Author Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s Visit to Kellee’s School

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Having authors visit my school will NEVER get old! It is such an amazing experience for my students (and me)!

For Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s visit, she was at our school for half a day (we were splitting with another middle school), but we were able to fit in 2 presentations and book signings during this time.

The first presentation was to our two-way dual language students, and Christina gave the presentation completely in Spanish! It was awesome to support the magnet program and literacy! For this presentation, she talked a bit more about Red Umbrella because my Spanish Honors teacher plans to teach the book.

The second presentation was to our Student Literacy Leaders, 7th grade Latinos in Action, Lunch Book Club members, and several students who signed up to fill in the last of the 75 available spots. This presentation was focused on promoting her newest book, Concealed, which we were able to give a copy to each student who attended! After the presentation, Christina signed each students book and chatted with each student.

It was a whirlwind of an visit, but it was wonderful! I highly recommend Christina Diaz Gonzalez for visits–she was engaging, interesting, and the students loved her! I asked my Student Literacy Leaders to reflect on the visit, and here are some of their responses:

  • I really liked the author and she seemed like a great person and learning about her secret dream of being an author and her becoming one was honestly really inspirational.
  • It was very inspirational! I also loved how passionate she seemed about writing and reading books.
  • My favorite part was when she was talking about her idea process and how she got the idea for Concealed.
  • I learned that being an author doesn’t mean you need to have your whole book planned out from chapter to chapter, as long as you have a start and finish, you could write a book.
  • I learned that anyone can be an author if they enjoy it.
  • The visit was important to me because I love meeting an author and seeing what they are like outside of what is written in their books.
  • The visit was important because she was a Latina author, and I haven’t met that many female authors of color.
  • The visit was important to me because it was a new experience for me when it comes to visiting authors and getting a little sneak peek of their life. I enjoyed every second of it and getting a signed book for free just seemed like a huge honor.
  • It was important because it was my first time meeting an author!
  • The visit was important to me because it gave me (alongside others) a chance to take things in from an author’s perspective; it really was refreshing to hear and gain a sense of.
  • I learned that even if there’s no motivation left is to always push through the matter/problem.

Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s Books

Concealed
Concealed

The Red Umbrella
The Red Umbrella

Moving Target (Moving Targe... Return Fire (Moving Target,...
Moving TargetReturn Fire

A Thunderous Whisper
A Thunderous Whisper

Stormspeaker (Spirit Animal...
Stormspeaker

Hope Nation: YA Authors Sha...
Hope Nation

Thank you so much, Christina, for this wonderful visit!

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Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste, Ilustrated Amber Ren

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Looking for a Jumbie
Author: Tracey Baptiste
Illustrator: Amber Ren
Published September 21st, 2021 by Balzer + Bray

Summary: New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste and acclaimed illustrator Amber Ren take readers on a fun, creepy, storytime-ready romp through a forest filled with creatures from Caribbean folklore.

I’m looking for a jumbie, I’m going to find a scary one.

But Mama says jumbies exist only in stories. So Naya sets out on a nighttime adventure to find out for herself.

No such thing, say the friends she makes along the way.

But Naya is sure that jumbies are real. Some have big mouths. Or thick fur. Or glowing skin. Or sharp teeth. Kind of like her new friends….

Looking for a Jumbie is a gentle, bouncy, and creepily fun read-aloud inspired by traditional Caribbean tales.

Praise:

“A vibrant and entertaining tale filled with mythical creatures from Caribbean stories that is perfect for Halloween and year-round.” -School Library Journal

“The illustrations are colorful and dreamlike, and Ren pays special attention to accentuating the features of characters. A nice addition to offerings on being afraid of the dark, monsters, or nighttime adventures.” –Booklist

About the Author: Tracey Baptiste is the New York Times bestselling author of the middle grade novels Minecraft: The CrashThe JumbiesRise of the Jumbies, and The Jumbie God’s Revenge. A former elementary school teacher, Tracey is now on the faculty at Lesley University’s creative writing MFA program. Raised in Trinidad until she was fifteen, she now lives with her family in New Jersey. You can visit her online at www.traceybaptiste.com.

About the Illustrator: Amber Ren is the illustrator of Because by Mo Willems, a New York Times bestseller. She is also a visual development artist, and her work has been featured in the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art’s first online exhibition, “ART in PLACE: Social Distancing in the Studio.” You can find her online at www.amber-ren.com.

