Unleashing Readers

Kellee’s NCTE/ALAN Reflection

June 27, 2015December 3, 2014 by Kellee

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) annual conference followed by the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) workshop is a must for my teacher soul. It is the time I get to completely immerse myself in education and books. It truly recharges me each year, and I cannot imagine missing it.

This year was a bit different for me though. I usually attend all 4 days of NCTE and both days of ALAN, but this year I wasn’t able to attend all of NCTE (only Saturday). Unfortunately, this meant fewer sessions for me, but I was lucky enough to bring Trent and Jim with me and spend some family time (with my sister, too!) on Sunday.

I was able to attend both days of ALAN though. These two days are just so special. It is pure immersion into book culture. Like Ricki said yesterday, please consider joining this amazing assembly. I love being part of an organization that truly believes in getting good books into the hands of kids.

Teaching Graphic Novels panel
- On Saturday morning I was lucky enough to be part of a wonderful panel with Nathan Hale, Cece Bell, Trevor Pryce, and Frank Cammuso where we discussed the rationale behind graphic novels in the classroom, and I shared activities from my Amulet Books Graphic Novels Teaching Guide and El Deafo Teaching Guide. My presentation can be found on my slideshare if you are interested.
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award presentation
- I was the 2014 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award chair, so that meant I had the honor of presenting the award as well as participating in a panel with ALL FIVE of the recipients. All five honorees had not attended ALAN in years, so I was super excited to have them all there. Although I was a bit nervous, I really think it went well! I loved working with and speaking with the five amazing authors, and I specifically tried to have an intense focus on why their books were honored for the award. If you want to learn more about the Walden award visit here. If you haven’t read these books yet, you definitely should!
Meeting authors
- Each year one of the biggest highlights is being able to meet the best authors in children’s/middle grade/young adult literature. This year was no different! I love chatting with them and sharing my (or my students’) love for their books. Here are photos of some of the authors I saw. I wasn’t able to get photos of everyone including Gareth Hinds, Meg Medina, Marissa Moss, Trudy Ludwig, Steve Sheiken, George O’Connor, Kekla Magoon, Chris Lynch, Brandon Sanderson, G. Neri, Sylvia Whitman, Marie Rutkoski, E. Lockhart, Adele Griffin, and Laurel Snyder (I cannot believe I didn’t get photos with/of all of these great authors! But you get talking, and then it is over. Or the photo is blurry. *sigh*).
- (Top to bottom; left to right): Andrew Smith, Heidi Stemple & Jane Yolen, Patrick Flores-Scott, Sarah Mlynowski, Cory Doctorow, Raina Telgemeier, Matt de la Pena, James Dashner (with letter from my students), Ann M. Martin (yes, I cried!), Cynthia Lord, Melissa Sweet, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Neal Shusterman and his son Brandon, Coe Booth, Christopher Paul Curtis, Rainbow Rowell, Bill Konigsberg, Jon Klassen, Jon Sciezska, David Lubar, and Kwame Alexander!
ALAN
- Keynote by Libba Bray: Libba threw down the gauntlet. Her keynote addressed gender in publishing, in books, and gender stereotypes. It was powerful.
- Panel about music in books: This panel featured Mary Amato, Frank Portman, and Len Vlahos, and they cracked me up while also focusing on the power of music.
- Panel about online fandom, gaming, and social networking: I loved that ALAN decided to have this as a panel because it is so current and something that we really need to be thinking and talking about. The panel included Melissa de la Cruz, C.J. Farley, and Sarah Mlynowski.
- Panel about nonfiction texts about transgendered teens: This panel consisted of 2 transgendered teens (Arin Andrews, author of Some Assembly Required and Katie Hill, author of Rethinking Normal) , their mothers. This panel was touching, impacting, and so special.
- Exchange table: I love talking books, and the exchange table gives me a chance to help teachers find the best books for their classroom. It also allows for me to organize things which I also love.
  - (I know at this point it seems like I am copying Ricki, but the things she highlighted were a wonderful part of my experience as well.)

Reconnecting with Friends
- This is the one time of the year where I get to see many of my education/book/blog friends face to face. It is like a family reunion! This year was a bit difficult to really hang out since I didn’t arrive until late Friday and I had Trent with me, but I am so glad that I got to see many of my friends. I tried really, really hard to get more photos this year than I have in the past, and I succeeded, but still did not get photos with everyone. I missed getting photos with Lee Ann Spillane, Beth Scanlon, Lee Corey, Beth Shaum, Cindy Minnich, Karin Perry, Teri Lesesne, Lois Buckman, David Gill, Sarah Gross, Alyson Beecher, Cynthia Alaniz, Susan Dee, Paul Hankins, Terri Suico, Gary Anderson, Chris Lehman, Katherine Sokolowski, Tony Keefer, Teresa Bunner, Jen Vincent, and many more! Here are just some of the friends I did get photos with:
  
  (Top to bottom, left to right): Jen Vincent, Jennifer Shettel, Kim McCollum-Clark, Donalyn Miller, Cathy Blackler, Jennifer Fountain, Mark Lechter, Sarah Anderson, Brian Wyzlic, Gigi McAllister, Jillian Heise, and Jen Ansbach (Sorry for some of the bad quality! Selfies and bad lighting don’t always equal a good photo.)
Books!
- What more do I have to say?! Books galore! I cannot wait to dive into the new books I learned about!
Last, but so not least: RICKI AND HENRY!
- I got to see Ricki and Henry!!! *happy dance*

I am so sad that NCTE/ALAN 2014 is over, but I’m already looking ahead to next year where I cannot wait to see my book family, meet more authors, and continue learning to be the best teacher I can be!

Ricki’s NCTE/ALAN Reflection 2014

November 29, 2015December 2, 2014 by Ricki

This year’s NCTE conference and ALAN Workshop were incredible. The sessions invigorated me, and I felt like I was constantly running on adrenaline. I was able to spend time with old friends and make new friends, as well—teachers, teacher educators, librarians, authors, and publishers.

Those of you who know me well know that I am a big ALAN fan. If I can’t afford NCTE and ALAN on any given year, I always go to the ALAN Workshop. If you aren’t an ALAN member, I highly recommend that you join. The assembly is like a family—the members are extremely accepting and their passion shines.

A few of the highlights this year include:

1. An awesome session I attended where the presenters dovetailed issues of disability and social justice. It really made me think!

2. The Meet the Editors session. I was there as a presenter (with The ALAN Review), but there were a few moments where I could pop over to other tables to get information from some of the other journals. I loved the way this session was set up.

3. Getting to dine with some of my favorite bibliophiles. And sharing hugs with others.

4. Working the exchange table at the ALAN Workshop. A few years ago, a president started this tradition. It allows people to exchange books they receive in their boxes. So, for example, a middle school teacher might exchange to receive more books geared to the age group s/he teaches. While this table was stressful at times, seeing the excitement on people’s faces when a book they wanted was available was priceless. A few teachers were able to make several sets of literature circle books by doing some clever trading.

5. Getting to see the presentation of the Walden Award at the ALAN Workshop. Kellee is going to be really humble, but she did a phenomenal job. ALL FIVE WINNING AUTHORS attended!

6. The ALAN Workshop panel about books that feature transgender teens. The speakers were incredible—two were high school students who are transgender and their moms. A fifth woman wrote a collection of stories, as well. All of the speakers (and the teens in particular) were incredibly articulate. The received a well-deserved standing ovation.

7. Meeting Trent! We were able to get our two baby readers together. They had a lot of fun in the Exhibit Hall. See Monday’s post for a picture. 🙂

8. All of the books! I can’t wait to get started on all of the amazing ARCS and new texts that I received this year. I shipped my books home, and I was delighted to see a gigantic box waiting on my doorstep when I arrived. So on that note, I am going to cut this post short. I have books to attend to! 🙂

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 12/1/14

July 27, 2015December 1, 2014 by Kellee

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

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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
EMILY H.
for winning a copy of A Snowman’s Story

Last Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Top Ten Books On Our Winter TBR

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

Trent and Henry met at NCTE!

20141123_125853 — Henry (left) & Trent (right)

10476133_10204152764271619_3051117388227526952_n — They are already sharing books!

Last (2) Weeks’ Journeys

Kellee: Wow! What a whirlwind! We left for DC on the 21st, and it has been nonstop since then. Ironically, because I was at NCTE/ALAN (a conference focused around reading), I was not able to read as much as I usually do. I was able to finish a few titles. First I finished Mira’s Diary: Bombs over London by Marissa Moss (and was able to talk to her about it at NCTE). I love these books! A great mix of sci-fi and historical fiction. I also finished a couple of graphic novels: The Silver Six by AJ Lieberman which is a great dystopian middle grade GN that somehow flew under my radar & Nnewts by Doug TenNapel which is his new GN coming out in January, 2015 (and my students will be so excited I got it!). Lastly, I read two picture books: Chu’s Day by Neil Gaiman which actually made me laugh outloud in the middle of a store & Outlaw Pete by Bruce Springsteen which was a beautiful adaptation of Bruce’s song (not for little kids!).

