Monday, April 13, 2020

Monday Reading - Sharing New Books


              Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with others who post their favorites.  Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading!
          Share with the hashtag #IMWAYR

Thinking of all of you during this challenging time, hope you are doing well and finding joy in your lives every day. This continuing challenge is so hard for everyone. I'm trying to help where I can by supporting those who are virtually closed, still offering carry-out, etc. 



                 Thanks to Candlewick Press for all these beautiful books. I hope authors and illustrators receive a lot of attention for their books despite so many cancelations of book tours and book launch parties! I'm celebrating them here today!




          This fantasy created by Christina Soontornvat is rich in connections to our world, too, an adventure woven with two kids, one escaping from a child prison and one whose story was not known until the end. Both, like every child, strive to figure out exactly what are their dreams, what are the things most important to them. Pong, a boy of nine, takes his chance and escapes from Namwon by hiding in a trash barrel, hauled away down the river. He doesn't realize that his life is about to be haunted by his guilt at leaving his friend, Somkit, and changed because of a rescue by a wise monk, Father Cham. Nok, a girl whose family travels to the village where the monastery is has been to that same prison because her father is its warden. She strives to be the perfect daughter, has become a champion spire-fighter to show she is the perfect daughter. Thus begins an adventure that includes these three children, courageous in their journey growing up, and a host of other memorable characters, both good and evil. The fight for justice and equality and bringing light to those whose world is dark touches our lives today, too, perhaps more than ever because of our pandemic challenges. It's a wonderful book, one that will be special to read together as a family or with a class. 

        Michael Rosen interprets parts of Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography through his own re-telling in a special picture book with luscious illustrations by Matt Tavares. Franklin's voracious appetite for learning underlies the story of Franklin as a boy who only dreams of "going to sea". His father continues to say 'no' and Franklin first apprenticed as a joiner, all day on the job sanding wooden pegs that will be used to "join" furniture. They were long, long days. His next 'job' with a shoemaker did not fare much better. Wanting to discover a good fit for his son who loved books made Franklin's father realize that these ideas were not going to work. Franklin did dutifully try, but his father realized that there was little to gain and sent him to his brother's print shop where his accomplishments began to shine. 
         During this early childhood story of Franklin, Rosen also includes parts of Franklin's adventures in swimming, He invented paddles that attached to the hands to make the swimming stroke help him go faster. and flew a kite on a windy day allowing it to pull him across the bay. The lessons, the experiences continued to add to his knowledge as he applied that learning to new problems, demonstrating the early wisdom of this very wise man in our history. Tavares uses text panels from antique books surrounded by Colonial-era nautical maps showing Franklin’s interest in books and the sea, creating this story for older readers who may not know some of Franklin's early childhood experiences. It's a fascinating book with both author's and illustrator's notes and a bibliography at the end.

             In an illustrated book that included all the diverse colors of the ocean, Lara Hawthorne has created a tale about a fish named Alba who when looking for a favorite creature to add to her collection, ends up caught in a bottle, but saved by a young girl named Kaia. Realizing that the ocean needs a clean-up, Kaie enlists all the neighbors to help, saving Alba and making the ocean cleaner, too! There are some extra brief paragraphs at the end that identify some of the creatures shown in the book. First out in the U.S. this year, it can be a book to use before Earth Day with young readers, showing some things that can help in ocean clean-up!








          Melanie Walsh follows a young girl through her "green day" while sharing a few, but important, tips for ideas to save energy and stay healthy, like hanging clothes out to dry instead of using a dryer and baking one's own muffins instead of eating those with preservatives that are often packaged. Pages are full up with brightly colored illustrations, the 'tips' and entertaining strings of words that explain a bit more about the tip. It's a great book for introducing new ideas to young readers about conservation.


                Just this year published in the U.S., Naomi Howarth has crafted gorgeous pictures and an amusing cumulative story that begins when Magnus, an Arctic seal awakens to a "long, low rumbling sound." The journey begins as he first wonders if it could be an iceberg cracking or the wind? He finds a friend, Hare, to help solve this mystery. As you might guess, they travel and gather others to help. The end is hilarious and satisfying, with a little extra, too! Howarth adds a brief paragraph about the Arctic and each animal that is included in the tale. 
         My final book to share is one that finally arrived from my favorite local Indie! It's taking a while to get books from them. They have so many orders, it's taking a while. So it's a wait, but isn't that great news! I'm so happy for them!


          Christine McDonnell tells a story of four babies arriving on an island, one on"the mail plane, the second two on the ferry, the fourth asleep on a pile of nets, smelling of mackerel." They all have notes that say things like "Please take care of my baby." No one knows what to do, but the librarian (in her book cart) takes them in, rearranges a storeroom (she lives above the library) and raises them, not without help, however. The fisherman teaches them to cast from the pier, the ferryman shows them charts of the sea, and from the harbormaster, they learn to recognize birds. Several fun moments occur when the mayor takes part or doesn't! He does let them spin in his office chair! They grow up doing all sorts of things, including being read to by the librarian, of course. There are endearing things to learn as the story unfolds, and beautiful illustrations by Jeannette Bradley help tell this loving story. For instance, the librarian names the babies in alphabetical order, Agatha, Bram, Charles, and Dorothy. Their last name, of course, is Book! When problems arrive in the form of questions from other children about how they all look different, their mother, that wise librarian says all families don't look alike, and that's okay. It's a fairytale with a focus on inclusion and community. 

What's Next: Planning to start Lauren Myracle's That Boy, a new book for young adults!

24 comments:

  1. These are all such lovely choices for #IMWAYR. I've been wanting to read A Wish in the Dark for a while, now I'm inspired. Thanks for sharing these great books :)

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    1. You're welcome, Alex. I enjoyed every one and hope you like A Wish in The Dark, a wonderful story of goodness in the world. Hope all is going well with you & your family!

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  2. I have a few of these in my pile to read. When the Babies Came to Stay sounds unique and interesting. Have a great week!

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    1. Thanks, Lisa, When The Babies Came. . . is interesting and so, so, loving. Hope you have a good week, too.

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  3. A Wish in the Dark sounds so lovely. My order from The Tattered Cover finally (FINALLY!) arrived this week and I'm excited to dig in to a few new books!

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    1. I loved reading "wish", Elisabeth, hope you do when you can, too. I'll be ordering from TC again tomorrow, certainly want to give them all the help I can. Happy Reading!

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  4. What a wonderful collection of books Linda. I find myself scooching over to Goodreads to add them to my list. I love the idea of When the Babies Came to Stay and can't wait for that one. I"m also looking forward to A Wish in the Dark and A Ben of all Trades!

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    1. I imagine you'll enjoy all of them, Cheriee. The picture books fit your young grandchildren beautifully! Thanks, and Happy Reading!

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  5. I have a few books on your list to read. I really am excited to get to A Wish in the Dark. I'm so excited it has a tie in to Les Miserables, one of my favorite musicals. Although I think it's more of a book tie in, than to the musical!
    Hope you're staying warm - I think your temps in Denver are seesawing like ours!

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    1. Yes, it does have a tie to Les Miserables, but I wonder how many young readers will connect. Perhaps if they've seen the musical, hints of it will appear? This weather is crazy, snow all yesterday & today & so cold! But like I say often, the moisture will bring more green, I'm sure! Thanks, Michele!

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  6. I've wanted to read Alba--it looks beautiful!
    The others are all new to me, so thank you for sharing :)

    Stay safe, and happy reading this week!

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    1. Alba is lovely, Kellee, a wonderful way to begin learning about cleaning up the ocean. Thank you, and happy reading to you, also!

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  7. Such great books today. I really loved A Wish in the Dark as well. Lots of great picture books that I haven't had the chance to read yet. What's that Noise looks neat, and I added it for the teacher at my school that needs all things arctic animals. Thanks for the great post!

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    1. Thanks, Aaron, so glad to hear that you liked A Wish in the Dark, too. What a wonderful adventure it is! Happy Reading this week!

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  8. A Wish in the Dark is in my stack of ARCs, it sounds wonderful! I must get to it soon. And When the Babies Came to Stay sounds like the perfect picture book for my daughter, who spent hours this morning daydreaming about all the human and animal babies she will raise when she's an adult. Have a great and safe week, Linda!

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    1. Oh my goodness, that is wonderful, Wendi, & yes, the book will be a special one for your daughter! I'm glad you read my post about it. Enjoy "wish" when you can! And Happy Reading!

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  9. When the Babies Came to Stay sounds like such a sweet story! Also, I hope you enjoy the Lauren Myracle book—I've enjoyed a number of her books! Thanks for the great post!

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    1. "This Boy" has started beautifully. I'm excited to really get into it! When the Babies Came to Stay is a darling book. I hope you'll like it as much as I did. Thanks!

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  10. Candlewick has such great selections! These look lovely.

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  11. I've been captivated by the beautiful cover of A Wish in the Dark, but I'm also hearing great things about the storyline. Can't wait to start this one (I have it checked out, so hoping to start next week). And My Green Day looks perfect for Earth Day (coming up next week, I think). When the Babies Came to Stay is brand new to me. I need to go add it to my list so I don't forget to hunt it down. Thanks for all these shares, Linda!

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  12. Thanks much, Beth & Shaye! Wishing you both a good weekend of reading!

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  13. I am really excited for A Wish in the Dark. Yay for local indies!

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  14. I need to read A Wish in the Dark! I love Matt Tavares' art and am looking forward to A Ben of All Trades. -Laura Mossa

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  15. Thanks, Crystal & Laura. I really loved A Wish in The Dark & hope you will, too! A Ben of All Trades is lovely, Laura. Yes, I love Tavares, too!

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