National Geographic Kids’ Mythical Beasts: 100 Fun Facts About Real Animals and the Myths They Inspire by Stephanie Warren Drimmer & Bling!: 100 Fun Facts About Gems by Emma Carlson Berne

by
Share

Mythical Beasts: 100 Fun Facts About Real Animals and the Myths They Inspire
Author: Stephanie Warren Drimmer
Published January 4th, 2022 by National Geographic Kids

Summary: Calling all fans of unicorns, dragons, sea monsters, and other mythical creatures! Discover 100 marvelous facts that add to the magic in this new reader for fluent readers.

Key features include:

  • Expert-vetted text appropriate for ages 7 to 9
  • Brilliant and eye-catching National Geographic images
  • 100 fun facts spread throughout the book
  • A fact roundup at the end of each book for kids to review what they’ve learned

Packed with weird-but-true facts and tons of info, this Level 3 reader explores animals that are mistaken for mythical creatures, critters that are almost too weird for reality, and other creatures with incredible abilities. Learn all about these amazing, unbelievable, and downright fantastical beasts!

About the Author: STEPHANIE WARREN DRIMMER writes books and magazine features for kids about everything from the strangest places in space, to the chemistry of cookies, to the mysteries of the human brain. Drimmer has a degree in science journalism from New York University, but she thinks she likes writing for kids because she’s secretly still one herself.

Bling!: 100 Fun Facts About Gems
Author: Emma Carlson Berne
Published January 4th, 2022 by National Geographic Kids

Summary: Get ready to be dazzled by some of the shiniest, most colorful, useful—and even dangerous—rocks, minerals, and gems on the planet! In this Level 3 reader, discover fascinating facts about the incredible rocks and minerals under our feet and deep in Earth’s crust. Budding geologists will love reading about how rocks form, learning the names and features of the coolest rocks and minerals, and exploring rare and beautiful gemstones.

Key features include:

  • Expert-vetted text appropriate for ages 7 to 9
  • Brilliant and eye-catching National Geographic images
  • 100 fun facts sprinkled throughout the book*
  • A fact roundup at the end of each book for kids to review what they’ve learned

Packed with weird-but-true facts and tons of cool info, this Level 3 reader explores the incredible world of geology.

About the Author: EMMA CARLSON BERNE writes juvenile, middle grade, and YA fiction and nonfiction for both educational and trade publishers. She has worked on projects with Disney/Lucasfilm Press, American Girl Publishing, Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, Sterling Publishing, Capstone, Rosen, and Alloy Entertainment. Berne lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she is the writer-in-residence for the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

About the Series: This high-interest, educationally-vetted readers series features magnificent National Geographic images accompanied by text written by experienced, skilled children’s book authors. Each reader includes a glossary and interactive features in which kids get to use what they’ve learned in the book. Level 1 readers reinforce the content of the book with a kinesthetic learning activity. Level 2 readers feature slightly higher-level text and additional vocabulary words. Level 3 readers have more layers of information to challenge more proficient readers. For emerging readers, the Pre-reader level introduces vocabulary and concepts, and the Co-reader level provides a collaborative reading experience.

Review: I am such a fan of National Geographic Kids’ books. They do such a great job with engaging material that is perfect for the audience they are aimed for. With these Fact Reader Level 3 books, I really loved the mix of chapters with expository text mixed with text features that add to the text as well as fact lists that will make sure the reader leaves with fun facts to share. Everything that is shared in the books are so interesting and will definitely grab the readers attention. For example, in Bling!  we learn about rocks and minerals in space, different types of rocks, the oldest rocks, difference between rocks and minerals, and geology & archaeology information. Mythical Beasts includes mistaken identities, strange animals that are hard to believe, and animals with mythical powers. Both books are great nonfiction texts that are going to find so many early elementary readers!

Discussion Questions: 

  • How does the table of contents and index help you when reading a nonfiction book?
  • What text features did you notice throughout the book? How did they add to the book?
  • What facts did you learn from the book? What was your favorite fact you learned?
  • What else would you like to learn about the topics?

