that they are friends at the end of the story.
What does it mean to be a good friend to you?
What are some positive traits we could learn from Jo Jo?
In the Book Jo Jo cut out the toes in her socks. Why did she do this?
Why do you feel that Jo Jo felt left out at school?
Why was it so important for Jo Jo to bring MiMi to school with her?
What ways could JoJo have approached her classmates at lunch before getting upset about eating alone?
Why do you feel it’s important for Jo Jo and her family to learn and know the language of her Ojibwe tribe?
What could JoJo have done better for her original rhyme to make it better?
Like Jo Jo if you had to bring your best friend to class with you, who would it be and why?
How did you feel about the nickname Jo Jo made for Chuck?
Why do you think Jo Jo thought the Gym teacher’s name was Jim?

Recommended For:

The Length of a String
Author: Elissa Brent Weissman
Published May 1st, 2018 by Dial Books

Summary: Imani is adopted, and she’s ready to search for her birthparents. But when she discovers the diary her Jewish great-grandmother wrote chronicling her escape from Holocaust-era Europe, Imani begins to see family in a new way.

Imani knows exactly what she wants as her big bat mitzvah gift: to meet her birthparents. She loves her family and her Jewish community in Baltimore, but she has always wondered where she came from, especially since she’s black and almost everyone she knows is white. When her mom’s grandmother–Imani’s great-grandma Anna–passes away, Imani discovers an old diary among her books. It’s Anna’s diary from 1941, the year she was twelve–the year she fled Nazi-occupied Luxembourg alone, sent by her parents to seek refuge in Brooklyn. Written as a series of letters to the twin sister she had to leave behind, Anna’s diary records her journey to America and her new life with an adopted family. Anna’s diary and Imani’s birthparent search intertwine to tell the story of two girls, each searching for family and identity in her own time and in her own way.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Use this book to discuss and learn about History-World War II/Holocaust, the Jewish faith, and adoption.

This book is educational because it discusses the Holocaust from the point of view of someone who experienced it. It also has an engaging story line that makes readers want to read more to find out what will happen. This book would be very useful when teaching about the Holocaust.

Discussion Questions:

How do you think Imani felt when she started to read about Anna’s life in her diary?
Think of a time you felt out of place and write about how that made you feel.
Why do you think Imani’s mom cries so much?
Have you ever felt a special connection with someone in you family?
If you were Imani, would you continue to look for your birth parents?
Suppose you wrote a diary about something that you want people/family in the future to know. What would it be about and why?
What are some special celebrations that you do with your family?
If you were Imani’s friend, what advice would you give her as she goes through this journey?
What is something you have that is special that you think you will give to someone in the future?
Why do you think people living around Imani insensitive questions?

Recommended For:

Melissa
Author: Alex Gino
Published August 25th, 2018 by Scholastic

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.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This story is a good teachable book where certain themes can be brought up and talked about within the classroom setting. Where students can ask questions that may push boundaries but can be answered in a professional setting. This novel would be useful in the classroom to teach and promote gender diversity. This book would also be great as a classroom library so that students who may be facing these issues will have something relatable to read.

Discussion Questions:

Identify some ways Melissa being trans affected their life.
Think about a moment when someone in the book was bullied. What could have been done differently?
Why do you think Melissa was so scared to tell her parents about who she is?
What does it mean to be an Ally?
Describe two ways someone else helped Melissa.
Describe Melissa’s disposition throughout the book. How did it change?
Do you think that it was a good idea to talk to a therapist about the issues between Melissa and her mom?
Write about a time you felt scared to tell someone the truth.
If you were in Melissa’s class what would you do to make her feel welcome?
Sketch a scene from the book. Why did you pick that scene?
Why do you think the author chose to use the pronoun “she” when describing or referring to George? Does this make a difference to the way you feel about the character?
How do you think George feels having to keep this big secret inside? (Use text evidence to support your claims.) Have you had to keep a secret about yourself — how does this make you feel? Without revealing the secret (unless you feel comfortable), share or write about this experience and how you were affected.
George eventually reveals her secret to those she cares about. How does this make her feel? (Use text evidence to support your claims.) What are some consequences of “hiding” vs. “being yourself”?
What do you think it takes to “be yourself”? What are some pros and cons of being who you are? What are some other examples of “being yourself” that might be scary for kid?
Share or write about a time where you had to be brave enough to be who you are. What made you finally do it, and what effects did the experience have on your life?
People reacted differently to George’s revelation. Discuss how they differed and possible reasons why (try to think about this from the person’s point of view). How do you think you would react if you were each of these individuals?
1. Classmates
2. George’s mom and big brother
3. School teacher/principal
4. George’s best friend Kelly
5. Kelly’s dad and uncle
Discuss diversity, acceptance/tolerance, prejudice, bullying, compassion, etc. Come up with real-life examples. What are some way your classroom/school/family/community could be more accepting of those who might be different from you?
Towards the end of the book, the author switches to the name Melissa when referring to George. Why do you think they chose to do that?
How does Melissa feel in the first few chapters of the book?
How does Melissa feel at the end of the book?
Why did Ms.Udell not let Melissa play Charlotte?
Have you ever felt lost or scared to tell the truth? If so, how did that make you feel?
If Melissa was in your class, what are some ways you could make her feel welcomed?
Name a few things that Melissa had to struggle with, because she wanted to be trans.

Recommended For:

Merci Suárez Changes Gears
Author: Meg Medina
Published September 11th, 2018 by Candlewick Press

Summary: Thoughtful, strong-willed sixth-grader Merci Suarez navigates difficult changes with friends, family, and everyone in between in a resonant new novel from Meg Medina.

Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don’t have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci’s school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna’s jealousy. Things aren’t going well at home, either: Merci’s grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately — forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what’s going on, so she’s left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school. In a coming-of-age tale full of humor and wisdom, award-winning author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school — and the steadfast connection that defines family.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book would be useful in a classroom for teachers to expose a lot of topics to students such as bullying, family relations, and relatable school interactions like wanting to play sports or friendships and grades. As well as students that are nervous about their 6th grade year or also starting sixth grade read about someone going through the same things as them.

Discussion Questions:

What do you think caused Lolo to pick up the wrong twins?
Why do you think Merci and Edna are not friends?
Why do you think Edna is worried about appearances and mercy is not?
After their first interaction, do you think Merci will end up enjoying Michael as a sunshine buddy?
If you were a new kid would you want a sunshine buddy? Would you want to be a sunshine buddy? Why or why not?
Do you think Merci handled her situations maturely? Why or why not ?
Why did Merci’s parents hide Lolo’s conditions from her ?
How would you describe Merci’s relationship with her grandfather?
Do you think Merci’s culture made her feel different from her peers at school ? Why or Why not ?
How would you handle being falsely accused of something you didn’t do like Merci when edna destroyed the mask ?

Recommended For:

Guest Post: Classroom Uses for Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott, Magnificent Makers: How to Test a Friendship by Theanne Griffith, Polly Diamond and the Magic Book by Alice Kuipers, and Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith

August 14, 2022July 28, 2022 by Kellee

Today, I am happy to share the classroom uses and discussion questions found by my UCF Elementary Education students about fantasy novels.

Dragons in a Bag
Author: Zetta Elliott
Published October 23rd, 2018 by Random House

Summary: Jax is left by his mom to an old lady by the name of Ma. Jax later finds out that Ma is a witch who has 3 dragon eggs that hatched. They need to return the eggs because they won’t survive in the regular world due to lack of magic. They go to portals through time that takes them to the time of dinosaurs. Along the way, Jax meets his grandfather who also knows magic, and has him return two of the dragons to the magic council but accidentally left one left behind so he returns to the regular world. He forces his mom and the witch to hash out their problems.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: When using fantasy in the classroom it is always a good way to spark your students’ creativity. This source could be used as a creative writing prompt to boost off their creativity of the story: Conduct an activity based upon the book like have them write a short story about what they would do if they were in Jax’s shoes and have them draw pictures of dragons, name them, and design the dragons how they would like them to be pictured.