With Trent, we brought along some of our favorite board books and revisited them while on our trip. Mostly we reread Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton, If I Were a Penguin by Anne Wilkinson, and The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too! by Mo Willems. Trent also received a gift from the kind Kim McCollum-Clark of My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall which we have read a couple times already. Love the clever illustrations and kind message.

Ricki: The past two weeks have been nonstop for me, too. I was at NCTE/ALAN for five days, then I was at my in-laws’ house for two days for Turkey Day, and then I spent three days preparing my son’s first birthday party. I will share the Goodnight Moon-themed party pictures in an upcoming post! Henry and I have read a lot of new picture books like, My Yellow Balloon by Tiffany Papageorge and several great Sandra Boynton board books. This week is my last week of classes (both as a teacher and as a student), and then I am able to do a lot more free-reading.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I started The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi over the weekend, and I am about half way done. I then have a couple piles of books: one YA and one PBs from the library. I hope to make a dent in the PB one (including The Very Inappropriate Word, Sophie Scott Goes South, A Boy and Jaguar, The Girl Who Hears Colors, & The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, the Exploding Eggs, the Wolf, and Grandma). Also maybe I’ll start The Paper Cowboy by Kristin Levine or Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick. OH! And I have 2 graphic novels to read: The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew & Fairy Tale Comics edited by Chris Duffy. Hopefully with life back to normal, I’ll be able to get some reading down 🙂

Ricki: I sent home many, many new YA books and ARCs from NCTE/ALAN, so it is time to get started! The first book I started reading was All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven because it is getting rave reviews. So far, I absolutely love it.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Ricki’s NCTE/ALAN Reflection

Wednesday: Kellee’s NCTE/ALAN Reflection

Thursday: Ricki’s Top Books from NCTE/ALAN

Friday: Kellee’s Top Books from NCTE/ALAN

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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My Yellow Balloon by Tiffany Papageorge

November 28, 2014 by Kellee

My Yellow Balloon
Author: Tiffany Papageorge
Illustrator: Erwin Madrid
Published October 1st, 2014 by Minoan Moon Publishing

Publisher’s Summary: It all started at the carnival…That’s where Joey makes a new friend: a bright yellow balloon. Joey and his beloved balloon do everything together, until the balloon accidentally slips off Joey’s wrist and flies far, far away. What will Joey do without his special friend?

Tiffany Papageorge has crafted a poignant tale of love, loss, and letting go that will serve as a comforting guide to children who are navigating the complicated emotions of grief. Learn more about Tiffany at her Facebook page or Linkedin.

Kellee’s Review: This book’s illustrations blew my mind. They are beautiful! Before I can talk about anything else, I definitely have to address how impressed I was by them. Luckily, the story is just as good as the illustrations. My Yellow Balloon is about Joey and his yellow balloon and the loss of the balloon he became attached to. This is the second book I’ve read recently about loss and grief. I think it is so important that there are picture books out there for kids dealing with tough situations. I like the way that this book symbolizes the loss by showing that Joey’s world lost color and using a fold out to show perspective as the balloon is lost. It was very well done.

Ricki’s Review: I agree with Kellee that the text features of this book are remarkable. When the color of the illustrations shift, my stomach felt like they were tied in knots, and I felt Joey’s sorrow. The language used to depict the ways Joey comes to terms with his grief are realistic and will be very helpful for children. This book should be a staple in classrooms. Even if students are not experiencing grief at the time of the story, it will help them cope with, unfortunately, the inevitability of this topic.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book could be used to talk about the concept of theme. The theme is quite evident and would inspire great discussions. Loss and grief are something that all children can connect to, and My Yellow Balloon would be a great jumping off point for this discussion.

Discussion Questions: Have you lost anything special to you? How did you feel?; Why did the author take away the colors after Joey lost his balloon?; How is the sun symbolic for Joey? Can the balloon be considered a symbol?

We Flagged:

“The balloon man wrapped the string around Joey’s wrist and said, ‘Here, let me tie you two together.’ From that moment on, they were never apart.”

Read This If You Loved: Knock, Knock by Daniel Beaty, I’ll Always Love You by Hans Wilhem, Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Christine at New Shelves Distribution for providing copies for review!**

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 27, 2014 by Kellee

We hope you are enjoying the holiday. This year, we look forward to gathering around our tables and sharing how grateful we are to have such loving families. Ricki’s son was born two days before Thanksgiving last year, and she will always think of Henry (her little turkey) on this day. For Kellee, this is her first Thanksgiving with Trent. Our hearts are full with love for these little boys, and we hope to instill in them our love of reading.

For us, Thanksgiving is a great time for reflection—to talk about everything that went right. This day shouldn’t be about headdresses and feather costumes (actually these stereotypes should be avoided!), and instead, Thanksgiving is an appreciation of supportive family and good friends. This includes you, our blog friends. We are very fortunate to have you in our lives. Each week, we look forward to hearing from you. You invigorate us, and we want to give our thanks to you.

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The Holocaust: A Concise History by Doris L. Bergen

November 26, 2014 by Ricki

Nonfiction Picture Book 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!

This week, I did not review a picture book. This text, however, is an incredibly informative nonfiction text that will help teachers and students who are learning about the Holocaust. I wanted to feature it on Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday because this is a topic that is taught in classrooms with students of all ages.

The Holocaust: A Concise History
Author: Doris L. Bergen
Published September 16, 2009 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

GoodReads Summary: In examining one of the defining events of the twentieth century, Doris Bergen situates the Holocaust in its historical, political, social, cultural, and military contexts. Unlike many other treatments of the Holocaust, this history traces not only the persecution of the Jews, but also other segments of society victimized by the Nazis: Gypsies, homosexuals, Poles, Soviet POWs, the disabled, and other groups deemed undesirable. With clear and eloquent prose, Bergen explores the two interconnected goals that drove the Nazi German program of conquest and genocide purification of the so-called Aryan race and expansion of its living space and discusses how these goals affected the course of World War II. Including illustrations and firsthand accounts from perpetrators, victims, and eyewitnesses, the book is immediate, human, and eminently readable.

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I read this in preparation for a Teaching the Holocaust Workshop I attended.

I felt a gamut of emotions while reading this important text: anger, disappointment, disgust, and utter sadness. Bergen excellently balances the timeline of the Holocaust in this concise book of fewer than 300 pages. While many books that are taught in schools focus on concentration camps during the Holocaust, Bergen provides a wealth of information of the events both pre-war and post-war. I appreciated the ways in which she dispelled many myths that exist in books, textbooks, and the media. I’ve read over a hundred books about this time period, and while I considered myself an expert, this book was humbling to me. I was unaware of many aspects of the Holocaust that Bergen described, and she situates herself as an expert (and rightfully so, as she has received accolades for her work regarding the time period). I believe all teachers of history and English/language arts (at a minimum) should read this text. Moreover, it would pair well with any fiction or narrative nonfiction about the time period because it gives context of the events. Teachers might elect to use short portions to inform students and contextualize events in history.

I Recommed This Book If You: Teach any book that is set during the Holocaust

Recommended For:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On Our Winter TBR

November 25, 2014 by Ricki

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 Books On Our Winter TBR

We are back at school, and we can’t wait to dine with these characters!

Ricki

1. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Really…this time I am reading it. Kellee, thanks for reminding me by including it in your top five. Dual review, perhaps?

2. Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King

And another I stole from Kellee. Seriously, though, I pre-ordered this book, so I should read it NOW.

3. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I am tired of the critics screaming at me because I haven’t read this one. Josh Funk, did I just hear your cheers across twitterverse? I am officially reading this book within the next few months. Hopefully, it doesn’t put me to sleep like the movie did. ::wink::

4. Just One Year by Gayle Forman

This has been on my nightstand for far too long. Now that I heard it is going to be a movie, I better get my act together!

5. Atlantia by Ally Condie

I love Ally Condie. This semester was crazy, so I got behind and didn’t read this book, and I am excited to get to it.

Kellee

I think some of these books were on my fall TBR–OOPS!

1. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

2. The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith
(and 100 Sideways Miles, but I figured Andrew should only get 2 slots.)

3. The Paper Cowboy by Kristin Levine
(and I really need to read The Lions of Little Rock too!)

4. Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles

5. Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King

Which books are you looking forward to reading?

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