Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 1000 Ratings On Goodreads

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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 Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 1000 Ratings On Goodreads

Ricki

I avoided new releases because I suspect they will get more ratings!

1. The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings by Anna Llenas (57 Ratings)

color monster

Every time I read this book, I am impressed by it. This is my favorite pop-up book of all time (and I read a lot of pop-up books!). I love the way Llenas captures emotions so vividly, and it is really helping my son learn about all of the different emotions he experiences.

2. The House of Purples Cedar by Tim Tingle (139 Ratings)

house of purple cedar

This book is an epic. I felt like I’d lived another life after I finished it. It is beautifully written and was life-changing for me. Tim Tingle is one of the best authors out there today, in my humble opinion.

3. Thrice Told Tales: Three Mice Full of Writing Advice by Catherine Lewis (140 Ratings)

Thrice Told Tales

This book is an English language arts teacher’s dream. Each page features a hysterical rendition of a literary term. I wish I had known about this book when I was teaching.

4. The Racecar Alphabet by Brian Floca (175 Ratings)

Racecar Alphabet

I am stunned that this book doesn’t have more ratings. Everyone I know loves it! This book has accompanied my son to bed (in the bed) for the past year. He won’t sleep without it by his side. The rhymes are very fun, and the racecar pictures are awesome!

5. Quicksilver by Stephanie Spinner (539 Ratings)

quicksilver

This is an older book (2006) that I would still recommend highly to teachers. Whenever I book-talked this book, I only had to read the first page to get a line of readers. It is told from the perspective of Hermes, and the book is hilarious. It teaches mythology through the story. If you love the Riordan books, I promise you will love this one (and the others written by Spinner). She’s awesome.

Kellee

As I was scrolling through my Goodreads READ list, I didn’t even make it to books with over 100 ratings because I found these and was so shocked that not more people have read/rated them!
P.S. I decided to focus on books published before 2015 & 2016 because with those books it may be more about time they’ve been out than anything.

1. Dolphin Sky by Ginny Rorby (42 ratings)

dolphin

I cannot believe that any book written by Rorby doesn’t have thousands of ratings. I love everything she writes!

2. Star Challengers: Moonbase Crisis by Rebecca Moesta and Kevin J. Anderson (10 ratings)

moonbase

I love the science mixed in with the fiction! It is written by a widow of a Challenger astronaut and hopes to keep kids interested in space exploration and the sciences.

3. How Fast Can You Go? by Kate Riggs (17 ratings)

how fast can you go

Trent loved this board book that we checked out from the library! It is a perfect mix of fun illustrations and vehicles.

4. Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson (80 ratings) 

Be a Changemaker

This book is a book that all middle grade kids should read. It build empathy, passion, and leadership. I am so surprised more kids and adults haven’t found this amazing resource.

5. Mira’s Diary series by Marissa Moss (#1 301 ratings, #2 91 ratings, #3 37 ratings) 

mira1 mira2bombs

I love this series! It is a wonderful mix of history and science fiction! Mira’s adventures keep you reading, but I personally love all of the history you learn during her journeys.

Which underrated books have you enjoyed?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/4/16

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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.

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CONGRATULATIONS
Jana E. 

for winning a copy of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day!!

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Last Week’s Posts

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

top ten tuesday awesome 8 burning whose story is this anyway Roses_cover

Tuesday: Jobs for People Who Love Books

Wednesday: National Geographic’s Awesome 8

Thursday: Burning by Danielle Rollins

Friday: Whose Story Is This Anyway? by Mike Flaherty

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “When You’re Not ‘The Pretty One'” by Rose Mannering, Author of Roses: The Tales Trilogy, Book 1

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 Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee

First, I must talk about the American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition. As you all may know, I am a faithful attender of the NCTE conference and ALAN workshop in November; however, I have never been to another big conference until ALA which was held this year here in Orlando from June 23rd-June 28th. Because I am not a librarian and I could only attend on the weekends, I only had the exhibitors pass as well tickets to the Coretta Scott King breakfast and the Newbery, Caldecott, and Wilder banquet. Having an exhibitor pass meant that I was able to hang around all day and just meet authors, get books, and hear about new books. I was in heaven! At NCTE, I am usually pretty busy, so I spend only a couple of hours there a day; however, at ALA, I was there for 6 or so hours each day! Here are some collages of the authors I saw:

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Authors/Illustrators: Meg Medina, Matt de la Pena, Tim Federle, Ben Clanton, G. Neri, Jenni Holm, Adele Griffin, Fred Koehler, Ben Hatke, EM Kokie, Dana Simpson, Bryan Hollier, Mo Willems, Laurie Keller, Dan Santat, Augusta Scattergood, Mike Maihack, Kate Messner, Jon Klassen, Don Tate, Chris Barton,  Bill Konigsberg, Alex Gino, Kevin Henkes, Laura Dronzek, Kwame Alexander, Christian Robinson, Sean Qualls, Rita Williams-Garcia, Duncan Tonatiuh, Tom Angleberger, Cece Bell, Rafael Lopez, Jon Klassen, Raina Telgemeier, Grace Lin, Kwame Alexander, Jordan Sonnenblick, Donalyn Miller with Travis Jonker, Adam Gidwitz, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, & Ben Clanton

I also had the amazing opportunity to attend the Coretta Scott King & Virginia Hamilton Award breakfast and the Newbery, Caldecott, & Wilder Award banquet where I heard some of the most powerful speeches I’ve ever heard. Christian Robinson, Ilyasah Shabazz, Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely, Rita Williams-Garcia, Jerry Pinkney, Sophie Blackall, and Matt de la Pena touched my heart and soul through their beautiful words.  I cannot even start to share all the amazing quotes and speeches, but there are some different ways to see them. First, on Twitter search #csk16, #alaac16, and you will find quotes. Also, you can access some of the speeches here or here.

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Now to what I’ve read over the last two weeks!

we found a hat

Probably one of the most anticipated picture book releases of the year, We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen is the finale of his Hat Trilogy and is just perfect. I am not going to spoil anything, but I really think that Hat fans will love this one just as much.

ada twist rosie revere

I love these stories of strong young ladies going after their passion no matter what! I love powerful girl books, and these both definitely fit that bill!

great greene to catch a cheat

I read The Great Greene Heist because it was on my #mustread list; however, after finishing, I couldn’t let go of Jackson Greene and his antics, so I grabbed the sequel right away. I love Gang Greene. They are smart and thoughtful, but I am also really happy they are not my students.

gracefully

Gracefully Grayson is another #mustread book, I devoured it in one sitting. I love this story of identity, truth, friendship, fear, and love. I did find it interesting that it and George both had theater as part of their story. Also, I found the adult reactions so interesting in both!

worst class trip

Although I find Dave Barry very funny, I think I am definitely not the demographic for this one. It was a bit over the top and far fetched. I also had trouble with some of the stereotypical descriptions and assumptions within the story. However, it is on our state list for this upcoming school year and I plan on reading all 15, so I look forward to discussing this with my students.

moo

As soon as I got this, I just couldn’t help myself! I love Sharon Creech’s work, and this is no exception. It all revolves around a cow. An ornery, wonderful cow that helps a girl find home, a woman find closure, a boy share a passion, and a family settle down. Fans of any Creech work, though especially Love that Dog, will love her word play and imagery in this novel in verse/vignettes.

Ricki

Human Rights in Children's Literature

I finished reading Jonathan Todre and Sarah Higinbotham’s Human Rights in Children’s Literature for a review for an academic journal. It is a fascinating text that integrates human rights law and children’s rights with children’s literature. It inspired me to want to do more research in the field of human rights.

the secret side of empty

I also read Maria E. Andreu’s The Secret Side of Empty. It is a book about a senior in high school who has grown up in America her whole life and has hidden the fact she is an undocumented immigrant. I learned so much about the struggles that undocumented immigrants face. It is a great read.

ah-choo

Ah-Choo is a cute picture book by Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria G. Adams. It is about a boy who wants to find a pet that won’t make his sister sneeze!

