Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Be A Changemaker Blog Tour

I am excited to welcome Laurie Ann Thompson to Kid Lit Frenzy. Thought BE A CHANGEMAKER is not a nonfiction picture book, it is a nonfiction book for tweens and teens.  Enjoy reading Laurie's interview and also don't forget to enter the giveaway. 

What made you decide to write BE A CHANGEMAKER?

I always wanted to do something that made a positive difference in the world, but never felt empowered to do so. I thought you needed to be one of those “other” people, with the looks, the connections, the degrees, what have you. I didn’t realize until I was in my thirties that it just takes knowledge, passion, and skills… and that anyone can do it. I didn’t want anyone else to have to wait that long!

When you were a teen did you have a cause that you volunteered for or helped make a difference by participating in a group or organization? Do you have one now and have you been a mentor to any teens through this work?

As a teen, I often saved my money and donated it to various animal welfare organizations. I was also a volunteer Girl Scout leader for a Brownie troop. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals and kids!

As an adult, I still support animal and child welfare organizations, among many others, philanthropically. I occasionally donate my time to our local humane society, our school library, Eastside Baby Corner, and to the Youth Venture/Ashoka organization in Seattle, which also helped to both inspire and inform Be a Changemaker. I also participate in many other volunteer opportunities whenever they arise. I hope to continue to mentor teens through my connections with Ashoka’s Youth Venture, and I’m in the process of developing a program with the Girl Scouts of Western Washington’s awards program. I’d love to hear from other youth programs about how I can help add to their programming, as well!

BE A CHANGEMAKER is a great guide for motivated teens in thinking about and putting into action a plan to make a difference. However, I know some teens need more support or direction in order to get started and stick with it in order to be successful. What tips do you have for a teacher or an adult mentor to help build steps towards greater success for these students?

First and foremost, give them as much choice as possible! Guide teens towards identifying a problem that they will truly care about solving, such as one that affects them or someone they love directly. Then help them come up with a way to tackle that problem using their own existing passions (things they love to do) and skills (things they’re already good at). The foundation is strongest when you have all three (problem, passion, skill) coming from the teens themselves right from the beginning. This can take some time for introspection and self-reflection, but it will pay off in enthusiasm. Once you have those three key pieces in place, show them that you honestly believe they can make a difference. When they believe they can fix something they care about by doing something they love using skills they’re already good at, it will be hard for them to not want to jump in and get started.

If you could meet any person who has made a significant change in the world, who would it be and what are some things that you would like to learn from him or her?

Oh, that’s such a tough one: there are so many! Since we’re talking about the book, though, I’ll say Bill Drayton, the founder of Ashoka and Youth Venture and author of the foreword for Be a Changemaker. I think he’s really an unsung hero who is changing our world in dramatic ways every day. Through his vision of an “everyone a changemaker” world, his organizations are empowering everyone from preschool on up to embark on a lifetime of doing good, innovative, world-changing endeavors. His efforts are creating countless ripples of change worldwide, and those will continue to spread indefinitely. I’d love to learn what he feels is most needed to continue his mission and the ways we can help achieve it.

After BE A CHANGEMAKER comes out, what upcoming book projects do you have that you can tell us about?

I have a picture book biography called Emmanuel’s Dream coming out in January about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who changed Ghana's perception of people with disabilities. In June my first fiction picture book comes out: My Dog Is the Best is about the unconditional love that exists between a child and a family pet. And, I’m currently working on two ideas that have resulted from Be a Changemaker. Stay tuned!

About the author:
Laurie Ann Thompson comes from a family of entrepreneurs and small business owners. She has worked at IBM, Intel, and Microsoft, and she co-founded a successful internet startup. In addition, she has led a regional nonprofit professional organization and volunteered with Ashoka’s Youth Venture, which supports teens with big ideas. This is her first book. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest. Visit her at LaurieThompson.com.

