August 2024 – Unleashing Readers

Clouds in Space: Nebulae, Stardust, and Us by Teresa Robeson, Illustrated by Diāna Renžina

August 27, 2024August 27, 2024 by Kellee

Clouds in Space: Nebulae, Stardust, and Us
Author: Teresa Robeson
Illustrator: Diāna Renžina
Published August 20th, 2024 by MIT Kids Press

Summary: Real space science meets beautiful images in this lyrical nonfiction introduction to one of the most alluring wonders of our universe—the nebula.

Nebula means “cloud” in Latin, but these little-known astronomical phenomena are different from Earth’s clouds. They can be the last breaths of supernovas, spreading the elements of life far and wide, or they can be star nurseries, swirling molecules together to form stars and planets. In this gorgeous nonfiction look into the cosmos, the nebula narrator invites young astronomers to learn more about these immense space clouds, from how they form to what they do. Readers will be entranced by the vibrant illustrations, which incorporate real photographs of nebulae, and the poetic text, which reveals that we are all grown from scattered stardust. Rich back matter provides details about nebulae and how people have studied them, the nebulae pictured in the illustrations (listed as the “cast”), and resources for further learning.

Praise:

★“Lively language and gorgeous illustrations make this an excellent introduction to astronomy for a wide audience.” – School Library Journal (starred review)

“An eminently approachable introduction to an intriguing aspect of our universe.” – Booklist

About the Creators:

Teresa Robeson has been an amateur astronomer since 1980, with a special interest in cosmology. She is the 2020 APALA Picture Book Award–winning author of Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom and other books on science and her own culture. She lives on a mini-farm in southern Indiana. To download a free curriculum guide, and to learn more, visit teresarobeson.com.

Diāna Renžina studied design and worked at several creative agencies before becoming a full-time illustrator and digital designer. She lives in Riga, Latvia, a city of cobbled streets, pine forest, Art Nouveau architecture, and the cold sea.

Instagram
Teresa Robeson: @tmrobeson
Diāna Renžina: @diana_renjina
MIT Kids Press/ Candlewick Press: @candlewickpress, @candlewick_sl
Blue Slip Media: @blue_slip_media

Facebook
Teresa Robeson: @teresa.robeson
Diāna Renžina: N/A
MIT Kids Press/ Candlewick Press: @CandlewickPressBooks
Blue Slip Media: @blue-slip-media

Twitter/X
Teresa Robeson: N/A
Diāna Renžina: N/A
MIT Kids Press / Candlewick Press: @candlewick
Blue Slip Media: @blueslipper & @barbfisch

Pinterest
Teresa Robeson: Teresa Ho Robeson

TikTok
MIT Kids Press/ Candlewick Press: @candlewickpress

Review: I am truly blown away by this picture book. I loved the idea of nebula speaking to a young girl and sharing secrets and the illustrations were as stellar and vase and beautiful as the idea of a nebula. The author’s informational text skills are on point, explaining quite complex concepts so well, and just so lyrical which makes the book a pleasure to read as well as informative. Just like the author mixed purposes, the illustrator did as well. The art in this book is edge to edge, full of color, and just embodies the ideas and lyricism of the book.

And then the backmatter goes even deeper for anyone interested in learning even more. The backmatter is accessible but also detailed.

Tools for Navigation: This book is built for a compare and contrast around clouds and nebula. What a perfect way to combine a reading comprehension skill and science!

Discussion Questions:

How are nebula and clouds similar? Different?
Why were nebula’s named a word meaning cloud in the first place?
How did the illustration style add to the story?
Why do you think the author chose to have nebula be the narrator?
What else would you like to learn about nebulas?
Look at the nebulas in the backmatter. Are there any other animals you picture when looking at the images?
Although this book is mostly nonfiction, some may argue it is speculative because of magical realism. Why would they say that? What do you think?

