Posts tagged Candlewick Press

Telling Family Histories in Picture Books

May 2, 2013 · Filed under Picture Books, Primary (K-2), Social Studies · Tagged , , , , , ,

Everyone has their favorite tales of family histories and traditions, and one of mine is about something that we always did before opening presents on Christmas Eve.

Like most kids, my sisters and I were very excited to open our presents.  We usually did it after dinner, and after the dishes were done, and after Dad finished his bath.  And then—we had to drive to town and look at the Christmas lights.  Our town of Baldwin, Wisconsin, wasn’t very big, but I swear we saw every light that was up.  The longer Dad drove, the more excited we would get.   And every year, just as we thought we had seen them all, Dad would say, “I don’t think we’ve been here yet!” and turn down another street.  My sisters and I would roll our eyes and groan inwardly.  I really don’t remember much of what I got for Christmas as a kid, but I do remember the anticipation!

Each of these picture books tells about a family’s history and can be used to inspire students to find out about the lives of their own parents and grandparents.

Red Kite, Blue KiteRed Kite, Blue Kite by Ji-Li Jiang. 9781423127536. 2013. Gr 1-3.

This book is inspired by the friend of the author, whose family lived in China during the Cultural Revolution.  A little boy and his father love to fly kites together in the city.  When his father is sent to a labor camp, the boy is sent to a nearby village to live with a farmer.  At first his father comes to visit every weekend, but one day he sadly says he will not be able to come for a while.  But—they can still “talk” to each other with their kites:  the boy will fly his red kite every morning, and his father will fly a blue kite every evening.  They will see the kites and know they are thinking of each other.  Bad times are ahead, and the father is sent farther away.  But the boy continues to fly both kites every day.  The themes of family, Chinese history, and world cultures make this a versatile picture book.

Building Our HouseBuilding Our House by Jonathan Bean. 9780374380236. 2013. Gr PK-2.

A little girl and her family leave their old home in the city to build a new house in the country.  While the parents are building the house from scratch—most of it by themselves—the family will be living in a small trailer onsite.  The little girl tells the story of the process as it starts with reading the blueprints, having experts hook up water and electricity, and setting up the foundation.   Readers will be fascinated by the trucks and tools used at the construction site.   The house slowly changes as the seasons pass—and the mom slowly changes, too!  By the time the baby is born, the house is ready.  The book is based on the real-life experience of the author’s parents, told from his older sister’s point of view.

3099232The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman. 9780763646011. 2013. Gr 1-4.

A young girl visits her great-grandfather for the first time, and to break the ice he asks her to pick anything in his room full of collections and he will tell her a story about it.  She brings to him a cigar box full of small matchboxes.  In each matchbox is a small item that the old man had saved from his childhood in Italy, his family’s immigration to the United States, and his life in America.  This was his diary, since no one in his family knew how to read and write.  On her way home, the five-year-old starts her own unwritten diary.  This book is great to use in talking about family histories and can inspire kids to start their own diaries—with or without words.

I tried to continue the Christmas light tradition when I became a mom, but my boys didn’t keep their groans and impatience to themselves.  Maybe when they’re older, they will tell me how much they appreciated it.  Maybe.

I’m not counting on it.

TraceyBlogger : Tracey L.

Comments (1) »

Book Review : Maggot Moon

February 4, 2013 · Filed under Dystopia, Fiction, High School, Middle School (6-8), Reviews · Tagged , , , ,

Maggot MoonMaggot Moon by Sally Gardner. 9780763665531. February 12, 2013. Gr 7-10.

“I’m wondering what if…the football hadn’t gone over the wall.”

Fifteen-year-old Standish Treadwell lives in the Motherland, a dystopian society similar to Nazi Germany.  He lives with his grandfather in Zone Seven, the area for people who don’t quite toe the party line.  A year earlier, the government’s goons dragged his mother away—and when she came back, she was changed.  His parents disappeared soon afterward.

Standish has problems in school, not the least of which are the bullies who taunt him with the rhyme:  “Can’t read, can’t write / Standish Treadwell isn’t bright.”  But though he can’t read or write, he isn’t stupid.  He understands that things aren’t right in his society, and he knows how to keep under the radar and out of trouble with the authorities.  His best friend Hector says that Standish isn’t like all the “train-track thinkers.”

Hector and Standish are neighbors, and next to their houses is a wall, a very tall wall, around something very secret—and in the Motherland, it is dangerous to ask or even talk about secrets.  The boys know of a hidden tunnel which leads to the other side of the wall, but they are not stupid…until the football goes over the wall and Hector sneaks through the tunnel .

Now Standish is telling his story—but not on paper.  He would never be that crazy.  But he is afraid.  Hector and his family have disappeared, and not even his grandpa will answer Standish’s questions.  Why are they gone?  What did Hector see when he retrieved the football?  What is going on behind the wall?  And how long can they keep it secret that they are hiding someone in their basement?

And the most important question, can Standish do anything to make the rest of the world understand what is going on?

Maggot Moon captured me from the first page.  The voice of the dyslexic narrator, Standish, is clear and true…which is not surprising since the author is dyslexic herself and advocates for finding a better way to educate children with dyslexia.  She talks about the book and dyslexia in this interview with Publishers Weekly.  And check out the video on the Maggot Moon website to see how a page of print looks to someone with dyslexia.  I was surprised to find that reading for them is far worse than just a matter of mixed up letters.

This book would be a great discussion starter on authoritarianism, accompanying a unit on Nazi Germany or Stalinism.  Also, talking about Standish’s way of thinking could be helpful in a creative thinking class.  And it is an awesome book for anyone who likes dystopian fiction.