Check out the other stops in the blog tour:

Mon, Sept 8

Sally's Bookshelf  http://sallysbookshelf.blogspot.com/

Tues, Sept 9

Girl Scout Leader 101  http://girlscoutleader101.blogspot.com/

Wed, Sept 10

Unleashing Readers   http://www.unleashingreaders.com/

Thurs, Sept 11

Teen Librarian Toolbox   http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/

Fri, Sept 12

The Nonfiction Detectives AND Kirby's Lane  http://www.nonfictiondetectives.com/ AND http://kirbyslane.blogspot.com/

Sat, Sept 13

The Styling Librarian   http://thestylinglibrarian.com/

Mon, Sept 15

NC Teacher Stuff  http://ncteacherstuff.blogspot.com/

Tues, Sept 16

The Hiding Spot   http://thehidingspot.blogspot.com

Wed, Sept 17

Kid Lit Frenzy  http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/

Thurs, Sept 18

GreenBeanTeenQueen  http://www.greenbeanteenqueen.com/ 

Fri, Sept 19

A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust  http://www.foodiebibliophile.com/

Sat. Sept 20

Elizabeth O. Dulemba   http://dulemba.blogspot.com/ 

Teen Librarian's Toolbox is creating a free downloadable workshop guide for libraries and classrooms for the book that will be available on Laurie Thompson's website in late October.

Giveaway
Enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win a copy of BE A CHANGEMAKER by Laurie Ann Thompson.  Winner must be 13 years old or older and have a US mailing address.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Sequoia by Tony Johnston

SEQUOIA
Written by Tony Johsnton; Paintings by Wendell Minor
Roaring Brook Press (September 23, 2014)
Audience: Ages 8 and up
Trees * Poetry * 
IndieBound | WorldCat 

Description from GoodReads: 
Standing tall above the tree line, Sequoia stretches his ancient arms and gathers clouds to him. He watches as days, seasons, years pass by. His branches are home to owls and choirs of frogs. Beneath his broad canopy, a world grows.This is his story. Through controlled verse and luscious illustration, Tony Johnston and Wendell Minor do justice to the enormous figure of the sequoia tree. 

About the author: Tony Johnston has written many award-winning books for young readers, including Bone By Bone By Bone (Roaring Brook Press). Since her youth she has been devoted to nature. Mrs. Johnston has a ranch in California, where evenings she sits on the porch and gathers sunsets to her.

About the illustrator: Wendell Minor is the illustrator of over fifty children's books including The Last Train (Roaring Brook Press, 2010). His interest in nature and the environment has taken him from the east coast to the west coast and everywhere in between, most recently the majestic sequoias in this book.

An interview with author, Tony Johnston...well maybe some reflections...
In 1991, I moved to California and began teaching at a small school in Altadena. As I created my classroom library, I began with titles from various authors and illustrators, but I had multiple books from authors such as Lois Ehlert, Eric Carle, Tomie dePaola, Bill Martin, Eve Bunting, and Tony Johnston. At that time, I never imagined that I would meet one of these incredible authors let alone several of them. 

Around this same time as I was starting out teaching, Tony Johnston had written a poem about a very special tree, a sequoia, and filed it away to hopefully be pulled back out and shared with others when the timing was just right.  Twenty-three years later, this ode to one of our great trees ended up in a picture book with paintings that bring the words to life and honor and respect the beauty of this majestic tree.

Well, that picture book ended up in my hands, and I just happened to bring it one Saturday morning to a group that attend, which is comprised of librarians, teachers and some authors. One of those authors just happens to be Tony Johnston. Now how do you talk about a book when the author is two seats away from you? 

Oddly enough, at the break, Tony approached me. Someone had mentioned my blog to her and she wondered if I might mention the book on it.  I suggested not only mentioning it but also turning it into an interview.  Knowing that Tony was likely quite busy, I suggested sending her a few questions by email. Quickly, I discovered that Tony wasn't one for electronic communication, such as email. 

After working out some of the details, Tony and I decided to meet at one of her favorite restaurants for brunch.  We arrived around the same time and I discovered that this was more than Tony's favorite place. She was treated like family by the staff. Over a lemon creme brulee scone for her and waffles for me, we chatted about teaching, and children's books, and writing inspiration, and more. 

Here is where I must confess that I am terrible about in person interviews. I really despise turning on a recording device. It just seems to muck up the mood and hinders the flow of dialogue. So instead of an interview, this is more of a reflection of my time with Tony. 

