Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: A Year in Review

December 27, 2017 Alyson Beecher

It has been a weird year! I feel like I have been saying something like this for the past several years but the last few years truly have been...well just different. However, as I reviewed the list of nonfiction books I read in 2017, I was heartened to see how many I was actually able to find and read. From that perspective, it has been a good year, and for that I will celebrate.

Over the course of 2017, I have created 52 nonfiction picture book challenge posts. Despite crazy schedules, I have managed to stay dedicated to posting weekly. It is a commitment that is important to me. When I went to GoodReads to review what I read, I realized that I have read over 150 nonfiction books this year. Most of the titles were books released in 2017 with about 40 or so being from 2016 and earlier. And despite all my efforts, I still have a stack of about a dozen titles that I want to read before the year is out.

To make things a bit easier for you, I have created a collection of links to posts that you might be interested in...

Best Of:
NSTA Outstanding Trade Books 2017 | Orbis Pictus Winners | 2018 AAAS Subaru SB&F Longlist | 2018 AAAS Subaru SB&F Finalists

Mock Sibert Related Posts:
Mock Sibert Info Post | Mock Sibert Early Thoughts | Mock Sibert Part I|

As I thought of doing my own personal best of list, I have been mulling over titles. It is so hard to narrow down books. I have read and enjoyed so many of them. In addition to my Mock Sibert Picks, I pondered over some other favorites. Finally, after much consideration, I narrowed it down to five picture books and five longer form books.

Here are my choices in no particular order...

Sergeant Reckless: The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero by Patricia McCormick, Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno (Balzer & Bray)

Give Bees a Chance by Bethany Barton (Viking Books for Young Children)

Vincent Can't Sleep: Van Gogh Paints the Night Sky by Barb Rosenstock, Illustrated by Mary Grand Pré (Alfred A. Knopf)

What Makes a Monster? Discovering the World's Scariest Creatures by Jess Keating, Illustrations by David DeGrand (Alfred A. Knopf)

Balderdash! John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children's Books by Michelle Markel (Chronicle Books)

The Great Penguin Rescue: Saving the African Penguins by Sandra Markle (Millbrook Press)

Two Truths and a Lie: It's Alive! by Laurie Ann Thompson and Ammi-Joan Paquette (Walden Pond Press)

Poison: Deadly Deeds, Perilous Professions, and Murderous Medicines by Sarah Albee (Crown Books for Young Readers)

Life on Surtsey: Iceland's Upstart Island by Loree Griffin Burns (HMH Books for Young Readers)

Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman (Henry Holt and Co.)

Look for these books at your indie bookstore or public library.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: NSTA 2018 Outstanding Trade Books & Stem

December 20, 2017 Alyson Beecher

Earlier this month, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) announced two of my favorite "best of" lists.

Here are some of the titles that I haven't yet read that I am looking forward to reading:

Animal Journal: Land Mammals of the World by Juan Carlos Alonso (Walter Foster Jr. 2017)

The Book of Bees! A Honeyed History by Piotr Socha, Illustrated by Wojciech Grajkowski (Abrams Books for Young Readers 2017)

Margaret and the Moon by Dean Robbins, Illustrated by Lucy Knisley (Knopf Books for Young Readers 2017)

Exploring Space: From Galileo to the Mars Rover and Beyond by Martin Jenkins, Illustrated by Stephen Biesty (Candlewick Press 2017)

ABCs From Space: A Discovered Alphabet by Adam Voiland (Simon & Schuster 2017)

For a complete list of winners, click here.

Here are a few of the titles that I haven't read but looking forward to reading:

Ada Lace Sees Red by Emily Calandrelli, Tamson Weston, Illustrated by Renee Kurilla (Simon & Schuster 2017)

Find the Dots by Andy Mansfield (Candlewick 2017)

The Doctor With an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath by Julia Finley Mosca, Daniel Rieley (Innovation Press 2017)

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca, Illustrated by Daniel Rieley (Innovation Press 2017)

Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant by Songju Ma Daemicke, Illustrated by Christina Ward (Arbordale Publishing 2017)

For a complete list of winning titles, click here.

Look for these and all of the other titles on these lists at your local indie bookstore or public library.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: What am I reading? - The Nonfiction Edition

December 13, 2017 Alyson Beecher

The end of 2017 is fast approaching and I still have stacks of books to read, including more nonfiction picture books. Thanks to a fabulous public library system and the ability to request up to 100 books at one time, I am working through the titles I still hadn't read. Here are some of the 2017 nonfiction titles that I read this past weekend. What is still on your list to read?

Creekfinding: A True Story by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Illustrated by Claudia McGhee (University of Minnesota Press 2017)

Shell, Beak, Tusk: Shared Traits and the Wonders of Adaptations by Bridget Heos (HMH Books for Young Readers 2017)

Sergeant Reckless: The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero by Patricia McCormick, Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno (Balzer & Bray 2017)

Strong as Sandow: How Eugen Sandow Became the Strongest Man on Earth by Don Tate (Charlesbridge 2017)

Take a Picture of Me, James Vanderzee! by Andrea J. Loney, Illustrated by Keith Mallett (Lee & Low Books 2017)

The Man Who Loved Libraries: The Story of Andrew Carnegie by Andrew Larsen (Owlkids 2017)

The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori & the Invention of the Piano by Elizabeth Rusch (Atheneum Books for Young Readers 2017)

Give Bees a Chance by Bethany Barton (Viking Books for Young Children 2017)

If you still have titles to catch up on, don't forget to support your public library.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Guest Post with Seth Fishman

December 6, 2017 Alyson Beecher

Recently, I listed my #mocksibert selections and placed A Hundred Billion Trillion on the list. This week, I am fortunate to have Seth Fishman stop by and share some thoughts about this book. Thanks Seth for stopping by and sharing your inspiration for the book.

A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars
by Seth Fishman; Illustrated by Isabel Greenberg
Greenwillow Books (October 3, 2017)

Before my son, Weston, was born, I took a plumbing class. At the time, I wasn’t sure if taking the class constituted a pre-parenthood freak-out, but I certainly had him in mind when I signed up.

My own dad, well, I can’t even remember what specific talents he had or taught me, aside from loving to read and an expectation of higher education. I don’t mean that disparagingly, I loved my father, but he wasn’t athletic, didn’t know how to fish, camp, ski, build toy airplanes, play computer games, fix cars, garden, play music, woodwork, sing, paint, cook or fix the plumbing.

When my wife became pregnant, I realized with growing terror that I, too, knew nothing. I admit that I partially blamed my dad. I have friends who knew from a young age how to diagnose a problem with the family car. Friends who are familiar with classical music. Friends who grew up water skiing and know how to use and maintain a boat. If only my dad cared about any of these things, made them family traditions, taught them to me.

This empty reservoir of abilities (and, potentially, talent) had me casting about for something I could learn, and fast. Plumbing seemed within reach. I took a course, I learned how easy (or at least, manageable) fixing things around the house could be. I felt more confident as a stereotypical father figure. I signed up for a wiring class soon after, and learned just how close deadly levels of electricity are in any given building or house. I changed the broken blinker light in our car, by myself.

And then Wes was born. I knew nothing about raising a kid. But that was OK. My wife and I figured it out together. And one day, as his warbles turned slowly into words, I realized I wanted to be able to give him every answer to any question he asked. I realized that my dad knew lots of stuff. That he could satisfy my curiosity with explanations and stories. I realized that I was a writer because of him.

I remember, without hyperbole, looking up into the sky one night and wondering how I’d answer a hypothetical question my son might present to me. He’d ask, how many stars are in the sky? And me, trying to know everything, discovered that beautiful number: a hundred billion trillion.

My picture book was born from its title, but grew out of a need to answer my child’s hypothetical questions about the world all around us. And after giving him the biggest numbers that I could imagine, after showing him the world broken down into ants and bunnies and raindrops by the trillions, I wanted to make sure he realized that he was more than just another number. He was himself, special, his own pool of knowledge and talent and knowhow. Someday he’ll teach his own child everything he can. And that will be enough.

About the author:
Seth Fishman can hold his breath for 163 seconds and likes to blink about 15,000 times a day. He has also written 2 books for teenagers and has two more picture books coming out soon. He lives with his family in Los Angeles, California and works at The Gernert Company, a literary agency based in New York City. He represents a wide-range of clientele, from adult literary to webcomics to picture books. You can find Seth Fishman at www.sethasfishman.com or on twitter: @sethasfishman

Look for a copy of A Hundred Billion Trillion at your local indie bookstore or public library.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Mock Sibert Predictions Part I

November 29, 2017 Alyson Beecher

Before I jump into my Mock Sibert predictions, I want to share about a new resource. If you don't already know about FROM THE MIXED UP FILES....Of Middle Grade Authors blog, I wanted to point out that they are now hosting STEM TUESDAY.

Check back every Tuesday of every month:

Week 1: STEM Tuesday Themed Book Lists
Week 2: STEM Tuesday in the Classroom
Week 3: STEM Tuesday Craft and Resources
Week 4: STEM Tuesday Author Interviews and Giveaways

Now onto my post.
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The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award goes to the most distinguished informational book published in the United States. To be honored/win the Sibert Award, the book must include these important elements and qualities:

Excellent, engaging, and distinctive use of language.
Excellent, engaging, and distinctive visual presentation.
Appropriate organization and documentation.
Clear, accurate, and stimulating presentation of facts, concepts, and ideas.
Appropriate style of presentation for subject and for intended audience.
Supportive features (index, table of contents, maps, timelines, etc).
Respectful and of interest to children.

In addition to the qualities above, you can find further criteria here. This is where things can get tricky. One of the criteria is that the author and illustrator must be a citizen of the United States or maintain a residence in the United States. Sadly, this usually rules out a couple of books each year.

Another important consideration is how the Sibert defines informational book. "Informational books are defined as those written and illustrated to present, organize, and interpret documentable, factual material."

A final consideration that I will highlight is how the Sibert defines "children's literature".

"Children’s literature is defined as the body of books published for an intended and potential child audience. Such books display respect for children’s understanding, abilities, and appreciation. Children range from birth through age fourteen. Books for the entire range are to be considered."

As an aside, this is NOT my Nonfiction Best Of list for the year. Check back later in December for my favorites of the year.

For this list, I looked back over the previous winners to see about any trends and to get a sense for what has been considered excellent nonfiction. I am a bit worried that given last year's winners that this year's winners will skew older and longer than picture books. I am worried that I either haven't read the winner yet or that what I am loving are not viewed the same by the committee. What I am hoping is that I have provided you with a list of books that will provide you and your students with a great opportunity to read fabulous books and compare them to the list of criteria and see what you decide. And hopefully we just might find a winner.

Are you ready? Here are my mock Sibert picks in no particular order...