Flagged Spreads:

Read This If You Love: Space, Science

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Blue Slip Media for providing a copy for review!!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 8/26/24

August 26, 2024 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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: The Shape of Things: How Mapmakers Picture Our World by Dean Robbins, Illustrated by Matt Tavares

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Serving Students with Service” by Gayle Forman, Author of Not Nothing

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

Kellee

Picture Books

Who’s Writing this Story?! by Robin Newman, Illustrated by Deborah Zemke: I love fractured fairy tales and the idea of breaking the 4th wall, and this book combines the two. What a fantastic read–it will be loved by many because of its humor, its look at the writing process, and its uses in the classroom/discussions.
We Are the Builders! by Deepa Iyer, Illustrated by Romina Galotta: I love this book showing all the different aspects of a successful community as well as how many accepting places there are for so many different people. I love the author’s social change ecosystem map that was shared in the backmatter, and I can’t wait to see how it is used by so many educators and parents to look at HOW WILL YOU CHANGE YOUR COMMUNITY?
The Boy and the Elephant by Freya Blackwood: I’m so glad this beautiful wordless Australian picture book is being published here as its main question is one that American children definitely need to consider. The boy’s despair is palpable through the illustrations but so is his hope. Kirkus is so right: “A contemplative look at finding your place in a busy world.” Gorgeous, in so many ways.
- Look at these beautiful interiors!

Middle Grade

The Beautiful Game by Yamile Saied Méndez: In this soccer (futbol) focused book, Mendez looks at the gender binary; what it means to be a talented young girl athlete, particularly as the athletes get older and co-ed becomes less societally acceptable; and how puberty and periods affects all who deal with them. Any reader who loves soccer and realistic fiction around strong female characters will want to pick up this book.
The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner: Kate Messner’s return to middle grade novels is another amazing novel in verse! I am so lucky to have gotten an early look at this 2025 book; it is definitely a must read! I can’t tell you much more yet, but I will say that it is a book that will appeal to all types of readers and was a joy to read.
New Disney Comic Collections from Papercutz — Phineas and Ferb Classic Comic Collection 1 by Scotter Peterson & The New Adventures of Turning Red: Besties 4Ever by Sloane Leong: These comic collections are going to find so many fans who love the shows they are based on. I was excited to see new stories in both that kept true to the characters of both.

Young Adult

A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology edited by Dhonielle Clayton: What a variety of short stories! All the stories are speculative, meaning it includes both science fiction and fantasy, and take on a fantastical story that will suck the reader right in. Just like any anthology, I had favorites, but I think they all were worth the read. (I was lucky enough to be asked to write a teaching guide for this anthology, and I had such a great time writing it!)
- Authors: Samira Ahmed, Jenni Balch, Libba Bray, Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida Córdova, Tessa Gratton, Kwame Mbalia, Anna-Marie McLemore, Tochi Onyebuchi, Mark Oshiro, Natalie C. Parker, Rebecca Roanhorse, V. E. Schwab, Tara Sim, and Nic Stone
And Then There Was Us by Kern Carter: Centered around 18-year-old Coi, she finds herself facing uncertainty in her mental health and life after her estranged mother dies. Although this book was tough to read as it details child abuse and emotional trauma, I found that going through the healing and forgiveness process Coi tackles in the book was worth it.

You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

It is my week off; I’ll update you next week.

Kellee

Reading: How to Lose a Best Friend by Jordan K. Casomar
Listening to: This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings

**Once I finish these two books, I’ll have read 38 of the authors coming to the 2024 ALAN workshop, of which I am President!**

Tuesday: Clouds in Space: Nebulae, Stardust, and Us by Teresa Robeson, Illustrated by Diāna Renžina

Sunday: Author’s Guest Post: “Why I Write About Messy Teens–And Why We Should Honor the Mess Inside All of Us” by Jen Ferguson, Author of A Constellation of Minor Bears

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

Author Guest Post: “Serving Students with Service” by Gayle Forman, Author of Not Nothing

August 25, 2024 by Kellee

“Serving Students with Service”

When my oldest daughter was in middle school, she was required to complete a certain number of community-service hours to graduate. She could satisfy these by doing any number of things, volunteering at a pet shelter, tutoring younger children, hosting a bake sale and donating the proceeds to a cause. It’s a lovely idea—service as part of education—but why, I now wonder, was the community and the service considered separate from the classroom, separate from the academic part of her education?

Particularly when so many of the things she was learning in the classroom were, once you unpeeled a layer or two, indelibly linked to the idea of community and service. So many of the great movements of our time have been powered by community groups collectively pushing for change or resisting tyranny, be it abolitionists working to end slavery or resistance groups smuggling Jews out of Nazi-dominated Europe, both of which were things my middle schooler was learning about in her history and ELA classes. And it’s movements such as these that continue to be the engine for change, be it Greta Thunberg inspiring an international coalition of young people to push for climate or the Parkland students to prevent future school shootings.

It’s important that schools encourage service as an element of education but why not incorporate the idea of contributing and improving communities into the curriculum, showing how historical movements are not merely things that happened in the past, ancient ideas encased in marble, but a living breathing continuum that today’s young people will carry forward?

