Unleashing Readers

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 3/20/17

March 20, 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.

CONGRATULATIONS
Nicole L.
for winning a copy of A Boy Called Bat!

CONGRATULATIONS
Regan
for winning a copy of Mapping My Day!

Last Week’s Posts

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

Tuesday: Ten Reason Kellee Loves Teaching Middle School

Wednesday: Stand Up and Sing!: Pete Seeger, Folk Music, and the Path to Justice by Susanna Reich

Thursday: Guest Review: Five Little Ducks by Denise Fleming

Friday: In the Middle School Classroom: Who Wins? 100 Historical Figures Go Head-to-Head And You Decide the Winner!

Sunday: Author Guest Post and Giveaway: “A Recipe for Storytelling: Take One Real Life, Add a Spoonful of Fantasy, and Stir” by Carter Roy, Author of The Blazing Bridge, the third book in the The Blood Guard series *Giveaway!*

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

These upcoming picture books are all must buys!
The Fog by Kyo Maclear is about beating something by putting your mind to it and collaborating and also about the environment. It is a beautifully illustrated picture book that will definitely start thoughtful and much-needed discussions.
A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen is a perfect read aloud for an early elementary school before starting creative writing because it shows that writing is something anyone can do and is just a form of expression with no boundaries. I cannot wait to read this to Trent and write a story together afterwards, and I know many of you will feel that way with your kids/students.
Ashley Spire has a way of writing stories that makes you have even more faith in kids that you did before reading them. The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do is not exception. Lou loves to do so many things, but when she is faced with something she doesn’t think she can do, she hesitates. Until she realizes that she can do whatever she puts her mind to!
Hair-pocalypse by Geoff Herbach has much of the same humor that his YA books have! It starts out as a silly book about Aidan’s crazy hair and ends up being a book about thinking of others and compromise. This’ll definitely be a favorite read aloud!
Gennifer Choldenko and Dan Santat are a winning combination! This story shows that fear is something that anyone can face and parents are there to support you when you need them. I worry a bit about some of the “boys can’t be scared” and “don’t tell mom” parts, but the message in the end is positive.

Tinyville Town, just in this week, has become a favorite of mine and Trent’s. I love how it highlights all the different kind of jobs there are in a town, how each is special, and what the jobs entail. Gets to Work talks a bit about how city planning works then each of the other books focuses on a different profession. Trent LOVES the firefighter one, and he reads it to himself before bed almost every night!

Every time I read graphic novels, it reminds me why I love them so much! The visuals just a whole new element to the story for me!
Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt is the second Narwhal book and is just as good as the first book! I just have a soft spot for these two who just perfectly fit together as friends. Narwhal and Jelly are the perfect ladder up from Elephant & Piggy, Bird & Squirrel, or other fun duos.
Star Scouts is a fun sci-fi story about finding your place even if that place at first feels like it is in the middle of misfits. Avani ends up being accidentally abducted by a Star Scout, an alien equivalent of our Scouts, and finds a place in their troop. I loved that Avani is so relatable! She speaks Hindi, loves rodeo, and is a bit testy–a perfect mix to make an authentic middle schooler. All of her Star Scouts friends are different also, so even though they are aliens, many readers will relate to one of them. One of my students already checked it out for Spring Break, and I know he will love it!
Real Friends is Shannon Hale’s graphic novel memoir about her time in elementary school and the drama of finding true friends while trying to find her own identity and family drama also. Like Sunny Side Up and Smile & Sisters, many readers will find Shannon’s story interesting and relatable, and Pham’s illustrations make it even more appealing.

Lastly, I finished two wonderful yet very different novels. However, the are more alike than they seem. Glory Be is about Freedom Summer and Glory learning about the prejudice in the world while realizing that she need to stand up for what she believes. Bot Wars takes place in the future after robots have been segregated because of the fear of them taking over, but Trout, the protagonist, soon learns that the government have spread negative propaganda to meet their needs.

