Unleashing Readers

Review and Giveaway!: Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark

June 14, 2017 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code
Author: Laurie Wallmark
Illustrator: Katy Wu
Published May 17th, 2017 by Sterling Children’s Books

Summary: Do you know who Grace Hopper was?

A software tester, workplace jester, cherished mentor, ace inventor, avid reader, and naval leader! Acclaimed picture book author Laurie Wallmark (Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine) once again tells the riveting story of a trailblazing woman in Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code (Sterling Children’s Books, May 16, 2017).

Grace Hopper coined the term “computer bug” and taught computers to “speak English.” Throughout her life, Hopper succeeded in doing what no one had ever done before. Delighting in difficult ideas and in defying expectations, the insatiably curious Hopper truly was “Amazing Grace” . . . and a role model for science- and math-minded girls and boys. With a wealth of witty quotes, and richly detailed illustrations, this book brings Hopper’s incredible accomplishments to life.

“If you’ve got a good idea, and you know it’s going to work, go ahead and do it.” The picture book biography of Grace Hopper—the boundary-breaking woman who revolutionized computer science.

Who was Grace Hopper? A software tester, workplace jester, cherished mentor, ace inventor, avid reader, naval leader—AND rule breaker, chance taker, and troublemaker. Grace Hopper coined the term “computer bug” and taught computers to “speak English,” and throughout her life succeeded in doing what no one had ever done before. Delighting in difficult ideas and in defying expectations, the insatiably curious Hopper truly is “Amazing Grace” . . . and a role model for science- and math-minded girls and boys.

About the Author: Laurie Wallmark has degrees in Biochemistry from Princeton University, Information Systems from Goddard College, and Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her debut book Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (Creston Books) received four starred reviews, praise in The New York Times, and numerous awards. Laurie lives in New Jersey. Follow her on Twitter: @lauriewallmark.

About the Illustrator: With a BFA in Illustration and Entertainment Arts from Pasadena Art Center College of Design in 2007, Katy Wu has worked for Google, Laika, Pixar, CinderBiter, and Simon & Schuster. Grace Hopper is her first picture book. Having worked on such projects as the feature film Coraline, and various shorts (La Luna, Car Toons) as well as CG, 2D, stop motion, online games, and content for social media platforms, Katy is an incredible talent. She lives and freelances in New York City. Follow her online at katycwwu.tumblr.com.

Review: Each time I learn about a new woman in history that made such a tremendous contribution yet is a name I didn’t know, I am flabbergasted by the lack HERstory in HIStory. Grace Hopper is a phenomenal individual! I love how much her story promotes imagination and STEM. Her stories of rebuilding clocks and building a doll house from blueprints with an elevator shows how building a strong mathematical and scientific mind begins from youth, and it is all about teaching kids to mess around, use their imagination, tinker, and learn through trying. Wallmark’s biography of Grace Hopper does a beautiful job of combining a message of rebellion (in the name of science), creativity, imagination, and education with Grace’s biography. In addition to the narrative, Wu’s illustrations and formatting of the novel adds humanity and color to her story.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Grace Hopper is one example of a female scientist that should be a name that everyone knows yet she is not taught in schools. Luckily there are so many wonderful nonfiction picture book biographies being published showcasing woman who made a difference (some listed below). One way I picture this text being used in the classroom is by using these picture books in a lit circle or even like a jig saw type activity. Each group reads a different nonfiction picture book and shares what they learned with the class.

Grace Hopper could also be used in a computer classroom because it has such a wonderful introduction to the beginning of computers. Grace was part of very early computer programming and computer science, and her story would be perfect to share during a technology class looking at the history of computers.

Discussion Questions: How did Grace Hopper’s legacy continued to the computers and technology we use today?; How did Grace Hopper stand out from what was expected of woman at the time?; What hardships did Grace probably face because of gender prejudice?; Choose one of Grace’s quotes shared in the book and share what it meant for Grace and how it could it be taken as inspirational for your life?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Ada’s Ideas by Fiona Robinson, Maya Lin by Susan Rubin, I Dissent by Debbie Levy, Fearless Flyer by Heather Lang, Dorothea’s Eyes by Barb Rosenstock, Women Who Broke the Rules series by Kathleen Krull, Liberty’s Voice by Erica Silverman, Josephine by Patricia Hruby Powell, Swimming with Sharks by Heather Lang, The Book of Heroines from National Geographic Kids

Recommended For:

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Thank you to Ardi at Sterling for providing a copy for review and giveaway!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Covers from Vanessa and Alexandra, 6th grade

July 22, 2018June 13, 2017 by Kellee

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

Today’s Topic: Top Ten Book Covers (But Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover!)

from Vanessa W. and Alexandra N, 6th grade

Vanessa

1. Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

I love the image of the lovely forest.

2. The Summer I Saved the World…in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz

I enjoy looking at the ombre cover with a sense of excitement.

3. The Girl in the Well is Me by Karen Rivers

The cover of this book gave me a sense of mystery.

4. Sophie Quire & Peter Nimble by Jonathan Auxier

These covers give a sense of adventure and excitement.

5. The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner

This cover may look simple but relates to the book in outstanding ways.

Alexandra

1. Darkbeast by Morgan Keyes

The cover shows the bond between the characters.

2. Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst

This cover shows a main event in the story, and it is well drawn.

3. Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf by Kathryn Lasky

The cover shows the main character, and the book is kind of sad and the character looks sad, too.

4. Wolves of Beyond: Star Wolf by Kathryn Lasky

It is really pretty and well drawn.

5. Foxcraft: The Taken by Inbali Iserles

I like this cover because it’s simple but the background is really detailed and you can see all the places where the character went.

Thank you, Vanessa and Alexandra!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 6/12/17

June 12, 2017 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: Top Ten Tuesday: Twenty Books We Want to Read from Lily, Freddy, and Joey, 6th grade

Wednesday: Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis by Jabari Asim

Thursday: Guest Review: The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin

Friday: Author Skype Visits with Kellee’s 7th Grade Lunch Book Club

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

Future Problem Solvers International Conference was 6/8-6/11, so I just got home late last night and am catching up on family or sleep or both. I probably didn’t read that much while chaperoning, but I’ll catch you up next week on any updates 🙂

Ricki

I finally read Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley. Now I understand why this book is on so many lists and referenced often by scholars. This book provides many talking points. I assume that many readers of this blog have read it already, but if you haven’t, I highly recommend that you check it out. I was with several women this weekend, and I couldn’t stop telling them about it!

This Week’s Expeditions

Ricki

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Covers from Vanessa and Alexandra, 6th grade

Wednesday: Review and Giveaway! Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark

Thursday: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Friday: Top Checked Out Books by Kellee’s Middle School Readers 2016-2017

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

Author Skype Visits with Kellee’s 7th Grade Lunch Book Club

June 9, 2017 by Kellee

A lunch book club meeting in the library one day

After we finished our Mock Newbery experience, my lunch book club needed a new direction. My students said they definitely wanted to continue the book club.

I liked having lunch book club because we all read the same book. We could support each other through the sad parts, and share the happy memories when something good happened. -Maria
I liked book club very much because I got to talk to other kids in the school who were reading the same book as I am. -Ashley
My favorite part of lunch book club is being able to talk with other people who have already read a book or are currently reading it. You get to talk with people and discuss it, which makes me understand the book even more. -Emily

We discussed three options to continue:

Everyone just reads whatever and we talk about books in general.
HARRY POTTER! There are so many students in the group that are reading his books for the first time.
Author Skype Visits

After much discussion, we decided on #3 (though some students did choose to only continue reading Harry Potter).
We then looked through Kate Messner’s so helpful list of authors that are kind enough to do free school Skype visits. From this list, we chose four authors we were really interested in reading more of and chatting with:

Dan Gemeinhart because The Honest Truth was on our state list for 2016-2017 and Some Kind of Courage had been on our Mock Newbery list, so most of the kids in the club have already read his books, but there was also his newest, Scar Island, we could read.
August Scattergood because one student adored Glory Be that she read in elementary school and shared with the group how much she liked it. I also pushed for them to pick a historical fiction author to get all of the genres covered in the four visits.
John David Anderson because Ms. Bixby’s Last Day had been on our Mock Newbery list and had been a favorite, and I am a huge fan of his other books which I book talked, and they were interested in them.
Kristen Kittscher because The Wig in the Window had been a HUGE hit in my classroom last year and many of them had read it in my class last year, and they shared it with the students who hadn’t read it, and they definitely had to know how the mystery ended.

And we were so lucky that ALL OF THEM were available at some point before the end of the year, and it even worked out to one per month February through May. I then went about purchasing all of the books using a grant I received for middle school book clubs, and we began reading one author a month.

If you have ever been part of an author Skype visit, it is so amazing to see what wonderful questions the students come up with and equally fascinating to hear how the authors answer them. Some examples: With Dan Gemeinhart, we discussed “the parent problem” in middle grade and young adult literature as well as how he crafted his chapters in The Honest Truth; with Augusta Scattergood, we discussed the inclusion of diverse characters as well as her choice to add quirky exclamations in Making Friends with Billy Wong; with John David Anderson, we discussed the hero’s journey including Star Wars and Harry Potter and how he’s written so many different genres; and with Kristen Kittscher, we discussed her planning (or lack thereof) and her characterization.

Each Skype visit was different and after each one the students raved about the opportunity, and I want to second their excitement: We are so lucky to be able to spend any amount of time, much less almost an hour, with each of these authors!

My favorite part of Skype visits is that we got our burning questions answered. Many readers have questions and they can only speculate, but we love reading so much that we get to talk with them. I feel as if we have become friends with the authors. -Emily
I enjoyed Skyping with the different authors and learning how each of them wrote and planned a story. I loved reading the books and seeing the difference between the types of styles and genres each author wrote in. -Sarah

The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin

July 20, 2018June 8, 2017 by Ricki

The Wonderful Things You Will Be
Author: Emily Winfield Martin
Published: August 25, 2015 by Random House

A Guest Review by Jennifer Zafetti

Summary: This heartwarming picture book is from the point of view of a parent who is eager to see the development of their child. The parent questions who their child will become and what interests they will possess. In the end, there are endless possibilities that the future has to offer to the child.