In Not Nothing, 12-year-old Alex initially volunteers at an assisted living community called Shady Glen, because of a court order—service as assignment. But after he meets a 107-year-old resident named Josey and begins to hear Josey’s wartime story of resistance—namely his love story with Olka, a woman who rose to the occasion of her life to become a hero who saved many lives—Alex begins to connect the historical to the personal, the then to the now. In doing so, he becomes inspired by the idea of rising to the occasion of his own life. If Olka could do it, could he? Could anyone? The answer, he learns, is a resounding yes.

Recognizing the power of Josey’s story, Alex and fellow volunteer Maya-Jade begin interviewing other elderly residents at Shady Glen, asking them to recount examples of when they “beat the odds. Accomplished something they didn’t think they could. When they rose to the occasion of their own lives.”

The pair learn about history through those who’ve lived it, and uncover quotidian and extraordinary acts of heroism in the people around them: There’s the understudy opera singer who wows an audience disappointed that star diva is ill, the man who dropped out of college for two years to help run his family’s farm when his father died, the woman who defied her discouraging family and went on to open a chain of successful restaurants, the young Navy seaman who rediscovered his first love his life—a fellow seaman—50 years on, when the world had opened up to allow their kind of love.

The stories are fictional but they mirror the kinds of stories I’ve heard when I’ve asked older people to share remarkable moments of their lives. They are meant to represent the wisdom that is out there, waiting to be shared. At one point, after Maya-Jade interviews her own grandmother, she asks why her grandmother never told that story before. “I have,” replies her grandmother. “You just never listened.”

What would happen if we listened, if we asked, if we brought community service into the curriculum as the two-way street service nearly always is, benefitting the giver and the recipient. Could this deepen education and release history from its marble bust allowing young people to see today’s challenges as part of a continuum and feel empowered— both individually and collectively—to meet these challenges?

Educators, perhaps more than anyone else, invite young people to rise to the challenge each and every day. As an author, I am honored and humbled to help them in this life-changing work.

Published August 27th, 2024 by Aladdin

About the Book: “The book we all need at the time we all need it.” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award–winning author of The One and Only Ivan

In this multigenerational middle grade novel of hope, compassion, and forgiveness from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman that is as timely as it is timeless, a boy who has been assigned to spend his summer volunteering at a senior living facility learns unexpected lessons that change the trajectory of his life.

Alex is twelve, and he did something very, very bad. A judge sentences him to spend his summer volunteering at a retirement home where he’s bossed around by an annoying and self-important do-gooder named Maya-Jade. He hasn’t seen his mom in a year, his aunt and uncle don’t want him, and Shady Glen’s geriatric residents seem like zombies to him.

Josey is 107 and ready for his life to be over. He has evaded death many times, having survived ghettos, dragnets, and a concentration camp—all thanks to the heroism of a woman named Olka and his own ability to sew. But now he spends his days in room 206 at Shady Glen, refusing to speak and waiting (and waiting and waiting) to die. Until Alex knocks on Josey’s door…and Josey begins to tell Alex his story.

As Alex comes back again and again to hear more, an unlikely bond grows between them. Soon a new possibility opens up for Alex: Can he rise to the occasion of his life, even if it means confronting the worst thing that he’s ever done?

About the Author: Award-winning author and journalist Gayle Forman (she/her/hers) has written several bestselling novels, including those in the Just One Day series, Where She Went, and the #1 New York Times bestseller If I Stay, which has been translated into more than forty languages and was adapted into a major motion picture. Her first middle grade novel, Frankie & Bug, was a New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2021. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.

Thank you, Gayle, for this call to service!

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

August 24, 2024 by Ricki

Sofia is a 12-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. Since she was 8 years old, on select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with other kids! She is one of the most well-read middle schoolers that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,
Hello, my name is Sofia and today I will present to you, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. I read this book a couple of months ago (before I went back to writing book reviews) and it is probably one of my favorite books that I have ever read so I really wanted to review it, even if it wasn’t fresh in my mind. This book was so good that I will be reading another of the author’s books with my mom for our book club, so a review of it might pop up soon!

Goodreads Summary

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?

