Unleashing Readers

Astronaut Annie by Suzanne Slade

March 8, 2018 by Ricki

Astronaut Annie
Author: Suzanne Slade; Illustrator: Nicole Tadgell
Published March 6, 2018 by Tilbury House Publishers

Goodreads Summary: Career Day is approaching, and Annie can’t wait to show her family what she’s planning to be when she grows up. But, she must keep it a secret until Friday! So curious family members each ask Annie for a clue. Convinced that she’ll be a news reporter like he once was, Grandpop gives her his old camera and notebook to use for her presentation. Grandma is sure Annie wants to be a champion baker like her, so she offers a mixing bowl and oven mitts to Annie. Hopeful she’ll become the mountain climber he aspired to be, Dad gives Annie an old backpack. Mom presents Annie with a pair of high-top sneakers to pursue Mom’s favorite sport in high school — basketball.

Grateful for each gift, Annie cleverly finds a way to use them all to create her Career Day costume. When the big day arrives, Annie finally reveals her out-of-this-world dream to everyone.

Review: This book served as a gentle reminder to me, as a parent! As Annie prepares for career day, all of her family members think she’d be great at their jobs. Annie honors their suggestions by creating a costume that incorporates all of their ideas, and just in case readers doubt her ability to be a female astronaut, the back matter (which features four famous women in space) would prove them wrong. This is a great story about a girl who sets her heart firmly on her dreams and is determined to pursue her passion. I particularly appreciated the ending, in which all of her family members are supportive of her dreams. I got emotional as I read it! I adored this book and feel lucky to have it in my library.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I was very inspired by the school’s Career Day setup! Each child dresses like the career they want to be. Our local school districts does a lot of neat things, and this is the kind of idea that they would adopt. Perhaps teachers could read this book and then set up a Career Day that allows kids to dress up to represent a career that interests them. What a great, inspiring school day this would be!

Discussion Questions: How does Annie react to her family members’ suggestions? How does she honor their suggestions at the end of the story?; Are her family member supportive of her dreams?; What do you want to be when you grow up? What famous people have held this career? How could you learn more about this career?

We Flagged: “And Annie jumped high off her chair, explored far-off places and soared through the air.”

Read This If You Loved: Books about space, books that feature strong females(!), books that feature family

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Nicole for providing a copy for review**

When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon & Garfunkel by G. Neri

March 7, 2018 by Kellee

When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon & Garfunkel
Author: G. Neri
Illustrator: David Litchfield
Expected Publication on March 20th, 2018 by Candlewick Press

Summary: From childhood friendship to brief teenage stardom, from early failures to musical greatness — the incredible story of how Simon & Garfunkel became a cherished voice of their generation.

Long before they became one of the most beloved and successful duos of all time, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were just two kids growing up in Queens, New York — best friends who met in a sixth-grade production of Alice in Wonderland and bonded over girls, baseball, and rock ’n’ roll. As teens, they practiced singing into a tape recorder, building harmonies that blended their now-famous voices until they sounded just right. They wrote songs together, pursued big-time music producers, and dreamed of becoming stars, never imagining how far their music would take them. Against a backdrop of street-corner doo-wop gangs, the electrifying beginnings of rock ’n’ roll, and the rise of the counterculture folk music scene, G. Neri and David Litchfield chronicle the path that led two young boys from Queens to teenage stardom and back to obscurity, before finding their own true voices and captivating the world with their talent. Back matter includes an afterword, a discography, a bibliography, and a fascinating list of song influences.

Review: Wow. G. Neri and David Litchfield have captured the story of Simon & Garfunkel and released it into the world in a way that oozes the same beauty that their music does. Neri’s lyrical narrative flows and is perfect for a biography of one of the most beloved duos ever while Litchfield’s illustrations have the tone and coloring that just fit Simon & Garfunkel’s music–a bit dreamy yet raw and colorful. Their two pieces of artwork put together make for a beautiful picture book biography.

P.S. Make sure you take off the cover and look at the book design. BEAUTIFUL!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: While I’m not sure if such a class exists, this text would be perfect for a history of rock and roll class. It really goes through how the time period was changing when it came to music and how each artist influenced each other. If this class doesn’t exist, I wish it did, and I wish I could take it!

The structure of the text also lends to a great lesson looking at both why the author chose verse instead of prose as well as why he chose the timeline that he did. What was his purpose?

Discussion Questions:

How did the author structure the book?
Why do you believe that the author chose to write the narrative in verse?
Paul and Artie, as children, are both different and similar. Explain.
How did Artie use his interest in math to help the duo?
How did music around Paul and Artie affect their music?
Why is this time period so important for the history of rock and roll?
What other artists does the author and illustrator highlight during the book as influences for Simon & Garfunkel?
What would have happened if Paul and Artie had given up after all of the rejection?
How did the duo go from rejection to success?
What clues can the musical connections give to us about the duo’s musical journey?

