If You Come to Earth

Oh boy. Three times could be a charm, right? 

In my mind, Sophie Blackall has done it again.

Thanks to Day of Dialog, Chronicle and Edelweiss, I was able to read and share the digital F&G of Sophie's newest fabulousness, If You Come to Earth, with a few of my 5th grade Reading Ambassadors today.  It was my first time looking at it as well and together we dropped our jaws, examined the beautiful masterpiece and yeah, even got a little teary.  The colors. The message. The inclusivity. The details. No beat was missed. She even tipped her hat to her beloved lighthouse and sea.

But don't listen to me.  This is what the kids had to say:

"This should be read to the whole school.  It's beautiful. The wording is very nice. Even kindergarteners will understand what it means and what the main thing that it is all about.  I think teachers will like it, too...The message is that people on Earth can do lots of things together and apart...working together is always better instead of hurting each other."-MH

"The message is that we should take care of our planet and cherish it more than we do."-SS

Here's a simple but to the point review, 

"👍👍👍Great book."-NR

"Accept who you are and what you are are.  People can be sick and cured and then climb mountains.  Some things are hard but nothing can be impossible."-MH (She is reading All the Impossible Things right now by Lindsay Lackey. Lindsay and Sophie inspired her to say this.)

I know what I will be doing on September 15th.  Getting out my birthday candle for a party with blue "Earth" cupcakes, of course. That celebration cannot come soon enough. 

From the chat box during our meet

 

Hot Potato

Thanks to Lindsay Lackey I introduced myself to Arianne Costner. Not important why or how but just that it happened and for that I am grateful.  I always love making new literary friends.

Arianne's book, My Life as a Potato, sounded like the perfect middle grade read.  The first chapter is posted on her website and a bunch of us read it today at what I called an "Un-Birthday" party.  In hindsight, maybe I should have said it was a "Spud Birthday." I brought a bag of potatoes. One boy showed me his potato plant and encouraged me to grow some, too.  If the first chapter was engaging and funny, I can't imagine why lies ahead.  We were all hooked.  So much so that I promised them I'd get the ebook between now and Friday at 2pm so we can read on. 

Be sure and check out Arianne's website. You can find out what kind of potato you are (me, Russet), learn a potato dance and find a recipe for Ben's version of Potato Casserole (which I really do love and always have a bag of shredded potatoes in my freezer in case I get a craving).

Speaking of potatoes...

I love Laurie Keller's Potato Pants. We had a super fun book birthday party when it came out. All the kids brought a potato and we made our own Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads. Did we eat some potato chips afterwards? We should have if we didn't...

Is this meant to be or what? A read aloud of the book by DayTripper, a guy that goes all around TEXAS (!) exploring every corner of the state. I'll call that fate.

So stick that rotten spud in some dirt, watch it grow and in the meantime, let me know what kind of potato you are.

And I apologize in advance for this one but...

I can't think of potatoes without the Wiggles classic, Hot Potato. I admit, I did like those guys oh so many moons ago...