Unleashing Readers

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 1/31/22

August 23, 2023January 31, 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: Tidesong by Wendy Xu

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger

Sunday: Guest Post from Punam V. Saxena, Author of Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond

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

Kellee

Happy to be back! I haven’t updated since January 3rd, so sorry for the long post!

- Shine On, Luz Véliz! by Rebecca Balcárcel: I loved this story! So much! I cannot wait for it to be out, so I can recommend it to readers! I mean the book is all about overcoming a loss of a passion, redefining family, second language acquisition and conversing beyond languages, and STEM! So much girl power STEM! And all of this with a wonderful, fast-paces story!
- Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don’t Do Bedtime by Cate Berry, illustrated by Charles Santoso & A Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson were both bedtime rereads for Trent. Since it is the beginning of the year, I mark that we read them again so they show up on my 2022 shelf in Goodreads. Any book that Trent chooses to reread is a compliment to that book!
- Cat’s Cradle: The Golden Twine by Jo Rioux: An intense fantasy-adventure graphic novel! It is reminiscent of fairy tales, filled with monsters, magic, and a monster hunter. But on top of all of that it has a bold protagonist who you’ll root for and love and cute cats and dogs. Cannot wait for the second book.
- Slip by Marika McCoola, illustrated by Aatmaja Pandya: This art and mental health focused graphic novel will really touch all who read it. Please note though that this is a more mature graphic novel than it looks because it deals with suicide but does so in a very thoughtful way.

Black Boy Joy edited by Kwame Mbalia: I can see why everyone that reads this book loves it! It is full of 17 wonderful stories from 17 different authors which share us the joys of Black boyhood.
I reviewed Tidesong by Wendy Xu last week!
Bruce’s Big Storm and Norman Didn’t Do It! both by Ryan T. Higgins were more bedtime stories for Trent.

Mooncakes Collector’s Edition by Suzanne Walker, illustrated by Wendy Xu: What a beautiful queer magical graphic novel romance with fabulous representation of deafness, diverse sexualities, and diverse identities. All in a magical story around a witch, a werewolf, and an evil spirit.
Millions of Maxes by Meg Wolitzer, illustrated by Micah Player: Maxes is a new picture book, just published in January, with such a cute premise: Max, who believes he is the one and only, finds out he isn’t the only Max and is just celebrated by his parents as the best. I am a fan of the story but am even more of a fan of the illustrations.
I reviewed Playing with Lanterns by Wang Yage, illustrated by Zhu Chengliang earlier in January.
Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots by Michael Rex was my first read aloud for my UCF Children’s Literature class!
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow: What a beautiful extended metaphor of Black women as sirens thus being hunted because of their song. Take that and add in a story of two found sisters figuring out their place in the world.

There’s a Ghost in this House by Oliver Jeffers: Oliver Jeffers is a genius. I loved the clever illustrations in this book–it is interactive in a way differently than others. And Trent and I loved that it was a little creepy but also a little silly.
Gladys the Magic Chicken by Adam Rubin, Illustrated by Adam Rex: This picture book is literally an epic journey, taking place in ancient times, and focused on a magical chicken and the idea of things coming full circle when they need to. Quite a silly story with cartoonish illustrations, all which worked together wonderfully for the book.
I Don’t Want to Read this Book by Max Greenfield, illustrated by Mike Lowery: Love when books break the fourth wall, and I’m a fan of Mike Lowery’s illustrations, so this book was a win for me! Trent laughed out loud, too, so that is a big compliment.
Cheer Up!: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier, illustrated by Val Wise: This book was not what I expected at all, and that is a good thing because I loved this story of finding your found-family and figuring out how to be happy, even if it isn’t where you assumed it would be. It also shows what happens when a place becomes inclusive and how it can change lives.
Goodnight, Butterfly by Ross Burach: In the 3rd book in the Impatient Caterpillar series, our butterfly is trying to sleep when he is woken up and insomnia takes over then ridiculousness ensues. Another great book in the series.

My Brother’s Husband: Volume 2 & Volume 3 by Gengoroh Tagame, translated by Anne Ishii: This manga series is everything you want in a story. Watching Yaichi grow as a person, Kana love Mike unconditionally, and Mike mourn Ryoji filled my heart, and I adored reading their story. I want more.
Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld by Shannon & Dean Hale, illustrated by Asiah Fulmore: Gemworld and Amethyst are new members of the DC Comics world to me, so it was great learning about this new world and story. It is definitely a fun and fantastical read.
The Goose Egg by Liz Wong was the second read aloud for my UCF class, and Trent was our guest reader.
Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall is a book that any cat loving person is going to enjoy reading. It shows the strong personalities of cats, the fierce bond between cat and owner, and how what seems like a negative thing can become positive.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson: This was a reread for me, but I wanted to remind myself why Nimona was one of the best graphic novels, and I did. If you haven’t read this brilliant villainous epic of a graphic novel, you should fix that.
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems was my third read aloud to my UCF class because we were discussing illustrations and Knuffle Bunny was used as an example in the textbook.
Linked by Gordon Korman: I can definitely see why Linked was honored with the Sydney Taylor Book Award. It deals with the topics of the Holocaust, hate, religion, and acceptance in a different way than I’ve ever read before. And in an engaging, just as you’d expect from Gordon Korman. Also, it was a great multi-cast audiobook!
My Bindi by Gita Varadarajan, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan: This is a great example of a book being a window for a reader. Trent did not know what a bindi was before we read this book, and it was such a perfect introduction as Divya begins wearing bindis to school. I also loved learning more about the meaning behind a bindi.
Téo’s Tutu by Maryann Jacob Macias, illustrated by Alea Marley: Téo knows what he loves. He loves to dance and he loves flowy outfits. It doesn’t matter if that doesn’t fit what is expected of him because he knows what he loves. And his parents support him. What a beautiful book.

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

Ricki

I am taking the week off, and I’ll see you next week! 😀

Kellee

Reading: The Rumor Game by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Listening: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Ears Edition

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Best Nerds Forever by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

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

Author Guest Post: “Parent – Educator Partnership” by Punam V. Saxena, Author of Parent Power: Navigating School and Beyond

April 22, 2023January 30, 2022 by Kellee

“Parent – Educator Partnership”

Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond strives to normalize parenting. Every day is different presenting its own unique rewards and challenges. We often feel like we are on a merry-go-round and cannot seem to change the mundaneness of our routines.

I felt the same way while raising my four children, I often wondered whether I was doing a good job. Often, it felt like I was “winging it” and was hoping for the best. As a former educator and then stay-in-the-car-mom (I was never at home!) for more than 20 years, it was intuitive for me to build relationships with those who interacted with my children: teachers, administrators, and coaches. I assumed that’s what we, as parents, were supposed to do. We each learned from each other, and I soon became a trusted partner at the school and district levels where we made systemic changes for our children county-wide.

Educators are at a tipping point. They have the monumental task of ensuring our students receive the education they deserve while juggling the ever-changing pandemic world of schools opening, virtual learning, or even going hybrid. It has become almost comical at what is expected and what is reasonable.

Wouldn’t it be nice for educators to have a resource that has insight and expertise in the student’s physical and mental well-being? Someone who we can partner with to help the student where they currently are academically and then help them reach their full potential?

Parents! They are our ticket to helping our students achieve the success they deserve. We need their input, their perspective of how the child learns, or if any happenings at home are affecting the student’s school performance. Their knowledge is critical to helping educators navigate learning in the manner that is most beneficial and impactful for the student.

In this uncertain time, teachers need, more than ever, parent input and guidance. We are counting on them to help us. But we also must realize the burden parents carry right now. It is imperative to create a symbiotic relationship between schools and parents for students to feel supported and achieve success.

In my debut book, Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond, I share my insights on how an educator turned Parent Impact Coach built a relationship, became an advocate for schools and students, and helped create systemic changes at the school and district level that affected students and staff county-wide. My education background along with compassion and empathy catapulted me to the forefront of issues that impacted students long-term.

Published May 4, 2021

About the Book: Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond strives to normalize parenting. Every day is different presenting its own unique rewards and challenges. We often feel like we are on a merry-go-round and cannot seem to change the mundaneness of our routines.

Parent Power offers insight, ideas, and methods to navigate this exhilarating, exhausting task – raising productive, compassionate, future generations. Tackling relevant topics that parents face, with a head-on approach to:

Social media
Sports
Discrimination
And many more

Each chapter ends with Punam’s Perspective, a personal anecdote that prompted the need to write the chapter. Those experiences shaped Punam as a parent and an advocate, and, eventually, on this journey to build a formidable team of parent, teacher, and school.

Mom’s Choice Awards, Gold Seal

Amazon #1 Release

Review
Reader’s Favorite, 5-Stars:

Parent and author Punam V. Saxena shares her experiences on becoming a partner in the educational process in Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond. This invaluable work tells the tale of a stay-at-home mom who became passionate about enhancing students’ educational experience by getting involved in the academic community and forging a trusting relationship with faculty members. She addresses parenting issues related to self-care, community participation, social media control, bullying, discrimination, and quarantined parenting. The book aims to guide parents in raising emotionally intelligent kids by engaging them in dialogues that help them understand the value of diversity and justice as a concept of fairness. As parenting is a lifetime vocation, this work becomes a supportive teammate.

If you’re like most parents, you feel you’re doing a fine job in raising and dealing with your kids based on your child-rearing philosophy. You exhaust all the means to be a good provider. But at some point, it will drain you. One particular aspect that I enjoyed in Parent Power is Saxena’s take on self-care. Children can prove to be a handful, and as a parent, you too deserve tender loving care. Saxena writes with no promises but assures that it is feasible, at the very least, to decrease the frequency of your most challenging parenting days. I strongly recommend Parent Power to all parents for its inspirational and realistic approach to developing strategies to help parents become more centered and productive.

-Vincent Dublado

About the Author: Punam V. Saxena is a mother of four, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and a Master’s in Education. Throughout her 30 years of experience between teaching and volunteering in her children’s schools, she implemented several procedures that benefited students and administrators within the school district.

She is a Parent Impact Coach, TEDx speaker, author of Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond, and podcaster. Her work focuses on bridging the gap and fostering and stronger relationship between parents and schools by empowering parents to become partners in their child’s education.

Punam has been recognized as Volunteer of the Year at Harrison School for the Arts and has received a Key to the City in Lakeland, Florida. She has been featured in the magazines Podcast Movement, Shoutout Atlanta, Global Fluency, and Women Who Podcast. She has also spoken at several mainstage events including She Podcasts Live, Passionistas Project’s “I’m Speaking“ and Podcast Movement’s Virtual Summit. Additionally, Punam has been featured on NBC’s Atlanta & Company, CBS, ABC, and FOX.

In her spare time, she enjoys running, cooking, reading, and spending time with her family.

Link to website: www.edu-Me.net
Link to TEDx Ocala Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrY3dM-AvOg

Follow on social media here:
www.facebook.com/theedume
www.twitter.com/edume19
www.instagram.com/theedume
https://www.linkedin.com/in/punam-saxena-m-ed-7981b9124/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrY3dM-AvOg

Thank you, Punam, for this post! We agree that parents need to support educators and the amazing work they are doing, more importantly now than ever. It is the partnership that is important; parents should not be telling educators what to do or micromanaging instruction or instructional materials, but instead working as a parent with their own children and with their schools to ensure success of students.

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

January 29, 2022 by Ricki

Sofia is a 10-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer, who started with us when she was 8 years old. On select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with kids! She is one of the most well-read elementary schoolers that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

I would like to introduce you to…Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger! My friend Fjola lent me this book and said it was amazing so of course I started reading it straight away! I loved the book so much! This is definitely a MUST READ for everybody! This is one of the last books that I read last year andI think this might have been my favorite book of 2021! This book is recommended for ages 8-12.

Sophie is a misfit. She is incredibly intelligent and at age twelve she has already skipped multiple grades. Sophie doesn’t really fit in at home either. Her entire family consists of red heads and is just different from her. Sometimes Sophie feels that they adopted her but they assure her they didn’t. Life is still far from normal but, one day, she goes with her 12th grade class to a museum and because she is bored she wanders off. While she is looking at all of the exhibits she sees a strange boy. He pulls her aside and tells her she is an elf. She does not believe him at first because, if somebody tells you you were an elf would you believe them or think they were crazy? Thought so. Anyway, the boy says his name is Fitz and he tells her that she can read minds and that she was a telepath. Sophie believes him because she knows she can read minds.

Fitz teleports her to a different dimension, the dimension of the elves. Everything is covered in gems and it looks super fancy. Fitz’s dad, Alden, tells Sophie that she needs to move to the elvin world because by staying in the human one she is putting her “family” in danger. So Sophie agrees but tells the elves they have to brainwash her family so they do not know that they ever had Sophie. Sophie does this so they do not go through any pain. Through the book Sophie meets new friends and makes new enemies. In this book you will be able to follow Sophie through her exciting adventures…

I love this book because it is so exciting and super adventurous. This is the first book in an amazing series! I am currently on the third book. There is never a dull moment in this book. You will find yourself reading the series like a lightning bolt because it is sooooooo good! I feel like my life would not be complete without having read this book. This is a MUST READ! I still can not emphasize enough how good this book is! This book is also funny! If you have been following my reviews for a while, then you will know that I love books with some comedy in them. I highly recommend reading the rest of the books in the series! I hope you have fun reading this!

**Thanks so much, Sofia! It seems like this book is a great adventure for readers!**

Tidesong by Wendy Xu

January 25, 2022 by Kellee

Tidesong
Author and Illustrator: Wendy Xu
Published November 16, 2021 by Quill Tree Books

Summary: Perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and The Tea Dragon Society, this is a magically heartwarming graphic novel about self-acceptance and friendship.

Sophie is a young witch whose mother and grandmother pressure her to attend the Royal Magic Academy–the best magic school in the realm–even though her magic is shaky at best. To train for her entrance exams, Sophie is sent to relatives she’s never met.

Cousin Sage and Great-Aunt Lan seem more interested in giving Sophie chores than in teaching her magic. Frustrated, Sophie attempts magic on her own, but the spell goes wrong, and she accidentally entangles her magic with the magic of a young water dragon named Lir.

Lir is trapped on land and can’t remember where he came from. Even so, he’s everything Sophie isn’t–beloved by Sophie’s family and skilled at magic. With his help, Sophie might just ace her entrance exams, but that means standing in the way of Lir’s attempts to regain his memories. Sophie knows what she’s doing is wrong, but without Lir’s help, can she prove herself?

* Featured on the Today Show * An SLJ Best Book of the Year * A Nerdist Best Comic of the Year * A BookRiot Best Book of the Year *

About the Author: Wendy Xu is a bestselling, award-nominated Brooklyn-based illustrator and comics artist.

She is the creator of the middle grade fantasy graphic novel TIDESONG (2021 from HarperCollins/Quilltree) and co-creator of MOONCAKES, a young adult fantasy graphic novel published in 2019 from Oni Press. Her work has been featured on Catapult, Barnes & Noble Sci-fi/Fantasy Blog, and Tor.com, among other places.

You can find more art on her Instagram: @artofwendyxu or on twitter: @angrygirLcomics

Review: Whenever I read that something is reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, I get skeptical because Studio Ghibli’s work is just so magical; however, I had no reason to worry when it came to Tidesong. I can see why the publisher compares it to the Studio’s work–it is similarly illustrated (but with a Wendy Xu touch, which I love!), colorful, magical, and has that little extra sense of whimsy that’s hard to describe that I love in fantastical stories.

Sophie is such a great character, too! She represents so many who want to meet the expectations of those around her and whose positivity is crushing under that pressure. And Lir doesn’t seem like he will help her because he is PERFECT, but as we know, you can’t judge people without actually getting to know them.

What a fun and meaningful graphic novel–it is a favorite, and I am so excited to share it with students!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book will be in my school library, and it should be in yours, too! (Or your classroom library or public library!) Your fantasy/magical loving readers will devour this!

Discussion Questions

Why does Sophie not feel confident in her magic?
Why is Sophie forced to move to her great aunt’s house?
How does Lir make Sophie feel? How does Lir change the narrative of the story?
What was your first impression of Sophie’s great aunt? What do we learn about her that changes that impression?
How did Sage and Great Aunt Lan differ in their welcoming of Sophie?
Why is this graphic novel compared to Studio Ghibli?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Cat’s Cradle: The Golden Twine by Jo Rioux, Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani, Long Distance by Whitney Gardner, Little Witch Academia by Yoh Yoshinari, This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews, Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson

Recommended For:

**Thank you to SparkPoint Studio for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 1/24/22

January 27, 2022January 24, 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: Review & Giveaway: Playing with Lanterns by Wang Yage, Illustrated by Zhu Chengliang

Thursday: Snow Angel, Sand Angel by Lois Yamanaka, Illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs

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

Kellee

To see what books I’ve been reading, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads. I’ll be back next week 🙂

Ricki

I finished Black Canary: Breaking Silence by Alexandra Monir. I love this book, which tells the story of DC Icon Black Canary, whose alter ego is Dinah Lance. There are rich themes related to government control, feminist, and social class. Monir reinterprets the story to connect Dinah’s world with that of Monir’s grandmother’s experiences in Iran (although this is not explicitly stated in the book).

This book! Jason Reynolds writes, and Jason Griffin illustrates Ain’t Burned All the Bright. But it is so much more than this. The writing and illustrations work together in an incredibly powerful way. This book was written in a moleskine and begs to be taught in classrooms. I’ve never read a book that was so connected to the current sociopolitical context of the world.

You Are Not Alone by the Alphabet Rockers (Pictures by Ashley Evans) explores the many instances in which children might feel different from others. At the end of each child’s story, the reader states, “You are not alone.” I really loved the repetition of this story. It felt like a song. My kids really enjoyed shouting YOU ARE NOT ALONE at the end of each story, and it really cemented the message in their brains. I would love to read this to a large classroom of students.

Ricki

I never read Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo last year and have felt like I’ve really missed out. So I am reading it now.

Tuesday: Tidesong by Wendy Xu

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger

Sunday: Guest Post from Punam V. Saxena, Author of Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond

and

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs

January 22, 2022 by Ricki

Dear readers,

When I saw this book I was immediately hooked to it and got it straight away. It turned out I was right and the book was amazing! Everybody, get ready for…Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs! This is a book that is action-packed and super fun at the same time! This book is recommended for ages 10+.

Charlie is a child genius. She is a stubborn one, but still a child genius. A couple of decades before the story takes place Albert Einstein hides a precious equation, called Pandora, which would make the building of bombs far easier. Albert knew that humanity was not ready for this equation because if it got into the wrong hands, the world could, and probably would, be destroyed. As you might have guessed, all of the spy organizations in every country are looking for it. When the CIA finds Charlie, they ask her to join their team and she says yes. They tell her that a group of terrorists is focused on getting the equation, and they need Charlie to find Pandora before them.

I love this book so much because of the feeling of mystery. I have always liked mystery books. While reading this book I was thinking a lot about finding Pandora, and it was really fun to piece the clues together. Happy deducting!

**Thanks so much, Sofia! We love books that incorporate interdisciplinary subjects like math!**

Snow Angel, Sand Angel by Lois-Ann Yamanaka; Illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky

January 20, 2022 by Ricki

Snow Angel, Sand Angel
Author: Lois-Ann Yamanaka
Illustrator: Ashley Lukashevsky
Published: January 4, 2022 by Make Me a World

Summary: A celebration of home, family, and finding beauty in your heritage, beautifully illustrated by the artist behind Anti-Racist Baby.

Claire has been surrounded by the deep blue waves of Hapuna Beach and the magnificent mountains of Hawai’i all her life, but has never, ever seen snow. When her father drives her and her family to the top of the Mauna Kea, she can’t help but to be disappointed…it’s not the winter wonderland she’s always dreamed of. And that’s what she wants, more than anything.

But as Claire edges ever closer to the new year, she wonders if maybe– just maybe–she can delight in the special joys of winter in her own way–right there, on her Big Island of Hawaii.

Includes backmatter that captures the environmental culture of Hawaii, and will teach children not only about the local flora and fauna, but also the value of being environmentally friendly.

Ricki’s Review: I feel very qualified to write this review because my kids have made me read this book about 100 times in the last month. I think I have it memorized. I am so drawn to the way that Claire, the narrator, connects with the islands. When the story begins, she wants more, more, more. And by the end of the story, she realizes that Hawai’i offers her all that she needs—and more. The story offers a deep connection with family and with home. The author and illustrator are from Hawai’i, and the story feels authentic to the experiences of people who know the islands well. I loved this book, and I am so happy that it exists.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might use this book to ask students to share positive portrayals of their homes and the land in which they live. I’ve seen a lot of activities of “I am From” poems, bu this book offers another dimension and great opportunities for children to think about the ways in which they are connected to land.

Discussion Questions:

How does Claire’s opinion about Hawai’i change throughout the story?
How does her family help her see the value of her home?
Where is home for you? What does your home offer?

Flagged Spread:

Read This If You Love: Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard; A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin; Crow Not Crow by Jane Yolen; Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho

**Thank you to Barbara from Blue Slip Media for sending a copy for review!**