Voice – Page 12 – Unleashing Readers

Bea Garcia: My Life in Pictures by Deborah Zemke

July 29, 2016 by Kellee

Bea Garcia: My Life in Pictures
Author and Illustrator: Deborah Zemke
Published March 8th, 2016 by Dial Books

Summary: Bea Garcia is an artist. She draws anywhere and everywhere—but mostly in her own notebook. When Bea’s first and only best friend Yvonne moves to Australia, not even drawing makes Bea feel better. And things only get worse when a loud, rambunctious boy moves in next door. He’s nothing at all like Yvonne! But with a little imagination and a whole lot of doodles, Bea Garcia might just make a new friend.

This first book in a brand-new chapter book series is a must-read for doodlers everywhere.

Review: I am loving learning more about early middle grade books, and Bea Garcia is going to be a protagonist that will be welcomed in this group of books. Bea will join forces with so many strong girls that 4th through 6th graders can read about. What I love about Bea’s story is that it is one that so many readers will relate to. She deals with losing a best friend and a bully moving into her classroom and neighborhood. She also has a supportive and real family that will reflect many families out there. Also, I loved Deborah Zemke’s illustrations throughout. They really brought Bea’s personality, dreams, and thoughts.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Bea’s story will be one that can be used to start so many discussions while being read aloud. It is a perfect story to discuss different types of people, bullying, friendship, school, etc. Also, I think it would be interesting to discuss the addition of illustrations and even voice with students. One idea would be to read aloud part of the story without showing the illustrations and discuss how the illustrations help the story and how Bea’s voice is crafted.

Discussion Questions: Bea uses drawing to think through her emotions. What do you use to help think through your emotions?; What would have been a different way that Bea could have dealt with Bert?; Is there a time that you lost a best friend? How did you deal with it?; How would Bea’s story have been different without illustrations?

Flagged Passages: “We played together at recess and after school, on weekends and vacations, running back and forth in the backyards from my house to her house.

One winter day, we rolled a snowball from her yard to mine and back a hundred times until it was the biggest snowball in the world. Then we turned the snowball into a giant Snow Kitty.

I don’t think Sophie liked Snow Kitty.

When it was warm, we played in the crabapple tree that was just the right size for us to climb.

It was a magic tree.” (p. 20-21)

Read This If You Loved: Amelia’s Notebook series by Marissa Moss, Popularity Papers series by Amy Ignatow, Mackenzie Blue series by Tina Wells, Middle School series by Jenni L. Holm

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Deborah for providing the book for review!**

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

July 7, 2016July 7, 2016 by Ricki

All American Boys
Authors: Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Published: September 29, 2015 byAtheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

GoodReads Summary: Rashad is absent again today.

That’s the sidewalk graffiti that started it all…

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

And that’s how it started.

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

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

Cuz that’s how it can end.

Ricki’s Review: I read this book a few months ago, and frankly, I can’t stop thinking about how important this story is. We read so many books in our lifetimes, and some just take our breath away. This is one of those books. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I believe it belongs in every classroom. The strength of the two voices in this book is remarkable, and it makes for an excellent teaching tool—about heroism; about doing what is right and true; and about being a good, decent human being. The acts within this book are all-to-common, and I believe this book promotes genuine change. The book is literary at the same time that it is engaging. It will pull (and has pulled) readers of all ages and backgrounds. I typically don’t review books long after they have been published, but this book feels too important to leave out. If you haven’t read it already, I recommend it move to the top of your TBR list. It’s and incredible story.

Kellee’s Review: I too read this book a few months ago. It was a choice for our Faculty Book Club, and it was a perfect book to discuss with a bunch of educators. All American Boys is a book that is going to be a classic because it highlights modern history in a thoughtful and truthful way. This is a book that I would recommend to everyone to read. It is a perfect jumping off point to discuss race relations, Black Lives Matter, and We Need Diverse Books. The way the book is set up, with two voices, will help readers have permission to talk about what is happening in our country, the Civil Rights movement and its tie into modern times, and the racial tension currently happening in our country.

