Poetry Friday - The After Party

                 Poetry Friday is hosted today by the always entertaining Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference. 

                I'm sharing a poem from way back in 2013 when I hosted Poetry Friday, yes, on November 1st, the day after Halloween! 
                Now, Happy November, a time of gratitude. Wishing you a month of discovering  those small things one sometimes overlooks for which to be grateful.

photo credit: Scorpions and Centaurs via photopin cc

Leftovers  

  

The bubble gum is over-chewed;

the candle’s lost its wick.

My tummy’s under the weather,

but I’m never really sick

from eating too much candy

although Mom has froze the rest.

She’s stripped off all the webs

and cleaned up all the mess.

The jack o’ lantern’s living now

in the backyard compost bed.

It’s gonna grin a little longer

as furry beasts are fed.

I dropped my costume on the floor;                

a smile was peekin’ out,

reminding of the tricks ‘n treats

while Halloween's about.

Now witches, goblins, ghosts lie low

until the year turns round again

to scary poems and ghastly tales--

All Hallow’s Eve, 
                                October’s end.

Linda Baie ©

Non-Fiction Picture Books Fill Readers With History

Visit Alyson Beecher on Wednesdays for Non-Fiction Picture Books at Kidlit Frenzy.  Thanks to her hosting and sharing and those who add their posts, you can discover and celebrate terrific nonfiction picture books!  I always learn from these books, am happy that they are more and more available today for children, for everyone!

        I've been out of town most of the recent two weeks and before and since, I've been reading several books, this one that I'm most excited about thanks to Candlewick Press, out in October in the U.S. from their division, Walker Books. David Roberts, author and illustrator of earlier beloved books like Rosie Revere and Ada Twist, brings to older readers and teens a comprehensive and illustrated history of women's fight for equal rights, Suffragette, The Battle for Equality.

          David Roberts' introduction tells of a history teacher's project assignment to take one of the old books strewn across her desk where they must find a topic, research and illustrate it! He discovers a book among them where a photograph shows two women in old-time prison uniforms, above them the title, The Suffragettes. Who they were is the question he has answered in this wonderful book, full of stories really, of this seventy-five-year-old battle, one the foreword by Crystal N. Feimster, a Yale associate professor, writes "is one of the most important political movements in history." 

           The beginning chapter is "A Man's World", detailing the background of why women weren't allowed to vote. Others define suffrage itself, show the seeds of discontent with even earlier attempts, but as many have seen in other protests, calm does not always succeed although it does get attention. Alternating the history of the U.K. with the United States, one inspiring the other, the varying small stories entice, some showing the persistence of women who worked for this cause for over sixty years. I learned many stories, wonder if classrooms couldn't split up the chapters for research by individual students, deepening the information of the woman or women, the man or men who were in the thick of this struggle? Here are examples of the stories illustrated by Roberts' beautiful stylized watercolors.

A slogan coined by Emmeline Pankhurst that time to be polite was over. It was time for action!

It's Monday - Much to Share!

              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.  

Thanks to Candlewick for the following book about friendship's ups and downs!

           There's quite a lot of magic infused into this delightful friendship book, but it starts with lonely Penny Rose, just moved to town, who isn't quite sure how to make friends. She has a notebook that she fills with "conversation starters" who rarely seem to fit when most needed. Her best friends have become tiny robots, created in an old shed in her new home. When they begin performing more actions than expected, it's rather fun, but would be much more fun with a real best friend. Down the street is Lark, considered too weird by most because she spends a lot of time looking up, at the birds! Finally, these two get together and Lark proves to be a friend of the robots, too. All is good, until it isn't! Penny Rose has been invited to some Secret Science Club and betrays Lark in a couple of ways. In the biggest challenge between them, on Halloween night, both realize what a real friendship can be. Including fantasy feels like it might connect to those who wish for more connections and don't quite know how that looks. Carolyn Crimi shows some of the actions and words that help with Corinna Luyken adding some illustrations that add to this sweet friendship story.