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This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee

I have so many books to choose from!

ghosts

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier was one of my most exciting acquisitions from ALA, so I definitely am going to read it. Other than that, I am going to pull from my bag of #mustread books, ALA books, and my stat list books depending on how I am feeling.

the lions of little rock

I am also working on an NCTE presentation with Ricki, and I am using Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine as an example text, so I plan on rereading it this week and working on the presentation.

Ricki 

I am working on a new project, which involves me reading a few dozen books that feature Muslim/Islamic teenagers. I am not sure which book I will start first, but I am excited to begin!

On a side note, I am looking for recently published books (or soon to be published books) that promote themes of advocacy and activism. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section!

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Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday animal atlas All American Boys

knowing book daniel finds a poem hoot and peep a big surprise for little card

Tuesday: Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 1000 Ratings On Goodreads

Wednesday: Animal Planet Animal Atlas

Thursday: All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Friday: Recently Loved Picture Books: The Knowing Book by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer, Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge, & A Big Surprise for Little Card by Charise Mericle Harper

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!: “When You’re Not ‘The Pretty One'” by Rose Mannering, Author of Roses: The Tales Trilogy, Book 1

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When You’re Not “The Pretty One”

Fairy tales are full of beautiful maidens and handsome princes. There’s something whimsical, charming and a bit boring about this. I suspect that most of us don’t feel drop dead gorgeous one hundred percent of the time in our day-to-day lives and these fairy tale princesses and princes can therefore seem unrelateable and a bit annoying.

In my YA fantasy series, The Tales Trilogy, I set out to invert this. I wanted my fairy-tale-inspired characters to be unusually featured – they are clever and kind (sometimes) – but outcasts because of the way they look. I wanted them to embody how we often feel inside: that we are strange and different to everyone else.

In the first book in the series, Roses, Beauty is cruelly named because she is, in fact, not beautiful. With white hair and silver skin, she is freakish-looking and an oddity. Unlike the Beauty from Beauty and the Beast, the appearance of the main character of Roses causes strangers to scream (and not in a good way). Making Beauty not classically beautiful allowed me to bring depth to her character in other ways (she’s independent, prickly and defensive) and, I think, it makes her much more accessible and understandable to the reader.

Similarly, in the second book in the series, Feathers, my main character, Ode, is not particularly handsome. He has a big nose which he inherited from his father and is overall quite plain-looking. Feathers is a retelling of Swan Lake which originated from Russian folklore, and the main character, Ode, is a shape shifter who can transform into a swan. However, this is far from a good thing and alienates him from the rest of his tribe (who do not trust Magic). Ode’s physicality is a source of frustration and shame and I think that sadly, this is a universal feeling. However, my hope is that Ode’s acceptance of his gift and the way that he looks, will encourage readers to feel the same way. Like Beauty, Ode is not ‘the pretty one’ but it certainly doesn’t hold him back.

My favorite characters in literature are also not ‘the pretty’ ones. That’s not to say that they are ugly, which is subjective anyway, but I rarely have a character that I like and empathize with, who is ‘the pretty one’ in a story. Lizzie Benet in Pride and Prejudice, for example, is the second-class beauty to her sister, Jane, who everyone deems to be the real stunner. In I Capture the Castle, it is the narrator, Cassandra, who I really love and again, she is the plainer counter-part to her sister, Rose, who has the male leads chasing her for affection. Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird is also not the primed, beautiful Southern Belle that she is expected to be, but a spikey tomboy and engaging because of it.