Ricki

As Kellee said, the Tinyville Town books are awesome! Henry fell in love with them. He points to all of the characters in the book and reminds me which board books we have and which board books we don’t have. This book has inspired a lot of conversations about jobs. It would be fun to have kids create their own books based on their town!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

Spring Break Reading Goal:

It’s a pretty hefty goal, but I have had some really good reading weeks later, so I thought it might be doable. Jim and I are going on a mini anniversary vacation though, so we’ll see!

The Books: I loved Bot Wars, so I knew I wanted to read #2. Same with Loot, so I have Sting on my Kindle. Infinity (Chronicles of Nick) and Legend are books that students really want me to read. March is on my #mustreadin2017 list, and Frenzy is our March book club book. I also hope to read some picture books and graphic novels that I’ve been lucky enough to get from publishers. *fingers crossed!*

Ricki

My dissertation is due in NINE days to my advisor. I have about 70 pages left to write. I am so sorry I have been off the grid. I can’t apologize enough. 🙁 Writing a dissertation with a three-year-old and five-month-old means very, very little sleep, so I haven’t been a great blogger.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Ten Short Novels that Pack a Punch

Wednesday: Review and Giveaway!: Brobarians by Lindsay Ward

Thursday: Review, Giveaway, and Author Guest Post!: I Am (Not) Scared by Anna Kang

Friday: Paint Me a Picture & Tell Me a Story by Emily Bannister

Sunday: Author Guest Post

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 Guest Post and Giveaway: “A Recipe for Storytelling: Take One Real Life, Add a Spoonful of Fantasy, and Stir” by Carter Roy, Author of The Blazing Bridge, the third book in the The Blood Guard series

March 20, 2017March 19, 2017 by Ricki

“A Recipe for Storytelling: Take One Real Life, Add a Spoonful of Fantasy, and Stir”

Late last summer, after I’d turned in the manuscript for the third Blood Guard book, The Blazing Bridge, I mentioned to a longtime friend that I’d finished the trilogy. “That’s great!” she chirped; “now you can write a real book.”

“Excuse me?” I replied and made a face like this

She explained. To her mind, fantasy adventure for middle-grade graders is mere “escapist literature,” and it doesn’t count as real—not like stories about normal people. “You had a rough childhood,” she said. “Why not write about that?”

But as far as I was concerned, I was already writing about my childhood. Only in disguise. Because even though fantasy literature on its surface is about another world, at root it is always about this one—the world we live in. Otherwise the stories would have no hold on us at all.

Not to get maudlin, but when I was growing up, my family—like many families—fell apart. There was never enough money; my older brothers were always getting into trouble; my dad turned out to be a not-so-good guy; and my parents divorced—which forced my mom to move us kids around from one home to another to another as she tried to find us an affordable and safe place in the world.

In a very different form, that material made its way into the Blood Guard books. A feud between two parents. A discovery that a father is someone other than who his children thought him to be. A constant need to uproot one’s life and relocate. All of these things were drawn from actual life, but transformed into backstory for an action adventure tale. Why? Because these novels were for the twelve-year-old me as much as anyone, and that kid liked his stories to move. The magic, the action, the jokes—those are the spoonfuls of sugar that make the medicine go down. (The “medicine” in this case being the ugly truth that my dad was, in fact, a very bad guy.)

Twelve-year-old me wouldn’t face the truth about my dad for years. But I might have done so a lot sooner … if only I’d been able to if I’d been able to read about it in a fantasy novel.

About the Book: Ronan Truelove’s best friend, scrappy smart aleck Greta Sustermann, has no idea that she is one of the thirty-six Pure souls crucial to the safety of the world. But Ronan’s evil father has figured it out—and he’s leading the Bend Sinister straight to Greta. If they capture her, she’ll suffer a fate far worse than mere death. But to get to Greta, they’re going to have to go through Ronan first.

Standing with Ronan are plucky hacker Sammy; witty, unkillable Jack Dawkins; and a sharp-tongued woman named Diz, who drives a dangerously souped-up taxi. One breathless close call after another leads to an ugly showdown: Ronan alone against his father, with the fate of Greta, his friends, and the entire world hanging in the balance. Will Ronan be able to rise up and prove once and for all that he has what it takes to join the Blood Guard?

By turns heart-stopping and hilarious, The Blazing Bridge brings the Blood Guard trilogy to a surprising, clever, and altogether thrilling conclusion.

About the Author: Carter Roy has painted houses and worked on construction sites, waited tables and driven delivery trucks, been a stagehand for rock bands and a videographer on a cruise ship, and worked as a line cook in a kitchen, a projectionist in a movie theater, and a rhetoric teacher at a university. He has been a reference librarian and a bookseller, edited hundreds of books for major publishers, and written award-winning short stories that have appeared in a half-dozen journals and anthologies. His first two books were The Blood Guard and The Glass Gauntlet. He lives with his wife and daughter in New York City and can be found at www.carterroybooks.com or on Twitter @CarterRoyBooks.

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you, Carter for this inspirational post! And thank you, Barbara from Blue Slip Media, for connecting us with Carter!

and

In the Middle School Classroom: Who Wins?100 Historical Figures Go Head-to-Head and You Decide the Winner! by Clay Swartz

April 3, 2017March 17, 2017 by Kellee

Who Wins? 100 Historical Figures Go Head-to-Head and You Decide the Winner!
Created by Clay Swartz
Illustrated by Tom Booth
Published July 12th, 2016 by Workman Publishing Company

Summary: Who would rock the mic at karaoke night? Abraham “The Great Emancipator” Lincoln or Jane “Lady Persuasion” Austen? How about a hot dog eating contest between Harry “Mr. Magic” Houdini and Mary “Mother of Frankenstein” Shelley? What about a pie contest? A staring contest? And who has a better chance of sneaking into Area 51, Isaac “Gravity Guy” Newton or Sacagawea aka “The Pathfinder”?

In Who Wins?: History, you decide the winner in over 50 head-to-head challenges between 100 of history’s most illustrious characters. But choosing the victor isn’t arbitrary. Readers must justify their answers using each of the historical figures’ six 0-10 category rankings in bravery, leadership, artistry, wealth, wisdom, and fitness; as well as facts from short biographies.

As funny as it is informative, the book is uniquely formatted so readers can match up each and every character in any of the head-to-head battles. History has never been so much fun!

Review (from 10/26/16): Who Wins? is informative, funny, and so cleverly formatted that it is going to be a star in homes and classrooms. I love how the book gives each historical figure a nickname (either one they already were given, like Satchmo, or made up, like Gravity Guru for Isaac Newton) to add a bit of humor to the book; however, still makes sure to include a plethora of information about each figure including a bio then 3 little-known facts. Each head-to-head situation also helps guide your decision by giving some example questions to think about. Let’s look at a head-to-head, so you can really see how clever it is!

In My Classroom: Whenever I begin a debate unit, I always start with a mini-debate, and I wanted this year’s to include Who Wins? because I thought it was such an awesome class resource (and my students were slightly obsessed with the book). To start, I randomly picked a male and a female historical figure from each side of the Who Wins? book for each class. I didn’t choose the middle activity yet because I wanted my students to get to know their historical figures before I gave them the rest of the topic for the debate. For two days, the students researched their figures and tried to learn as much about them as possible. We talked about making sure to not just list dates but to get to know them as a person: their strengths, their weaknesses, their personality, their education, etc. Finally, on day three, I randomly revealed the rest of the debate topic and randomly put each class into two groups. We ended up with:

Who wins WRESTLEMANIA? Queen Elizabeth I or Genghis Khan?
Who wins LIVING IN 10,000 BC? Harriet Tubman or Ramses II?
Who wins CELEBRITY JEOPARDY? Nelson Mandela or Marie Curie?

