It's Monday! Sharing Special Books

    Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and 

  

Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they and others have been reading! Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading! 

        

          What's happening with my reading? 

                 I have been so busy with a variety of things that I cannot seem to find enough time to really dig into The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer. I like it so far, but I may put it aside to start another. I have loved Eliot Schrefer's books before, but part of this challenge is that this book is (so far) very like Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary, which I enjoyed. I have Gary Paulsen's final book, How to Train Your Dad (though I've read another is coming next year) and Malinda Lo's Last Night at the Telegraph Club which I know some of you adored. I am also reading Colson Whitehead's Harlem Shuffle, a little bit each day. And, there is a small pile of ARCs. Clearly, I have no lack of books! If you'd like, tell me what NOT to miss!

          Here are some picture books I really enjoyed this past week. One moves into history and young adult. All are worth a read!

         I picked up my granddaughters the other day and the youngest, ten, cried when I asked about her day. Things she told did seem hard to take, but everyone, kids, too, must manage stuff as well as they can, try to make changes, not always in themselves, but solving the problems with others, too. It's hard! This young boy starts his day sleeping late, missing his favorite toothpaste because his sister used it to make slime, then at school, forgot to wear his gym uniform, so can't play kickball. There's more and he's feeling a little 'scrunchy'. Aliya King Neil tells about going through such a day so well you want to reach out and give this boy a pat. Emotions shown in Charly Palmer's fabulous paintings bring the story to real life. We've all been there at school, right? Or work, or just life's day-to-day world. I imagine this will bring rich conversation when shared. 

           Perhaps it isn't an easy story to tell, but Kaija Langley makes it seem easy. Langston liked basketball but when his mother took him to see a performance by the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, he is in awe. He asks his mother if she thinks he can dance like that, who answers, "You can do whatever you set your mind to doing." Langston begins, practices before his mirror, finally goes to his first ballet class. As they say, and the beautiful realistic illustrations by Keith Mallett show, the rest is history! Others don't think boys dance like that, but Langston does! It's a wonderfully inspiring story for anyone who wants to do something others might want to deny. (It reminds me of the older British movie Billy Elliot. If you haven't seen it, do!)

          Thanks to Candlewick Press for the next two advanced copies, both out in October.  

           I love these stories by Juana Medina, letting young Juana tell about her life in Bogotá, the challenges, the sorpresas, and the successes. I also love that writer Juana includes Spanish words in the text so smoothly that an English speaker can learn a new word, in another language! Young Juana's life with Lucas has been going along happily until those two things happen that make some changes Juana isn't quite sure about. First, she knows that her mother is pregnant and she is not sure about that new thing happening. Second, her mother has signed her up for skating camp. What!!! No friends are there and although Mami tells her she'll make new ones while she learns, it's a worry. More changes happen but with dear Lucas by her side, the love of her Mami and Luis, her stepfather, her abuelos, and her new friends, life turns out to be just right. Juana shares her worries but also how she will learn to figure out things. Juana Medina inserts those double-spread pages that center on one subject that are terrific. One is titled "Babies make everything complicado. EVERYTHING!"

           

Poetry Friday - Costumes Welcome!

 

The night was dark, and devilish, too, 

when out of the night,

a scarecrow flew, 

he landed at the corner of Scared and Brave,

shouted "Welcome All to the Halloween parade!

                                                           Linda Baie ©

                                        

I always look forward to hosting near Halloween. This year seems like a wonderful night will happen. Last year I was sad that it really didn't happen. I took some goodies to neighbor kids whom I know and they peeked through their door to wave, costumes on.

           This year, the young boy next door showed me he had created a frightening cape with bloody streaks he had painted on himself! Big grin! It will be a fun night to see what everyone wears.

My poem mixes Halloween with my own undertone of politics and women's rights. I am inspired by those women who amuse us with their smiles and nods and then go ahead and do the right thing for all of us and do it with great skill.

On My Front Porch

 

Jill O’Lantern stared as she contrived 

a contest with a skeleton just arrived,

envisioning the apathy of the fright  

he would give to youngsters Halloween night.

 

She knew she’d given her life for this,

one ghostly night full of hair-raising bliss,

but also knew she had to think it through

as Bag O’ Bones rattled for his cue.

 

When given a breeze, his screaming yaw

and clacking bones would break the law

and scare the pants off every child,

making Jill’s grin seem too, too mild.

 

Bag O’Bones stooped to smile and greet,

whispering nothings that were not sweet,

knew he held an ace, a wily key

to win the shocking HATE trophy.

 

He’d carry it on to another place

leave without friends, without a trace.

Jill felt pleased to light her smile

till she was heaved to the compost pile,

 

joining friends with happy faces

partying on from the garden places.

Old Bag O’ Bones’ could do his feat

But Jill remained a grinning treat.

                                 Linda Baie ©

Happy Halloween!

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It's Monday - Reading ReCap

    Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and 

  

Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they and others have been reading! Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading! 

        Last Poetry Friday, I shared a new book by Charles Ghigna here. It's a lovely book of joyful fun celebrating love. 

         Just in time for Halloween, yes, I'm sharing a new Zombert tale by Kara LaReau with freaky illustrations by Ryan Andrews! Mellie and Bert are fast friends now, and Danny, the horror movie-maker is there helping Mellie do a little training. You see, those dastardly people at the YummCo Foods factory have "cooked up" a scheme to get Bert (they know him as Y-91). They're having a Harvest Festival with all the games and prizes, and food, free. Mellie hopes that Bert will win the "best pet" contest. She needs the money for Bert's vet bills. Things get weird late on the festival day. Townspeople appear to be even hungrier! And Mellie has lost Bert! But I'll leave you to wait to read what happens next, and then, a longer wait for the third book in the series! I raced through this one, imagine young readers will, too!

              Thanks to Candlewick Press for the copy!

            I am amazed at what Owen Davey can do with pop-ups! Remember the earlier Pop-Up Dinos? This time, it may be a 'first' pop-up for children, but the topics introduced will become an inspiration to discover more about these monsters, both the goodness in them and the bad. There are fifteen fabulous pop-ups, with the country of origin and a brief text telling about it added with each.  

          First comes a most familiar one, a dragon, from various origins they are either one of "wisdom or wickedness". Cerberus makes an appearance, as do Scandinavia's huge, wolflike Fenrir and the one with luck from the Philippines, Sarimanok. Everyone will love these beautifully colored mythological monsters pop-up to introduce themselves in this special book! 

          Thanks to Candlewick Press for the copy, the US edition in 2021! 

I imagine everyone has favorite Halloween picture books or a few marvelous scary stories to read or tell! Here's a new one to add to your list! Thanks again to Candlewick Press. 

              Pete Oswald's night scenes are pretty scary, and readers might go 'eek!' a few times after Eric Geron's poor chicken crossed the road and did not get to the other side, but did rise to THE OTHER SIDE. However, most of the time they will laugh at Geron's hilarious puns. This chick has become the Poultrygeist! All those other animals there to meet him must convince, explaining with words like "It's cock-a-doodle-BOO! time for you" and "It's time to get foul, fowl!" This is Geron's debut picture book and another fun one to add to the Halloween stack. 

                 

Poetry Friday - A Special Book with Life's Only Answer

   

         Thanks to Jama Rattigan who hosts this Poetry Friday, at her blog, Jama's Alphabet Soup HERE. She's found a new poet whose poem about October will bring a lot of cheers and uh - huhs! Plus, she has cookies! Happy October back to you, Jama, and thank you for hosting!

         In our months-long, mixed-up world, here are a few quote reminders of what tops the needs list - love. Charles Ghigna has it quite beautifully correct in his new book, cover above, that publishes this very next Tuesday: Love is Everything. Personally, I also adore books where bears tell the tale, so I doubly like this one!

         In this sweetest of calming rhymes, this older bear speaks to the younger one sharing through the seasons all the love found in every place they visit. In the morning, birds sing, and in the evening stars shine as the bears' moon shadows glow. The older bear offers a promise with "I believe in me. I believe in you./I believe in everything that is good and true." Illustrations by Jacqueline East bring this love of life in each romp out of doors. The bears lie on the grass among the flowers, reveling in spring. She shows them planting trees as Charles writes of doing what is right. Birds' murmurations fill a sunset page. Music and art add to the beliefs that every part of life can be embraced, WITH LOVE!

        It's a loving book for evening reading, a time to celebrate the day, to snuggle in and talk over the day, then look forward to what may be tomorrow's love. Here's one peek!

         Thanks, Charles, for the digital copy. Congratulations to you and Jacqueline for this special book!

        

One more thing!

            I have Charles' Halloween Night, Twenty-One Spooktacular Poems which the granddaughters and I read together every year, so just wanted to remind what a terrific Halloween book it is.

Monday Reading - Get Outside!

    Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and 

  

Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they and others have been reading! Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading! 

          I hope you're enjoying beautiful Autumn weather. Our mountains have had good snow and two ski resorts are open but we down in the flat have had warm and gorgeous days. 

       

         If you want to discover how a fifth-grader processes things, you need to read Maple Mehta-Cohen's story. Kate McGovern allows Maple to tell us readers a lot, not only a deep secret of what she cannot do but the wonderful things she can do. We need to pay attention! 

        Maple's a terrific storyteller, as is her creator, Kate McGovern. And if you know the definition of "story", you'll also find that Maple makes up the stories she should not. In the harshest of times for her, she lies. Maple, half Indian, half Jew, loves dictating her stories into a small recorder, and some parts of them are included in this book for readers to see how good she is. Unfortunately, Maple has kept a secret for a long time; she can't read. Her dear teacher has caught on, finally, to all the clever tricks Maple has used. She smart, after all. But this time, caught, she and her parents have just been told she's being held back. She will repeat fifth grade! She has fooled her parents, too, and perhaps, as the story moves on, she really has fooled herself. Falling into the deep pit of lying, missing her two best friends who are now cool sixth graders, and going to the 'baby' class for those who do need extra help. What could be worse? 

          I've known a few students like Maple, always clever at hiding that those words on the page cannot be deciphered, make the brain hurt, swim around. You've possibly heard these things about those with learning differences. It's a poignant story that parents and teachers will love along with many students, those who are hiding out in plain sight, and those who wonder about a friend, a classmate, or two. 

           Thanks to Candlewick Press for this advanced copy. 

           I have delayed this book too long, my thanks to PR By the Book for the copy of the fourth book in this series! My family traveled to Belize this past July! Although we didn't have the thrill of seeing "The Great Blue Hole", we did do some snorkeling to see some of the coral reefs - Amazing! Robert Scott Thayer has also recorded an audio CD with "Kobee's Song." The book published on September 28th.

                     

          Kobee Manatee wants to swim from the Cayman Islands to see his cousin, Quinn, to help her clean up her new "all-vegie, underwater bistro", Quinn's Seagrass Café. He's traveling with his friends, Tess, the seahorse, and Pablo, the hermit crab. Vivid, colorful illustrations by Lauren Gallegos fill the pages of the travelers' journey. Very soon, they must act on a challenge: a loggerhead turtle is caught up in a plastic bag. Luckily, Pablo cuts away the bag with its claws. And as we readers "swim" along with these friends, each page holds a visual titled "Kobee's Fun Facts". They add to the information in the story. For example, this page tells that "More than fifty percent of all sea turtles consume some form of plastic during their lifetimes." It also explains how plastic never goes away. Throughout the book, there are recommendations of organizations that are fighting plastic in the oceans.

        The group keeps traveling, encountering and protecting each other against a Portuguese Man of War and a spotted scorpionfish, along the way learning about climate change and the challenges for ocean life. This picture book will be a terrific way to begin an ocean study, sea creatures, and climate change. 

      Here is one of  Kobee's Fun Facts - Yikes! Did you know "Shoppers in the United States use about one plastic bag per resident per day? Meanwhile, shoppers in Denmark use an average of four plastic bags a year."

     There's another adventure at The Great Blue Hole and all about it, too. It has stalactites, which "Scientists believe these formed in a dry cavern above sea level during glacial periods." Jacques Cousteau explored it in the 1970s. 

     In reality, I could continue for a long while because Robert Scott Thayer has packed a myriad of info into this one book! One can research keywords throughout from those "Kobee's Fun Facts".  

HERE is the Kobee Manatee website, with a sign-up that offers games and coloring pages.