Friday, July 7, 2017

Spotlight Friday - July releases 7.07.17


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!

It's that time to share books that are being released this month!  I'm noticing I have some gaps, particularly in nonfiction and young adults.  If you know of any releases I missed, let me know in the comments or on Twitter!

Picture Books

Second Grade Holdout
Second Grade Holdout
written by Audrey Vernick
illustrated by Matthew Cordell
published July 4th

Super Manny Stands Up!
Super Manny Stands Up
written by Kelly DiPucchio
illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
published July 4th

Mitzi Tulane, Preschool Detective in the Secret Ingredient
Mitzi Tulane, Preschool Detective in the Secret Ingredient
written by Lauren McLaughlin
illustrated by Debbie Ohi
publishes July 11th


The Scariest Book Ever
The Scariest Book Ever
by Bob Shea
publishes July 18th

Stay: A Girl, a Dog, a Bucket List
Stay: A Girl, a Dog, a Bucket List
written by Kate Klise
illustrated by M. Sarah Klise
publishes July 18th

Hello Goodbye Dog
Hello, Goodbye Dog
written by Maria Gianferrari
illustrated by Patrice Barton
publishes July 25th

Emma's Circus
Emma's Circus
written by Candace Fleming
illustrated by Christine Davenier
publishes July 25th

Wordplay
Wordplay
written by Adam Lehrhaupt
illustrated by Jared Chapman
publishes July 25th

Nonfiction Picture Books

Living in . . . Egypt
Living in Egypt
written by Chloe Perkins
illustrated by Tom Woolley
publishes July 11th

Early Readers

What This Story Needs Is a Vroom and a Zoom
What This Story Needs is a Vroom and a Zoom
by Emma Varján
published July 4th

Now
Now
by Antoinette Portis
publishes July 11th















Freckleface Strawberry: Monster Time
written by Julianne Moore
illustrated by LeUyen Pham
publishes July 11th

Transitional Chapter Books

Heartwood Hotel, Book 1 A True Home       Heartwood Hotel, Book 2 The Greatest Gift
Heartwood Hotel:  A True Home and The Greatest Gift
written by Kallie George
illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
published July 4th

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen       Jasmine Toguchi, Super Sleuth
Jasmine Toguchi: Mochi Queen and Super Sleuth
written by Debbi Michio Florence 
illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic
publishes July 11th

Graphic Novels

Comics Squad #3: Detention!
Comics Squad: Detention
by many authors!
published July 4th

Cosmic Commandos
Cosmic Commandos
by Christopher Eliopoulos
published July 4th

Middle Grade

Overboard!: (Survivor Diaries)
Survivor Diaries: Overboard!
by Terry Lynn Johnson
published July 4th

Bubbles
Bubbles
by Abby Cooper
published July 3rd

Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls
Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls 
by Beth McMullen
published July 4th

Lights, Camera, Middle School! (Babymouse Tales from the Locker)
Babymouse: Lights, Camera, Middle School!
written by Jennifer Holm
illustrated by Matthew Holm
published July 4th

Walking with Miss Millie
Walking With Miss Millie
by Tamara Bundy
published July 4th

It All Comes Down to This
It All Comes Down to This
by Karen English
publishes July 11th

Almost Paradise
Almost Paradise
by Corabel Shofner
publishes July 25th

Spirit Hunters
Spirit Hunters
by Ellen Oh
publishes July 25th

Dirt
Dirt
by Denise Gosliner Orenstein
publishes July 25th

Stick Dog Craves Candy (Stick Dog, #7)
Stick Dog: Craves Candy
by Tom Watson
publishes July 25th

The Force Oversleeps (Star Wars: Jedi Academy #5)
Jedi Academy: The Force Oversleeps
by Jarrett Krosoczka
publishes July 25th

Refugee
Refugee
by Alan Gratz
publishes July 25th


Lots of great reading ahead of us this month!


Spotlight Friday will be going on vacation until September.  I'll still be back for the August new releases and some other posts between now and September.  Happy summer reading!