I love that the worth of these characters is not reliant on their physical appearance – they are interesting and endearing because of who they are rather than what they look like. In my own work I have tried to emulate this and the third and last in The Tales Trilogy will be no different!

 

Roses_cover

Roses: The Tales Trilogy, Book 1

About the Book: A dark rendition of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast!

She bears no name. Her silvery appearance is freakish to the numerous inhabitants of Sago, the cosmopolitan capital of Pevorocco in a fantasy realm. With her mother vanishing at the instance of her birth, she is sent to live with the cruel, rich Ma Dane, where she is punished daily for something, though she knows not what. Tauntingly named Beauty, she flees Sago in a violent uprising that sets out to massacre all Magics and journeys to the furthest point of the country.

But Beauty cannot hide in the grassy Hillands forever. Before long, the State officials find her and threaten to take her back to war-torn Sago where death surely awaits. In a midnight blizzard she escapes them, running into a deep, enchanted forest to a great and terrible beast who will bargain for her life.

But can Beauty accept Beast? Eternity is a long time.

Feathers: The Tales Trilogy, Book 2 will be coming out July 5, 2016!

Rose Mannering Headshot

About the Author: Rose Mannering has been writing ever since she can remember. Diagnosed with dyslexia aged eight, she never let it stand in the way of her love for books. She signed her first publishing contract when she was nineteen and she writes under the names Rose Mannering and G.R Manneirng. She currently resides in the UK and her favourite things in life are books, dogs and tea.

Thank you to Rose for this wonderful post. 

Thank you to Cheryl at Skyhorse Publishing for connecting us with Rose!

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Whose Story Is This, Anyway? by Mike Flaherty

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whose story is this anyway

Whose Story Is This, Anyway?
Author: Mike Flaherty
Illustrator: Oriol Vidal
Published May 3rd, 2016 by Sterling Children’s Books

Summary: What’s this book about? That depends on who you ask. Our humble narrator thinks he’s got a great story for you, but he barely begins before he’s interrupted . . . by a scallywag pirate with a thrilling legend of mermaids and sea monsters! Soon an entire cast of colorful characters—including a hungry dinosaur, an alien bent on world domination, and a heroic knight—derails the boy’s saga. Everyone has a tale to tell—but if they can all get on the same page, this might turn out to be the best story ever!

About the Author: Mike Flaherty is an author and occasional hockey coach trying to keep up with his two kids and rather voracious cats. His secret lair is hidden somewhere in New Albany, OH, and he would be the world’s greatest super-villain if he could figure out how to get his Doomsday Device working. Until then, he’ll just keep writing stories.

About the Illustrator: Oriol Vidal is an illustrator and storyboard artist based in Barcelona, Spain. He graduated from UB Barcelona with a degree in Fine Arts. Including illustrating books and magazines, Oriol has worked in animation where he developed character designs and storyboards for clients in the US, France, UK, South Korea, and Spain. He happily works and lives with his little daughter, his wife, his cat, and his rowdy budgie.

Kellee’s Review: This book made me laugh out loud. The characters are zany, the premise is fun, and the outcome is perfect. I also loved the comic-esque layout of the book with dialogue bubbles and colorful illustrations. Trent and I were enthralled with the cast of characters–the author really made sure to include all kids’ favorites.

Ricki’s Review: This is a book that somehow manages to cram in almost all of my son’s favorite things—and in an interesting, humorous way! With each page, my son says, “Ooooh!” because he is so excited by the characters. I particularly like how the narrator has a cat. Too often, male narrators always hold dogs and female narrators always hold cats. My son, who loves cats, is catching on to this, and it frustrates me. The creativity in this book is admirable, and kids will love it.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book will be such a fun addition to the classroom. It can be used for writing activities and for discussions (or as a mentor text) for point of view, voice, dialogue, humor, or narration. First, it would be really fun to rewrite this story from different points of view. Since each character thinks it is their story, their view of how things went down would be very different than the boys. It is also so great how the author gives each character their own voice and personality which would lend it to be a good mentor text for distinguishing voice and using dialogue. Also, students would have so much fun writing their own story about how each character ended up on this particular beach with this boy.