Each group then made a Google Doc that they could collaborate on, and they focuses on preparing their argument, possible counterarguments, and rebuttals to the counter argument. They could research more now that they knew the topic, and I shared Who Wins? information with them as well (see photo above).

Then, after a couple of days of collaboration, we had our mini-debate. The most successful was the Queen Elizabeth I vs. Genghis Khan because they not only researched their historical figure, but they also researched Wrestlemania which allowed the debate go to a whole different level than my other two periods. The Nelson Mandela vs. Marie Curie debate had the opposite problem: they didn’t research Jeopardy at all which made for the debate never really having a clear winner because they were just debating who was smarter. The Ramses II vs. Harriet Tubman went well though the Harriet Tubman side never pulled out their best argument: she primarily lived on the run in the wilderness! In the end, Wrestlemania was a tie; Ramses II would survive better in 10,000 BC; and Marie Curie would win Jeopardy.

Some Students’ Collaborative Notes: Here are some examples of the collaborative notes some groups put together when preparing for the mini-debate. These are not examples of the initial research notes they took on their historical figures.

Genghis Khan

Harriet Tubman:

Marie Curie:

Second Debate Using Who Wins?: For our second debate, I did things a little bit differently. Instead of giving them the historical person first, for each class, I randomly chose the center tile (the topic) and we ended up with: Rap Battle, Ironman World Championship, and Summiting Everest. I then let the students, within their groups, go through their side of the book to find the person they wanted for their side of the debate.

They used their prior knowledge, the bios, and the stats for each person to try to pick the best for the debate. Our people ended up being:

Who Wins a Rap Battle: Muhammad Ali vs. Sojourner Truth?
Who Wins the Ironman World Championship: Jim Thorpe vs. Mildred Ella Didrikson?
Who Wins at Summiting Everest: Ernest Shackleton vs. Alexander the Great?

This time around, students were much more invested in their historical figure and with the topic already chosen, they could narrow down their research. Also, they realized how important it was to research the topic. Students also were given 2 extra days to research this time though given the same amount of time (2 days) to collaborate.

Once we got to the debates, I made a decision I was so happy about: Students were not allowed to have their iPads with them. They could have 1 Post-it note (front only) with any specifics that were tough to remember (years, prices, times, etc.), but that was it. And the debates went so much better! Students knew their stuff, and the debates were so intense, detailed, and close!

In the end, we’re still not sure who would be most successful at summiting Everest, Shackelton or Alexander the Great; Jim Thorpe is more likely to win the Ironman World Championship; and Muhammad Ali would win a rap battle vs. Sojourner Truth.

Final Assessment: As a final cumulative assessment, I asked my students to write me an argumentative paragraph stating why they felt their historical figure would be more successful than the other. Students were asked to have multiple reasons why with evidence to support their claim.

Examples from the Shackleton vs. Alexander the Great debate:

Reflection: Using Who Wins?, I was able to create a standards-based unit that allowed students to not only debate, research, and read informational texts, but work collaboratively, think outside the box, and cite evidence to support their claims. I know the students learned from it as well, and they asked to do another, so I know they enjoyed it. They also now realize that learning just dates or facts about a person isn’t thorough research, it is important to know both sides of an argument so you can have a rebuttal, and that you need to research all aspects of a debate to ensure you are arguing for the right reasons. Overall, I call this a win!

5 Little Ducks by Denise Fleming

March 18, 2017March 16, 2017 by Ricki

5 Little Ducks
Author: Denise Fleming
Published November 8, 2016 by Beach Lane Books

A Guest Review by Kathryn O’Connor

Summary: Papa Duck and his ducklings go on adventures through the woods and over the hills everyday. Each time Papa Duck yells out “Quack quack quack” to gather his ducklings, but not all of them come back. In fact, with each adventure, one fewer duck returns. Finally on Saturday, Papa Duck went out alone and yelled “Quack, quack, quack”. It was then that all of his ducks came back! When the family woke up together on Sunday, Mama Duck decided it would be best for the family to stay in and rest.

Review: Denise Fleming takes a modern spin on a classic nursery rhyme. It is fun to find out what new adventure the ducklings are taking on throughout the week. Because the ducks meet new people and explore new places each day, the reader is kept engaged. The repetition of the story makes it easy for young readers to follow along with and make predictions. In combination with this, the large text format and bolded numbers allow for easy comprehension.

The lively illustrations bring life to the text, and I love how perspective is used in all of them. Some of the pictures you’ll find to be zoomed out, while some are zoomed in. My favorite part of this picture book is at the end where Fleming has two non-fiction pages based on the animals of the story. This encourages the readers thinking and allows them to explore further.

Although this book is a helpful, entertaining tool for teaching days of the week and numbers 1-5, my only concern is that readers might become worried or anxious thinking about the well-being of the ducks. At some points while reading, I was concentrated on where the ducks were, if they were still alive, and when they were going to return to their family, rather than enjoying the text.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This story can be used at first as a whole class read aloud, and perhaps even in a singing voice. Students will quickly pick up on the pattern of the story due to the repetition. By keeping the book in a classroom library, readers will then be willing to pick up the text and read independently or to a friend for they have already familiarized themselves with it. For beginning readers, this will spark motivation and love of reading. This story is also a helpful aid in teaching and counting numbers 1-5, days of the week, and sequencing text.

Discussion Questions: How many ducks do you think will come back?; What day comes next?; Why does Papa Duck yell “quack, quack, quack” everyday?; Where do you think the ducks are going?; Why do you think the ducks want to explore?; Why is Papa Duck feeling sad?; How do you think Papa Duck felt when his ducks returned?; Why does Mama Duck want all of the ducks to rest on Sunday?

Flagged Page:

Read This If You Loved: 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle, Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, or The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Recommended For:

Thank you, Kathryn!

Stand Up and Sing!: Pete Seeger, Folk Music, and the Path to Justice by Susanna Reich

March 15, 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!

Stand Up and Sing!: Pete Seeger, Folk Music, and the Path to Justice
Author: Susanna Reich
Illustrator: Adam Gustavson
Foreword by Peter Yarrow
Published March 21st, 2017 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Summary: Inspired by the rhythms of American folk music, this moving account of Pete Seeger’s life celebrates his legacy, showing kids of every generation that no cause is too small and no obstacle too large if, together, you stand up and sing!

Pete Seeger was born with music in his bones. Coming of age during the Great Depression, Pete saw poverty and adversity that would forever shape his worldview, but it wasn’t until he received his first banjo that he found his way to change the world. It was plucking banjo strings and singing folk songs that showed Pete how music had the incredible power to bring people together.

Using this gift throughout his life, Pete encouraged others to rally behind causes that mattered–fighting for Civil Rights, ending the Vietnam War, or cleaning up the Hudson River. For Pete, no challenge was too great, and what started out as a love for music turned into a lifetime of activism and change. His greatest talent–and greatest passion–would become an unforgettable part of American history.

Praise:

“Gustavson’s mixed-media illustrations highlight Seeger’s modest upbringing and down-to-earth persona, pairing lushly illustrated scenes of him traveling and performing with rough, loose sketches . . . An intimate look at a pivotal American figure.” – Publisher’s Weekly

“The ‘We Shall Overcome’ songwriter’s legacy spans decades, and this will surely help a new generation understand his fervor and still-relevant message.” – Booklist

“Gustavson’s realistic art supports the admiring tone. . . . A solid introduction.” – School Library Journal

Review: I grew up with parents who loved Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Van Morrison, and Neil Young, so I have definitely heard of Pete Seeger. I knew that he was influenced by Woody Guthrie just as Bob Dylan was (I once wrote a paper about Walt Whitman being the origin of American folk music because of his influence on Woody Guthrie). But I did not have any idea of Seeger’s influence on the social issues that I learned about in this picture book. Though Reich is clear in her Author’s Note that the picture book bio is just a snippit of his life, what she does cover shows me what an impact Seeger had in so many different social issues throughout his life. This story gave me hope. It showed me that music and people who care can definitely make a difference. That someone like Pete Seeger, someone of privilege, can join forces with the oppressed and fight against injustice. That music and poetry and words can make a difference.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Pete Seeger’s story intertwines with many parts of history that are taught. It would be interesting to read Pete’s story when studying the 60s and see how he was influential throughout the different social issues in the 60s. I think it would also be fascinating to listen to Pete’s music while reading the book and discussing how the poetry that he turned into music reflected the feelings of those fighting oppression during this time.

Discussion Questions: How did Pete use music to unite people fighting for a cause?; How is Pete’s use of folk music like Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of speeches and words to fight?; Why did Pete not enjoy fame?

Flagged Passages: “In 1955 Pete was called into court by some congressmen who didn’t think he was a loyal American. Pete refused to answer their questions in the way they wanted. The threat of prison would hang over his head for the next seven years.

Meanwhile the civil rights movement was picking up steam. On a trip to Tennessee in 1957, Pete introduced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the song ‘We Shall Overcome.’

‘That song really sticks with you, doesn’t it?’ Dr. King said.

‘We Shall Overcome’ spread throughout the country. In churches and community halls, at civil rights gatherings and protest marches, people stood arm in arm, their voices forming a bond of home and determination.”

“We Shall Overcome” by Pete Seeger

Read This If You Love: Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport, When Bob Met Woody by Gary Golio, Blood Brothers by Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallace, The March Against Fear by Ann Bausum, Boycott Blues by Andrea Davis Pinkey

Recommended For:

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Reasons Why Kellee Loves Teaching Middle School

March 14, 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: Ten Reasons Why I Love Teaching Middle School

Kellee

1. They are trying to find their identity and are still moldable, so I feel like I can make a difference.

I love that I am part of these students’ lives during a very influential time. I know that elementary and high school are important as well, but I think it is iso important for kids between the ages of 11 and 14 to have positive influences in their life.

2. Middle grade books!

I love them! And I get a mix of picture books and young adult novels as well! Perfect!

3. Middle school is TOUGH, and I hope I can be a bright light in their days.

Think back to Middle School. Did you enjoy being 12? Most people say no, and most of us cannot think of a teacher who really helped brighten our days in middle school. I hope I can be that bright light that will help them remember this time in a positive way.

4. Teaching only 1 subject.

I love teaching reading. I have the ability to teach more subjects, but I love that I can just teach the one I am most passionate about.

5. The discussions we have over the world, books, or their life.

Middle school kids are so insightful, and I love the conversations we have. And I think sometimes no one listens to them, but they definitely have a voice and opinions and insight.

6. Working with teachers who are passionate about this age also (because only those who are passionate stay in MS).

Other people who are passionate about teaching are amazing to work with, but there is a special little niche in middle school for those of us who love this age. I adore working with these people.

7. Because middle school is a really fundamental time.
I’ve written a post before that showed how middle school really molded who I am today: https://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=1625. This post and my time as a middle school teacher really show me that so much of who we become is found during the years of middle school

8. The inquisitiveness of elementary age kids + the ability of high school = middle school

I always joke that elementary school kids are too short for me to teach (they are out of my peripheral vision) and high schools are too jaded for me to teach, but all jokes aside, middle schoolers really do embody so much of what makes teaching fun. They are young enough that they are still open to learning and inquiry, but they are old enough that they think for themselves and have vast knowledge.

9. Because middle schoolers are still kids.

But they are still just kids!

10. The hours 😉 We’re 8:30-4. I am not a morning person, so that is really as early as I would like to go.

Self explanatory 🙂

Why do you love teaching/working with the age you do?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 3/13/17

March 13, 2017 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

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.

CONGRATULATIONS

Mary K.

for winning a copy of Duck and Hippo!

Last Week’s Posts

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

Tuesday: Ten Reasons We Love ARCs

Wednesday: Honey Girl: The Hawaiian Monk Seal by Jeanne Walker Harvey

Thursday: Review and Giveaway!: Mapping My Day by Julie Dillemuth

Friday: Blog Tour with Review, Teaching Guide, and Giveaway!: A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “The Story of Family and Frog! Haggadah” by Rabbi Ron Isaacs and Karen Rostoker-Gruber, Author of The Family and Frog! Haggadah

Don’t miss out on our two giveaways from last week!

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

It is so nice to have Trent be open to reading new picture books! This last week we read a ton of new picture books or ones we hadn’t read in a very long time! The last three above, The Book with No Pictures, Also an Octopus, and Are We There Yet? really show the complex and brilliant levels that picture books are reaching!

I also finished Henry and the Chalk Dragon and Brobarians this week, both of which I’ll be reviewing in the upcoming weeks–can’t wait to share them with you!

Finally, I read two Bird & Squirrel books and two August Scattergood books. I tweeted James Burks not long ago telling him how excited I was for Bird & Squirrel number three, and I embarrasingly learned that there was already a 3rd and On Fire was #4! I knew I had to remedy this, so I ordered them both from Amazon immediately, and before my students check them out and devour them, I read them. I love the duo of Bird & Squirrel!

I also read two August Scattergood books because our next Skype visit is with Augusta on the 31st. Trent was home sick on Thursday and Friday, and Destiny and Billy Wong were perfect reads to keep me company when I was sitting and watching Trolls and Moana for the millionth time. August Scattergood has a way of telling stories that readers of today will connect with (moving, family, friendship, music, baseball, etc.) but in a historical context that will also teach about a time in history that they may not know already. I am SO glad I finally got around to reading Augusta’s books, and I cannot wait to book talk them when I get back to school!

Ricki

I read some great picture books this week (one published and three to be published soon)! I recommend all four very highly, and they are all quite different.

My week started with Brobarians by Lindsay Ward, which is an adventurous, fun text about two brothers. I read this book with my two boys on my lap, and I felt excited about their future adventures together.

I loved Little Excavator by Anna Dewdney (to be published posthumously on June 6). I read a lot of books about construction vehicles, and this one rises to the top of the pack. It has great figurative language and would be a fantastic, creative resources for teachers.

Whew. The Book of Mistakes (Anticipated April 18, 2017) by Corinna Luyken. This book is stunning! It starts off with a mistake that sends the illustrator’s imagination on a beautiful path with a lovely ending. I’d love to use this book with the words and without the words. Readers might create a different story to go with the illustrations. This book reminded me a lot of The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds (another book I love).

Renato and the Lion (Anticipated June 20, 2017) by Barbara DiLorenzo is set in historical Florence. It teaches readers about the setting and the protection of artwork during WWII. The book is a work of fiction and inspired by real Italian artwork. In the Author’s Note, readers learn more about how artwork was hidden during the war.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

To finish the Augusta Scattergood trio, I am now reading Glory Be. I originally was going to listen to it, but I want to know what is going to happen faster than the audiobook is giving it to me, so I started reading it instead.

Ricki

Still working on my dissertation! I’ve squeezed in some books here and there, but with 2.5 weeks left to submit it, I am writing during every waking hour! I am excited to be able to sleep again.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Ten Reason Kellee Loves Teaching Middle School

Wednesday: Stand Up and Sing!: Pete Seeger, Folk Music, and the Path to Justice by Susanna Reich

Thursday: Guest Review: Five Little Ducks by Denise Fleming

Friday: Using Who Wins?: 100 Historical Figures Go Head-to-Head And You Decide the Winner! in the Classroom

Sunday: Author Guest Post

So, what are you reading?

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