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Walking With Miss Millie - a review 7.06.17



I have a bookshelf in my classroom library for books that I call "heart print" books.  Those books that touch your heart... the ones that carve a little space out and nestle right inside.  Those are the books that generally leave me with a book hangover.  I have to let that book linger and swirl around in my mind and heart after I finish it.  I'm not ready to part with the characters or the lessons I've learned or the thoughts around the book.  Here's a book that is going in my heart print section and my recent book hangover.

Walking with Miss Millie
Walking With Miss Millie
by Tamara Bundy
published by Nancy Paulsen Books


Goodreads summary
A poignant middle grade debut about the friendship between a white girl and an elderly black woman in the 1960s South

Alice is angry at having to move to Rainbow, Georgia—a too small, too hot, dried-up place she’s sure will never feel like home. Then she gets put in charge of walking her elderly neighbor’s dog. But Clarence won’t budge without Miss Millie, so Alice and Miss Millie walk him together. Strolling with Miss Millie quickly becomes the highlight of Alice’s day, as she learns about the town’s past and meets a mix of its catty and kind residents. As the two become confidantes, Alice is finally able to express her heartache over her father’s desertion; and when Miss Millie tells her family story, Alice begins to understand the shameful history of Segregation, and recognize the racism they need to fight against. Navigating the neighborhood with Miss Millie gives Alice new perspective, the wisdom to move on from her anger, and even enables her to laugh again.

Tamara Bundy’s beautifully written story reminds readers that there is nothing like friendship to lighten one’s load, and make anyplace a home.



My quick thoughts
There were a few things that stuck to me after reading this book:

passing on treasures
In the story, Miss Millie passes a small trinket to Alice after many of their walks.  Each trinket is a small piece of Miss Millie.  While none of them are worth money, they are treasures from her heart.  It made me think about what we value as gifts and how the important ones are the ones from the heart.

finding friendship in places, or in people, you least expect it
Alice starts walking with Miss Millie as an apology for being too nosy.  But at some point, going from in being a chore and having to walk with an older person, Alice comes to realize that Miss Millie has become a friend and she looks forward to her walks.  
Making friends can be hard, but it's after reading a book like this I remember that sometimes we don't have to look for friendships.  Sometimes they find us.  And the joy of that unexpected friendship, often means even more!

the beautiful words of the wiser
Miss Millie is always imparting small nuggets of wisdom to Alice but it affected me, the reader, and made me ponder things too.

lives matter
This book touches upon the racial unrest that was in the south in the 1960s.  Of course, we certainly have that now.  I think about the Black Lives Matter movement and how that was relevant in this book just like now.  So even though it's fifty years later, this book is still relevant.  I like that it can make a young reader talk about this issue.

This is a fantastic book that I highly recommend adding to your library!

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - ALA edition! 7.05.17


Every Wednesday I join Alyson Beecher from kidlitfrenzy and other
kidlit bloggers to share wonderful nonfiction picture books.
The intention of today's blog post is to give professionals that work in the
education field new nonfiction reading material and ideas to use 
with students to promote a love of reading nonfiction materials.


I was fortunate to be able to attend my second ALA annual conference two weekends ago.  It is such a celebration of book love and it fills my book loving heart!  On Sunday, my goal was to get to as many publishers as possible and take a look at the picture books.  Thinking I would have hours, I figured I would have plenty of time.  It's crazy how fast time goes when you're reading!  I didn't get to nearly as many publishers as I would have liked, but from what I can see, we have some amazing books ahead of us!  

I also was lucky enough to spend time with Alyson Beecher!  I'm so thankful for the small time we had together as we caught up and talked books :)  Did you see her post last week?  Although we did not see each other in the exhibit hall, we were clearly looking at the same books!  Here's what I found and a little bit of info on them:

HMH

I love their upcoming Steve Jenkins titles!

Trickiest!: 19 Sneaky Animals       Deadliest!: 20 Dangerous Animals
Trickiest! 19 Sneaky Animals and Deadliest! 20 Dangerous Animals
publishes October 10th

The size of these books are a little different than most of his books.  They are rectangular in shape, but smaller than typical picture books.  They will fit into smaller hands and also not have that same "picture book" look for those older readers.  Meaning I think they are going to appeal to a lot of readers!  Inside is full of information you expect to find in a Steve Jenkins books.  Each layout has his amazing torn paper collage illustrations, a section of main text, and lots of sidebars to give you additional information.

