Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Bubbles...Up!

Someone asked me the other day, “What smell takes you back to your childhood?” The first thing that popped into my head was the smell of Coppertone sunscreen infused into a beach towel. My childhood summers were basically comprised of me walking or riding my bike to the community pool and spending hours with friends playing in the water.

And then, a few days after that conversation, I read Bubbles…Up by Jacqueline Davies. I was immediately immersed (pun intended) in nostalgia! This beautiful picture book illustrated by Sonia Sanchez is all about a day at the community pool from the view point of an elementary aged girl.

The story is told through poetic text that is just begging to be read aloud! The words dive and dance across the pages to mimic the actions of the little girl. Splashes of humor show up unexpectedly.

“Bubbles…Up! Mouth bubbles, nose bubbles, ear bubbles, rear bubbles”

“You under-sit. You under-talk. … You under-stand. You under-handstand.”

Parents and teachers: This is a great read-aloud! Don’t miss the opportunity to share it with your kids. Take the time to explore the playful way the text is placed on each page.

Teachers: This would be perfect for Kindergarten, 1^st or 2^nd grades. You could pair it with discussions of summer activities, or just read it because the words and the pictures are just SO fun!!!

Friday, August 6, 2021

Solving For M - 9th article in a series of 9

***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9. Go straight to the Title and Author information.

***This blog entry is for teachers’ (and parents’) eyes only! It is intended to help teachers learn about the books on the William Allen White nominee list for this year, and then make decisions about how they might want to use some of these books during the upcoming school year. There are 9 books on the list. This is the 9th blog in a series of 9.

The William Allen White Book Award is for kids in the state of Kansas to vote each year for their favorite from a list of nominated books. If you are a 3rd - 5th grade teacher in Kansas, this blog will hopefully be very useful. But even if you teach a grade level adjacent to these grades or teach somewhere other than Kansas, I think you will find some useful information regarding some books that have made it to the 2021-22 WAW nominated list.

Title: Solving For M

Author: Jennifer Swendler

Format: Chapter Book, 256 pages (NOT available in paperback)

This book is a realistic fiction friendship / family relationship story. Mika is starting 5th grade at a middle school. Her best friend is in a different “Pod” so they don’t spend much time together and Mika must try to make new friends. Mika’s mother is diagnosed with Melanoma and it spreads to some of her lymphatic system. Mika is very worried about her mom, but her mother tries to shield Mika by not telling her anything about the cancer or the treatments. This makes Mika very frustrated. Mika’s new math teacher is eccentric, but soon becomes one of Mika’s favorite teachers ever. He has them write/draw in a math journal, and Mika uses the journal to help her sort out her thoughts about her mother.

The math journal becomes a key component of this book. Mika’s journal entries, which are mostly cartoon-style drawings, are interspersed with the text. The end result is a chapter book that has a lot of graphic novel parts to it.

This book is sure to be a favorite of teachers who like teaching math. A variety of math concepts are covered via the math journal assignments. I think this could be a great read aloud, especially for 5th grade since the math concepts should line up nicely with what most 5th graders would be learning in math. I think it could also work well for 4th grade.

I have one small concern about using it as a read aloud, though. There are a couple of passages that reference or infer Santa Claus not being real.

From Unit 4 (approx. p. 53): “Like when I was little and I asked her if Santa was real. She said, “Santa Claus is the spirit of Christmas, which is very real.” So not a lie, but not the truth, either.”

And from Unit 7 (approx. p. 107): “I know that Mom knows that I’m getting a little old for the whole Santa thing, but she seems happy.”

These passages are vague and probably wouldn’t draw that much attention, but I want teachers to be aware of them if they are using this book as a read-aloud.

If you do choose to use this as a read-aloud, be prepared to show the math journal entries via some sort of classroom projection. They are a vital part of the story and will draw your students’ attention!

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Roll With It - 8th article in a series of 9

***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9. Go straight to the Title and Author information.

Title: Roll With It

Author: Jamie Sumner

Format: Chapter Book, 272 pages (available in paperback)

This book is a realistic fiction friendship and family relationship story. Ellie has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. Her dream is to become a famous chef…she loves baking and cooking. She and her mom move from Nashville to a small town in Oklahoma to help take care of Ellie’s grandpa who has Alzheimers.

Ellie has a lot of “attitude” and tells it like it is. This often gets her in trouble with teachers and her mother. It’s actually refreshing that the author does not make her out to be all “sunshine and cuddles”. I think kids will see her character as being very believable and relatable. She has to start at a new school that is very small. Ellie ends up making friends with two other kids from her grandparent’s trailer park.

I think this book could be a strong contender as a read-aloud, especially at 4th or 5th grade. This book is the longest of all the WAW nominees (3rd-5th grade), so it will take a little longer to get through, but it is SO worth it! Teachers looking for read-alouds similar to Wonder by Palacio or Out Of My Mind by Draper will love this book.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the relationship that forms between Ellie and the PE teacher at her new school. I know it’s not realistic for a PE teacher to do a chapter book read-aloud to an upper elementary class, but … oh, my goodness … I wish they could! I’ve read some books with school settings where the PE teacher is portrayed with some stereotypical negative characteristics. This book doesn’t go there, and it brings a depth to the teacher’s character that is very refreshing. I strongly urge elementary and middle school PE teachers to read this book for your own enjoyment. I think it might help you see ways to reach out to students with physical disabilities. If nothing else, it will remind you of how important, worthwhile, and fulfilling your job can be!

I often have students who are requesting books similar to Wonder or Out Of My Mind. These kids are usually looking for stories about building relationships with family members and friends. Most of the time, they want the main character to have some sort or disability whether it be physical, emotional, or intellectual. I am happy to have yet another quality title to offer them.

The author, Jamie Sumner, has a son with cerebral palsy, which really helps this book have an authentic voice. Roll With It was Sumner’s debut middle-grade novel, though she has written a couple more since. She has a website that includes a free downloadable discussion guide for the book. She also is willing to do a Skype session with a class that has read or listened to her book. I’m not sure what the cost would be, but her website has her contact information.

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Wildfire - 7th article in a series of 9

***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9. Go straight to the Title and Author information.

Title: Wildfire

Author: Rodman Philbrick

Format: Chapter Book, 224 pages (available in paperback)

This book is a realistic fiction survival story, set in Maine. The boy main character, Sam, is inadvertently left behind at a summer camp during the chaos of evacuations. After a day on foot, he discovers a cabin and a jeep. At this point, he meets up with Delphy, an older teen girl from a neighboring camp who was also left behind. The odd pair each has strengths that help them survive a total of 5 days in the wildfire infested forests.

Sam is also dealing with the death of his father (military related) and a mother who has become addicted to pain killers. Because of these weighty issues, I think this book would be a good read-aloud for a 5th grade classroom or a 4th grade teacher who knows his/her class is mature enough for it. The chapters are short and fast paced. I don’t think teachers will have any trouble holding the attention of the class with this action packed story.

I would recommend this book to kids who like Hatchet by Paulsen and other similar stories. This would also be good for kids who are interested in reading about natural disasters and more specifically, wildfires. At the end of the book, there is a section that shares factual information about wildfires including some actual fires that have happened in Maine. Curriculum connections could definitely be drawn if a class is learning about natural disasters and/or wildfires.

The author, Rodman Philbrick, has his own website.

Teachers and students might enjoy looking at some of his other books including the classic, Freak the MIghty and Newbery honor book, The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. I was also pleased to find that he has other action/adventure/survival type stories since I always have students asking for more of them. The website also has a link to an official video book trailer for Wildfire.

Thursday, July 15, 2021

A Wolf Called Wonder - 6th article in a series of 9

***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9. Go straight to the Title and Author information.

Title: A Wolf Called Wander

Author: Rosanne Parry

Format: Chapter Book, 256 pages (available in paperback)

This story is told from a wild wolf’s point of view. It is an action-packed survival story from leaving his pack family after being attacked by a rival wolf pack to wandering through different lands and environments to finally finding a new home territory. The book is based on an actual Oregon wolf who had a tracking collar installed when he was a pup.

This book could make a good classroom read-aloud, especially if the class likes action/survival types of stories and/or stories about animals. I think it would be best for 4th and 5th grades. It could work for 3rd grade as well, but the story is a little longer than some of the others on the WAW list. Also, the story doesn’t have true dialogue because of the realistic animal characters. The author’s descriptive writing is excellent, but younger readers/listeners might not be as apt to stick with the story. There are quite a few illustrations in the book that really add a lot as you are reading. It would be good if the teacher could project the pictures (using a document camera) while reading.

If a teacher is contemplating reading A Wolf Called Wander, I would encourage him/her to look for some curriculum connections. Obviously, it is about a wolf in the wild and the reader can learn so much about wolf behavior from this book. In addition, this book could be tied to lessons about habitats, biomes, ecosystems, and symbiotic relationships in nature. (My favorite part of the book was learning about how ravens and wolves can pair up and work together for survival.) At the back of the book there is a map that shows where the actual Oregon wolf (OR-7) journeyed. This could be tied into a maps skills lesson.

The author, Rosanne Parry, has her own website. I think kids will find it interesting that she writes her books in a treehouse! Also on the website is a Teacher’s Guide for the book. This guide has a lot of great ideas about using the book in the classroom. My favorite was an activity where students go to this website about wolf OR-7 and then create a list of equipment needed for a wildlife explorer to join the expedition that traced the wolf’s route.

Whenever I recommend a book as a read-aloud for teachers or parents, I encourage them to read the book themselves first. However, I know that time constraints can keep that from happening. So… I always look for possible “trouble spots” - places in the story that might take the reader by surprise. Sometimes it’s a cuss word or a topic that might be “touchy” for a teacher or parent to read aloud. Other times it might be a “trigger topic” - death of a parent, difficult family situations, etc. This book only has one scene that I would forewarn a teacher or parent about. In the scene, the wolf (narrator) witnesses a new baby foal horse being born. The birth is described in graphic detail. There was nothing wrong with this section in the book. It just took me by surprise and might spur questions from kids who have never seen the birth of an animal. I would just want the teacher/parent to be prepared and not caught off-guard.

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Because of the Rabbit - 5th Article in a series of 9

***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9. Go straight to the Title and Author information.

Title: Because of the Rabbit

Author: Cynthia Lord

Format: Chapter Book, 208 pages (available in paperback)

Emma and her game warden father rescue a small bunny. She convinces him to let her keep it. The following day she starts public school for the first time after years of being home schooled. She hopes to make a best friend, especially since her older brother has been too busy with his own school activities. She is paired up with Jack for a school project, but Jack has trouble fitting in with his classmates (possibly on the autism spectrum). Emma and Jack form a bond, but will it keep Emma from finding her new best friend?

This book is one that I can confidently recommend as a classroom read aloud to any teacher. I mentioned in the first article in this series that Lety Out Loud by Cervantes could be read to a 3rd grade classroom. Well, Because of the Rabbit is the other one! I know teachers will appreciate the themes of acceptance and friendship, especially as it relates to students on the autism spectrum or even students that just struggle to fit in with their classmates. Any teachers that are looking for a fresh, new read-aloud book for the beginning of the school year and want something that will encourage classroom cohesiveness, this would be my recommendation!

The author, Cynthia Lord, is one of my favorites. I often recommend her book, Rules, to students and teachers who are looking for a book similar to Wonder by Palacio. Cynthia has a knack for writing authentic characters who are disabled yet yearn to be treated as normal kids. You can find her author website here: www.cynthialord.com

Her bio on the website is really good and one that her young readers will enjoy. She also has resources on her website for some of her books, but it doesn’t include anything for Because of the Rabbit yet.

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen - 4th article in a 9 part series

***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9. Go straight to the Title and Author information.

Title: Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen

Author: Niki Lenz

Format: Chapter Book, 240 pages (available in paperback)

Bernice has been a bully all her life. She has a chance to start over when she moves to a small town in Missouri to live with her aunt, who is a Catholic nun. This is a 1st person narrative and is very funny. There is some “farts and boogers” style of humor, but the story is also very heart-warming.

This could be a fun read-aloud as long as the teacher is comfortable reading about the butts, farts, and boogers. I can promise you that most 9, 10, and 11 year olds will find it hilarious when you read those parts out loud! If that’s not your style, then you might steer clear of this one and encourage your students to read it on their own.

Either way, this book is deeper than the superficial humor. Kids might actually empathize with the bully and why she acts in a certain way. The 1st person narrative gives the reader a unique perspective, and before you know it, you are rooting for Bernice all the way.

There are some things to keep in mind while reading this aloud or even recommending it to your students. Bernice’s mom is an awful person, but the book kind of side-steps the deeper issues of this family dynamic. I’m glad the author chose to write it this way because the story’s focus stays positive and heart-warming. It could be a story about emotional abuse, but then its audience would be more middle school-ish and the overall tone would be completely different.

The author is local (from Kansas City, MO.) She has a great author website and is obviously eager to connect with her readers as well as teachers, parents, and librarians. If you subscribe to her mailing list, she will send a free Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen comprehension guide.

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Shine! (3rd Article in a 9 Part Series)

***Skip the intro if you have already read the 1st or 2nd blog in this series of 9. Go straight to the Title and Author information.

Title: Shine!

Author: J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Format: Chapter Book, 224 pages (paperback available starting Sept. 14, 2021)

This is a really fun, feel good book. 7th grader, Piper, is trying to fit in at an elite private school. She has a great relationship with her dad. Her mother has died, but the story doesn’t revolve around that issue except that her dad teaches school rather than pursuing a career as a Broadway musical writer in order to provide stability for Piper. Dad has just landed a job as a music teacher at the new school, hence the reason for Piper to be at a “new to her” school. She finds a small group of friends even though there are some snooty “villains” as well. The story focuses on Piper’s desire to “shine” in some way. However, she is the type of kid who blends in, not the one to stand out. She doesn’t have her father’s musical abilities, but eventually she finds a way to “shine” even though she doesn’t think she is very talented.

This book would make a really good classroom read-aloud, especially for 4th and 5th grades. I think it could work for 3rd graders as well, however, it’s a pretty big age gap between the listening audience and the protagonist. On that note, though, there isn’t any content in this book that makes me wary of 3rd-5th graders reading it, even though the protagonist is a 7th grader and the setting is a middle school.

Teachers and parents will love this book because it teaches kids that kindness is always rewarded, even if the reward is delayed or is only realized intrinsically. It also teaches that kindness can come in many forms and doesn’t matter how big or small the act of kindness is. 3rd-5th graders will like this book because the theme of kindness doesn’t come across as “preachy” or didactic. They will be pulled in by the authentic characters and situations. As a bonus, kids who like science will enjoy that Piper loves science (especially aeronautics and space science) and has a great science teacher.

This book is written by Chris Grabenstein (of the Mr. Lemoncello book series fame) and his wife, J.J. Grabenstein. This is a debut novel for them as a writing team. The Grabensteins have a knack for showing us a glimpse of the musings and motives of the antagonists (Ainsley in this story) as well as our unlikely heroine, Piper. I think this gives kids authentic perspectives to be able to see why people act the way they do.

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Counting The Stars - 2nd Article in a 9 Part Series

***Skip the intro if you have already read the 1st blog in this series of 9. Go straight to the Title and Author information.

Title: Counting The Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician

Author: Lesa Cline-Ransome

Illustrator: Raúl Colón

Format: Picture Book, 32 pages

This is a nice picture book and the only one on the WAW list this year. Picture book biographies is a quickly growing genre. In the last 5 years, there has been a surge of this type of book, especially in representing people of diversity. My favorite part is the illustrations done by the renowned Raúl Colón. They are done with watercolor and colored pencil. I’d like to show them to the art teacher at my elementary school. I bet she could do a neat lesson on illustrating a starry night sky.

I found the book itself was a bit dry and boring. It didn't pull me in. However, that could be because I had already seen the movie Hidden Figures and had read quite a few articles about Katherine Johnson since then. I have some ideas, though, of how to use this book as a read-aloud and make it more appealing for middle grade students.

I’ve spent some time gathering some movie clips and a video montage put together by National Geographic. I’ve found the best spots in the book to pause and share the clips. I gathered all of these via YouTube. If your school does not allow you to share YouTube videos, this may not work for you. On the other hand, I have watched all these clips and know that they are appropriate for 3rd-5th graders to watch. On a side note, my favorite scene from this movie is the one about the segregated bathrooms. But I couldn’t include that clip. It was full of cuss words!!!

So here is what I would do for the read-aloud. Start reading and sharing the illustrations just like you normally would. Show the following clip after reading:

“…and by the time Katherine was ten, she started her first year of high school in Institute.” (Approx. p. 5)

Hidden Figures - solving polynomials in factored form

Then, continue the read aloud. Show this next clip after reading:

“…Katherine continued to ask to attend until she got the answer she wanted: Yes.” (Approx. p. 18)

Hidden Figures | 'You Are The Boss'

Once again, keep reading. Show this clip after reading:

“Tell me where you want the man to land, and I’ll tell you where to send him up.” (Approx. p. 26)

Hidden Figures | "Give or Take" Clip

And finally, immediately after you have finished the book, but before you do any discussions, show this National Geographic video.

NASA Trailblazer: Katherine Johnson | National Geographic

Monday, June 21, 2021

Lety Out Loud - 1st Article in a 9 Part Series

***This blog entry is for teachers’ (and parents’) eyes only! I will be creating some book recommendations for kids in the near future, so keep an eye out for those, but this is intended to help teachers learn about the books on the William Allen White nominee list for this year, and then make decisions about how they might want to use some of these books during the upcoming school year. There are 9 books on the list so this is the 1st blog in a series of 9.

Title: Lety Out Loud

Author: Angela Cervantes

Format: Chapter Book, 208 pages (available in paperback)

This book was named a Pura Belpre Honor Book in 2020! The Pura Belpre award is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience.

Lety Munoz volunteers at an animal shelter over the summer while also trying to improve her English speaking and writing skills. She reluctantly gets drawn into a competition with a boy named Hunter to be the shelter’s “scribe” -- writing blurbs about the cats and dogs to hopefully get them adopted. In the meantime, she meets Spike, a shelter dog who has had trouble finding a forever family.

Issues of discrimination towards English Language Learners is addressed. There is a scene where Lety and a friend are with the friend’s mother at a pharmacy. A man approaches and starts yelling at them to “Speak English or get out of the country!”. The man is also very rude to the store clerk because she is speaking Spanish to the friend’s mother.

The story takes place in Kansas City, KS. The author is local. She currently lives in KC, KS and grew up in Topeka, KS. She has an author website that is very good.

Angela Cervantes Author Website

The website has a section for Teacher Resources that include worksheets, discussion questions and reader’s scripts. I especially like the writing prompt that goes along with Lety Out Loud.

In past years, I’ve found it difficult to recommend read-alouds for the 3rd grade teachers. The WAW nominee lists tend to skew towards 4th and 5th grades in my opinion. Sometimes it’s hard to find books that a 3rd grade teacher can read-aloud and have it appeal to the entire class. This year, there are 2 books on the list that I can confidently recommend to 3rd grade teachers, and Lety Out Loud is one of them!

Of course, I will recommend this book to any kid who loves animals, especially cats and dogs! This book can stand alone but is a “companion” book to Gaby, Lost and Found also by Angela Cervantes. Both stories take place at the same animal shelter.

And finally, this book is great for teaching about perseverance. One of the ways that all the characters in the book describe Lety is that “she never gives up...no matter what”!