Unleashing Readers

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/26/14

July 27, 2015May 26, 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 About Friendship

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Well, when it came to novel reading this week, I didn’t do as well as I would have liked. I did finish Coyote Summer by J.S. Kapchinske, which was a surprisingly good coming-of-age story dealing with grief and identity. I look forward to sharing it. I really struggled with my other novel, though, and I found myself avoiding reading because I didn’t want to read the book. Yesterday, I decided to put it aside, and I picked up a new one. Hopefully it’ll be more successful. I did read two amazing picture books though: The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig and The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock. Both were amazing, and I cannot wait to blog about them for you.

Trent and I had a great picture book week and read some amazing ones!

Hunwick’s Egg by Mem Fox (This book was recommended to me by Carrie, and though it took me a bit to fall in love with it, in the end I loved it as much as Hunwick loved his egg.)
Crankenstein by Samantha Berger (SO FUNNY! Some fun stuff to look forward too. I am trying to read as many Dan Santat books that I can :D)
Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds (Another Dan Santat illustrated book. This one reminded me of Bruce and the other sharks in “Finding Nemo”, and is just as funny.)
Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard (I really like Jeremy Tankard. This is the second book of his that I’ve read, and it is just as entertaining as the first one we read, Me Hungry! I’m going to have to find more of his books.)
Baby Animals by Eric Carle (This was Trent’s first book with buttons that make sound, and he really liked the elephant sound.)
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell (Actually a kind of sad book, but in the end teaches a lesson that is important for children to know.)
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (The final “Little” book. I just love the reverse psychology!)

Ricki: I read some great books this week. I just finished Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos. This is such an important book. Roskos does an incredible job capturing the feelings of hopelessness that come with depression. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I also enjoyed Stuck by Oliver Jeffers, Nuts by Paula Gerritsen, and 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle. All three were wonderful picture books.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: After hearing Ricki talk about it, I picked up Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets. I do not know much about it, but I trust her judgment. Next to that, I do not know my plans for the week! It is a bit of a stressful one as my husband goes back to work, so this is the first time since Trent was born that we both are working… 🙁

Ricki: Kellee, I am flattered that you trust my opinion! I hope you love it as much as I did. This week, I am continuing to read Reading for their Life: (Re)building the Textual Lineages of African American Adolescent Males by Alfred W. Tatum. Henry and I bought several Eric Carle picture books, so I am excited to dive into those. I think my next YA book will be I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Professional Books

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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Herman and Rosie by Gus Gordon

May 23, 2014 by Kellee

Herman and Rosie
Author and Illustrator: Gus Gordon
Published October 15th, 2013 by Roaring Brook Press

Goodreads Summary: Once upon a time in a very busy city, on a very busy street, in two very small apartments, lived…
Herman and Rosie. Herman liked playing the oboe, the smell of hot dogs in the winter, and watching films about the ocean. Rosie liked pancakes, listening to old jazz records, and watching films about the ocean. They both loved the groovy rhythm of the city, but sometimes the bustling crowds and constant motion left them lonely, until one night …

My Review: This book is a love note to music and for finding a friend to share your love. This wonderful story is told in a way that makes you fall in love with the characters immediately and feel every up and down with them. Also, the illustrations in this picture book are probably some of my favorite ever. I love the cartoony style mixed with some mixed media. Beautiful.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I think this book will find its most love as a read aloud and as a wait to promote music and other passions; however, the book could definitely be used in other ways in the classroom. The tone and mood of the book takes a drastic turn about halfway through and would be a good introduction to these two narrative elements. It is interesting to look at how the illustrations helped drive the change. Also, there are onomatopoeias throughout that add to the imagery of the book.

Discussion Questions: How does music bring Herman and Rosie together?; Would Herman and Rosie every had become friends without the bad event happening to them?; How are Herman and Rosie similar? Different?

We Flagged:

“Herman lived on the seventh floor. He liked potted plants, playing the oboe, wild boysenberry yogurt, the smell of hot dogs in the winter, and watching films about the ocean.”

Read This If You Loved: Marvin Makes Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Jazz ABZ by Wynton Marsalis, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis Pinkney, The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacque Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino

Recommended For:

Annika Riz, Math Whiz by Claudia Mills

August 8, 2014May 22, 2014 by Ricki

Annika Riz, Math Whiz (Franklin School Friends series)

Author: Claudia Mills

Pictures by: Rob Shepperson

Published: May 13th, 2014 by Farrar, Strous, and Giroux

Summary: (Grades 2-4) Annika Riz loves math more than anything. She’s trying to teach her dog, Prime, to count. She’s determined to beat fellow math whiz Simon Ellis in a Sudoku contest at the public library. She even sleeps under number-patterned sheets. But Annika’s best friends Kelsey and Izzy think math is boring. All they care about is the upcoming school carnival: their principal is going to be dunked in a dunking tank and their class is going to have a booth selling home-baked cookies. But then disaster foils the friends’ cookie-baking plans. Can math save the day?

Review: Each of the books in the Franklin School Friends series tells the story of a different third-grade student with a passion for a school subject. I was excited to read Annika Riz’s story because she is a math whiz—and I love math! Annika looks at the world through math-tinted glasses, and she wants everyone to love the subject as much as she does. She even attempts to teach her dog, Prime, how to count. I found the story to be so very charming. Annika is an endearing character who will resonate with many kids (and adults). Her energy and enthusiasm is refreshing. I suspect that readers will appreciate math much more by the end of this book. This series would be a great addition to elementary school classrooms. Series books are a big step in many students’ journey to becoming avid readers. Most adult readers list series books as a major part of their reading identities, so I am a strong advocate of having these texts available to students.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Annika looks at the world through a math mind. Teachers might ask students to pick a school subject and show how that subject is important in many of their everyday activities. This would teach students to apply what they are learning in school to their world.

Check out the downloadable curriculum guide for the Franklin School Friends here!

Discussion Questions: How does Annika approach the sudoku contest? Do you think she does a good job preparing for it?; What role do Annika’s friends play in her life? Because the girls have such varying interests, are you surprised they are friends? Why or why not?; Why do the girls decide to make lemonade? Do you think this was a good choice?; In what ways does Annika use math to examine aspects of her world?

We Flagged: “Kelsey loved reading and Izzy loved running the same way that Annika loved math. But Annika didn’t hate reading and running the same way that the others hated math. It was hard when your two best friends hated the thing in the world that you loved the most” (4).

Read This If You Loved: Clementine by Sara Pennypacker, Judy Moody by Megan McDonald, and Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows

Recommended For:

Claudia Mills is the acclaimed author of fifty early-chapter and middle-grade books, including 7 x 9 = Trouble!, How Oliver Olson Changed the World, and Zero Tolerance. Claudia was a professor of philosophy for over twenty years at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she received many teaching awards, before leaving the university to write full time. She has two sons. To learn more, visit her website at claudiamillsauthor.com.

Hairy, Scary, Ordinary; To Root, to Toot, to Parachute; & A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink by Brian P. Cleary

May 21, 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!

Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective?
Published September 1st, 2001 by Carolrhoda Books

To Root, to Toot, to Parachute: What Is a Verb?
Published April 1st, 2001 by Carolrhoda Books

A Mink, a Rink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun?
Published September 1st, 1999 by Lerner Publishing Group

Author: Brian P. Cleary
Illustrator: Jenya Prosmitsky

Hairy, Scary, Ordinary Goodreads Summary: Simple, rhyming text and colorful cartoon cats help children expand their vocabularies and gain an appreciation for the rhythm of language in this lighthearted book of rhyming verse. Adjectives like frilly, silly, polka-dotted, fizzy, and spunky are printed in color, and all the words will tickle you pink!

To Root, to Toot, to Parachute Goodreads Summary: What is a verb? It’s easier to show than explain! In this fun and animated introduction to grammer, rhyming verse is used to creatively clarify the concept of verbs. Chock-full of colorful, lively examples, the playful rhymes and illustrations of comical cartoon cats combine to hightlight key words in the sentences. Verbs like toss and tumble, jump and jam, jog and juggle, jig and leap are printed in color for easy identification.

A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink Goodreads Summary: “Words are Categorical” is a series which explores some of the basic principles of English grammar in a fun way. The books each deal with a different part of language, using playful and ingenious rhymes to make them easy to remember. In “What is a Noun?” children are introduced to one of the essential building blocks of the English language. It includes sections on both common and proper nouns. The nouns are highlighted in color to make them easy to identify.

