Picture Book – Page 88 – Unleashing Readers

Flying Solo: How Ruth Elder Soared into America’s Heart by Julie Cummins

April 2, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

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

Flying Solo: How Ruth Elder Soared into America’s Heart
Author: Julie Cummins
Illustrator: Malene R. Laugesen
Published July 23rd, 2013 by Roaring Brook Press

Goodreads Summary: In 1927, airplanes were a thrilling but dangerous novelty. Most people, men and women, believed that a woman belonged in the kitchen and not in a cockpit. One woman, Ruth Elder, set out to prove them wrong by flying across the Atlantic Ocean. Ruth didn’t make it, crashing spectacularly, but she flew right into the spotlight and America’s heart. This is the story of a remarkable woman who chased her dreams with grit and determination, and whose appetite for adventure helped pave the way for future generations of female flyers.

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Ruth Elder joins the group of amazing women who have eye-opening picture books about them and how they changed history. (I love this trend!) More and more brilliant and brave women from history are getting recognition through their story being told. Ruth Elder was America’s sweetheart daredevil, and through her crazy feats showed America that woman were brave too. Although Amelia Earhart beat her in her mission to cross the Atlantic, she never stopped pushing herself and the women around her. I would love to see a unit about amazing women in history that uses the slew of beautiful picture books about these woman. One idea would be splitting up kids into groups, having them each read about one of the picture books, maybe doing some extra research, and then sharing with the other groups what they learned. It’d be a great way to give these women the spotlight they deserve.

Discussion Questions: Although Ruth did not cross the Atlantic, why did she become famous?; Ruth had the chance to be a Hollywood star, but she chose to go back to flying–why would she make this decision? Do you agree with her decision?; How did Ruth and her race help change America’s view of woman pilots?

We Flagged: “On August 18, 1929, Ruth and nineteen other women set out to show that women could fly airplanes just as well as men in the first women’s cross-country air race. The pilots had more than headwinds to counteract. One reporter sputtered, “The only thing worse than dames in planes is dames racing planes!””

Look inside Flying Solo at Amazon

Read This If You Loved: Daredevil by Meghan McCarthy, Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming

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The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins

March 26, 2014March 26, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever
Author: H. Joseph Hopkins
Illustrator: Jill McElmurry
Published September 17th, 2013 by Beach Lane Books

Goodreads Summary: Unearth the true story of green-thumbed pioneer and activist Kate Sessions, who helped San Diego grow from a dry desert town into a lush, leafy city known for its gorgeous parks and gardens. Katherine Olivia Sessions never thought she’d live in a place without trees. After all, Kate grew up among the towering pines and redwoods of Northern California. But after becoming the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science, she took a job as a teacher far south in the dry desert town of San Diego. Where there were almost no trees.

Kate decided that San Diego needed trees more than anything else. So this trailblazing young woman singlehandedly started a massive movement that transformed the town into the green, garden-filled oasis it is today. Now, more than 100 years after Kate first arrived in San Diego, her gorgeous gardens and parks can be found all over the city.

Part fascinating biography, part inspirational story, this moving picture book about following your dreams, using your talents, and staying strong in the face of adversity is sure to resonate with readers young and old.

My Review: This book was fascinating! I love learning about strong woman who changed the course of history and did so when no one thought they could. Like Jane Goodall, Kate Sessions love of nature and learning started at a very young age, and she let this desire to learn drive her to become an amazing woman. She is an inspiration and one that many people probably do not even know about.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I can picture this book being used so many different ways in the classroom! It is perfect just for a read aloud and discussion. It has some beautiful descriptive and figurative language that could be discussed. It could also be read in lit circles where each group gets a different strong female who changed the world and then they could each present and share on their woman. AND it has very unique science facts and information that help it cross seamlessly into science. Just a fantastic book for the classroom.

Discussion Questions: How did Kate change San Diego?; What did Kate do, that others didn’t, to help her transform San Diego?; Why did Kate go to San Diego?; What other women in history does Kate remind you of?

We Flagged: “Kate felt the trees were her friends. She loved the way they reached toward the sky and how their branches stretched wide to catch the light. Trees seemed to Kate like giant umbrellas that sheltered her and the animals, birds, and plants that lived in the forest.” (p. 7)

Read This If You Loved: Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell, Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors? by Tanya Lee Stone, Daredevil by Meghan McCarthy, The Boy Who Loved Math by Deborah Heiligman, Brave Girl by Michelle Markel, Primates by Jim Ottaviani, Look Up! by Annette LeBlanc Cate, Players in Pigtails by Shana Corey

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Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Patricia Newman

July 27, 2015March 19, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Author: Patricia Newman
Photographer: Annie Crawley
Expected Publication April 1st, 2014 by Millbrook Press

Goodreads Summary: These scientists are on a mission. As part of a research expedition known as SEAPLEX, they’re studying the massive accumulation of plastic in the Pacific Ocean known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. As they use the scientific method to conduct their investigation, their adventures will introduce readers to the basics of ocean science and the hazards of plastics.

Kellee’s Review: At my school, I am an adviser of Future Problem Solvers which is a club that looks at futuristic issues and, by using the 6-step creative problem solving process, tries to come up with an action plan to solve the futuristic problems. One of our past competitions had the topic of “Ocean Soup,” and my students and I did research about the state of our ocean. It was at that time that I became aware of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and was disgusted by it. I am so glad that this book exists now, because just like I didn’t know about the issue, my students didn’t either, until we began researching. This nonfiction picture book takes the reader through a mission with scientists to study the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and by making it a mission instead of just a book of facts will help engage readers in the problem that we are facing now.

Ricki’s Review: I was most impressed by the layout of this clever book. I loved how the design was fashioned to draw the reader’s eye to different portions of text. This will really capture kids’ attention. Young scientists will be sucked into this text, and the zoomed in pictures help readers unravel this mystery at sea along with these real-life explorers. The language and headlines made me smile–“Trash Talk: Nurdles and Triangles” and “Ocean Science: Munching Microbes.” Students in the upper elementary and middle school grades will find much to study in this fascinating text.

Teachers’ Tool for Navigation: This book would be an interesting addition to an environmental unit (or Earth Day activity) to look at how humans affect the Earth. It has a lot of information about why the Garbage Patch is happening and what humans could do to stop it–all information that would fit right in with any discussion about the environment. The book would also be a great resource whenever talking about being a scientist, the type of work they do, and the type of equipment they use. The book was very informative about all of these things as it followed the scientists on their mission. The author also has a curriculum guide you can access here.

Book Trailer:

Discussion Questions: What is the explorers’ mission? What do you find interesting about their jobs?; Why is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch happening?; What do humans need to do to diminish the amount of damage we are causing the Earth?

We Flagged: “The SEAPLEX Trash Detectives found plastic in 130 of their 132 net tows over 1,700 miles of open ocean. That’s the same distance as between New York City and Denver, Colorado. ‘To see plastic debris in the middle of this large stretch of ocean, far from land,’ Chelsea said, ‘offers a wake-up call for the way we leave our footprint even on remote pieces of the Earth.'” (p. 36)

Read This If You Loved: Let’s Make a Difference (series) by Gabriella Francine, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, Island by Jason Chin, Giant Squid by Mary M. Cerullo, Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins

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**Thank you to Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for providing us with copies for review**

The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) by Kathleen Krull & Paul Brewer

March 14, 2014March 12, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny)
Authors: Kathleen Krull & Paul Brewer
Illustrator: Stacy Innerst
Published March 19th, 2013 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Summary: Q: How do you find all this business of having screaming girls following you all over the place?
George: Well, we feel flattered . . .
John: . . . and flattened.
When the Beatles burst onto the music scene in the early 1960s, they were just four unknown lads from Liverpool. But soon their off-the-charts talent and offbeat humor made them the most famous band on both sides of the Atlantic. Lively, informative text and expressive, quirky paintings chronicle the phenomenal rise of Beatlemania, showing how the Fab Four’s sense of humor helped the lads weather everything that was thrown their way—including jelly beans.

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I love The Beatles. There has never been anyone like them and that is what this book is about. It is about their popularity, their brilliance, and their humor. I liked how although the book is nonfiction and a biography of the Fab Four, it was about more than that. It was about how they changed over time and how they changed us over time. It was also quite funny to read some of their interviews and see how they dealt with the fame that enveloped them so quickly. All with illustrations that were a bit zany and like caricatures, but were so well done. This picture book is definitely an excellent introduction to The Beatles for our 21st century kids.

Discussion Questions: How did The Beatles deal with all of the fame when they first became famous? How did their reaction to the fame change over time?; How did their favorite candy cause them trouble in the end?; Which Beatle do you think was the funniest?

We Flagged: “From the time they got together as lads until they became superstars, the Fab Four made music, made history, and made people laugh.”

Read This If You Loved: When Bob Met Woody by Gary Colio, John’s Secret Dreams by Doreen Rappaport, The Beatles by Jeremy Roberts

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Blog Tour and Review!: Weeds Find a Way by Cindy Jenson-Elliot

July 27, 2015March 5, 2014 by Ricki

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Weeds Find a Way
Author: Cindy Jenson-Elliot
Illustrator: Carolyn Fisher
Published: February 4, 2014 by Beach Lane Books

Goodreads Summary: Weeds are wonderful! Persistent, exuberant…these plants have personalities, and this nonfiction picture book puts them on colorful display!

From bright yellow dandelions popping through cracks in sidewalks to purple loosestrife growing rampant along roadways, weeds offer unexpected splashes of color and life to the least likely of places. With lovely language and a sly sense of humor, this beautiful picture book celebrates the tenacious temperaments of these pesky plants and is sure to have little ones chanting, “Way to go, weeds!”

Ricki’s Review: The illustrations! The illustrations! I was mesmerized by the gorgeous artwork in this text. As I read it aloud to my son and husband, I was oohing and aahing at the bright, luscious colors. It made me want to go outdoors and lay among the weeds. If it wasn’t the dead of the winter, I would pull my son outside and read the book to him in our garden. There are beautiful passages of figurative language–alliteration that reads like a song, and readers will be sucked into the sprawling passages that evoke lovely images. The book turns readers’ assumptions on their heads. The words and images show that we can find beauty in, of all things, weeds. While I learned much about weeds and found the informational passages at the end (about different types of weeds) to be quite informative, I found the idea of weeds to be symbolic, too.

Kellee’s Review: I was blown away with how fascinating the author made something that we walk by every day and ignore. The text itself is quite lyrical and has the amazing illustrations with it; however, I found the goodies in the research in the afterword. It was very interesting for me to learn that these plants, which we treat like pests, are actually so very useful. I second much of what Ricki says about the figurative language. I love seeing these elements being used in a nonfiction book! Overall, this is a nonfiction book that should be shared with kids and will definitely start some major discussions.

Teachers’ Tool for Navigation: Teachers will find multiple opportunities with this text. They can use it to teach different types of figurative language, or they might ask students to explore weeds in a more symbolic way. We love the idea of using nonfiction at such a young age, and we wonder if teachers might try literature circles with this text. While it is marketed for ages 4-8, it could be used for different purposes with a variety of age groups. The informational passages at the end might allow teachers to help students research about different types of plants. We also love the illustrations so much that we would love to have kids take the pictures and write their own stories to match the images. It would show that nonfiction can be accessible and fun.

Discussion Questions: Why do weeds get a bad reputation? What else might we compare weeds to? Are there other things in the world that are unfairly loathed?; How does the author use figurative language to draw the reader in?; What makes a plant a weed?; Some of the plants shared at the end of the book are useful (for foods, medication, etc.); however, we still treat them as weeds. Why do we have this perspective of these plants?

We Flagged: “Weeds find way to stay, reaching deep with a grip so strong, the stem always breaks first, leaving the living roots behind to sprout again; or pinching into pieces the minute you try to tug them out, spreading into a spray of plant parts that find new spots to take root” (p. 21-22).

Read This If You Loved: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly, The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins

About the Author: Cindy Jenson-Elliott is the author of fourteen books of nonfiction and hundreds of articles for newspapers, magazines and educational publishers. She is a teacher and environmental educator with an MA in education and a passion for connecting children with nature. In her free time, she enjoys swimming in the ocean and spending time outdoors in San Diego, where she lives and gardens with her family of four humans and three Buff Orpington chickens. Visit her at CindyJensonElliott.com.

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Check out all the stops on the WEEDS FIND A WAY blog tour!

