Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Cover Reveal - Seashells: More Than a Home

September 26, 2018 Alyson Beecher

Though I love many of Melissa Stewart’s books. one of my favorites is Feathers: Not Just For Flying.

When I heard about a companion book, I selfishly wanted it to be released immediately. Yet, writing and illustrating and publishing takes time. I might want to wish for a book to be released quickly but honestly, I want an author or illustrator to do their best work and if that means waiting, then I wait.

I am excited to share that the creative team of Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen are back with their companion book, Seashells: More Than a Home.

And now for the cover reveal…

When I first saw the cover of the book, I wanted to reach out and touch the picture. I almost expected to be able to feel the sand on the cover of the book.

Here’s a description of the book:
Young naturalists discover thirteen seashells in this elegant introduction to the remarkable versatility of shells. A dual-layered narrative highlights how shells provide more than a protective home. The informative sidebars underscore characteristics specific to each shell. Elegant watercolor illustrations create a scrapbook feel, depicting children from around the world observing and sketching seashells across shores.

Now for a sneak peak of the inside…

Stewart is a master at crafting engaging text. I always feel like each and every word is chosen with care to communicate content but to also draw readers in and keep them reading. Seashells: More Than a House is another excellent example of Stewart’s skill in writing for young readers. I look forward to sharing this with students and utilizing the book as a mentor text for writing.

Congratulations to Melissa and Sarah. Seashells: More Than a Home was selected as a Junior Library Guild pick. Now mark your calendar for April 2, 2019 so you won’t forget when it comes out.

About the Author: Melissa Stewart is the author of more than 180 science-themed nonfiction books for children, including award-winning A Place for . . . series. She holds a degree in biology from Union College and a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. Melissa believes that nothing brings nonfiction writing to life like firsthand research. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. www.melissa-stewart.com

About the illustrator: Sarah S. Brannen is the author and illustrator of Madame Martine, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding and the illustrator of Feathers: Not Just for Flying; Digging for Troy: From Homer to Hisarlik; and At Home in Her Tomb: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui. She lives in Massachusetts. www.sarahbrannen.com

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist, Cute Creatures, and a Blog Series Not to Miss

September 19, 2018 Alyson Beecher

This week’s nonfiction post is a little bit different. I am sharing a middle grade memoir, a picture book, and a blog post.

Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scouts to Rocket Scientist by Sylvia Acevedo (Clarion Books, September 4, 2018)

Acevedo shares her life with young readers in her new memoir. I remember a number of years ago when I was a principal and invited some scientists from JPL to come to my school. My student populations was significantly Latino and I asked if there were any Latinx scientists that could lead the presentation. I wanted my students to see themselves in the individuals talking about their work on the Mars Rover and sharing about rockets. It was a powerful moment for so many of my students. I am glad to have this memoir to share with students and to be able to share it in both English and Spanish.

Check out an interview NPR did with Sylvia Acevedo here.

Here is an interview on CBS This Morning with Acevedo.

Moving on from girl scouts and rocket scientists to cute creatures. Don’t miss Jess Keating’s newest book:

Cute As An Axolotl: Discovering the World’s Most Adorable Animals by Jess Keating and illustrated by David DeGrand (Knopf Books for Young Readers, August 28, 2018)

I love this series and I am plotting a literacy activity with students around the three books in the series.

Finally, if you haven’t been reading Melissa Stewart’s blog, Celebrate Science, then you are missing out on a fabulous resource.

Melissa recently unveiled her new series of posts that she is referring to as DIG DEEPER. Her first post was her own reflections on what inspired her latest book, Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers (Peachtree Publishers, September 1, 2018). This week, Barb Rosenstock share about the why behind her writing of biographies.

So, what nonfiction books or blogs are you reading?

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews….

Celebrating OPERATION RESCUE DOG - Guest Post & Giveaway

September 18, 2018 Alyson Beecher

Happy Book Birthday to Operation Rescue Dog, illustrated by Luisa Uribe and published by Little Bee Books!