Flagged Passages: 

Read This If You Love: Geology, Archaeology, Animals, Mythology, Nonfiction

Recommended For: 

classroomlibrarybuttonsmall

Signature

**Thank you to Karen at Media Masters for providing copies for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 5/9/22

by
Share

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop co-hosted by Unleashing Readers and Teach Mentor Texts which focuses on sharing books marketed for children and young adults. It offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

Bold_line

Tuesday: I Am Able to Shine by Korey Watari, Illustrated by Mike Wu
**Giveaway Open Until Friday!**

Saturday: Student Voices: Nathan Hale’s Visit to Kellee’s School

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

Bold_line

Kellee

Finding Orion by John David AndersonFlunked by Jen CalonitaCharmed by Jen Calonita

  • Finding Orion by John David Anderson: I love John David Anderson books! It is so amazing how each of his books are different yet so much fun to read. Finding Orion was a quirky realistic fiction story about Orion’s odd family and a quest they must go on after Rion’s grandfather dies. The family learns more than they expect on the quest. I can’t wait to discuss this book with my 7th grade book club.
  • Flunked & Charmed (Fairy Tale Reform School) by Jen Calonita: Fans of Land of Stories and Whatever After will definitely love this series. Gilly just wants to help her family, but that meant stealing, so when she was caught the third time, she is sent to Fairy Tale Reform School which begins an adventure she could have never imagined.

Frizzy by Claribel A. OrtegaRide On by Faith Erin HicksThe Sand Warrior by Mark Siegel

  • Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega, illustrated by Rose Bousamra: This story felt so real to me: the friendship between Marlene and Camila reminds me of so many BFFs I’ve taught, how mean kids like to point out Marlene’s differences is sadly too common in middle school, Marlene’s struggle with her identity versus what our society expects, and Marlene’s struggle to be true with her mom is something most middle schoolers struggle with. But luckily, this book is about self love, and I. Love. Books. About. Self. Love! And Bousamra’s illustrations just brough Ortega’s story to life! I will definitely get this for my students.
  • Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks: Ride On is about figuring out one’s place as they fall out with friends who may not have the same goals as them and finding new friends that are accepting with all aspects of you, and how this is okay! So much of this felt true when it comes to middle school friendships. Oh, and all of this is surrounded by horses and riding competitions (and a little bit of sci-fi love!). Another gem by Hicks!
  • Five Worlds: The Sand Warrior by Mark Siegel & Alexis Siegel, illustrated by Xanthe Bouma & Matt Rockefeller: Trent was given this series by his librarian, and when he finished, he was flabbergasted that I’d only read the first 3 of the series and hadn’t finished it, so I promised him that I would reread the first ones then finish it so we can talk, and I liked the book just as much the second time as I did the first time!

Frieren by Kanehito YamadaAlice in the Country of Hearts, Vol. 1 by QuinRoseOrange by Ichigo Takano

  • Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 1 by Kanehito Yamada, illustrated by Tsukasa Abe: The first volume of this fantasy manga sucked me–I hope my library will get some more volumes! Frieren is an elf mage who will outlive everyone she is close with, so she has to find a purpose for her life.
  • Alice in the Kingdom of Hearts, Vol. 1 by QuinRose, illustrated by Soumei Hoshino: What a dark and twisted Alice in Wonderland story! The concept starts a lot like the original story, but that is really where the comparisons, other than character names, ends and all the twists and turns begin!
  • I’ve Been Killing Slime for 3000 Years and Maxed Out My Level, Vol. 1 by Kisetsu Morita, illustrated by Benio: Another fun fantasy quest series which I hope to read more of! Azusa just wants to live a peaceful life, but overtime, she has become over powered and now people will not leave her alone. What is she going to do now?
  • Orange: Future by Ichigo Takano: I loved Orange, and I had no idea that there was a sequel to the original series which shows us what happened to the characters in the future. It overall made my heart so happy!