Kellee’s Review: This book is equally compelling, spooky, and fun! Trent and I had a great time chanting the “I’m looking for a jumbie…” part of the story (great repetition & rhythm!) and meeting all of the jumbies that Naya meets along the way. The illustrations were also perfect for the story! I loved the way that Ren was able to bring such beautiful coloring in even in a story happening at night. After we were done, we went on a Google hunt to learn more about jumbies, and I introduced Trent to Baptiste’s middle grade Jumbies books too–he says he can’t wait to read them when he is older!

Ricki’s Review: This book feels like an instant classic to me—it is one that I will read and enjoy with my kids again and again. There are so many different ways to approach this text for kids, and it offers so much potential for classrooms. I love the ways in which the jumbies are made approachable for kids. It offered wonderful conversations in my family about fears and bedtime scary things. This is a book that belongs in every home. I think it will find a place in all readers’ hearts.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: What a great addition to lessons about mythology/folklore for young readers! Looking for a Jumbie is a perfect introduction to Caribbean folklore and can start a delve into more stories.

Discussion Questions: 

  • Which Jumbie would you like to meet?
  • Why was Naya never scared of the Jumbies?
  • Was Mama right or wrong about the Jumbies?
  • How did the illustrator leave clues about the upcoming Jumbie?
  • What is the mood of the book? How did the illustrations add to the mood of the book?

Flagged Passages: 

Activity Guide:

Read This If You Love: Folklore & Mythology; Magical Stories

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to SparkPoint Studio for providing copies for review!!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 10/25/21

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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!

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Thursday: Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel

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

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Kellee


  • You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson: I LOVE THIS BOOK! I loved the high school dynamics, friendship issues that are just so easy to identify with, the pure LOVE and romance, the fight against bigotry, and just about everything about the book! The narrator was also wonderful!
  • #noescape by Gretchen McNeil: Gretchen McNeil just knows how to write a twisted, messed up, edge of your seat, gruesome thriller! I have trouble putting her books down!
  • Lucky Caller by Emma Mills: Oppositely, Emma Mills knows how to write romances that make your heart fill with happiness and love for the characters!
  • Land of Cranes by Aida Salazar: I first struggled with reading this beautiful book, but by listening to it, I was able to hear the intricate verses and lyrical language. I am glad I didn’t give up on it!
  • Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam: Oh man, this one broke my heart. Co-written by one of the Central Park Exonerated Five, Amal’s story just rips at your insides and makes you so sad for this young man who is targeted, judged, abused…. all because of time, place, and color of skin. The open-ending will make many a reader mad, but I definitely can guess why the authors did it. Also, don’t miss out on the Afterword.
  • With Trent:
    • Is Was by Deborah Freeman: Lyrically and visually stunning!
    • Seven Little Mice Go to the Beach by Haruo Yamashita, Illustrated by Kazuo Iwamura: What a sweet little book about team work and family!
    • Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste, Illustrated by Amber Ren: Looking forward to reviewing this tomorrow!

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

Ricki

Hi! My book revisions are due in a week, so I am trying to focus on finishing them up!

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Kellee

Reading: Where I End & You Begin by Preston Norton and Once Upon an Eid edited by S.K. Ali & Aisha Saeed

Listening: Jackpot by Nic Stone

Trent reading: Grumpy Unicorn Hits the Road by Joey Spiotto and CatStronauts: Race to Mars by Drew Brockington

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Tuesday: Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste, Illustrated by Amber Ren

Sunday: Student Voices: Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s Visit to Kellee’s School

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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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Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel

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Inside Cat
Author: Brendan Wenzel
Published: October 12, 2021 by Chronicle Books

GoodReads Summary: Told in rhyming text, Inside Cat views the world through many windows, watching the birds, squirrels, and people go by—but when the door opens it discovers a whole new view.

Review: Brendan Wenzel regularly impresses me. I use his They All Saw a Cat to teach about perspective, and it reminds us of the value of picture books at all levels of class instruction. I was really excited to read Inside Cat because I knew it would be just as compelling—and it was! Inside Cat can see the world in so many ways. It travels around the house and sees so much. I don’t want to give a spoiler, but the last page of this book will make you gasp.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book should be paired with They All Saw a Cat to teach perspective. Both offer different angles to questions of perspective. I think it could also be used to teach about authorship (as in authority and authenticity). Teachers might ask students to think critically about what perspectives we do or do not hold.

Discussion Questions: 

  • What does Inside Cat do?
  • What does Inside Cat see?
  • How do the images on the page work together?
  • What does the surprise ending teach you?

Read This If You Love: They All Saw the Cat by Brendan Wenzel, The Journey Trilogy by Aaron Becker

Recommended For:

classroomlibrarybuttonsmall 

RickiSig

**Thank you to Eva at Chronicle for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 10/18/21

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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!

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Tuesday: Blog Tour with Review and Educator’s Guide!: The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu

Thursday: Charlie & Mouse Lost and Found by Laurel Snyder, Illustrated by Emily Hughes

Sunday: Student Voices: Ideal Bookshelves by Kellee’s 7th and 8th grade Student Literacy Leaders

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

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Kellee

My Covid booster kicked my butt, so I have not been doing anything this weekend and am taking this IMWAYR off. I’ll be back next week 🙂

To see what I’ve been reading, check out my 2021 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I read Brendan Wenzel’s Inside Cat and am very excited to share it on Thursday!

I also read Have You Seen Gordon? by Adam Jay Epstein and Ruth Chan. I loved this one. It is a seek-and-find book with a clever story that will make you laugh!

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Ricki

My oldest son and I are reading Clarice the Brave by Lisa McMann. The characterization and personification is marvelous! It’s been really fun to read aloud together.

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Thursday: Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel

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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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Student Voices: Ideal Bookshelves by Kellee’s 7th and 8th Grade Student Literacy Leaders

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I love following Ideal Bookshelf on social media, and I was so happy to find out that they provide templates to use to make your own ideal bookshelf, and I was so excited to have my Student Literacy Leaders make theirs! They are all displayed in the library now, and I wanted to share them all with you:

 

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Charlie & Mouse Lost and Found by Laurel Snyder

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Charlie & Mouse
Author: Laurel Snyder
Illustrator: Emily Hughes
Expected Publication August 23, 2021 by Chronicle Books

GoodReads Summary: It’s puppy love! This latest continuation of the award-winning Charlie & Mouse early chapter book series will delight newly independent readers. Lost and Found is full of relatable trials (a lost blanket), surprises (a lost dog), and delights (a new puppy!) and overflows with the series’ signature humor and heart.

Charlie and Mouse are finding surprises in all sorts of unexpected places. After Mouse’s beloved blanket is lost and then found, they find a lost dog (and eventually her owner), seek out some ice cream, and discover a new puppy friend to take home at last.

BROTHERS ARE THE BEST: The Charlie & Mouse books show a sibling friendship and a family dynamic that is kind as well as playful.

AN ANIMAL LOVER’S DELIGHT: Featuring not one but two dogs—one very big and one very small—this fifth book in the Charlie & Mouse series makes a wonderful gift for any canine-loving kid! From going on walks to snuggling up together at the end of a long day, the furry friends in these sweet and silly stories are sure to enchant young animal enthusiasts.

IDEAL FOR NEWLY INDEPENDENT READERS: The interconnected but distinct short stories in this book offer an accessible transition for readers who are just moving into longer books, especially for reluctant readers.

HUMOR WITH HEART: The Charlie & Mouse books bring a fresh, humorous, and heartwarming approach to central themes to which readers of all ages can relate: imagination, creativity, play, and family are fondly celebrated in each of these stories.

WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS: Charlie and Mouse are mixed-race Japanese characters growing up in Hawaii, a setting inspired by the childhood of up-and-coming Asian-American artist Emily Hughes. Every book of this early chapter book series offers an opportunity for young children of many different backgrounds to see themselves reflected in the stories they love.

Perfect for:

• Newly independent readers
• Parents
• Dog lovers

Ricki’s Review: Ahhh, I will read every Charlie & Mouse book that is ever published. This series has captured my heart. In this edition, there’s a lost blanket (Mouse’s) and lost dog. Charlie & Mouse care for the dog and eventually find its owners. There’s just something really special about Charlie & Mouse, as characters. They are charming and sweet, and I just can’t get enough of them. I highly recommend this series for early readers. The books remind me of an updated Frog and Toad in so many ways—the pictures, word spacing, humor, friendship, and charming characters.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: These books beg readers to write their own fan fiction—their own Charlie & Mouse stories. Teachers could allow students to work together or in groups and then bind them together in a class book.

Discussion Questions: 

  • What happens to Charlie and Mouse in this book?
  • How does the author use humor to make the story enjoyable to read?
  • What do Charlie and Mouse do with the dog?
  • What does this book teach you?

We Flagged:

“Blanket is missing,” said Mouse after lunch.

“Oh no,” said Charlie. “Where did you leave him?”

“If I knew that,” said Mouse, “he would not be missing.”

Read This If You Love: The previous Charlie & Mouse Books (See Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3); Frog & Toad series; Books About Friendship; Early Readers Books

Recommended For: 

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Don’t miss out on this one!