(Quotations are taken from an advance reading copy provided by the publisher.)

TraceyBlogger : Tracey L.

Comments (1) »

Tracey’s Favorite 2012 Fiction – A Baker’s Dozen

January 7, 2013 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Intermediate (3-5), Mackin Picks, Middle School (6-8), Novels · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I used to think it would be excellent to be on the Caldecott or Newbery or Printz committee.  Can you imagine getting to decide which book is the best of the year?  Now, after two years of creating a “10 (or so) Best Books of the Year” list, I will with no regrets admit that I’m not cut out for such a job.  I’d be the one wailing, “But they’re ALL the best!  They ALL have to win!”  (Has anyone ever been thrown off of an award committee?)

So here I will gladly share what are, in my opinion, the best fiction books of 2012—and they are ALL the very best.

One and Only IvanWonderGoblin Secrets

The One and Only IvanMackin Picks by Katherine Applegate.  9780061992254. 2012. Gr 3-6.

Ivan, a silverback gorilla, has lived most of his life in a cage at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, his only friends a captive elephant named Stella and a stray dog named Bob.  Ivan’s fame is his art; people come to watch him as he paints inside his cage.  He no longer thinks about his life before the mall…until Ruby joins Stella.  Ruby is a baby elephant, recently captured, and she remembers her life with her family.  Ivan determines to find a way to help this homesick baby.  This story is told through the voice of Ivan, a gentle, intelligent voice telling a heart-sick and heartfelt story.  I challenge you not to care.

WonderMackin Picks by R.J. Palacio. 9780375969027. 2012. Gr 3-6.

August Pullman considers the real him to be just like all the other fifth-grade boys—smart, funny, and brave.  But other people don’t see it that way—they have a difficult time looking beyond the extreme facial malformations that he was born with.  His parents have always homeschooled him; this year August is going to school for the first time, and hopes merely to be treated as a kid.  An excellent read-aloud to start discussions on compassion and empathy.

Goblin SecretsMackin Picks by William Alexander.  9781442427266. 2012. Gr 4-6.

Rownie lives with other stray children in the household of the witch Graba. His only relative is his brother, Rowan, who left Graba’s house to become an actor.  But acting is forbidden, and Rowan has disappeared—so Rownie escapes the witch and joins a troupe of goblins who put on plays despite the law.  But their masks and plays are not just for make-believe.  They believe that the town is about to be destroyed by a mighty flood—and that Rownie is the only one who can save it. (Goblin Secrets is also a 2012 National Book Award winner.)

Mighty Miss MaloneKeeping Safe the Stars

The Mighty Miss MaloneMackin Picks by Christopher Paul Curtis.  9780385904872. 2012. Gr 4-7.

Deza Malone would love to start everything she writes with “Once upon a time…” and end it with “…and they lived happily ever after.”  And when the book opens, Deza’s life with her brother and parents does seem to be rosy—even for a black girl living in Gary, Indiana. But she lives during the Great Depression; there are no jobs for black men in Gary, so one day her father leaves to try to find work in Flint, Michigan.  And when her mother loses her job as well, they end up in a Hooverville, fighting poverty and racism.  Curtis’s characters and setting are well done, and though the ending is a bit unrealistic, I don’t mind a happy ending for such an appealing individual.

Keeping Safe the StarsMackin Picks by Sheila O’Connor.  9780399254598. 2012. Gr 4-8.

Pride, Nightingale, and Baby Star are orphans and live with their grandfather, Old Finn, in rural Minnesota.  Old Finn is very independent and self-sufficient, and the girls have learned to be wary of outsiders.  But their self-reliance comes at a price, which they find out when Old Finn gets very sick—and is transported to a hospital way up in Duluth.  The girls try to fend for themselves, and Pride even finds a way for them to earn some money for bus tickets to Duluth.  But when they see Old Finn, they realize that there is no way that he will soon be able to care for them.  A lovely story about a close family and the friends that they must learn to rely on.

Obsidian BladeCode Name VerityFault in Our StarsSeraphina

The Obsidian BladeMackin Picks (Klaatu Diskos : 1) by Pete Hautman. 9780763654030. 2012. Gr 8-12.

When Tucker Frey sees his father vanish through a shimmering disk, he is shocked—but even more so when his father comes walking down the road an hour later, looking older and with a young girl he says is from Bulgaria.  A year later, both parents vanish, and  Tucker goes in search of them with the girl and his crazy uncle.  He finds out that these disks allow travel through time and space, and in his journey he travels into the past (9/11) and far into the future.  This is a great beginning to a fascinating science fiction trilogy.

Code Name VerityMackin Picks by Elizabeth Wein.  9781423152194. 2012. Gr 9-12.

Two young women become friends while working for the British war effort during the first days of World War II, one training to be a spy and the other a pilot.  When their spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France, the spy is captured—and she doesn’t know if anyone else survived.  In order to stop the torture, she promises to provide information.  In the meantime, the pilot has made contact with the French Resistance—but can they find her friend before it is too late?  A deeply intense historical fiction that I couldn’t stop thinking and talking about.

The Fault in Our StarsMackin Picks by John Green. 9780525478812. 2012. Gr 9-12.

Hazel is a terminal cancer patient, living on borrowed time.  At a group therapy session for teens with cancer, she meets Augustus, who is there with his friend. Gus knows first-hand about cancer as well—his leg was amputated before his own cancer could spread.  From their first conversation, Gus and Hazel have a connection, but Hazel wonders how she can let this boy fall in love with her when her prognosis is so grim.

SeraphinaMackin Picks by Rachel Hartman.  9780375966569. 2012. Gr 9-12.

In a land where the peace is held together by an uneasy truce between dragons and humans, dragons are able to hide what they are and take human shape.  On the day of Seraphina’s birth, her father found out that her mother was one of these dragons, a fact that Seraphina did not discover until scales started appearing on her arm and around her waist.  Now the Queen’s son has died—obviously murdered by a dragon.  Seraphina is drawn into the investigation and uncovers a plot to destroy the fragile peace in the land.  Click here to see my original post.

Froi of the ExilesNever Fall DownOctober MourningRaven Boys

Froi of the ExilesMackin Picks (Lumatere Chronicles : 2) by Melina Marchetta.  9780763647599. 2012. Gr 9-12.

Three years after the end of Finnikin of the Rock, Froi is sent on a mission to Charyn, the kingdom that was responsible for unleashing bloodshed and evil on Lumatere.  But when he arrives, he finds a curse…and a history.  This second of Marchetta’s epic Lumatere Chronicles is amazing, and ends with not just one cliffhanger, but four or even five.  I usually finish one book and immediately pick up another; but when I finished Froi, I was so swept up in it that I couldn’t get involved in another story for two days.  Quintana of Charyn, the final book in the trilogy, comes out in April, 2013.

Never Fall DownMackin Picks by Patricia McCormick. 9780061730948. 2012. Gr 9-12.

When Arn’s Cambodian village is invaded by the Khmer Rouge, everyone is marched into the countryside.  Arn is separated from his family and sent to a labor camp, where intense work, blazing sun, insufficient food, and disease cause the deaths of many children.  Prisoners are taken to a nearby mango grove and do not return.  Arn learns to be invisible to the Khmer Rouge, until the day the country is about to be liberated, and Arn is handed a weapon and forced to become a soldier.  He lives by one rule:  Never fall down.  This book, based on the true story of Arn Chorn-Pond, is heart-breaking…and uplifting.

October Mourning : A Song for Matthew ShepardMackin Picks by Leslea Newman.  9780763658076. 2012. Gr 9-12.

Twenty-one-year-old Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, died in October of 1998.  He was lured out of a bar on the night of October 6 by two men who drove him to a remote area, beat and tortured him, tied him to a fence, and left him to die.  Days later, Leslea Newman was the keynote speaker at the university’s Gay Awareness Week, and now has written this tribute to Matthew Shepard.  The book contains 68 poems from many perspectives, including the killers and even the fence itself.  It is a quick, but very moving, read; and it should be recommended to all high school readers, and especially for a unit on tolerance.

The Raven BoysMackin Picks by Maggie Stiefvater. 9780545424929. 2012. Gr 9-12.

Blue Sargent is from a family of clairvoyants, but she herself has no psychic gift—except maybe to strengthen the talents of others, which is why she stands with her mother every year in the churchyard on St. Mark’s Eve, the day that the soon-to-be dead walk past.  Other psychics have predicted that if Blue were to kiss her true love, he would die.  That’s OK, because she’s not interested right now…until the spirit of a boy walks up to her on St. Mark’s Eve and speaks to her.   And then she meets that boy, Gansey, a Raven boy from a local private academy, and he pulls her into a quest with him and his friends—a quest that could be dangerous for them all. The Raven Boys is the first of four books in the series.

Disclaimer:  I listed 173 books as “Read” on Goodreads last year, and these have been chosen only from those books that were published in 2012.  I didn’t get to all of the great books…and now 2013 is here already!

TraceyBlogger : Tracey L.

Comments (1) »

Review: The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate

December 27, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), Novels, Reviews · Tagged , , , , ,

The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the PirateThe High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate by Scott Nash. September 2012. 9780763632649. Gr. 3-6.

Confession: I judge books by their covers.  I know, I know, the idiom “Don’t judge a book by its cover” has been around for a long time, and it does apply to a lot of things.  But, in this case, I picked up a copy of The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate solely because it looked neat.  I didn’t pore over reviews, read “best of” blogs, get a raving recommendation from a friend…I just liked the cover.  Perhaps it took me back to reading Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island as a grade-schooler? The skull and crossbones, combined with the faux-antique look grabbed me.  Plus, who doesn’t like a swashbuckling pirate adventure?

This pirate adventure is a bit different.  The characters are animals, much in the style of Brian Jacques’ Redwall series or Robert C. O’Brien’s Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.  In this case, the main characters are birds, and Nash does a nice job of basing the characters’ personalities on the way real birds act.  If you have ever watched birds interact at a bird feeder, you know that bluejays act as brash, thieving bullies, so it is a good choice to have made the leader of a band of pirates Blue Jay.  Here, though, Blue Jay mostly relies on rumors that he is a tough and ruthless warrior, when in reality he is a wise and fair leader.  He captains a flying ship, the Grosbeak, and oversees a crew of colorful characters including a junco, chickadee, snipe, and others.

The story begins with Junco finding a rare egg that Jay covets, and takes on board the Grosbeak.  What the egg contains is a mystery, but the creature within becomes an asset and friend to the pirate crew.  Soon, Jay and his crew run into trouble when the Grosbeak falls out of the airstream and is shipwrecked in hostile territory.  Here, they meet the villainous Teach, Bellamy, and Avery, crows who are always angling for riches and a fight.  They hold Jay and his ship hostage, and it is up to other members of the crew to find a way out of this predicament.  This is attempted with the help of some unlikely allies, including a group of sparrows and a nearsighted mole named Hillary.  They uncover the crows’ secret arsenal and prepare for a fight.

The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate is a fun and entertaining read.  Boys and animal lovers in particular will enjoy this book, which is enhanced greatly by Nash’s illustrations.  The classic struggle between the villains and good guys is appealing and this book is just good, old-fashioned fun.

