Unleashing Readers

A Seat at the Table: The Nancy Pelosi Story by Elisa Boxer, Illustrated by Laura Freeman

December 7, 2021 by Kellee

A Seat at the Table: The Nancy Pelosi Story
Author: Elisa Boxer
Illustrator: Laura Freeman
Published September 7, 2021

Summary: This inspiring picture-book biography about Nancy Pelosi shows her journey from the child of Baltimore’s mayor to her marble-ceiling-shattering four terms as Speaker of the House, including the historic events of January 6th, 2021.

Nancy Pelosi grew up watching her father, the mayor of Baltimore, welcome in people of all different backgrounds to sit at their table and make their voices heard. Nancy’s mother always stood beside him, working behind the scenes to help her husband and the people he served. When Nancy grew up, she continued working behind the scenes in politics until a friend asked her to run for Congress herself–jump-starting a 33 year career as a political representative and taking her higher than she could have once imagined.

Young girls, especially, will be inspired by Nancy’s journey and her commitment to using her voice to help others and to make sure women are heard in government. The backmatter also includes an exclusive interview with Nancy Pelosi herself.

Praise:

“Pays due homage to its subject.“–Kirkus Reviews

“Sends a resilient message.”–Publishers Weekly

“An accessible introduction with a focus on Pelosi’s influences and role as a woman in politics.”–School Library Journal

About the Author: Elisa Boxer is a Maine-based, Emmy-winning journalist and columnist whose writing has appeared in publications including The New York Times, Inc., and Fast Company. Having worked in newspaper, magazine, and television journalism, Elisa is thrilled to bring her reporting and storytelling skills to the world of children’s literature. She is the author of A Seat at the Table: The Nancy Pelosi Story and The Voice That Won the Vote: How One Woman’s Words Made History.

Marta Álvarez Miguéns is an author and children’s book illustrator living in A Coruña, Spain. In 2007, her artwork was selected and exhibited at the Bratislava Biennial of Illustration (BIB). She illustrated Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist, which was named one of the Best Children’s Books of 2017 by Parents Magazine, and won the Blue Spruce Award in 2018. She also painted the funny and charming illustrations for What Is Poo?, which won the Silver Award at the Junior Design Awards 2017.

About the Illustrator: Laura Freeman received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and began her career illustrating for various editorial clients. Laura has illustrated many fine children’s books over the years, including Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe, written by Deborah Blumenthal, and the Coretta Scott King Honor book Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race, by Margot Lee Shetterly. Laura now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and their two children.

Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Elisa Boxer has crafted a very informative homage to Nancy Pelosi showing her foundation and her ambition. It was wonderful reading about how Pelosi climbed to the top of politics and became the highest-ranked female (until Kamala Harris). I think it is important to note that although we do learn about Nancy Pelosi’s views and most important platforms, the book itself is written as a non-bias biography. This will be a wonderful addition to a picture book biography text set and/or history unit. (And don’t miss out on reading Boxer’s entire interview with Nancy Pelosi at https://elisaboxer.com/nancy-pelosi-interview-elisa-boxer.html.)

Discussion Questions:

How did Nancy’s dad’s job as mayor inspire her?
Although her mother wasn’t in politics, how did her mother inspire Nancy?
How has the view on women changed since Nancy’s childhood?
How did Nancy’s privilege of position help propel her into politics? On the other hand, how did being a woman add obstacles to her journey?
What does the saying “a seat at the table” mean and how does it relate to Nancy’s story?
Why did Nancy change the saying to “marble ceiling” instead of glass?
How did Nancy moving to minority leader in 2011 effect Nancy?
How does the backmatter add to the book?

Flagged Passages:

Listen to a sample of the audiobook HERE.

Read This If You Love: Biography picture books, learning about politics through picture books

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Nicole Banholzer Public Relations for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 12/6/21

December 6, 2021December 6, 2021 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!

Thursday: Have You Seen Gordon? by Adam Jay Epstein & Ruth Chan

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

Kellee

Just didn’t get to this IMWAYR before the end of the night Sunday–my apologies!

