Unleashing Readers

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 10/17/16

October 17, 2016 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.

Ricki

Ricki is currently away on maternity leave! She has lined up reviews for the time she is away. While spending time with the newest member of her family, she is also working hard on completing her dissertation and is trying to focus her time accordingly. Ricki is looking forward to returning to share books with you all! Happy reading!

Last Week’s Posts

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

Tuesday: Teaching Guide for The Hat Trilogy by Jon Klassen

Wednesday: Never Insult a Killer Zucchini! by Elana Azose and Brandon Amancio

Thursday: A Parade of Puppies by Charles Ghigna

Friday: Celebration of Music: Jukebox by David Merveille & Dan, The Taxi Man by Eric Ode

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “I Am An Unlikable Heroine” by Brianna R. Shrum, Author of How to Make Out

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

Well….. to make up for my really productive reading week last week, I did not finish anything this week. My Chicago Cubs are in the post season, and that is really hurting my reading time because I just cannot do both…

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

I am currently reading two historical fiction books that are totally engrossing though!

I only have 1 hour left of Echo, and it is killing me that I cannot just finish it! It is so good everyone! If you haven’t read it, fix that and get the audio!

Cloud and Wallfish is about an American living behind the Iron Curtain in East Berlin, and it is so interesting to be learning about Berlin during this time period.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Ten Books We Swooned Over as a Teenager

Wednesday: O is for Orca and 123 Moose by Andrea Helman

Thursday: Three Bears of the Pacific Northwest by Richard Lee Vaughan

Friday: Teaching Guide for Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty

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!

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Author Guest Post!: “I Am An Unlikable Heroine” by Brianna R. Shrum, Author of How to Make Out

October 16, 2016 by Kellee

“I Am An Unlikable Heroine”

Molly Ringwald sits in library detention, opposite Ally Sheedy, losing it over life and love and the particular unfairness of being a teenage girl. And there is a very specific injustice in it. “If you say you haven’ t [had sex] ,” Sheedy says, “you’re a prude. If you say you have, you’re a slut.”

“You’re so conceited, Claire,” says Anthony Michael Hall, because Ringwald revels in popularity. Ally Sheedy hides in the shadows, the least conceited of them all, and they call her a freak for it. Condemned if you do, condemned if you don’t. Give Judd Nelson one victorious fist pump as the credits roll, and BAM. You’ve got a hero. And every terrible thing he ever said up to that point just dissipates.

Is anything more important, more subversive, for people to read in a classroom than an unlikable girl?

We grow up in school reading Holden Caulfield, Jay Gatsby, Odysseus, and the message is clear: you boys, made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails, show your teeth and the world will remember you for a hundred years. But what about the girls? Be sweet and good and kind and nurturing, and the world may not remember you…but the boys sure will. Boys who conquer the world are active. Flawed. Anti-heroes. Girls in stories can take the world by the scruff of its neck, and they are unlikable.

The thing I have most consistently found, in regards to Renley, the protagonist of my novel, How to Make Out, is that she is unlikable. Man does she make some mistakes. And she makes some BIG ONES, and makes them with gusto! And to that theme, I say, “You are right.”

But here’s the thing: I am unlikable. I was unlikable when I was 10 because I loved The Backstreet Boys, and the Backstreet Boys were trash pop. I was unlikable when I was 14 because I played basketball and wore high-cut puppy dog shirts that went up to my throat and did nothing to show off my curves, and didn’t I want to be a girl? I was unlikable when I was 16 and showed up to school with a hickey on my neck. I was unlikable when I was 18 because I got married, and at 21 because I had a baby and those choices were ridiculous. I was unlikable at 22 because I worried too much about the highlights in my hair and wore skirts everywhere, and lord, isn’t that vain? I was unlikable at 25 because I wore Hogwarts t-shirts and played video games but didn’t know what exactly happened at hour 2, minute 17 of a 70-hour game and so I was a fake geek girl. I am unlikable at 26 because I have blue hair and daydream about tattoos.

I am an unlikable heroine.

GIRLS are unlikable heroines.

Wouldn’t it have been amazing to have grown up in a classroom library just FULL OF US?

Wouldn’t it have been incredible for the boys to see that sometimes they can be made of sugar and spice? And that sometimes girls can have snakes and snails running through their veins too?

How delightful a thing, to grow up surrounded by people of EVERY gender who make mistakes, and who live.

How incredible to be given permission to not judge your worth and validity by being likable.

About the Book: Sixteen-year-old Renley needs three thousand dollars for the math club’s trip to New York City, and she knows exactly how to get it: she’s going to start a how-to blog where people pay for answers to all of life’s questions from a “certified expert.” The only problems: 1) She doesn’t know how to do anything but long division and calculus. 2) She’s totally invisible to people at school. And not in a cool Gossip Girl kind of way.

So, she decides to learn to do . . . well . . . everything. When her anonymous blog shifts in a more scandalous direction and the questions (and money) start rolling in, she has to learn not just how to do waterfall braids and cat-eye makeup, but a few other things, like how to cure a hangover, how to flirt, and how to make out (something her very experienced, and very in-love-with-her neighbor, Drew, is more than willing to help with).

As her blog’s reputation skyrockets, so does “new and improved” Renley’s popularity. She’s not only nabbed the attention of the entire school, but also the eye of Seth Levine, the hot culinary wizard she’s admired from across the home-ec classroom all year.

Soon, caught up in the thrill of popularity both in and out of cyberspace, her secrets start to spiral, and she finds that she’s forgotten the most important how-to: how to be herself. When her online and real lives converge, Renley will have to make a choice: lose everything she loves in her new life, or everyone she loves in the life she left behind.

About the Author: Brianna Shrum lives in Colorado with her high-school-sweetheart-turned-husband and two uber-hyper, superhero-obsessed little boys. She thinks chai tea is proof of magic in the world, and loves all things kissy, magical, and strange. She’d totally love to connect with you, so you can find her online at briannashrum.com or saying ridiculous things on Twitter @briannashrum.

Thank you Brianna for this important conversation-starting post!

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**Thank you to Cheryl at Skyhorse Publishing for setting up the guest post!**

Celebration of Music: Jukebox by David Merveille and Dan, The Taxi Man by Eric Ode

October 14, 2016 by Kellee

Jukebox
Author and Illustrator: David Merveille
Published February 1st, 2008 by Kane Miller

Summary: From disco to opera, hip hop to jazz, David Merveille’s unique style makes this practically wordless book sing. A non-fiction journey through the musical universe, Jukebox is filled with details, revealing as much about the people who listen to music as it does about those who create it.

My Thoughts: This wordless picture book celebrates a variety of music genres in a beautiful way. He is able to show through illustrations the feeling of music personified. Merveille’s artwork really bring each genre to life. The easiest way to explain how he is able to do this is to show you:

Dan, The Taxi Man
Author: Eric Ode
Illustrator: Kent Culotta
Published September, 2012 by Kane Miller

Summary: “Here’s Dan, Beep! Beep! the Taxi Man, going to the show and picking up the band. Climb inside while you still can with Dan, Beep! Beep! the Taxi Man.” And what a band it is! A symphony of sounds and colors, this cumulative tale is as much fun to read aloud as it is to listen to.

My Thoughts: Dan, The Taxi Man celebrates music by bringing a band together and putting focus on each musician and their instrument. The onomatopoeias, the rhythm, and the repetition throughout makes this a book that kids will want to read over and over again (just like Trent does!).

P.S. Check out Busy Trucks on the Go by Eric Ode and Kent Culotta for a fun shout-out to Dan, The Taxi Man!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: These two books definitely celebrate music and do so in two different ways. These books would be great read alouds in the classroom, specifically music classes. I also could see them be used in a lit circle or book club activity with a selection of music picture books such as Trombone Shorty, Herman & Rosie, and Marvin Makes Music as well as many others.

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Lynn from Kane Miller for providing copies for review!**

A Parade of Puppies by Charles Ghigna

October 13, 2016 by Ricki

A Parade of Puppies
Author: Charles Ghigna
Illustrator: Kristi Bridgeman
Published August 23, 2016 by Orca Book Publishers

Summary: In this follow-up to A Carnival of Cats, babies, toddlers and dog-lovers alike will enjoy discovering and guessing what breed of puppy is hiding on the next page. With playful rhyming text from award-winning author Charles Ghigna, and beautiful illustrations by celebrated artist Kristi Bridgeman, this hint-and-reveal board book will have everyone pondering what puppy will turn up next!

Ricki’s Review: After I received A Carnival of Cats for review, my son wanted to read it every night. I have that book memorized, and it is a delightful book to know by heart! So when I heard that A Parade of Puppies was coming out, I jumped at the chance to review it. Charles Ghigna’s clever rhymes make the story engaging and fun. I loved being able to teach my son about different dog breeds, and I am looking forward to going to the park, so we can practice his new knowledge! It is hard to find board books that are fun to read over and over and over again, but I know I will enjoy reading this book each time that my son requests it.

Kellee’s Review: I love when books teach toddlers specific knowledge instead of assuming that they aren’t able to learn things like dog breeds. Charles Ghigna’s two books, A Carnival of Cats and A Parade of Puppies, assumes that toddlers want to learn more than just dog vs. cat (which, as a mother of a toddler, is true). Trent loves looking and talking about the differences between the different types of dogs (which is bigger? Has spots? etc.).

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might ask students to write extended rhymes for this book. Charles covers a lot of popular, fun dog breeds, and students would have a lot of fun researching other breeds and creating additional pages for this book. I can see a bulletin board covered with a parade of puppies! That would bring warmth to a classroom!

Discussion Questions: How does the author make decisions about rhyme? Are there certain dog breed names that seem more difficult to rhyme with? How did he creatively solve this issue?; What dog breeds are included? What breeds are missing? Why do you think he chose to include certain breeds and not others?

We Flagged:

Read This If You Love: Dogs; A Carnival of Cats by Charles Ghigna

Recommended For:

and Kellee Signature

**Thank you to Orca for providing copies for review!!**

Never Insult a Killer Zucchini! by Elana Azose & Brandon Amancio

October 12, 2016 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!

Never Insult a Killer Zucchini!
Authors: Elana Azose and Brandon Amancio
Illustrator: David Clark
Published February 9th, 2016 by Charlesbridge

Goodreads Summary: This is one science fair you’ll never forget!

When Mr. Farnsworth, the science-fair judge, declares that he loves zucchinis, the Killer Zucchini is smitten. As the judge makes his way through the exhibits alphabetically—A (antimatter), B (bionic limb), C (cloning)—the Killer Zucchini tries to show his affection. But when Mr. F gets to K and admits he likes to eat zucchini with ranch dressing, the Killer Zucchini gets steamed and attempts to exact his revenge on the snack-loving judge using the other science-fair projects as his means to an end.

Hilarious havoc ensues as the entire science fair is destroyed by his wrath.

Engaging backmatter provides the science behind the science fair entries created by the characters in the story.

Review: My favorite part of this book isn’t even the Killer Zucchini found in the title but all of the supporting science fair experiments. While they all seem like mad science, in the back of the book, the authors have back matter explaining how each of the science fair experiments are based on real science. For example, even though Killer Zucchinis aren’t real, carnivorous plants are, a laser that erased ink was invented in 1968, and Florida’s Mag Lab can shrink a quarter!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: What a great STEM resource! This text will be a perfect read aloud and science text before starting science fair experiments. It can get the brain turning and even give some ideas (though some are quite extreme science!). Hopefully your science fair will not end up anything like this one though!

You could also have students choose one of the experiments to learn more about instead of reading the back matter. It would be a good science/language arts cross curricular research assignment. (The book is also in alphabetical order!)

Discussion Questions: Which of the experiments is the most dangerous?; Why does the girl win the fair?; Which of the experiments would you like to learn more about?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Loved: Science texts and picture books

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Elana for providing a copy of the text for review!**

Teaching Guide for The Hat Trilogy by Jon Klassen

October 13, 2016October 11, 2016 by Kellee

Happy book birthday to We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen!

We Found a Hat
Published October 11, 2016 by Candlewick Press

I Want My Hat Back
Published September 27th, 2011 by Candlewick Press

This Is Not My Hat
Published October 9th, 2012 by Candlewick Press

The first two books of The Hat Trilogy have enthralled readers for years. They have been read in many classrooms and in many bedrooms delighting millions of children (and adults!). Today we get to celebrate the final installment of the trilogy.

Summary of We Found a Hat: Two turtles find one hat – and it happens to look great on both of them.

Q&A With Jon Klassen:

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation and Discussion Questions:

I am happy to share the teaching guide for the books that I had the honor of writing!

The guide can also be found here.

Happy reading!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 10/10/16

October 10, 2016October 10, 2016 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.

Ricki

CONGRATULATIONS

KATIE
for winning the Pug Meets Pig giveaway package!

DEBRA
for winning a copy of Antsy Ansel!

Last Week’s Posts

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

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday: Villains We Love to Hate

Wednesday: Animal Planet’s Wild Animals and Farm Animals

Thursday: Juana & Lucas by Juana Medina

Friday: Teaching Guide for Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard by Jonathan Auxier

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Alaska Smokejumpers” by Mark Thiessen, Author of Extreme Wildfire: Smoke Jumpers, High-Tech Gear, Survival Tactics and the Extraordinary Science of Fire

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

Well, I had an unexpected long weekend because of that crazy Hurricane Matthew (thankful we, and everyone I know, are safe!), and I decided to take it as a reading and relaxing weekend instead of doing any work. I felt like a rebel! That meant that I did finish THREE novels in two days though! And I am feeling a bit better as I was worried I wasn’t going to finish by NCTE/ALAN novels in a timely manner, but now I only have 3 left to read in 3 weeks. Much better of a prognosis!

Jess has recently began hormones and her transition, and she hasn’t talked to her father since he told her what she was doing was a choice and overall didn’t understand. Now that he is getting married, Jess and her best friend, Chunk, are going on a road trip to his wedding to show him who Jess really is. But this story isn’t as it seems. It is definitely a journey for the characters and the reader.

This novel is very different than Tim Federle’s Nate books; however, there is one thing that is very much in common: the brilliance of the protagonist’s voice. Quinn’s story is one of grief and climbing out of the ditch that grief can bury you in. (I don’t like that he is compared to Holden Caulfield. Not because I don’t like Catcher in the Rye, I do, but Quinn is himself. And I didn’t find many comparisons between the two.)

Far From Fair is going to be a novel that a kid is going to need, and it’ll be there for them. Odette’s story deals with so many truths within the pages. Odette’s family is going on a road trip. Not for fun, but because her dad was laid off, and they had to sell their house. They decided to buy an RV and go visit Odette’s sick grandmother then go on an adventure. None of this was discussed with Odette, who really doesn’t want to live in an RV with her brother who could have a fit at any moment and her parents that are having marital difficulties. Much less leave her best friend and school! But sometimes you are not in control of what is happening, so you have to make the best of it.

Trent and I also read One Day, The End by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and illustrated by Fred Koehler. This is a special book because it definitely adds to the discussion of visual story telling and how illustrations add to a story. Koehler’s illustrations are so much fun, and the premise of the book is so fresh. (Dotlich is becoming a new favorite author!!

Although I am not the audience for these books, and I am actually not doodling in the books because I want to save it for my son–I WANT TO BE! The Doodle Adventure books are books that I wish I had when I was a kid. I loved writing and illustrating my own stories, and MAN! elementary-aged Kellee would definitely have loved to go on these Doodle Adventures with Carl.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

Because of a short week at school, I didn’t make it as far as I’d hoped in Echo, so I am actually looking forward to my drive today, so I can get further into the story!

The next novel I am going to dive into is Could and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet about the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Teaching Guide for The Hat Trilogy by Jon Klassen

Wednesday: Never Insult a Killer Zucchini! by Elana Azose and Brandon Amancio

Thursday: A Parade of Puppies by Charles Ghigna

Friday: Celebration of Music: Jukebox by David Merveille & Dan, The Taxi Man by Eric Ode

Sunday: Author Guest Post!

So, what are you reading?

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