Zonia’s Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal

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Zonia’s Rain Forest
Author and Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
Published March 30th, 2021 by Candlewick Press

Summary: A heartfelt, visually stunning picture book from the Caldecott Honor and Sibert Medal Winner illuminates a young girl’s day of play and adventure in the lush rain forest of Peru.

Zonia’s home is the Amazon rain forest, where it is always green and full of life. Every morning, the rain forest calls to Zonia, and every morning she answers. She visits the sloth family, greets the giant anteater, and runs with the speedy jaguar. But one morning, the rain forest calls to her in a troubled voice. How will Zonia answer?

Acclaimed author-illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal explores the wonders of the rain forest with Zonia, an Asháninka girl, in her joyful outdoor adventures. The engaging text emphasizes Zonia’s empowering bond with her home, while the illustrations—created on paper made from banana bark—burst with luxuriant greens and delicate details. Illuminating back matter includes a translation of the story in Asháninka, information on the Asháninka community, as well as resources on the Amazon rain forest and its wildlife.

Praise: 

⭐“At its simplest level, this is a beautiful story about a child who loves her home and the animals she with whom she shares it. Martinez-Neal’s rounded, soft-textured illustrations are wonderfully inviting and involve linocut and woodcut leaves and fronds printed on natural banana-bark paper… The text is kept to two short sentences per double-page spread, reflecting Zonia’s uncomplicated and innocent view of the world, which is shaken when she stumbles upon a large section of clear-cut forest.” – Booklist (starred review)

⭐“This beautiful look at a young girl’s life and her determination to save her home is a perfect read for young environmentalists.” – School Library Journal (starred review)

“In Juana Martinez-Neal’s Zonia’s Rain Forest, super-cute critters are out in full force…A girl who lives in the rain forest begins each day by greeting her animal friends in this exuberant picture book crowned with an environmental message.” – Shelf Awareness

About the Author: Juana Martinez-Neal is the Peruvian-born daughter and granddaughter of painters. Her debut as an author-illustrator, Alma and How She Got Her Name, was awarded a Caldecott Honor and was published in Spanish as Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre. She also illustrated La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, for which she won a Pura Belpré Illustrator Award, Babymoon by Hayley Barrett, and Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, which won a Robert F. Sibert Medal. Juana Martinez-Neal lives in Arizona with her family. Visit her online at www.juanamartinezneal.com.

Review : Zonia’s story starts as a story of family. We meet her mother and baby brother and the love between them is evident in the words and illustrations.

The book then moves to Zonia’s adventures visiting her friends throughout the rain forest. We get to meet all of her animal friends. With backmatter introducing the type of animals, Trent and I went on a research exploration of the different rain forest animals that Martinez-Neal introduced to us.

The book ends with a call to action. Zonia is Asháninka, Indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon, so the rain forest is her home. Her family’s home. The book ends with Zonia running across deforestation near her home and realizing that the forest needs her, and all of our, help.

And finally, the backmatter of the book is incredible. Juana Martinez-Neal, who is Peruvian, is not Asháninka, so I am not sure of the accuracy of the portrayal, but the backmatter shows the work she did to do justice to them and their home. The back matter includes a translation of the entire book to Asháninka, information about the Asháninka People, a few facts about the Amazon, threats to the Amazon, and Zonia’s friends we met in the book. Finally, especially useful for in the classroom, she includes selected sources and resources, all which can be viewed at https://juanamartinezneal.com/books/zonia/.

With Martinez-Neal’s ability to craft the simplistic text in a beautiful way mixed with her signature illustrations, full of movement, color, and personality along with the rain forest elements, Zonia’s Rainforest is a perfect book for story time, science cross-curricular reading, a jumping off point for inquiry, or a mentor text.

Read “The story behind Zonia’s Rain Forest” by Juana Martinez-Neal here.