Ryan

Blogger: Ryan H.

Leave a comment »

Tracey’s Dozen (or so) Favorite 2012 Picture Books

December 25, 2012 · Filed under Picture Books, Primary (K-2) · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

First of all, a very merry Christmas greeting from the bloggers at Mackin Books in Bloom.  We hope that you are enjoying the holiday season with your friends and family!

I thought about asking my fellow blog writers if I could do a “Favorite 100 Picture Books of 2012,” but I figured they would just roll their eyes at me.  Picture books are the hardest for me to narrow down, because I love them so much.  I couldn’t even get this “Top 10” list down to a dozen.  Could you?

HappyIt's a TigerMore

Happy by Mies Van Hout.  9781935954149. 2012. PS-1.

Children are often confused by any emotions beyond happy, sad, mad, and bored.  The expressions on the brightly colored fish in this picture book go beyond these basic feelings, showing kids how they look when they are nervous, shy, furious, brave, confused, astonished, and more.  Click here to find other picture books on emotions.

It’s a Tiger!Mackin Picks by David LaRochelle (ill by Jeremy Tankard).  9780811869256. 2012. PS-1.

As the young narrator tells a story of a walk in the jungle, suddenly a tiger jumps out!  He tries to hide, but—there’s the tiger again!  No matter where he tries to hide, the tiger is there.  Will he get eaten?  This funny, interactive picture book shows that you shouldn’t make assumptions.

MoreMackin Picks by I.C. Springman (ill by Brian Lies).  9780547610832. 2012. PS-2.

If having something is good, then getting several is better, right?  And having lots is even nicer.  But what if you get a bit much?  A magpie thinks he needs more and more—until he ends up with way too much. Thank goodness he has little friends to teach him a lesson that is good for all of us to learn.

This Is Not My HatThis Moose Belongs to MeMinette's Feast

This Is Not My HatMackin Picks by Jon Klassen.  9780763655990. 2012. PS-2.

A tiny fish has just stolen the hat from a big fish, but he’s not worried.  The big fish is sleeping and probably won’t wake for a long time; and when he does, he won’t notice that his hat is missing, and if he does notice, he won’t know who took it or where he is hiding…and on and on.  But the pictures show that the big fish does wake up and he DOES notice that his hat is missing—and the little fish is about to get his comeuppance.

This Moose Belongs to MeMackin Picks by Oliver Jeffers.  9780399161032. 2012. PS-2.

Wilfred has a pet moose named Marcel.  And since Wilfred prefers things to be just so, he has a lot of rules for his pet.  Marcel is not always so good at following all the rules, unless there are apples involved.  Though Wilfred thinks the moose is his, the moose has other ideas, and when they meet up with a lady who claims that “Rodrigo” is her moose, Marcel stays with her (she has an apple).  What will Wilfred do without his pet—and friend?

Minette’s Feast : The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat by Susanna Reich (ill by Amy Bates).  9781419701771. 2012. PS-2.

While Julia Child and her husband were living in Paris, she adopted a cat and named her Minette.  As Julia practiced her cooking skills, she would offer left-overs to Minette.  (Sweet!) Though Minette enjoyed these treats, her preferences ran to other tasty things—like freshly-caught mice and birds!  This cat’s-eye view of the famous chef includes an author’s note.

Birthday for BearDog in ChargeZ Is for Moose

A Birthday for Bear by Bonnie Becker (ill by Kady MacDonald Denton).  9780763658236. 2012. PS-2.

Bear refuses to acknowledge his birthday. (Does anyone else have this problem?)  But Mouse is determined that Bear will celebrate it.  First Mouse tries a fake birthday invitation, then he pretends to be a balloon deliveryman and a postman with a birthday card.  Even when Santa comes down the chimney with a present, Bear insists, “I DO NOT LIKE BIRTHDAYS!”  But can he resist that present?

Dog in Charge by K.L. Going (ill. by Dan Santat).  9780803734791. 2012. PS-2.

Dog is a good dog—the very best dog—and his people award him lots of treats. But when he is left alone in the house with five wily and messy cats, he finds out that he is not really in charge at all.  When his people get home and see the mess, they won’t call him “the very best dog.”  And will he ever get a treat again?

Z Is for Moose by Kelly Bingham (ill. by Paul O. Zelinsky).  9780060799847. 2012.  PS-2.

Zebra lines up all the animals in alphabetical order to present themselves in the book, but Moose is too excited to wait his turn.  He interrupts again and again, until finally it is time for M.  But…M is for Mouse!  Disappointed and upset, Moose behaves badly, just like every other little kid that just wants to be noticed.  Zebra feels sorry for Moose, so there is a happy ending. Click here for more alphabet picture books.

Beetle BookUnspokenOne Cool Friend

The Beetle BookMackin Picks by Steve Jenkins. 9780547680842. 2012. PS-3.

I am a big fan of Steve Jenkins, and though I really hate bugs, I am fascinated by them (and I’m also an admirer of the art of Christopher Marley.)  So I think this is my favorite Steve Jenkins’ title yet (though What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? and Just a Second are close runners-up).  Jenkins provides lots of information about beetles, including life cycles, defenses, behaviors, and senses, along with his trademark collages of greater-than-life-sized creatures.

Unspoken : A Story from the Underground RailroadMackin Picks by Henry Cole.  9780545399975. 2012. K-2.

This beautiful wordless book tells the story of a young girl in mid-19th century Virginia who discovers that there is an escaped slave hidden in her family’s barn.  At first she is scared, but then she sees the frightened eye of the slave peering out of the stored cornstalks.  When Confederate soldiers arrive with a wanted poster for the fugitive, she must search her conscience to decide if she has the courage to help him.

One Cool FriendMackin Picks by Toni Buzzeo (ill. by David Small). 9780803734135. 2012. K-3.

While visiting the zoo one day with his father, Elliott falls in love with the penguins (they are so much like himself) and decides to take the smallest one home.  The problem then is to keep the penguin happy…and hidden from his father.  Fortunately, his father is clueless—or is he?  I was, though I shouldn’t have been, because illustrator David Small had left plenty of hints to the fun ending!

Meal of the StarsRock Is Lively

A Meal of the Stars : Poems Up and DownMackin Picks by Dana Jensen (ill by Tricia Tusa).  9780547390079. 2012. 1-3.

Tricia Tusa’s pretty illustrations give a clue how to read Dana Jensen’s clever poems in this unique poetry book.  Each poem is about something that either goes up or goes down.  If it goes down—raindrops, for example—the poem reads from top to bottom.  In the poem of the ladybug crawling up the dandelion stem, you start reading the poem from the bottom to the top.  An excellent marriage of text and illustrations.

A Rock Is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston (ill. by Sylvia Long).  9781452106458. 2012. 1-4.

Aston and Long have combined their talents again in this fascinating look at earth’s lively rocks and minerals.  Lively?  Yes, as melted magma.  Rocks are also helpful and sneaky and creative and more.   This beautifully illustrated, poetic, and informative book explains how rocks are made, how they help us, and how people and animals use them.

What’s your favorite picture book from 2012?

Blogger:  Tracey L.Tracey

Comments (2) »

A Dozen of Tracey’s Favorite 2012 Nonfiction

December 24, 2012 · Filed under High School, History, Intermediate (3-5), Language Arts, Mackin Picks, Middle School (6-8), Nonfiction, Science, Social Studies · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s time for that most strenuous time of year.  No, not the holidays—but the making of the top 10 lists.  Let me confess:  I just can’t do it.  I don’t think I have ever been able to cut a list of books down to ten titles.  You’ll notice that this list is a dozen, and for the life of me I can’t pick two titles to remove.  All of these books (and those in the runner-up list below) are excellent titles for Common Core use, as well as just plain interesting to read.

IslandSnakes Forgive Me Wild Horse Scientists

Island : A Story of the GalapagosMackin Picks by Jason Chin.  9781596437166. 2012. Gr 1-4.

In Chin’s earlier books, a child is drawn into a habitat by opening a book on redwoods or coral reefs.  But as the reader of Island, I felt like I was that child, being drawn into and observing the life cycle of the Galapagos Islands.  Beautiful art and engaging text give a clear explanation of the evolution of the islands and their inhabitants.

Snakes by Nic Bishop.  9780545206389. 2012. Gr 1-4.

One has only to look at the cover of Snakes to see that award-winning photographer Nic Bishop has done it again.  I’d like to say that even people who do not care for snakes (hate them?) will be able to see the beauty of these marvelous creatures—however, I have a few sisters that will disagree with me.  But Mr. Bishop can capture the diversity and nature of snakes—and provide fascinating information in a conversational tone.  In an afterword, he tells about the difficulties of photographing snakes.

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It : False Apology Poems by Gail Carson Levine.  9780061787263. 2012. Gr 2-5.

Each of these hilarious poems is patterned after William Carlos Williams’ poem, “This Is Just to Say,” and contains a false apology—one in which the person apologizing is not really sorry.  Read more in my post about using poetry as writing examples.

Wild Horse Scientists (Scientists in the Field) by Kathryn Frydenborg.  9780547518312. 2012. Gr 4-8.

This book, as do the rest of the Scientists in the Field series, is a work of narrative nonfiction that focuses on the work of scientists.  These scientists, Ron Keiper and Jay Kirkpatrick, are studying the wild horses on Assateague Island near Maryland.  The scientists keep records and have developed a birth control vaccine so that the population of horses does not get out of control and disturb the ecosystem of the island.  (Find out more about this excellent series in this post.)

Invincible MicrobeTemple GrandinIceberg, Right AheadBeyond Courage

Invincible Microbe : Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a CureMackin Picks  by Jim Murphy.  9780618535743. 2012. Gr 5-8.

This biography is about a killer that has caused the death of over a trillion people throughout history.  This serial killer is the germ that causes tuberculosis.  Invincible Microbe describes the symptoms and history of treatment of the disease, and I learned that TB can attack many parts of the body, not just the lungs.  Murphy also explains how the discovery of antibiotics almost led to a cure, but drug-resistant varieties have appeared.  A clearly written and fascinating true tale, with a frightening ending.

Temple Grandin : How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced AutismMackin Picks by Sy Montgomery.  9780547443157. 2012. Gr 6-8.

When Temple was young, no one realized that she had autism.  Her doctor recommended that she be institutionalized, and her father agreed.  Her mother, however, insisted that she go to school.  She grew up to make changes to the livestock industry that took account of the feelings of animals.  This book describes Temple’s childhood, her education, and friendships, as well as how she came to realize that her autism helps her to understand animals.  (Books written by Temple are now on my bedside table.)

Iceberg, Right Ahead! : The Tragedy of the Titanic by Stephanie Sammartino McPherson.  9780761367567. 2012. Gr 6-9.

McPherson’s excellent narrative account of the voyage and sinking of the Titanic goes back to her construction.  Personal accounts, photographs, and diagrams help the reader to understand and experience the disaster.  See more posts about the Titanic here and here and here.

Beyond Courage : The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the HolocaustMackin Picks by Doreen Rappaport.  9780763629762. 2012. Gr 7-12.

Many Holocaust books describe the plight of European Jews in the ghettos and in the concentration—those Jews who did not understand or would not believe what the Nazis planned to do.  Rappaport’s book looks at those Jews who understood and took matters into their own hands, describing their courageous efforts to help Jews and their acts of resistance, many of which ended in tragedy.  Some of these stories have never been told, but all should be heard.

MoonbirdFaces from the PastGlobal WeirdnessBehind the Beautiful Forevers

Moonbird : A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95Mackin Picks by Phillip Hoose.  9780374304683. 2012. Gr 7-10.

B95, or Moonbird as he is also known, is a red knot shorebird that was caught and banded in 1995.  Red knots migrate each year from the southernmost tip of South America to the Canadian arctic and back—a round trip of over 18,000 miles.  B95 is famous because he has survived the destruction of his kind (over 80 percent of the population has disappeared due to human interference in their immigration patterns) and is still flying at the estimated age of 19.  Scientists call him Moonbird because he is thought to have flown over 350,000 miles—about the distance from the Earth to the moon.  A fascinating book with clear text and colorful pictures, giving the inside story of this remarkable bird and the people who watch for him.

Faces from the Past : Forgotten People on North America by James M. Deem.  9780547370248. 2012. Gr 7-12.

The skeletons and skulls of people from long ago have been found in forgotten burial sites, and little was known about who they were.  But scientists, including forensic anthropologists and bioarchaeologists, have developed processes to discover the identities of these people.  They can find out about the way these people lived, diseases they might have suffered, and how they died.  The book covers five such examples, including how artists using clay have been able to reconstruct the skulls to give a face to these unknown people.

Global Weirdness : Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas and the Weather of the Future.  9780307907301. 2012. Gr 10-Adult.

Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization, provides clear analysis and reports about climate science, and has been featured in many respected news sources.  In this book, they provide easy-to read answers to 60 questions about climate change in these areas:  What the Science Says, What’s Actually Happening, What’s Likely to Happen in the Future, and Can We Avoid the Risks of Climate Change.  The short chapters provide facts in plain language, avoiding hysteria and partisan bias.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers : Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai UndercityMackin Picks by Katherine Boo. 9781400067558. 2012. Gr 10-Adult.

Katherine Boo has written a heartfelt account of what life is like in the slums of Mumbai in India, where people live in cardboard shacks near rivers of raw sewage; where suicide is a fact of daily life; where the kind of medical care and human rights you get depends on how many rupees you can pay to the doctors and the police; where families survive by digging through the garbage and recycling what they find.  This book reads so much like a novel that I thought it was fiction; sadly, it is not.  Pair it with Andy Mulligan’s Trash.

Here are some other nonfiction titles that Mackin’s librarians are raving about, but I haven’t had time to read.  Are there any others that you would like to add?

Bomb : The Race to Build – and Steal – the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin.  9781596434875. 2012.  Gr 7-10.

King Peggy : An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village by Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman. 9780385534321. 2012. Gr 11-Adult.

Superman Versus the Ku Klux Klan : The True Story of How the Iconic Superhero Battled the Men of Hate by Rick Bowers.  9781426309168. 2012. Gr 6-9.

Their Skeletons Speak : Kennewick Man and the Paleoamerican World by Sally M. Walker. 9780761374572. 2012. Gr 7-12.

We’ve Got a Job : The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March by Cynthia Levinson.  9781561456277. 2012. Gr 5-8.

TraceyBlogger : Tracey L.

Leave a comment »

How Do You Feel? Picture Books

December 10, 2012 · Filed under Picture Books, Primary (K-2) · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Feelings can be very confusing to young children, and some of the best ways to teach about them are with picture books. These new titles are fun for teaching lessons about emotions and character education.

Too Tall HousesToo Tall Houses by Gianna Marino. 9780670013142. 2012. Gr PK-2.

Rabbit and Owl are next-door neighbors—and very good friends.  Owl likes to sit on his roof and watch the forest, while Rabbit loves to work in his garden.  But one day Owl complains that Rabbit’s vegetables are growing too tall, and blocking his view of the forest…and the next day Owl builds his house a little taller.  Then it is Rabbit’s turn to complain, “Owl, your house is blocking the sun from reaching my veggies”…and Rabbit builds his house a little taller than Owl’s.  Back and forth they argue until their houses are the tallest houses in the world.  But up so high, the wind is stronger and gustier, and it blows their houses apart.  Now they each have nothing…but do they still have their friendship?

Black DogBlack Dog by Levi Pinfold. 9780763660970. 2012. Gr PK-2.

Kids—and others—often fear the unknown because they have blown it all out of proportion.  Mr. Hope, the first one to see the black dog, calls the police about a black dog the size of a tiger outside his house. When Mrs. Hope sees it, she cries, “There’s a black dog the size of an elephant outside!” By the time the older children get up, it has grown to the size of a T-Rex and more.  Then Small gets up, takes a look, and heads outside. “Try and catch me!”  The black dog chases Small, around and around, and as they run it gets smaller and smaller, until the two squeeze into the house through the cat door. The lesson is presented gently and matter-of-factly by Small Hope:  “There was nothing to be scared of, you know.”

HappyHappy by Mies van Hout. 9781935954149. 2012. Gr PK-1.

There are lots of words for emotions, but kids usually get by with happy, sad, and mad.  With minimal text, this picture book uses the expressions of fish to illustrate many other feelings, including nervous, shy, furious, brave, confused, jealous, and astonished.  The fish, though hilarious, are also right on target with their facial expressions, even when emotions are similar, such as angry and furious; or surprised, shocked, and astonished.  The illustrations remind me of sidewalk chalk (very BOLD sidewalk chalk) on a freshly blacktopped driveway.  This book belongs in every classroom, library, preschool, and home.

I can think of no complaint from kids worse than “I’m bored.”  Here are two funny books about that most feared ailment.

I'm BoredI’m Bored by Michael Ian Black, ill. by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. 9781442414037. 2012. PK-2.

The narrator finds herself bored, bored, bored, until she spies a potato—a TALKING potato. This talking potato is bored because it has to hang out with a kid, and kids are boring!  Forgetting her own boredom, the girl tries to convince the potato that kids are not boring—they can play games and turn cartwheels.  “Boring,” says the potato.  Well, kids can pretend stuff, like being a famous ballerina or a lion tamer.  “Boring,” says the potato.  No matter what ideas the girl has, the potato’s response is “Boring.”  With its funny illustrations and the increasingly spirited text, this book would make a great read-aloud when everyone says, “I’m bored.”

Delia's Dull DayDelia’s Dull Day : An Incredibly Boring Story by Andy Myer. 9781585368044. 2012. Gr PK-1.

A little girl is sure that she lives the most boring life.  Just look at yesterday—walking past the same 16 boring houses, riding on the same boring bus…even recess was boring.  While the narrator tells the story of the lack of excitement in her life, the illustrations tell the story of a girl who doesn’t pay attention to the world around her.  Hot air balloons float through the sky, a pirate sits behind her on the bus, and a lost submarine surfaces in the school swimming pool.  At the end of the day she cries, “Now do you see how completely boring my life is??!!”  Well, she decides, tomorrow is another day.  And the end of the book shows that things do not have to be big or extraordinary in order to be interesting.

TraceyBlogger : Tracey L.

Comments (1) »

Use Your Imagination! Picture Books

December 3, 2012 · Filed under Picture Books, Primary (K-2), Reviews · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Little kids don’t need to be told to pretend.   My son Alex was five years old when Nathan was born, and despite the difference in their ages, they played very well together for several years…until overnight Alex seemed to grow out of pretend.  Their play would start out peaceable, but when Nathan became too imaginative, Alex would get frustrated and say, “You can’t do that.  It’s not REAL!”

Here are some picture books for those kids who still find reality and pretend to be interchangeable.

Quiet PlaceThe Quiet Place by Sarah Stewart, ill. by David Small. 9780374325657. 2012. Gr K-3.

It is 1957, and Isabel and her family are moving from Mexico to Michigan.  Isabel is sad to leave behind her home and her Aunt Lupita and especially her language.  This story of immigration and assimilation is told through Isabel’s letters to Aunt Lupita.  Isabel is thrilled when they get a new refrigerator and her brother gives her the box.  She uses it as a quiet place, a safe place for herself and her books…until the box was ruined in a storm.  Isabel’s mother makes cakes for birthday parties, and at the parties Isabel watches for big boxes—and starts a new quiet place.  But will she be able to make new friends?  And will she ever get used to not hearing Spanish?

I Like Old ClothesI Like Old Clothes by Mary Ann Hoberman, ill. by Patrice Barton. 9780375969515. 2012. Gr PK-2.

Most little girls like playing dress-up, but the little red-haired girl narrating this book in rhyme just loves wearing old clothes.  She loves their mystery and wonders about their history. “I wonder who wore you before you were mine?…Did you make her look awful or make her look fine?”  She likes dressing up in old fancy clothes, “Once-for-good clothes, / Now-for-play clothes.” When she wears her old clothes, she tries to imagine “The places they’ve been / And the faces they’ve seen— / And whose clothes they’ll be / When they’ve finished with me.”  A great book for units on clothes, and a perfect read-aloud to help the imaginations run wild.

Pirates at the PlatePirates at the Plate by Aaron Frisch, ill. by Mark Summers. 9781568462103. 2012. Gr K-3.

The broadcaster announces, “Welcome to the ballyard, fans.  We’re in the bottom of the 22nd inning, score knotted at 47 runs apiece, Pirates at the plate.”  22 innings?  47 runs each?  These pirates aren’t from Pittsburgh!  No, this game pits real Pirates against real Cowboys, and it’s not like any baseball game you’ve ever seen.  Hopalong Cassidy warms up by a campfire in a pen full of bulls.  Long John Silver blasts the ball toward the fence with a cannon while the Cisco Kid races to catch it on his horse.  When the Pirates are caught stealing bases for real, both teams erupt from the dugouts, and it looks like the worst fight yet until—“Stewart!  It’s time for supper!”  And the game ends in a tie as Stewart packs up his little plastic cowboys and pirates.  Tomorrow’s game?  Vikings versus Tigers.

Sky ColorSky Color by Peter H. Reynolds. 9780763623456. 2012. Gr K-2.

Marisol is an artist, and a very creative one at that.  She is very excited when her teacher announces that their class will be painting a mural for the library and volunteers to paint the sky.  But the box of paints has no blue.  How can you make the sky without blue paint? On the way home and later in the evening, Marisol watches the sky and wonders how she will solve this problem.  The next morning, as Marisol waits in the rain under a gray sky for the bus, she understands what color the sky is…it is every color!

And the thing about kids growing out of pretend?  It doesn’t last.  When he was 17, Alex and his friends met  in the park one evening…to have a light-saber battle.

TraceyBlogger:  Tracey L.

Comments (1) »

Funny Picture Book Read Alouds

November 12, 2012 · Filed under Picture Books, Primary (K-2) · Tagged , , , , , , ,

I’ve written several times about how I enjoyed reading aloud to my boys when they were little and to my daycare kids, and how they loved being read to.  These funny picture books will be enjoyed by all—and I picked them for their appeal to adults as well. They are the perfect marriage of text and illustrations—with much of the story and the humor communicated through the pictures.  Each will work great for one-on-one reading, or reading to a small group, or as a classroom read-aloud.

Dog in Charge by K.L. Going (ill. by Dan Santat). 2012. 9780803734791. Gr PK-2.

Dog is a good Dog. A smart Dog. The very best Dog.  He sits, stays, and even dances on command—and is rewarded with yummy dog treats.  When the family leaves for the store, he is in charge of the five cats.  Or is he?  The cats don’t sit and they don’t stay.  Soon every room in the house is a mess, and Dog is in despair.  He is not a good dog or a smart dog—and there will be no yummy treats in his future.  Collapsing to the floor to think, he falls asleep.  But these cats really do love their dog, and they don’t want him to get in trouble.  By the time the family gets home, Dog is once again the very best Dog.  And the cats?  They are “good cats. Smart cats. The very best cats.”

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen. 2012. 9780763655990. Gr PK-2.

“This hat is not mine. I just stole it,” admits a tiny fish sporting a tiny hat.  He goes on to tell us that the hat belongs to a big fish that was sleeping, and reasons that the big fish probably won’t wake up for a long time, and if he does wake up, he probably won’t even notice his missing hat, and if he does notice, he won’t know who took it, and if he does, he won’t know where the thief is going.  But the reader sees that the rationale isn’t holding up—the big fish does wake up, and he does notice his missing hat, and he does know who took it, and so on.  The little fish swims into the tall plants that grow close together, thinking that no one will find him.  Kids will know, however, that the little fish is about to get his comeuppance…and the big fish will get his hat.

A Birthday for Bear by Bonnie Becker (ill. by Kady MacDonald Denton). 2012. 9780763658236. Gr PK-2.

It is Bear’s birthday, but he refuses to acknowledge it.  He always keeps very busy on his birthday, dusting and sweeping and mopping and scrubbing.  But Mouse is determined that Bear will celebrate his birthday.  When a fake party invitation doesn’t work, he pretends to be a balloon deliveryman, and then a postman with a birthday card.  He even tries coming down the chimney dressed in a red Santa suit and carrying a present.  Finally Bear cries out, “I DO NOT LIKE BIRTHDAYS!”  But can he really resist that present?  This fourth Bear and Mouse picture book is just as charming as the others, and the fusion of text and illustrations is as delicious as Bear’s birthday cake.

Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds (ill. by Peter Brown). 2012. 9781442402973. Gr PK-2.

Jasper Rabbit loves carrots, especially the fat, crisp ones that grow freely in Crackenhopper Field.  He stops whenever he can to pick some and eat them.  He can’t get enough of them—until creepy carrots start following him home.  He sees their threatening forms everywhere…but no one else does.  Finally Jasper has an idea:  those creepy carrots can’t get him if they can’t get out!  So he builds a thick wall around the field, and surrounds it with a moat filled with crocodiles.  He heads home, assured that those creepy veggies will never get out.  The carrots?  They are cheering because Jasper will never get back IN! This silly-scary book is great for kids who don’t want their scary books too scary.

Blogger:  Tracey L.

Leave a comment »

Anti-Bullying Awareness Month

October 11, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Bullying seems to be running rampant in our schools today.  Not only are kids verbally and physically abused, but media and social networking has made it possible to humiliate someone on a national level.  According the The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, kids who are bullied suffer from low self-esteem and depression in adulthood and are more likely to drop out of school.  They also found that kids who are identified as bullies by the age of 8 are six times more likely to have a criminal conviction by adulthood.  Clearly bullying is bad on either side of the equation.  I’m a big believer of connecting with books, so here are a few titles that have come out in the last couple months that I think would make great discussion on the ramifications of bullying.

Keep Holding On by Susan Colasanti.  June, 2012.  9780670012251.  Gr. 9-12.

All 16 year-old Noelle wants to do is keep her head down and make it to the end of the school year without being noticed, but it’s hard to do when you’re the target of bullies everyday. Forced to face ridicule during school and a neglectful mother at night, Noelle doesn’t know what to do when her crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her. Should she take a chance and risk breaking her heart or play it safe the same as always? But when a tragedy strikes at school, Noelle learns the importance of standing up for yourself.

This is a great title to discuss bullying and the affects it has on its victims.  I think many readers will see a little of themselves in Noelle even if they’re not in her same situation.  Colasanti also does a fantastic job of character development and showing how much Noelle grows throughout the novel thanks to supportive friends and an internal desire to make her life better.  I liked the added element of the neglectful mother because it shows how kids aren’t always just bullied at school, but in their homes as well, and that there are measures kids can take to stop both kinds of bullying.

October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Leslea Newman.  September, 2012.  9780763658076.  Gr. 9-12.

Leslea Newman was scheduled to speak at the University of Wyoming’s Gay Awareness Week five days after Matthew Shepard’s brutal attack. These poems reflect her desire to replace hate with compassion and understanding. Each moving poem reflects the feelings or events surrounding Matthew’s attack. From the fence that held him through the night to the the people who held protestors back from his funeral, readers will never forget these powerful poems.

This is one of those books that when you finish reading it, you can’t do anything else but think about it for a while.  The poems are so powerful and I loved the way Newman told them from multiple perspectives such as the fence Matthew was tied to, the deer that stayed with him throughout the night, even the moon watching the horror unfold from above.  I think this book will bring out good discussion with students and may lead them to write poems about their experiences as well.

Lindsey L.

Leave a comment »

« Previous entries
Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 898 other followers