Today Kid Lit Frenzy is celebrating the book’s release with a guest post from author, Maria Gianferrari on the Top Five Reasons to Foster + a bonus Interview Maria did with dog foster mother & middle grade author of the Babysitting Nightmares series, Kat Shepherd + an Operation Rescue Dog GIVEAWAY!!

TOP FIVE REASONS TO FOSTER:

1. Home is Where the Heart is: Fostering Saves Lives!

More than 7 million animals enter shelters every year! Many others are taken in by rescue organizations that don’t have a dedicated facility—they rely on foster homes to care for animals until they can be adopted. Fostering lessens shelter overcrowding, and when you foster a pet, you give space for another pet to be taken in by a rescue organization, and the shelter to take in another homeless pet.

2. A Home Away From Home!

Many rescued pets may never have lived in a home. Some may be strays; others were tethered to a doghouse, and still others may have lived in a kennel, or cage, or puppy mill situation. They will likely not be house-trained or familiar with stairs or noises from ordinary household appliances like vacuums or hair dryers which may frighten them. They may even be afraid of grass, and going outdoors. Living in a home can help them to acclimate and ease their fears, readying them for adoption.

3. Safe House!

Shelter living can be extremely stressful for an animal. Some display destructive or self-destructive behaviors, or develop fear aggression, making them less likely candidates for adoption. Foster homes can provide interaction and a more relaxing environment, helping pets to trust people and become less timid, less fearful and more confident. Socialization with people and other pets as well as basic obedience training can also help them better find their “furever” homes.

4. Close to Home: Foster-To-Adopt!

If you’re considering getting your own furry friend, fostering can help you determine what kind of dog best fits your family’s lifestyle and energy level. You will learn about dogs of different sizes, breeds, and temperaments. This will help you make an educated and informed decision before adopting a dog as full-time family member.

5. Home Sweet Home: Fostering Saves Lives!!!

It bears repeating: each and every pet you foster is a new life saved! If you’re hesitant to foster because you’re afraid of getting too attached, remember, by bringing a pet home, you are saving a life and practicing the art of selflessness. Celebrate the fact that you changed this pet’s life and helped in their journey to finding a “furever” home sweet home.

ALL YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT FOSTERING!

And now it’s time for an in-depth interview with foster dog mother/animal lover, Kat Shepherd, author of the Babysitting Nightmares series (Imprint) and the upcoming mystery series, The Gemini Mysteries, coming from Bonnier/Yellow Jacket in 2019.

Q: How and why did you start fostering? Are you fostering any dogs at the moment?

A: Although I did a bit of fostering in my twenties, my husband and I began fostering in earnest in 2012. I've always loved animals, particularly dogs, and the dogs already in my home were from rescue situations (one was from a greyhound rescue; the other was a former street dog). I worked mostly from home, and we had the space and time to devote to fostering, so we really wanted to work actively to help save dogs' lives. The beautiful thing about fostering is that each time you foster you save two dogs' lives: the life of the dog you bring into your home, and the life of the dog that gets to take its space at the shelter. Most of the dogs we foster stay with us until they find their new forever homes, but we also do hospice fostering, where a terminally ill dog spends its last days surrounded by comfort and love instead of alone in a shelter. That can be emotionally tough, but it's something we love to do, because we get to spoil those dogs rotten and give them the best life possible in their final days. Our current foster dog, Nurse Jane Fuzzywuzzy, is our twenty-third foster, and she is a hospice foster. However, she has decided that she is no longer terminally ill, so she's been with us for about 15 months now. She is mostly blind and deaf and she's got bum kidneys, but she has a strong personality and a will to keep living her best life no matter what. She loves us, loves to cuddle, and she even plays. We're glad she's still kickin' it!

Q: Do you have a favorite or an unusual fostering story?

