Writing again?

I've held on to this graphic from the New York Times since July 12. 

It's not that I haven't wanted to write.  It's not like I didn't have many stories, ideas, reviews rolling around in my head.  I've been reading a lot. You may or may not know it.  The audio of Clap When You Land was so good.  I agree with my friend Alicia that the pub date for Punching the Air should be moved up. I finally read my first Ellen Hopkins, her middle grade, Closer to Nowhere. Jacqueline Woodson's unique Before Ever After has my family quizzing me on the offensive line and all of us talking about the future of football. I fell fast and hard for Cal and Leon from The Gravity of Us. I could go on and on. And, since this is a summer unlike any other, adult books have been on my bedside table. I finished one last week and almost immediately began a second.

Last week, Sera, a fourth grade teacher friend from a neighboring district wrote this and it went viral.  She really nailed feelings that so many of us could relate to.  This morning after seeing the sunrise yet again, I decided to show up.  Maybe by doing so, the lion will sleep tonight.

Good Morning?

I didn’t sleep well. Again.

I wake up and can literally feel the sweat drip out of the pores on my legs. My mind races.  My heart pounds. Surprisingly, I get enough REM time to dream.  Last night, my daughter handed me the keys to the car but I didn’t know how to drive. And, for the second time in the past week, Obama appeared.  The first time he was sitting cross legged and relaxed.  I casually introduced him to someone as “Barack.”  Not sure what he was doing in the wee hours of this morning.  Working hard to turn this nightmare we’re living into science fiction?

My friends and colleagues aren’t sleeping either. One takes Tylenol PM every night.  One swears by a special tea and bedtime ritual.  I tried the tea.  It worked one night. Maybe? Others commiserate.  Is anyone truly sleeping soundly?  The upside of all this?  The Great Believers is over 600 pages long. 

The fear of the unknown is taking over. What will my job as a school librarian look like? College is open for my incoming freshman. How will she make friends while smiling behind a mask? My High Schooler was disciplined during 14 weeks of spring virtual learning. Will he be as successful in another year of different learning? The only known factor in all of this is that we don’t know.

It’s almost August.  Pre-Covid, my daughter would be working all summer at sleep away camp.  She’d only be home for a few days before leaving for college to say goodbye to HS friends and to tirelessly shop for a comforter, towels, and mini-fridge. Since she is here, shouldn’t her room be overflowing with dorm supplies that we’ve had so much time to buy?  It’s not.  Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond have not taken a dime from me yet. I wonder how well she is sleeping.

Tonight I will brew some chamomile, do some deep breathing, read until the words get blurry and wish for the best. And Barack? If I see you again, may I request a soothing lullaby and your old promise of hope? Thanks in advance.

BenBee and the Teacher Griefer

Dear Chronicle,

Please, PLEASE, PLZ, move the pub release date of BenBee and Teacher Griefer up to July or August. EVERY teacher, librarian, administrator, social worker, school psychologist, parent, and middle grade learner needs this book and it would be so great for them to read before the new school year begins.

Sigh.  It is so good.  I rarely walk away from reading the last line of a book to immediately opening up my computer to reflect.  And to be completely honest, on my way, I stopped at the trash can, tossed in my used tissues, grabbed another one and then opened up the computer.

Four divergent kids.
One divergent summer school teacher "She teaches differently/She like, listens to us."
Trying to get them to pass the FART (Florida Rigorous Academic Assessment Test)
Mixed up in the Sandbox in this fantastic
Divergent GENRE of
Verse, prose, graphic novel, video game chats of the "Divergent Dingleberries"
Sprinkled with some references that maybe only adults will get (Ms. J's first avatar will have you singing a popular song from the 80s. And author, "Tennessee Williamson").

Ms. J picks up that Ben B would excel if he was able to type:

"A 504, huh?/Typing every day?/It does sound like jeans/it sounds like a comfortable fit/sized perfectly just for me."

But his dad disagrees and does not like labeling his son "special" with accommodations:

"Am I not special?/Is special bad?/Do I not want to be/special then./I don't understand." 

I told you--this book is for EVERYONE!

Ben Y stays after with Ms. J. It's been a year since she lost her brother:

"Pain/Sadness/It drips out of me/impossible to contain,/like trying to put a raw egg/back in its shell,/a shattered mess,/impossibly crushed,/broken."

I have been a fan of KA Holt since Rhyme Schemer.  She just gets better and better. Put this book on your Fall purchase order, unless dear, Chronicle, moves up the pub date 😉.

Everyone's friend, Jordan J (no relation) who I was most curious about because at the #middlegrademagic2020 event last month when Holt wondered, "What is Jordan doing during quarantine?" Now I'm curious.  Is he playing a lot of Sandbox? How are they all doing?  Talking on the phone? Staying away from chat infractions?

Javier moved from out of state and will not read aloud. "...im never gonna read out loud zero percent chance of that" With a ring of fire, that just might change...

And probably one of the best lines in the book:

I know I have jumped around a lot, but this book is important for ALL.  I cannot wait to read it with my students and get it in the hands of so many adults.

Please, plz, PLEASE Chronicle, if you can, the sooner we can get this out, the better.
THANK YOU!
Sincerely,
A troublemaking librarian 😈

 

PS: Thank you Netgalley for the digital arc!

 

 

Kent State

NerdCampMI this past summer. I was SO excited to meet Deborah!
OMG! I am wearing the same shirt today!

When I flipped my author birthday calendar page to May, I circled Deborah Wiles's name on today's date. Happy birthday!

Ever since her 2014 Revolution was released, I've been a fan. We bought a class set and the fifth grade social studies teacher read it aloud as the starting block for a project based history project.  Honestly, that project began in one enthusiastic direction but after many emails back and forth with Deborah and then hitting some dead ends, it took a different turn. It's all good. We used many primary documents in our research and would have made Tom Bober proud.

Here's an audio excerpt from that book:

Book Recording | Revolution on TeachingBooks

and a link to an extensive guide to talking about the civil rights movement.

But today's post is really a belated book birthday (a few weeks late) to Deborah's new book, Kent State.  I took time out of my day (birthday present from her to me?) to take in the book. Having a 17 year old activist who we hope will be leaving for college this fall, it hit home. I queued up the playlist and read. It's a short, strong, important book in verse from many perspectives of the events leading up to the tragedy. It really made me think about government then and today, the role it has in keeping us safe and healthy and how protests have evolved (maybe?) over the years.

At a rally protesting the Vietnam War, four students were killed on May 4, 1970 at Kent State. I wasn't quite a year old at the time and never knew the details of the events.  This book takes us through that weekend in Ohio from the point of view of many: vocal students,  loud townies, members of the BUS (Black United Students), quieter townies, friends of the victims...The book doesn't just end at the conclusion of the story.  Just as important is Deborah's afterword. Not only does she go into detail about Kent State but she directs us to websites and sources because she knows we want to learn more.

Although this book will not be finding a place on my elementary shelves, I plan to pass it on to the secondary library for sure. Should I plan a reunion with the class of 2021? The timing couldn't have been better. Fifth grade 1964 Freedom Summer. Six years later 1970 Kent State.  So yes to a reunion read aloud. Get your copy now and I'll see you soon.

Happy Birthday, Deborah!

Book Birthday Party TODAY!

My kids were up late baking oatmeal cream sandwiches, you know, like the Little Debbie kind. Omg. They came out so good! There better still be some left by 1:15 today!  I know it's not chocolate cake or Tillamook Marionberry Pie ice cream (Yes, this Yankee had to look it up! And what do you know? I can find pints locally!), like 4th grader Ryan Hart would probably prefer, but it will have to do.  If Ryan were here, I'd give her one. I can't imagine anyone not liking it.

Oh, Ryan Hart. I love her so much and I know you all will, too! She's being described as a modern Ramona.  I can see that. But she is unique in her own way and so real. 

Ryan, her older brother, Ray and her parents move into a new (old) house.  It's taken some time getting used to but after the house is filled with family and friends on Easter, Ryan realizes that "...it's the people that make a place a home. Without love, all you have is a house." This rings so true today.  We need to fill our homes with love, inside and out. Physically and virtually to help us get through. Love always wins.

Talent show. 

Sleepover. 

Hair love.

Mysterious hairpins.

Sunshine imagination parade.

And a surprise at the end that will surely lead to some exciting material for future books...

Not to downplay Ramona at all.  She's great and I can totally see Ramona and Ryan being friends! I'm just excited to introduce a new crop of students to Ryan starting TODAY.  Her voice is so authentic and fresh. I know they will love her as much as I do! And Book #2? I hope I don't have to wait too long.  I start stocking up on the Tillamooks tomorrow.

The Big Break

Time for another book review!
This one by fifth grade Reading Ambassador, Will.

The Big Break by Mark Tatulli
Due out March 2020

Last year my cousins and I went camping. We left the adults at the campsite by the fire and went exploring. First we crossed a tilted bridge. Then we took a grown in path into the woods. We saw some geckos and salamanders.  After we finished the path, we popped out into the other end of our campground. It was an adventure.

Russ and Andrew, the two main characters of The Big Break, also like adventures. In this graphic novel, they like to go monster hunting after school. They are searching for the Jersey Devil. But as the hunt goes on and they can't find it, Russ gets angry at Andrew. Russ starts to think monsters aren't real and this whole thing is stupid. Will the boys find the monster and become friends again?

I thought this was a great book because in real life it's normal to get angry at your friends. It's worth it to work through the aggravation of disagreements.  I read this book in two days and it was hard to put down. I would read it every morning and night. I would rate this book five stars!  

A review of NORMAL:

One Kids's Extraordinary Journey

By Magdalena & Nathaniel Newman

Review by Emma

Fifth grade Reading Ambassador, Emma, came in this morning to give me this review of NORMAL.  It comes out in January. Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Kids, we received an advanced copy and Emma was the first one to read it.  Here are her thoughts in her words.  Looks like we should all purchase it for our libraries.

This is a true story.

Nathaniel wasn't what you called "normal." He was born with Treacher Collins, a deformity where bones aren't where they should be and where they should be but aren't there. The surgeries he had to have were so expensive that his family almost had no money for groceries. Before the age of 16, he had 67 surgeries.

Nathaniel had a passion for swimming but he couldn't swim because he had a tracheostomy, a whole in his throat, so if he got water in him, he would choke. He couldn't breathe through his mouth because he a bone behind his nose and his jaw was too small. He tongue would take up his whole entire mouth. 

Technically, Nathaniel was deaf. He had no ear on the outside of his face. This hurt his mom, Magdalena because she was a pianist. 

In kindergarten, Nathaniel's dad wrote a note to his class and the community saying that Nathaniel was different but the same.  His dad wrote that Nathaniel is still a kindergartener and has dreams to go after just like everyone else. Even though his dad did this ahead of time, Nathaniel still got bullied and asked why he looked so scary.  

Fast forward to when Nathaniel was 12. He had to have screws in his head to help get his skull form the proper way. This took four months. His mouth and eyes were sewn shut during this time. 

Now Nathaniel is 16 and during the filming of the movie, Wonder, the crew of 20/20 followed him around. Word got out to Christina Aguilera. Nathaniel visited her at her mansion and she sang, "Beautiful" to him.  The message they hoped others would receive is "No one is facially alike, but they are all beautiful."

Nathaniel and his mom were inspired to share their story--anything is possible even if you have a disorder.

I like how Nathaniel kept persevering.  He taught me to persevere because even though he was always sick he fought through the pain. He taught me to be thankful for the small things because not everyone is gifted with things like hearing and breathing. He also taught me that things don't always work out the way you want but keep pushing to achieve your goals and follow your dreams. 

I give this book 4 and half stars. I really couldn't put it down. I stayed up for like 2-3 hours reading the last hundred pages. I just wanted to know how Nathaniel dealt with the pain, the bullying and life. I would love to meet Nathaniel now. He seems like a really cool guy and he's a role model to me.

Some Middle Grade Reviews by Middle Grade Readers

Sixth grade Reading Ambassadors are hungry for brand new books and I love that I can feed that desire.  Here are some reviews of books that came out last year or about to come out.  All positive stars!

Coming in February to a library (bookstore, Overdrive account) near you...

Eventown 

By Corey Ann Haydu

(Katherine Tegen Books)

Elodee has to move to a new town called Eventown.  She loves it, but there is something odd.  Everything is perfect.  Her twin sister starts to drift away. Elodee asks about the town.  No one can give a good answer.  

I think that this book deserves five stars.  It is fun to read and I could not put it down. It is a combination of sad and fun.

And a couple overdue reviews on books that came out last year that we missed...

Frederick Sandwich and the Earthquake that Couldn't Possibly Be 

By Kevin John Scott
(Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky)

Frederick Sandwich gets teased by other kids all the time.  One night the town shakes.  It is an earthquake but they are not in a place where the earthquakes happen. The mayor forces the town to believe there was no earthquake.  Frederick and a girl, Pernille, try to get to the bottom of the mystery.

I really like this book because it is fun to read.  I could not put it down.  Anybody who likes mysteries should read this book.

My Year in the Middle

By Lila Quintero Weaver

(Candlewick)

By Ailie.

The Serpent's Secret: Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond

I saw Sayantani Dasgupta speak on a panel at TLA and bought her book for our library as soon as I returned home.  I haven't read it yet, but put it in the hands of one of my best book reviewers, Izzy. She came in first thing this morning with her thoughts.

First her summary:

"Kiranmala is just regular sixth grader in New Jersey but then on Halloween her parents are nowhere to be found.  Then two boys dressed up as princes point out that there is a demon (aka rakkhosh) right behind her, destroying her house.  They  fight the rakkhosh and escape it when it becomes unconscious. They go to the Transit Corridor in search of her parents and Kiranmala can't go through unless she passes the Transit Officer.  She is able to solve the riddles to get through but she finds out that you aren't supposed to live when you go to the Transit Officer.  So she has to run away and finds herself in a strange city in a different dimension. She's still searching for her parents.  Eventually the two boys find Kiranmala and are surprised to see that she is alive. Together the three of them go to the castle to find Tuni.  They have been told that Tuni can figure out basically anything but you first have to figure out what his poem means. Tuni tells them a poem which they figure out that Kiranmala's parents are in a well of darkness. Will she find her parents?  Read the book to find out!"

Why did you like it?

I liked it because it was a fantasy with some action.  And it was believable, too!  That's hard to do with a fantasy book! 

 

I don't know about you, but I am going to put this book at the top of my ever growing TBR pile for sure! Thank you, Izzy!

Sidenote: Izzy LOVES Adam Gidwitz and Adam was on the same panel at TLA!  Coincidence that she liked this book, too, then?

Whatever you do on Tuesday, it must include getting a copy of THE MARVELS by Brian Selznick

I cannot believe I did not take the time this summer to read The Marvels.  While at ALA, I actually got to the Scholastic booth early so I'd be guaranteed a copy of it and a chance to meet the extraordinarily talented, Brian Selznick.  Not only did I get a signed copy, a couple of candids with him, but when I came back to booth later, I was able to convince him to jump with me!

I made it to the booth!

 If only I wasn't blinking :-(

 Check out the photo bomb by Dan Santat!

I thought I knew it 2x already after reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck that Brian is pure genius.

It was just confirmed a third time with The Marvels! 

If that isn't reason to LEAP, I don't know what is!

"You either see it or you don't" and I totally see this as a pure work of genius.  Brian Selznick's visual art alongside his written words is just incomparable to any other work of art.  The 600+ page book begins with almost 400 pages of artwork telling a mesmerizing story from 1766.  Take the time to look at the illustrations and understand the plot.  Let it all soak in.  Figure out the Marvel family history.  Make a genealogy chart in your head.  Go back and taste it again before you move on.  It is that delicious.

There are two blank pages in between the artwork and the text.  This is not just a delineation of the visual art and the text.  Those pages actually tie the whole book together.  The text begins in 1990 with runaway Joseph, landing in the unusual home of his uncle, Albert, whom he has never met.  It is not a good pairing at the beginning and Joseph feels uneasy in a home that appears to have lively ghosts and other unexplainable objects and photos.

As Joseph explored his uncle's home alone, my heart was pounding.  Reading it on a dark, rainy night, I caught myself making my room a bit brighter.  Joseph was searching to uncover the mysteries of the past in this unfamiliar home and I was alongside him.

I do not want to give away any spoilers. This is a must-read. Do you like Shakespeare? He's splattered throughout.  Enjoy the poetry of Yeats?  It's there.  Other literary references?  Check.  Love a good mystery with a twist?  This one is for you.

Albert's friend, Florent, teaches Joseph that "broken things can be fixed." A wise man telling a young boy to be delicate around his uncle so he, too, may be fixed.  Well said.  However, when things are not broken we should leave them right alone, just as we should the work of art in The Marvels.  Nothing to fix here.

I got out of bed at 5 this morning and enjoyed watching the day wake up as I finished my book in silence.  I savored the time and absorbed every word and brush stroke.  It was worth every minute.  I only wished the time lasted till 11:16.

Circus Mirandus-Book Group #1

Meeting of the Minds at Panera!

This is how I know I love my job so much.  It's late afternoon in early July.  I am sitting in Panera waiting for seven rising 5th and 6th graders to show up and join me for some cookies and snacks and I am excited!  Wow! These kids were great! We squeezed into a booth and just talked about Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley for 45 minutes!

We discussed our questions, the genre, the theme, the settings, the plot, the characters, everything! And they were so excited to talk about it!  I really didn't have to bring them back on course at all! 

Here are some of their thoughts:
"The theme is courage because Micah was not afraid to stand up to Aunt Gertrudis and he still went into Circus Mirandus even when he didn't have a ticket."
"I'm like Micah because he always stood up for his beliefs."
"My favorite part was when Micah crossed the hole.  My favorite character was the Lightbender.  I like Jenny Mendoza because like her, I would have to see it to believe it."
"Thumbs Up!"
"I liked that it was about magic and fantasy.  I rate it a 4 1/2 [out of 5].  I liked that it started out with a normal life and then the story explained about Circus Mirandus."
"I like Chintzy because she has a lot of attitude."

THIS NEXT ONE HAS A SPOILER!!!!

"4 [out of 5].  I think that they should have mentioned more about Jenny.  I also think  ***SPOILER ALERT**** the grandpa should have stayed alive.  I liked how Grandpa Ephraim thought about Micah instead of himself."


There you go! From the mouths of students they all give it a THUMBS UP!

And of course, we LEAPT!

1-2-3...

JUMP!

 A great time was had by all.  Happy reading folks! 

 

The next book group (Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman) 

will be held at the Castleton Public Library on Wednesday, July 15 at 4:30.  

Circus Mirandus

Circus Mirandus

By Cassie Beasley

Can you believe this banner?  I want it for my library!!!!

Cassie wasn't at ALA but they gave away signed books and animal crackers! #Awesome

 

This book is another fabulous one in the magical realism genre.  If you liked Natalie Lloyd's Snicker of Magic last year you will love this!  When Micah Tuttle's grandfather, Ephraim, was younger he was in the magical Circus Mirandus.  The kind of circus we would all love to go to!  Now Ephraim is not well and he is asking to use his saved miracle from the past that he got from the "Lightbender." Micah, with the help of his friend, Jenny find the Circus Mirandus, the Lightbender and Mr. Head to try and get Ephraim's miracle and save him.  Wow.  Talk about magical.  It reminded me, too, of Megan Frazer Blakemore's delightful 2013 MG novel, The Water Castle.  Circus Mirandus is beautifully written with fabulous quotes you will hold on to for a long time.  I imagine that kids who like realistic fiction and/or fantasy are going to love it.




 Here are just a few of my favorite quotes. There are many more scattered throughout:

"It's important when you see magic, to recognize it." (p.34)

"Just because a magic is small doesn't mean it is unimportant…

Even the smallest magics can grow." (p.120)

"…when you try too hard to hold on to something, you break it…

Sometimes we need to let go so that other people can have their chance at the magic." (p.221)

Tomorrow I have a book group meeting at Panera to talk about the book!  I can't wait to hear what the kids thought!

VERY brief book reviews...

CRENSHAW by Katherine Applegate

I read Katherine Applegate's (The One and Only Ivan) newest book, Crenshaw, on the plane to ALA.  I'm surprised no one looked at me as a fool as I cried and had to search for my crumpled tissues at the bottom of my bag.  I got the book from NetGalley on my birthday but didn't have the chance to read it until then.  It's a beautiful story about a boy named Jackson and his oversized imaginary cat friend, Crenshaw.  Jackson's parents are not as financially stable as they used to be and together they are learning to deal with these hard times.  There are great connections to the Caldecott winner, Beekle by Dan Santat and award winning team of Eve Bunting and Lauren Castillo with this year's Yard Sale. I can't wait to share it with students!  It comes out in print on September 22.  I'm sorry we all have to wait that long!

SUNNY SIDE UP by Jenni and Matt Holm 

This book took me right back to the mid-late 70s when I was going to Florida every April vacation with my father.  We got the early bird specials with my grandparents, ate the ambrosia at the buffet, took Eastern Airlines, and drank Tab.  But this book is not all about 70s Florida.  It's about family, friends, comics and superheroes and dealing with family secrets.  Once you start you won't want to put it down.  Matt's detailed illustrations with Jenni's text, make it a perfect combination on any kind of day in any season. Comes out August 25, 2015.

George by Alex Gino

 

4th grader, George, feels he's a girl on the inside.  Read George's story of her struggle of wanting to play the role of Charlotte in the school play, her friendship with her best friend, Kelly and her relationship with her Mom and older brother.  This book goes places that no other books have gone before in the MG category. We all know kids who might be like George.  Just the other night there was a Frontline episode about transgender kids like George.  (Growing Up Trans ) This book will speak to them.  As librarians we will have to be bold to put it on our shelves.  I hope I am.