Thanks to Charlesbridge for the following copies!

          Stories of courage in the face of racial protest are ones finally being told, finally will lead to a true history of our country's dark moments, and many that resulted in moments of triumph. This book by Gloria Respress-Churchill is a fictional story of Chester Pierce based on his life's experience. At eight, he ran to save his brother who had fallen down a well and saved him! In high school, he played several musical instruments, was on the football team and became the school's first black senior-class president. With encouragement, he knew it would be a challenge, but he applied to Harvard and was admitted. And, he made the football team! That was when the biggest challenge came. The team was slatted to play at UVA, a place that still didn't allow black players, a place that still didn't allow black students. His coach said Chester deserved to play, that the team would go "WITH" Chester. He was nervous, uncertain, but his mother's words gave him strength: "If your dad were still alive, he would want you to stare down all adversity with courage." The team had devised a secret play that meant all would adhere to: "FOLLOW CHESTER!" Laura Freeman's illustrations of Chester's life facing uncertainty, then more challenges focused rightly on Chester himself, from young boy to triumphant football player and leader, in brightly colored scenes, his life where it seems that not only in this important game, many followed Chester! 
       Extended backmatter includes an author's note, facts about the Mason-Dixon Line and about this historic game, plus a bibliography. There is a wonderful picture of the Harvard team also at the back.

        With a few exact words by Mammalogist Darren Lunde, and simple and enticing illustrations by Kelsey Oseid,  (from Whose Poop Is That?), this book will bring children to a place eager to discover, and identify, their own footprints. The questions come with a partial head, then the print, turn the page for the answer and sometimes a bit more information. For example, a picture with two white, long ears, "Whose footprint is that?" bring a print that looks similar to feet minus that little toe, and a back-blob at the back. My description does not fit, but the followingpage answer is terrific: a snowshoe hare's! Each part adds a little bit more, like this hare has big feet that keeps it from sinking into deep snow. It's a great book of a bit of knowledge that will begin a nature hunt for young readers.



        It's always about perspective, isn't it? Mary Ann Fraser (No Yeti Yet) shows two sides in this big fish story, about Milton & Odie. She uses simple poetic wording just right for younger readers,, one grumpy and expecting the worst, the other knowing that possibilities are without end. The illustrations center on these two, not necessarily friends, but companions in their quest to land a fish! Illustrations include laugh-out-loud scenes like showing excitement when each line seems to have a big catch, but ends in Odie losing his pole-to Milton. The story see-saws back and forth until the surprise, and a good one, happens. The glass half full triumphs as Fraser's book offers a fun way to discuss attitude, positivity, and quite a bit of heart! 

Now reading:  I finished Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner, but have been out of town and have not had time to write a review for it, a book that's both heartbreaking and offers hope for teens who have a huge struggle in their home lives. I have started Friend or Fiction by Abby Cooper.

non-fiction Wednesday - Those Picture Book Stories Based on Truth!

Visit Alyson Beecher on Wednesdays for Non-Fiction Picture Books at Kidlit Frenzy.  Thanks to her hosting and sharing and those who add their posts, you can discover and celebrate terrific nonfiction picture books!  I always learn from these books, am happy that they are more and more available today for children, for everyone!
           On this day, Alyson has written a terrific post for those who wish to participate in a Mock Sibert group, the award for the most distinguished informational book published in the United States.
     

       I found this on my library's shelf, grabbed it because it is by Maira Kalman. It came out in 2005, a brief and poignant story of the many that have come from that day we won't forget, September 11th, 2001. 
         The John J. Harvey fireboat was the largest, fastest, shiniest fireboat of its time, beginning in 1931 when Babe Ruth set records, the George Washington Bridge was finished, and Snickers candy bars came out.  By 1995, the city retired Harvey, determining fireboats no longer needed. A group of friends decided to save it from the scrap heap, paid to fix it up for fun. When 9/11 happened, firemen realized that water pipes were broken and a desperate call came from the fire department, asking if the Harvey could help. At first, they thought it might only rescue people, but without the water, they attached hoses to Harvey and it pumped water for four days and nights!  Maira Kalman's clear words and signature emotional art brings this story to us in an inspirational story you will want to read!  

            When I read this story of William Carlos Williams's famous poem, I am reminded of Mary Oliver's quote: "Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." In the story, Lisa Rogers shows Dr. Williams going about his practice, in between "paying attention" to all that surrounds him. In his town, he sometimes saw patients in his office, but often went to them for treatment, but also watched out his windows. This time Rogers imagines him seeing his neighbor, Mr. Thaddeus Marshall, tending his garden, filling his red wheelbarrow with the vegetables that he sold to neighbors while he walked it through the town. Yes, there are chickens, too! Chuck Groenink's illustrations are soft, rather dreamy full pages of this small-town doctor's story, a doctor who wrote what he saw in a new way. In an author's note, Rogers shares that he may not have meant the poem (of 16 words) to be about his neighbor, but she imagines it may be. There is also a selected bibliography. If doing a poetry exploration, this will make a lovely beginning conversation about writing and the "meanings" of poems. 

Monday Reading - Time For Halloween

              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.  
              I arrived home last night from a Highlights poetry workshop led by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Georgia Heard. I am full to the brim with writing and reading many poetry books, including Halloween ones new and old. The library there is filled with their published books new and old, as is each room and cabin with a bookshelf full! I read a lot, but didn't take note of them, just enjoyed every time I opened another book! We skyped with Jane Yolen and Nikki Grimes. It was a week I will treasure. 

            One book I finished before I left!

             Ruta Sepetys tells stories that live (so far) in our past of historical events, some (without her deep research) we would never have known about without our own investigation. She says she took eight years to bring this to us, she's added a thorough author's note, research and notes, a bibliography, and a glossary to help us through the Spanish phrases included throughout. In this book of the Spanish Civil War and its effects that have stayed, she expands the complexity by allowing different characters a voice. Although there are a couple of main characters, others touch the heart, too, when learning about their experiences. We try to understand from the outside, as Sepetys expresses that she did herself. It's been a while since I've read a book that kept me worried about what's next at every spot. The resilience and different survival approaches show just how different everyone is. Yet, in that path of survival, one quote scratched in the dirt by a character in jail showed everyone's actions though they did take varied paths: "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly." It's a marvelous book!

Thanks to Candlewick Press - new Halloween books!

        Kim Norman's rhyming picture book begs to be read aloud, on Halloween and perhaps on "Talk Like A Pirate" Day. The end papers themselves are delightful. In the opening, human bones are scattered and labeled, except for that peg leg! The back is vertical, showing the full skeleton of a pirate, with accompanying pirate wear, like hat, sword and spyglass. He's found all his bones! The four-line rhymes on each page after the opening are good for laughing out loud every time. A poor pirate skeleton's bones have been scattered throughout the sea bed, and he shouts for the creatures down there to help put him back together again. Bob Molar's illustrations of the ocean's dark bottom serves as backdrop for many kinds of colorful creatures and plants as well as peeks at the bones needed, skull first, and on. Each verse defines the bone called for in rollicking rhyme! Here's one from this fun book: 

                                     "Who can spot my shoulder blade,

                                        my shrugging jacket-holder blade,

                                        my shiver-when-I'm-colder blade?

                                        Oh, scapula, come back!"

         It's the first U.S. edition of this imaginary tale by Katie May Green where those twins of Seen and Not Heard return as the moon wakes the children "out" of their picture frames and they climb out the window, into the woods for a hide 'n seek game. Written in rhyme with woodland animals seen having fun watching these Victorian-dressed children, some pages show the twins (on the cover) in various 'hide-outs' while the others look for them, through woods and a maze. There is so much to see and smile about on each page illustrated by Katie May Green in shadowy night-time blues, purples and greens.