August 2016 – Page 2 – Unleashing Readers

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Have Been On Our Shelves From Before We Started Blogging That We STILL Haven’t Read Yet

August 23, 2016 by Ricki

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

Today’s Topic: Books That Have Been On Our Shelves From Before We Started Blogging That We STILL Haven’t Read Yet

Ricki

1. A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League by Ron Suskind

A friend told me that this book really hit him hard. I immediately bought it. I still haven’t read it, and I am disappointed in myself! Based on the topic, I know I will love reading it, so I need to get moving!

2. Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

This graphic novel memoir has been on the top of my list for about seven years. I just haven’t been able to nab it at the library, so it has remained on my TBR shelf!

3. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

This is another book that I have intended to read for a long time, and I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet (ahh!).

4. Scars by Cheryl Rainfield

I’ve read about a dozen books that feature a character who cuts, and I have liked them all. But I’ve heard this book really hits readers hard. I think my anxiety that it won’t live up to the hype has kept me from reading it, but I need to just jump in!

5. Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

I’ve intended to read this foundational book for years and years. I think I will put it on my #mustread list next year to make sure I don’t miss it!

Kellee

I have thousands of books that I have wanted to read for years, so I didn’t know where to begin. These five books are all from the top 20 books on my Goodreads To Read list (back from 2009 when I joined).

1. The Schwa was Here by Neal Shusterman

I was a Shusterman fan before it was cool (Everlost and Bruiser, anyone?!?!), but this is one that I haven’t read yet. It has been on my TBR for years, and it has a sequel now–I really need to read it.

2. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

This book and all of its sequels are loved by so many people I admire. I love the comparison to nostalgic classics, and it was a National Book Award winner.

3. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

This series has been described as witty, supposedly there is funny banter, and rip-roaring action (see Donalyn Miller’s, Katherine Sokolowski, and Sasha’s reviews on Goodreads), and these all make it sound like it is going to be a series I’d enjoy! Now I just need to pick it up

4. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Any book compared to The Maze Runner and Percy Jackson and has the premise of saving the world sounds like an adventure that’ll suck me in.

5. Snatched by Pete Hautman and Mary Logue

First, I’ve wanted to read something by Pete Hautman for years. Second, I added this because it was compared to Adam Canfield that I loved. Third, it is a mystery which I love!

Which books have lingered on your shelves for years and years?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 8/22/16

August 22, 2016 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It’s also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…you just might discover the next “must-read” book!

Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too.

We encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting at least three of the other book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Last Week’s Posts

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday: Diverse Books I Wish More People Would Read to Build Understanding and Empathy

Wednesday: National Geographic’s 125 Wacky Roadside Attractions

Thursday: Selfies in the Wild by C.L. Murphy

Friday: The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles by Michelle Cuevas

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “How an Author Deals with Not Writing Something New” by Jordan Elizabeth, Author of The Escape from Witchwood Hollow

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

This was a much better week for me. I think part of it was that the kids are there, so I feel like all of the work has a purpose. Also, I must be getting used to my schedule because I’m finding time to read.

The new Jedi Academy book is a great addition to the series. Though it is a companion and done by a different author (Jarrett Krosoczka vs. Jeffrey Brown) the feeling and humor of the original series is there yet it still has its own personality. This book will definitely not last long on the shelves!

I then read a very special present I received from a very special author. Oh guys, Pirasaurs! is as good as you think it’ll be. If you don’t have an opinion, check out our preview post, and you’ll predict that it is good–and it is! Preorder this one! (Review closer to its publication date.)

Upside Down Magic: Stick and Stones by the brilliant E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle, and Sarah Mlynowski is just as good as the first and will leave you excited for a third. I love this cast of characters, and I couldn’t help already talking about this one in class because I think it has such middle school relevance.

The Curse of the Were-Hyena by Bruce Hale is the first in a new series that takes place in a town where monsters run amok. The premise reminds me a bit of Bailey School Kids, but these are for a bit older kids, so they’ll make a perfect ladder up. (Review coming soon!)