Flagged Passages:

“We’ve Got a Groovy Thing Goin’

…When he takes the high
tenor melody, and Paul
the low-scale harmony,
something clicks.
It reminds Paul of his dad
tuning his bass guitar:
when two strings come into focus,
they suddenly resonate
as one…”

“Bookends

…At the dawn of a new year,
the new kinds of the charts
have no idea that their lives
will be forever changed.
For one last moment,
sitting int he car together,
Paul and Artie
are still just
two boys
from Queens
dreaming about
the future.”

Read This If You Love: Music, the 60s, Rock and Roll, biographies

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Raquel at Candlewick for providing a copy for review!!**

Teaching Tuesday: Gateway Books For Students Who Say They Don’t Like to Read

March 6, 2018March 6, 2018 by Ricki

We’ve all had that student: “Miss, I don’t like to read!” or “Reading is so boring!” And we just cry a little inside because they don’t know what they are missing. So to help with anyone struggling to find the just-right book for one of their students, we’ve created this fun list of recommendations:

1. For kids who say they like video games not books:

Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
In Real Life by Cory Doctorow

2. For kids who say they like movies not books:

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Legend by Marie Lu

3. For kids who say they like sports not books:

Booked by Kwame Alexander
Ball Don’t Lie by Matt de la Peña

4. For kids who are really interested in the future and technology but say they don’t like to read:

Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson
Bot Wars by J.V. Kade

5. For kids who say that books are boring:

Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
House Arrest by K.A. Holt

6. For kids who are interested in conspiracy theories and read about them on Reddit & Tumblr but say they don’t read fiction:

Masterminds by Gordan Korman
The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

7. For kids who play D&D or Magic but say they don’t like to read:

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
The Dungeoneers by John David Anderson

8. For kids who love humor and list Adam Sandler as their favorite actor but say they don’t like reading:

TeenBoat by Dave Roman
Winger by Andrew Smith

9. For kids who say they like music not books:

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

10. For kids that are in the musical at school and say they don’t like to read:

Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

11. For kids who only want to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid:

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos
Cosmic Commandos by Christopher Eliopolous

12. For kids who love Marvel movies but says they don’t like to read:

Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds
The Rise of Aurora West by Paul Pope

13. For kids who watch TruTV or Pretty Little Liars but say they don’t like to read:

The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer
Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

14. For kids who love drama but say they don’t like to read:

What My Mother Doesn’t Know by Sonya Sones
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

15. For kids who are history and WWII buffs but don’t like to read fiction:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Septys

16. For kids who are interested in survival but say they don’t like to read:

Tree Girl by Ben Mikaelson
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

17: For high schoolers who liked The Outsiders in middle school but say they don’t like to read now:

Kids of Appetite by David Arnold
Trino’s Choice by Diane Gonzalez Bertrand

18. For kids who say nothing is ever going to be as good as The Hate U Give or All American Boys:

Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

19. For kids who are interested in the immigration debate but say they don’t like to read:

American Street by Ibi Zoboi
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

20. For kids interested in learning about mental health yet say they don’t read fiction:

Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

What are your go-to gateway books?

and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 3/5/18

March 5, 2018 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: Teaching My Son to Read (by Ricki)

Wednesday: Leaf Litter Critters by Leslie Bulion

Thursday: Dr. E’s Super Stellar Solar System by Bethany Ehlmann with Jennifer Swanson

Friday: Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway!: The Backup Bunny by Abigail Rayner
Giveaway only open until tomorrow!

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

I love everything by Eliot Schrefer! He is just so detailed in his voices and settings which just adds so much to his stories. Mez’s Magic is different than anything else he has done, and it is going to be a wonderful addition to the reading lives of students who love animal adventure fantasies.
Fresh Ink edited by Lamar Giles was created in partnership with We Need Diverse Books and includes 13 authors sharing a short story (well, 10 stories, 1 comic, and 1 play). These authors include some of my favorites including Jason Reynolds, Walter Dean Myers, Nicola Yoon, Sharon Flake, Gene Luen Yang, and Malinda Lo as well as new to me authors who I can’t wait to read more from. This is a MUST GET everyone. I promise you–you and your students are going to love it!
THE FALSE PRINCE IS AMAZING!!! I couldn’t stop texting Michele while reading it because it is so twisty and turny, and there were parts I didn’t see coming which just shocked me! So. Good!
I look forward to sharing Granted on Friday 🙂

Ricki

I am really excited to share these picture books, which will be published later this year.

I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoeet is going to be a favorite this year. It’s absolutely stunning. I’ll be making space in the calendar to write a full review of this one. This is a great book to teach bullying. I would pair it with Jacqueline Woodson’s Each Kindness. I feel lucky to have this one in bound form, and I gifted my F&G to a friend who teaches literacy to future teachers. I love this book.

Wordy Birdy by Tammi Sauer is a fun book to teach listening skills.

Fruit Bowl by Mark Hoffman is full of puns, and adults will have just as much fun reading this as the kids will.

Night Out is a quiet almost-wordless picture book that reminded me a bit of Alice and Wonderland. The artwork is absolutely beautiful.

Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang is very funny. I will be buying a bound copy of this one. I love that it teaches that it is okay to be grumpy sometimes!

How To Be a Lion by Ed Vere is a useful book for teaching about asking questions. I love the friendship that develops in this book and the lion’s determination to be different.

I also REREAD Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan. I am looking forward to teaching it tomorrow!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

As soon as I was done with The False Prince, I started this one. I hope it is as good as the first!

Ricki

I am halfway through Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya, and I love it. I don’t tend to love middle grade books. It’s my flaw. I am finding that I am thinking about this story a lot when I am not reading it. Once I get my work done tonight, I suspect I’ll be finishing it. 😉

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Gateway Books for Kids Who Say They Don’t Like to Read

Wednesday: When Paul Met Artie by G. Neri

Thursday: Astronaut Annie by Suzanne Slade

Friday: Granted by John David Anderson

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!

and

Blog Tour with Giveaway and Review!: The Backup Bunny by Abigail Rayner

July 20, 2018March 2, 2018 by Kellee

The Backup Bunny
Author: Abigail Rayner
Illustrator: Greg Stones
Published March 6th, 2018 by NorthSouth Books

Summary: Everybody needs a backup plan, especially when you lose your favorite toy.

When Max loses his favorite toy—Bunny—his clever mom brings out the “backup bunny”—Fluffy—to save the day. Fluffy is thrilled to have the chance to play with Max, but is soon rejected by the observant child who notices that his ears are too new and perky. Can Fluffy find a way into his favorite boy’s heart?

The Backup Bunny will keep you laughing and inspire you to make room for another favorite story.

Review: This book truly made me laugh out loud because it made me think of so many stories! First, as a kid, I had LeeLee and Bean Baby who my mom both tried to get duplicates (Blue LeeLee and Talking Bean Baby) yet they never were equal to the originals. Then, as a sister, my sister had Banky and Huggy Bear who both had backups and were not replaceable. Finally, as a mom, Trent has a baby named Gus who, when I saw that Target was no longer going to carry them, I purchased 2 backup Guses, and when the original got super dirty, I decided it was time to try a backup. I said Gus was going to take a bath, and I brought back a new Gus. Trent hugged him but then looked at him in this super quizzical way and said, “Baby Gus has blue eyes?” And I freaked! I assured him that Gus has blue eyes, but then when we went to sleep, I checked the other Gus only to see that the original had brown eyes. That could have gone worse! Blue-eyed Gus is still going strong, but it almost backfired.

But back to the book. As you can tell from my reminiscing, this book is going to connect with everyone on so many different levels. The adult reader will remember their childhood and be nostalgic, the parent will think of their child and be filled with love, and the child reader will think of the toy that they love so much. And all of these feelings are accompanied by a fun-filled story about Fluffy trying so hard to be Bunny when really he just needs to be Fluffy to be loved.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The Backup Bunny will have a wonderful place in early ed classrooms talking about their important lovies. Having students write about their lovie’s personality would be a perfect early ed creative writing prompt. Fluffy has such a distinct voice, and The Backup Bunny would be a wonderful way to start that conversation about voice and characterization with students both in reading and writing.

Discussion Questions:

How are Fluffy and Bunny different?
How did the author give Fluffy a personality that was distinct?
Do you have a lovie that is special to you? Tell us about them.
In what ways did Fluffy try to be like Bunny? Did it work?
What type of socks does Fluffy live with? What does this tell you about that drawer?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Don’t Forget Dexter by Lindsay Ward, Toy Story, Caring for Your Lion by Tammi Sauer

Recommended For:

Giveaway!:

Dr. E’s Super Stellar Solar System by Bethany Ehlmann with Jennifer Swanson

March 1, 2018 by Ricki

Dr. E’s Super Stellar Solar System
Authors: Bethany Ehlmann with Jennifer Swanson
Published January 16, 2018 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: Take to the skies with Planetary Geologist Dr. E and her robot sidekick, Rover, to explore the solar system’s wildest, most astronomical geology–with comic book flair! This stellar book introduces kids to outer space through in-depth info and comic book adventure. Along the way, kids follow explorer Bethany Ehlmann, a member of the NASA Mars Rover Curiosity mission, and her lovable robo-dog, Rover, as they study and protect our amazing solar system. Dr. E’s conversational and funny explanations of the solar system and planetary geology will pull kids in like gravity. The pairing of fun, graphic novel side stories with science facts makes big concepts accessible and interesting to boys and girls of all levels, from STEM science fans to reluctant readers alike.

Review: This book is wild. I learned so much while reading it. I thought I knew a lot about space, but this book made me realize how much I didn’t know about it. My son is much too young for this book, but he loved looking at the pictures while I summarized the text on the pages. There are some fantastic photographs, and there are also digital representations of what things might look like. Most exciting, this book filled me with wonder. There are so many possibilities with space, and I am really excited about new discoveries and new information that will come in my lifetime and beyond. This is a must-read for space lovers and those who are curious about the world. I particularly appreciated the comics at the front of each chapter. They allowed me to better engage with the material that followed. Dr. E made me want to learn even more about space!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I’d love to see this book used in literature circles. The National Geographic books are phenomenal, so teachers might collect books on various topics and allow students to form groups based on interest.

Discussion Questions: After reading about _____, what did you learn?; What do you still want to learn about space?

We Flagged:

Image from Amazon.

Read This If You Loved: Any nonfiction book about space, for background knowledge when reading science fiction that takes place in space (e.g. Space Encyclopedia)

Recommended For:

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

Leaf Litter Critters by Leslie Bulion

February 28, 2018 by Kellee

Leaf Litter Critters
Author: Leslie Bulion
Illustrator: Robert Meganck
Published March 8th, 2018 by Peachtree Publishers

Summary: Have fun on this poetic tour through the leaf litter layer and dig into the fascinating facts about the tiny critters who live there. Nineteen poems in a variety of verse forms with accompanying science notes take readers on a decomposer safari through the “brown food web,” from bacteria through tardigrades and on to rove beetle predators with other busy recyclers in-between.

Zooming into the thin layer of decaying leaves, plant parts, and soil beneath our feet, Leaf Litter Critters digs into fascinating information about the world of decomposers–from the common earthworm to the amazing tardigarde.

Written in various poetic forms, acclaimed science poet and award-winning author Leslie Bulion combines intriguing scientific details with fun wordplay to create a collection of nonfiction verses amusing for all readers. Vibrant and entertaining artwork by distinguished illustrator Rober Meganck adds to the humor of each poem.

Perfect for cross curricular learning, Leaf Litter Critters has extensive back matter, including both science notes about each critter and poetry notes about each poetic form, as well as a glossary, hands-on activities, and additional resources for curious readers to further their investigations. It’s also a great read-aloud for Earth Day and beyond.

* “The poems are expertly crafted in a variety of forms (identified in the backmatter). The language is lively and the imagery appropriate. With alliteration, internal rhymes, and careful rhythm, these will be a delight to read aloud and learn…. Meganck’s engaging digital drawings give each creature pop-eyes and attitude…. A delightful, memorable introduction to an unsung ecosystem.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“Bulion stuffs her poems with scientific detail and puts even more into accompanying “science notes.” Meganck’s cartoons strike sillier notes…balancing all of the information Bulion provides with hefty doses of fun.” —Publishers Weekly

Review & Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I cannot wait to give this to my mentee who is a sixth grade science teacher who has a BS in biology–she is going to love this so much! And if I was an upper elementary teacher, I would love to use this text as a cross-curricular text during a poetry and biology unit. Not only did it teach me SO much about these amazing creatures that do weird and truly astonishing things, it goes through all the different types of poetry shared to ensure that the book isn’t just science nor poetry centered. I think the author did a beautiful job making sure that each spread had a wonderful poem and a deep science explanation just in case the poem doesn’t clarify anything. Additionally, the back matter includes investigative activities, a glossary, and more science information that would all be incredible assets to a classroom! I really cannot say enough how well the book is crafted for the purpose it was created for.

Discussion Questions:

How is each creature in the leaf litter layer important?
How did the illustrator use a pin to help you see the size of each critter on pages 54-55?
Write your own poem about one of the creatures that you learned about using whatever poetic style you choose.
How did the science notes on each page assist you in understanding the creature that was shared on each spread?
Which of the poetic forms/styles did you enjoy the most? Why?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Biology, Poetry, Science

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Elyse at Peachtree for providing a copy for review!!**