Astra Lost in Space, Vol. 1 by Kenta ShinoharaAstra Lost in Space, Vol. 2 by Kenta Shinohara彼方のアストラ 3 [Kanata no Astra 3] by Kenta ShinoharaAstra Lost in Space, Vol. 4 by Kenta Shinohara彼方のアストラ 5 [Kanata no Astra 5] by Kenta Shinohara

  • Astra: Lost in Space Vol. 1-5 by Kenta Shinohara: My library clerk and I devoured this series–it was so, so, so good! I think I can say that it is one of my favorite sci-fi series ever. The concept is intriguing (a group of students on an interstellar field trip get abandoned in space) and that is just the beginning of so much. Highly recommend!

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: This book is unlike any other book that I have ever read. It is so full of heart, has a wonderful plot, and has a much deeper meaning than it seems at first. And everyone in the book is so loveable. I mean, who cannot love a green amorphous blob that wants to be a bell hop or a gnome that is obsessed with gardening?!?! I love Klune’s writing–it is such a pleasure to read! I can see why this book has so much hype.

The Bruce Swap by Ryan T. HigginsOur Planet! There's No Place Like Earth by Stacy McAnultyNot Quite Narwhal by Jessie SimaPerfectly Pegasus by Jessie SimaBloom by Ruth FormanThe National Menagerie of Art by Thaïs Vanderheyden

  • Bruce Swap by Ryan T. Higgins: I couldn’t believe we’d missed a Bruce book! So happy to have realized it and fixed it because all of the Bruce books are so good!
  • Our Planet! There’s No Place Like Earth by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by David Litchfield: Although I don’t believe this book is part of the Our Universe series, it fits right in as it is told from Earth’s point of view, teaches the reader throughout the book, and even has a bit of humor. This one makes sure the reader understands how important our planet it and taking care of it–a great way to discuss global warming with kids.
  • Not Quite Narwhal and Perfectly Pegasus by Jessie Sima: When we saw Perfectly Pegasus at the book store, we were so excited that Jessie Sima had written a new book. Then to read it and find out that Kelp is in the new book also just made it that much better, so we definitely had to reread Not Quite Narwhal. Both books have great messages of family and found family.
  • Bloom by Ruth Forman, illustrated by Talia Skyles: BEAUTIFUL! Each girl-presenting girl in this book blooms just like the flowers that surrounds them. No matter their looks, hair, clothes, etc., they are beautiful and are a force. And the art! Wow. The soft tone just invites the readers into the spreads.
  • The National Menagerie of Art: Masterpieces from Vincent Van Goat to Lionhardo Da Stinki by Thaïs Vanderheyden: What a fun book! If I was an art teacher, well any teacher!, I would want this in my classroom ASAP! Vanderheyden does a fabulous job creating parodies of classic pieces of art, all with animals. Both Trent and my favorite is definitely “Pandamonium!” And the addition of the backmatter with information about the original pieces of art brings it all together.

Endlessly Ever After by Laurel SnyderLizzy and the Cloud by Terry FanI Am Able to Shine by Korey WatariThe Smart Cookie by Jory John

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

It’s finals week, so I am very busy! I will catch up next week!

Bold_line

Kellee

Tricked (Fairy Tale Reform School, #3)The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen, #1)The Cobalt Prince

Bold_line

 

Tuesday: National Geographic Kids’ Mythical Beasts: 100 Fun Facts About Real Animals and the Myths They Inspire by Stephanie Warren Drimmer & Bling!: 100 Fun Facts About Gems by Emma Carlson Berne

Thursday: Close-Up On War: The Story of Pioneering Photojournalist Catherine Leroy in Vietnam by Mary Cronk Farrell

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Lowey Bundy Sichol, Author of Idea Makers: 15 Fearless Female Entrepreneurs

Bold_line

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

Student Voices: Nathan Hale’s Visit to Kellee’s Middle School

by
Share

In February, after two years of waiting, Nathan Hale finally came to Hunter’s Creek Middle School!

For his visit, he did 5 large group presentations where he told two different stories (one about James Garfield and one about Lewis & Clark) then a lunch writing workshop (where students wrote their own comic). Students greatly enjoyed their time with Nathan Hale!

Here are some reflections from my students:

  • Nathan Hale’s visit was so fun and entertaining while also being educational. He talked about the corps of discovery but not just about Luis and Clark, he focused on their group rather on just them who other people wouldn’t have even mentioned. I love how he said that they ate every single animal they came across and that they got fat due to eating all that meat I especially liked that York still had his abs even after he got fat. I didn’t even know that they took mercury who sent them. Nathan Hale was so nice and funny I would have loved to say thank you, but I’m sad I didn’t get to. But thank you Mrs. Moye for presenting us with the opportunity to meet Nathan Hale, I enjoyed it.

  • Meeting Mr. Hale was an experience I will never forget. He was so fun and light-hearted and he made sure that learning history an unforgettable experience. He made everything easy to understand and kept me engaged the whole lesson. Overall, this was one of my favorite experiences meeting an author.

  • I loved Nathan Hale’s visit. I think he was super funny when he was tell us the story about the corps of discovery and his art style was amazing as well. I  I also loved that he had humor in the story but also got the information of the story across. 

  • Nathan Hale’s visit was awesome! I loved the different stories and how creative he was. I thought that the story about Garfield was really intriguing and unique. He educated me about a piece of history I had no idea about. I loved the way animated the characters as well, I thought it was brilliant. I really hope he can come visit again soon–it was an amazing time, I never got bored.

  • I loved the presentation! I liked how he animated his illustrations. I almost wish he would turn the Lewis and Clark explanation into a book. I would definitely read the book. I also loved the way he included some of the forgotten people in the expedition like York and Pomp.

  • Nathan Hale was an entertainer. He expresses and talks in a way that captivates the audience, and makes them want to laugh loud at his jokes. Nathan Hale is able to make a story interesting, with nothing more than paper and a pen. Personally, for me, I don’t enjoy history, because it’s usually all gloom and doom, but Nathan Hale made it fun, funny, and entertaining, all while drawing out the scenes at the same time. Nathan Hale is a great multitasker, considering he must draw very fast and well, and still incorporate it into the story, all in 45 minutes. I really enjoyed Nathan Hale’s visit to our middle school, and I loved the way he interacted with the crowd.

  • My reflection on the Nathan Hale visit was that it was absolutely amazing. Like, seriously, it was really good. I loved the whole presentation about Lewis and Clark and the core of discovery. Nathan Hale really made me believe that I was seeing the story unfold right as he was drawing it. Which in its own right, is so cool! His drawing was so fun and interesting and I loved all his characters. The story itself was really entertaining, and I enjoyed the whole story, though I think my favorite part has got to be when he did the voices and characters for the core of discovery tryouts. My favorite characters I think would be York or Sacagawea. All in all, I thought that the story was great, the characters were great, and Nathan Hale was amazing.

  • Nathan Hale is very funny, and it was really cool how he connected Garfield the cat and Garfield the president. It was cool to see how he basically created another short graphic on the spot during the presentation. I was there for the special book presentation, and it was so interesting to see how he interacted with everyone. In my opinion, he would make a great teacher. 

  • Nathen Hale was a very funny and I loved the story of the president Garfield.  He is very talented at expressing his thought and emotions with drawing and making them appealing and fun to others. I really like how he told us the way he works and how he can make everyone laugh with his illustration and way of telling the story. 

  • I found his presentation to be amazing. The speed at which he drew was incredible, and he was still able to draw accurately. I was also very impressed with how he was able to draw something and move on to a different section of the screen, but then use the drawing later, while being able to change it slightly to suit his purposes. And pertaining to the story itself, I was surprised how he found a very “happy” historical fact in the usually bloody stories.

As you can see, he was so engaging; I would highly recommend him (and my students would, too!) for any 4th-8th grade author visit!

Signature

Review and Giveaway!: I Am Able to Shine by Korey Watari, Illustrated by Mike Wu

by
Share

I Am Able to Shine
Author: Korey Watari
Illustrator: Wike Wu
Published May 1st, 2022 by Two Lions

Summary: An affirmative, empowering story about embracing your identity and finding your voice, inspired in part by debut author Korey Watari’s experiences growing up Asian American, and illustrated by her husband, Mike Wu, Pixar artist and creator of the Ellie series.

I am beautiful.
I belong here.
What I do matters.
I am able to shine.

Each night Keiko whispers to her crane, “I wish to change the world.” She is kind, and she has big dreams. But at times she feels invisible; she knows some people misjudge her. Keiko is also loved, so she perseveres and stands strong. Over time, her confidence grows, she shares more of herself, and she helps lift up others—and eventually lead them. She understands that no matter what, she can shine.

About the Creators: Husband-and-wife team Korey Watari and Mike Wu live in the San Francisco Bay Area in California with their two lively daughters. This is their first picture book together. Korey is a sansei, or third generation Japanese American, born and raised in Los Angeles. She played basketball for a Japanese American League, graduated from the University of California Riverside, and studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Korey has worked in the animation and fashion industries for companies such as Disney and the Gap. This is her first picture book. Learn more at www.koreywatari.com or on Twitter at @tinyteru.

Mike is the author and illustrator of the acclaimed, bestselling Ellie series, the first picture book of which was named one of NPR’s best books of the year. He is also a Pixar artist and has worked on films including The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Toy Story 3, Coco, and Soul. His illustrations have been hailed as “reminiscent of classics like Harry the Dirty Dog and Curious George.” Visit him at www.theartofmikewu.com or on Instagram at @wudog23.

Review: Keiko’s story is beautiful! Watari’s empowering and inspirational text scream from the pages filled with Wu’s emotional and colorful illustrations. The book begins with our introduction to Keiko and her dream. Her dream to be able to be both kind and courageous, determined and hopeful, strong and loved… She wants to figure out how to balance all of her parts of personality to become who she is meant to be.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The back matter of the text takes the book to another level. The author’s note and aspects of Japanese life reflected in the book allow for an extended discussion about students’ culture, empowering differences, and filling life with “courage, kindness, perseverance, inspiration, hope, and love.”

Discussion Questions: 

  • How do Watari and Wu combine inspiration and narrative in the book?
  • How do the illustrations add to Keiko’s story?
  • How did the author’s life inspire the book?
  • How did the author and illustrate reflect Keiko’s Japanese AND American culture?

Flagged Passages: 

Read This If You Love: Lala’s Word by Gracey Zhang; Brilliant Bea by Shaina Rudolph & Mary Vukadinovich, illustrated by Fiona Lee; Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers by Al-Hathloul Lina, illustrated by Rebecca Green; To Change a Planet by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell

Recommended For: 

classroomlibrarybuttonsmall

Giveaway!!:

Giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a copy of I Am Able to Shine, courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. and Canada addresses).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Signature

**Thank you to Blue Slip Media for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 5/2/22

by
Share

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop co-hosted by Unleashing Readers and Teach Mentor Texts which focuses on sharing books marketed for children and young adults. It offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

Bold_line

Tuesday: Lizzy and the Cloud by The Fan Brothers

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Bringing Songwriting into your Classroom” by Chari Smith, Author of The Piano

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

Bold_line

Kellee

.Oops, I know I said I would post today, but this is standardized testing week (BOOO!) and my UCF grades are due this week, so I am taking another week off. But as always, to see what books I’ve been reading, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I will also be back next week because it is the last week of classes!

Bold_line


Tuesday: I Am Able to Shine by Korey Watari, Illustrated by Mike Wu

Saturday: Student Voices: Nathan Hale’s Visit to Kellee’s School

Bold_line

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

Author Guest Post: “Bring Songwriting into your Classroom” by Chari Smith, Author of The Piano

by
Share

“Bring songwriting into your classroom”

Songs are memorable. Lyrics just stick to use, don’t they? Think about the abc song, much easier to remember the order of letters when it’s put to a song. When I taught music and theater grades K-6, I collaborated with teachers on their curriculum to incorporate what they were teaching into my classroom.

Teaching about the solar system? Let’s make a song about it.

Going through the multiplication table? Let’s put that into a tune.

The students sang these songs in the classroom, hallways, waiting for pick up, and more. Songs are memorable, and fun!

There are four ways you can bring this into your classroom:

  1. You create the song, by writing lyrics to a familiar tune or writing the music and lyrics yourself. Then, teach it to your class.
  2. Students write new lyrics to a familiar tune – individually or in groups
  3. Students write the song – music and lyrics
  4. Collaborate with the music teacher, or a local music school to do ongoing songwriting workshops

Let’s focus on option 2, having the students write new lyrics to a familiar tune. If you choose to have students work in groups, it’s an excellent opportunity to build their teamwork skills. You can start with basic songs they probably learned in pre-school to warm up.

The first step is to create a list of possible songs they can choose from. You can even create this list with students. When starting out, it’s best to start with simple songs. As they write more and more, moving on to longer songs such as pop tunes is fine. Starting with these short easy songs first helps them learn the process.

Some easy songs to start with include:

  • If You’re Happy and You Know It. If you’re happy and you know it. …
  • The Wheels on the Bus. What is this? …
  • Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, …
  • Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. …
  • The Ants Go Marching.
  • Itsy Bitsy Spider

The second step is to create a list of possible topics they can create a song about. You can do this for them or with them. For example, second grade science may include the following topics:

  • Properties of Matter(classifying matter, changing states, reversible and irreversible changes in matter, structures)
  • Living Things (needs of living things, seed dispersal and pollination, animal survival, migration, hibernation, dormancy, life cycles, inherited traits, fossils)
  • Habitats(desert, forests, grassland, marine, freshwater, polar, tundra, microhabitats
  • Earth’s Systems(landforms, wind, water, erosion)

(source: https://mrsjonessclass.com/2020/08/little-2nd-grade-science-thinkers.html)

Here’s an example of using the Itsy Bitsy Spider to sing about the stages of the butterfly:

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Subject: Life stages of a butterfly

The butterfly starts as just an egg

Then grows into a caterpillar friend

Onto the chrysalis stage where it stays in a cocoon

Then at last the butterfly emerges and fly, fly’s away.

Did you try and sing it? I hope so. (Hear it HERE!)

Once students are in groups, have chosen the song as well as the topic, they are ready to get to the songwriting fun. Students should write lyrics in pencil. One approach may be to have each student write their own ideas for the song first, then share with each other to make decisions on what to include.

Once done, students can perform their songs. This songwriter’s showcase can be for each other, parents, or the whole school. It’s a great way for students to engage with your curriculum, build teamwork skills, encourage, and ultimately – have fun!

Published February 3rd, 2022 by Black Rose Writing

About the Book:The friendly piano is thrilled when a young musician named Katie first presses its keys. As Katie and the piano become daily companions, her musical skills grow and grow. Together they play beautiful music to match her every mood. But when Katie moves away for college, the piano is left behind, untouched and silent. What happens next helps the piano—and young readers—see learning as a never-ending cycle and music as a life-long source of joy.

“….a charming picture book about the experience of learning how to play an instrument from the perspective of a piano and its journey through one young musician’s life. The illustrations by Elle Smith, the author’s daughter, add warmth and depth to the story.” Amy Wang, The Oregonian, February 4, 2022

Full story: Catch up with these 10 picture books from Oregon authors and illustrators

“Together, Chari and Elle created a literary masterpiece, a children’s picture book called “The Piano”.  In it, children will be able to experience a beautiful combination of words that describes music in ways only a true musician could present. Phrases like “Bouncy beats” and “sounds that soared, and sank” helps the reader immerse in a musical moment even when there is no sound.”

The Reading Behaviorist, March 10, 2022 Full review here.

About the Author: Chari studied at Berklee College of Music and has been a writer/composer/pianist most of her life. In Boulder, Colorado, she wrote and produced two musicals with the Boulder Arts Academy. Chari also taught jazz piano to children as well as adults.

She is a published playwright — Extraordinary Women from U.S. History: Readers Theatre for Grades 4-8 (Teacher Ideas Press/ Libraries Unlimited, 2003) and Little Plays for Little People (Teacher Ideas Press/Libraries Unlimited, 1996). Her mini-musical Book Club was a part of the Portland Mini Musical Festival 2020. She is currently writing a full-length musical “Freedom: The Untold Story of Moses.”

Stay connected:
www.charismith.com
Instagram: charismusicaladventures
Facebook: @charismithwriter

Thank you, Chari, for this catchy author guest post!

Lizzy and the Cloud by The Fan Brothers

by
Share

Lizzy and the Cloud
Creators: Terry Fan & Eric Fan
Publishing May 3rd, 2022 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary: The tale of a young girl who cares for her pet cloud as it grows.

It’s a little out of fashion to buy a pet cloud, but Lizzy doesn’t mind. She’s not looking for a big one or a fancy one, just one that’s right for her. And she finds it in Milo.

Soon, she’s taking Milo out on walks with her family, watering Milo right on schedule, and seeing Milo grow and grow. But what happens when her pet cloud gets too big for Lizzy to handle?

About the Creators: 

Terry Fan received his formal art training at Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada. His work is a blend of traditional and contemporary techniques, using ink or graphite mixed with digital. He spends his days (and nights) creating magical paintings, portraits, and prints. Terry is the cocreator of The Night Gardener, It Fell from the Sky, and Lizzy and the Cloud. Born in Illinois, he now lives in Toronto. Visit him online TheFanBrothers.com.

Eric Fan is an artist and writer who lives in Toronto, Canada. Born in Hawaii and raised in Toronto, he attended the Ontario College of Art and Design, where he studied illustration, sculpture, and film. He has a passion for vintage bikes, clockwork contraptions, and impossible dreams. Eric is the cocreator of The Night Gardener, It Fell from the Sky, and Lizzy and the Cloud. Visit him online TheFanBrothers.com.

Review: With the Fan Brothers, readers have come to expect poetic words and illustrations, and they do not disappoint with Lizzy’s story. Just like my favorite Fan Brothers’ book, The Barnabus Project, I found myself falling in love with the characters because their personality jumps off the pages. Although the words are sparse, they are specifically chosen and when teamed up with the beautiful illustrations, the story has so much more depth than you may realize at first glance. For example, I think the ending of this book is something that could be used to talk about so many tough subjects, and it is done in a respectful, positive, and approachable manner. Another winning picture book from the Fan Brothers!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I see this text being used interdisciplinary in reading, science, and art. It will make a wonderful read aloud! The story and illustrations work beautifully together and there are some great discussion questions that can be used with the book. I’d then use the book in science to discuss the science of clouds–Milo will be a great cloud example! Finally, students could draw their own cloud balloons! You can even through in some SEL talking about tantrums and letting go.

Discussion Questions: 

  • What does it tell you about Lizzy that she didn’t care what was popular?
  • Why do you think Lizzy wanted an ordinary cloud and not one of the animals?
  • What do you think would be the biggest problem would be if you had your own cloud?
  • How did Lizzy and Milo work together to make their friendship work?
  • How did Milo change? Why?
  • Why did Lizzy have to make the choice she did at the end of the book?
  • What theme do you believe the authors were trying to convey with the ending?
  • Do you think Milo changed Lizzy? How so?
  • How did the illustrators use color and shading to convey mood?

Flagged Passages: 

Read This If You Love: Books by The Fan Brothers, Matthew Forsythe, Sophie Blackall, Oliver Jeffers, Brian Floca, Liz Wong

Recommended For: 

classroomlibrarybuttonsmall   

Signature

**Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing a copy for review!!**