June 2021 – Unleashing Readers

Kellee’s #MustReadIn2021 Summer Update!

June 29, 2021 by Kellee

In January, I shared about the #MustReadin2021 challenge and my plans. In April, I updated you all and today I am happy to update my progress!

I chose 42 novels for my #MustReadin2021 challenge, and thus far, as of April I had read 13 of them and now I am up to 20 of them! I have linked each title to the IMWAYR post where I shared my thoughts on the book.

I also finished the Spring #BitAboutBooks Challenge!

A book of your choice: Primer by Jennifer Muro and Thomas Krajewski
A book with a color in the title: Aven Green: Sleuthing Machine by Dusti Bowling
A book that contains a word 3 syllables or longer in the title: Promised Neverland series by Kaiu Shirai
A book in a format you don’t usually choose: All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat
A book written prior to 2020: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
A book that’s an #ownvoices story: It Doesn’t Take a Genius by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Two books recommended by others (both recommended by students): Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullen & Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton
A book with a non-human character: Rescue at Lake Wild by Tera Lynn Childs
A picture book and MGLit book on a spring-related theme (water): My First Day by Phùng Nguyên Quang & Hello from Renn Lake by Michele Weber Hurwitz
A photo of a book outdoors: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

I also challenged myself to read all of the 2021-2022 Sunshine State Young Readers Award titles for grades 6-8, and my recovery was perfect time to tackle it.

And finally, I have started the Summer #BitAboutBooks Challenge!

Book on Your Shelf: Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, & Nicola Yoon
Sunset/Sunrise/Nature Picture: ????
Nonfiction Book: ????
Share a Summer Recipe: ????
Book Highlighting a Summer Activity: ????
Share a MG Blog or Twitter: ????
Book Related to Gardening: Bloom by Kenneth Oppel
Book Purchased: Hatched by Kenneth Oppel
Favourite Summer Treat: ????
Different Format: The Promised Neverland Volume 20 by Kaiu Shirai, Illustrated by Posuka Demizu
Book Cover You Love: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
Different Genre: ????
Book of Your Choice: Thrive by Kenneth Oppel
Summer Activity You Enjoy: ????
Place You Read in the Summer: ????
Book You Want to Buy: ????
Backlist Book: ????
Recommended Book: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
Picture of a Colour You See in Summer: ????
A Favourite: ????
Adult: ????
Favourite Drink in the Summer: ????
Book with a Summer Setting: ????
Book from the Library: ????

I’m having so much fun doing these challenges!!
What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 6/28/21

June 29, 2021June 28, 2021 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop co-hosted by Unleashing Readers and Teach Mentor Texts which focuses on sharing books marketed for children and young adults. It offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

Tuesday: Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia D. Williams, Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani

Sunday: Student Voices by Kellee’s Students of the Past & Present: “Shadow and Bone: Readers vs. Non-Readers” by Amy Calvo, Rising 10th Grader

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

Kellee

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel was the last SSYRA book that I had to read, and I am glad I saved it for last because I wanted to read the next two in the trilogy AS SOON AS I FINISHED! What an intense sci-fi novel! Kenneth Oppel, once again, does not disappoint and kept me intrigued, engaged, and interested until the very end!
The Who Would Win? series is a favorite in our household. It is a perfect mix of nonfiction and narrative that is perfect for my science and book loving son!
I WAS APPROVED FOR THE PROMISED NEVERLAND VOLUME 20 E-GALLEY!!! 😲😮😯 I was so excited to read the finale of the series, and BOY will fans not be disappointed by the conclusion. Just as wonderful as the rest of the series!
Trent chose one night of bedtime stories to be unicorn focused, so we read It’s Okay to Be a Unicorn by Jason Tharp, Unicorns 101 by Cale Atkinson, Nerdycorn by Andrew Root, and Unicorns are the Worst by Alex Willan. All 4 books are so different, so colorful, and so fun! Nerdycorn was new to us, and we loved the message of this book, while the other 3 are old favorites.