A: We've enjoyed most (but not all!) of the dogs we've fostered, but our favorite dogs to foster have always been the seniors. In fact, we pretty much only foster seniors now, and we also foster only small dogs. There is just something about the seniors that really resonates with me, and small dogs are just more practical when you're dealing with seniors, since it's easy to carry them if they can't make it down the stairs or things like that. We get a lot of toothless little fluffs with bald patches or snaggletooth chihuahuas with appalling breath, and they're all female, for some reason. We love the little old ladies!

I think my favorite part of fostering is when you find that family or that person that says, "That's it. That's my dog." They just know that they have found the dog they've been waiting for. We keep in touch with some of the folks that have adopted our fosters, and that's really fun to see. There was this amazing miniature poodle we found in the park. He was really skittish, and it took hours to catch him. We tried and tried to find his owner, but nobody claimed him. We named him Sigmund, and he ended up being one of the best foster dogs we've ever had. He was absolutely perfect in every way. We were SO close to keeping him, but we found this amazing home for him. His family takes him on all kinds of adventures, they have gotten tattoos of him, and he is absolutely living the best life possible. I don't think there's any better feeling than seeing that.

Q: An important part of the fostering process is letting go, which can be difficult when you become emotionally attached to your foster dog. Do you have any pointers or coping strategies for those who may be interested in fostering for the first time?

A: We have a three dog rule; we can never have more than three dogs in our care at any one time. We have two dogs of our own, so I know that if I choose to keep a foster instead of letting go, it means I won't be able to foster anymore. I'm a pretty pragmatic person, so when I am tempted to keep a foster, I ask myself, "Do I love this dog enough that I'm willing to let other dogs die in order to keep it?" Because we foster continuously, making that choice to keep a foster would mean giving up that space that could help save other dogs' lives. So that helps a lot. I also make sure that any adoptive home we find for a dog has to be as good or better than what we have to offer, and I would say at least 90% of the time, they are headed somewhere that it so much cooler and more fun than they have in my house. Knowing that they're going to love their new home makes it easier, too.

A couple of reminders and pointers: Your foster dog will probably bond super fast and super hard with you. It's what most of them do. That can make it emotionally difficult, because you feel like you have this bond and you're tearing that apart by sending them to their new home. You're not. Remember how fast and hard that dog bonded with you even though you just met it? It will do the same thing with its new owner. We had this amazing little foster, Mimsy. She was a five pound maltese with no teeth, a lazy tongue, and zero housebreaking. I LOVED her. Every night she had this weird ritual where she would hump my leg before bed. No one else's leg, just mine, and she did it every night without fail. I told her new owner, Pooja, about it, and during Mimsy's first night in her new home, Pooja excitedly texted me SHE'S DOING IT! It took less than a day for Mimsy to bond with Pooja just as strongly as she had bonded with me.

The biggest tip I have is when for it's time for your dog to go to its new home. I always make the adopters come to my house and collect their new dog. I learned this the hard way, because once I went to drop a dog off at its new home, and when it was time for me to leave the dog cried and struggled in the new owner's arms to follow me. It was wrenching and difficult, and I cried a lot and felt terrible. However, if someone comes to collect the foster from my house, the dog thinks it's going on a fun car ride or an adventure with a new friend, and not one dog has ever even looked back at me as they drove away. They're just super-psyched to see what's next. And then I'm excited to meet the next foster dog that's going to come into my life, too.

Q: Are any of your current pups so-called “foster failures,” ones who you knew belonged in your family?

There was a period of time when one of our own dogs died, and we just had one dog at home. We always have two dogs in the "permanent collection," and that spot stayed open for a year as fosters rotated through on their way to forever homes. There were a lot of great dogs that year, but I didn't want to adopt any of them. Partly because I still missed my old dog so much, and partly because I just didn't feel a particular pull to any one dog. Then on my birthday in 2014, as a birthday gift to myself I decided I wanted to find a red-listed dog (red-listed means the dog is set to be euthanized, usually because it's been at the shelter too long) and save its life. I would bring it home as an independent foster until I found a home for it. I found a blurry photo of this little chihuahua spaniel mix with a crooked leg and a feathery tail, and I drove out to a shelter in the middle of the desert to get her. We named her Miss Moneypenny, and after two weeks of fostering her, my husband said, "I think she's our dog. I think we need to keep her." I agreed, and she's been prancing through our lives ever since.

Q: Is there anything else interested folks should know about fostering or animal rescue?

A: I feel really passionate about dog rescue, because I believe it is our duty to care for our pets the same way we care for other loved ones in our lives. Dogs were the world's first domesticated animals, and they are one of the few animals that can accurately read human facial expressions. That is how closely linked we are. And since we did this: we created dogs and made them dependent on us, we are responsible for them. And when humans fail the animals in their care, the animals can't save themselves. We are their voice and their advocates and their caretakers.

For anyone who has even considered fostering, please do it. Animal rescue organizations desperately need foster homes, because we can't save lives without them. People think it will be too painful to love a dog and say goodbye, but the pain is temporary and tinged with joy. And if you are thinking of adopting a dog, please, please, please look to shelters and rescues first. There are so many deserving dogs sitting alone in shelters right now, just waiting to love and be loved. And always spay and neuter your pet. It's better for your pet's health and better for the planet!

If you can't bring a pet into your home, consider helping in other ways. I particularly love shelter intervention programs, which are gaining ground in major cities. Many pets end up in shelters not because they are unwanted, but because their owners are unable to keep them for financial or other reasons. Shelter intervention programs help keep pets home with the families that love them by intervening before pets are turned in. They offer low-cost vet care, free obedience training, legal help with landlord issues, and even free pet food. I love that they help both people and animals by addressing the root of the problem and working to fix it. I also love supporting prison dog programs, where incarcerated people foster, train, and rehabilitate shelter dogs to be adopted by forever families. It is a life-changing experience for everyone involved, and the positive impact of the work continues to ripple outward. I would love to see dog programs in every prison in America.

I can't state enough how rewarding it is to foster pets, and how beautiful it is to see a life saved or a broken dog healed. It's such a part of who I am, and every dog teaches me something new. It is powerful and often difficult work, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thanks Kat for all of the fantastic fostering tips! You are an inspiration to us all! Learn more about Kat and her books here.

And hearty thanks, Alyson, for allowing me to celebrate dog rescue and Operation Rescue Dog!

You’re going to love Luisa Uribe’s illustrations! The publisher, Little Bee Books, has generously donated a copy for one lucky winner (US residents only—sorry!), and I would be delighted to sign and dedicate it to you or your loved one(s).

And remember, adopt—don’t shop!!

About the author: Maria Gianferrari loves dogs, especially her rescue dog, Becca. She loves them so much that all of her fiction picture books published thus far contain a dog main character! As an animal lover, Maria has been rescuing creatures unofficially all her life. Her most recent rescue was a five-lined skink stranded in her cellar. She lives in Leesburg, Virginia with Becca, her scientist husband and artist daughter.

Enter the Giveaway here…

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Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Spooked! Blog Tour

September 12, 2018 Alyson Beecher

Spooked! How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked
the 1938 Invasion of America
by Gail Jarrow
Calkins Creek (August 7, 2018)
Nonfiction * Performing Arts * Television & Radio
Audience: Grades 5 to 9
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description from Boyds Mills Press: Acclaimed author Gail Jarrow explores in riveting detail the famous War of the Worlds radio broadcast from 1938, in this nonfiction title. Jarrow highlights the artists behind the broadcast, the broadcast itself, the aftermath, and the repercussions which remain relevant today. On the night of October 30, 1938, thousands of Americans panicked when they believed that Martians had invaded Earth. What appeared to be breaking news about an alien invasion was, in fact, a radio drama based on H. G. Wells’s War of the Worlds, performed by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre players. Some listeners became angry once they realized they had been tricked, and the reaction to the broadcast sparked a national discussion about fake news, propaganda, and the role of radio. Archival photographs and images, as well as an author’s note, timeline, bibliography, and index round out this stellar nonfiction title.