Review: This is a great book to give to a parent with a small child! The Wonderful Things You Will Be would make for a soothing bedtime story. The sweet message of the story is that a child can be anybody that they want to be. There are no expectations set for a child to adhere to so their future is an empty canvas waiting to be painted! The book, using second person, discusses the uniqueness of you and the wonderful attributes you have to offer to the world. There are many “what if” questions that will get the reader thinking about all the wonderful things that they can do with their life.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The Wonderful Things You Will Be is an engaging children’s book that encourages the reader to embrace the future. There are beautiful illustrations to accompany the text. The teacher can use this book to discuss rhyming words, as well as point of view.

Discussion Questions: What are some rhyming words that you noticed in the story? How do the illustrations enhance the text? What do you want to be when you grow up?

Flagged Passage:

Read This If You Loved: Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae, and If Animals Kissed Good Night by Ann Whitford Paul

Recommended For:

Thank you, Jennifer!

Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis by Jabari Asim

June 7, 2017 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis
Author: Jabari Asim
Illustrator: E.B. Lewis
Published October 11th, 2016 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary: A glimpse into the boyhood of Civil Rights leader John Lewis.

John wants to be a preacher when he grows up—a leader whose words stir hearts to change, minds to think, and bodies to take action. But why wait? When John is put in charge of the family farm’s flock of chickens, he discovers that they make a wonderful congregation! So he preaches to his flock, and they listen, content under his watchful care, riveted by the rhythm of his voice.

Review: John Lewis is an American hero and often what we hear about is his history as a Freedom Rider, Civil Rights Movement, and a politician, but Preaching to the Chickens shows us about John Lewis’s childhood and his faith and hard work as well as his passion and empathy for animals that helped build the foundation of who we see in the public eye. The truly inspiring story that Asim shares with us combined with Lewis’s illustrations really makes for a beautiful book.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The Civil Rights Movement and the individuals that fought (and continue to fight) for equal rights is something that we need to make sure the current generation of kids are knowledgeable about as equality (or even equity) are not here yet. There are so many amazing texts out there from nonfiction to fiction and picture books to novels that share this time within our history. These texts make up a text set (or reading ladder) that can be utilized in the classroom in so many ways including lit circles, book clubs, jigsaw, or inquiry projects. Preaching to the Chickens is not itself a story of Civil Rights but it is the story of how a Civil Rights leader and Freedom Rider became. It is the story of hard work, empathy, and faith that have led to a man who is unlike any other.

Discussion Questions: How did John Lewis’s childhood impact his outlook on life?; How did John Lewis’s practice sermons help him become the public speaker and politician he is today?; What character traits did you see in young John Lewis that show you what kind of man he is today?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Picture books and nonfiction texts focusing on the Civil Rights Movement including Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport, The March Against Hate by Ann Bausum, The First Step by Susan E. Goodman, Blood Brother by Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallace, and other texts listed on my Civil Rights Text Set

Recommended For:

Top Ten Tuesday: Twenty Books We Want to Read from Lily, Freddy, and Joey, 6th grade

July 22, 2018June 6, 2017 by Kellee

Today’s Topic: Ten Book I Want to Read

from Lily M., 6th grade

1. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

I like to read romance novels.

2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I have finished the first two books of The Hunger Games.

3. Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland

This series was recommended by a friend.

4. We Can’t All Be Rattlesnakes by Patrick Jennings

The book was in a book path, and it sounds so interesting.

5. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

I liked books written by Michael Crichton.

6. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

It was recommended by my mother.

7. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

It was recommended by my 5th grade teacher.

8. The City of Ember series by Jeanne Duprau

I started the first book, and it was very interesting.

9. Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

It has an amazing rating on book review sites.

10. My Neighbor Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki

I love the movie!

Today’s Topic: Ten Book We Want to Read

from Freddy P. & Joey B., 6th grade

1. Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart

The book’s summary grabs your attention, and we are very intrigued. -Freddy & Joey

2. The Living and The Hunted by Matt de la Peña

Someone in our class recommended it to us. -Freddy & Joey

3. Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

Mrs. Moye said it was a good book, and the summary really grabs you. -Freddy

4. Double Down by Jeff Kinney

It’s the newest book in a series I’ve read. -Freddy

5. Narwhal and Jelly by Ben Clanton

This book sounds so funny! -Joey & Freddy

6. Masterminds 2 & 3 by Gordon Korman

I read the first book, and it was so interesting. Now I want to finish the series. -Joey

7. Loot by Jude Watson

We Skyped with the author, and from what I know the book seems interesting. -Joey

8. Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Someone in our class made a book trailer about the book, and it looks very interesting. -Joey

9. Bird & Squirrel series by James Burk

It looks so amusing because it is about an adventure with a bird and a squirrel. -Joey

10. Scorch Trials, Death Cure, and The Kill Order by James Dashner

I read the first book, and it was really good. -Freddy

Thank you, Lily, Freddy, and Joey!