During our meal, I discovered that Tony first started out as a teacher at a school about a mile from where I began teaching. I learned of her move to New York City and then Mexico as her husband's work took them to different places. As a result of her time in Mexico, Tony's quite fluent in Spanish and you can see how it has influenced many of her books. 

I was curious about what it was like to work with some of the most amazing illustrators. She has been paired with Yuyi Morales, Tomi dePaola, Raúl Colón, Ed Young, Tony Di Terlizzi and many more. However, it was the story of reaching out to Jeanette Winter to illustrate Day of the Dead that was most special.  Tony refused to take "no" because she just knew that Jeanette was the right illustrator for that book.

Some day, I want to see the place where Tony stores all of her book ideas. I can imagine that a career spanning 40 years would have resulted in twice or three times as many stories still to be told than what has made it to printed form. Though I won't reveal any of the ideas that were tossed around during our time together, I already know that I am going to be eagerly anticipating a few of them.

Of course, we had to discuss her latest books Winter is Coming illustrated by Jim Lamarche and Sequoia illustrated by Wendell Minor.  I was curious about her favorite painting from Sequoia.

I shared with her how powerful the image of the fire sweeping through the forest had been for me.

We both loved the image of the majestic sequoia in full winter coat.

However, it was the jacket cover that was one of her favorites (and mine).

I am more than thankful for the time that Tony graciously shared with me, and I hope that there may be more in the future. She is incredibly vibrant and passionate and it comes out in her work. 

If you haven't marked your calendar, by all means do so.  Sequoia comes out later this month on September 23rd. 

Note: All images used with permission by Macmillan Children's Publishing. Copyright 2014 Wendell Minor.

Giveaway:
Thank you to Macmillan, one lucky reader will win a copy of Tony Johnston's book SEQUOIA. To enter for a chance to win a copy of the book you need to be 13 years old or older and have a US mailing address. Please, complete the rafflecopter below. 

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Don't forget to link up you nonfiction reviews here:

Don't forget to link up you nonfiction reviews here:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - September New Releases

Thank you everyone for all of the great posts each week for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.  

At the beginning of each month, I like to try to do a post to spread the word about recent releases or upcoming nonfiction/informational titles.  It is not comprehensive, but I do try to include a variety of books that might be of interest to readers.  Some of them I have read and some I have yet to read.  Often I include reviews in later posts.

Here are some September titles and a few that I missed posting earlier in the year.  If you missed the posts from the past eight months, I have included links to them below.

January Post | February Post | March Post | April Post | May Post | June Post | July Part 1 | July Part II | August Post 

Coming this month:

September 1, 2014

Dear Wandering Wildebeest: And Other Poems From the Watering Hole by Irene Latham (Millbrook Press)

The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats: A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle (Millbrook Press)

When Lunch Fights Back by Rebecca L. Johnson (Millbrook Press)

September 2, 2014

In the Rain Forest by Kate Duke (HarperCollins)

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio by Jonah Winter; Illustrated by James E. Ransome (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Gibbs Davis; Illustrated by Gilbert Ford (HMH Books for Young Readers)

September 15, 2014

The Seasons of Little Wolf by Jonathan London; Illustrated by Jon Van Zyle (Westwinds Press)

September 30, 2014

The World According to Musk Ox by Erin Cabatingan; Illustrated by Matthew Myers (Roaring Brook Press)

From earlier in the year:

August 1, 2014

Who Was Here? Discovering Wild Animal Tracks by Mia Posada (Millbrook)

July 1, 2014

How Strong is an Ant? And Other Questions About Bugs and Insects by Mary Kay Carson (Sterling Children's Books)

April 1, 2014

The Secret Life of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Laurence Pringle (Boyds Mills Press)

March 18, 2014

Have You Heard of the Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray; Illustrated by Kenard Pak (HMH Books for Young Readers)

January 7, 2014

How Does a Seed Sprout? And Other Questions About Plants by Melissa Stewart (Sterling Children's Books)

How Many Planets Circle the Sun? And Other Questions About Our Solar System by Mary Kay Carson (Sterling Children's Books)

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Building a Nonfiction Classroom Library Part V - Marine Life

When I began this series, I wasn't sure where it would take me. Of course, I want each post to assist teachers and other readers of the series to find great books to include in their classroom libraries, but I never realized how much I would learn too.    