Discussion Questions: Why does the boy change is mind at the end of the book?; Which character would you want a whole story about?; How do you think each character ended up at this beach?; How would you have reacted if you were the boy?

Flagged Passages: 

Whose Story Spread

Read This If You Loved: Faraway Friends by Russ Cox, By Mouse & Frog by Deborah Freedman, Little Red Writing by Joan Holub, Nibbles by Emma Yarlett, Journey by Aaron Becker

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Sterling Publishing for providing copies for review!**

Burning by Danielle Rollins

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burning

Burning
Author: Danielle Rollins
Published: April 5, 2016 by Bloomsbury USA Children’s

Summary: After three years in juvie, Angela Davis is just a few months shy of release, and she’ll finally be free from the hole that is Brunesfield Correctional Facility. Then Jessica arrives. Only ten years old and under the highest security possible, this girl has to be dangerous, even if no one knows what she did to land in juvie. As strange things begin happening to Angela and her friends that can only be traced to the new girl’s arrival, it becomes clear that Brunesfield is no longer safe. They must find a way to get out, but how can they save themselves when the world has forgotten them?

Review: This book was the perfect balance between realistic, interesting characters and chilling, creepy fantastic characters. From the first moment that I met Jessica, my skin began to crawl. Angela, the narrator, is pushing a mop in Seg in the juvenile hall. Jessica is mysterious and quite scary. I was frightened right along with Angela! I love how the characters are developed. While the book is definitely fantastic, I felt genuinely connected with the characters and their stories. I’d use this book as a bridge to help students who love realistic fiction. It would help them explore different genres. The book ends with a hook, and I imagined that Rollins has a sequel in the works! I am very excited to read it!

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I imagine that this book will create genuine interest in juvenile halls. I’d ask students to explore and research their own juvenile halls. They might also examine privilege and how the characters’ home lives seems to play a role in the fact that they are in the correctional facility. This would offer an interesting class discussion.

Discussion Questions: Does Angela make good choices in this book? What are some of the choices she makes, and do you think she makes the right decisions? Is she a moral person?; Most of the characters in this book are female. Consider all of the male characters and determine what their role is. How do they add to the story?

We Flagged: “I’m so focused on the blinking red light that I don’t notice the skeletally thin girl in the cell to my left until she skitters across the floor on her hands and knees” (p. 51).

Read This If You Loved: The Merciless by Danielle Vega, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, Anything by Stephen King; Juvie Three by Gordon Korman

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Awesome 8 by National Geographic Kids

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NFPB2016

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!

awesome 8

Awesome 8: Over 50 Picture-Packed Top-8 Lists!
Published May 3rd, 2016 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: Curious kids who want to know the who/what/where of the coolest things on the planet will welcome this first book in an awesome new National Geographic Kids series. Every turn of the page presents a different theme and counts down the greatest of the great top 8 of its kind. For example: The Awesome 8 Coolest Coasters, Haughtiest Hotels, Wicked Water Slides, Perilous Predators, Remarkable Ruins, Weirdest Wonders, Swankiest Subways, and anything else you can imagine. It’s truly something you have to see to believe–which is why the entire list appears in photographs, layered with fun facts and insightful stories.

Kellee’s Review: I think this may be one of my favorite National Geographic books I’ve read yet. You know we love lists here at Unleashing Readers (Top Ten Tuesday, anyone?!), so this book already was set up in a favorite way. This large-sized book packs so much information into its pages. Each 2 page spread includes an top 8 list with crazy, interesting topics and beautiful photographs. Each Awesome 8 is just a normal list, each item includes fascinating information that ties it to the topic.

Ricki’s Review: Ahh! This National Geographic book was so much fun! My son and I loved flipping through the stunning photographs and talking about each of the categories. This is a great learning book for kids. My son is very young, so it was great to use as a counting book, too. The repetition was very helpful. This is the kind of book that inspires kids to want to do more research and explore more within each category. There isn’t a kid (or adult) in the world that won’t be able to find something of interest in this book.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: In addition to being an instant favorite in classrooms, Awesome 8 will definitely make anyone who reads it want to make their own top 8 list. This activity could revolve around any unit that you are teaching. You could also give your students choice of topic or you can assign topics to fit your lessons/unit.

There’s an Awesome 8 section on the National Geographic Kids website as well which allows for extended inquiry: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/awesome-8-hub/ 

Discussion Questions: What was your favorite Awesome 8 list?; Which list did you wish had more than 8 items on it?; Which list made you want to learn more?

We Flagged: “Eight Cutest Critters:  These animals may be small in size, but they’re pretty big on awesome. Here are eight of the tiniest (and more adorable!) creatures on Earth. Say awww!

4. Eye Spy: What are you looking at? A baby tarsier shows off its huge peepers, which are about the same size and weight as its brain. Found exclusively in the islands of Southeast Asia, the nocturnal primate has the biggest eyes in the animal kingdom compared to its body size.” (p. 27)

*Disclosure: This quote cannot share the entire feeling of the book without the photos. See the published book to see the amazing photographs.

Read This If You Loved: National Geographic’s 100 Things to Know Before You Grow UpMastermind by National Geographic, Weird but True series by National Geographic, Almanacs, World Record books

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Karen at Media Masters Publicity for providing copies for review!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Jobs for People Who Love Books

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top ten tuesday

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 Jobs for People Who Love Books

We are often asked by students: “I love books–but can I make a job out of it?” We argue that you can!

1. Teacher/Professor/Teacher Educator/Literacy Specialist/Reading Coach

As a teacher/literacy specialist and a future teacher educator, we love our jobs. We get to read books and share them with others for a living. How sweet it is!

2. Librarian/Library Media Specialist

This has always been a potential second career for us. We get jealous of those folks who are surrounded by aisles and aisles of books. We try to stuff as many bookshelves in our classrooms to reduce this envy.

3. Agent

We really enjoy reading raw, unpublished manuscripts and think it would be really fun to do this for a living. Then, we would be able to seek out publishers to get these manuscripts in the hands of readers!

4. Publishing Representative (Marketing or Otherwise)

We get really jealous of our friends who work in the Exhibit Halls of conferences. Granted, we aren’t jealous of the angry mobs they deal with, but we are extremely jealous that they always have really great, new recommendations. It would be neat to always be reading the next best books. Plus, we might argue that publishing reps are some of the coolest people we know.

5. Editor

Those masterpieces we read are so beautifully written, and sometimes, we forget just how influential and helpful editors are in the process. Editors are so, so important in book publications because they help authors see their books from a new set of eyes.

6. Author

And now we enter dream world. We both would love to be authors. We think everyone who loves to read has this secret wish. Alas, we don’t have the talent that these folks have, and we respect that. 🙂

7. Illustrator

The dream world gets deeper. Our artistic skills don’t compare to those of illustrators, but how cool would it be to take a story and represent it artistically?

8. Bookseller

This is yet another career we are jealous of. Similar to librarians, we love how these folks are surrounded by aisles and aisles of books. It must be really fun to make purchasing decisions and to crack the covers of brand new spines. Plus, bookstores smell fantastic.

9. Book Reviewer/Book Blogger

We are entering back into reality. We consider ourselves to be book reviewers—even though we aren’t professionals. It would be neat to work full time for a company like Booklist, among the others that give starred reviews. Perhaps in our next lives?

10. Parent

How neat is it to be a parent who loves to read? Sharing books with our sons is such a joy, and we consider this a full-time, very important job.

Which jobs are we missing? Please share!

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