It's Monday, What Are You Reading? October 3, 2022

  

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here are a couple books I have read recently. 

Two Books About Jewish Holidays by Kalanoit Books

The Very Best Sukkah: A Story from Uganda

by Shoshana Nambi

Illustrated by Moran Yogev

Published September, 2022

Kalanoit Books

Picture Book

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Sukkot is Shoshi’s favorite Jewish holiday. She and her brothers love to decorate their sukkah, the hut where her family will celebrate. But who will win the Ugandan Abayudaya community’s annual sukkah contest? While only one sukkah can be the best, everybody wins when neighbors work together.

My Thoughts

Add this beautifully-illustrated book to your collection. It has a relatable and universal message of teamwork and community and teaches readers about the Jewish holiday of Sukkat. 

Mendel's Hanukkah Mess Up

by Chana and Larry Stiefel

Illustrated by Daphna Awadish

Published September, 2022

Kalanoit Books

Picture Book

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Mendel is always messing up. So, no one is more surprised than he, when the rabbi asks him to drive the Mitzvah Mobile through the streets of New York and invite everyone to the Hanukkah Bash. What if he messes up again? But as Mendel begins to spread the joy of the holiday, he learns that mistakes can happen and sometimes the results can be miraculous.

My Thoughts

This delightful book shows young readers that everyone makes mistakes and it's ok. Sometimes good things come out of our mistakes. I feel that we need more books about Judaism and learning about Jewish culture through holidays is a good place to start. 

Thirst

by Varsha Bajaj

Published July, 2022 

Nancy Paulsen Books

Hardcover

192 Pages

Global Read Aloud Selection

Goodreads Summary

The riveting story of a heroic girl who fights for her belief that water should be for everyone.
Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines. Lately, though, even that access is threatened by severe water shortages and thieves who are stealing this precious commodity—an act that Minni accidentally witnesses one night. Meanwhile, in the high-rise building where she just started to work, she discovers that water streams out of every faucet and there’s even a rooftop swimming pool. What Minni also discovers there is one of the water mafia bosses. Now she must decide whether to expose him and risk her job and maybe her life. How did something as simple as access to water get so complicated?

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. First, the title is perfection! Students can explore the many meanings of the work and how it applies to Minni's story. It's important for students in the US to be exposed to the lack of resources around the world. At only 192 pages, it is a quicker read that will appeal to students intimidated by length. I would recommend Thirst for grades 5+ as an independent read and grade 4+ as a read aloud. 

Speak Up, Speak Out! The Extraordinary Life of "Fighting Shirley Chisholm"

 Speak Up, Speak Out! The Extraordinary Life of "Fighting Shirley Chisholm" 

by Tonya Bolden

Published Jan. 4, 2022

National Geographic for Kids

Hardcover

144 pages

Narrative Nonfiction

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

From award-winning author Tonya Bolden comes a biography of the first Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Black woman to run for president with a major political party: Shirley Chisholm.
Before there was Barack Obama, before there was Kamala Harris, there was Fighting Shirley Chisholm. A daughter of Barbadian immigrants, Chisholm developed her political chops in Brooklyn in the 1950s and went on to become the first Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. This “pepper pot,” as she was known, was not afraid to speak up for what she thought was right. While fighting for a better life for her constituents in New York’s 12th Congressional District, Chisholm routinely fought against sexism and racism in her own life and defied the norms of the time. As the first Black woman in the House and the first Black woman to seek the presidential nomination from a major political party, Shirley Chisholm laid the groundwork for those who would come after her.
Extensively researched and reviewed by experts, this inspiring biography traces Chisholm’s journey from her childhood in a small flat in Brooklyn where she read books with her sisters to Brooklyn College where she got her first taste of politics. Readers will cheer Chisholm on to victory from the campaign trail to the hallowed halls of the U.S. Capitol, where she fought for fair wages, equal rights, and an end to the Vietnam War. And while the presidential campaign trail in 1972 did not end in victory, Shirley Chisholm shows us how you can change a country when you speak up and speak out.

My Thoughts

This book chronicles Shirley Chisholm's life from childhood to her death in 2005. It is a fascinating and important story of this iconic woman. Bolden's exceptional research combined with the narrative style makes you feel like you are beside her every step of the way. 

This book would appeal most to students in middle school and up. It does not provide support from photographs or text features. While this does not impact the information presented, I do wish there were a few photos sprinkled in. 

Shirley Chisholm was a prolific and powerful speaker. Reading this book, as often happens with good nonfiction, made me want to learn more. Below is a recording of her 1972 speech announcing her campaign to run and the first black woman for president of the United States. 

It's Monday, What Are you Reading? August 3, 2020

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here are a few books I read last week at the lake. Click on the covers to go to the book's page on Goodreads.

A nonfiction graphic novel showing how women (very slowly) became part of space exploration in the US. 

I fell in love with the main characters, but all of the characters are extremely well-developed. The many story lines weave together beautifully and Pennypacker does an excellent job of making the setting feel like a character. 

This one was not for me.

This book is quite different from many historical fiction books. The reader travels through time with a sharecropper family from the Mississippi south. I was invested in the characters and wanted to see how it continued to develop. 

Obtained from Netgalley.

I read the digital galley, which did not have all the images quite yet so I did not get to see all the maps and illustrations. It is filled with really interesting facts about the staff that have supported the First Family for decades. 

Obtained from Netgalley.

Wow! A beautiful collection of old and new poems by the US Poet Laureate, Noami Shihab Nye. My faves were Always Bring a Pencil and Gate A-4. 

Obtained from Netgalley.

Currently Listening

Currently Reading

It's Monday, What Are you Reading? July 20, 2020

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here are a few books I read last week. Click on the covers to go to the book's page on Goodreads.

Loved it! Full Review tomorrow. 

Alan Katz writes silly books and poems and this series is no exception. None of the information is actually true and the events never happened. There is a very short (factual) biographical section at the end. It has fun illustrations and kids may like it, but it was not my cup of tea.

I LOVE books about lesser-known, but super-important people. German born Emmy Noether was a gifted mathematician in a time when women were barely allowed to attend college. Her research was vital and she even helped Einstein with his Theory of Relativity. Of course, men took all the credit for her work. This book would make a nice companion to science units and to examine gender stereotypes and fairness. 

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Still Listening

Next Up

What Are You Reading Friends?

Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai

Pie in the Sky 
by Remy Lai
Published May, 2019
Henry Holt & Co.
385 Pages
Fiction
Review copy provided by publisher


Goodreads Summary
When eleven-year-old Jingwen moves to a new country, he feels like he’s landed on Mars. School is torture, making friends is impossible since he doesn’t speak English, and he's often stuck looking after his (extremely irritating) little brother, Yanghao.
To distract himself from the loneliness, Jingwen daydreams about making all the cakes on the menu of Pie in the Sky, the bakery his father had planned to open before he unexpectedly passed away. The only problem is his mother has laid down one major rule: the brothers are not to use the oven while she's at work. As Jingwen and Yanghao bake elaborate cakes, they'll have to cook up elaborate excuses to keep the cake making a secret from Mama.
Told in prose and graphic novel elements, this middle-grade novel is about a boy's immigration experience, his annoying little brother, and their cake-baking hijinks!

My Thoughts

Remy Lai has done a wonderful job portraying what it can be like for children who relocate and do not speak the language of their new country. Jingwen is confused, embarrassed, frustrated and angry. It doesn't help that his little brother seems to be making friends and learning English far more easily. Jingwen's desperation is palpable as he feverishly tries to finish making all the cakes he and his father had talked about making for the Pie in the Sky cake shop, hoping that he will feel better by honoring his father. 

Although the book is 385 pages, parts of it are presented using a graphic novel format which help move the story forward. Australian people are drawn looking like aliens and their speech bubbles are nonsense symbols representing how Jingwen sees them. 

This book offers many discussion possibilities for students. It can serve as a mirror for students who are English Language Learners and a window for native students to see what new students may be experiencing as they acclimate to a new country. 

I would recommend it for grades 4-6. 

I would also not recommend that you read Pie in the Sky on an empty stomach. Those cakes just sound so yummy! 

Images from the Macmillan website.

See What Others Have to Say About Pie in the Sky:

Fuse 8 from School Library Journal

Kirkus

Publishers Weekly

Visit Remy Lai's website

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? January 14, 2019

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here is my reading from the past few weeks. Click on the book covers to learn more about the books.

I LOVED the character of Little Charlie. 

I listened to this one on audio. So good! Grades 5+

Merci has a lot to deal with including navigating middle school and her grandfather's advancing Alzheimer's Disease. Grades 4-6.

I enjoyed this story and kids will like it as well. I wanted a bit more development and felt it moved a little too quickly. But you will want it for your classroom. Grades 4-5. 

Isabella's family becomes "blended" after her parents' divorce. She feels "blended" with a white mother and black father. Draper explores both of these aspects well. It ended abruptly in my opinion, but I did enjoy it. Grades 5-8. 

Currently Reading

Listening to...

What are you reading friends?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? July 17, 2017

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here are some books I have enjoyed this week. Click on the cover for more info. 

Sweet and sad, but mostly sweet. Prek-2

I will review this excellent middle grade adventure story near its release date in November.

LOVED this one! Great for fans of The Goldfish Boy. 

Get this one. Trust me.

Currently Reading

Listening to...

Continuing to read and participate in #cyberpd2017

Here are my posts if you care to read them.

Week 1

Week 2

What are you reading friends? 