Quick thoughts about the book:

When I was 12 years old, I discovered that my local library carried cassette tapes of old radio broadcasts from the 1930’s and 1940’s. I was fascinated by these cassettes and would listen on an rundown cassette player that I owned. One of the cassettes was the War of the Worlds. Obviously, I knew it wasn’t real. It was over 35 years since the original air date and though I didn’t have a lot of details about the night it had aired, I understood generally what had occurred. In case you haven’t heard the original broadcast, I have included it below.

The War of the Worlds, The Radio Broadcast of 1938:

Fast forward now to present day and 80 years since the original broadcast. Life is so very different. And yet, we still struggle with identifying what is real and what isn’t. Is what we are seeing on the television or from our personal devices real or fake? I can see how similar panic could happen today.

Gail Jarrow does an fabulous job of setting The War of the Worlds broadcast into its place in history. She also provides readers with a sense of who the “players” were and how they came about to put on this performance. Most young readers will not have a clear sense of who Orson Welles was nor an understanding of how radio played such a significant role in the life of families and their connection to the world. Yet, Jarrow through photographs and quotes from individuals works to provide that understanding.

What Jarrows also does so well is provide readers with an understanding of the consequences of such an incredible broadcast and the emotions it provoked. As a 12 year old, I never thought about what happened as a result of the broadcast. The possibilities of lawsuits and new policies for broadcasting never entered my mind. However, the adult me found this fascinating.

At the end of the book, Jarrow provides a timeline for readers, and more resources for children and adults to explore. Her research is extremely through and yet the text is accessible to both children and adults. You start reading and you don’t want to put it down. You might flip ahead a little but then you quickly go back so you don’t miss anything. Throughout the book, readers will appreciate the photographs from the time period and also the attention of the art designer to balance out the text with illustrations that reflect the story.

Whether this is your first book by Jarrow or have been a fan of hers, you will definitely want this book. Look for SPOOKED! at your local indie bookstore or community library.

About the author: Gail Jarrow is the author of many popular nonfiction books, including Red Madness, Fatal Fever, and Bubonic Panic. Her books have received numerous starred reviews, awards, and distinctions, including Best Book awards from the New York Public Library, School Library Journal, the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Kirkus Reviews, and the National Science Teachers Association.

Check out these other stops on the blog tour:

Monday, 9/10 The Nonfiction Detectives

Tuesday, 9/11 The Booklist Reader/Bookends

Wednesday, 9/12 KidLit Frenzy

Thursday, 9/13 Deborah Kalb Books

Friday, 9/14 Archimedes Notebook

Friday, 9/14 STEM Friday

Monday, 9/17 Ms. Yingling Reads

Tuesday, 9/18 Middle Grade Minded

Wednesday, 9/19 Mrs. Knott’s Book Nook

Thursday, 9/20 Middle Grade Book Village (with guest post by Gail Jarrow)

Friday, 9/21 Always in the Middle

Check out the giveaway:
A finished copy of SPOOKED! courtesy of Boyds Mills Press to one winner with a US or Canadian mailing address.

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

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - 9/10/18

September 10, 2018 Alyson Beecher

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kid lit focus. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kid lit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

This week's stack is a collection of titles that I have been wanting to read and finally got my hands on them. Each picture book is one that will make a wonderful read aloud or a mentor text or a springboard for a discussion.

We are Grateful: Ostaliheliga by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frane Lessac (Charlesbridge, September 4, 2018)

Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung (Henry Holt & Co, July 3, 2018)

Cute as an Axolotl: Discovering the World's Most Adorable Animals by Jess Keating, Illustrations by David DeGrand (Alfred K. Knopf Books for Young Readers, August 28, 2018)