Watch an interview with Juana Martinez-Neal about Zonia’s Rain Forest: 

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation and Discussion Questions: Julia Torres created a Teacher’s Guide for Zonia for Candlewick Press, and it is the best resource for teaching Zonia. It includes 7 Discussion Questions and 8 Classroom Activities.

Flagged Passages: 

Read This If You Love: We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, The Leaf Detective by Heather Lang, A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/12/21

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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!

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Tuesday: Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi

Thursday: Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor by Kate Messner, Illustrated by Alexandra Bye

Sunday: Student Voices: “10 Books with Muslim Representation” by Basma Heda, Senior in College

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

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Kellee

  • The first book I want to share is Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre by Brandy Colbert. This book is a must buy for all middle and high school classroom and school libraries. It is well-written, engaging, truthful, and extremely well-researched. I read it over a course of 24 hours–I couldn’t put it down. It is written in a way that was easy to read and follow along, but Colbert does not sugar coat anything. Although the topic of the book is the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the book gives racial injustice history from early in the colonialization of our nation through Colbert’s afterward which talks of 2020 & 2021.
  • The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna was recommended to me by Michele and Ricki, and I can definitely see why. This is a female force book! I will tell you, the beginning has a bit of a shock factor that almost made me so mad I put the book down, but I trudged along, and I was glad to reach the finale and see how it all came together!
  • Bloom by Kevin Panetta & Savanna Ganucheau is such a sweet book! It is about friendship, family, love, passions, and baking! And man, I want some of that sourdough!!!
  • While visiting my nephew, Trent and I read many a books with him! The ones I read with him were:
    • King Bidgood’s in the Bathroom by Audrey & Don Wood: CLASSIC! And I don’t know if anyone else had the tape when they were younger, but I did, so I sing the book as a song.
    • Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor: All of the endearment and adventure found in Fox the Tiger by Tabor is in Mel Fell! Mel is an adorable kingfisher who takes a leap, believing in herself, and then begins to fall. But that is just the beginning of Mel’s story.
    • Squid and Octopus Friends for Always by Tao Nyeu: This was a reread for me, and it is just as sweet and quirky the second time!
    • Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson: I’m glad I finally read this book. Peña has crafted a book about family and the different types of families that exist in our world. This is an important and engaging read aloud that will help with empathy in our children. And Milo’s imagination is pretty awesome!
    • Hot Pot Night! by Vincent Chen: Want a book about a community and food and will definitely make you hungry? This is it! And it is fun to read out loud!
    • Dandelion Magic by Darren Farrell: An interactive book! I love a good interactive book, and this one was new to me–I’m glad my sister picked it up, so Trent, my nephew, and I could experience it! It also made for fun when we walked and saw dandelions, too!
  • I also grabbed Best Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham, from my sister’s library while I was visiting because I read Friends Forever (#3 in the series) from Netgalley and realized that I never read the 2nd in the series! I love Hale’s memoirs, and I think that they are going to be adored by so many readers. The topics within the memoirs are important and timely for middle school readers too: anxiety, friendship, popularity, identity… all the things that make middle school so tough.
  • Trent and I also visited a Free Little Library near her house and found The Story of the Jumping Mouse by John Steptoe. I’ve heard of this book and know it is a well-loved classic, but I had not read it. It is beautifully illustrated and a magical legend, both which sucked Trent in. He said, “Wow, that was a good book,” as soon as we were done.
  • From Netgalley, I also read:
    • World Piece by Josh Tierney: A new-to-me manga series about a teen who gets sucked into a different world with the shrunken world literally in his hands. The book has a very interesting premise, and I think my students will love it.
    • Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness by Ben Clanton: I’ve been a Narwhal and Jelly fan since the beginning and this one did not disappoint (and had a shout out to teachers!). Same great dynamic between the two characters and the secondary fish characters are a great addition!
  • Trent is so close to finishing up his SSYRA, Jr. list. He read The Yawns are Coming by Chris Eliopoulos and immediately told me I needed to come read it with him because he knew I’d love it, and I did! First, I am a sucker for Eliopoulos’s illustrations. Second, I am a sucker for yawns and sleeping 😆 Third, I love a good friendship tale. So overall, this book WAS one I would love (Trent knows me)!

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

Ricki

I really enjoyed Barbara Dee’s newest middle grade novel Violets are Blue. It tells the story of twelve-year-old Wren, whose parents recently divorced. She is balancing between her mom’s house and her father’s house with his new wife in NYC. She loves to transform her face with makeup, and this offers her some opportunities to work in the school musical. At home, she isn’t sure why her mother is always locking her door and seeming to be distant. I highly recommend this book and think it is a great addition for classrooms.

Long Distance by Whitney Gardner is an engaging graphic novel about a girl named Vega. She recently moved to Seattle and misses her best friend Halley. All Vega wants to do in the summer is look through her telescope at the stars. But her dads push (well, almost force) her to go to a summer camp focused on making best friends. Vega already has a best friend, though, and she doesn’t want to go. When she arrives, things feel strange…too strange. My oldest son and I read this book together, and we both really enjoyed it. I liked how each kid at the camp had a really interesting hobby, and the mystery kept me hooked. I recommend this one for middle schoolers, especially, and I think younger kids (my son is 7) can read it, too!

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Kellee

Reading: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Listening: Whatever After Good as Gold by Sarah Mlynowski

Ricki

My husband and I went for a brief outing this weekend for our ten-year anniversary. We started listening to this book in the car!

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Tuesday: Zonia’s Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal

Thursday: Weird But True! Ocean from National Geographic

Sunday: Student Voices: “Fitting in Reading During High School” by Emily Peraza, High School Senior

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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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Student Voices: “10 Books with Muslim Representation” by Basma Heda, Senior in College

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“10 Books with Muslim Representation”
by Basma Heda, senior in college, Kellee’s Student from 2012-2018, and Bookstagram Reviewer @BookishBasma (#23 on Buzzfeed’s “24 Bookstagrammers You Need to Follow if Reading is Your Jam 5/6/21)! 

Everyone deserves to see themselves in a story. Especially when it comes to Muslims, a group that’s often villainized and misrepresented in the media, readers deserve to see themselves as the hero, as the person falling in love, as the person just living life. In addition to being a massive bookworm and the owner of 200+ books, I’m also a hijab-wearing Muslim woman, and I didn’t see myself on a page until the year 2020. The first time it happened, I cried a minimum of six times during the book, and then an additional 15 minutes after I finished (it was at 1am). I was seeing myself on a page for the first time in my life, and I want to spread that feeling. Here’s ten books with Muslim representation for all ages. 

Middle Grade

Other Words For Home by Jasmine Warga

Written in verse, Other Words For Home follows Jude who leaves her hometown in Syria due to the conflict and comes to America with her mom, leaving behind her brother and her father. Thrust into a new world and armed only with the English she’s learned from her favorite movies, Jude learns to navigate a society that makes it abundantly clear she’s not welcome. It’s a coming of age story that tackles Islamophobia, the struggles of being an immigrant, and a child who just wants to belong. This was an absolutely beautiful story that made me cry multiple times, and I want to shout about it from the rooftops. 

Amina’s Voice & Amina’s Song by Hena Khan

This is a duology follow Amina, a Pakistani-American Muslim girl who loves to sing. In addition to navigating middle school and all its ups and downs, Amina experiences quite a bit of Islamophobia. Her mosque is vandalized and she struggles with her identity as a Pakastani American throughout the series. Even with all these obstacles, Amina continues to grow and find her confidence, and it was wonderful to see! This was an adorable series that’s perfect for any middle grade (or really any age) student!

City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda

A part of the Rick Riordan imprint, this book is about Mesopotamian mythology in the modern world with, get this, a MUSLIM main character. The story follows Sik, a witty and determined thirteen year old who’s trying to survive middle school and the grief of losing his brother when he’s suddenly thrust into the world of Mesopotamian mythology. Suddenly Sik is responsible to save not just his parents, but all of Manhattan. Joined by Belet (a fierce warrior and the adopted daughter of Ishtar, the goddess of love and war) and a retired hero named Gilgamesh, Sik faces demons and a fast spreading plague in his rush to save the city. I was originally nervous on how mythology would work with a monotheistic religion, but it was done with grace and respect and I loved every second of it. A must read for any mythology fan!

Once Upon An Eid edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed

Written by multiple authors, this book is a collection of short stories written about the Muslim holiday Eid! The stories are so heartwarming and really showcase a variety of cultures and backgrounds coming together for a joyous holiday. One of my comfort books!

More to the Story by Hena Khan

A modern, Muslim retelling of Little Women, this was the cutest book! Our main character, Jameela, is an aspiring journalist who’s biggest challenge is her strict editor-in-chief. In between the school paper, the new boy at school, and solving problems in between her siblings, Jameela is pretty busy. However, when her father has to take a job overseas and her youngest sister gets sick, Jameela’s world is turned upside down. This is a tear-jerker of a story with the most wholesome moments.  

Young Adult

Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali

Remember at the beginning how I mentioned that there was a book that made me cry because it was the first time I saw myself? It’s this one. Love from A to Z is one of those books I feel like everyone needs to read. The hijabi main character, Zayneb, is an outspoken and strong woman, and there is so much of myself that I see in her. While this book is a cute romantic contemporary, it’s also a story of struggling with Islamophobia. Zayneb experiences multiple Islamophobic encounters, with her professors, going to the pool, and just trying to live her life. I remember reading this book for the first time, and I felt so SEEN and so validated. It was a reminder that I wasn’t alone in my struggles, that a hijabi like me could have a story without becoming the villain or the person needing “liberating”. Seeing Zayneb double down on her identity and refuse to budge was so empowering, and seeing myself represented on the page like that meant more to me than words could convey.

Saints & Misfits and Misfit in Love by S.K. Ali

These two books follow Janna Yusuf, an Arab-Indian American hijabi, who’s stubborn, outspoken, and a tad boy-crazy. While the books follow the same characters, they are vastly different in theme. 

Saints & Misfits: This is not a cute, fluffy contemporary. The main character, Janna is sexually assaulted by someone well respected in the Muslim community, and the book follows her journey in trying to cope and her struggle in wondering if anyone will believe her. The character development Janna goes through blew me away, and I was crying by the end. My heart still aches just thinking about it and it’s a book that will be staying with me for a while.

Misfit in Love: This book picks up two years later, in the midst of wedding preparations for Janna’s brother. Everybody knows what a drama fest weddings can turn into, and that’s exactly what happens here. In addition to last minute wedding changes, Janna is dealing with drama of her own, as she attempts to understand her feelings about the love square (yes, you heard that right) that seems to be closing in.

Both books have fantastic Muslim rep (although I have some minor issues with the portrayal of hijab in the first book) and I highly recommend both books. 

Adult (note: clean, safe for teens)

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin

A retelling of You’ve Got Mail, this book was a whirlwind of drama, love, gut-wrenching pain, and forgiveness. Hana is a brilliant MC and her perspective was such a great place to read from. Good Muslim representation in all forms of media is often an uphill battle, and we see Hana fighting that battle at her job at the radio station, when they want to run stories on Muslim communities that would actually be harmful. In addition to the fight for proper rep, Hana also deals with quite a bit of Islamophobia. The sensitive subject was written so well and I absolutely bawled. The romance was angsty, adorable, and basically everything I wanted from a halal Muslim enemies-to-lovers.

Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

A contemporary Muslim retelling of Pride & Prejudice, this story blew me away. The romance was absolutely adorable, and I am in LOVE with our main characters. I see a lot of myself in Ayesha, and Khalid was just so awkward, I couldn’t handle the cuteness! Similarly to Pride & Prejudice, I could not STAND Khalid’s mom (think Mrs. Bennett but so much worse). In addition to the romance, the story also touched on the intricacies of the Muslim community and the importance of our relationships with each other, and how we grow from them. Seeing how our characters navigated their faith and desires in a world that doesn’t always agree with it added so much to the story.

Thank you so much, Basma, for your recommendations!!
(And everyone else: Make sure to go follow Basma on Instagram! You won’t be disappointed!)

Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor by Kate Messner, Illustrated by Alexandra Bye

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Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor
Author: Kate Messner
Illustrator: Alexandra Bye
Published June 29th 2021 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Summary: The definitive picture book biography of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the most crucial figures in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before he was Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci was a curious boy in Brooklyn, delivering prescriptions from his father’s pharmacy on his blue Schwinn bicycle. His father and immigrant grandfather taught Anthony to ask questions, consider all the data, and never give up—and Anthony’s ability to stay curious and to communicate with people would serve him his entire life.

This engaging narrative, which draws from interviews the author did with Dr. Fauci himself, follows Anthony from his Brooklyn beginnings through medical school and his challenging role working with seven US presidents to tackle some of the biggest public health challenges of the past fifty years, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Extensive backmatter rounds out Dr. Fauci’s story with a timeline, recommended reading, a full spread of facts about vaccines and how they work, and Dr. Fauci’s own tips for future scientists.

Review: Dr. Fauci has been a face on our TV for over 15 months now, but I know that my son only knows that he is the “COVID Doctor.” What Kate Messner does in her picture book of Dr. Fauci is bring him to life for any who read it. The book shows his humanity behind the glasses and doctor’s coat we see on TV. The book explores what makes Dr. Fauci the inquisitive, kind, brilliant man he is today.

I loved learning about his past: his kindness from a young age, his father’s advice to keep his mind thinking, and his “just watch me” moment from construction to doctor all leading to becoming the expert he is today. Kids, and adults alike, will love Kate’s narrative of Dr. Fauci’s life filled with anecdotes and accolades, and all of it is brought to life with colorful and realistic illustrations by Alexandra Bye which ties it all together.

This is a book that will find a place in homes, schools, and libraries!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I would have “Dr. Fauci’s FIVE TIPS for Future Scientists” be norms during my science lessons! They are such important reminders from a contemporary scientist:

  1. Keep an open mind.
  2. Don’t be afraid to fail.
  3. Get excited about discovery.
  4. Remember that science is self-correcting.
  5. Keep learning.

Also, use the publisher-provided educator’s guide for use in the classroom!

Video of Kate Messner’s interview with Dr. Fauci:

Discussion Questions: 

  • What did you learn about Dr. Fauci?
  • How did learning about Dr. Fauci affect how you feel about the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • How do vaccines work? Are vaccines safe?
  • How did Dr. Fauci’s father’s words drive Dr. Fauci?
  • Why do guidelines about viruses change from time to time?
  • How did Dr. Fauci deal with criticism during the AIDS epidemic? What does this tell you about him?
  • How does the author turn the biography into a story?
  • Although Anthony wasn’t the tallest or best on his basketball team, he ended up being team captain. Why?
  • How does Dr. Fauci inspire you?
  • Why do you think the author chose to write a book about Dr. Fauci now?

Flagged Passage: 

Read This If You Love: Picture book biographies, science, medicine, inspirational books

Recommended For: 

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

Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi

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Secondhand Dogs
Author: Carolyn Crimi
Illustrator: Melissa Manwill
Published July 6th, 2021 by Balzer + Bray

Summary: Miss Lottie’s home was for second chances.

When she adopted Gus, Roo, Tank, and Moon Pie, Miss Lottie rescued each member of the pack—including herself, her helper, Quinn, and her reclusive cat, Ghost—and turned them into a family. But when a new dog, Decker, arrives and tries to hoard Miss Lottie’s heart and home for himself, the pack’s future is threatened.

At first, Gus, the insecure pack leader, only notices little things, like tiny Moon Pie being kicked out of the bed and Ghost acting spooked (then again…Ghost is a cat). But things soon go from bad to worse as Decker’s presence causes disharmony in the group.

When Decker convinces Moon Pie to embark on an impossible journey, it’s up to Gus to gather his courage, rally his splintered pack, and bring Moon Pie home. And with coyotes and cars on the loose, the pack must push through obstacles and dangers to reunite with Moon Pie before he can get hurt—or nearly as bad, get his heart broken.

A heartwarming—and heart-tugging—middle grade novel about love, loyalty, and what to means to be part of a family, featuring a motley pack of rescue dogs—from author Carolyn Crimi, with adorable illustrations by Melissa Manwill. Perfect for fans of A Dog’s Life and Because of Winn-Dixie.

Praise: “Pervading themes of bullying, leadership, loyalty, and family—among humans and canines alike—raise important issues while the comic-style illustrations feature character cameos and highlight key scenes. A sensitive, satisfying, and intriguing canine tale” –Kirkus Reviews

About the Author: Carolyn Crimi received her MFA in Writing for Children from Vermont College in 2000. She has published over 15 books, including Dear Tabby, Don’t Need Friends, Boris and Bella, Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, Where’s My Mummy?, and I Am the Boss of this Chair. Her book, There Might Be Lobsters, won The Golden Kite Award in 2018 for Best Picture Book Text, and her middle grade debut, Weird Little Robots, was named a BEA Book Buzz pick. Carolyn has received over thirty state awards and award nominations and was given The Prairie State Award in 2012 for her body of work. You can visit Carolyn at carolyncrimi.com.

Facebook: Carolyn Crimi
Twitter: @crims10

Review: First, I must say: kids are going to love this book. Seriously. Go pick it up for the kid(s) in your life.

I always go hesitantly into dog books because, as I am sure it is with all of you, the emotions when it comes to animal books are on high alert! And please know that your emotions are going to be going on a roller coaster of emotions in this one! 

The first emotion you are going to feel is love. As soon as you hear Gus’s voice, you know that he is a dog you can trust. Then as you meet each of the pack, they automatically go into your heart. Crimi does an amazing job telling the current narrative while also flashing back to show the dogs’ (and Miss Lottie’s, Quinn’s, and Ghost the cat’s) past. This allows you to jump into the story while also learning about how the pack gets together.

The next emotion you are going to feel is anger. Decker is a challenger to the pack. The way he manipulates and bullies, specifically Moon Pie, is devastating. It is true manipulation. You will definitely feel anger. Also, you learn more about Quinn’s life which will definitely make you feel angry.

Then comes the feelings of suspense, sadness, happiness, pride, and more! I can’t get more into the story because I don’t want to spoil! It is a good ride, I promise!

Teachers’ Tools for Instruction: First, this book is going to make an awesome read aloud!! Great topics and themes will lead to wonderful conversations.

But I think a huge asset for this book in the classroom is the different point of views that the author tackles. It is a wonderful mentor text for looking at voice. Each dog, cat, and person, although in 3rd person, had a different distinct tone and voice. It would be a great activity to have your students write a story from a certain POV then rewrite it from a different. Then they can even change 1st person to 3rd or vice versa. 

There is also a publisher-provided curriculum guide that is an awesome resource:

Discussion Questions: 

  • Why did the pack lie to Moon Pie and was it okay?
  • Why was Dexter the way he was?
  • Why did Roo originally side with Dexter?
  • Each of the dogs had a special skill: What would your special skill be?
  • What are some times during the book that shows you Quinn is special?
  • How does Quinn finally stand up to his brother?
  • What does Gus’s choice about what he did with the coyote tell you about him?
  • Why is the book titled Secondhand Dogs?
  • What is the differences between Dexter and Gus as the pack leader?
  • What does Miss Lottie’s choice about what she did with Dexter tell you about her?
  • How did the ending make you rethink Dexter’s character?
  • Who do you think was the hero of the book?

Flagged Passages: “Gus: The new dog walked calmly next to Miss Lottie. His ears and his tail were both up. Alert, but not alarmed.

He wasn’t nervous. Not like the other dogs had been when they first approached the pack.

He was sizing them up, Gus decided. Gus didn’t know what to think about that. Usually new dogs pulled back a bit, or wiggled a little too much, or stood their ground and barked.

Not this dog.

Gus sniffed the air again. The scent that wafted off the new dog was bright and cold, like the metal water bowl in Miss Lottie’s kitchen.

Gus had always hated that bowl.” (Chapter 2)

Read a sample: https://preview.aer.io/Secondhand_Dogs-Mzk3MzU1?social=0&retail=0&emailcap=0

Read This If You Love: The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate, Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart, Granted by John David Anderson

Recommended For: 

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

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/5/21

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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!

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Tuesday: Kellee’s #MustReadin2021 Summer Update!

Thursday: The Caiman by María Eugenia Manrique, Illustrated by Ramón París

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Sunday: Student Voices: “BookTok” by Angelina Dong, Rising 10th Grader

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

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Kellee

I’m excited to review Secondhand Dogs for you this week! Don’t miss out on the review!

The newest Upside-Down Magic, Night Owl, is just as good as the rest of the series. I love the audiobooks–can’t wait for the next one!

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

Ricki

This week, I read Bloom by Kevin Panetta (Author) and Savanna Ganucheau (Illustrator). This is a beautiful book about a boy, Ari, who feels trapped by his family business (a bakery). He seeks to hire someone in the bakery and meets Hector, who is in culinary school and loves baking. This story has so much heart, and I am so glad I read it.

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Kellee

Reading: Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

On Deck: Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

Listening: Whatever After: Good as Gold by Sarah Mlynowski

Ricki

I am still listening to (and loving) Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian. I have a lot of YA books open, and I don’t like to be locked down, so I’ll probably dabble with them all this week.

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Tuesday: Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi

Thursday: Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor by Kate Messner, Illustrated by Alexandra Bye

Sunday: Student Voices: “10 Books with Muslim Representation” by Basma Heda, Senior in College

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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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Student Voices: “BookTok” by Angelina Dong, Rising 10th Grader

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“BookTok”
by Angelina Dong, Rising 10th Grader & Kellee’s Student 2017-2020

Welcome to BookTok, a virtually available community of passionate readers that is always at your service, with good books to recommend especially when you’re in a slump. #BookTok was created on the well-known platform, TikTok. At first glance it might seem like a collection of your average videos that you’ll swipe and never see again; however, to readers and authors, it has become an interesting and essential way to communicate. Many authors were able to get recognition for their work because creators on the platform give their honest reviews which naturally attracts their followers.

One example of an author on TikTok is Victoria Aveyard. Even though she is well-known for writing the Red Queen series, she is able to share her experience writing the books and help young writers with her content. John Green, the #1 best selling author for The Fault In Our Stars, likes to share what new books he is working on and occasionally collaborates with his brother Hank Green. He has a new book out called The Anthropocene Reviewed. The author of We Hunt the Flame, Hafsah Faizal, is also on TikTok. She likes to share her journey and perseverance towards becoming a writer. She can be seen as an inspiration to young writers and readers who hope to pursue their own career path in literature.

Books recommended from BookTok have become such a topic that bookstores, such as Barnes and Nobles, have created a table just to display them. Some books you might see on that table are: The Song of Achilles, These Violent Delights, They Both Die At The End, Six of Crows, From Blood and Ash, Dance of Thieves, A Court of Thorn and Roses, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. These are only some of the recommended books you’ll find trending on Book Tok!

The book community on Tiktok has certainly grown since it was first started, amassing over 11.2 billion views. If you want to find more books you can also hop over to Goodreads and search BookTok for more recommendations!

Here are some BookTok pages/videos that I’ve enjoyed:

Thank you so much, Angelina, for introducing us to BookTok and sharing some favorite recommendations!