In high school, my biology class took a field trip to the coast of Connecticut and we spent the day on a fishing boat discussing the various marine life in the area.  I was completely enthralled by the trip and always thought it would be cool to be a marine biologist.  Though that never became a part of my career path, I have always maintained an interest in and a love for the ocean and marine life. 

Today, listed below is over 25 titles written in different styles and also geared towards a range of reading levels. Some of the books are great for their photographs and others can be used as a read aloud or a reference, while others will draw students into shared reading experiences as they call others over to see what they have discovered.

Also don't forget to check out the previous posts for more book recommendations: 
Part I Introduction | Part II Biographies | Part III Animals/Mammals | Part IV Creepy Crawlies

This time I am taking a slightly different approach and instead of focusing on individual authors, I have grouped some titles together.  Below are 28 titles and really this is just a small number of titles that are out there. I realize that I have so many more books to read it this area and to expand beyond the parts of the ocean that I naturally gravitate towards, but this list will certainly get you started. 

National Geographic Kids - There are so many amazing titles by National Geographic Kids that it is best just to go browse on their website.  I have enjoyed everyone of their titles.

Scientists in the Field - This is an amazing series with so many wonderful titles. Check out the website for the series and all of the titles including the six listed below.

Biographies - Here are two biographies that I did not include in my previous post.  Here are the links - The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino and Life in the Ocean by Claire A. Nivola

Poetry - Water Sings Blue by Kate Coombs and In the Sea by David Elliott

Sharks and Coral Reefs
CORAL REEFS | NEIGHBORHOOD SHARKS | SURPRISING SHARKS | CORAL REEFS

Sea Turtles and More
I'LL FOLLOW THE MOON | ONE TINY TURTLE | LIFESIZE OCEAN | SHIMMER & SPLASH

And even more...
STAR OF THE SEA | HERE COME THE HUMPBACKS | DOWN, DOWN, DOWN | WEIRD SEA CREATURES

For several more titles beyond what I included here, check out the following posts by Carrie Gelson: Life in the Deep Blue Sea | Ocean Wonders: 20 Nonfiction Picture Books About Sea Life

Additional Marine Biology Resources:

marinebio.org 

Marine Mammal Center

Smithsonian: Ocean Portal

National Geographic: Ocean Photos 

Ocean Conservancy

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - When Lunch Fights Back

Thank you everyone for all of the great posts each week for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.  

When Lunch Fights Back: Wickedly Clever Animal Defenses
by Rebecca L. Johnson
Millbrook Press (September 1, 2014)
Audience: Grades 4 to 8
Nonfiction * Animal Defenses * Animals
IndieBound | WorldCat | Author's Website

Description from GoodReads:
Meet living things with some of the strangest defenses known to science: termites that blow themselves up to save the colony; fish that produce copious amounts of gooey, slippery slime; lizards that run on water, and more.

My thoughts on the book:

From primitive eels that ooze slime to frogs with hidden weapons in their rear toes to lizards that squirt a stream of blood at predators, Rebecca L. Johnson's newest book, When Lunch Fights Back, engages readers from the very first page to the very last one. Through the course of the book, readers learn about several different creatures and one unique plant/insect partnership and how they are each uniquely equipped for survival. 

Similar to Johnson's Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature's Undead, readers learn the story followed by the science behind the story.  The first story is about a hagfish (primitive eel) and how it releases "snot-like goo" when a shark tries to attack it. On the next page, there is a picture of the hagfish being held by a biologist's hands that are covered in slime. Though I am still grossed out by the first chapter, I couldn't stop reading.  The "I don't want to stop reading" experience is definitely what I want students to have when reading nonfiction.

When Lunch Fights Back may only have 48 pages, but it is filled with great information and the extra resources at the end provide students with a way of learning more about the stories contained in the book. This is a definite must have in a classroom nonfiction library.

And since I am still grossed out by the Hagfish, here's a video of one: 

Here is the other story that has me saying "Eww" -  Horned Lizard shooting blood:

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews: