Unleashing Readers

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 9/29/14

July 27, 2015September 29, 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.

Last Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Be-Read List

Wednesday: Recent Nonfiction (Mostly) Picture Books Part One: Informational

Friday: Rory’s Promise Blog Tour with Book Trailer and Author Q&A

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: This week wasn’t as successful reading-wise as last week, but I did read a really good book in celebration of Banned Books Week–Cleopatra in Space by Mike Maihack. It is a super fun graphic novel! I cannot wait for more in the series. Love the inclusion of Egyptian history in a sci-fi world.

On the other hand, Trent and I read some board books that are definitely going to be some of our favorites and will be read over and over again including the classics The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown, The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, Five Little Monkeys by Eileen Christelow, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton. But my favorite this week was Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton. It is just as good as her others, but what made me love it even more is the song that you can get off of her website. I have been singing it to Trent all week! It is wonderful!

Ricki: This week, I finished listening to Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. This popular adult fiction made me laugh and made me cry. It is a very touching, British story about a young woman in her 20s who becomes caregiver to a paralyzed man in his 30s. At one point, I texted my husband that I would be in the house soon. I couldn’t leave my car because I didn’t want to stop listening.

Henry and I received some great, new picture books from one of our best friends. We started reading them this week, but some are holiday-themed, so we hold off on sharing them until we get closer to the holidays! We enjoyed I Know a Bear by Mariana Ruiz Johnson and discussed its beautiful message. I taught (10-month-old) Henry all about implicit themes as his father chuckled in the next room.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I started The Secret Diary of Celie Valentine: Friendship Over by Julie Sternberg, and I will definitely finish it this week in preparation for our blog tour stop on October 10th. I also cannot wait to read Mac Barnett’s newest Sam & Dave Dig A Hole which I recently got. And if I have time, I have 4 baseball biographies by Matt Tavares I cannot wait to read (and I have the honor of writing a teaching guide for them).

Trent and I are going to do some rereads of favorites this week because it has been a ton of fun reading 210 books in 219 days of his life, but I feel like we need to revisit some of the ones I really love.

Ricki: As much as I love reading the same five board books over and over again with Henry because they are staples in my living room and his nursery, I will be branching out and exploring the new picture books we received this week. I also received two great ARCs from Penguin Random House this week, so I will be sharing and reviewing both of those soon.

If you are a middle or high school English language arts teacher, I would greatly appreciate your help distributing the message below for my dissertation study! Thank you!!!

We are seeking middle/high school English teachers for a brief research survey. For more information, click: https://uconn.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_7U0gerNF8XslNpH. We would greatly appreciate it if you shared this post with other teachers!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Were Hard For Us To Read

Wednesday: Recent Nonfiction (Mostly) Picture Books Part Two: Biographies

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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Blog Tour, Review, Giveaway, and Author Interview!: Rory’s Promise by Michaela MacColl and Rosemary Nichols

June 13, 2015September 26, 2014 by Kellee

Rory’s Promise
Authors: Michaela MacColl and Rosemary Nichols
Published: September 1st, 2014 by Calkin Creek Books

Goodreads Summary: Twelve-year-old orphan Rory Fitzpatrick lives with her younger sister Violet at New York City’s Foundling Hospital in the early 1900s. But when Rory discovers that Violet will be sent to the Arizona Territory to be adopted, her world is shattered. Although too old to be adopted herself, Rory–brave and smart–is determined to stay with her sister, even if it means hiding out on a train traveling west. When Rory and Violet arrive in Arizona, everything that could go wrong does go wrong. Will Rory give up? This uplifting novel about the power of faith and the true meaning of family launches the Hidden Histories series, spotlighting little-known tales from America’s past, and the children behind those stories. Includes authors’ note and further resources.

Kellee’s Review: I love historical fiction because it introduces me to history in a way that will suck me into it and help me retain the information. Many historical fiction books also choose lesser known aspects of history to share. Rory’s Promise does all of the above. When I was done with the book, I immediately went and book talked it to my reading class though I found myself talking to them even more in depth about the history it shares (which then make them want to read the book even more). Rory’s Promise touches on orphans, mining, race relations, religion, kidnapping, building of the west, and The Foundling Hospital of NYC and does so in such a fascinating yet educational way. I learned so much from the book, and I immediately went and did more nonfiction reading when finished. AND it was a book I couldn’t put down!

Ricki’s Review: Like Kellee, learning about a lesser known subject in history was incredibly intriguing. This book reminded me of many of the historical fiction titles I read as a young girl—which were foundational for my growth as a reader. Beyond the fascinating subject matter, this text shows the powerful bond sisters share. Rory is utterly devoted to her sister, and will stop at nothing to protect her. When I read this book, I couldn’t help but think of the connection I have with my own sister, and I was compelled to call her and tell her how much I care for her. I imagine that this text will strengthen sibling bonds, and the love and loyalty these two sisters share is a great model for readers.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Rory’s Promise could definitely be used for cross-curricular reading to help address content being taught in American History. It would be so interesting to research the different historical elements touched on in the book and connect it to Rory’s story.

Discussion Questions: Would you have done what Rory did? Why or why not?; Do you think the Foundling should have gotten the orphans back?; Would you have made the same choice Rory did at the end of the book?; Do you think Sister Anna was looking out for Rory or do you disagree with her decision to separate the sisters?

Book Trailer:

Authors’ Bios: Michaela MacColl attended Vassar College and Yale University earning degrees in multi-disciplinary history. Unfortunately, it took her 20 years before she realized she was learning how to write historical fiction. Her favorite stories are the ones she finds about the childhood experiences of famous people. She has written about a teenaged Queen Victoria (Prisoners in the Palace, Chronicle 2010) and Beryl Markham’s childhood (Promise the Night, Chronicle 2011). She is writing a literary mystery series for teens featuring so far a young Emily Dickinson in Nobody’s Secret (2013) and the Bronte sisters in Always Emily (2014). She has recently begun a new series with Boyd’s Mill/Highlights called Hidden Histories about odd events in America’s past. The first entry in the series is Rory’s Promise and will be published in September 2014. She frequently visits high schools and has taught at the Graduate Institute in Bethel, CT. She lives in Westport CT with her husband, two teenaged daughters and three extremely large cats.

Rosemary Nichols has loved history all her life, especially the history of ordinary people. She has two history degrees from the University of Washington and a law degree from the University of Chicago. This is her first book for children. She lives in upstate New York. rosemarygailnichols.com.

Author Q&A: We are very lucky to have been able to ask Michaela MacColl some questions about Rory’s Promise. We were super excited as we were so intrigued by the story and history.

Unleashing Readers: How did you first come across all the different histories you touched on in Rory’s Promise?

Michaela MacColl: My writing partner is one of those folks who reads all the scholarly topic non-fiction. You know when a smart professor spends years finding out about something and then writes a compelling book (with a zillion footnotes!). In this case, Rosemary suggested we take a look at “The Great Arizona Orphan Abduction” by Linda Gordon. Gordon wrote her book to talk about class and race in turn of the 19^th c. America – using the orphan abduction as her example. So we considered her philosophical views – but what was incredibly useful for us was her detailed well-researched timeline of events.

UR: Rory is not based on a real person, so who/what inspired you when creating her?

MM: We needed a heroine kids could identify with. The target age was middle grade but most of the Foundling kids were under the age of 5. Not to say anything negative about 5 year olds – but how interesting can they be? So we thought about a girl who might have a strong interest in one of the kids. Aha, a sibling! But then she needed a plausible reason to still be at the orphanage. The answer to that was the basis of Rory’s character. She’s devoted to her sister and will do literally anything to stay close to her. This means making herself indispensable around the Foundling Hospital. She thinks she’s fooling the nuns – but they see right through her and love her for it.

The other half of Rory came from the history of the orphaned kids who were left behind in Clifton AZ. No one know what happened to them all, but there was a rumor that a Mexican family returned to town years later, with a red-haired daughter. There was also a discrepancy on the lists of children. One girl named Violet appears on the initial lists but not the later ones. Who was she? That’s where we started.

UR: Can you tell us about your writing process? How is it different when writing with two writers vs. by yourself.

MM: Rosemary is a whiz with American history. She’s read so widely that she was our fact checker and generally kept my imagination in realistic/historical check. She wrote a lot of the setting and descriptions. I have more experience writing for kids – so I did most of the plot and dialogue. But we both worked on the revisions.

UR: What was your favorite interesting piece of information you found when researching for Rory’s Promise?

MM: Oddly, it wasn’t the abduction in Arizona. I found myself fascinated by the very clever sisters at the Foundling Hospital. With few resources they built an organization that helped thousands of women and babies – not to mention creating what we know as the foster care system in America.

UR: Rory’s Promise is the first book in the Hidden Histories series. Can you tell us what is coming next?

MM: I can! We’re finishing it right now. Tentatively titled Freedom’s Price, it’s about Dred Scott’s daughter in 1849 St. Louis Mo. There’s slavecatchers, cholera and fire. I think it will really appeal to middle grade readers!

Thank you so much Michaela! Cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Read This If You Loved: Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, American Girls series, Dear America series, Orphan Train series by Joan Lowery Nixon, Nonfiction books about orphan trains or building of the West

Recommended For:

Make sure to stop by the other stops on the blog tour to learn more about Rory’s Promise:

Friday, 9/19 Kirby Larson blog (GUEST BLOG POST/GIVEAWAY)
www.kirbylarson.com

Mon 9/22 Middle Grade Mafioso (BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY)
www.middlegrademafioso.blogspot.com/

Tue 9/23 Mother/Daughter Book Club (BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY) |
www.motherdaughterbookclub.com

Wed 9/24 Middle Grade Minded (GUEST BLOG POST/GIVEAWAY)
www.middlegrademinded.blogspot.com

Thu 9/25 KidLit Frenzy (BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY)
www.kidlitfrenzy.com

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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**Thank you to Kerry at Boyds Mills Press and Highlights for Children for providing copies for review**

Frank! by Connah Brecon

September 25, 2014 by Ricki

Frank!
Author: Connah Brecon
Published: September 30, 2014 by Running Press Kids

Publisher Summary: Frank is a bear who is always late. He has very good reasons, like the morning he found himself challenged to a charity dance-off, or the time he had to rescue a family of bunnies from a huge, smelly ogre. Frank’s teacher is not impressed—until a giant zombie lizard king attacks the school, and the friends he made on his diversions help him find a way to save the day.

Half the fun of this book is in the details: the watch repair shop signs that reflect Frank’s tardiness, the growing reactions of each of Frank’s classmates, the three pigeons that follow Frank through the story. Brecon’s crisp characters layered with crayon-like lines creates a bold, kinetic style. This hip, zany story about tall tales and the importance of community will appeal to children and parents with a penchant for the unpredictable.

Ricki’s Review: The illustrations of this book are whimsical and fun. Kids will surely be inspired to want to create their own artwork. This is a fun story that will leave classrooms of students in giggles. Brecon’s imagination shines. This text incorporates some great details and will allow for fantastic conversations in classrooms about responsibility.

Kellee’s Review: Like Ricki said, the illustrations were so wonderful! They are really what moves this text to the next level although Frank himself is just such an eccentric character also. The book does take a crazy, fun twist in the middle which will definitely keep kids’ attention. I do love the theme of helping out that shines throughout the book. This is an important theme to discuss with kids, and this book doesn’t make it boring while discussing it.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Frank gives a variety of clever reasons for being late. Kids might imagining bizarre, silly reasons for being late and hang these pictures around the room. Responsibility is a very important lesson for young children, and I can imagine teachers and students referencing Frank’s story whenever a student doesn’t act responsibly.

Discussion Questions: Why is Frank always late? What is an excuse?; What does it mean to be responsible?; When is the best time to hold dance parties?

We Flagged: “It wasn’t that Frank was rude or unreliable. Nor was he a dawdler or a meanderer. He just liked to help out.” (p. 2-3)

Book Trailer:

Read This If You Loved: Stuck by Oliver Jeffers, I Want my Hat Back by Jon Klassen, Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina, The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle

Recommended For:

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Recent Nonfiction (Mostly) Picture Book Reads Part One: Informational

September 24, 2014 by Kellee

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!

Over the last few months, I’ve read some nonfiction (mostly) picture books that I haven’t reviewed, but that I definitely need to share with you all.

The Angry Little Puffin
Author: Timothy Young
Expected Publication: September 28th, 2014 by Schiffer Publishing

My Thoughts: This book isn’t completely nonfiction as it is told from the point of view of the puffin, but I love that it includes some very important information about puffins vs. penguins. As someone who loves penguins (and puffins), I love that someone is finally addressing the confusion between the two. This would be a very fun book to pair with Neversink.

A Timeline History of the Thirteen Colonies
Author: Mark K. Pratt
Expected Publication November 1st, 2014 by Lerner Publications

My Thoughts: I thought that this book was such a great way to talk about the start of our country. It has fun infographics and illustrations that hold the attention that goes along with chronological information.

Best Foot Forward: Exploring Feet, Flippers, and Claws
Author: Ingo Arndt
Published August 1st, 2013 by Holiday House

My Thoughts: What a fun and different way to look at animals. The photographs are very well done, and I loved seeing the close ups of their feet. It also is interactive because it starts with the foot close up and inquiry, then gives the answer. Will keep kids engaged.

Gravity
Author: Jason Chin
Published April 29th, 2014 by Roaring Brook Press

My Thoughts: First, if you have never seen a Jason Chin book, you need to get one now just to see the illustrations. Beautiful! Gravity explains gravity in a simple way yet is very scientifically accurate. Great introduction to the natural phenomenon of gravity.

How Big Were Dinosaurs?
Author: Lita Judge
Published August 27th, 2013 by Roaring Brook Press

My Thoughts: When I finished this book, I was so excited to share the title with my friend whose daughter loves dinosaurs. How Big Were Dinosaurs? introduces the reader to a wide variety of dinosaurs and shares a comparison to a modern object. Very entertaining and informative.

Stubby, the Dog Soldier: World War I Hero
Author: Blake Hoena
Illustrator: Oliver Hurst
Published July 1st, 2014 by Picture Window Books

My Thoughts: What a hero! It is always so amazing to learn about the surprising heroes during war and other tough times. Stubby is an amazing animal. He overcomes more than most humans will ever encounter. This story is inspiring and also informative about how animals can really change the game.

All Recommended For:

Top Ten Tuesday: Our Fall To-Be-Read Lists

September 23, 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:

We can’t wait to read these books this fall!

Ricki

1. Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

gracefully grayson

I have heard such wonderful things about this book, and I plan to read it very soon!

2. El Deafo by Cece Bell

Everyone is raving about this book!

3. Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

lies we tell ourselves

This nonfiction book looks excellent. I have been meaning to read it for some time.

4. Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

torn away

I will read anything by Jennifer Brown. It doesn’t hurt that the premise of this book looks great, too!

5. Ways with Words by Shirley Brice Heath

ways with words

Many people have told me that this classic text is a must-read for English teachers. It is an ethnography, and I can’t wait to read it!

Kellee

Funny enough, I always have such a hard time doing these TBR posts! I have a huge TBR list, and I very rarely plan too far ahead. These are some books I really want to read and maybe I’ll get to them this fall.

1. Grasshopper Jungle and 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith

Love Andrew Smith’s books and EVERYONE is talking about these.

2. Fish in a Tree (and One for the Murphys!) by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

These books are raved about, and I have been lucky enough to meet the kind Lynda Mullaly Hunt. I need to get to her books.

3. Death by Toilet Paper by Donna Gephart

Um, the title! And it is supposed to be good!

4. The Wrenchies by Farel Dalrymple

Some of the words I’ve seen to describe this one is “trippy,” “gory,” “appalling,” “fascinating,” messed-up,” “interesting,” etc. I am so intrigued!

5. Explorer: Hidden Doors edited by Kazu Kibuishi

I enjoy everything Kazu Kibuishi writes or compiles, and I am sure this is going to be no different.

Which books are on your fall to-be-read list?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 9/22/14

July 27, 2015September 22, 2014 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.

Last Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Top Ten Authors We’ve Only Read One Book From But Need To Read More

Friday: My Time on the Walden Committee and Call for Applications

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I had quite a good reading week! I made time for a bunch of smaller texts I needed to read and truly enjoyed them.

First, I had a 3 books from Cinco Puntos Press to read: Conspiracy Girl by Karen Chacek, The Lovesick Skunk by Joe Hayes, and Festival of Bones by Luis San Vincente. All three of these books were so unique! I would love to talk to someone else who has read Conspiracy Girl, so if you do, contact me! The Lovesick Skunk was NOT what I thought it was going to be, and ended up being a quite funny nonfiction picture book which I will most likely review in the future. Festival of the Bones is a great celebration of the Day of the Dead, and I look forward to sharing it.

I also read 3 Netgalley books: Stubby the Dog Soldier: World War I Hero by Blake Hoena, A Tale of Two Daddies by Vanita Oelschlager, and The Zoo Box by Ariel Cohn. All three of these were wonderful in different ways. Stubby told a story of a true hero, Two Daddies introduces the idea of LBGTQ families, and The Zoo Box is a Jumanji-esque graphic novel that was a lot of fun.

Additionally, I read Bramble and Maggie books 1-3 by Jessie Haas and The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers. Bramble and Maggie books are wonderful early reader chapter books about a girl and her horse. The Way Back Home is probably in my top 5 favorite Oliver Jeffers books now. He is so quirky!

Trent and I also read quite a few wonderful books: Frank! by Connah Brecon, Baby Beluga by Raffi, The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper, Goodnight, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann, and Guess How Much I Love You? by Sam McBratney. Frank! we will review later this week. I could not believe I hadn’t read Goodnight, Gorilla before! What a fun almost wordless book. Perfect for bedtime. I also LOVED reading Baby Beluga because I listened to that song so much when I was a kid. The others are just great board books!

Ricki: This week, I enjoyed reading Rory’s Promise by Michaela MacColl and Rosemary Nichols. It was an interesting historical fiction that reads more like a creative nonfiction due to the depictions of real-life people. I learned a lot about orphan trains and enjoyed this new information about history. I also read a great nonfiction picture book called Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas written by Lynne Cox and illustrated by Brian Floca. I loved learning about the elephant seal who refused to leave her home in Christchurch, New Zealand and think kids will love this story, too!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: In my advanced reading class, I give my students 10-20 minutes a day to read and some days I get to read with them. Last week I started Cleopatra in Space and plan to finish it this week. My plan includes The Top-Secret Diary of Celie Valentine: Friendship Over by Julie Sternberg and another graphic novel that is at school and its name I can’t remember.

Ricki: Unfortunately, there will be no pleasure reading this week. I have chapters upon chapters of textbooks I have to read for my doctoral studies. I’ll be reading several chapters in Creswell’s and Maxwell’s books about Qualitative Methods. I will also be reading Shirley Brice Heath’s Ways with Words. So far, I enjoy this last one. I’ve mentioned it in previous posts, but in case you missed it, it is a foundational ethnography about the ways children learn to use language in the 1970s southeastern United States.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Be-Read List

Friday: Rory’s Promise Blog Tour with Book Trailer, and Author Q&A

So, what are you reading?

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My Time on the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Committee and All of our Walden Posts

January 23, 2026September 19, 2014 by Kellee

The Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award is something I truly believe in. The winners of this award are not only examples of high literary merit, but they have widespread appeal and promote a positive approach to life. This is criteria I can get behind! Too often, I have found that books that win book awards are hard to get into the hands of kids and difficult to promote. The Walden Award ensures that the books that are honored are books that will not only reach kid, but will send a positive message.

Over the past three years, I have been lucky enough to be an active member on the committee (next year, I will be Past Chair which is more of a advisory and passive role). I am sad to think that it is almost over. I have read approximately 450 books while considering which novels should be honored. I have met some amazing colleagues (including Ricki! She was Chair during my first year on the committee), publishers, and authors. I have had experiences that I would have never had without the committee. It has been a phenomenal experience.

Here are some other blog posts about the committee

Unleashing Readers: Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award (Kellee & Ricki’s Experiences)

Teach Mentor Texts (Kellee): The 2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award

Unleashing Readers: 2013 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award Finalists Announced

Unleashing Readers: Walden Award Finalists Reviews (2013)

Unleashing Readers: Walden Award Winner Review (2013)

Unleashing Readers: 2014 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalists Announcement

Unleashing Readers: 2014 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Winner Announcement

Unleashing Readers: 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalists Announcement

Nerdy Book Club: What Sets the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Awards Apart by Kellee Moye

Unleashing Readers: 2016 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Winner and Finalists Announcement

Unleashing Readers: 2017 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Winner and Finalists Announcement

Unleashing Readers: 2018 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalists Announcement

Unleashing Readers: 2018 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Winner Announcement

As my time as an active member on the committee comes to a close, I reminisce and realize just how lucky I am to have been part of this book award’s history. It is an experience that I definitely wish on others.

For more information on the Walden Award, visit http://www.alan-ya.org/awards/walden-award/.