Who Am I?: An Animal Guessing Game
Who Am I? An Animal Guessing Game
publishes November 14th

Jenkins pairs up with wife, Robin Page, for another great animal book for young readers.  A double layout spread gives clues with illustrations for the young reader to guess the animal. The following layout is a beautiful illustration of the animal.  The book features relatively known animals so the clues lead to animals the readers can guess, without being too common of an animal.

little bee

The Loch Ness Monster (Behind the Legend Book 1)
Behind the Legend: The Loch Ness Monster
by Erin Peabody
illustrated by Victor Rivas
available now!

I can't wait to get this series into my classroom!  Featuring spectacular, legendary creatures, this series looks at the myth and some facts behind them.  Perfect for the upper elementary library!

Lerner

The Great Penguin Rescue: Saving the African Penguins
The Great Penguin Rescue
by Sandra Markle
publishes August 1st

I love this series and I'm really looking forward to reading this one.  Gorgeous photographs, as always!














Zoo Scientists to the Rescue
by Patricia Newman
photographs by Annie Crawley
publishes October 1st

I didn't get to look at this one too long but I am so intrigued!  The subject of zoos can be very controversial, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the information presented in this one.

Sourcebooks

Animals at Night
Animals at Night 
by Anne Jankeliowitch
illustrated by Delphine Chedru
publishes October 3rd

Readers are going to love this one!  Each page focuses on a different habitat area and some of the creatures you can find there.  There's also a glow in the dark part to this book that is just fun!

Simon & Schuster

Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire
Pocket Full of Colors
by Jacqueline Tourville and Amy Guglielmo
illustrated by Brigette Barrager
publishes August 29th

The first thing that stands out about this picture book biography is the color!  It just pops!  This is a gorgeous picture book biography about my favorite Disney artist, Mary Blair.

This is Not a Normal Animal Book

This is Not a Normal Animal Book
by Julie Segal-Walters
illustrated by Brian Biggs
publishes October 17th

Not quite nonfiction but lots of facts to pull from this one.  Oh I wish I had had more time with this book!  A book that highlights the making of a picture book via an animal book... kids are going to have fun with this one!

Looks like the second half of 2017 will have some great nonfiction reading!

Monday, July 3, 2017

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - ALA picture book edition 7.03.17

This weekly post comes from Jen at Teach Mentor Texts
 and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers.  
It's a great source to find new books to use with your students.

Last Week's Adventures

Actually, here is a round up of the last two weeks of reading!  I took off last Monday because I was celebrating my weekend at ALA!

Check out this new transitional chapter book series - Jasmine Toguchi.

A mentor text for your nonfiction picture book collection - Can An Aardvark Bark?

Don't miss this new middle grade novel - Bubbles

A new interactive book to entice all readers - Say Zoop!

My 2018 Mock Geisel long list...so far!

My 2018 Mock Sibert long list...so far!

My 2018 Mock Newbery long list...so far!

My 2018 Mock Caldecott long list...so far!

Picture Books

Claymates
Claymates by Dev Petty
5/5 stars
How I love holding this book in my hands!  I first read it at NCTE 2016.  June seemed so far away.  This book is not only hilarious, it is so inventive and creative, it's going on my Mock Caldecott!  Make sure you find a copy!

Life
Life by Cynthia Rylant
5/5 stars
This book is clutch to your heart beautiful!  I was just at ALA where I saw Brendan Wenzel accept his 2017 Caldecott Honor award for We All Saw a Cat.  While I loved the illustrations in that book, this one will take your breath away even more.  Just amazing.  The text is beautiful too in the message it relays to the reader.  I think this book would make a great read aloud to discuss the deep message that is conveyed through the deceptively short text.  This book will make a great graduation or baby shower gift.  

After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)
After the Fall by Dan Santat
5/5 stars
THIS is Dan Santat at his best.  I loved Beekle, but this one may even surpass it.  Illustrations are fantastic, perfect color palette.  The message in this book will hit home with readers.  Great conversations about not giving up, trying when it's hard, determination.  Do not miss this book this fall!
publishes October 3rd

The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse
The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse by Mac Barnett
5/5 stars
Classic Barnett-Klassen.  Laugh out loud funny yet still quirky.  It's a must pre-order.
publishes Oct. 10th

Don't Forget Dexter!
Don't Forget Dexter! by Lindsay Ward
4/5 stars
Perfect for the young reader!  Told from the perspective of a lost toy dinosaur.  Love how Lindsay Ward pieces together her artwork!
publishes January 1st

Bizzy Mizz Lizzie
Bizzy Mizz Lizzie by David Shannon
4/5 stars
I enjoyed all of the different takes on how bees would do things - from getting straight Bs (because in the bee world that's better than As) to being a member of the Junior Honey Scouts!  Will be a cute read aloud!
publishes Oct. 10th

Why Am I Me?
Why Am I Me? by Paige Britt
5/5 stars
Understanding identity starts at a very young age.  This is a book that asks tough questions that aren't really supposed to be understood by young children, but gets them to think about who they are.  With the amazing artwork of Sean Qualls and Selina Alko, this book is a must-have for classroom discussions!
publishes Sept. 12th

Small
Small by Gina Perry
4/5 stars
Love this sweet little book!  Told from the perspective of a child - looks at the world around her and shares what makes her feel small and what makes her feel big!  I love how it's the girl's perspective because what makes her feel small are often things that we don't notice as adults.  I think young readers will see themselves within this story!
publishes Aug. 1st

The Great Pasta Escape
The Great Pasta Escape by Miranda Paul
4/5 stars
Told in the vein of Kelly DiPucchio's Everyone Loves Bacon/Everyone Loves Cupcake and Laurie Keller's Arnie the Doughnut.  Full of puns, readers are sure to laugh and come back for more!
publishes Aug. 29th













Flashlight Night by Matt Forrest Esenwine
5/5 stars
Warning - Mock Caldecott alert!  This book is absolutely going on my list!
Full of imagination and creativity - I can't wait to share this book with young readers.  Beautiful words by Esenwine and AMAZING illustrations by Fred Koehler.  Don't miss this one!
publishes Sept. 19th

Middle Grade

Kat Greene Comes Clean
Kat Greene Comes Clean by Melissa Roske
4/5 stars
I enjoyed this story about Kat who is dealing with her mom's OCD with cleaning and germs. We see how this illness takes over her mom and then affects Kat.  The kids in the story are in fifth grade, which makes this story accessible to younger middle grade readers.  The only complaint I have about that is there is discussion of menstruation.  It's a very small scene in the book, but I know many teachers who will not put in in the classroom because of that.  That scene would have made more sense if the characters were older (yes, I know fifth graders get their periods, but because this book will appeal to younger readers, I also know teachers and parents who will complain... just putting it out there).  I also did not like the best friend.  I don't think she really understood how her actions were selfish.  Bottom line, I think this story - the plot and the characters - will appeal to readers.

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street
The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie
5/5 stars
This is another book that I am giving just a few details because I'll have a much longer post closer to the release date.  In the meantime, just know that you need to have it on your must-purchase list!  This is a PERFECT book for readers who are looking for something just a bit spooky that actually is a great book about friendship.
publishes Oct. 10th

Wishtree
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
5/5 stars
This book is everything everybody is saying about it.  Brilliant.  Relevant.  Important.
I'll have a post coming out closer to release date.
publishes September 26th

Professional Reading

Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters
Disrupting Thinking by Kylene Beers and Bob Probst
5/5 stars
This would be a great book to use with teachers who are ready for a change from whole group lessons, novels.  This book goes into some discussion and ideas without giving every little detail.
This was a good book for me just to cement ideas and beliefs that I have about teaching reading with readers.
I really liked the Book-Head-Heart concept that is introduced in this book.  I saw a tweet about it early last fall but never got into it, needed the additional information this book provided.  I'm looking forward to trying it out in the fall.  

Currently Reading

Tumble & Blue
Tumble and Blue by Cassie Beasley
Love the characters and the way Beasley wraps them around your heart!

On Deck

Patina (Track, #2)
Patina by Jason Reynolds
I want to savor this one!

Happy July Reading to all!