My Thoughts

There are many reasons why I rated A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder 5 stars like the way it just kept me reading. I feel like all good books have chapters that end in a cliffhanger, or else what is making you read more? I read this book in one day, you heard me right, ONE DAY! That is extremely unusual for me, especially for a 400 page book! Another thing that didn’t really add to my rating but also kept me reading was that the title was so unique. When I read it during school I felt kind of cool because A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is such an unusual and kind of suspicious title! Another reason why I loved it so much was because of Pippa! She perseveres even though tons of people tell her she can’t look further into the murder. She still does and that inspires me. I feel like Holly Jackson’s writing was top notch and I just enjoyed this book so much! If you still aren’t convinced, take a look at the Goodreads page for the book. The reviews speak for themselves! Happy reading!

On Amazon, this book is recommended for ages 14-17 and this is most likely because of the whole murder solving situation. It talks about violence and that is likely the only thing that is stopping it from being advertised for younger readers.

**Thanks so much, Sofia!**

The Shape of Things: How Mapmakers Picture Our World by Dean Robbins, Illustrated by Matt Tavares

August 20, 2024 by Kellee

The Shape of Things: How Mapmakers Picture Our World
Author: Dean Robbins
Illustrator: Matt Tavares
Published August 20th, 2024 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary: How did the first people explore the land they lived on? How did civilizations expand their boundaries and chart courses into new lands? Learn about the history of cartography across cultures in this ode to mapmaking through the ages.

Join history’s first mapmakers as they explore the wonders of the world! In these pages, you’ll find the tools ancient people used to depict their surroundings, methods different cartographers developed to survey new lands, and how we’ve arrived at modern mapmaking today. Above all else, the thread that runs throughout thousands of years of civilization is the spirit of exploration that helps us measure the shape of things around us, the world we all share.

About the Creators:

Dean Robbins is a journalist and children’s book author. His previous books include, The Fastest Girl on Earth!, Two Friends; Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, Miss Paul and the President, and Margaret and the Moon. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with his family. To learn more, visit https://deanrobbins.net/.

Matt Tavares is a New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of over twenty titles. His books have been featured in: ALA Notable, Parents’ Choice Gold Awards, and twelve were chosen for the Society of Illustrators Original Art exhibit. His artwork has been exhibited at the Brandywine River Museum, the Eric Carle Museum, and the Mazza Museum. Matt lives in Maine with his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters. Visit his website: matttavares.com.

Instagram:
Dean Robbins: @deanprobbins
Matt Tavares: @tavaresbooks
Random House Children’s Books: @randomhousekids
Blue Slip Media: @blue_slip_media

Facebook:
Dean Robbins: @deanrobbins
Matt Tavares: @tavaresbooks
Random House Children’s Books: Random House Children’s Books
Blue Slip Media: @blue-slip-media

Twitter/X:
Dean Robbins: Dean Robbins
Matt Tavares: Matt Tavares
Random House Children’s Books: @randomhousekids
Blue Slip Media: @blueslipper & @barbfisch

Review: The informational, yet lyrical text, by Dean Robbins mixed with Matt Tavares’s beautiful art brings this massive idea to a level that any reader can connect with, understand, and will find interest in. And man, is it a fascinating history, and it is wonderful how The Shape of Things does an introduction to the full history of cartography in a way that doesn’t seem overwhelming but is so informative. I also appreciate the sharing of different strategies of different cultures when mapmaking.

Tools for Navigation: While reading, I couldn’t help but think of all the ways social studies teachers could use this text. This text, in addition to being entertaining, is a summary of cartography through world history which makes it perfect for social studies to look at human history, exploration, and technology over time. And educators, don’t forget about the backmatter which includes even more information.

Discussion Questions:

How did maps change over time?
How did technology change map making?
How did exploration change map making?
What different abilities does a cartographer need to have to accurately create maps?
Why is mapmaking essential to humanity?
What is the future of maps?
Why do you think the author included a timeline in the back of the book?

Flagged Spreads:

Read This If You Love: Maps, Geography, Cartography, History

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Blue Slip Media for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 8/19/24

August 19, 2024August 19, 2024 by Ricki

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

Happy reading!

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “A Walk in Nature: Science for the Very Young” by Julie Downing, Author of Hello, Sun

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

Kellee

It’s my week off! You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

Adult

I really appreciated this book, The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. There were so many parallels between the characters and my own family. After reading this, I sent a copy each to my mom and aunties.

I have been making my way through some contemporary romances lately, and The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez was very enjoyable to read. I listen to this one as I fall asleep, and there were many, many times I extended the sleep timer.

I have officially finished this romantasy series with the fifth book: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas. I am glad I read it—I’d heard about it a lot. It was a fun ride.

