Monday, February 19, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?



It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey as a way to share what you have read and/or reviewed in the past week. It's also a terrific way to find out what other people are reading.

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers have given this meme a children's literature focus: picture books, middle grade novels, etc. They "encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting the other bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.





This has been such a rough week for so many people. Right here in Central Ohio there was an outpouring of love and support for fallen Westerville Police Officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli, who bravely died in the line of duty. And then we saw the horrible events unfold in Parkland, Florida where 17 people died in a mass shooting at a high school. Both are stark reminders that we are indeed walking through the wilderness. As I think about this, I just pray for healing, comfort, and strength for all of those who are hurting, heartsick, and experiencing so much pain and anguish. It's also a reminder that, while reading can certainly be a comfort, it should also help young people see better examples of what this world can be in terms of kindness, wisdom, and seeing people "heart first." Here's what I've been reading this week:



Middle Grade Fiction






I had the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this middle grade mystery novel courtesy of NetGalley. A few years ago, I read the Maypop Mystery, and really enjoyed it. This is the third installment of the Quinnie Boyd mystery series, and it is fun to see the characters I like getting a little bit older. Fourteen year old Quinnie is enjoying the summer in Maiden Rock, Maine with her friends. Dominic is a little bit more than just a friend, but he’s getting ready to move away. Quinnie’s childhood BFF, Zoe, is returning to Maiden Rock after spending over a year in Scotland with her parents.

In the midst of adjusting to Zoe’s return, preparing to say goodbye to her boyfriend, and helping out at her father’s restaurant, there is something sinister happening in Maiden Rock. A fancy new restaurant has opened in town, and is threatening to take away Gusty’s customers. When a friendly food competition between the two restaurants begins, suddenly all sorts of misfortune falls upon Gusty’s. Each new problem threatens to ruin her father’s business, and Quinnie is pretty sure the owner of the new restaurant is behind all of the trouble. But in order to find proof, Quinnie and her friends will need to dust off their detective caps.

I like that this mystery has enough adventure and tension to make it a compelling read. But like its predecessors, it’s not too scary or violent for middle grade readers. I kind of wish Quinnie would trust her mother to help her more when she finds clues or discovers new evidence. Quinnie’s mom is also Maiden Rock’s sheriff. And while Quinnie wants to solve things on her own, she frequently compromises evidence or creates new problems that only complicate efforts to find the culprit in the restaurant mischief. That frustrates the grownup in me, but I’m sure this book will be a popular mystery among young readers.

This book will be released March 1.





I had the opportunity to read an Advanced copy of this book that was shared with me by my #BookRelays group. I loved Natalie Lloyd’s book, A Snicker of Magic, so I was excited to get a chance to read her latest middle grade novel. This book is the first in a series that follows the treasure-hunting adventures of a peculiar family of seven siblings. Each child was born on a different day of the week, and has a unique personality to match their birth day.

When disaster strikes their home in the swamp, they show up in the town of Lost Cove to claim their grandfather’s abandoned mansion. There is a next door neighbor who wants the place for herself and works tirelessly to see that these children are forced to leave. There are clues throughout the house that lead to a treasure, and the race is on to see who finds it first.

The family in the book reminds me of a cross between the Herdmans in Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and the title character in Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. I love that middle grade kids have a quirky, fun group of kids that, for the most part, try to see people “heart first.” One of the attendees of Wendell and Thea’s birthday party describes them as “Funny and really weird but in a good way. And when you’re around them, you feel like it’s okay to be weird too.”

I really enjoyed this book. Fans of Natalie Lloyd will also appreciate the cameo appearance her own dog, Biscuit, makes in the story. This book would be appropriate for kids in grades 3-7.



Picture Books






This beautifully illustrated picture book was inspired by Korean folklore and tells a sweet story about the rabbit on the moon. According to the legend, there is a rabbit on the moon with a mortar, who receives all of the wishes and turns them into stars. But the rabbit is lonely and wishes for friendship. Young readers will be captivated by the lovely trip this rabbit takes and the friends he makes. The digitally colored drawings support the story nicely, as well as the gently rhyming text.






Anyone that knows the feeling of walking out of a barbershop or a beauty salon with a fresh new hairstyle will definitely be able to relate to the young man’s trip to the barber in one of 2018’s Caldecott and Newbery Honor Books. The narrator uses such wonderful descriptive detail to capture the way he feels, the way he looks, and his boosted self-confidence after his weekly visit to the barbershop. In the shop, he’s given the royal treatment and he has the pleasure of being in the presence of other important grownups getting their weekly touch-ups. Beautifully painted illustrations really help capture the story. This would be awesome to share with young readers of all age groups. It also could serve as a terrific mentor text to help young writers when they’re describing similar personal experiences.





The loving relationship this mother shares with her little boy as they take a bedtime stroll around the neighborhood to see the moon makes this beautiful picture book perfect for sharing with young readers during story time. As the two walk with their eyes on the sky, the little boy asks questions and the mother gently answers them. The illustrations, rendered digitally, show the scene in welcoming tones with a nice contrast between the nighttime darkness and the brightness of the moon. My favorite part of these scenes is peeking in the various windows to get glimpses of others’ evening routines.





The author visited New York City as a child and was so impressed, he dreamed of living there one day. Now he does, and he’s written this cool picture book that tells young readers all about this special place. I think this would be a neat mentor text for young writers interested in describing a place for an informational report. The book is organized as an account of his day in the city, detailing all of the places he stopped. The author includes New York City sketches and note on the endpapers of the book and an extensive list of resources on the the final pages. I’ve never been to New York City, but if I ever do, this book would e a helpful resource.









This adorable Caldecott winning picture book captures the joy of excitement of a snowy day excursion to go sledding. The little mice are excited to load up the sleds in their grandparents’ truck and head up the hill. Once there, everyone goes down the hill except the youngest, who is scared. Young readers will enjoy taking in the scene, especially with the gorgeous illustrations.










   


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Monday, February 12, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?



It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey as a way to share what you have read and/or reviewed in the past week. It's also a terrific way to find out what other people are reading.

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers have given this meme a children's literature focus: picture books, middle grade novels, etc. They "encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting the other bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.









Winter doesn't seem to want to let go!  Last week the groundhog warned us!  At any rate, when I saw that we had a Level 2 Snow Emergency here (which means to only go out on the roads if it's absolutely necessary) I was so glad that I had gone to the grocery store, but more importantly, the library!  Here's what I've been reading this past week:



Picture Books






This clever picture book would be great to share with young readers who love learning new words. And for those children who maybe aren’t particularly interested in vocabulary, this book certainly would inspire them to read and listen a little more closely. The little boy in this story loves collecting all sorts of words. He organizes them and makes special boxes and scrapbooks for them. When an accident mixes the words up, Jerome sees an opportunity to create new stories, poems, and songs. This could be a terrific mentor text to inspire young writers to find their own words and use them to make their own unique creations.






This is a picture book that would be good to share with young readers as springtime and Earth Day approaches. Digger works with other huge pieces of construction equipment to build buildings, roads, and bridges. When Digger discovers a little flower growing in the last empty lot in the city, he works very hard to take care of it. But commercial development won’t be stopped because of a flower, and Digger’s little friend is cut down. Digger’s reaction is very sweet and heartwarming. This could lead to some good discussions about sustainable growth and how to protect nature in the midst of urban sprawl.





This clever picture book takes young readers on a holiday with a group of words that got bored just hanging around in the dictionary. As the words all make their getaway, readers are introduced to concepts such as onomatopoeia, action verbs, contractions, and other special types of words. The cute illustrations, the fun examples of word concepts, and the glossary at the back of the book make this a good ELA resource to have in a classroom library.






This fascinating picture book biography tells the life story of Elizabeth Cotten, one of our country’s greatest folk singers. As a little girl, she loved music and would sneak into her brother’s bedroom to play his guitar. But because she was left-handed, she flipped the instrument up and around and learned to play it backwards. As an adolescent, she wrote the song “Freight Train”, which became one of her most famous songs. Even though it took many years and a chance encounter with a member of one of America’s most famous folk music families, she never gave up the music she loved so much. Beautiful illustrations rendered in graphite and digital color, along with an author’s note and a good bibliography, make this a terrific nonfiction resource to have on your bookshelf.





This is a nice picture book biography that tells young readers about the early life of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space. The simple text along with the kid-friendly illustrations, make this a good starting point to inspire further research. There’s more biographical information on the last page, but I wish the author had included some photographs of Dr. Jemison and her space adventures.






This is a picture book with a nice message for young readers about being persistent to reach out and become a friend to someone who needs it. Tilly is walking along when she spies a strange looking elephant. It turns out that this strange elephant is actually a tank that misinterprets Tilly’s attempts to be friendly as enemy threats. Even though the gun blasts frighten her, she persists in trying to let Tank know that she just wants to be friends. I’m a little bit bothered, though, about the nature of this friendship between a peaceful elephant and a dangerous machine that fires deadly munitions without warning whenever it misunderstands her intentions. Is this book actually encouraging toxic relationships, where someone that is kindhearted and generous pursues someone that is unstable, reckless, and dangerous? I might be reading too much into this book, but in a world where so many misunderstandings turn deadly, I’m not sure I would want this book on my shelf.





I was thrilled to receive a signed copy of this book from the author. All of our favorite barnyard characters from the Click, Clack, Moo series are getting together for a Valentines party. Little Duck has been working very hard decorating and making Valentines. Once the party starts, they all have a terrific time until an uninvited guest shows up. Young readers will enjoy finding out how Little Duck handles this awkward situation.






Those that have ever introduced a small, fragile new pet to a much bigger dog will definitely smile at the emerging friendship between Smick and Chick. With simple, spare text and digital art enhanced with photos of sticks and flower petals, the story of a big dog becoming friends with a little chick would be a fun one to share with very young children.








This sweet picture book has a terrific message for young readers about friendship. The three friends in this story all have different interests and temperaments. But their diversity serves as their strength, and they get along very well. The softly colored illustrations are very warm and inviting for children. This would be a great book to have on the primary classroom bookshelf.



Middle Grade Fiction





I had this middle grade fiction novel on my Kindle for some time and took advantage of the snowy weather to finally sit down and read it. I had high hopes for this book, as I really enjoyed one of Gordon Korman’s other novels, Masterminds. It has a premise that has the potential to be fun for middle grade readers: Donovan Curtis is an impulsive troublemaker who pulls a major prank at his middle school. Due to an administrative mix-up, he is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction instead of being punished.

Donovan isn’t at his new school for very long before it becomes very apparent that he doesn’t belong there. But because the admission requirements for this school are so rigorous, the instructors are determined to find Donovan’s strengths and help him succeed. He becomes involved with the school’s robotics team and makes a big impact, not through any technical or mechanical talent, but through his ability to bring the power of his personality to bear on the robot and all the other students around him.

The problem with this book is that it relies so heavily on negative stereotypes: gifted kids are unattractive, socially inept nerds; educators and administrators are narrow-minded buffoons; school districts will put the interests of the gifted students above all the other students. As I read, I kept hoping that maybe through the development of the characters and the plot, readers might get the message that these assumptions aren’t true and that each kid is gifted in his or her own way. But the story clings to these ideas throughout. I think that this could have been a terrific book that would elevate the Donovans of the world to believe that they have talents and gifts to share without knocking down the gifted and talented students.















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