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teaching parts of speech is one of the hardest things to teach students, and it is even harder to teach them in a fun and interesting way. These books make it so that both of these things are possible. I like that each of the books focuses on only one part of speech instead of trying to teach multiple grammatical concepts thus making the chance of mastery much more likely. I also found the rhyming and silliness of the books just so endearing, and it would definitely help with the knowledge sticking.

Discussion Questions: What is a noun/adjective/verb? What are some examples? What are some nouns/adjectives/verbs that rhyme with each other?

We Flagged:
Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: “Adjectives are words like hair, scary, cool, and ordinary. They describe like tan and tall, funny, frisky, smooth and small.”

To Root, to Toot, to Parachute: “Whether you scale a wall or a fish, make a design on a cup or a dish, take out the garbage, or sharpen your knife—verbs are a part of your everyday life.”

A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: “Hill is a noun. Mill is a noun. Even Uncle Phil is a noun.”

Read This If You Loved: Eat, Shoots, and Leaves, Twenty-Odd Ducks, & The Girl’s Like Spaghetti by Lynne Truss, Other Words are CATegorical books by Brian Leary, Basher Basics: Grammar by Simon Basher, and other grammar books

Recommended For:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books About Friendship

May 20, 2014 by Kellee

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

Today’s Topic: Top Ten Books About Friendship

Ricki

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green

The friendship between the characters in this book is simply beautiful. When I think about Pudge, the Colonel, and Alaska, I get very emotional. Snapshots of their friendship flash through my head, and I realize that I am in love with these three characters because what they had as friends is very real to me.

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.” The bond between the friends in this book is incredibly special. This is the story of a wallflower who is pulled from the wall—because when we are in our darkest places, our friends are often the ones to reach us and pull us out.

3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

I realize that this isn’t the traditional choice. Amir is a terrible friend to Hassan, but truly, this is a book about friendship and the mistakes we can make as friends. My students and I spend a lot of time discussing what the meaning and value of friendship when we read this text, and Amir teaches us many lessons.

4. Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Dear Caitlin, There are so many things that I want so badly to tell you but I just can’t. This is a book that is about the devastating loss of a friend. The power of Caitlin and Ingrid’s friendship still lingers with me, five years after I finished this book. The youtube trailer is beautiful. I always show it to my students before they start their book trailer projects, and they love it.

5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

George and Lennie. I love these two guys. We learn an awful lot (both good and bad) about friendship from them. They hold a special place in my heart.

Kellee

1. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

You can’t have a friendship list without talking about Wilbur and Charlotte. She was such an amazing friend to him. Shows you will find the best of friends in the most unlikely places.

2. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I love that Rick Riordan never turned these books into romance books. Annabeth and Percy are just friends and are friends that will risk their lives to save the other.

3. Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems

These books are so funny, and it is because of the dynamic between Elephant and Piggie. They are such perfect friends–they need each other!

4. Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

Like Elephant and Piggie, Frog and Toad are opposites that make the best friends because they balance each other out.

5. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

This is story ultimately is about friendship and how friends can save your life.

What are your favorite books that celebrate friends?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/19/14

July 27, 2015May 19, 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 Books We Almost Put Down

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I read two really good books this week! First, The Living by Matt de la Pena. WOW! This book scared the kajeebees out of me! It actually affected my dreams. You know a book is good when it enters into your subconscious. Ricki already reviewed it here if you want to check it out, and I plan on reviewing it in the future. I also read Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina. I first learned about this book when Meg’s blog post “Author Uninvited” went viral on Twitter. I promised myself that I would read the book, and I am glad I did. It is an important book. It can be paired with Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia, Trino’s Choice by Diane Gonzales Bertrand, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Each Kindness by Jaqueline Woodson, and many more to discuss the impact bullying has on a person.

Trent and I read some great books this week:

Little Oink and Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Some very well done reverse psychology board books with some mighty adorable main characters.)
Little Monsters by Jan Pienkowski (A fun pop-up book about different monsters.)
Cat Says Meow: and other animalopoeia by Michael Arndt (Loved the onomatopoeias in this one, and especially how the author intertwined the animals’ noises into his illustrations of the animal.)
You are my Baby: Ocean by Lorena Siminovich (This will be one of the books that will be a lot more fun when Trent can help match up the babies to the mommies.)
Hug by Jez Alborough (Beautifully illustrated almost wordless story of a chimpanzee trying to find the right person to hug.)
It’s Time to Sleep, My Love by Eric Metaxas (A very lyric bedtime board book.)

Ricki: This week, I finished The Here and Now by Ann Brashares. I loved the first half of this time traveling tale and particularly enjoyed the hints of dystopian fiction. I became a bit disengaged in the second half of the story, and I can’t quite put my finger on why that was. Overall, I recommend the book, and if you enjoyed All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, I think you will like this one, as well. It is very different from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants! I also finished Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck. I have learned so much from this great nonfiction work. My brother just flew to Montana, and I blurted out, “John Steinbeck says it is the most beautiful state!” I appreciated learning about the tidbits of America.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I plan on starting The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson today, and it is one that I’ve wanted to read since NCTE 2012 so I am excited. Trent and I plan on read the final Rosenthal book from the Little series, Little Pea, but then who knows. I also still have a pile of picture books I want to read (with or without Trent :D).

Ricki: I am halfway through Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos. I am not surprised that it was a finalist for the Morris Award. It reminds me a lot of several other phenomenal YA books (It’s Kind of a Funny Story, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Everybody Sees the Ants, to name a few). Henry and I just got our library reserve copy of Stuck by Oliver Jeffers. We are excited to read that. Lastly, I am starting a PD text: Reading for their Life: (Re)Building the Textual Lineages of African American Adolescent Males by Alfred W. Tatum. I will let you know how it is!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Top Ten Books About Friendship

So, what are you reading?

and

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill [Kellee’s Review]

May 16, 2014 by Kellee

All Our Yesterdays
Author: Cristin Terrill
Published September 3rd, 2013 by Disney Hyperion

Goodreads Summary: What would you change?

Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend, James, since they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it… at least, not as the girl she once was. Em and Marina are in a race against time that only one of them can win.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This is a book that keeps you reading. I couldn’t put it down. I found myself reading whenever I could (including times when I was holding my sleeping son or when I should have been sleeping). When you find out how Marina and Em are connected, it just blew my mind! I then had to find out how everything was going to turn out. I was just so impressed with everything:

First, the plot. It is so complex and intricate. You have to pay attention to keep up with the timeline, but it isn’t so bad that you’ll get lost. It is so admirable that the author was able to craft such intense timelines and intertwine them seamlessly.

Second, the language. I loved how Cristin Terrill wrote. The imagery throughout transported you into the story.

Third, the suspense. I just HAD to know what was going to happen!

Fourth, the characters. In a way that I’ve never experience before, Cristin Terrill truly gets you into the minds and hearts of the characters. You understand their motives, who they used to be, who they’ll become, all because of the way that Terrill tells the story and crafts her characters. You feel their heartbreak with them (and one particular realization that you find out in the very end just broke my heart and blew my mind), and you are so invested in everything they do.

Finally, the themes. The discussions that would come from this novel would be so interesting. Just the idea of power and corruption that is dealt with would lead to quite a debate.

Ricki also pointed out in her review how fun it would be to have students imagine what they would change if time travel existed.

This text would be a wonderful mentor text to discuss plot and character development, theme, and style. And most importantly, it will be a text that students will be intrigued with, not want to put down, and share with everyone.

Discussion Questions: What would you change if you had the ability to change time?; How far would you go to protect your best friend?; How did Cristin Terrill build suspense throughout the novel?; Why does power lead to corruption? Where have we seen this happen in history?

We Flagged: “Far down the hallway, I hear the clink of a door. Someone is approaching. I bolt upright and lunge for the drain. No telling what the doctor will do if he finds me breaking into it, and if he sees the sheet of paper… The though sends ice through my veins. He’ll kill me for sure. Hands clumsy with rushing, I break the spoon into several pieces and drop them down the drain. I can now make out a pair of heavy boots against the cement. I jam the grating back onto the drain and replace the screws as best I can with fingertips and nails. I swipe up the plastic bag and piece of paper and throw myself at my mattress. I show them both underneath just as Kessler’s face appears at the small window in my cell door.” (p. 9-10)

Read This If You Loved: Chronal Engine by Greg Leitich Smith, Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier, Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky, Lost Time by Susan Maupin Schmid, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix, London Calling by Edward Bloor

Recommended For: