Spotlight Friday: transitional chapter books, part 2 - 7.15.16

Time to get ready for the weekend!

Kick up your feet and find a good place to read.

Sharing #booklove for your classroom or library.

Spotlighting a book or two because these books deserve the spotlight!

Last month I turned the spotlight on books and series that are perfect for readers who are starting their reading journey.  Books that rely on sight words, accessible text and decodable print.  After progressing through these books and longer picture books, kids are ready for longer text.  However, there is a big jump from picture books to middle grade novels.  That is where transitional chapter books come into play.  They make the perfect bridge between the two.  But finding a good transitional chapter book can be tricky.  Some readers who need them are younger readers.  They are ready for longer books, but don't have the stamina to read middle grade just yet.  These kids need books that appeal to younger grades, and don't have content that is too over their head.  Whereas other readers who need a transitional chapter book are those who struggle with reading.  Kids who are still trying to fit all the reading pieces together.  Middle grade books are often too challenging, too daunting, and they get turned off from reading all together.  These readers are looking for a transitional chapter book that is smart, isn't going to appear for very young readers, have good story lines and fun characters.  

This week I'll be spotlighting some titles and series that would be perfect for 1st-4th graders.  Some books are part of a series.  Some are new, some you probably know.  Share this post with teachers who may not know them, give them new title ideas!  Some of the books are stand alines, not series.  All of them have wide appeal.  Here are some of my favorites:


Charlie Bumpers series
by Bill Harley
This is my favorite new series.  It's funny, smart, witty and has characters that 4th graders will like. It's not a difficult read so it's perfect for older kids who are still working on reading skills.



The Witches of Benevento series
by John Bemelmans
Short, small books that have a very "old" feel about them - like something you would've found in the "olden days"!  But don't let that old feel fool you, the books are funny and have a good mystery to solve.  I was hooked after the first one and immediately got the second.  Plus, with Caldecott winning illustrator Sophie Blackall contributing, it's a sure fire win!



Lola Levine series
by Monica Brown
Lola is a sassy but sweet character who is quick to make mistakes but faster to fix them.



MVP series
by David Kelly
Mysteries and sports - perfect kid combo!



Sam Krupnik series
by Lois Lowry
I grew up on the Anastasia Krupnik series.  HMH is rereleasing the follow up to this series, about Anastasia's younger brother, Sam.  
This series is a bit longer in length, so while the main character is younger, it should still present enough of a challenge for those "old" 4th grade readers to keep them interested!



Shelter Pet Squad series 
by Cynthia Lord
Anything by Cynthia Lord is great in my mind!  But pare readers with animals and you almost always have a hit.  I love that this series is pushing kids to go out and do something to help!



Ranger in Time:  Race to the South Pole
by Kate Messner
The fourth book in this series is out!  I love how Kate Messner is getting kids to read historical fiction.  Perfect for kids who love the I Survived books.



Spunky Tells All
by Ann Cameron
Fans of the the "Julian" series will love this stand alone book where Spunky the dog gets to tell his side of the story.  Add in illustrations by Caldecott Honor author Lauren Castillo, I know this book will be a hit with readers.



Weekends with Max and His Dad 
by Linda Urban
I believe this book is going to end up as a series and I'm very excited for that.  This book is about Max who spends his weekends with his dad.  Each section of the book explores new adventures for the father-son and we see Max get more comfortable with his new surroundings.  I love that this is a book about a divorced family without the book focusing on a negative divorce.

Hope you find some new titles for your class and students.  These books are important to have so all readers can find a book they will enjoy and can read independently.
I hope to see more authors writing smart and fun transitional chapter books!

Be sure to check out part one of this series where I turned the spotlight on transitional chapter books that are perfect for Kg-3rd grade.

Graphic Novel Round-Up 7.14.16

It's a graphic novel roundup 

Featuring some new graphic novels

Lowriders to the Center of the Earth

by Cathy Camper

illustrated by Raul the Third

published by Chronicle

Lowriders in Space is a graphic novel I picked up this spring because while I had heard of it, I really didn't know much about it.  After I read the library copy, I turned around and ordered my own copy because I loved how unique it was!  With the mix of English and Spanish, I knew I had readers who would love it.  It's edgy.  It's different from other graphic novels that are out there.  It's a mix of fantasy and urban fiction.  Just different from anything else I had.

Now the sequel is out!  This time our trio of friends have to travel to the center of the earth and the underworld to combat Mictlantecuhtil, the Aztec god of the Underworld!  I really enjoyed how Camper infused Aztec lore into the story.  Again, this series is different from other graphic novels that are out there and I think that will appeal to readers.  Raul the Third returns to illustrate this next adventure and his pen drawings are unique and capture the flare of this story.

Visit the Chronicle website and search for the Lowriders series.  They have activity and teacher guides to go along with the books.  I really like the first page of the teacher guide - it has a printable about why graphic novels are so great.  These would be wonderful to pass out to parents.


HiLo: Saving the Whole Wide World
by Judd Winick
published by Random House
Love this series!  It's quirky and funny and adventurous!  I laugh out loud at HiLo - he wears his emotions on his sleeve for everyone to see.  But what you notice most about him is his heart of gold and how he cares for his friends.

This second book in the series starts right where the first one leaves off.  HiLo has disappeared but luckily there is just enough of him (and it's funny) left behind to communicate with his friends.  All three are quickly united, but the downtime doesn't last for long and before we know it, there are more evil aliens, robots and monsters that need to be blasted back where they came from.

Just like the first one, this one leaves us with a horrible cliffhanger and we won't find out what happens until February 2017!  I don't know about you, but I already have the third installment preordered.



Dream Jumper:  Nightmare Escape
written by Greg Grunberg 
illustrated by Lucas Turnbloom
published by Scholastic
This is one of those books that I got into right when it was ending and now I'm anxiously waiting book 2!  What a cliffhanger.
This book reminded me just a bit of Secret Coders - not in plot or anything, but I felt like book one of that series and this series were meant to do a lot of background and set up what the rest of the series will be about.  
I had a lot of questions at the start of this book, which could either deter readers, get them really confused, or push them on to read more and more.  It jumps right into the action and it's up to the reader to grab on and figure out as they go.  All questions get answered, or you see where it could go, but you have to figure out a bit on your own at first. 
Ultimately, this book is about Ben, who finds out he is a Dream Jumper, someone who can jump into dreams of other people.  But this is a rare talent and he soon discovers that there are people who are after his ability.
I think readers who enjoy the Amulet series will be anxious to get their hands on this one!

Some other graphic novels that are published that are on my radar:


Human Body Theater
by Maris Wicks
published by First Second



Science Comics:  Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean
by Maris Wicks
published by First Second



Science Comics: Dinosaurs: Fossils and Featherswritten by MK Reed
illustrated by Joe Flood
published by First Second



Red's Planet
by Eddie Pittman
published by Abrams Books


All of these graphic novels will be great additions to your libraries this fall.

Like these?  Be sure to return in two weeks when I spotlight some new graphic novels that will be published this fall!

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Jazz Day 7.13.16

Every Wednesday I join Alyson Beecher from kidlitfrenzy and other

kidlit bloggers to share wonderful nonfiction picture books.

The intention of today's blog is to give educational professionals

new nonfiction reading material and ideas to use 

with students to promote a love of reading nonfiction materials.

Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph

written by Roxane Orgill

illustrated by Francis Vallejo

published by Candlewick Press

I am so in awe of this book.  Written about one small event - the taking of a photograph of jazz artists.  This event almost didn't take place.  Art Kane, a graphic designer who was just discovering his true passion of photography, put out a crazy idea - gather as many jazz musicians as possible in one location for a photograph for Esquire magazine.

More people than Kane ever thought showed up.  And what happens when you get people with a common interest together?  Lots of talking, laughing, and not really listening to what needs to be done! Orgill captures the feeling of the day perfectly through different poems.  I think readers will be fascinated by the musicians and the time period.

What stands out about this book:

* many small moments about the day were collected by the author and put together in poetry format.  Each poem talks about a different moment - whether it's about one of the musicians or the other people that were captured in the photograph, or something that happened off camera

* this would be a great mentor text to show how to capture a small moment in one bit of writing

* use this as a mentor text to show how to capture the feeling of an event.  I really liked how Orgill used different poetry forms throughout the text.  Each form recognized the feeling that was trying to be expressed

* the illustrations are amazing.  I felt they really captured the energy from the day and the feeling of camaraderie between the musicians.

* the back matter is fantastic.  Includes an author's note, biographies of the people mentioned in the poems, information about how the single photograph lived on in different media, source notes and an extensive bibliography.

