Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Mock Sibert, #NFPB2016 Challenge, and more

As I shared before, when I first began the nonfiction picture book challenge, I simply wanted to close a personal book gap I had. I read very little nonfiction for children and knew that needed to change. Since starting the challenge in 2012, I have read nearly 750 nonfiction books for children. I suspect that my original book gap is no longer a book gap but has turned into a reading habit. My goal for 2016 is to read 150 nonfiction titles - preferably ones released in 2016. 

Additionally, I recently signed up for an ALSC Online course called THE SIBERT MEDAL: EVALUATING BOOKS OF INFORMATION. As part of this six week course, we will read all of the Sibert Winners (not the honor books). My plan is to continue with the honor books once the class is finished in February. 

As I look to 2016, I am celebrating my fifth year of hosting the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.  Reading nonfiction has become an essential part of my life and I am thankful for the community of authors who write nonfiction, and the readers who are participating in the challenge have become a wonderful source of information and new titles, as well as, on-line friends & even in person friends.

In the comments, I would love to hear about an ideas or suggestions you have for the Wednesday nonfiction posts. I can't promise I can respond to all of the suggestions, but I will certainly consider every one and try to incorporate what I can. 

If you would like to participate in the challenge in 2016, here are the details:

 1. Set a goal as to how many nonfiction picture books (or nonfiction MG or YA books)  you would like to read over the course of 2016. Maybe you want to read one a month or one a week. Will they all be from 2016 or will you be reading ones previously published? Do you have a gap with a particular area of nonfiction? The important part is to set a goal that will be fun and not stressful.

2.  My nonfiction book reviews and posts will be on Wednesdays but I may start posting on a second day in order to fit everything in.  There will be a link if you want to connect up one of your reviews or progress towards your goal. If you post on Mondays (Nonfiction Mondays) or Fridays (STEM Fridays), please feel free to link up on Wednesdays with us, we would love to get to know more bloggers talking about nonfiction.

3. There will be interviews, guest posts, giveaways, and new release posts.

4. If you would like to participate in this challenge, please link up your blog or GoodReads Shelf using the Widget at the very bottom of the post. Please know that you can join in at anytime throughout the year.

5. If you tweet about what you are reading as part of this challenge, please use the twitter hashtag #nfpb2016.

6. You are welcome to grab the image at the top of the post to use in your weekly posts.

ALA Youth Media Awards are happening on Monday, January 11th at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here for more information and a link for the live webcast. 

YMA Pajama Party

ALA is hosting a YMA Pajama Party this year. For all of the official rules, click here.  Start planning on what pajamas you will be wearing while viewing the awards, and get those cameras ready.....

Post your photos (best pajamas, best snacks or beverages, or best reaction shots) to the YMA Pajama Party Facebook Event or on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtags #ymapjparty and #alayma. Everyone who submits a photo will be entered in a random drawing to receive a selection of 2016 Youth Media Award-winning books (and possibly some other great books we have laying around the office). 

Mock Sibert Announcements

If you posted your Mock Sibert predictions or hosted a Mock Sibert Club at your school, please link up below and enter the giveaway. (You are welcome to link up twice - once for the challenge and once for the Sibert.)

Here are my predictions:

Winner: Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown (HMH Books for Young Readers) 

Honor:  The Octopus Scientist by Sy Montgomery (HMH Books for Young Readers)

Honor: Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin (Roaring Brook Press)

Honor: The Great Monkey Rescue: Saving the Golden Lion Tamarins by Sandra Markle (Millbrook Press) 

For fun, I am doing a Sibert Giveaway.  Here are the rules:

1. You must complete a Mock Sibert post with your own predictions (or the predictions of your class) by Sunday, January 10, 2016 and add the link below and a comment in the comments section.

2. A Winner will be randomly selected on Tuesday, January 12th and announced on Wednesday, January 13th here on the blog. 

3. You must be 13 years or older to enter (or have a parent enter on your behalf). 

4. You must have a US or Canadian mailing address or if the book is available through Book Depository and they deliver to your country, please feel free to enter. 

5. Winner will receive a copy of the 2016 Sibert Winner (or if you already own that book then one of the honor titles). 

6. Special prize: If more than one of my predictions are correct, then the winner will receive a complete set of the 2016 Sibert titles (winner and all honor books selected this year). 