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2021 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

The Caiman by María Eugenia Manrique was first published in Venezuela and feels like a beautiful, classic story. I can see why this book was translated—it is one that will stick with me. The illustrations are quite magical. I loved reading it with my children.

I read Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian and instantly put it on my syllabus for next semester. This book is so important and will offer powerful classroom discussions.

Kellee

Reading: Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi

Listening: Upside-Down Magic: Night Owl by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins

Ricki

My son is reading Whitney Gardener’s Long Distance to me, and we are really enjoying it.

I just started Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau last night and like it a lot so far.

Tuesday: #MustReadin2021 Summer Update!

Thursday: The Caiman by María Eugenia Manrique, Illustrated by Ramón París

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Sunday: Student Voices: “BookTok” by Angelina Dong, Rising 10th Grader

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!

and

Student Voices: “Shadow and Bone: Readers vs. Non-Readers” by Amy Calvo, Rising 10th Grader

June 27, 2021 by Kellee

“Shadow & Bone: Readers vs. Non-Readers”
by Amy Calvo, Rising 10th Grader & Kellee’s Student 2017-2020

Shadow and Bone, a popular young adult trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, was recently adapted by Netflix into its own 8-episode series. Netflix decided to mix Six of Crows, the best-selling duology of Bardugo’s, into the plot line.. It wasn’t only fans of the original trilogy and duology excited for the upcoming television series, many people outside of the book world were eager to see the show after the trailer was released on February 26th, 2021. When the show came out a month later, there were many mixed reviews. The show has remained in Netflix’s Top Ten with a 7.5 out of 10 stars from IMDB and a 86% from Rotten Tomatoes. But there was a question many critics prompted: would the show be as enjoyable for non-readers? Would the adaptation fall short in the eyes of fans of the original series?

We sat down with Paola Mendez, a fan of the show who has never read the books and got her insight on the question.

“I am very satisfied with the show,” Mendez said. “It was fun, action-packed, and emotional.”

She touches on different aspects of the show that impacted her: the characters, the fantasy version of racism displayed in the show, etc. Although Mendez admits the magic system became muddled and confusing, her enjoyment far outweighed the cons. When asked if she would consider reading the original Shadow and Bone trilogy, she explains:

“I’ve heard many people say the show is better than the books [so] I’m a bit scared that the books wouldn’t live up to the show I’ve come to love.”

To answer the question if readers or non-readers preferred the show better, we asked Duda Guedes and Estela Rivera to add perspective. Both of the young girls enjoyed the trilogy and duology and were excited to speak on the adaptation. When asked what fell short in the adaption, both agreed that Kaz Brekker, one of the many ruthless characters, was made “too soft”. But their opinions varied on how satisfying the show actually was as a whole.

“I am satisfied with the show,” Guedes answered. “I feel like they managed to blend new elements…and make something that feels really familiar but is still a new adventure.”

Rivera on the other hand admits that although she was satisfied to a certain extent, many of the differences from the page to the screen didn’t work for her. She uses character changes, abandoned plot points, and more to explain her quails with the series.

“I feel since I have been a huge fan of the books, the fact that a lot of things were adapted differently didn’t resonate with me at all,” Rivera ends with.

All in all, through the differing opinions, it seems readers and non-readers liked the show for what it was. Even through the changes or confusion, they all agreed the show adapted as well as it could.

“It’s similar to getting a new book in the same universe,” Duda Guedes said. “The differences [are what] keep you on the edge of your seat.”

Have you read or seen Shadow and Bone? Where do you fall in this discussion?

Thank you so much, Amy, for sharing your article with us and looking into how the show was received by readers versus non-readers of the series!

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani

June 27, 2021June 26, 2021 by Ricki

Sofia is an 9-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. On select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with kids! She is one of the most well-read elementary schoolers that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

Imagine how excited I was when I figured out Nidhi Chanani, the author of Pashmina, came up with a new book! I was dying to get my hands on that book and thanks to the Macmillan publishing house, I have! (Thanks so much Macmillan!) Introducing Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani! This graphic novel is recommended for ages 10-14.

When Shaheen’s music loving father goes missing she starts to panic. She starts to feel really bad because of all of the bad things she did to her dad. At first her family just thinks he is out for a long time but when days pass they start to worry. Her babysitter takes her out to distract her and they get a snack. After a long time passes Shaheen gets worried and drags her babysitter to her dad’s music shop. They have to break into their dad’s shop because it is closed and get scared when they see Shaheen’s dad’s glasses on the floor. They go upstairs to explore. You have to read the book though to see what kind of secrets they uncover!

I love this book because of the colors. This is about the most colorful graphic novel I have seen in my life and that is SAYING SOMETHING.That is one of my favorite things about this book because when the scene is really sad you still can not help feeling happy because of the flourishing colors and your mind can not decide whether you should be happy or sad. This is definitely one of those books to lighten your mood. I also love this book because the author is making a graphic novel mystery, something that you come across very little. This is a truly unique book! I hope that you enjoy this book too!

**Thanks so much to Sofia for giving us an advanced review of this book! We were excited to see it came out this week!**

Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia D. Williams, Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

June 22, 2021 by Kellee

Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston
Author: Alicia D. Williams
Illustrator: Jacqueline Alcántara
Published January 12th, 2021 by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Summary: A picture book that shines the light on Zora Neale Hurston, the writer and storycatcher extraordinaire who changed the face of American literature.

Zora was a girl who hankered for tales like bees for honey. Now, her mama always told her that if she wanted something, “to jump at de sun”, because even though you might not land quite that high, at least you’d get off the ground. So Zora jumped from place to place, from the porch of the general store where she listened to folktales, to Howard University, to Harlem. And everywhere she jumped, she shined sunlight on the tales most people hadn’t been bothered to listen to until Zora. The tales no one had written down until Zora. Tales on a whole culture of literature overlooked…until Zora. Until Zora jumped.

About the Creators:

Alicia D. Williams is the author of Genesis Begins Again, which received a Newbery and Kirkus Prize honors, was a William C. Morris Award finalist, and for which she won the Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe Award for New Talent. A graduate of the MFA program at Hamline University, and an oral storyteller in the African American tradition, she is also a teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jacqueline Alcántara is the illustrator of the critically acclaimed The Field and Freedom Soup. Her favorite days are spent drawing, painting, writing, and walking her dog. In 2016, she was awarded the inaugural We Need Diverse Books Illustrator mentorship. Find out more at JacquelineAlcantara.com.

Praise:

*”A lively, joyfully rendered portrait of a literary legend.” – Publisher Weekly, starred review

* “Williams’ narration is a readaloud dream….it will be a joyful guide for folklore enthusiasts” – BCCB, starred review

* “This introduction to an American icon feels just right.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “A welcome addition to any picture book biography collection.” – School Library Journal, starred review

Review: Zora Neale Hurston has a special place in my heart as Eatonville is right around the corner, and I love the opportunity to be so close to Zora’s home, be inspired by her story, and learn from her. If you are ever here, stop by the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts!

Alicia D. Williams does a beautiful job capturing the spirit of Zora and showing how truly special she was as a person and story teller. And I loved learning new things about her that I hadn’t known before (like that she graduated from high school at 28 and that she may have been lost to white-washed history if not for Alice Walker). And Alicia’s words mixed with the colorful and active illustrations of Alcántara, Zora is brought to life through the pages of this book.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The publisher provided Curriculum Guide is the best resource for using this book in your classroom:

Discussion Questions:

How are the end pages representative of Zora?
How were Zora’s stories important to American literature?
Why did the author call Zora a “storycatcher?”
How did the author integrate fictional characters and stories within her nonfiction biography of Zora Neale Hurston?
Why was some of Zora’s storytelling looked down upon?
What does the figurative phrase “reach/jump to the sun” mean?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Zora Neale Hurston, Picture book biographies

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Simon & Schuster for a copy of the book to review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 6/21/21

September 12, 2021June 21, 2021 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy reading!