Fantastic Beasts is worth reading just for the intro and Harry’s notes inside. I actually found the rest of it (classifications of all the magical creatures) a bit dry (it is supposed to be a textbook…), but the intro and Harry’s notes add a bit of fun.

I never know what to recommend to my graphic novel readers after they’ve read all of the Amulet series and all of Doug TenNapel’s books. This is it. HiLo is a book that so many of my kids are going to love. It is going to be passed around just like their other favorite GNs are.

Ricki

My heart feels full after reading Josh Funk’s Pirasaurs! I knew it would be fantastic (as all of his work is), but this exceeded even my highest expectations. This book is going to be an absolute favorite amongst kids. After I finished reading it to my toddler, he said, “AGAIN, PLEASE!” I can’t wait to review this book next week. In case you missed it, you can see our preview post for this great text! Like Kellee, I highly recommend pre-ordering this book!

Continuing with my project to read more Muslim/Islamic literature, I finished I Love I Hate I Miss My Sister by Amélie Sarn. This is a short book that hit me very hard. It begins with the death of the narrator’s sister, who was a year younger than her. The sisters are high schoolers living in France and share very different religious values. I won’t say more, but the story sent me reeling.

I simply adored this book (Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm). I know many of my fellow bloggers have raved about it, and I can see why. It is set in the mid-1970s, and the illustrations and dialogue are very, very funny, despite the heavy plot line that lingers in the background. This is a great text for classrooms. I am very happy it was on my #mustreadin2016 list!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

In my quest to read all of our SSYRA 6-8 books (our state reading list), I began listening to All Fall Down by Ally Carter. So far, I am still in the expedition, but I like Grace’s voice and guts, so I have a feeling I am going to like it.

I plan on reading some graphic novels this week because I have them in my house, and I want to get them into students’ hands, but I also plan on reading Wishapick: Tickety Boo and the Black Trunk which looks like The Spiderwick Chronicles (I’ll let you know!).

I also keep promising my friend that I’ll read Story Thieves, so I plan on picking it up before I move on to start reading my books for my NCTE and ALAN presentations and panels.

Ricki

I always see John Howard Griffin’s Black Like Me referenced, and I know it used to be required reading in schools in the 60s. I am reading it right now and finding it to be very, very interesting.

I am halfway through Jo Knowles’ See You at Harry’s, and I love it. I am very glad I put this on my #mustreadin2016 list! I can see why everyone raved about it!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Ten Books that Have Been on our TBR Shelf Since Before we Started Blogging

Wednesday: National Geographic’s Real or Fake

Thursday: Dear Dragon by Josh Funk

Friday: Blog Tour with Author Guest Post, Review, and Giveaway!: Busy Builders, Busy Week!by Jean Reidy

Sunday: Author Guest Post

So, what are you reading?

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!

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Author Guest Post!: “How an Author Deals with Not Writing Something New” by Jordan Elizabeth, Author of The Escape from Witchwood Hollow

August 21, 2016 by Kellee

“How an Author Deals with Not Writing Something New”

I started telling stories as an infant. My maternal grandmother recorded them for me on cassettes and would later write them down. This went on until junior high (I had horrible handwriting) when I got my first computer. After that, no one could stop my writing flow. I whipped out stories like it was nobody’s business.

Short stories. Novels. The words flowed off my fingertips into the keyboard, messy handwriting thrown to the wind.

After high school, I set myself a goal. Every night, I would write at least one chapter. It is thanks to that goal that I now have 27 completed manuscripts and 9 published works. Nothing could stop my writing streak. I would lock myself into my bedroom and not come out – and not talk to anyone either – until I had completed that day’s chapter.

Okay, so nothing could stop my writing…except a pregnancy. Not having the energy to write, losing that writing zone, was a blow. I’d been sick before, but I’d always pushed myself to do at least a paragraph (it usually turned into my chapter). Suddenly, I had no will to write.

It wasn’t a lack of motivation exactly. It seemed to be a lot of things. Stress, fear, exhaustion. I would sit down at the computer, and when I pushed myself to do one paragraph, that’s all I got. One paragraph. One really crappy paragraph.

My characters reminded me of the characters in another of my books. The setting was like the setting in yet another book. I didn’t know where to take the story. Such roadblocks had never happened before, and of course that just added onto my already huge array of negative emotions.

A writer has to write.

Right?

Wrong. A writer has to be involved in books, but not necessarily writing. I became depressed, feeling as if my writing career was crumbling, and I took that proverbial step back to reflect. It sounds cliché, but it worked. For me, at this point in time, writing wasn’t working, but I had to stay involved. Since I wasn’t turning out new work, I could take a look at the old.

I called up one of my old manuscripts and gave it a fresh edit. It wasn’t as tiring as writing something new and I could fully immerse myself in the fantasy world. Pleased with this new edit, I let the story go into the world, and wouldn’t you know it found a home with a publisher? The book is KISTISHI ISLAND, due to be released October 27, 2016 from Clean Reads.

I am now in the middle of editing another work. Before, I would finish one and dive right into the next. It feels great to explore these old worlds and beloved old friends without the guilt of not writing something new. Yes, I am totally guilt free now about not writing and that is one less negative emotion on my plate.

People have told me being pregnant means I can eat anything I want without feeling guilty. I have no urge to pig out yet (maybe that comes later?). I’m changing that idea around into, “Being pregnant means I can edit all I want and not write without feeling guilty.” I’ll get back into writing later. For now, I have old manuscripts to keep me company.

About the Author: Jordan Elizabeth, formally Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, writes down her nightmares in order to live her dreams. With an eclectic job history behind her, she is now diving into the world of author. It happens to be her most favorite one yet. When she’s not creating art or searching for lost history in the woods, she’s updating her blog, Kissed by Literature. Her published works include ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, TREASURE DARKLY, BORN OF TREASURE, COGLING, RUNNERS & RIDERS, VICTORIAN, GOAT CHILDREN, and KISTISHI ISLAND.

About the Book: Everyone in Arnn – a small farming town with more legends than residents – knows the story of Witchwood Hollow: if you venture into the whispering forest, the witch will trap your soul among the shadowed trees.

After losing her parents in a horrific terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, fifteen-year-old Honoria and her older brother escape New York City to Arnn. In the lure of that perpetual darkness, Honoria finds hope, when she should be afraid.

Perhaps the witch can reunite her with her lost parents. Awakening the witch, however, brings more than salvation from mourning, for Honoria discovers a past of missing children and broken promises.

To save the citizens of Arnn from becoming the witch’s next victims, she must find the truth behind the woman’s madness.

How deep into Witchwood Hollow does Honoria dare venture?

Thank you Jordan for the reminder that writing isn’t only writing something new!

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The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles by Michelle Cuevas

August 19, 2016 by Kellee

The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles
Author: Michelle Cuevas
Illustrator: Erin E. Stead
Published August 23rd, 2016 by Dial Books

Summary: The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles, who lives alone atop a hill, has a job of the utmost importance. It is his task to open any bottles found at sea and make sure that the messages are delivered. He loves his job, though he has always wished that, someday, one of the letters would be addressed to him. One day he opens a party invitation—but there’s no name attached. As he devotes himself to the mystery of the intended recipient, he ends up finding something even more special: the possibility of new friends.

Kellee’s Review: I love the premise of an Uncorker of Ocean Bottles even existing! There are so many notes (notes in a bottle, notes to Santa, etc.) that are out there floating around, so it is so much fun to imagine what happens to them. But the story is really about the Uncorker himself. What is it like to have a very important job yet be alone all the time? No matter how much you love what you do, is being alone ever going to be easy?

Erin Stead’s art always makes me want to pick up a book! Her use of woodblock prints, oil pastels, and pencil give a perfect feel for this story of a man who didn’t even know he was lonely. The illustrations give a wistful feel that fits Cuevas’s hopeful story.

Ricki’s Review: This is a book that readers will never forget. Years from now, I will sit in the sand on a beach and think of the Uncorker and all of his gentleness as a human being. His loneliness emanated from the pages, and I longed to go to him, to stay with him, and to become his friend. This would be a great book to discuss relationships and friendships with kids, and it also would be an excellent way to talk about loneliness. All people—kids included—feel loneliness, so a book like this will open up wonderful conversations about this emotion that is not discussed often.

The illustrations make this book stand out. I felt as if they were freshly drawn for my eyes only. I have a print hanging up in my son’s nursery, and I love looking at it every morning.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: As a read aloud in a classroom, The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles would be a perfect discussion starter on many levels. At the beginning of the book, students can guess what they think some of the bottle say when all they are told is that they are “dipped in sadness” or “very old” or “made people quite happy.” The conversation can continue about how they would feel living alone, even if they were doing something important and something they loved. Then they can make predictions about the message that is revealed then analyze how it changes the Uncorkers life.

Discussion Questions: What do you think the messages say?; What would you write as a message in a bottle if you were going to write one?; What do you think the Uncorker is going to do with the unaddressed message?; Would you like living alone?

Flagged Passages: “While the Uncorker of Ocean Bottles loved his job, he couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever receive a letter. Truth be told, each time he opened a bottle, a part of him hoped to see his own name winking from the top of the page.

But then he remembered that this was about as likely as finding a mermaid’s toenail on the beach. For he had no name. He had no friends. He stank of seaweed and salt and fishermen’s feet. No one would ever write him a letter.”

Read This If You Loved: Little Tree by Loren Long, Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Recommended For:

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Selfies in the Wild by C. L. Murphy

August 18, 2016 by Ricki

Selfies in the Wild
Author: C. L. Murphy
Published: August 1, 2016 by Peanut Butter Prose

Goodreads Summary: Lobo and his sidekick raven find a trail camera in their neck of the woods, and it attracts the attention of forest friends. Images captured have never been sillier or more candid. Just as their wild dispositions are exposed, the photo shoot comes to an unexpected end and they’re all left wondering why. The reason may be obvious.

My Review: This book was so much fun to read! I loved the hysterical faces of each of the animals in the wild, and I think it would be a fantastic book to read to toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners, in particular. Each of the animals is trying to make a great impression on the camera, and their facial expressions made me giggle. I particularly enjoyed the end of the book—the author shares her own camera’s version of selfies in the wild—where she captured real animals.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: It would be so much fun for teachers to try to recreate this book with the students making the funny faces. They could bind their own version of the book and compare it with this one. There are a few researchers who have left cameras in the wild, and the animals have reacted in hysterical ways. It would be great for the teacher and students to explore these real-life images together. Downloadable Activity Kit

Discussion Questions: How does the author add humor to the book?; How does the text evolve in a way that engages readers?; How are the pages structured? How does this make it feel realistic?; Which animal is your favorite? Why?

Book Spread:

Book Trailer:

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Read This If You Loved: Other Books in the Adventures of Lovable Lobo series, Whose Story is This, Anyway? by Mike Flaherty; the Pete the Cat series (by Eric Litwin and James Dean); Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

Connect with C. L. Murphy and the Series:

Website: http://lovablelobo.com

Blog: http://lovablelobo.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LovableLobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lovable-Lobo/265661023552725

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/murphymess/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+CLMurphyKidLit

Goodreads (author): https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6852948.C_L_Murphy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c.l._murphy/

Check Out the Other Stops on the Blog Tour:

Recommended For:

125 Wacky Roadside Attractions by National Geographic Kids

August 17, 2016 by Ricki

Nonfiction 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!

125 Wacky Roadside Attractions: See All the Weird, Wonderful, and Downright Bizarre Landmarks from Around the World!
Published May 10, 2016 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: Going on a road trip? See the silly side of travel as you explore the wackiest landmarks from around the world — a place where you can walk in real dinosaur tracks, a hotel where you sleep in an igloo, a crazy beard festival, a UFO museum, and so much more. You won’t believe our world is full of so many bizarre and wonderful places!

My Review: I’ve become a huge fan of the National Geographic books. My toddler is obsessed with them, even though he is much younger than the intended audience. He loves telling us all about the things he learns in the books, and the pictures give us so much to talk about. For this book, we loved talking about all of the different places in the world and what we might see on a road trip. For older kids, this book is great to inspire them to want to travel and to visit all of these neat landmarks! I particularly liked the variety in this text. I can’t imagine that anyone could finish reading this text without adding places they want to visit to their bucket lists. There was a good balance between drivable places and also locations that are across the world. This book will keep a traveler quite busy!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: It would be so much fun to place these attractions on the map. Readers might examine how the authors balanced the locations. It also provides students with a good visual concept of where they want to travel next! Students might also be inspired to find a weird or wacky attraction that isn’t in the book. They can share these ideas with the class!

Discussion Questions: Which attraction was most interesting to you? Why?; Which of the closer attractions might you want to visit soon? Which is the farthest attraction that you are interested in visiting?; What neat themes did you see across different attractions?; What might inspire people to create weird and wacky attractions like these?

Read This If You Loved: National Geographic’s 100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up, Mastermind by National Geographic, Weird but T rue series by National Geographic, Animal Atlas, Almanacs, Travel Books

Recommended For:

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Diverse Books I Wish More People Would Read to Build Understanding and Empathy

August 16, 2016 by Kellee

Today’s Topic: Diverse Books I Wish More People Would Read to Build Understanding and Empathy

Kellee

One of the things this election has made me think about is the superiority that so many feel about themselves versus others. I wish they would pick up some of these books to help them build empathy for their fellow man. These books push the reader outside of their comfort zone and helps us see the world from a different point of view. I tried to pick books that focused on different diverse populations and included picture, middle grade, and young adult books. And yes, I did more than 10 🙂

How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon

Inspired by Trayvon Martin’s murder, Magoon looks at a young black boy’s murder from different points of view.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

After an incident of police brutality, one boy must figure out how to stay strong and another must figure out how to question everything he knows.

A Piece of Home by Jeri Watts

What is it like to move to a brand new country with a brand new language? Tough but so many immigrants do it for a hope of a better future.

Tía Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina

While still saving to help more of their family immigrate to the U.S., Tía Isa works twice as hard to also buy something so many of us take for granted: a car.

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

What is it like to grow up surrounded by war? To have to walk 2 hours for water? To want to be anywhere but the country that you live in?

Kiki and Jacques by Susan Ross

An introduction to refugees from a middle school boy’s point of view. The reader also gets to learn about the refugees and their lives and situations along with Jacques which makes it so students with no prior knowledge can live Kiki and Jacques story with them.

Children Growing Up with War by Jenny Matthews

So many of us live in a privilege that includes peace, shelter, safety, and other basic needs. This is not so for so much of the world, and children grow up surrounded by violence all over the world. What is their life like?

The Milk of Birds by Sylvia Whitman

This book looks at two very different girls but both who need to be read about: KC has a learning disability and Nawra is a refugee in Darfur.

Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence by Geoffrey Canada

A gritty, truthful narrative about the evolution of violence.

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

Grayson will help so many readers learn about the struggle of being transgender.

So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez

What happens if you want to be normal, but you know that you aren’t? Is being gay a choice you can make?

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall

Although a story of a crayon, it looks at identity and labels. Not everyone has to be what they are labeled or are told to be. Let people shine as they truly are.

My Friend Maggie by Hanna E. Harrison

Maggie is a big overweight and Veronica is not very nice to her. Paula struggles with the want to be popular or be friends with an amazing person who isn’t as popular. This story is an anthropomorphic story of what can happen on any playground in America.

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

Gabi’s story hits on so many topics (pregnancy, abortion, meth, family, religion, ethnicity, school, homosexuality, sex, death, poetry, college, rape, and gender expectations, just to name a few), but they are all done with grace and understanding.

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Would you ever sell your child into prostitution for food? That is a question we may never have to face, but some families will.

Which diverse books did you wish more people read to help build understanding and empathy?