Top Ten Tuesday: Characters We’d NEVER Trade Places With

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

 Today’s Topic: Top Ten Characters We’d Never Want To Trade Places With

Let them live their own miserable life.

Ricki

1. Lakshmi from Sold by Patricia McCormick

I can’t imagine the betrayal and sadness that Lakshmi felt after she was sold into slavery. Her situation makes me feel very emotional because it is the sad reality for too many children in our world.

2. Katniss from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

As much as I am a strong person, I would just sit down and cry. I would make a terrible tribute.

3. Gray from Endgame by Nancy Garden

When I read this book, I couldn’t help but feel beaten down right along with Gray. He is relentlessly bullied, and I wouldn’t ever want to experience the pain he felt.

4. Felix from Once by Morris Gleitzman

I could think of a lot of characters living through genocide that I wouldn’t want to trade places with. My heart races when I read the books in this series because I am so terrified for Felix.

5. Charlie from Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

This is actually the first book that came to my mind. I remember reading this book in eighth grade and feeling very frustrated right along with Charlie as he struggled to understand the world. To be honest, I should probably reread it before I include it on my TTT lists because I haven’t read it in about 17 years and I might be remembering it incorrectly.

Kellee

At first I wanted to pick all characters who had an untimely death, but decided that was an easy way out. Here are my choices because, well, it would suck/be sad/be miserable to be them.

1. Hazel from The Fault in our Stars by John Green

I couldn’t imagine going through everything she’s gone through, survived, and then had to deal with Gus.

2. Rory from girlchild by Tupelo Hassman

I cannot imagine being born into Rory’s home life. Deep poverty, in general, scares me because I know how hard it is to get out of it and Rory is stuck. That terrifies me.

3. Cathy from Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

Um…. A dead dad, a horrible mother, an evil grandmother, a sibling’s death, and incest…. No thank you!

4. Laine from Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles

Laine has much to deal with. I cannot imagine the years of emotional abuse she lived through and she has not even started recovering yet.

5. Brian Stutts from This Is Not A Drill by Beck McDowell

PTSD + losing his son + a very bad decision = losing his son for a very long time. I think that what Brian is dealing with may be one of the hardest things. He made a horrible choice and now has to deal with that as well. I would not want to be him.

Who would you never trade places with?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 1/27/14

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

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme 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

top ten tuesday lifetime the man with the violin Mock Sibert Button

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Mostly this week I have been working on a graphic novel project and have reread a bunch of graphic novels (including a new reading of Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Big Bad IroncladTreaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood) and it has just reminded me how much I really enjoy graphic novels.  I also read Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan and was quite impressed with the format of this novel–very unique and clever.

Ricki: I had a great reading week! I divided them into categories below!

Professional Development: I finished Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. It was dense, but a historically important book that is still applicable today. I’ve always wanted to read Freire, so I was glad to get this one under my belt.
YA: I finished Winger by Andrew Smith. With each page, I loved this book more and more. By the end, I couldn’t put it down!
Children’s Books: I read two classics to my son: Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina and Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. My friend just sent me You Mean the World to Me by Bayne Gibby. I think every mother will appreciate this beautiful book. I read Billy Crystal’s I Already Know I Love You. I wasn’t in love with it, but it was a nice book. Lastly, I read an AWESOME book that many of you probably know about (and I missed!): Press Here by Hervé Tullet. My two-month-old cannot follow the instructions of this text (pressing, wiggling, shaking, etc.) but I cannot WAIT until he is old enough to play with this interactive text. What a gem! This is going to be my go-to book to give to friends who are having babies. 🙂

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I am still listening to Courage Has No Color by Tanya Lee Stone. I didn’t get very much read as I car pooled a lot this week (and it was a short week), but I hope to finish this week as I am not car pooling 3 days. I also plan on reading Far Far Away by Tom McNeal which has received really wonderful reviews.

Ricki: This week, I want to read Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education by Nel Noddings, a professional development text I have heard referenced quite often. I also want to read The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson. Of course, I will select some children’s books to read to my son, too!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

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 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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Unleashing Readers and Kid Lit Frenzy 2014 Mock Sibert Award Winner!

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It is just days until we learn what book takes home the coveted Sibert Award, but today is the day here on Unleashing Readers and over on Kid Lit Frenzy where we find out who won our Mock Sibert Award!!!

*drum roll*

AND THE WINNER IS…..

brave

What a phenomenal choice!
Now we just have to wait until Monday to find out if the Sibert committee agrees.

We are also happy to announce our giveaway winner. Congratulations to LYNNE EICHEL who chose Brave Girl as her prize.

I had such a blast hosting the Mock Sibert with Alyson!
Thank you to all who participated and cannot wait to see who wins on Monday!

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The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson (Ricki’s Review)

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The Man with the Violin
Author: Kathy Stinson
Illustrator: Dusan Petricic
Published August 8th, 2013 by Annick Press

Goodreads Summary: This gorgeous picture book is based on the true story of Joshua Bell, the renowned American violinist who famously took his instrument down into the Washington D.C. subway for a free concert. More than a thousand commuters rushed by him, but only seven stopped to listen for more than a minute. In The Man With the Violin, bestselling author Kathy Stinson has woven a heart-warming story that reminds us all to stop and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us.

Dylan is someone who notices things. His mom is someone who doesn’t. So try as he might, Dylan can’t get his mom to listen to the man playing the violin in the subway station. But Dylan is swept away by the soaring and swooping notes that fill the air as crowds of oblivious people rush by. With the beautiful music in his head all day long, Dylan can’t forget the violinist, and finally succeeds in making his mother stop and listen, too.

Vividly imagined text combined with illustrations that pulse with energy and movement expertly demonstrate the transformative power of music. With an afterword explaining Joshua Bell’s story, and a postscript by Joshua Bell himself.

Review: My aunt bought my son this book when she heard people raving about it in the bookstore. It is an absolutely wonderful story. People pay hundreds of dollars to hear Joshua Bell play his violin, yet few stopped to listen when he played in the subway. It begs the question—just what are we missing each day, as we pass through our lives bustling about, blind to the beauty in the world around us? I can’t wait until my son is a bit older, as I think this would be a fantastic book to read together and then head out into the world, stopping and noticing.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This would be a great book to read before a field trip or an outdoor walk. I also love that the author turned a news article into a picture book. It would be really fun for students to choose a news article to transform.

Discussion Questions: Just what are we missing each day?; Why do you think children noticed Joshua Bell more often? What does this say about people, in general?

We Flagged: “Who is playing that beautiful music in the subway? And why is nobody listening?”

Read This If You Loved: Walden by Henry David Thoreau, Little Bobo by Serena Romanelli, Little Rat Makes Music by Monika Bang-Campbell

Recommended For: 

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Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives by Lola M. Schaefer

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NF PB 2014

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!

lifetime

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives
Author: Lola Schaefer
Illustrator: Christopher Silas Neal
Published September 20th, 2013 by Chronicle Books

Goodreads Summary: In one lifetime, a caribou will shed 10 sets of antlers, a woodpecker will drill 30 roosting holes, a giraffe will wear 200 spots, a seahorse will birth 1,000 babies.

Count each one and many more while learning about the wondrous things that can happen in just one lifetime. This extraordinary book collects animal information not available anywhere else—and shows all 30 roosting holes, all 200 spots, and, yes!, all 1,000 baby seahorses in eye-catching illustrations. A book about picturing numbers and considering the endlessly fascinating lives all around us, Lifetime is sure to delight young nature lovers.

Review and Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I learned so much reading this book. My friend Amanda actually read it first and kept yelling out the facts because they are just so interesting; obviously students would find them interesting as well. On top of it just being interesting, this book is a little book of gold! It is a perfect combination of reading, math, and science! Also, the illustrations are just so well done! Throughout the book, scientific facts about animals are shared with the reader (all with numbers) and then in the end of the book Lola Schaefer also shares with the reader even more information about the animals, how to find an average, and other math facts.  And not once does the book even feel a bit boring–it is a perfect read aloud and cross-curricular text.

Discussion Questions: Which of the animals interests you the most?; Using how the author teaches you to find an average, pick an animal and determine the average number of offspring they will have in a lifetime.

We Flagged: 

Read This If You Loved: Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson, Weird but True! by National Geographic, Island by Jason Chin, Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins, Actual Size by Steve Jenkins

Recommended For: 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Things On Our Reading Wishlists

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

 Today’s Topic: Top Ten Things On Our Reading Wishlists 

We’d love for authors to write about…

Ricki

1. Knowledge

At times I feel that I have read every possible theme and topic out there. My favorite books, though, are the ones that include little tidbits of knowledge in their writing. For example, John Green includes famous last words in Looking for Alaska. I love this!

2. Anxiety

Many of my students suffered from severe anxiety. I would like for authors to include more of this issue in their writing because it is so relevant to my students.

3. Science/Mathematics

There are many books that include the subjects of history and English. I would love to read more fictional books that include scientific or mathematical information (without being didactic).

4. Teen Pregnancy (I am risking it with this one…_

I am not wishing for poorly written problem novels where this topic is the main focus of the books, but I would like more books that more realistically portray pregnancy and parenting than 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom. I don’t think teens realize how hard it is to be moms and dads, and I would love more honest portrayals of this.

5. A Setting within Any Historical Time Period

I am stealing this one from Kellee’s top five below. Like her, I am a historical fiction junkie. I can’t get enough of it! Take me back in time, please!

Kellee

I had never thought about this! So many of the books I want are already out there, but if I could, I would love for authors to write (more) about:

1. Chemical Imbalances

Not suicide, not massive depression, not bipolar, but chemical imbalances which millions of people have.

2. Characters who struggle with reading (and a teacher who helps them)

I’d love for my students to see themselves in books (and for them to see that there is hope).

3. Any random historical time period

I did not have a very good history education throughout my secondary education and love reading historical fiction novels to learn about history.

4. The 90s

Such a wonderful time period! Right now the 80s and before are being written about and modern day is being written about, but what about some contemporary historical fiction books about the 90s.

5. Other sports

My students love sports books, but they keep asking me for random sports like lacrosse, gymnastics, hockey, etc. and I cannot find good books about them.

What is on your reading wishlist?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 1/20/14

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

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme 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

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I finished two books this week and they both were 5 star reads–I love weeks like that! First, I finished listening to Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I found this book to be more along the line of his Coraline and other children’s books than his adult books and I adored the magical world he made. I will also say that I am biased a bit, because I listened to the audiobook and I love listening to Gaiman (who narrated).  The other book I read I may have liked even more; I cannot stop raving about it–Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil. It is such a good book and I cannot believe that this book hasn’t been talked about more and that I hadn’t heard about it until recently.  I plan on reviewing it soon for you all.

Ricki: This week, I dipped into the classic children’s books. I read The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I enjoyed rereading these, as I haven’t read them since I was a child. I felt compelled to research Dr. Seuss’s life a bit more because I was so impressed by his language. I also read On the Night You Were Born  by Nancy Tillman and Where the Deep Ones Are by Kenneth Hite. Both were enjoyable, but I liked the classics more.


This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I am quite excited about both of the books I am starting. First, I am going to start listening to Courage Has No Color this week. As always, since I am car pooling, it will take a bit to finish, but I know I am going to enjoy it. I also started Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan. If it is anywhere as good as the other books I’ve read of his, I know it is going to be fantastic.

Ricki: This week, I will definitely finish Winger by Andrew Smith. I am at a REALLY good part. It makes me look forward to my nursing sessions. I also hope to finish Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. This one is good, but very dense! Has anyone else read it?

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday lifetime the man with the violin Mock Sibert Button

 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!

 Signature andRickiSig