Unleashing Readers

Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

July 27, 2015February 20, 2014 by Ricki

Green
Author: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Published March 27th, 2012 by Roaring Brook Press

Goodreads Summary: Die cut pages bring surprise after surprise in this magical new book from the “Queen of the concept book”—an intricate and satisfying homage to green, the color of all creation.
How many kinds of green are there? There’s the lush green of a forest on a late spring day, the fresh, juicy green of a just-cut lime, the incandescent green of a firefly, and the vivid aquamarine of a tropical sea. In her newest book, Caldecott and Geisel Honor Book author Laura Vaccaro Seeger fashions an homage to a single color and, in doing so, creates a book that will delight and, quite possibly astonish you.

Green is a Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book of 2012.

Review: The limited words on each page allow the reader to get lost in the beauty of the illustrations of this gorgeous children’s book. I was expecting the typical greens but was pleasantly surprised to see the clever takes on wacky green, slow green, and no green at all. I glided from page to page, appreciating the clever cutouts and visual appeal of this incredible children’s book.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This text could be used at a variety of levels. In my reading, I felt it is really asking readers: “How many different ways can you look at the color green?” We see objects, colors, and basic things in our world one way, but how can we interpret them differently? I would love to see this used in a creative writing classroom.

Discussion Questions: Where do we see the color green in our world? Go beyond the expected interpretations.; How does the author creatively present this book? What makes a book with so few worlds so very powerful?

Read This If You Loved: A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

Recommended For:

Marvin Makes Music by Marvin Hamlisch

February 19, 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!

Marvin Makes Music
Author: Marvin Hamlisch
Illustrator: Jim Madsen
Published November 8th, 2012 by Dial

Goodreads Summary: A true story from one of America’s most beloved composers

Marvin loves to play the piano and compose his own songs. But performing music over and over that’s composed by some old guys name Ludwig and Wolfgang just gives him knots in his stomach. When his father tells Marvin he has an audition with the most prestigious music school, how can Marvin overcome his nerves and get swept away by the music?

This endearing book is based on the true life story of composer Marvin Hamlisch, who, at the age of six, was the youngest person ever accepted into the Juilliard School.

My Review: Marvin’s story reminds me of why I build relationships with students and help them find who they are and what books they will like. Marvin is forced to play certain music and he hated it. He never understood why he had to “play music by composers with funny names, like Wolfgang and Ludwig,” but he loved his own kind of music. Being forced to play the other music was making him not want to play piano anymore–this is exactly what we do to kids with books!

Overall, I loved the book and think it is a great read to promote following dreams and passions–a great read aloud!

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Marvin Hamlisch’s sister-in-law Charlotte Blair has created a classroom guide to Marvin Makes Music. You can view it for free here.

You Tube Videos:

Part of the book launch last November that also shares a song

A short interview with Marvin Hamlisch

Discussion Questions: How is Marvin’s parents helping him follow his dream? How are they hurting him although they don’t mean to?

We Flagged: “His father showed him how the people on the street below looked like ants, but to Marvin they looked like musical notes. That made him start humming a little tune. Marvin closed his eyes and listened to all the sounds around him. He wished he could play his piano right now. It would be a City Symphony.” (p. 11)

Read This If You Loved: Tito Puente, Mambo King by Monica Brown, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald by Andrea Davis Pinkney, John’s Secret Dreams by Doreen Rappaport

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Anna Olswanger for providing a copy for review**

Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons We Love Being Bloggers

February 18, 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 Reasons Why We Love Being Bloggers

Blogging has many perks—here are our favorite reasons.

Ricki

1. Sharing Books

When I really love a book, I love sharing it with others. I also love learning about new books from all of the great blogs out there.

2. Building Connections

I feel like I have so many more friends with similar interests now that I have been blogging. I’ve never met most of them, but I feel as if we are kindred spirits.

3. Reading Quantity

After I cycled off of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award committee, I didn’t read nearly as much. Having the blog makes me accountable, and I feel compelled to read as much as I used to.

4. Reading Different Levels

Our blog focuses on helping K-12 educators. I used to only focus on high school YA books, but now I read outside of my comfort zone, and I have found so many new favorites.

5. Learning from other blogs

With a blog, I feel so much more in-the-know. When a book appears on multiple blogs, I flag it and read it as soon as I can. I feel so much more prepared for the ALA book awards now! I will actually recognize some of the titles in the younger book categories. 🙂

Kellee

1. It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

This is my #1 favorite reason for having a blog. I love the community! If I did nothing else, I would definitely keep doing IMWAYR.

2. Helping other teachers

Our goal here at Unleashing Readers is to give ways for books to be used in the classroom as well as other useful classroom ideas. I hope that we accomplish this!

3. It makes me think about books differently

When you read a book for reviewing (or any other purpose) you read a book differently. If I’m going to review a book I normally take notes and make sure to pay attention to specific things while reading instead of just reading a book.

4. Learning about other blogs

I love seeing other blogs and making friends with other bloggers–what a great way to build a book community!

5. Learning about new/unknown books

This is probably the best perk. Without blogs and Twitter, I would be out of the loop!

Why do you love being a blogger?
Or why do you enjoy checking out blogs?

and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 2/17/14

July 27, 2015February 17, 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

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I finished Far, Far Away!!! I am excited because I finished it, but also because I ended up really, really liking it. I will be honest and say that because of the unique narrator and the unique story, it takes a while to get into it, but once you do it sucks you in. The last 150 pages just flew by!

After the novel, I had a Leo Lionni readathon. My friend, Amanda, let me raid her picture books, and she had a bunch of Leo Lionni that I had never read: Fish is Fish, Cornelius, Frederick, Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse, Inch by Inch, and It’s Mine! My favorites are probably Cornelius and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse.

I then moved on to other picture books she let me borrow: Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson, Never Take a Shark to the Dentist by Judi Barrett, Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton, What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? by Steve Jenkins, and First Dog by J. Patrick Lewis. My favorites were definitely Never Take a Shark to the Dentist, Russell the Sheep, and, of course, What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? (because Steve Jenkins is brilliant).

Ricki: This week, I finished a professional development book called Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know. I agreed with the idea of cultural literacy but found myself wanting to rip out the pages of several sections. Expect an angry blog post soon. 🙂 I also finished Laurie Halse Anderson’s The Impossible Knife of Memory. Wow. This is a powerful book. I am sure several of you have read this already, but if you haven’t I highly, highly recommend it. Henry and I read a few picture books together (and reread a few old ones). We read Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin. We also read How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read? by Jane Yolen. I loved this one and just wish it was longer. This dinosaur series is awesome.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I am still waiting on the baby to grace us with his presence. My plan is definitely all going to change if he comes, but right now I plan on starting The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider. I also have more of Amanda’s picture books to read, as well as some from Candlewick and Bloomsbury that I want to get to.

Ricki: Next week, I plan to start Threatened by Eliot Schrefer. If you follow this blog, you know that Kellee and I are huge fans of this author! Of course, Henry and I will tackle some new picture books. We plan to go to the library this week. My next professional development book is Lisa Delpit’s Other People’s Children. I am pretty excited about this one. Has anyone read it?

Upcoming Week’s Posts

The Storm Watcher Blog Tour

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!

and

Hearts by Thereza Rowe & Never Too Little to Love by Jeanne Willis

February 14, 2014 by Kellee

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Today I wanted to share with you two picture books I have read recently that are perfect to read with your children on Valentine’s Day (or any day to promote love and kindness).

Never Too Little To Love
Author: Jeanne Willis
Illustrator: Jan Fearnley
Published February 7th, 2005 by Walker Books Ltd

Goodreads Summary: Whimsical watercolors illustrate a comical, cumulative tale of an amorous mouse who aims impossibly high — and learns that you’re never too little (or too big) to love.

Tiny Too-Little loves someone who’s very, very tall, and Tiny wants a kiss. What if he stands on his tiptoes on top of a thimble? What if he stands on his tiptoes on top of a matchbox on top of a thimble? Clever cut-away pages show Tiny’s precarious pile growing higher and higher, while the object of his affection stays just out of reach. When the teetering stack finally falls with a crash, will his hopes be dashed? How can a tiny mouse get the kiss he needs?

My Review: This story of opposites attract will tug at the heart strings of its readers. It is so cute to watch the mouse try everything it can to reach up to give his love a kiss. It also has great opportunities for choral reading as it is much like “There’s a hole at the bottom of the sea” and I can see children reciting all the different things that Tiny Too-Little stands on. And the moral behind the story (everyone deserves to be loved) is one that every little reader needs to hear. This will be such a fun book to read to my son!

Hearts
Author: Thereza Rowe
Published January 7th, 2014 by Toon Books

Goodreads Summary: When Penelope the Fox drops her heart into the sea, she’s swept off on a perilous journey, dodging sharks and royal cat-guards until a cartwheeling chicken leads her to the land of lost things. Young readers will fall in love with Thereza Rowe’s bold and playful designs. And as they follow Penelope (and her heart!), they will learn what is truly precious.

My Review: This is a much more complex story than I thought it would be. The book is being advertised as “A first comic for brand-new readers,” so I thought it meant brand new, but it is actually more of a book that I’d use and share with soon to be school-age children. It’ll be so much fun to talk through the comic with a new reader as there is much that s/he could narrate and many opportunities to discuss what is happening. A great introduction to sequential comics (the back of the book even has”How to read comics with kids” tips). There are also lots of twists and turns that will keep the reader on their toes as they follow Penelope on her quest for her heart.

Wishing you all a day filled with love!

**Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing copies for review**

Press Here by Hervé Tullet

July 27, 2015February 13, 2014 by Ricki

Press Here
Author: Hervé Tullet
Translator: Christopher Franceschelli
Published March 20th, 2011 by Chronicle Books

Goodreads Summary: Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising book instructs the reader to press the dots, shake the pages, tilt the book, and who knows what will happen next! Children and adults alike will giggle with delight as the dots multiply, change direction, and grow in size! Especially remarkable because the adventure occurs on the flat surface of the simple, printed page, this unique picture book about the power of imagination and interactivity will provide read-aloud fun for all ages!

Review: This is a wonderfully innovative book. It asks the child to interact with the story—pressing, tilting, shaking, etc. at each page. I am not ashamed to admit that I was smiling and following the instructions, eagerly wondering what awaited me on the next pages. I suspect I am going to have a very active child (based on the stories about my husband), and this book will allow him to wiggle and jump as he reads. This is a book that makes reading fun.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I could see this being a great book for buddy/paired reading. It will evoke a lot of laughter and giggles from kids. I also wonder how this might be used to teach writing to middle and high schoolers. It is certainly innovative, and I bet teachers might use it to teach creativity and breaking the mold of typical writing.

Discussion Questions: What might the author’s purpose be for writing this book?; How does the author creatively reach readers? How can this be incorporated into your own writing?

We Flagged: “There. Well done. Now tilt the page to the left…just to see what happens.”

Read This If You Loved: Perfect Square by Michael Hall, Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas

Recommended For:

Space Encyclopedia by David A. Aguilar

February 26, 2018February 12, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Space Encyclopedia: A Tour of our Solar System and Beyond
Author: David A. Aguilar
Published August 17th, 2013 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: Presenting the latest exciting findings on space exploration and research and cutting-edge, spectacular views of the universe that technology is bringing back to Earth, all in one ultimate reference book. Authored by David A. Aguilar of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the National Geographic Space Encyclopedia is ideal for the family bookshelf, providing both accessible information for school reports and compelling reading on the mysteries beyond our world.

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book is so full of information! It is almost more of a browsing or researching book because it is just so much. I will say the information is easy to understand (Aguilar constructed the book almost like a journey which makes it easier to follow) the the photographs and scientifically accurate illustrations are some of the best I’ve ever seen. In my time of reading this book, I learned so much and can definitely see how it would be a huge asset to a classroom (science or language arts).

Discussion Questions: After reading about _____, what did you learn?

We Flagged: “Neptune: We’re nearing the pale blue icy world of Neptune. It has the wildest weather of any planet in the solar system, with winds that blow at speeds over 1,200 miles per hour. Like the other Jovian planets, Neptune doesn’t have a surface to walk on. Although the clouds surrounding it are very cold, -350 degrees Fahrenheit, its rocky iron core is about the same temperature as the sun’s surface.” (p. 62)

Read This If You Loved: Any nonfiction book about space, for background knowledge when reading science fiction that takes place in space

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Tracey Daniels at Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy for review**