Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Disgusting Critters

The Slug (Disgusting Critters)
by Elise Gravel
Tundra Books (August 5, 2014)
Audience: Grades 1-4
Slugs (Mollusks) * Nonfiction
IndieBound | WorldCat

Description from Goodreads:
One in a series of humorous books about disgusting creatures, The Slug is a look at the land slug. It covers such topics as the slug's two pairs of tentacles, one pair for seeing, one pair for smelling (it can see you're a kid and smell like broccoli), its breathing hole (on the side of its head!), and its pretty gross mucous covering (in order to find a partner, the slug can follow another slug's mucous trail. True love!). Although silly and off-the-wall, The Slug contains real information that will tie in with curriculum.

Thoughts on this book:

Thank you Carrie Gelson for introducing me to this series by posting it on your blog. Once I saw this book, I started to track it down and finally ended up ordering it. Now that I have read the book, I can't wait to introduce it to students. And I do not really want to wait until I can fit it into the curriculum in order to introduced this one. (Who says I need an excuse for a read aloud?)

Elise Gravel has managed to take slugs and mix together solid facts with humor and cartoon-style illustrations and never looses the ick factor that often draws children to or repels them away from slugs. Written in a way that is easily accessible by a first grader through a read aloud or by a 3rd grader during independent reading, The Slug will engage students from start to end.

Whether Gravel talked about two pairs of tentacles (one for seeing and one for smelling & tasting) or a hole on the side of the slug's body that allows for breathing, readers gain information about the basic way a slug's body functions in order to live and survive. Gravel also talks in a limited manner about the life cycle of the slug, and why slugs are important to the environment. 

If you cannot find a copy of this book at your local library or bookstore, I would suggesting asking them to order it. I would also not be surprised if after introducing this book to students that it never stays on your shelf for long. 

Update/Note of Caution: A friend with more science background mentioned to me that the series seems to have some factual errors. I do not know if the errors are due to the translation from French to English or in the effort to make the book both simple & humorous.  An author's note or additional resources at the end of the book may have provided more insight. Whereas, I will still likely use this book (it really is funny), I will instead make sure students are aware of inconsistencies that may be present in the individual books in the series. 

Check out other books in this series - 

Don't forget to link up you nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: IVAN The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

IVAN: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla 
by Katherine Applegate; Illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Clarion Books (October 7, 2014)
Audience:  Kindergarten to Third Grade
Biographical * Gorillas * Animal Welfare
We Love Ivan Tumblr
IndieBound | WorldCat

Teacher's Guide

Description from GoodReads:
In a spare, powerful text and evocative illustrations, the Newbery medalist Katherine Applegate and the artist G. Brian Karas present the extraordinary real story of a special gorilla.
     Captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a Tacoma, Washington, mall to attract shoppers. Gradually, public pressure built until a better way of life for Ivan was found at Zoo Atlanta. From the Congo to America, and from a local business attraction to a national symbol of animal welfare, Ivan the Shopping Mall Gorilla traveled an astonishing distance in miles and in impact.
     This is his true story and includes photographs of Ivan in the back matter.

My thoughts on this book:
I have been waiting on this book since I first heard that Katherine Applegate was writing it. I loved The One and Only Ivan, and I have read it aloud in several classes. Sometimes I think of it as having the same impact on readers as Charlotte's Web. It is a beautiful and powerful book of hope and resilience.  

With the release of Ivan the Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla, younger audiences can now experience Ivan's story.  Additionally, Middle Grade audiences can learn of the story behind the story with this amazing picture book.

Applegate begins with Ivan as an infant with his family in Central Africa, and shares about his capture and purchase by a man in Washington State. She shares about his time living with a family before he became too large.

A cage in a shopping mall became Ivan's home.

The story goes on to tell of how people protested Ivan's containment in such a small space. Eventually Ivan was transferred to Zoo Atlanta.  

G. Brian Karas' illustrations capture the essence of Ivan and provide readers with another layer in understanding the text. The endnotes provide readers with further details of Ivan's story and several photos of the real Ivan. There are also links to websites to learn more about gorillas. The book closes with some memories of Ivan as shared by one of the zoo keepers in Atlanta. 

Schools considering an One Book One School celebration can now provide readers from kindergarten to sixth grade with Ivan's story.  Look for a copy of Ivan the Remarkable True Story at an indie bookstore or library near you.

The Official Book Trailer:

Katherine Applegate tells the true story of Ivan in her new picture book:

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction book reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - October 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 October titles and a few that I missed posting earlier in the year.  If you missed the posts from the past nine 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 | September Post 

Some new releases:

October 7, 2014

Beetle Busters by Loree Griffin Burns; Illustrated by Ellen Harasimowicz (HMH Books for Young Readers)

Creature Features: Twenty-Five Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do by Steve Jenkins, Illustrated by Robin Page (HMH Books for Young readers

Ivan: The Remarkably True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate; Illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books)

October 14, 2014

Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stephanie Roth Sisson (Roaring Brook Press)

October 21, 2014

Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and their Parents by Lita Judge (Roaring Brook Press, 

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats

The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats: A Scientific Mystery
by Sandra Markle
Millbrook Press (September 1, 2014)
Audience: Grades 4 to 8
Barnes & Noble | WorldCat

Description for Good Reads:
Little brown bats do us a big favor. They eat huge numbers of insects! That helps limit the spread of diseases and the damage that insects do to farm crops. But in recent years, large populations of little brown bats have been dying off each winter. Is a virus killing them? Could climate change or pesticides be the cause? Or is it something else? Follow a team of dedicated scientists working to save the little brown bats in this real-life science mystery.

My thoughts on this book:
When I lived in New England, I tended to spot little brown bats not only outdoors but in some awkward indoor locations such as fireplace chimneys, and even hiding in a shoe in my closet. Each time, I encountered one of these ugly but cute creatures I managed to find a way to return them to their outdoor freedom with only a raised heartbeat for both of us. 

In The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats,  Markle provides readers with a mystery to solve (What is causing so many brown bats to die?) and takes them step by step through the discovery process on the way to finding what was truly dangerous to these small bats (pseudogymnoascus destructans). It was fascinating to see what scientists had to do to uncover this troubling fungus and how to also study the effect of this disease of bats and then to finally find a way to possibly combat it.

In addition to very engaging and read aloud friendly text, there are a number of resources at the end of the book. I have included, below, one of the videos that Markle mentions in her book. 

  Video: Countdown to Extinction for Little Brown Bats (referenced in book):

If you are looking for additional resources to pair with The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats, here are several that I have read and enjoyed...The Bat Scientist by Mary Kay Carson (also looks at White-nose Syndrome), A Place for Bats by Melissa Stewart, and Sandra Markle's Little Lost Bat.  The latter required several tissues.  Look for a copy of The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats at your local public library or independent bookstore. 

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews below:

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: