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.

Spring definitely has sprung here in Central Ohio. And with it, all of the fun things to do now that we can get outside and enjoy ourselves. This weekend we were able to attend the Central Ohio Folk Festival at Highbanks Metro Park, a wonderful place near where we live. This awesome free event featured music workshops, concerts, and dance demonstrations. It just feels so good to be able to enjoy art events, good weather, people-watching, and fun times in the warm weather. I also was able to get outside and do some reading! Here's what I read last week: 

Picture Books

How to Code a Sandcastle (How to Code with Pearl & Pascal, #1) by Josh Funk, Sara Palacios (Illustrator)

Children are learning about technology concepts such as computer coding at younger and younger ages. So this fun summertime picture book that tells the story of young Pearl and her quest to build the best sandcastle ever is a terrific way to introduce this topic to both young readers and the grown-ups who care for them (many of whom are also unfamiliar with coding). According to the foreword written by Reshma Saujani (founder and CEO of Girls Who Code): "Girls Who Code is an organization that wants to teach every girl to learn to code! And you don't have to wait until middle school or later to introduce girls to coding. Just like kids begin to learn about subjects like animals, history, and space before they get to kindergarten, we want to make coding a familiar part of every child's world. By introducing the core concepts of coding to children now, we're helping prepare them for a future of changing the world through code." This book is a terrific addition to any child's bookshelf, as this important topic is going to be an essential component of his or her education.

What Happens Next by Susan Hughes, Carey Sookocheff (Illustrator)

Bullying is occurring at epidemic levels and kids are really hurting because of it. The child in this picture book doesn't want to go to school because there's a mean girl that is constantly calling him a weirdo. For a long time this boy doesn't tell his mom, but suffers on a daily basis. When his mom starts to figure out that something is up, he shares his problem with her. Young readers will appreciate the advice she shares and enjoy reading to find out how this problem is resolved. This book could generate some good discussions in classroom communities and also parents could use this book as a tool to help their own children deal with this stressful situation.

Marie Curie by Demi

Young readers will find a lot of fascinating information and much to inspire them to learn as much as they can about the world around them in this wonderful picture book biography about Marie Curie. Engaging narrative text and lovely illustrations rendered in watercolor and mixed media tell the story of Maria Salomea Sklodowska, born in Poland in 1867, who was always hungry to learn about everything. She taught herself to read at the age of four, and as the child of educators, worked hard to be the best student in her class. After she grew up and moved to Paris to continue her studies, she married Pierre Curie, and together they made many important scientific discoveries that revolutionized the world's understandings in physics, chemistry, and medicine.

While the book is written for young readers, I found a lot of information to be new and informative. I didn't realize that people didn't at first know that radioactive elements such as uranium and radium were dangerous. The book tells readers that "Since its discovery, radium had become very popular. People drank it to cure arthritis, and companies put it in lipstick and face powder to make skin shine. Shampoo, soap, chocolate bars, and toothpaste all contained radium. The element was even painted on watches and aluminum instruments to make them glow in the dark." The book goes on to discuss the female factory workers who painted these watches and instruments, the Radium Girls. "As they painted, they would moisten the tips of their brushes in their mouths again and again to keep a very fine point. Some of the girls painted their teeth and fingernails with the glowing paint for fun. But eventually the girls began to notice that when they sneezed into their handkerchiefs, their handkerchiefs glowed in the dark. Then they started to lose their teeth. They had accidently poisoned themselves."

With interesting details and nice endnotes that include a timeline of events and resources for further study, this book is a nice nonfiction resource to include in your library.

Middle Grade Fiction

Elizabeth and Zenobia by Jessica Miller

Middle grade readers who enjoy spooky novels will have a good time reading this gothic horror story from last year. I won a copy of Elizabeth and Zenobia from GoodReads and I just now got around to reading it. It was released last fall, and it is certainly appropriate for the Halloween season.

Elizabeth and her friend, Zenobia (whom nobody but Elizabeth can see), go with Elizabeth’s father to live in a dreary old estate where he can pursue his studies of wildflowers. Witheringe House is dark and creepy and the girls are convinced that it is haunted. They spend time sneaking about and having séances to find out what lurks within the walls of this scary place. As they start to put the pieces of this mystery together, Elizabeth finds that she’s going to have to be brave in order to bring happiness to her father and this house once and for all.

I think this book will appeal to mature middle school readers who appreciate older style mysteries. This book has many cultural and literary references that might be puzzling to kids: “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, “Night Thoughts” by Edward Young, “The Grave” by Robert Blair, and the “The Lady of Shalott” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The book also deals with paranormal topics like necromancy – communicating with the dead – so it might be scary to sensitive readers.

The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee by Barry Jonsberg

This middle grade realistic fiction novel looks at the world through the eyes of Candice Phee, a quirky thirteen-year-old growing up in a small town in Australia. This book was originally published in Australia under the name My Life as an Alphabet. Candice, the main character, was given an English assignment to write an autobiography in 26 paragraphs, one for each letter of the alphabet. Feeling that was too limiting for her, she wrote 26 chapters – A is for Assignment, B is for Birth, C is for Chaos, and so on.
As readers progress through the pages, they come to realize that Candice’s family is dealing with a lot of stress and unhappiness. Years ago, Candice’s baby sister passed away suddenly from SIDS, her mother has been battling breast cancer, and her father’s relationship with his brother is strained due to a problem in the business they shared. Candice also has a hard time at school as she gets teased by her classmates for being a “Special Needs” student.

But for all that seems depressing about Candice’s circumstances, readers will find themselves the peculiar way that she looks at problems. She is a person who actively pursues solutions to problems and won’t be stopped until she is satisfied. And more often than not, her solutions produce smiles and laughter in those that were previously miserable. Due to some mature themes and language, I would recommend this book for kids in middle school even though the cover material says it’s suitable for grade 5/age 10 and up.

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.

We are back from a wonderful cruise vacation. We climbed aboard the Caribbean Princess for a ten day vacation visiting the ports of St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Antigua, and St. Maarten. We had a terrific time. And when we weren't exploring the islands on excursion tours, playing on the beach, or stuffing our faces in the buffet, we had plenty of time to read good books. Here's what I've enjoyed reading the past few weeks:

Picture Books

Albie Newton by Josh Funk, Ester Garay (Illustrator)

Being in a new school can be difficult when it’s the middle of the year and most of the other kids have their established routines. But Albie doesn’t miss a beat. With rollicking, rhyming text and humorous digital illustrations, readers quickly come to know that Albie is an exceptional child. At first readers, and the other kids in this preschool class, have the impression that Albie has many social skills to learn: waiting his turn, asking others before he just starts grabbing things, etc. But before they get all bent out of shape with him, young readers will see what happens when the kids in the class stop to see what he’s working on, ask questions about it, and get to know this wonderful person who is so eager to contribute to the classroom community. This would be a terrific book to share with young readers to remind them how to treat each other kindly and build relationships, especially with new students.

But the Bear Came Back by Tammi Sauer, Dan Taylor

Sometimes it’s not easy to let new friends into our lives, especially when we’re used to things being a particular way. The little boy in this adorable picture book, is accustomed to spending time by himself. One day a big bear knocks on the door, and the boy refuses to let him come inside. This bear is persistent, but the little boy is adamant. So the bear finally leaves for good. Sometimes (to quote a famous Joni Mitchell song) “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone” and the little boy realizes he misses the bear terribly and he’s made a big mistake. Young readers will be sympathetic to see if it’s too late for the little boy to have a wonderful relationship with this bear that loves him so much. The sweet, simple story along with the illustrations with a retro feel to them make this a great story to share with young readers.

She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History by Chelsea Clinton, Alexandra Boiger (Illustrator)

A nice follow up to last year’s She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World, this nonfiction picture book gives brief introductions to 13 women from around the globe who have been pioneers in science, politics, literature, and civil rights. I was only familiar with three of the women presented, so I like that this is a book everyone can learn from. Because there were more than a few women that were unfamiliar, I wish the author would’ve included dates that these events occurred. But, with the lovely watercolor illustrations, and the inspirational nature of the book, it is a nice nonfiction resource that could help young readers as a starting point for further research.

Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen by Deborah Hopkinson, Qin Leng (Illustrator)

This lovely picture book biography tells the story of one of the most famous writers of the nineteenth century. Jane Austen’s books have long been among my favorites, mainly because her writing style was so authentic and approachable. This book also is terrific for elementary aged children because it focuses on aspects of her life that nearly everyone can relate to: the fun times she had with her family playing games, the pleasure of dancing, and listening to a parent read aloud. Another important point made in the book is the passion young Jane Austen had for listening, reading, and writing. The details about how her writing life began make this book a nice mentor text for young writers. The nice artwork, ink and watercolor illustrations, along with the engaging text and resource information at the back of the book, make this a super nonfiction resource to have in an elementary classroom library.

Margaret and the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing by Dean Robbins, Lucy Knisley

With more and more girls participating in STEM coursework and activities, this is an awesome picture book biography to share with young readers to help develop a growth mindset. This book uses highly readable text, along with sharp, graphic-novel style illustrations, to tell the story of one of the earliest software engineers in the Apollo space program. Margaret Hamilton’s work was essential to the success of the Apollo 11 mission to land men on the moon. With photographs on the back endpapers and a list of resources for further research, this book makes a nice nonfiction resource to have on the bookshelf.

Middle Grade Fiction

Bob by Wendy Mass, Rebecca Stead

I had the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for this review. This wonderful middle grade fantasy story reminded me somewhat of Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate in that this extraordinary creature, Bob, returns to the forefront of 11-year-old Livy’s life at a time when she seems to need him most. She’s at a stressful point in her life: growing up, becoming more independent, and yet still reluctant to spend time away from her mother. He definitely needs her, as he has spent the last five years waiting for her return in a closet at her grandmother’s home in Australia. Unfortunately, she doesn’t remember much about her visit to her grandmother’s house so long ago and has forgotten all about Bob.

When she arrives and finds Bob dressed in a chicken suit in the bedroom closet, it doesn’t take long for her to recollect that Bob needs her help to figure out who he is and how to return to his own home and family. Helping Bob helps Livy forget about her mother’s departure with her baby sister to go visit friends in another part of Australia.

As the two piece together the mystery of Bob’s arrival and how to send him where he belongs, it becomes clear that they have developed a beautiful friendship. They need each other and both display creativity and courage in trying to help each other. The authors do a terrific job of building suspense as the two characters get closer and closer to solving the mystery of Bob. I am quite certain that this book will be very popular among upper elementary kids and early middle school students.

Breakout by Kate Messner

I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this middle grade fiction novel in exchange for this review. I must admit that I had high expectations for this book, as I am a huge fan of all of Kate Messner’s work. And this book did not disappoint. This book is a terrific book to share with middle school kids as it deals with some important issues – privilege and perspective.

Against the backdrop of a small New York town’s crisis when two inmates escape from the nearby prison, Nora’s summer plans are abruptly changed. Instead of swimming, running, and relaxing with friends, now everyone must learn to deal with the overwhelming presence of police, politicians, and the national news media. Nora realizes that this stressful situation is bringing out the worst in some people and it causes her to take a hard look at the attitudes of those she’s grown up with and herself.

Inspired by true events that occurred near the author’s home, the characters are authentic middle schoolers that are absorbed with the end of the school year and their own pursuits. Middle schoolers everywhere will be able to identify with the characters in this novel.

I also love how the author takes very serious topics and presents them in a way that can be absorbed by younger readers in the context of an engaging read. The story is told in letters, poems, text messages, new stories, and comics that the characters are going to be submitting to the town’s time capsule project. The different modalities help in mixing up heavy moments with humorous ones (Nora’s younger brother’s comics are awesome!) and keep the pacing quick. This book will be available in June.

24 Hours in Nowhere by Dusti Bowling

I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this middle grade novel that was provided to my Twitter book group - #BookRelays. This was an exciting and suspenseful read about a group of kids in a remote desert town searching for treasure and a way out of Nowhere, Arizona. Compelled by the town bully to enter an abandoned and dangerous mine to find gold, Gus is joined by one of the bully’s associates and two of his own friends on this mission. Faced with treacherous conditions and brushes with disaster, this group of youngsters discover that they have more in common than they ever realized and that they have the power to cooperate with each other to stand up to the bully and to achieve their dreams. There are a lot of tough issues in this book – bullying, poverty, abuse. But the characters in this book grow through their shared experience and come to realize that they don’t have to be defined by the actions of the people around them. They can rise above their circumstances. One of my favorite lines is when one of the kids says “I’ll be defined by what I do in this life, not by what anyone else does to me or says about me. None of that matters. All that matters is what I do. We’re not what people have done to us. We can be whatever we want.” This novel will be available in September.

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks, Gita Varadarajan

Fifth grade is a very stressful time for kids, and unfortunately bullying and unkind behavior is pervasive in all school settings. Kids are growing up, trying to be cool among their peers, and a lot of times, knocking others down while trying to get ahead. This middle grade fiction novel deals with this in a very interesting way. The story is told from the point of view of two fifth grade boys, each on the fringes of the mainstream of their class and each the target of the classroom bully.

Adult Nonfiction/Autobiography/Memoir

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I absolutely adored Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. This author’s clever observations about life always leave a smile on my face. I started reading Textbook on an airplane, and, once again I was struck by how much I could relate to Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s fascination with serendipity, her “mundane highs and lows”, and her happiness with simple pleasures. But then I was also struck with a bittersweet melancholy at the poignancy of life (hers was cut short a little over a year ago) and her eerily prescient admonitions to appreciate what we have in each moment, for they are numbered.

She had already written Textbook when she learned that she had ovarian cancer. So, when in her Midterm Essay, I read “Oh, my, here I am, living, and I would like to keep living, preferably perpetually. I would like to avoid, for as long as humanly possible, being pronounced dead and just keep being pronounced AY-mee KROWSS ROH-zihn-THAHL. I would like to say to that tomorrowless day (the one day that coyly begins like any other but then ends -so nonchalantly! So dismissively! So boorishly! – without me in it), STAY AWAY!”, I felt so sad. But the directions for us are clear – to notice and hold on to the purple flower at a café table, to realize that time is precious and not to waste it, and that eventually that giant box of Q-tips will run out.