(I did want to give you an update on my FAME conference though: it was so phenomenal to be back face to face with authors and colleagues, and I learned so much! It was rejuvenating.)

To see what I’ve been reading, check out my 2021 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I read The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson. This book is one of the most beautifully done picture books I’ve ever read. The writing is masterful and the illustrations took my breath away. If you haven’t read this important book, I recommend you pick it up today.

Ricki

I am listening to With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo. I read it when it came out, but I wanted to hear Elizabeth Acevedo read the book aloud.

Tuesday: A Seat at the Table: The Nancy Pelosi Story by Elisa Boxer, Illustrated by Laure Freeman

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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Have You Seen Gordon? by Adam Jay Epstein and Ruth Chan

December 12, 2021December 2, 2021 by Ricki

Have You Seen Gordon?
Author and Illustrator: Adam Jay Epstein and Ruth Chan
Published: September 28, 2021 by Simon & Schuster

Summary: Packed with vibrant and dizzying artwork, this hilarious story cleverly riffs on classic seek-and-find books and will have young ones laughing out loud as the narrator struggles to get the characters to play along.

Have you seen Gordon? Oh. There he is. Gordon isn’t very good at hiding, is he?

The narrator wants to play hide and seek with Gordon and the reader, but Gordon just wants to stand out. This madcap, fourth wall–breaking picture book is packed with humor and full, zany spreads with details kids will return to again and again.

Review: This book is very funny, and my kids loved it. It is a more humorous, more accessible Where’s Waldo? but for younger children. That said, all of my children (ages 2-8) loved it. Readers are finding Gordon (and others) across the pages, and they are also listening to a very clever tale about him. As an underling theme, Gordon doesn’t want to hide anymore. I adored this charming book and will enjoy reading it again and again.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Students could be inspired to reimagine their own favorite picture books, and they need not be hide-and-seek texts!

Discussion Questions:

Why doesn’t Gordon want to cooperate in the text?
What did you learn about him?
How is this text creatively imagined?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Funny stories, Hide-and-seek stories, Where’s Waldo? books, I Spy books

Recommended For:

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

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 11/29/21

November 29, 2021 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!

Kellee

Time Bomb by Joelle Charbonneau: What an intense book!! The prologue starts with the reader learning that there are bombs going off in a high school, there are kids stuck in the school, and the news shares that one of them is the bomber. Then you get to meet all of the characters. This book challenges biases and thoughts and totally caught me off guard.
Roxy by Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman: I am a Shusterman fan. Period. I find that the concepts that he brings to life in his books are always so unique and mind blowing. This book is no different. And this one is definitely going to be controversial. I don’t know what side of the controversy I am on, but I do know that I couldn’t put the book down.
I’m still sucked into the Assassination Classroom series! It is such a weird feeling to want the kids to assassinate Koro Sensei while also rooting for him to keep teaching the kids because he is an amazing teacher. 1/3 of the way through the series–looking forward to seeing what happens.
You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen McManus: Another McManus thriller that keeps you guessing until the reveal! I do have issues with representation of an educator in the book; it uses a trope I do not like. But even with the trope, I had to get to the end to find out the finale!
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys: Oh, Ruta Sepetys! You are a historical fiction author magician! This book blew my mind because it takes place when I was 7 but in Romania, and comparing my life to the tyranny and oppression Cristian and his family faces on a daily basis. Ruta educated me. Schooled me. Whoa.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley: Probably one of my favorite reads ever. The writing is beautiful, the representation is everything, the plot is intense, the characterization is full, it culturally immerses the reader in the story, and has such ridiculously strong women. Also, the focus on missing & murdered indigenous women was missing in YA lit until now. Highly recommended.
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee: Another terrible time in history that needs all of the spotlights. This book is brilliantly done and so intensely sad. The multiple perspectives makes the book even deeper than it could have been if written a different way.

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2021 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I finished two young adult books, and I loved them both.

I listened to We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez, and it ripped my heart out. The print and audio of this book are both incredibly well done. I will continue to use this one in my classes as all of my students have really liked it.

I could not put I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys down. In fact, I texted Kellee and convinced her to read it (see above) because I needed to talk about it with someone. She texted me updates as she read, and we talked at length about it. I learned so much from this book and am so grateful that I read it.

Kellee

Reading so many books at once, but all with different purposes!
And we’ll see how much reading I get done this week because I am going to the Florida Association of Media in Education (FAME) conference for three days! Woot!

Reading: It Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh & Assassination Classroom Vol. 7 by Yusei Matsui
Reading with my sister: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Reading with my Lunch Book Club (and will finish by Monday’s lunch!): Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
Working on a Teaching Guide for: Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon
Listening: Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

Ricki

I am also reading many books at once!

I am listening to With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo, reading Clarice the Brave by Lisa McMann with my 8-year-old, and reading Me (Moth) by Amber McBride in print.

Thursday: Have You Seen Gordon? by Adam Jay Epstein & Ruth Chan

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 11/22/21

November 22, 2021 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: Robin Robin by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, Illustrated by Briony May Smith

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

We are currently at the 2021 ALAN Workshop learning from a hundred middle grade and young adult authors, so we are taking this Monday off (and the rest of the week off)! Hope you have a wonderful week!

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Robin Robin by Dan Ojari & Mikey Please, Illustrated by Briony May Smith

November 16, 2021 by Kellee

Robin Robin
Authors; Dan Ojari & Mikey Please
Illustrator: Briony May Smith
Published November 2nd, 2021 by Red Comet Press

Summary: The irresistible story of a robin and her adopted mouse family is the perfect treat from the creators of the holiday-themed film Robin Robin, created by Aardman for Netflix. This picture book version of the story, beautifully illustrated by Briony May Smith, is perfect for sharing with young children.

The mouse family all love Robin, and she is so keen to fit in she pulls her feathers into ears…but nothing can make a noisy, rather clumsy bird, good at sneaking crumbs for the family without disturbing the dreaded cat! After several attempts and with the help of a friendly magpie, she finally realizes that her special bird talents of singing and flying can be put to good use: Robin can be true to herself and a much loved member of the family.

Robin Robin is a heartwarming and humorous story with themes of diversity, community, inclusion and acceptance – it will win the hearts of families everywhere.

Streaming worldwide from Christmas 2021, Robin Robin is the new collaboration between Aardman, the animation studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, and Netflix. Golden Globe® winner Gillian Anderson and Oscar® nominee Richard E. Grant lead the cast which also includes Bronte Carmichael and Adeel Akhtar.

About the Creators:

Dan Ojari and Mikey Please are co-founders of the BAFTA® Award-winning Parabella animation studio which is based in East London. They co-directed Robin Robin, the first production in association with Aardman and produced exclusively for Netflix. Together they authored an adaptation of the script of the Robin Robin holiday special to create the book. They both live in London. Learn more about Mikey Please at mikeyplease.co.uk and Dan Ojari at www.danojari.com.

Briony May Smith is a British illustrator who has published titles in the US and the UK, including Stardust, written by Jeanne Willis (Nosy Crow, 2019). She also wrote and illustrated Imelda and the Goblin King (Flying Eye Books, 2015) and Margaret’s Unicorn (Schwartz and Wade, 2020), a Fall 2020 Indie Kids’ Next List selection. She lives in Devon, England. Learn more at brionymaysmith.com.

Red Comet Press
Facebook: Red Comet Press
Twitter: @redcometpress
Instagram: @redcometpressbooks

Watch the Netflix special on November 24!

Review: There is no way you can read this book without loving Robin Robin. Robin means well, tries their best, and never gives up, and just look at that silly walk in the flagged passages (they’re trying to walk like a mouse)–how can you not love Robin?! And the love for characters won’t stop there when it comes to the wonderful cast of characters that Kirkus says “any character in this picture book could be a main character in a different book.” I cannot wait to see the Netflix special because I know that I am going to fall in love with it, too!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book is so fun to read aloud, and with the themes it has and a Netflix special, there is so much that can be done in the classroom: theme, how an individual’s presence affects the plot, analyze the structure, and compare/contrast/evaluate content in diverse medias and formats. There’s just so much that can be done.

Flagged Passages:

Official Trailer for the Musical:

Read This If You Love: Picture books staring animals, with repetitive text, or with a moral

Recommended For:

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

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 11/15/21

November 20, 2021November 15, 2021 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: A-Okay by Jarad Greene

Thursday: A Hundred Thousand Welcomes by Mary Lee Donovan, Illustrated by Lian Cho

Sunday: Author Guest Post: Author Guest Post and Educators’ Guide: I Am Today by Matt Forrest Esenwine, Illustrated by Patricia Pessoa

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

Kellee

Over these last two weeks, I’ve defintely been in the reading zone! It has been awesome!

Jackpot by Nic Stone: Nic Stone writes so many different kinds of book–it is amazing! Jackpot is about Rico and Zan’s relationship. Other may say it is about the lottery ticket or just Rico, but in the end it is about their relatioship and how it changes them both. It was a great read!
Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh: I can see why this novel in verse got the love it did. It is intense, powerful, and needed in our world. It is about Ada finding her way in the world after everything in her world was orchestrated by her highly religious father, her childhood was taken from her by abuse, and her search for identity now that she is on her own.
A-Okay by Jarad Greene: I reviewed this on Tuesday.
As Good as Dead by Holly Black: The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series is over! And PHEW! What an ending! So much happened in this book and everything just ties together from the other two books. But there are also some serious ethical questions the reader will be left with at the end.
A Tale of Sorcery by Chris Colfer: I LOVE THIS SERIES! Chris Colfer does a brilliant job of making his books seem fantastical and not of our world, but truly, the evils in his books allude to evils in our world. The third book in the series did not disappoint, and I do hope there will be more!
Grumpy Unicorn graphic novels by Joey Spiotto: Trent loved these graphic novels, so he gave them to me and told me it was my homework to read them. Why Me? is more just lists and introduction to Grumpy Unicorn where the other two are narrative graphic novels. Both show that there is more to Grumpy than meets the eye, though On the Road is probably my favorite.
Assassination Classroom #3 & #4 by Yusei Matsui: Still need to know if the class is successful! Shared my initial thoughts here.
The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods: I reread this wonderful historical fiction novel for my teacher book club (then had to miss the book club–boo!), and I enjoyed it just as much the second time. I think it is a perfect middle grade historical fiction story that will grab the attention of whoever picks it up!
14 Ways to Die by Vincent Ralph: Although I am not a fan of the title of this book because it doesn’t capture what it is really about, I did really like the book and the premise. Jess has always wanted to catch the man who killed her mother, so when she has a chance to be part of a You Tube reality show, she jumps at it to bring the serial killer’s killing back to the headlines. And boy does she!
Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards: This is a pretty messed up book! As you can tell, I am kind of in a thriller reading mood, so I knew that there had to be more going on than just 5 strangers riding in a car together, but as you learn more and more about the situation as the reader and Mira is still clueless, I got so anxious! And the reveal?! Intense!
Fast Pitch by Nic Stone: I loved softball as a teen, so I was so excited to read this newest from Nic Stone, and it did not disappoint. It was a great mix of softball, social justice, racial history, friendship, and family.
Robin Robin by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, Illustrated by Briony May Smith: I’ll be reviewing Robin Robin this week!
Keeping the City Going by Brian Floca: What a nice tribute to those who kept New York City running during the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic. And with Brian Floca, you know the illustrations are beautiful.
Unlimited Squirrels in Guess What!? by Mo Willems: The latest in the Unlimited Squirrel series is just as silly, but also so clever, as the others in the series. Trent particularly likes the emoti-corns and the A-corny Joke Times.

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2021 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

My book revisions are due tomorrow, so I am busy writing!

Kellee

Reading: Playing with Fire by April Henry, Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez (for my lunch book club) & Assassination Classroom 5 by Yusei Matsui

Listening: Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

Tuesday: Robin Robin by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, Illustrated by Briony May Smith

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