Discussion Questions:

What was Jax’s first impression of Ma?
How do you think Jax will return the last dragon to the magic council?
Who do agree with and why? Ma who wants to keep the world of magic separate or L. Roy who wants magic to come back to earth.
Why do you think Jax decided to open the window for the squirrel?
What were 2 things the dragons were not allowed to have?
When you first hear the word apprentice what comes to mind? Did you have the same thinking as Jax?
How does the story tie in with real-life scenarios with the fantasy?
Who are the most influential character apart from Jax?
When do we see the change of events come in play throughout the story?
When reading the book your imagination goes wild,in what other circumstances does your mind go other places when reading this story?

Recommended For:

The Magnificent Makers: How to Test Friendship
Author: Theanne Griffith
Illustrator: Reggie Brown
Published May 19th, 2020 by Random House Children’s Books

Summary: Pablo, Violet and Deepak are three friends who get sucked into a telescope and must play science games to come back and play again. Deepak is the new kid who makes Pablo jealous with his presence. Throughout the book, the team works together and build their friendship to complete the games.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The book could be used as a classroom read-aloud over the course of a few days or a week. Due to the science elements, this book would be a good way to start off science discussions in the classroom. For example, the second chapter includes the students learning about food chains. This book is perfect to make connections back to science.

Discussion Questions:

Why do you think Pablo was jealous of Deepak?
What were some of the challenges they had and what did they have to do?
Why do you think Pablo, Violet, and Deepak were chosen for the Maker’s Maze?
What do you know about producers, consumers, decomposers, and scavengers?
What were your favorite aspects of science that you learned from the book?
What type of emotion did the characters experience in the book?
When Deepak arrived to class, what did Pablo notice about him?
How does Pablo overcome is jealous toward Deepak?
Toward the end of the book why did they relate their friendship to the ecosystems?

Recommended For:

Polly Diamond and the Magic Book
Author: Alice Kuipers
Illustrator: Diana Toledano
Published April 22nd, 2018 by Chronicle Books

Summary: Polly Diamond is a little girl who receives a magic book that lets her bring to life the things that she writes and draws. She has a little sister who she doesn’t like very much and a brother on the way. Polly loves to write, she writes lists and stories and anything that she thinks is worth writing. When she starts writing in her magic book she realizes that the book can talk back to her. She writes to her book and comes up with lists and stories to write. She realizes that whatever she writes in the book comes to life when she writes about making a ladder to paint her room and the books on the floor magically move to make a ladder. The book tells her that is what she’s for and Polly quickly learns she can do anything she writes. She makes herself invisible and her sister into a banana. But she realizes that the book is taking everything she says literally. When she writes about eating a club sandwich the book gives her two slices of bread with a bat in between because it took the definition of a club literally. She told the house to fix up the carpet and turn her room into an aquarium. But the carpet was on the ceiling and fish were swimming around her room. She then realizes that everything she wrote was crazy and tries to put the house back to normal because she can’t even recognize it anymore. She fixes it just in time for her parents to come home with her new baby brother. At the end of the story she gives the book a name, Spell. And looks forward to writing and drawing another day with her new book, and friend Spell.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Polly uses and explains words like metaphor, affixes, alliteration, and hyperbole. This is a great opportunity to talk about these definitions, make lists of words and phrases that relate to these words, and do activities where the students use metaphors, alliteration, homophones, homonyms etc. It seems like a useful book to have in a first grade classroom and use with a higher level reading small group or a second grade class. It could also be used as a read aloud, again discussing the key words and their meanings, then practicing using those skills. There is a lot of use of imagery in this book as well as understanding literal meaning and how words matter.

After reading the text, students can respond to the story by engaging in a free write activity after they finish the reading. As a teacher, we could set a timer for five minutes and ask the students to write continuously about their thoughts on the book, good or bad, and afterwards, go over it as a small group.

Discussion Questions:

Polly had many favorite words throughout the book, what are some of your favorite words and why?
Make a list of activities you would do to have a Super-Fantastic-Day.
In the book, Polly writes down what her dream bedroom would look like. If you could have your dream bedroom, what would it look like?
When Polly writes in the magic book, she learns that she needs to write clearly and use as much detail as possible. What are some important rules to follow when writing so people can understand your message clearly?
When Polly is playing hide-and-seek, why does she become invisible?
Imagine the turquoise notebook has changed your house like Polly’s. Please write a short story explaining what your home looks like in order to get it back to normal.
How does Polly feel having to share a room with her little sister when her brother is born?
If you had a magic notebook that could bring three things you wrote about to life, what 3 things would you write or draw and why?
Polly loves words with double letters like “Dizzy.” List 5 words you can think of that have double letters.
Polly loves alliteration. That’s when two or more words in a row begin with the same letter. What alliterations can you think of?

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Sisters of the Neversea
Author: Cynthia Leitich Smith
Published June 1st, 2021 by Heartdrum

Summary: This book is a tale about three children, Lily, Wendy, and Michael. Their parents, Mr. Darling and Ms. Florene Roberts-Darling are separating, splitting the family between two different locations. The night before Wendy and Mr. Darling are supposed to leave, the children are visited by a boy named Peter Pan and Belle. Stories of pirates and merfolk persuade the children to follow Peter Pan and Belle off to a mystical land called Neverland. Upon arriving the children are separated and discover once you arrive you can never leave. The children meet merfolk, pirates, native children, the lost, and fairies in a desperate attempt to figure out how to get home.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book will be great for a read aloud, book club, or close reading because it involves a lot of higher level vocabulary than some students may currently be reading at and it has long sentences and dialogue which again, some children could struggle with. These classroom uses would allow for discussions.

Geography could also be tied in because students could illustrate and demonstrate caves and waterways the Merfolk might have dwelled in. They also could show their knowledge of what an island like Neverland might have, and include what trees they think the lost boys were living in.

And, of course, it could be looked at versus Peter Pan as it is a retelling.

Discussion Questions:

If you were a character in this book, who would you be and why?
If you were to create a different ending, How would it go?
Why do you think Mr. Darling and Ms. Florene wanted to separate?
What was your favorite part of the book?
What were some challenges that the children had to face or overcome?
Why do you think Peter Pan and Belle appeared?
Why do you think it was hard for the lost boys to remember who they are?
Why do you think Peter Pan never wanted to grow up?
Why do you think Belle brought Peter Pan to the island?
Why do you think the crocodile made a TikTok sound?
Does this book remind you of any other children’s stories? If so why?

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Guest Post: Classroom Uses for Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Last Gate of the Emperor by Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel David Makonnen, Maya and the Robot by Eve Ewing, and The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles

August 14, 2022July 21, 2022 by Kellee

Today, I am happy to share the classroom uses and discussion questions found by my UCF Elementary Education students about science fiction novels.

Concealed
Author: Christina Diaz Gonzalez
Published October 19th, 2021 by Scholastic

Summary: Ivette, Joanna, and now: Katrina

Whatever her name is, it won’t last long. Katrina doesn’t know any of the details about her past, but she does know that she and her parents are part of the Witness Protection Program. Whenever her parents say they have to move on and start over, she takes on a new identity. A new name, new hair color, new story.

Until their location leaks and her parents disappear. Katrina embarks on a dangerous rescue mission to save them-and find out the truth of her past at last.

Yet every new discovery shows that the Katrina’s entire life has been nothing but lies. Katrina has always kept her parents’ secrets. But it turns out, they were the ones keeping secrets from her this whole time. Could she be the reason they’ve been hiding all these years? The truth will throw everything Katrina has ever believed about herself into question.

Concealed is an action-packed adventure story by award-winning author Christina Diaz Gonzalez.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This is a great relatable book for young adults! Throughout the story, Katrina, the main character, fights for more information about herself and her family and why they are on the run, but she often gets overlooked and ignored when she’s asks questions. A lot of teens experience this and I think it would be a great book for a book club or even an assigned read for the class to explore sci-fi and have good discussions.

This books interdisciplinary elements include science and family and friendship values. It touches on the development of science in the DNA and gene makeup, which students may be unaware of at the time of reading which may lead them to explore more on their own. The family and friendship values show that no matter what a family goes through there is still love there. Along with this it shows the importance of friendship and everything that goes along with having a good friend by your side, even when at first you don’t think it is important.

Discussion Questions:

What would you do if you were Katrina and no one would answer your questions?
Would you have wanted to go with Katrina on this adventure? Why or why not?
Katrina’s skill is drawing and Parker’s skill is computers, describe what your skill is.
Describe how you would feel if you found out that you had a lost twin sister/brother.
What did you think of X in the story? Did you think he was a good character or a bad character? Why?
What would be your name if you had to choose another one?
Describe the relationship between Katrina and Parker.
Describe one event in the book that stood out to you the most and give your reasoning.
Why do you think Katrina didn’t like moving so much? How would you have felt if you were in her shoes?
Why do you think the main character’s family has to run and change their identity so many times?
Do you think it would be safer for Katrina to leave Parker out of her life? Why or why not?
Describe the relationship Katrina has with her parents as the book goes along. What about Parker? X?
Why do you think Katrina was so open with Parker, even at the beginning of their friendship?
Do you believe X is trustworthy? Why or why not?
Why do you believe B and L refuse to tell Katrina the truth about what happened before she lost her memory?
Do you think Ellla will side with her family or Mr. Sterling?
Describe what part of the book surprised you the most.
Do you think it is a good idea for Ellla and Katrina to share their life story on social media? Why or why not?

Recommended For:

The Last Gate of the Emperor
Authors: Kwame Mbalia & Prince Joel Makonnen
Published May 4th, 2021 by Scholastic Press

Summary: An Afrofuturist adventure about a mythical Ethiopian empire. Sci-fi and fantasy combine in this journey to the stars.

Yared Heywat lives an isolated life in Addis Prime — a hardscrabble city with rundown tech, lots of rules, and not much to do. His worrywart Uncle Moti and bionic lioness Besa are his only family… and his only friends.

Often in trouble for his thrill-seeking antics and smart mouth, those same qualities make Yared a star player of the underground augmented reality game, The Hunt for Kaleb’s Obelisk. But when a change in the game rules prompts Yared to log in with his real name, it triggers an attack that rocks the city. In the chaos, Uncle Moti disappears.

Suddenly, all the stories Yared’s uncle told him as a young boy are coming to life, of kingdoms in the sky and city-razing monsters. And somehow Yared is at the center of them.

Together with Besa and the Ibis — a game rival turned reluctant ally — Yared must search for his uncle… and answers to his place in a forgotten, galaxy-spanning war.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: In a way, students can learn about culture in this book. From there, diversity can be introduced into the lesson. Also, it would be great for discussing using your own personal interests and culture in your writing. The story also intertwines Ethiopian history and culture with space adventure and science fiction. This will be entertaining for the students while also educational. Another thing that can be taught while reading this book is that you will have to face the consequences of your own actions. If you are going to do something that you know is wrong, something bad will happen afterwards.

Students could also make timeline of events which would be interesting to see Yared’s adventure and battles laid out.

This novel would be considered interdisciplinary because it intertwines history with science fiction. It also introduces the idea of secret underground games, space & robots, as well as intergalactic war. These topics are mostly seen in movies but the main plot line is finding the uncle who would have the answers. It shows the students that even in stressful situations, never giving up and determination in hard times shows better outcomes.

Discussion Questions:

Think about what makes up you. What aspects of yourself would you reflect in your stories?
Compare a time when Yared was brave to one where he was scared? How did he overcome his fear?
Describe a time Yared had to ask for help?
What futuristic items in the book do you wish we had now? Why?
Describe the relationship between Yared and his uncle.
Predict what you think Yared will do in the next book.
How would you characterize Besa? How does the author convey her feelings without talking?
Why do you think the story starts with an audio transcript? Did it grab your attention or confuse you?
How do you feel about the rules on Addis Prime? Would you want to follow them?
Does this novel remind you of any movies or maybe other literature you have read?
How would you feel if you were in the same situation as Yared?
Do you think Yared has good qualities or does he often find himself in trouble because of them?
What other Ethiopian stories have we read in class before? Do you find similarities in the novels?
Do you think the illustrations on the cover with Yared and the robots in space gave you a good summary of what the book might be about?
What inferences can you make by looking at the cover of the book?
How and why did the setting change?
What key words from the novel stood out to you the most and why?
If the authors were to write another novel using Yared and Besa, what do you think it would be about?

Recommended For:

Maya and the Robot
Author: Eve Ewing
Illustrator: Christine Almeda
Published July 13th, 2021 by Kokila

Summary: An illustrated middle grade novel about a forgotten homemade robot who comes to life just when aspiring fifth-grade scientist Maya needs a friend—and a science fair project.

Maya’s nervous about fifth grade. She tries to keep calm by reminding herself she knows what to expect. But then she learns that this year won’t be anything like the last. For the first time since kindergarten, her best friends Jada and MJ are placed in a different class without her, and introverted Maya has trouble making new friends.

She tries to put on a brave face since they are in fifth grade now, but Maya is nervous! Just when too much seems to be changing, she finds a robot named Ralph in the back of Mr. Mac’s convenience store closet. Once she uses her science skills to get him up and running, a whole new world of connection opens up as Ralph becomes a member of her family and Maya begins to step into her power.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book would be useful in the classroom in order to get children interested in STEM:

Students could learn more about robotics and electrical elements. Following along with Maya as they learn students are introduced to new ideas and definitions that will bridge their understanding of STEM.

Students will be able to create their own science fair projects. Students can present their own ideas and also learn about how projects in the book worked

Discussion Questions:

Do you think that her finding the robot impacted her in a good or bad way? Why?
What piece of modern technology does Ralph remind us of?
What modern upgrade would you give Ralph?
What is something in your life that you would consider your Ralph?
Who can relate to Maya? Explain why?
Throughout Maya and the Robot there are many different lessons you can take away. What lessons can you take away from the book and why?
How did Ralph allow Mr. Mac to heal after Christopher’s death?
Throughout the book Maya often feels alone in the classroom. What is one way to make your classmates feel included?
Could Maya have fixed her relationship with MJ and Jada earlier in the book? Why or why not?
Throughout the book Maya’s teacher calls her by the incorrect name. Why is it important to stand up for yourself when you feel uncomfortable?

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The Last Last-Day-of-Summer
Author: Lamar Giles
Illustrator: Dapo Adeola
Published April 2nd, 2019 by Versify

Summary: When two adventurous cousins accidentally extend the last day of summer by freezing time, they find the secrets hidden between the unmoving seconds, minutes, and hours are not the endless fun they expected.

Otto and Sheed are the local sleuths in their zany Virginia town, masters of unraveling mischief using their unmatched powers of deduction. And as the summer winds down and the first day of school looms, the boys are craving just a little bit more time for fun, even as they bicker over what kind of fun they want to have. That is, until a mysterious man appears with a camera that literally freezes time. Now, with the help of some very strange people and even stranger creatures, Otto and Sheed will have to put aside their differences to save their town—and each other—before time stops for good.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Using this book in the classroom could help students become more brave or confident. Majority of the students should be able to relate to this story because it is almost like a dream come true. This book could open up a lot of “What if” questions for students and I love it. Students will be able to use their imaginations, better their reading skills, and have fun at the same time.

This story would also be a fun story to read together as a class and it is a fun novel to get students eager to read!

Once students are done reading this book, there could be a class reflection on how we can all be brave heroes in real life in our homes and at school. To make this even more exciting students can create their own super hero crest and name. Students will practice helping others and I will make sure their parents know about this assignment to help the students with understanding that we help each other all of the time not just at school, but to practice it everywhere if applicable and not dangerous.

Students can also respond by writing their own fictional story about their own adventures on the last day of summer.

Discussion Questions:

In the novel the acronym BTSFOASTF is written by Grandma. What does it mean?
With a partner, come up with an answer together and write it on the white board. Grandma is diabetic, What medicine did she take and what is it for?
When Otto and Sheed took the picture, what happened?
Why did Sheed decide not to tear up the picture?
What was the one thing Otto discovered had been consistent since time had been frozen, and in which chapter was this discovered? Would you have noticed the same thing? Why?
For how long did Otto and Sheed’s adventure last, and why do you think so?
How do you unfreeze a person in the story?
Why did TimeStar lie?
Who is TimeStar and why do you think so?
What role did the clock watchers play in this story?
How are Otto and Sheed alike? Different?
How do Otto and Sheed work together and overcome their differences?
What were some clues that you noticed when reading, that something was not right after the boys took the photo?
Describe the boys relationship with their grandmother
If you could time travel, would you rather go forward in time or backward in time?
What was your favorite part about Sheed and Otto’s day?
Are you surprised by who Mr. Flux is?
Is this how you would want to spend your last day of summer?

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