I’d like to also add that I recently was lucky enough to see Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely accept their Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award at the ALA Annual Conference here in Orlando, and they both moved me to tears. Jason actually gave two speeches since he won an honor for All American Boys and Boy in the Black Suit. His second speech was a brilliant advocacy poem titled Machetes which can be viewed here or read here. His first speech and Brendan’s speech are not available yet. Brendan says School Library Journal will be publishing his, and I am not sure about Jason’s; however, I did tweet some quotes as I sat and listened:

I hope The Boy in the Black Suit gives young men permission to feel and be human and sometimes need a hug. – Jason Reynolds
Memory in of itself is life. -Jason Reynolds
If you are doing this work, this award is yours too. -Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds talking about his mama made me cry. I hope my son’s love can be as true as his is.
There are bodies missing, and I cannot bring them back. It is time for action. -Brendan Kiely
Revolution begins in the heart. -Brendan Kiely
Love is art. Love is education. Love is accountability. And it needs repeating love is love is love is love. -Brendan Kiely
I want to reckon w whiteness…speak truth to myself. -Brendan Kiely

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book begs to be taught in classrooms. If I was still teaching it would be the first book that I would request to be added to curriculum. I think it would be particularly fascinating to use this book as a read-aloud while simultaneously doing literature circles with X by Ilyassah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon, The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon, and How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon. These books all deal with civil rights issues, as well, and it would be interesting to look at civil rights across time and history and also within other relevant contexts.

The Simon & Schuster Reading Group Guide gives some discussion questions, journal responses, and research ideas.

Discussion Questions: How do Rashad’s and Quinn’s voices shine differently in the text?; Did Quinn do the right thing? Would you have done the same?; What would you have done if you had been in Rashad’s circumstance? Would you have done anything differently?; How is racism present both in obvious and nuanced ways in the plot events of this text?

Flagged Passage: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Read This If You Loved: X by Ilyassah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon; The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon; How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon; Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles; Audacity by Melanie Crowder; The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

Recommended For:

and

Whose Story Is This, Anyway? by Mike Flaherty

August 18, 2016July 1, 2016 by Kellee

Whose Story Is This, Anyway?
Author: Mike Flaherty
Illustrator: Oriol Vidal
Published May 3rd, 2016 by Sterling Children’s Books

Summary: What’s this book about? That depends on who you ask. Our humble narrator thinks he’s got a great story for you, but he barely begins before he’s interrupted . . . by a scallywag pirate with a thrilling legend of mermaids and sea monsters! Soon an entire cast of colorful characters—including a hungry dinosaur, an alien bent on world domination, and a heroic knight—derails the boy’s saga. Everyone has a tale to tell—but if they can all get on the same page, this might turn out to be the best story ever!

About the Author: Mike Flaherty is an author and occasional hockey coach trying to keep up with his two kids and rather voracious cats. His secret lair is hidden somewhere in New Albany, OH, and he would be the world’s greatest super-villain if he could figure out how to get his Doomsday Device working. Until then, he’ll just keep writing stories.

About the Illustrator: Oriol Vidal is an illustrator and storyboard artist based in Barcelona, Spain. He graduated from UB Barcelona with a degree in Fine Arts. Including illustrating books and magazines, Oriol has worked in animation where he developed character designs and storyboards for clients in the US, France, UK, South Korea, and Spain. He happily works and lives with his little daughter, his wife, his cat, and his rowdy budgie.

Kellee’s Review: This book made me laugh out loud. The characters are zany, the premise is fun, and the outcome is perfect. I also loved the comic-esque layout of the book with dialogue bubbles and colorful illustrations. Trent and I were enthralled with the cast of characters–the author really made sure to include all kids’ favorites.

Ricki’s Review: This is a book that somehow manages to cram in almost all of my son’s favorite things—and in an interesting, humorous way! With each page, my son says, “Ooooh!” because he is so excited by the characters. I particularly like how the narrator has a cat. Too often, male narrators always hold dogs and female narrators always hold cats. My son, who loves cats, is catching on to this, and it frustrates me. The creativity in this book is admirable, and kids will love it.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book will be such a fun addition to the classroom. It can be used for writing activities and for discussions (or as a mentor text) for point of view, voice, dialogue, humor, or narration. First, it would be really fun to rewrite this story from different points of view. Since each character thinks it is their story, their view of how things went down would be very different than the boys. It is also so great how the author gives each character their own voice and personality which would lend it to be a good mentor text for distinguishing voice and using dialogue. Also, students would have so much fun writing their own story about how each character ended up on this particular beach with this boy.

Discussion Questions: Why does the boy change is mind at the end of the book?; Which character would you want a whole story about?; How do you think each character ended up at this beach?; How would you have reacted if you were the boy?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Loved: Faraway Friends by Russ Cox, By Mouse & Frog by Deborah Freedman, Little Red Writing by Joan Holub, Nibbles by Emma Yarlett, Journey by Aaron Becker

Recommended For:

and

**Thank you to Sterling Publishing for providing copies for review!**

Teacher Appreciation Blog Tour with Review, Excerpt, Video, and Giveaway!: Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson

June 17, 2016 by Kellee

Ms. Bixby’s Last Day
Author: John David Anderson
Published June 21st by Walden Pond Press

Summary: Everyone knows there are different kinds of teachers. The good ones. The not-so-good ones. The boring ones, the mean ones, the ones who try too hard. The ones you’ll never remember, and the ones you want to forget. But Ms. Bixby is none of these. She’s the sort of teacher who makes you feel like the indignity of school is worthwhile. Who makes the idea of growing up less terrifying. Who you never want to disappoint. What Ms. Bixby is, is one of a kind.

Topher, Brand, and Steve know this better than anyone. And so when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces that she is very sick and won’t be able to finish the school year, they come up with a plan. Through the three very different stories they tell, we begin to understand just what Ms. Bixby means to Topher, Brand, and Steve—and what they are willing to go to such great lengths to tell her.

About the Author: John David Anderson, the author of many books for young readers including Sidekicked, Minion, and The Dungeoneers, returns with a story of three kids, a very special teacher, and one day that none of them will ever forget. A dedicated root beer connoisseur and chocolate fiend, he lives with his wife, two kids, and perpetually whiny cat in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can visit him online at www.johndavidanderson.org.

Click to read a 48 page excerpt!

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Review: Ms. Bixby is one of those teachers that you read about and you want to be (if you are a teacher) or you want to have (if you are a student). As you can see from all the praise it has been receiving, John David Anderson wrote a home run book with this one. Our three main characters are diverse, funny, sweet, and stubborn, and Anderson’s voices for each are unique and alternate beautifully throughout the book. Though I must warn: This is a roller coaster book. You will laugh, smile, cry, get angry, and cringe. It is all there.

But this tour is about more than just the book, it is about focusing on our Ms. Bixby. Ms. Bixby is described as a “Good One” in the book. A “Good One” is a teacher who “make[s] the torture otherwise known as school somewhat bearable. You know when you have one of the Good Ones because you find yourself actually paying attention in class, even if it’s not art class. They’re the teachers you actually want to go back and say hi to next year. The ones you don’t want to disappoint.”

My Ms. Bixby: We all have a wide variety of teachers; however, there are those that change your life. When I was in 12th grade, I was a high school fish just floating my way through school. I was a high achiever who was okay with only doing okay in classes. I didn’t know what I was good at. I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I just thought I was another face in the crowd; nothing special. Then I entered Miss Hazel Haley’s classroom. When I had Miss Haley in 1999-2000, he had been teaching for 63 years, 61 of them at Lakeland High where I took my academic classes and 54 in the same classroom (in a building named after herself). She was a spit fire: She showed the Romeo and Juliet film from the 60s even though it showed a breast, she would speak her mind no matter what, and she cared and remembered every single person she’d ever taught. We were her kids. She never married or had children of her own, and she would tell you it was because she didn’t have to–we were her kids.

But it wasn’t all of this that made Miss Haley my Ms. Bixby. Actually, at first I really didn’t like her. She didn’t put up with my talking or note passing. She didn’t tolerate my Cs and Bs when she knew I could do better. She saw something in me. Finally, on one of the assignments I’d halfheartedly completed, she made me stay after school to work on with her. She told me I couldn’t get away with working the way I had been with the brain I had. She told me, “You are a good writer.” And she told me, “You are smart.” And for some reason her telling me stuck. And everything changed. I now knew that I was good at something. That I could accomplish something. And I have.

Lakeland Ledger article on Miss Haley’s legacy

NPR soundbite and transcript on Miss Haley’s retirement

When I decided to become a middle school teacher, I thought right away of Miss Haley. I know she would be proud of me. I wish I could tell her. And mostly, I hope that I can be someone’s Miss Haley, or Ms. Bixby. I hope my students know I care for them as if they are my own children. I know first hand that one teacher can definitely make a difference.