One Good Thing About America Blog Tour Day #2!

Welcome to Day #2 of the One Good Thing About America Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of One Good Thing About America by Ruth Freeman (3/14/17), blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Ruth and 10 chances to win a copy of One Good Thing About America, as well as a chance to win a Skype visit with Ruth in the Grand Prize Giveaway!

Is It Ever Easy Being New? by Ruth Freeman

Who hasn’t been new somewhere, sometime in their lives? There’s the first day in kindergarten, moving to a new school or town, the first day at a new after-school program or summer camp. I’m wondering: is it ever easy? I don’t think so. Not if you’re by yourself, without friends or family.

And what would it be like if you couldn’t speak the language? If you wanted to ask a question or say the answer, but didn’t know the words? I was in Paris once by myself for a week. I knew some French but it was pretty rusty and I certainly couldn’t get the words out quickly. I remember looking, watching what everyone else was doing. I felt like my eyes were so big. That’s why I described Anaïs as “a big cat with yellow eyes.” She tries “to read what the faces say” but the words go by too fast. I remember thinking to myself, am I in the right line? what does that sign say? where do I put my ticket?

There were other times when I was new somewhere: the first time I slept over at a friend’s house, the first time I went to a summer camp, my first night at college. Those memories are still so clear and sharp, probably because I was scared and homesick! An older man I know told me he can remember everything about his first day at a new school in 4th grade…more than 50 years ago. No one had told him he needed a nickel to buy a carton of milk so he just took one without paying and got in trouble. It was so embarrassing he’s never forgotten it. Being new is not easy. And imagine what it would be like if you didn’t know the language.

While I was working on my story I asked my students about when they were new in America. Several told me about saying, “Yes, yes, yes” and smiling at everything anyone said. A girl told me the school cafeteria food looked so awful she didn’t eat it for weeks. She said, “it looked like something from my nose!” Watching students shiver and slip on the ice, but also stop in their tracks with the first snowflakes. These memories all became 

Anaïs’ memories in the story.

Everyone has been new at some point in their lives. It’s not easy, is it? But we learn to fit in, to make friends. If we don’t know the language, we start to learn it. And the next time we’re new somewhere, it will be a little easier.

by Ruth Freeman

*****

Stop by Mrs. Mommy BookNerd tomorrow for the next stop on the tour!

Blog Tour Schedule:

April 10th – Geo Librarian April 11th – Late Bloomer's Book Blog April 12th – Mrs. Mommy BookNerd April 13th – Kristi's Book Nook April 14th – Life Naturally April 17th – Books My Kids Read April 18th – Chat with Vera April 19th – Word Spelunking April 20th – Middle Grade Mafioso April 21st – The Hiding Spot

Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

Add on Goodreads

Follow Ruth: Website | Facebook Publisher: Holiday House

ONE GOOD THING ABOUT AMERICA is a sweet, often funny middle-grade novel that explores differences and common ground across cultures. It's hard to start at a new school . . . especially if you're in a new country. Back home, Anaïs was the best English student in her class. Here in Crazy America she feels like she doesn't know English at all. Nothing makes sense (chicken FINGERS?), and the kids at school have some very strange ideas about Africa. Anaïs misses her family . . . so she writes lots of letters to Oma, her grandmother. She tells her she misses her and hopes the war is over soon. She tells her about Halloween, snow, mac 'n' cheese dinners, and princess sleepovers. She tells her about the weird things Crazy Americans do, and how she just might be turning into a Crazy American herself.

About the Author: Ruth Freeman grew up in rural Pennsylvania but now lives in Maine where she teaches students who are English language learners, including many newly arrived immigrants. She is the author of several acclaimed nonfiction picture books. One Good Thing About America is her first novel..

GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY

• One (1) winner will receive a signed copy of One Good Thing About America for their personal collection, as well as a 30 minute Skype visit with Ruth Freeman to the school of their choice and a signed copy for the school's library.
• Enter via the rafflecopter below
• US Only
• Ends 4/23 at midnight ET

a Rafflecopter giveaway
In addition to the Gand Prize Giveaway, the publisher is offering an additional giveaway of a copy of the book! Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? March 13, 2017

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Hey remember me? I used to have a blog where I read lots of books and shared them? Well, I have still been reading, but wow has it been a long time since I shared! I am blaming my focus on trying to obtain national board certification and just the craziness of school and family. I hope you are all doing well!

Here are a few books I have read recently.  

Click on the covers to learn more about each book. 

Check out my post and enter the giveaway that still has a couple of days to go! Really sweet story of friendship and teamwork. 

It is very clear to me now, why this book was an award winner! #weneeddiversebooks

Really loved this middle grade novel. #weneeddiversebooks

What an amazing collection of authors and stories for upper middle grades! #weneeddiversebooks

Currently Reading