7. Please do not add personal information like your email or mailing address in the comments. 

Link up below to enter the #NFPB2016 Challenge and/or to share your Mock Sibert posts: 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: 2016 Releases to Look Forward to Reading

Next year will celebrate my 5th year of hosting the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge. If you are thinking of joining in again for more nonfiction reading and sharing, stop by next week for the sign-up post.  I am hoping that by sharing some of the titles that will be released in the next few months will entice you to join in again.

Here are some 2016 Titles that I am looking forward to reading:

Build, Beaver, Build!: Life At the Longest Beaver Dam by Sandra Markle; Illustrated by Deborah Hocking (Millbrook, January 1, 2016)

When the Sun Shines on Antarctica: And Other Poems about the Frozen Continent by Irene Latham; Illustrated by Anna Wadham (Millbrook, January 1, 2016) 

Hillary Rodham Clinton: Do All the Good You Can by Cynthia Levinson (Balzer & Bray, January 5, 2016)

Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls Are Born to Lead by Michelle Markel; Illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Balzer & Bray, January 5, 2016)

Radioactive! How Irene Curie and Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World by Winifred Conkling (Algonquin Young Readers, January 5, 2016)

To the Stars! The First American Woman to Walk in Space by Carmella Van Vleet, Dr. Kathy Sullivan; Illustrated by Nicole Wong (Charlesbridge, January 12, 2016)

Living Fossils: Clues to the Past by Caroline Arnold; Illustrated by Andrew Plant (Charlesbridge, February 2, 2016)

Now You See Them, Now You Don't: Poems About Creatures That Hide by David Harrison; Illustrated by Giles Laroche (Charlesbridge, February 16, 2016)

Platypus by Sue Whiting; Illustrated by Mark Jackson (Candlewick Press, February 23, 2016)

Among the Fireflies by Helen Frost; Illustrated by Rick Lieder (Candlewick Press, March 8, 2016)

Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph by Roxane Orgill; Illustrated by Francis Vallejo (Candlewick Press, March 8, 2016)

The Secret Subway by Shana Corey; Illustrated by Red Nose Studio (Schwartz & Wade, March 8, 2016)

Otters Love to Play by Jonathan London; Illustrated by Meilo So (Candlewick Press, March 22, 2016)

Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk by Jane Sutcliffe; Illustrated by John Shelley (Charlesbridge, March 22, 2016)

The Kid on Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton by Audrey Vernick; Illustrated by Steven Salerno (HMH Books for Young Readers, March 29, 2016)

Nathan Hale's Hazardous All-Stars: Alamo All-Stars by Nathan Hale (Amulet Books, March 29, 2016)

Science Comics: Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean by Maris Wicks (First Second, May 3, 2016)

Flying Frogs and Walking Fish: Leaping Lemurs, Tumbling Toads, Jet-Propelled Jellyfish, and More Surprising Ways that Animals Move by Steve Jenkins, Robin Page (HMH Books for Young Readers, May 3, 2016)

The Hole Story of the Donut by Pat Miller; Illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch (HMH Books for Young Readers, May 3, 2016)

The Great White Shark Scientist by Sy Montgomery; Photographs by Keith Ellenbogen (HMH Books for Young Readers, June 7, 2016)

Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still by Karlin Gray; Illustrated by Christine Davenier (HMH Books for Young Readers, June 7, 2016)

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews: 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Best Nonfiction of 2015 Part II

Last week, I shared 15 of my favorite nonfiction books of 2015. Of course, I could not just post 15 books. Here is an assortment of additional favorites from this year.  For more titles, check out my Mock Sibert posts: Part I | Part II | Part III  Though I have a few overlaps with my favorites lists, there are additional favorites on those lists.  Check out my Best Of/Favorite Nonfiction Part I list from last week. 

So here are some additional favorites from this year...

