Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - picture book biographies - 2.19.2020

Wednesdays 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.

This week I'm continuing to celebrate some nonfiction picture book biographies about ways men have changed the world we live in!



The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come
written by Sue Macy
illustrations by Stacy Innerst
Animals aren't the only thing to be going extinct in our world - languages and cultures are slowly disappearing from history.  Aaron Lansky started studying Jewish history in college.  As an avid reader his entire life, he knew much of his education would come from books.  However, he had to first learn the language that many of these books would be written in - Yiddish.  As he became more proficient he started looking for more and more books written in Yiddish and discovered they were very hard to find.  This became his mission - save these books and save this language.  More and more children were not being taught this language as the older generation who had immigrated to the United States stopped teaching this language in order for their children to learn English.  As Lansky started saving more and more books, he soon needed a place to store them.  That's when the Yiddish Book Center was created.  It has since moved locations, but it's purpose - saving Yiddish books and having them available to the public - continues.
Additional backmatter further details information about the current state of the Yiddish Book Center and has a note from Aaron Lansky.
Winner of the 2020 Sydney Taylor Book Award - picture book category


Saving Lady Liberty: Joseph Pulitzer's Fight for the Statue of Liberty
written by Claudia Friddell
illustrated by Stacy Innerst
Although we have to wait awhile for this one - it doesn't publish until June 30th - I can promise you it's well worth the wait.  I really enjoyed the focus on Joseph Pulitzer and how he helped campaign to build Lady Liberty's pedestal in New York.  I had not heard this story before and it is a really interesting part of history.  And it's another book illustrated by Stacy Innerst!  This is one you are going to want to preorder!


Hi, I'm Norman: the Story of American Illustrator Norman Rockwell
written by Robert Burleigh
illustrated by Wendell Minor
My first experience with a Norman Rockwell painting came at a young age as I started regular visits to my eye doctor's office.  He had several hanging up around the office.  I remember enjoying how realistic they were and how they reflected real people, even if they were from the "olden days" (from my child's mind).  Rockwell's paintings, although well known, also have a look and feel to them that make them easily recognizable.
Interesting writer's choice, Burleigh choose to write this biography from Norman's voice.  Although that may add some writer's choice in the voice instead of completely based on facts and actual quotations (there are some noted in the backmatter), I think it was an interesting choice since Rockwell seems to be the American people's illustrator.  He painted what he saw and everything had such a personal feel to it.


Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau
written by Jennifer Berne
illustrated by Éric Puybaret
This book has been in my stack for a very, very long time!  My dad has always been a big fan of Jacques Cousteau and I remember flipping through some of his books when I was little.  The underwater world is fascinating and I enjoyed reading more about Cousteau's life and what lead up to his adult life.  It certainly left me wanting to know more!


Thurgood
written by Jonah Winter
illustrated by Bryan Collier
Grateful my friend, Kristen Picone, got this one back on my radar for me.  If you discuss civil rights at all, you cannot discuss them without noting the contributions of Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall.  As the author notes, you can't explain the magnitude of the work Thurgood Marshall accomplished in his lifetime in a 40 page book, but this at least is a start.
I really enjoyed the way this book was structured.  Many pages started with a heading that stated "Fact" and then listed an accomplishment in Marshall's life.  Seemed like a good way to spotlight some of the things he did in a judicial way!
Fantastic illustrations by Bryan Collier accompany this story.


Happy biography reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 2.17.2020

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

It was #nf10for10.  This year I featured 10 books that show kids who are showing us the way!

Some poetry books here.


Picture Books


Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots
by Michael Rex
This book is even more than just a book about facts and opinions.  It goes into, without preaching, the importance of respecting other's opinions and not getting upset and losing your cool when your opinion is different.


The Bear Must Go On
written by Dev Petty
illustrated by Brandon Todd
A funny book - what happens when three overzealous friends plan a show without planning the actual show?  Shy, quiet Bear must take over and overcome his stage fright to help his friends.


Sofia Valdez, Future Prez
written by Andrea Beaty
illustrated by David Roberts
Another book to add to her collection of kids who show they can do it all, with a lot of help and some creative disbelief - this time Sofia gets the city involved in cleaning up a landfill and making a public park.  There were some oddly placed monkeys in the story that didn't add to the story and I could have done without.


The Paper Kingdom
written by Helena Ku Rhee
illustrated by Pascal Campion
A book that cannot be read without the accompanying author's note.  This book is written in dedication to all of the hardworking families, who are doing their best to help their families get by.  The author's parents were night janitors and she would have to accompany them from time to time.  Memories of this time are brought to life in this story where a young boy must go with his parents to their night time work.  When the boy is sleepy and tired and just wants to sleep, its his parents who bring light-hearted stories to pass the time.  Much like the author's parents did when she was little.  But it plants the idea into the young boy's head that one day, he'll work hard enough so maybe his parents won't have to work as hard.  It's the stories from his parents that give the young boy inspiration, and the power of believing what can be, to fuel new dreams.
This is an important book to have in libraries today.  Whether a child sees a familiar story or it brings to light a new experience, it will provide a good discussion.


The Perfectly Perfect Wish
written by Lisa Mantchev
illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle
A book about empathy and selflessness.  I would use this during writing and showing ways you can write about a topic.  It seems like writing about wishes is common, but how can you turn that story?
My one complaint is in one illustration.  I thought the illustrations were beautiful, but there is one where a girl in a wheelchair is getting off the bus.  You can see the ramp attached to the front door of the bus.... but then there are stairs once you get on the bus.  Sooooo, how did that work with the wheelchair?  Minor detail but one that made me roll my eyes.


Ducks!
written by Deborah Underwood
illustrated by T.L. McBeth
Don't read through this book too quickly, you might miss something (not like I know from personal experiences....).  The story actually begins on the title page where we see the smallest duck chasing after a butterfly and then eventually losing sight of the three older ducks.  The rest of the story, told in limited words, has the small duck seeing clues of where the elder ducks may be but it's always something else.  The reader can see the visible frustration of the small duck as each lead turns out to be something else.  While the ending is a happy one, it's also a surprise because the small duck discovers while being so busy looking for the elder ducks, they were also looking after their lost small duck!
Perhaps a 2021 Geisel contender?


It's Okay to be a Unicorn!
by Jason Tharp
Good message about the importance of being yourself, although quite didactic.  The horses went from not accepting to accepting in a page turn....


Nonfiction Books


This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work
written by Tiffany Jewell
illustrated by Aurélia Durand
This is a powerful book that we need NOW.  I highly recommend this one in all intermediate, middle school, and high school libraries and classroom libraries.  This book would be an excellent one to read with students and unpack all the learning.


Middle Grade

My middle grade reading has taken a hit.  Not because I haven't been reading any.  On the contrary, I've read a lot.  Just not the middle grade that is piling up in my stacks.
I've read a lot of books in preparation for the 2021 IL Bluestem Award list.  Our committee met last weekend and developed our list of 20 books.  I'll be excited to share it soon!
I've also read a lot of books from the Jennifer Serravallo's Complete Comprehension Fiction Assessment list.  We just ordered a kit and there were quite a few books I needed to read.  Some have been on my reading list for decades!  I've now read all of the books that our 3rd and 4th grade students may read at this point in the school year.  I have a couple of more books to read, but they are at a much higher level that I have some time to get to those!  It's interesting to see what books are selected for the different levels.  Some of the higher level books have some interesting word choices (I heard, "Mrs. Knott, there is a swear word on every page!"..... that might have been a slight exaggeration but there were a lot!) and situations for a level that is at the end of 4th grade.  I understand there are readers who will be reading those books that are much older than 4th grade and it will be important for those readers to be engaged in these books too.  But at least I've read all of them and can answer questions as they come up!

Currently Reading


Becoming
by Michelle Obama
Yup.  Still going.  Hoping to make some headway this week since my other commitment reading is completed!


The Disaster Days
by Rebecca Behrens
I've had this one checked out from the library for a long time with multiple renewals.  So glad to finally get to it!  I can tell this is the book you'll want to hand off to your I Survived readers.


I know some of you are on your February Break.  Hoping you get some reading in during your time off.  Many of us at least are enjoying a 3-day weekend and then it's back to work.  Whatever your situation may be, hoping you find some time for yourself!

Spotlight Friday: new poetry books 2.14.2020

Spotlight:  Poetry!

Just a few new poetry books you may want to add to your collections!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers

Lyrics by Fred Rogers

Illustrated by Luke Flowers

This collection has 137 pages of the songs Mister Rogers brought to his show.  Presented here in poetry format, these beautiful lyrics remind young readers it’s ok to have feelings and express themselves.  

I really appreciate there being an index at the end of the book.  Educators can refer to it and find different social emotional learning topics and the corresponding poems.

With illustrations from Luke Flowers (see if you can find some cameos, like Mobi Shinobi, within the illustrations), readers will enjoy picking out different poems to read.


I Remember: Poema and Pictures of Heritage
complied by Lee Bennett Hopkins
This collection of poetry - each poem written by a different poet and accompanied by an illustration from a different artist - is reflective of heritage, family, and moments of time.  Different cultures are represented, each one celebrating a different way of remembering.  
Each poem and illustration has the creator's name by it as well as a quote from the creator giving us a glimpse into their feelings about their art or words.
Backmatter includes a quick biography of each poet and artist.


Being Frog
by April Pulley Sayre
The title of this book is so important because Sayre is celebrating the frog as a "being", not a character.  So many of us are familiar with different frog characters, but Sayre wants you to get to know the actual frog, not the almost humanized characters of frogs.
In this book that is one lyrical poem, Sayre celebrates all that a frog does throughout their days - hunting, hiding, growing, communicating, and leaping!  With amazing photographs by Sayre, this book should be leaping into your collections :)

Happy poetic reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 2.10.2020

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

Take a look at these nonfiction picture book biographies.

Some books for readers who are starting to read independently.


Picture Books


Where Lily Isn't
written by Julie Paschkis
illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
A sweet book that will touch hearts, especially readers who have lost a beloved pet.
We see a young girl loving and playing with her dog, Lily, until Lily is no longer with her.  She remembers all the things they did together, but at the end finds peace that Lily still lives in her heart.


Black is a Rainbow Color
written by Angela Joy
illustrated by Ekua Holmes
This is a book that will stick with me for a long time and one that takes multiple readings to unpack.  It reminds me a lot of Fry Bread in that way.  You can't just get everything about this book in one reading.
First of all, there is so much in the backmatter to pay attention to - you'll want to play the music that is listed in the background, you'll flip back and forth from the backmatter to the corresponding pages to learn more and get greater depth of understanding.
I'm really looking forward to hearing how educators and librarians use this book with readers and the conversations that occur.


Are Your Stars Like My Stars?
written by Leslie Helakoski
illustrated by Heidi Woodward Sheffield
The book uses colors to compare how children from different parts of the world see their surroundings.  I wish there had been more information included in backmatter about the different locations, cultures, and traditions.


Hosea Plays On
written by Kathleen M. Blasi
illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Written about Hosea Taylor Jr., this story imagines a day in the life of Hosea doing what he was known for - bringing music into the lives of youngsters that lived near him.  
In this story, we see Hosea set out to play his saxophone on the city streets and collect money that he is saving to buy something.  We find out it is a trumpet for a teenaged neighbor.  
Information about the real Hosea Taylor Jr. is found on the endpage of the book.  I wish the publisher had made this information available in backmatter instead of the endpage because I had a library copy and had a difficult time reading around the taped on book jacket.


Overground Railroad
written by Lesa Cline-Ransome
illustrated by James Ransome
Beautifully written and illustrated story about the Great Migration.  You are probably familiar with the Underground Railroad, but do you know about the Overground Railroad?  Trains were a way of transportation for millions of Blacks as they ran away and to new lives in the North in the 1900s.


The House at the End of the Road
by Kari Rust
I have seen people post about this book but I had trouble finding it and then I kind of just forgot about it.  So glad I finally read it because I really loved the story.  Three cousins find an old house they are pretty sure is haunted.  But what may look old and scary can be deceiving, as they find out.  Their grandmother introduces them to the inhabitant, old Mr. Peterson, and they learn to not always judge a book by its cover!


In a Jar
by Deborah Marcero
A sweet story about friendship and how the things we enjoy with friends can continue even when the miles between are long.


The Heart of a Whale
by Anna Pignataro
I think what most people want is to have that companion, that one to talk with, share time with, and just enjoy space with.  This book captures that essence.  It also shows the power of friendship and helping a friend.  All of this in a beautiful, lyrical story with water-colored illustrations that flow across the pages.


Almost Time
written by Gary D. Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney
illustrated by G. Brian Karas
The passing of time can be hard and difficult to measure for a young child.  Especially if the passing of time means the weather has to cooperate!  A young boy and his father are waiting for it to be time to collect sap from the trees to make syrup.  The days need to be longer and warmer and that just doesn't seem to be happening!  He also is waiting for a tooth to get looser and fall out.  After a while, green grass starts to appear and it takes just a bit longer to turn on the lights at night, and then it's time for sap!
I've read books recently about the passing of time and this one just struck me right in the heart!

Nonfiction Picture Books


The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read
written by Rita Lorraine Hubbard
illustrated by Oge Mora
Wow.  Just an amazing story.  Mary Walker never had a chance to learn to read.  Not only was she just working to stay alive as a slave, it was also outlawed for her to learn to read.  So she waited.  She waited until she had outlived her family - her parents, her husbands, and her sons.  She waited, but she eventually learned to read... at the age of 116!  Just an amazing story.  
Oh, and it's illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner, Oge Mora.  
I appreciated in the backmatter the author included a note that while there are certainly things known about Mary Walker's long life, there are many holes to it, too.  The author admits to filling in some of the holes with her own imaginings in this book.  And that's why you read the backmatter to young readers!  They need to know that information!


Middle Grade


The Ambrose Deception
by Emily Ecton
This book took me by surprise!  I really enjoyed it and wonder why I haven't heard more about it.  It's definitely for readers who enjoyed Mr. Lemoncello's Library, The Book Scavenger, or even the game/movie Clue.  
I also loved that it took place in Chicago, it was fun to read about familiar landmarks.
Melissa, Wilf, and Bondi have been selected from their middle school to compete in a scholarship competition.  How they were chosen is sketchy at best, figuring out riddles to win a scholarship is a bit unconventional, but with $10,000 on the line, the trio doesn't worry about the details.  As each individual goes all around Chicago, with a personal driver and cell phone, the reader gets a glimpse of Chicago history and goes along for one wild adventure!

Currently Reading


Becoming
by Michelle Obama
I've made no progress on this book because my reading life has gone to three places:

1.  assessment reading - we just got the new Jennifer Serravallo Complete Comprehension Assessment kit and I've been avidly reading the new-to-me titles.  Since I'm assessing kids using these books, I read the books too.
2.  committee reading - just wrapped that up!
3.  picture books - I've had stacks of library books pile up and needed to make a dent in them.

I'm almost done with the assessment reading.  A few more to go.  Meanwhile I have a lot of MG and YA that are piling up!  I'm sure I'll find time soon.....


Did you know today is #nf10for10 day?  Bloggers are putting together lists of 10 books (or so) that are about nonfiction topics/ideas.  Be sure to search for the hashtag on social media for lots of nonfiction picture book ideas!

Here is my post:  10 nonfiction picture book biographies that celebrate KIDS showing us the way!

#nf10for10 - Kids Are Showing Us the Way! 2.10.2020

Thank you to 

Cathy Mere (@cathymere) at Reflect & Refine 

and

Mandy Robek (@mandyrobek) at Enjoy and Embrace Learning

and 

Julie Balen (@jacbalen) at Connecting to Learn

for this wonderful day of nonfiction picture book sharing!

Be sure to follow #nf10for10 to get lots of new nonfiction picture book ideas.

Here are my posts from previous years. 
2017 #nf10for10 - a science roundup
2016 #nf10for10 - it's all about the series
2015 #nf10for10 - nf can be interesting!
2014 #nf10for10 - themes in nonfiction


It's been awhile since I've participated in #nf10for10.  It always creeps up on me and I lose track of time.  Before I know it, it's here and I don't have a post.  For some reason I was thinking about it early this year!

There has been a huge insurgence of picture book biographies.  They are well enjoyed by educators, librarians, and readers.  Maybe because of their narrative stories.  Maybe because they are inspiring.  But most of them are about people who seem out of reach to our young readers.  They have trouble thinking of them as real people.  I love finding picture book biographies about kids.  When you read a book out loud about some of the things they have done, you can almost see a lightbulb go on in the eyes of readers.  They start thinking, maybe they can do it.  Maybe it influences something in their life.  Maybe it gives them a thought of what they can do.

10 nonfiction picture book biographies that feature kids:



Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln
written by Margarita Engle
illustrated by Rafael López
Teresa Carreño shows us the power of music and how it can make us feel many emotions.  


Hello, Crochet Friends! Making Art, Being Mindful, Giving Back: Do What Makes You Happy
written by Jonah Larson with Jennifer Larson
Jonah reminds us that we can find what we are passionate about and use it to help ourselves and others.


Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams
written by Lesa Cline-Ransome
illustrated by James E. Ransome
Venus and Serena reminds us of the power of family, hard work, and determination can help us reach our goals.


Our House is on Fire: Greta Thunberg's Call to Save the Planet
by Jeanette Winter
Greta encourages everyone to use their voice - because it is necessary - to protect our planet.


Nadia The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still
written by Karlin Gray
illustrated by Christine Davenier
Nadia teaches us that it's ok to fall... just get back up again and rise!


The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng
written by Sophia Gholz
illustrated by Kayla Harren
Jadav shows that even young kids can care and learn about their environment and make a difference for generations to come.


Trombone Shorty
written by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews
illustrated by Bryan Collier
You're never too young to discover your passion is the message from Trombone Shorty.  And play music all the time!


The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist
written by Cynthia Levinson
illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton
We can stand up for our rights and our beliefs like Audrey Faye Hendricks did!


Anybody's Game: Kathryn Johnston, the First Girl to Play Little League Baseball
written by Heather Lang
illustrated by Cecilia Puglesi
Kathryn had a passion for baseball but because of gender rules, she had to fight for her right to play.  Be like Kathryn and fight for equal gender rights!


Ada's Violin: They Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay
written by Susan Hood
illustrated by Sally Wern Comport
Reduce, reuse, and recycle has a whole new musical meaning after reading the story of Ada and friends.  What maker idea can you create?


Round up some of these picture book biographies and see what ideas your readers can come up with and create!