Unleashing Readers

Review and Giveaway!: Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten by Laura Purdie Salas

August 4, 2020 by Ricki

Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten
Author: Laura Purdie Salas
Illustrator: Hiroe Nakata
Published July 14, 2020 by Two Lions

Summary: Clover Kitty does NOT want to go to kittygarten! Although she might like a friend to play with, kittygarten feels overwhelming for a sensory-sensitive kitty like Clover. And when she arrives, it is exactly as she fears: her classroom is too loud, the lights are too bright, and everyone comes too close. So Clover throws a fit…and decides to quit kittygarten. But when a classmate comes to check on her, she begins to reconsider. Maybe it’s time for Clover to give kittygarten another chance.…

Laura Purdie Salas is an award-winning author of more than 125 books for children, including her recent books Snowman – Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations, illustrated by Micha Archer, and Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons, illustrated by Mercè López. Her books have received such honors as Bank Street College of Education’s Best Books for Children, IRA Teachers’ Choice, the Minnesota Book Award, and NCTE Notable book. Laura went to kindergarten in Florida and now lives in Minnesota. She hates crowds and knows a good friend makes everything better. Learn more about the author at www.laurasalas.com. Twitter: @LauraPSalas
Facebook: @LauraPSalas

Hiroe Nakata grew up in Japan and moved to the United States when she was sixteen. She is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design. Artwork from her first picture book, Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate, was chosen for the prestigious Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibition. Since then, she has illustrated numerous books for children, including her recent titles, Baby Builders, written by Elissa Haden Guest, Baby’s Blessings, written by Lesléa Newman, and One More Hug, written by Inside Edition’s national correspondent Megan Alexander. Hiroe vividly remembers her daughter’s struggles in kindergarten and is happy to report that, at fourteen, her daughter excels in school and plays in the school band.
Instagram: @hiroenakata

“Young readers will identify with Clover’s feelings about starting school or any new adventure… A perfect story to share at the beginning of the school year.” —School Library Journal

“Salas shapes a read-aloud that will spark conversation with first-timers who are sensitive to stimulus, while Nakata humorously conveys the resolute feline’s emotions in expressive watercolor images.” —Publishers Weekly

Ricki’s Review: This book is so charming. It is the perfect back-to-school book for cat-loving kids (and non-cat-loving kids, too!). I read this book to my 3yo and 6yo who are entering preschool and first grade, and the book brought both of them joy. The book brought back memories for me—I was also a kid who faked sick because I didn’t enjoy school when I was in elementary school. Clover’s actions likely replicate those of millions of kids, and the book offers opportunities for conversations with kids about pushing forward despite discomfort. There’s so much to love about this book. The illustrations made me smile, and they beautifully portray the emotions of the characters. The language flows well, which makes for a very enjoyable read-aloud. Literary elements are packed within the pages, which makes this book very teachable. We’ll be rereading this one often, and we will definitely pull it out the evening before school begins!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I highly recommend this one for the first, second, and third day jitters. Students will be captivated by the story, and they’ll find much to love in the animals of the book. Clover won my heart, and I know she’ll be popular among kids, too. Teachers might also point out the personification and the figurative language as they read. Check out the book trailer, activity sheets, and more at https://laurasalas.com/clover/.

Discussion Questions:

How does Clover feel on the first day? The second day?
How do Clover’s emotions shift in different moments of the story?
Have you ever felt this way about a new situation? What did you do? What can you learn from Clover?

We Flagged:

Read This If You Love: The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn; Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney; Stella Luna by Janell Cannon; In My Heart by Mackenzie Porter; Back to School Books; Cats

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Recommended For:

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

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 8/3/20

August 3, 2020 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: Shifu Orboot Earth: AR-Powered, Interactive Globe

Sunday: Student Voices: Ten Characters I Would Love to Meet by Brooke A., 7th grade

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

Kellee

First day of preplanning for me today. Learned last week that I am going back face-to-face with students, so I have lots of work to do to make my library accessible for students and safe for all. Happy reading this week, everyone!

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2020 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Kellee

Tiny Pretty Things definitely sucked me in! Still feeling a bit rutty when it comes to reading, but it and now its sequel are energizing my reading muscles again!

Tuesday: Review and Giveaway!: Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten by Laura Purdie Salas, Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Classic Starts Favorites

Sunday: Student Voices: Digital versus Traditional School by Nitya A. and Sarah W., 7th Grade

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

Ten Characters I Would Love to Meet by Brooke A., 7th grade

August 2, 2020 by Kellee

Ten Characters I Would Love to Meet by Brooke A., 7th grade

10) Annabeth Chase from the Percy Jackson series: I would love to meet her because she is so smart and seems to be always ready for adventure.

9) Percy Jackson from the Percy Jackson series: Percy has dyslexia and I think it is cool how he shows that you can still have struggles and still be a hero!

8) Katiniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games series: I would love to meet her because she risks her life for her sister. I think she is super brave!

7) Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series: I think it would be cool to have him teach me some magic and how to play quidditch.

6) Hermione Granger is from the Harry Potter series: I would love to meet her because she is super smart and knows magic really well.

5) Goldilocks from the Land of Stories series: She is super adventurous and helps her friends defeat evil every time! She cares so much about her family and will do anything to protect them.

4) Seth Sorenson is from the Fablehaven series: He is a little too adventurous for his own good. Even though he doesn’t listen very well, he still is a pretty big hero.

3) Kendra Sorenson is from the Fablehaven series:. It is easy for her to follow the rules, so she gets the job of watching her brother and making sure he doesn’t get into trouble. In the end she ends up saving everyone because she is so good at listening!

2) Alex Bailey is from the Land of Stories series: She loves reading. She is very powerful and she always wants to use her powers for good. She will do anything to help others around her.

1) Conner Bailey is from the Land of Stories series: He will do anything to protect his family and the rest of the world. He loves adventures and knows how to defeat evil! He believes in magic and he uses it for the good of others just like his sister does.

Thank you, Brooke, for sharing the characters you would like to meet!
Readers: Who would you like to meet?

Shifu Orboot Earth: AR-Powered, Interactive Globe

February 14, 2021July 28, 2020 by Kellee

About Orboot from Shifu

An award-winning educational toy, Orboot is a no-borders globe that connects with the fun & interactive Orboot app.

A STEM toy that sparks the imagination and creativity, Orboot encourages the little ones to explore and discover on their own. It builds knowledge as well as develops linguistic and cognitive abilities in the process.

Explore the world with 400+ highlights and 1000+ cool facts across 6 categories – cultures, cuisines, monuments, inventions, animals and maps (national and state boundaries of countries).

Visit https://www.playshifu.com/orboot/earth to learn more!

Four Reasons to Love Orboot

And Trent surely does love Orboot!

What makes Orboot stand out versus other globes and other geography apps is that it combines the two: hands on and technology. The globe can be used like a standard globe but it also can be taken to the next level by using the AR-powered app to dig in!

There are some awesome pluses to the app: all aspects of it is free, it is available in many different languages, and once you download the app WiFi isn’t needed. Also, there is a portion of the app that can be used if the physical globe is not available!

There are so many different ways to play with your globe with its app. First, you can learn information about six different categories: maps, monuments, animals, food, inventions, and culture. There is also a scavenger hunt type game, quizzes, and the ability to build their own national park. And that is the digital puzzles and activities.

In addition to the digital activities, the user also gets a passport, stickers, guide, and stamps to keep track of the countries you “visit” while using Orboot.

Trent adores his globe! He will sit with it for hours, listening to facts, interacting with the information, telling me about the places he traveled to, and making connections between what he is learning and what he knows. Trent says, “I like that I can learn about different places!”

I was surprised that the coins, stars, gems, and badges he could earn wasn’t what kept him going back to the globe, it was the knowledge and the mysteries. He loved figuring out all of the clues in the scavenger hunt type mysteries, and he likes throwing out the “Did you know?” questions at us. He likes looking up places he sees in books or entertainment to learn about them. Who can argue with a learning toy that engages kids this way?

He also really likes the Oko Park aspect because it allows him to take his knowledge about the world and apply it to make a virtual national park. In the park the user looks at the balance of the national park, problems in the national park, and ways to keep their national park healthy. Trent says, “I love that I can learn to help nature.”

As a teacher, I could see Orboot as a center all by itself. It has such possibilities that it, by itself, could fill a center need and would allow students to dive into geography, social studies, and science!

Orboot takes kids on an adventure that they’ll love!

**Thank you to Shifu for providing a globe for review!!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/27/20

July 30, 2020July 27, 2020 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!

Tuesday: Paint By Sticker Kids: Dinosaurs from Workman

Thursday: Review, Discussion Guide, and Giveaway: Lulu, the One and Only by Lynnette Mawhinney, Illustrated by Jennie Poh
Giveaway open until Wednesday!

Sunday: Student Voices: Homestruck Webcomic by Morgan M. and Melanie S., 8th Grade

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

Kellee

Educator friends: Are you doing okay? So much of our livelihood is in question right now, and I wanted to check on you. My district still is bargaining and there are still a lot of questions, so I know the stress and questioning and sadness are a lot, so I wanted to just say: I see you, you’re awesome, stay safe, do what is best for you and your family, and you’re not alone.

Also, through all of this, is anyone else struggling to be in the mindset to read?My brain just isn’t able to focus for that long–I read every day, just shorter amounts. You’ll notice that I have way less novels than normal in July because of this. I know this, too, is temporary though, so again, if you are feeling this way know: I see you, you’re awesome, and you’re not alone!

Since I last posted at the end of June, here is what I have read and new books I’ve read with Trent:

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2020 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I’ve been writing this week, so I’ll report all of the books next week!

Kellee

The book I hope is going to pull me out of my slump: Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton
With Trent: Random picture books
And not listening to anything right now since I’m not driving much.

Tuesday: Shifu Orboot Earth: AR-Powered, Interactive Globe

Sunday: Student Voices: Ten Characters I Would Love to Meet by Brooke A., 7th grade

and

An Introduction to the Webcomic Homestuck by Morgan M. and Melanie S., 8th Grade

July 26, 2020 by Kellee

An Introduction to the Webcomic Homestuck by Morgan M. and Melanie S., 8th Grade

Hey! It’s Morgan and Melanie 🙂 Here’s an introduction to our favorite webcomic, Homestuck!

Let’s start with a summary of Homestuck:

4 kids start the end of the world by playing a video game called SBURB. They have to find 12 trolls who are represented by the Zodiac signs in order to save it. Then we come across Walmart-brand mysterio who likes to mess everything up. They also meet another set of kids and trolls who are all old as heck. Follow these 8 teens and their gray alien buddies as we face death (multiple times), teen drama, emotional issues, and the LGBT community. Thank you, Andrew Hussie.

Thank you, Morgan and Melanie, for introducing us to Homestuck!

Review and Giveaway!: Lulu the One and Only by Lynnette Mawhinney, Illustrated by Jennie Poh

July 24, 2020July 23, 2020 by Kellee

Lulu the One and Only
Author: Lynnette Mawhinney
Illustrator: Jennie Poh
Published June 9th, 2020 by Magination Press

Summary: Lulu loves her family, but people are always asking

What are you?

Lulu hates that question. Her brother inspires her to come up with a power phrase so she can easily express who she is, not what she is.

Includes a note from the author, sharing her experience as the only biracial person in her family and advice for navigating the complexity of when both parents do not share the same racial identity as their children.

Praise for Lulu the One and Only! ★“All children will benefit from this pitch-perfect discussion of race, identity, complexity, and beauty.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred)

About the Author: Lynnette Mawhinney, PhD, is associate professor in the department of curriculum and instruction at the University of Illinois at Chicago helping to prepare future urban teachers for the classroom. She’s written several academic books and articles. LULU THE ONE AND ONLY is her first children’s book. Dr. Mawhinney is biracial, like her character Lulu, and an expert on teaching diverse populations and in urban environments. She lives in Chicago. To learn more, and to download a curriculum guide, visit her website: https://www.lynnettemawhinney.com/for-children.

About the Illustrator: Jennie Poh was born in England and grew up in Malaysia (in the jungle). Pen and paper by her side at all times, she loved drawing princesses and writing stories. At the age of ten she moved back to England and trained as a ballet dancer. After failing her art A-level, Jennie decided the art world was definitely for her so she studied fine art at The Surrey Institute of Art & Design as well as Fashion Illustration at Central St. Martins. Jennie lives in Surrey, England.

Review: Representation matters, and I am so happy that Lulu is out in the word for the readers who need her to relate to and those who need her to learn about others. As Dr. Mawhinney shares in the Author’s Note, there are complexities of being a biracial child because their parents may not “understand the perspective of their children, and sometimes mixed-race children can feel alone in their experiences.” Lulu has her brother in the story to help her with THAT question, and now readers have Lulu if they don’t have a Zane. The book is also great for readers of any race to have an example of biracialism in a book.

Aside from the importance of the book and the brilliance that Dr. Mawhinney dealt with introducing Lulu’s race, it is also a well crafted book. I love Lulu’s voice–I could hear her talking to me as I read. I also liked the resolution because it was a great example for children.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Dr. Mawhinney has a Curriculum and Activity Guide for Lulu the One and Only!

Flagged Passages:

Watch the fun book trailer!

Read This If You Love: Hair Love by Matthew Cherry; The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson; Dear Girl by Amy Krouse Rosenthal; I Am Enough by Grace Byers; I Am Perfectly Designed by Karamo Brown; Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell

Recommended For:

Giveaway!:

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