Unleashing Readers

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 3/21/22

May 28, 2022March 21, 2022 by Kellee

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!

Tuesday: Breaking Through the Clouds: The Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson by Sandra Nickel, Illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia

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

Kellee

Wingbearer by Marjorie M. Liu Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioacti... by Dav Pilkey One-Punch Man, Vol. 1 by ONE Guardians of the Gryphon's Claw by Todd Calgi Gallicano The Selkie of San Francisco by Todd Calgi Gallicano

Wingbearer by Marjorie Liu, illustrated by Teny Issakhanian: Reviewed here on March 1st!
Captain Underpants #10 by Dav Pilkey: Trent and I had listened to 1-9 of the Captain Underpants series and have been waiting for 10, and it is finally out! The audiobooks of Captain Underpants are great–I love the voices and the sound effects. Book 10 is when things really start getting even more odd, but it is still hilarious and a great story.
One-Punch Man, Vol 1 by ONE: Read this on the recommendation of a student to see if it is one to get for my library, and I found the read to be really quite epic. One Punch Man is exactly as he sounds (can beat anyone with one punch), and it is fun to read about the villains who try to take him on. His sarcasm and deadpan expressions are my favorite part.
Sam London #1 & #2 (Guardians of the Gryphon’s Claw and The Selkie of San Francisco) by Todd Calgi Gallicano: I am so glad I decided to reread book one of this series, so I could read the sequels. Book one is as good as I remember and book two truly takes the story to a whole other level. I am a fan of how Gallicano incorporated mythology into this book–it is a great take that is different than others!

That Egg Is Mine! by Liz Goulet Dubois Mina by Matthew Forsythe I Need a New Butt! by Dawn McMillan Breaking Through the Clouds by Sandra Nickel Ear Worm! by Jo Knowles Ablaze with Color by Jeanne Walker Harvey

That Egg is Mine! by Liz Goulet Dubois: A fun story about finders keepers/sharing with an underlying message. I do love how there are early reader graphic novels available now, too!
Mina by Matthew Forsythe: I love Forsythe’s artwork, and his quirky stories work so well them with them! I love this book that makes you question if you should go by what you think is true or find out the truth yourself.
I Need a New Butt by Dawn McMillan, illustrated by Ross Kinnaird: I’m sure most of you have heard Toby Price’s story by now, so I wanted to support him and the book by getting the book and reading it with Trent, and it is a new favorite of his now! I mean, butt humor is his favorite, so it is right up his alley😆
Breaking Through the Clouds by Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia: Reviewed here on March 15th!
Ear Worm! by Jo Knowles, illustrated by Galia Bernstein: When I saw this at the library, I was so excited! I made Trent stop right there and sit on the floor to read it, and we are both so smitten with the book. EVERYONE will connect with this book and also will get the Ear Worm‘s ear worm right in your head!
Ablaze with Color by Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrated by Loveis Wise: Reviewed here on March 8th!

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

Ricki

It’s the last day of spring break, and my family just left, so I will return next week! I have a LOT of new books to share!

Kellee

Reading: Wave (Links to an external site.) by Diana Farid & Search for the Swan Maiden (Links to an external site.) by Todd Calgi Gallicano
Listening to: Undisclosed: The State vs. Adnan Syed (podcast) & maybe starting The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music (Links to an external site.) by Dave Grohl

Tuesday: My Favorite Books I Read When I was 7 By Trent

Thursday:National Geographic Kids: Kamala Harris by Tonya K. Grant and Stacey Abrams by Melissa H. Mwai

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

Breaking Through the Clouds: The Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson by Sandra Nickel, Illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia

March 21, 2022March 15, 2022 by Kellee

Breaking Through the Clouds: The Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson
Author: Sandra Nickel
Illustrator: Helena Perez Garcia
Published March 8, 2022 by Abrams

Summary: An inspiring picture book about the meteorologist whose discoveries helped us understand how weather works. When Joanne Simpson (1923-2010) was a girl, she sailed her boat beneath the puffy white clouds of Cape Cod. As a pilot, she flew her plane so high, its wings almost touched them. And when World War II began and Joanne moved to the University of Chicago, a professor asked her to teach Air Force officers about those very clouds and the weather-changing winds.

As soon as the war ended, Joanne decided to seriously study the clouds she had grown to love so much. Her professors laughed. They told her to go home. They told her she was no longer needed. They told her, “No woman ever got a doctorate in meteorology. And no woman ever will.”

But Joanne was stubborn. She sold her boat. She flew her last flight. She saved her money so that she could study clouds. She worked so hard and discovered so much that—despite what the professors said—she received a doctorate in meteorology. She was the first woman in the world to do so.

Breaking Through the Clouds tells the story of a trailblazing scientist whose discoveries about clouds and how they work changed everything we know about weather today.

Praise: “An energetic, compassionate examination of a determined researcher who left her mark on the field of atmospheric sciences.” — Publishers Weekly

About the Author: Sandra Nickel says that story ideas are everywhere; you just have to reach out and grab them. She holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her first book, Nacho’s Nachos: The Story Behind the World’s Favorite Snack, was awarded a Christopher Award and was a Golden Kite Award finalist. Sandra lives in Chexbres, Switzerland, where she blogs about children’s book writers and illustrators at whatwason.com. To learn more, visit https://sandranickel.com/.

Twitter: @senickel
Facebook: @sandranickelbooks
Instagram: @sandranickelbooks

Review: I love learning about the women in our history that have broken through barriers to make it so we are where we are today with women’s rights, and there are so many and so many wonderful stories to tell–I am always so happy when I find a new one, and this one is a gem! Joanne Simpson is so kick butt! She not only broke barriers, she smashed them, jumped in a plane, and then broke through the clouds (hence the title!). It was so wonderful learning about her and how she stuck it to the men and showed what a phenomenal person she was.

Nickel does a fantastic job balancing Simpson’s story as a meteorologist with her story of the sexism she faced during her education and working. We learn about how she used the traits that others saw as negative, like stubbornness and focus, to take the world by storm. Along with the colorful, page-filling illustrations, this book is beautiful, educational, and inspiring.

Curriculum Guide with Activities and Discussion Questions:

Flagged Passages:

Book Trailer:

Read This If You Love: Picture book biographies, especially about science, weather, or women’s history

Recommended For:

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

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 3/14/22

March 14, 2022March 14, 2022 by Kellee

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

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.

Happy reading!

Tuesday: Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey, Illustrated by Loveis Wise

Thursday: Bright Star by Yuyi Morales

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

Kellee

Still Spring Break here! See you next Monday 🙂

To learn more about any books I’m reading, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

It’s Spring Break!

Tuesday: Breaking Through the Clouds: The Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson by Sandra Nickel, Illustrated by Helena Pérez García

and

Bright Star by Yuyi Morales

March 10, 2022 by Ricki

Bright Star
Author and Illustrator: Yuyi Morales
Published September 7, 2021 by Neal Porter Books

Summary: A Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book

Inspiring, reassuring, and beautifully illustrated, this new story from the creator of the New York Times bestseller Dreamers is the perfect gift for every child.

A New York Times Best Children’s Book of the Year

With the combination of powerful, spare language and sumptuous, complex imagery characteristic of her work, Yuyi Morales weaves the tale of a fawn making her way through a landscape that is dangerous, beautiful—and full of potential. A gentle voice urges her onward, to face her fears and challenge the obstacles that seek to hold her back.

Child, you are awake!
You are alive!
You are a bright star,
Inside our hearts.

With a voice full of calm, contemplative wisdom, readers are invited to listen and observe, to accept themselves—and to dare to shout!

In a world full of uncertainty, Bright Star seeks to offer reassurance and courage. Yuyi Morales’ first book since her New York Times bestseller Dreamers explores the borderlands—the plants, animals, and insects that make their home in the desert, and the people who live and travel through this unique and beautiful part of the world.

Created with a combination of techniques including hand-embroidered lettering, painting, sketching, digital paintings with textures from photographs of the Sonoran Desert, this stunning book is full of beauty—from the handwoven blanket of the endpapers through the last inspiring spread of young families facing their future with determination and hope.

A Spanish language edition, Lucero, is also available.

Ricki’s Review: I took a deep breath after I finished this book. It’s really quite magnificent. The words, the use of language, the mixed media of the illustrations—it all works together to offer a warm embrace for readers. I felt as if Yuyi was speaking directly to me, as the reader. This is a book that will resonate with all readers. It share the beauty of the borderlands and demonstrates Morales’ flexibility to maneuver language and illustration in ways that are, quite simply, captivating. Typically, I donate my books after I read them, but this is going to be one that I have a hard time giving away. I want to read it again and again. I might just need to buy copies for everyone I know. Most of all, I love how this book offered great hope.

Kellee’s Review: This beautiful book is a guide to life and an ode to parenthood & community. The use of second person engages the reader in a way that wouldn’t have happened without this choice. This moves the reader and really sets the mood of the book and makes it an excellent read aloud! The book is alsoabout facing fears, all types of fears that may come a child’s way during their life. But it also promotes students advocating for their feelings and using their voice to share what they feel. All of this in a beautifully illustrated, scarcely (but specifically) worded text. This shows what a brilliant author and illustrator Yuyi Morales is.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might ask students to share out the many ways that they can layer literacies—through images and language. Then, they might try to layer literacy themselves. Perhaps they could translanguage or offer images layered in text.

Discussion Questions:

How does the use of second person point of view draw you into the text?
What types of illustration and imagery does Morales use?
What did you learn about the borderlands?
What did you learn about yourself?

Flagged Spread:

Read This If You Love: Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, The Refuge by Sandra Le Guen, The Arrival by Shaun Tan, Refugee by Alan Gratz, The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Recommended For:

and

**Thank you, Sara at Holiday House, for providing copies for review!**

Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey, Illustrated by Loveis Wise

March 8, 2022 by Kellee

Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas
Author: Jeanne Walker Harvey
Illustrator: Loveis Wise
Published February 22, 2022 by HarperCollins

Summary: Celebrate the life-changing power of art in this inspiring and stunningly illustrated picture book biography of American artist Alma Thomas.

Meet an incredible woman who broke down barriers throughout her whole life and is now known as one of the most preeminent painters of the 20th century. Told from the point of view of young Alma Thomas, readers can follow along as she grows into her discovery of the life-changing power of art.

As a child in Georgia, Alma Thomas loved to spend time outside, soaking up the colors around her. And her parents filled their home with color and creativity despite the racial injustices they faced. After the family moved to Washington DC, Alma shared her passion for art by teaching children. When she was almost seventy years old, she focused on her own artwork, inspired by nature and space travel.

In this celebration of art and the power of imagination, Jeanne Walker Harvey and Loveis Wise tell the incredible true story of Alma Thomas, the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York City and to have her work chosen for the White House collection. With her bold and vibrant abstract paintings, Alma set the world ablaze with color.

Ablaze with Color includes extensive backmatter with photos, an author’s and illustrator’s note, a timeline, and a list of sources and resources, which will be a great tool for parents, educators, and librarians. Perfect for Women’s History Month and Black History Month units.

Praise:

* “This charming biography…is a must for art and biography shelves.” — Booklist (STARRED review)

* “Superb picture-book biography… Harvey’s poetic text is imagistic and deftly paced; Wise’s digital artwork is boldly, fittingly colorful.” — Horn Book (STARRED review)

* “An inspiring introduction for artists and appreciators” — School Library Journal (STARRED review)

About the Creators:

Jeanne Walker Harvey has had many jobs, ranging from working as a roller coaster ride operator to an attorney for high-tech companies to a writer of magazine articles to a teacher of Language Arts and writing workshops at a public middle school. She has also been a longtime docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Just like Alma Thomas, Jeanne believes that art brings us joy. Her other picture books include Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines and My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden’s Childhood Journey. Jeanne studied literature and psychology at Stanford University. She lives in Northern California. Visit her online at www.jeanneharvey.com.

Twitter: @JeanneWHarvey
Pinterest: @JeanneWalkerHarvey

Loveis Wise is a nonbinary illustrator and designer from Washington, DC, now based in Los Angeles. They have collaborated and imagined with clients such as the New Yorker, the New York Times, HarperCollins, Google, Disney Hyperion, and Adobe, to name a few. Their work often speaks to themes of joy, mindfulness, and liberation. For more information visit: loveiswise.com.

Instagram: @loveiswiseillu

Review: I am a sucker for amazing picture book biographies, anything celebrating women, and any book sharing the love of art, so this book has my heart. Alma Thomas is a phenomenal artist, and I didn’t know about her life until reading Ablaze with Color. I am so glad that Jeanne Walker Harvey told us Alma’s story, and her narrative is so lyrical and beautifully written. Combined with Wise’s vibrant and Thomas-inspired artwork, the book packs into it not only the story of Thomas as an artist, but also her story of resilience against the inequity and racism she faced on her way to becoming a world-renowned artist and the first Black woman to be hung in the White House. A stellar book!

Educators’ Guide:

Flagged Passages:

View the below spreads, a book trailer, and more at https://www.jeanneharvey.com/ablaze-with-color.

Read This If You Love: Art, Picture Book Biographies

Recommended For:

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

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 3/7/22

March 7, 2022March 7, 2022 by Kellee

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

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.

Happy reading!

Tuesday: Wingbearer by Marjorie Liu, Illustrated by Teny Issakhanian

Thursday: This is (Not) Enough by Anna Kang, Illustrated by Christopher Weyant

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

Kellee

This week is UCF’s Spring Break and next is OCPS’s, so I am going to take a couple of weeks off for both Spring Breaks 🙂 Happy reading to everyone!

To learn more about any of the books I’m reading, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

My oldest son and I finished Stamped (For Kids) by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, Adapted by Sonja Cherry-Paul. This is such an important book, and I am glad for a version that is accessible to my son. It offered so many great conversations.

Yuyi Morales is easily one of the most talented authors/illustrators of picture books, and this book did not disappoint! If you haven’t read Bright Star yet, I highly recommend it. Review coming this Thursday!

Ricki

Kellee recommended I listen to Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green. So far, I love it!

I also have a book in every room in my house that I am reading, so I will try to highlight them all on different weeks to share the love!

Tuesday: Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey, Illustrated by Loveis Wise

Thursday: Bright Star by Yuyi Morales

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Review and Giveaway!: This is (Not) Enough by Anna Kang, Illustrated by Christopher Weyant

March 6, 2022March 3, 2022 by Ricki

It Is (Not) Perfect
Author: Anna Kang
Illustrator: Christopher Weyant
Published: March 1, 2022 by Two Lions

Summary: Finding a gift for your best pal isn’t always easy in this fun tale from an award-winning author and illustrator.

Two friends are excited about getting presents for each other. But when they try to find just the right gift, nothing seems good enough. From skywriting to painting to gardens, each thing they try ends up feeling just a little off. How will they ever find that special gift?

With humor and heart, the purple and orange characters from Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small discover that what makes a gift special isn’t necessarily what’s inside the box.

About the Creators: Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant are the creators of Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small as well as series titles That’s (Not) Mine, I Am (Not) Scared, We Are (Not) Friends, and It Is (Not) Perfect. They also wrote and illustrated Christopher Award winner Eraser, Hudson and Tallulah Take Sides, Can I Tell You a Secret?, and Will You Help Me Fall Asleep? Christopher’s work can also be seen in The New Yorker and the Boston Globe and his cartoons are syndicated worldwide. This husband-and-wife team lives in New Jersey with their two daughters and their dog, Hudson. Visit them at www.annakang.com and www.christopherweyant.com.

Twitter: @annakang27 @ChristophWeyant

Instagram: annakangbooks; christopherweyant

Facebook: Anna Kang – Author; Christopher Weyant

Review: It seems it is hardest to find/create gifts for the people you love the most. You want to demonstrate your deep love for them, and in some ways, it feels as if finding this perfect gift is necessary. Yet on the receiving end, we aren’t seeking that perfect gift, and the gift of love and friendship is just enough. In this charming story, Our two friends can’t find the right gifts for each other. This book is heartwarming, and it felt really nice reading it. It would be a good reminder for me to read this every time a friend’s birthday or a holiday comes up. I adored this charming book, and it stands up to the amazing other books in this series. If you’ve somehow missed this series, I can’t recommend it highly enough. I will read any book produced by this dynamic author-illustrator team.

Discussion Questions:

Why do the two friends struggle to find gifts?
Have you ever struggled to find a gift for a friend?
What is the lesson of this book?
How do the words and illustrations work together to make a powerful story?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: You are (Not) Small series by Kang and Weyant including It is (Not) Perfect, You Are (Not) Small, That’s (Not) Mine, I Am (Not) Scared, and We Are (Not) Friends; I Will Surprise My Friend by Mo Willems

Recommended For:

Giveaway!:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Thank you to Barbara at Blue Slip Media for providing a copy for an honest review and giveaway!**