Thursday: Geraldine Pu: And Her Lunch Box, Too! by Maggie P. Chang

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

Kellee

Well, HELLO!!!! I have missed you all! First, thank you to all kind wishes you sent to me or shared on the blog. I am doing well and living a new normal that is going to be wonderful!

Since I’ve been gone almost 6 weeks and many of that was spent on leave or summer vacation, I have read A LOT! I am not sure of the best way to share it, so I am just going for it!

As you can see, I’ve been reading a lot of manga as I search for ones that I like, that my students will like, and that I want in the library. My favorite that I read, other than Promised Neverland, was definitely Amazing Agent Luna (although it is an original-English language manga which, according to my students, lowers its rep). The series Peach Fuzz and Yotsuba weren’t my cup of tea, but they’ll definitely get readers in my library. I’ve read the first Hikaru No Go and liked it, so I have the next 4 to read–I’ll let you know!
I’ve been going through our 6-8 Sunshine State Young Reader books for 2021-2022 school year and have read 14 of the 15! I am a fan of the entire list so far (and the last book for me to read is by Kenneth Oppel who has never let me down), so I am excited to share them all with my students in the fall.
- Cleo Porter and the Body Electric by Jake Burt: A book that is hard to put down and hard to read in our pandemic world.
- Me and Banksy by Tanya Lloyd Kyi: A look at surveillance society and kids who stand up against it.
- A Whisper in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat: I can definitely see why this book was Newbery honored–it is beautifully written and a great story!
- Jinxed by Amy McCullough: In a near future where our phones are gone but now humans have companion animal robots, but there is something going on that Lacey is going to figure out! (And it ends in a terrible cliffhanger, so I read the 2nd book Unleashed also!)
- The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty: I love McAnulty’s picture books and now I can say I love her middle grade novel! I loved Lucy from page 1!
- Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander: Enjoyed looking at Muhammad Ali’s life as a child and a young man and with Patterson & Alexander writing the story, it is also entertaining!
- The Unteachables by Gordon Korman: I had a very hard time getting past the slurs and negativity surrounding the students in the “Unteachable” class, and it definitely affected how much I liked the book, but I am so glad that the theme at the end was what it was, redeeming the book.
- Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick: I was terrified for the characters this entire book! A good read, and I hope it brings awareness to global warming and wildfires.
- Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Sounders: A new take on a murder mystery!
- The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods: A raw and truthful look at race in the south post-World War II, but also a look at a true friendship.
- Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs: Charlie Thorne is a genius, so obviously she is the only one that can help the CIA with discovering Albert Einstein’s last equation, but they aren’t the only ones looking for it. DUN DUN DUN!!!
I’ve also read some books from my #MustReadin2021 & #BitAboutBooks lists! I haven’t been let down by any of the books I’ve chosen so far!
- The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper: Yes to all of this book. Yes to the romance. Yes to the space travel. Yes to the friendships. Yes to the family issues. Yes Yes Yes. (And make sure to read/listen to the short story epilogue!)
- All Thirteen by Christina Soontornvat: This is one of the best nonfiction middle grade books I have ever read. Period. Informative, engaging, truthful… everything.
- 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston: A fun rom-com book! Enjoyed the sequel 10 Truths and Dare, too,
- This is My America by Kim Johnson: Whoa. Pick up this book if you haven’t. It would be a great companion to Just Mercy or a look at racial law enforcement brutality as well as modern segregation in the south.
- Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay: Randy Ribay’s prose is beautiful, so the book has an amazing foundation, but then the story is also so captivating.
Trent and I finished listening to the 9th Captain Underpants and are waiting for the 10th to be an audiobook (Trent is very impatiently waiting). We also read and loved Ballet Cat, books from the Who Would Win series, The Perfect Fit, and Bethan Woolvin’s fairy tale books. All of these are great for elementary classrooms!
Trent read Geeger the Robot Goes to School and See the Cat by himself during reading time, but as soon as he was done he brought them to me and told me to read them–that is the biggest compliment you can get from him because it means he wants to talk about it with me.
The Martian is my second adult novels in 2 months which is more than in the year before that! The Martian was such a wonderful read–I couldn’t put it down, it made me laugh, it made my anxious… A new favorite. We then watched the movie, and I was disappointed as it is when you read a book and watch the movie.
I also grabbed Two Peas in a Pod by Sarah Mlynowsi (because I realized I’d skipped it when listening to the Whatever After series), Moon Girl and the Devil Dinosaur by Amy Reeder (because it looked epic and was Marvel and is middle school appropriate–on order for my library!), and The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo (because I am lucky enough to be working on the teaching guide).

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2021 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I suspect some of you have been tired of having my voice alone the last six weeks. I’ll be back next week with books to share. For now, enjoy Kellee’s long, wonderful report!

Kellee

Reading: Bloom by Kenneth Oppel

Reading during family reading time: Hikaru No Go Vol. 2: First Battle by Yumi Hotta

Trent reading during family reading time: Caveboy Dave: More Scrawny Than Brawny by Aaron Reynolds, Illustrated by Phil McAndrew

Jim reading during family reading time: Fables Vol. 6: Homelands by Bill Willingham

Tuesday: Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia D. Williams, Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani

Sunday: Student Voices by Kellee’s Students of the Past & Present: “Shadow and Bone: Readers vs. Non-Readers” by Amy Calvo, Rising 10th Grader

and

Geraldine Pu and Her Lunch Box, Too! by Maggie P. Chang

June 20, 2021June 17, 2021 by Ricki

Geraldine Pu and Her Lunch Box, Too!
Author: Maggie P. Chang
Published: June 29, 2021 by Simon Spotlight

Summary: Meet spunky, funny, and friendly Geraldine Pu as she takes on a bully and makes a new friend in this first book in a new Level 3 Ready-to-Read Graphics series!

Geraldine Pu’s favorite part of school is lunch. She loves her lunch box, which she calls Biandang. She can’t wait to see what her grandmother, Amah, has packed inside it each day. Then one day, Geraldine gets stinky tofu…and an unexpected surprise. What will she do?

Ready-to-Read Graphics books give readers the perfect introduction to the graphic novel format with easy-to-follow panels, speech bubbles with accessible vocabulary, and sequential storytelling that is spot-on for beginning readers. There’s even a how-to guide for reading graphic novels at the beginning of each book.

Review: The highest form of praise: My 4-year-old son wanted to read this book again two nights in a row. We went camping on the third night, and he was allowed to pick one book to bring, and he picked this one. He really liked learning about all of the different foods, and he liked discussing bullying. The book is structured like a graphic novel, which is a really clever way to structure an early reader. All of the pictures really appealed to him, and he loved reading the progression of the story. The book is divided into chapters, but we read it from start to finish each night.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Reading this entire book in one sitting will be difficult for an early reader, so my son and I structured it that he read all of the left pages and I read all of the right pages. The next night, he wanted to switch. The third night, he read the entire thing by himself. Readers could also take it chapter by chapter (a chapter or two each night). This book offers great discussions about our practices that seem “different” than those of our peers and how these make us uniquely wonderful. It is also a great book to teach about bullying. I love how the lunch box is personified! It made the book even more fun to read! Those who know me know that I don’t like reading levels. In our house, we read books at all levels, and I just support as needed. That said, this book would be great in the early elementary school grades. Don’t limit it just there, though. My 4-year-old really enjoyed it!

Discussion Questions:

How does Geraldine feel about the different foods she eats at lunch? How does this change?
How does Biandang feel? How does he act as a support?
What changes Geraldine’s mind at the end of the story?
How can you celebrate your own friends’ lunches, no matter how different they may seem?

Flagged Spread:

Read This If You Love: Graphic novels, books about feeling different, books about family

**Thank you, Cassie, from Simon and Schuster, for sending a copy for review!**