Walden TV Episode 17 — “LIST IT: Ms. Bixby’s Last Day:”
Have you ever had a favorite teacher? Maybe someone as AWESOME as Ms. Bixby? Mike & Julian certainly have! Follow along their list of favorite teachers–real and fictional!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: In addition to a wonderful classroom library addition and a read aloud, Ms. Bixby is just one of many teachers I’ve read about that show how a teacher can change a life. Ms. Bixby’s Last Day would be a perfect addition to a “Teacher Appreciation Text Set” along with Wonder, Fish in a Tree, Bluefish (YA), Love that Dog, Jumped In (YA), and The Summer of May.

Publisher’s Educators Guide:

Discussion Questions: Why did the author choose to use three different points of view?; How did Ms. Bixby affect each of the boys’ lives?; What made Ms. Bixby a “Good One?”

Flagged Passages: “You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose. That’s something my dad told me. Turns out…not entirely true. I mean, the middle part is obviously true. But the last part isn’t true at all.” (p. 25)

Funny story you’ll have to read the book to read (p. 25-27)

“You can pick your friend’s nose. But there’s a difference between can and should.” (p. 27)

Read This If You Loved: Wonder by RJ Palacio, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Bluefish by Pat Schmatz, Love that Dog by Sharon Creech, Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott, The Summer of May by Cecelia Galante, The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart, Remembering Mrs. Rossi by Amy Hest

Recommended For:

Don’t miss out on the other stops on the Blog Tour!

6/2/2016	Nerdy Book Club
6/3/2016	Next Best Book
6/6/2016	Walden Media Tumblr
6/7/2016	Teach Mentor Texts
6/8/2016	This Kid Reviews Books
6/9/2016	Read, Write, Reflect
6/10/2016	Flashlight Reader
6/13/2016	Julie Falatko
6/14/2016	A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust
6/15/2016	About to Mock
6/16/2016	Kid Lit Frenzy
6/16/2016	The Hiding Spot
6/17/2016	Unleashing Readers
6/20/2016	Ms. Yingling Reads
	Novel Novice
6/21/2016	Maria’s Melange
	Novel Novice
	All the Wonders
6/22/2016	Lit Coach Lou
	Novel Novice
6/23/2016	Novel Novice
6/24/2016	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
	Novel Novice
6/27/2016	Librarian’s Quest
6/28/2016	Educate.Empower.Inspire…Teach
6/29/2016	Bluestocking Thinking
6/30/2016	Mindjacked
7/1/2016	All the Wonders

Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, and Review!: Cici Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker by Kristina Springer

August 7, 2016May 6, 2016 by Kellee

Cici Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker
Author: Kristina Springer
Published April 16th, 2016 by Sterling Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: Middle school is a test, but Cici Reno has all the answers. She’s the go-to girl for advice. She’s cool, she’s funny, and she’s enlightened (thanks to yoga classes at her mom’s studio). So when her pretty BFF, Aggie, is too shy to speak to the boy she’s crushing on, Cici goes online and does the talking for her. The only problem is, Cici starts to fall for the guy herself! For the first time in her life. she doesn’t have a clue.

My Review: Cici Reno is a refreshing addition to middle grade romance. As a middle school teacher, I am always happy when there is a romance novel that actually features middle school kids instead of high schoolers. The thinking and feelings differ so much between 6th and 9th grade that sometimes the YA romance novels are a bit mature for the middle schoolers that want to read about crushes and dating. And Cici Reno is a book that middle schoolers will flock to not only because of the romance but because of the humor, Cici’s true voice, and the story of friendship.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation (Teachers’ Tools for Navigation):
“Using Classic Retellings in the Middle Grade Classroom” by Kristina Springer

As readers, we love a good classic retelling. Renée Ahdieh reimagined The Arabian Nights in her #1 NYT Bestseller, The Wrath and the Dawn. The Coming of the Dragon by Rebecca Barnhouse was inspired by Beowulf. The Real Boy by Anne Ursu offered a new look at Pinnocchio. My first young adult novel, The Espressologist, was a twist on Jane Austen’s Emma. (In my book, the main character is a coffee shop barista who discovers a talent for matchmaking her customers based on their favorite coffee drinks.) And of course, Romeo and Juliet has been remade again and again and again (my favorite being Gnomeo and Juliet!).

With my newest middle grade book, Cici Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker, I decided to do a modern twist of the Cyrano de Bergerac story, set in middle school and with Twitter instead of balconies and bushes.

Cici Reno, is the 12 ¾-year old enlightened daughter of a Yogi. When she’s not helping out at her mom’s beloved Peony Lane Yoga Studio or taking a class herself, she’s solving all of the 7^th grade’s problems, be it boy trouble or BFF drama. When her shy best friend Aggie asks for Cici’s help in getting the attention of the boy she likes, Cici goes online and does the talking for her. Only the more they talk, the more she falls for him herself. What’s a girl to do?

Studying a classic story and some of its retellings could be a fun and creative activity for middle grade classrooms. Here’s a suggestion of how you can approach this:

Start with talking about the original classic tale. Let’s say you choose Cyrano de Bergerac as I did. Talk about the original play written by Edmond Rostand in 1897. Show pictures of the real Cyrano de Bergerac for which the play is based on. More info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrano_de_Bergerac_(play) And show this really cute 1 minute, 35 second YouTube Last Minute Book Report clip of Cyrano de Bergerac to get an overall sense of the story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u52OLtAws8
Have your class read through a bit of the play together out loud to get a sense of the relationship between Roxane, Christian, and Cyrano. Perhaps the balcony scene in Act 3, Scenes 6 and 7 where we see Christian bumbling for his words and Cyrano stepping in to rescue him. You can find the play this here: http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/French/Cyranoact3.htm
Talk about some of the movie adaptions of Cyrano de Bergerac over the years like Roxanne and The Truth about Cats and Dogs. If time and interest allows, show the 2012 Disney Original Movie, Let it Shine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_It_Shine_(film)
Read my book, Cici Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker, and discuss the similarities and differences between the original and this modern retelling. Consider having the students use a Venn Diagram to do this. Have them discuss why they think I, as the author, made certain changes and if those changes improved the story or not.
Have the students try writing their own modern short story re-telling of Cyrano de Bergerac. And have fun sharing them with each other!

About the Author: Kristina Springer is the author of Cici Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker (Sterling Children’s/April 19, 2016), My Fake Boyfriend Is Better Than Yours (Macmillan/FSG), a Scholastic Bestseller and 2012 YALSA Quick Pick book; The Espressologist (Macmillan,/FSG), a 2010 Society of School Librarians International Honor Book and 2014 Illinois Reads Book that has been purchased for film by Michael Eisner’s Vuguru; and Just Your Average Princess (Macmillan/FSG). She has a Masters in Writing from DePaul University and resides in a suburb of Chicago with her husband and children. Learn more about Kristina on her website: http://KristinaSpringer.com.

Flagged Passages: “‘Wow, you think of everything,’ Aggie says. ‘It sounds completely perfect. Only one thing.’

‘What’s that?’

‘I can’t talk to him, Cici! You heard me at the bonfire. I go from zero to dork in 2.3 seconds.’

‘But you’ll be online,’ I tell her. ‘You can take your time typing, really form your thoughts.’

‘Yeah. I guess.’ She pauses. ‘Or you could talk to him for me. Please? You’re so much better around guys than I am. Always so relaxed and cool. And funny,’ she adds.” (p. 35)

Read This If You Loved: Cyrano de Bergerac, Camp Rolling Hills by Stacy Davidowitz, Audition & Subtraction by Amy Fellner Dominy, Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Recommended For:

Cody and the Mysteries of the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

April 29, 2016 by Kellee

Cody and the Mysteries of the Universe
Author: Tricia Springstubb
Illustrator: Eliza Wheeler
Published April 12th, 2016 by Candlewick Press

Goodreads Summary: Not everything turns out to be as it first appears when Cody and her best friend, Spencer, navigate a neighborhood mystery and the start of a new school year.

Cody’s best friend, Spencer, and his parents are moving in with his grandmother right around the corner, and Cody can’t wait. For one thing, Cody needs Spencer to help solve the mystery of the never-seen Mr. Meen, who lives on the other side of the porch with a skull-and-crossbones sign in the window and an extermination truck out front. How’s Cody to know that a yellow jacket would sting her, making her scream “Ow! Ow!” just as they start spying? Or that the ominous window sign would change overnight to “Welcome home,” only deepening the mystery? In this second adventure, Spencer’s new-school jitters, an unexpected bonding with a teacher over Mozart, and turf-claiming kids next door with a reason for acting out are all part of Cody’s experiences as summer shifts into a new year at school.

My Review: I loved this one as much as the first one. (P.S. You don’t have to read the first one to enjoy this one, but they are both so good you should read both.) What I love most about the books is that Cody and Spencer and their families and the secondary characters are just so flawed and familiar and real. What I love second most about the book is how Tricia Springstubb writes. It is lyrical yet to the point. Beautiful yet not fluffy. See my example below. What I love third most about the book is the humor. Cody is one funny young lady!

Cody’s story this time revolves around two things: Spencer moving nearby and things not going as expected and the mystery behind the Meens, the bullying girls who live next to Spencer. Springstubb navigates both of these topics (bullying and friendship) with ease along with other minor topics like family and identity which makes Cody’s story perfect for all young readers because they will either relate or be able to use the story to help them in the future.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Cody’s story represents so many different types of people: different races, different families, different situations, different popularity, different talents, etc., so her stories are perfect for reading aloud to a class/child.

It could also be used as a mentor text for language during a writing workshop’s narrative unit.

Discussion Questions: What does Cody mean by the baton of love?; Is it ever okay to fight?; Why does Payton’s behavior affect Wyatt so much?; How did Cody expect Spencer being at her school to be? How did it end up?

Flagged Passages: “He [Spencer] was getting ready to practice his violin. Mom and Cody sat down to listen. The song he played was called ‘Go Tell Aunt Rhody.’ The music was complicated. Was it sad? Was it happy? Could it be both at the same time? Cody decided it was perfect night-before-school music. All the while he played, her hand un-itched.” (p. 32)

Read This If You Loved: Cody and the Fountain of Happiness by Tricia Springstubb, The Trouble with Ants by Claudia Mills, Marty McGuire series by Kate Messner, Eleanor series by Julie Sternberg, Lola series by Christine Pakkala, The Top-Secret Diary of Cecile Valentine by Julie Sternberg

Recommended For:

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

Blog Tour, Character Interview, Giveaway, and Review!: The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin by Elinor Teele

May 5, 2016April 15, 2016 by Kellee

The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin
Author: Elinor Teele
Illustrator: Ben Whithouse
Published April 12th, 2016 Walden Pond Press

Goodreads Summary: A quirky, humorous, whimsical, and heartwarming middle grade debut about a young boy who runs away from home with his sister to escape working in the family coffin business—and discovers even more adventure than he bargained for.

John Coggin is no ordinary boy. He is devising an invention that nobody has ever seen before, something that just might change the world, or at least make life a little bit better for him and his litter sister, Page. But that’s only when he can sneak a break from his loathsome job: building coffins for the family business under the beady gaze of his cruel great-aunt Beauregard. Having lost their parents when Page was a baby, how else are they supposed to survive?

Perhaps by taking an enormous risk—a risk that arrives in the form of a red-haired scamp named Boz. When Great-Aunt Beauregard informs John that she’s going to make him a permanent partner in Coggin Family Coffins—and train Page to be an undertaker—John and Page sign on with Boz and hit the road. Before long, they’ve fallen in with a host of colorful characters, all of whom, like John and Page, are in search of a place they can call home. But home, they realize, isn’t something you find so much as something you fight for, and John soon realizes that he and Page are in for the fight of their lives.

Elinor Teele’s picaresque debut is a rollicking tale filled with wild adventures, daring escapes, and—thanks to Boz—more than a little catastrophe.

My Review: One thing I’ve noticed is that so many orphans in stories seem to always get into some sort of trouble and then go on amazing adventures. Like Annie, Grubb from Alistair Grim, and Peter Nimble before him, John Coggin, a recent orphan, finds himself in quite a predicament of a situation when he is forced to work for his great aunt’s funeral home. It is the last straw when Great Aunt Beauregard tries to force Page, John’s sister, to go to work with them, and that begins the adventure! Elinor Teele takes us on quite a journey! With Boz, the comic relief with an amazing vocabulary, our three main characters meet some unique characters along the way.

Teele’s ability to weave such an odd story together and make it seem seamless is remarkable. John, Page, and Boz have about 5 stops along their journey all with a wide-variety of characters who all are a bit quirky but also relatable and you end up loving all of them. Although everything that happens is quite farfetched, you end up believing it all because you just want John and Page to be successful!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: In the classroom, I think this book would be a perfect opportunity to discuss ways to determine unknown vocabulary within a text. Boz has QUITE a vocabulary and uses words that will be unknown to many of the middle grade readers the book is aimed for; however, the author does a fabulous job of having context clues or restatements of what the words mean. I would love to use passages of this book for vocabulary instruction.

It could also be used as a mentor text for imagery, specifically character description. Like I said, throughout the book we meet some very odd characters, but they are all described so well you can picture them. Same with John’s contraptions and the setting. Elinor Teele’s specific word choice really brings the story to life.

Lastly, I think it would be fun to compare/contrast the orphans within middle grade novels and discuss why orphans are chosen for so many adventurous books. Peter Nimble and Alistair Grim along with John Coggin would definitely be a great place to start, and you could even tie it in with “Annie.”

Also check out the Educational Activity Kit based on the book for more ways to use the book in the classroom or library.

We Flagged: “”Up and at ‘em, troops! The back of a new day is already broken, and time marches on!’

Boz blew into the barn like a category five hurricane and came to rest at John’s feet. ‘Where are the foundations of your perambulation?’ His baffled face collapsed even further into itself.

‘Where are the what?’ John asked blearily. The bright summer sun was making fireflies of the dust around Page’s hair.

‘Your shoes, young man, your shoes.’

‘I threw them outside.’

‘Well, find them! We go, we see, we conquer!’” (p. 58)

Special Guest! Q&A with Boz (by Elinor Teele): Boz may, in fact, be the worst interviewee on the planet. It was barely possible to get him into a hotel lounge and almost impossible to keep him there. And his hair! It seemed to have a life of its own. After this experience, I am firmly convinced his only future is a career as a human firework.

Q. So, first I’d like to ask… Boz? Boz! Could you please stop swinging from the chandelier?
A. Of course, profuse apologies my Fallonesque friend. I was merely trying to pump some blood to my knee joints. I ingested a box of sugar-coated hookoo grubs yesterday and I fear they have inflamed my rheumatics.

Q. Where did you get a box of hookoo grubs?
A. A gift from the Queen of Samarrand. She says she misses my winsome ways.

Q. How did you become friends with a Queen?
A. Oh, I have roamed the bureaus and boards of many a parliament. From the sweat-soaked slums to the blasted heaths, I have crisscrossed this great globe itself in eighty days and under. “A wandering minstrel, I…”

At this point in the interview, Boz yanked open the door to the lobby and vaulted onto the hotel’s front desk. From there, he sang operettas to incoming guests until security guards brought him back into the lounge.

Q. I don’t think the concierge enjoyed your singing.
A. It’s a waste of vitriol trying to please critics. Besides, it gave me an opportunity to relieve him of his time commitments.

Q. You stole his watch?!
A. You may say that, but I couldn’t possibly clarify.

Q. Well, what can you comment on?
A. Anything that tickles your pearly whites.

Q. Okay, how about this? Some people have said that your way of speaking is far too complicated to understand. They point out many kids have enough trouble with basics, so why make it harder?
A. I grant you that my vocabulary may be a little bewildering, but why not be wild? There are so many beautiful words in this world that go a’begging. As my dear friend Dodo Dodgson often opines, “Look after the senses and the sounds will look after themselves.”

Q. Yes, I noticed you tend to appropriate phrases from famous writers.
A. Who was it that said that bad artists copy and great men steal? Or was it that the immature youth imitates and the mature matron plagiarizes? I can’t remember.

At this point in the interview, Boz once again made a grab at the chandelier. This time – thanks to the force of his liftoff – he was hurled round and round the room like a demented tornado.

Q. Are you insane? Should I call the fire brigade?
A. Wouldn’t do that, my dear boy. They’re still irked about the incident with the propane and the propellers.

Q. What did that involve?!
A. A gaggle of insurance investigators, apparently.

Q. I give up. I don’t know how John Coggin put up with you.
A. But John and I are friends! Buddies of the bosom. Compadres of the cabana. Say what you will about my ethical standards, but I always believe in my friends!

This was a revealing comment, and I would have liked to ask Boz more about it. Unfortunately, he had let go of the chandelier and was already rocketing skyward through one of the open windows. I last saw him passing a goshawk.

Walden TV Features John Coggin: http://waldentv.com/video/rtwt-john-coggin/

Find Elinor Teele at her website.

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