Adult Reread

Tommy Orange’s new book just came out, so I wanted to reread There There before I dove into the next one. It was just as good as I had remembered it to be!

Tuesday: The Shape of Things: How Mapmakers Picture Our World by Dean Robbins, Illustrated by Matt Tavares

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Serving Students with Service” by Gayle Forman, Author of Not Nothing

and

Author Guest Post: “A Walk in Nature: Science for the Very Young” by Julie Downing, Author of Hello, Sun

August 18, 2024 by Kellee

“A Walk in Nature: Science for the Very Young”

Hello, Sun celebrates a day in the life of a busy forest. From dawn to dusk, the forest is full of animals, birds and insects, waking up, playing, building a nest, and resting in the shade. When the sun goes down, the animals cuddle up and fall asleep. Hello, Sun teaches the youngest reader about diurnal animals in a simple and poetic way.

One of the powers of a picture book is the way facts can be conveyed. By looking closely at the illustrations, children learn as much from art as they do from words. As the author/ illustrator, I spent a great deal of time researching animal habits and what a “normal” day was like for each of the different characters. The challenge was thinking about how to present the information in a way that resonates with the youngest readers.

Some of the scientific facts appear in the text, and other information is shown in the illustrations. For example, I discovered that hummingbirds use spiderwebs to construct their nests. The text describes the nest:

Wisps of hay,

silky thread.

Sticky heat,

mossy bed.

On the other hand, some spreads show information in the art. For example, I learned that hummingbirds sleep upside down. The “Stars peek out” as readers see the male hummingbird asleep on a nearby branch. Looking carefully at the art, readers discover a bear habitat, which insects fly near a pond and come upon turtles sleeping in stacks.

Hello, Sun is a companion book to Hello, Moon, published in 2021. Hello, Moon, shows the same forest at night. Hello, Moon is full of nocturnal animals and illustrates what happens while most of us are asleep. I didn’t really intend to do two books, but after Hello Moon came out, I thought about that same forest and what was different in the daylight. It took some time to find my way into the second book. Two things helped me. One July day, I took a walk in Marin. It was a VERY HOT day (of course for a San Franciscan anything over 65 is hot.) The forest literally shimmered. I thought about how different the feeling was between the forest in the daytime and the same cool forest at night. I thought about what type of activities diurnal animals do throughout the day. As the temperature rises, animals slow down, nap, and keep cool in the shade.

What is the best way to show the difference? Color is one way to show time of day as well as changing temperature. Color became an important element in Hello, Sun. However, I discovered it was much easier for me to paint a forest at night. All the blues and purples are my colors.

It was challenging to shift my normal palate for Hello, Sun. One day, I was at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco and discovered a painting by the artist, Richard Mayhew. He was an African American artist who painted the most beautiful landscape paintings. What struck me was his color palette. He did not paint a green tree against a blue sky but instead painted these amazing purple, rust, and turquoise trees against orange and yellow skies. His landscapes captured the feeling of a forest on a hot, sticky day. I realized that color was my way into this book. When I painted the art for Hello Sun, I literally had a book of the Richard Mayhew’s work on my desk and borrowed some of his palates, the intense yellow that runs throughout the book was inspired by Mayhew’s paintings.

Children are naturally curious and eager to learn, and picture books are the perfect way to connect to the world around them. I hope Hello, Sun and Hello, Moon inspire families to take their own nature walks and think about the animals that share their space. Are they asleep? Are they awake? What might you see, hear or feel if you took the same walk at a different time of day?

Published April 16th, 2024 by Neal Porter Books

About the Book: Follow the sun and the creatures it shines on from dawn to nightfall in this companion to Hello, Moon, from Parent’s Choice Award Winner Julie Downing.

Hello, sun!
Goodbye, night!
Sunrise chill,
pale dawn light.

Julie Downing’s signature artwork washes each page in a symphony of blue, green and purple foliage; the sky shifts from amber to pink, buttercup-yellow, or darkest indigo. Sleepy bears, rabbits, deer, and other animals rise from cozy dens and burrows to greet the day.

From the award-winning creator of Hello, Moon and Night in the City , Hello, Sun features short and simple sentences perfect for a bedtime story or for children building confidence in reading on their own. Whether you’re starting the day or ending it, don’t miss this engrossing walk with the sun and the creatures it shines on.

About the Author: Julie Downing is the illustrator of more than forty-five picture books and a professor of watercolor and children’s book illustration. She lives in California.

Thank you, Julie, for this reminder to play into the curiousness of children!