* I think this book has a place on Mock Caldecott and Mock Sibert lists

Spotlight Friday: Mock Caldecott long list 7.08.16

Time to get ready for the weekend!

Kick up your feet and find a good place to read.

Sharing #booklove for your classroom or library.

Spotlighting a book or two because these books deserve the spotlight!

We are halfway through the 2016 year already!  I thought this week I would pause and share my Mock long lists.

Today I am sharing my Mock Caldecott long list.  Here are some titles I'm thinking we'll be talking about in January.



Be a Friend 
by Salina Yoon


When Spring Comes
by Kevin Henkes
illustrations by Laura Dronzek


Twenty Yawns
by Jane Smiley
illustrations by Lauren Castillo


The Knowing Book
by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
illustrations by Matthew Cordell


Daniel Finds a Poem 
by Micha Archer


The Secret Subway
by Shana Corey
illustrations by Red Nose Studio


Are We There Yet?
by Dan Santat


The Whale
by Vita Murrow
illustrations by Ethan Murrow


Flora and the Peacocks
by Molly Idle


This is Not a Picture Book
by Sergio Ruzzier


Maybe Something Beautiful
by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell
illustrations by Rafael Lopez


A Fire Truck Named Red
by Randall de Seve
illustrations by Bob Staake


Tell Me a Tattoo Story
by Alison McGhee
illustrations by Eliza Wheeler


Thunder Boy Jr.
by Sherman Alexie
illustrations by Yuyi Morales


Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph 
by Roxane Orgill
illustrations by Francis Vallejo



They All Saw a Cat
by Brendan Wenzel
publishes August 30th


School's First Day of School
by Adam Rex
illustrations by Christian Robinson


There is a Tribe of Kids
by Lane Smith


Freedom in Congo Square
by Carol Boston Weatherford
illustrations by R. Gregory Christie


Ideas Are All Around
by Philip Stead


Return
by Aaron Becker
publishes August 2nd

Books that are getting some Caldecott "buzz" that I still need to check out:



The Storyteller
by Evan Turk


Before Morning
by Joyce Sidman
illustrations by Beth Krommes
publishes October 4th


The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles
by Michelle Cuevas
illustrations by Erin Stead
publishes August 23rd


Radiant Child:  The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
by Javaka Steptoe
publishes October 25th


Some Writer!
by Melissa Sweet
publishes October 4th


We Found a Hat
by Jon Klassen
publishes

So what books have I missed?  What books are you looking forward to?  

Visit my other Mock long list posts:
Mock Geisel
Mock Sibert
Mock Newbery

Mock Newbery long list

We are halfway through the 2016 year already!  I thought this week I would pause and share my Mock long lists.

Today I am sharing my Mock Newbery long list.  Here are some titles I'm thinking we'll be talking about in January.

 

The Key to Extraordinary

by Natalie Lloyd

Pax

by Sara Pennypacker

Raymie Nightingale

by Kate DiCamillo

Hour of the Bees

by Lindsay Eager

The Wild Robot

by Peter Brown

Paper Wishes

by Lois Sepahban

Gertie's Leap to Greatness

by Kate Beasley
publishes October 4th

Finding Perfect

by Elly Swartz
publishes October 18th

Wolf Hollow

by Lauren Wolk

Sticks and Stones

by Abby Cooper
publishes July 12th

Some Kind of Courage

by Dan Gemeinhart

Of course 2016 isn't over.  Here are some books that I want to read, some have been published, some haven't.

All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook

by Leslie Connor

Maxi's Secrets (or what you can learn from a dog)

by Lynn Plourde

publishes August 23rd

Wish

by Barbara O'Connor

publishes August 30th

Maybe a Fox

by Kathi Appelt

Freedom Over Me

by Ashley Bryan

publishes September 13th

Full of Beans

by Jennifer Holm

publishes August 30th


Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat 
by Javaka Steptoe
publishes October 25th


Moo
by Sharon Creech
publishes August 30th

I think Mock Newbery can be tricky because of the age it covers.  We do our Mock Newbery club with our oldest students, which is 4th grade.  Some of the books that have Newbery buzz are really too mature for 4th grade readers.  For that reason, there are books that you may be hearing about in other Mock Newberys but we're leaving out.

What do you think?  What am I missing?  What are you adding to your Mock Newbery list?

Visit my other Mock long list posts:
Mock Geisel
Mock Sibert
Mock Caldecott