Mon, Feb 24	Growing with Science	http://blog.growingwithscience.com/
Tues, Feb 25	As They Grow Up	http://www.astheygrowup.com/
Wed, Feb 26	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Thurs, Feb 27	Sharpread	http://sharpread.wordpress.com/
Fri, Feb 28	Children’s Book Review	http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
Mon, Mar 3	Let’s Go Chipper!	http://letsgochipper.com/
Tues, Mar 4	Just a Little Creativity	http://www.justalittlecreativity.com/
Wed, Mar 5	Unleashing Readers	http://www.unleashingreaders.com/
Thurs, Mar 6	5 Minutes for Books	http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/feature-columns/5-minutes-for-books/
Fri, Mar 7	Archimedes Notebook	http://archimedesnotebook.blogspot.com/

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**Thank you to Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for providing us with copies for review**

Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors? by Tanya Lee Stone

February 26, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors?
Author: Tanya Lee Stone
Illustrator: Marjorie Priceman
Published February 19th, 2013 by Henry Holt and Co.

Goodreads Summary: In the 1830s, when a brave and curious girl named Elizabeth Blackwell was growing up, women were supposed to be wives and mothers. Some women could be teachers or seamstresses, but career options were few. Certainly no women were doctors.

But Elizabeth refused to accept the common beliefs that women weren’t smart enough to be doctors, or that they were too weak for such hard work. And she would not take no for an answer. Although she faced much opposition, she worked hard and finally—when she graduated from medical school and went on to have a brilliant career—proved her detractors wrong. This inspiring story of the first female doctor shows how one strong-willed woman opened the doors for all the female doctors to come.

My Review: I love that Tanya Lee Stone chose to write about a women in history that changed our world in a big way, but has not get the credit for it. It is amazing to think that one young lady was brave enough to be the first to try to get into medical school to help pave the way for millions of woman doctors today. Although I realize there has to be a first for everything when overcoming prejudice and inequality, it is not often that you hear about who this one person was and how s/he had to do it alone, but that is how it was for Elizabeth Blackwell. No one had tried to jump over the barrier, but she did. This is such an inspirational story and such a big part of history–it should be shared with everyone. And what tops off the book is the vibrant, colorful, playful illustrations that will draw the reader in even more.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: A couple of interesting themes that can definitely pulled out of this story is resilience (she never gave up after all of the rejections), the power of friendship (she has never considered being a doctor until a friend suggested it), and selflessness (just read the author’s note about the rest of Elizabeth’s life at the end). All three of these would lead to phenomenal discussions and can be connected to other historical figures and fiction texts.

Discussion Questions: Why do you think it took the townspeople longer to accept Elizabeth?; We learn that Elizabeth’s sister also became a doctor and the two of them eventually start a hospital. What type of people would Elizabeth and her sister have to be to be able to go from not being allowed to be a doctor to owning a hospital? What traits would they need?; How would life be different now if Elizabeth had never tried to become a doctor?

We Flagged: “I’ll bet you’ve met plenty of doctors in your life. And I’ll bet lots of them were women. Well, you might find this hard to believe, but there was once a time when girls weren’t allowed to become doctors.” (p. 3)

Read This If You Loved: Brave Girl by Michelle Markel, Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell, Daredevil by Meghan McCarthy, Here Come the Girl Scouts by Shana Corey

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Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

July 27, 2015February 20, 2014 by Ricki

Green
Author: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Published March 27th, 2012 by Roaring Brook Press

Goodreads Summary: Die cut pages bring surprise after surprise in this magical new book from the “Queen of the concept book”—an intricate and satisfying homage to green, the color of all creation.
How many kinds of green are there? There’s the lush green of a forest on a late spring day, the fresh, juicy green of a just-cut lime, the incandescent green of a firefly, and the vivid aquamarine of a tropical sea. In her newest book, Caldecott and Geisel Honor Book author Laura Vaccaro Seeger fashions an homage to a single color and, in doing so, creates a book that will delight and, quite possibly astonish you.

Green is a Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book of 2012.

Review: The limited words on each page allow the reader to get lost in the beauty of the illustrations of this gorgeous children’s book. I was expecting the typical greens but was pleasantly surprised to see the clever takes on wacky green, slow green, and no green at all. I glided from page to page, appreciating the clever cutouts and visual appeal of this incredible children’s book.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This text could be used at a variety of levels. In my reading, I felt it is really asking readers: “How many different ways can you look at the color green?” We see objects, colors, and basic things in our world one way, but how can we interpret them differently? I would love to see this used in a creative writing classroom.

Discussion Questions: Where do we see the color green in our world? Go beyond the expected interpretations.; How does the author creatively present this book? What makes a book with so few worlds so very powerful?

Read This If You Loved: A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

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