Favorite math concepts book:

Tree of Wonder: The Many Marvelous Lives of a Rainforest Tree by Kate Messner; Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani (Chronicle Books, August 11, 2015)

Favorite Civil and Voting Rights books:

Favorite Book in a series:

A Nest is Noisy by Dianna Hutts Aston; Illustrated by Sylvia Long (Chronicle Books, April 14, 2015)

Favorite deadly disease book: 

Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrows (Calkins Creek, March 3, 2015)

Favorite story of bridging a cultural gap:

Watch Out for Flying Kids by Cynthia Levinson (Peachtree Publishers, August 1, 2015)

Favorite Insect Book told with Humor:

I, Fly: The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are by Bridget Heos; Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas (Henry Holt and Co., March 10, 2015)

Favorite American History Collection:

Favorite Scientist in the Field Book: 

The Octopus Scientist by Sy Montgomery (HMH Books for Young Readers, May , 2015)

Now I don't read a lot of adult books in a year, but most of what I read this year falls in the nonfiction category (professional texts, informational books, etc).

Here are a few of my favorites:

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery (Atria Books, May 12, 2015)

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Spiegel & Grau, July 14, 2015)

Writers are Readers: Flipping Reading Instruction Into Writing Opportunities by Lester Laminack (Heinemann, August 24, 2015) 

The Reading Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Readers by Jennifer Serravallo (Heinemann, May 20, 2015) 

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews or best of lists or Mock-Sibert posts below:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Best Nonfiction of 2015 Part I

Every once in awhile there is a year that you would like to forgot. A year that you will only be too happy to say good-bye to. This has been one of those years for me. When I looked back at last year's Best Of post, I realized how many books I had read and how many fabulous books I recognized in those end of the year Best Of posts. Though I might not have exceed last year's goals,  there are some wonderful books to highlight for this year.  Since I am still reading, stop by next week for some additional favorites.

Also, don't forget to check out my Mock Sibert posts: Part I | Part II | Part III

Here are some of my favorites from this year. They are in no particular order. It doesn't matter if they meet the criteria for an award. They only needed to meet one criteria - be a book that I really liked this year. 

Favorite Nonfiction Books for Younger Readers:

Favorite Dual Text book (Fiction and Nonfiction): I (Don't) Like Snakes by Nicola Davies: Illustrated by Luciano Lozano. 

Favorite Biography: The Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder; Illustrated by Julie Morstad

Favorite Animal Book: The Great Monkey Rescue: Saving the Golden Lion Tamarins by Sandra Markle

Favorite Fiction Book that would pair well with a NF book about polar bears : The Bear Report 

Favorite NF Graphic Novels:

Favorite Author of the year goes to Margarita Engle. 

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

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Catching Up on 2015 Titles

As 2015 winds down, I am working to catch up on reading nonfiction releases from this year. Here are four that I read recently. 

Brain Games: The Mind Blowing Science of Your Amazing Brain
Jennifer Swanson
National Geographic Kids (September 8, 2015)

Interested in learning about how the brain works but not interested in reading a medical textbook? Swanson provides both young and old readers with information about the brain, and how it works with our memory, emotions, decisions, and actions.  Extra notes, facts and challenges provide readers with layers of information to explore.  

Ebola: Fears and Facts
Patricia Newman
Millbrook Press (August 1, 2015)

Just the mention of the word Ebola can cause a lot of anxiety and fear. Patricia Newman provides readers with information about the history of Ebola outbreaks and facts about the disease. Readers also learn about how doctors and other health care workers are working to contain outbreaks, and prevent deaths. Additional information, a frequently asked questions, and additional resources are included at the end of the book. 

Forgotten Bones: Uncovering a Slave Cemetery
Lois Miner Huey
Millbrook Press (October 1, 2015)

I envy the patience of archeologists. I simply don't have the temperament to participate in a site dig. However, uncovering the mystery behind what is located at a dig is always fascinating. Lois Miner Huey draws in readers as she shares about the slave cemetery discovered in Albany, New York in 2005. Readers are taken through the excavation process, bones studies, and facial reconstruction. The cemetery in Albany was compared to another in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and New York, New York and information about origins, daily life, and more was pieced together from the bones, DNA, and the burial site. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Animal Planet Animals: A Visual Encyclopedia
Animal Planet
Animal Planet (September 22, 2015)

As a child, I loved looking things up. Without the internet, I was limited to a set of encyclopedias and the library. There is something fascinating about facts and information and when paired with photographs it is a win-win. There are fact boxes, a poster, and even QR codes that allow readers to explore beyond the pages of the book. Oversized and over 300 pages of general facts about hundreds of animals will keep kids flipping through the pages and coming back for more.

All four of these titles are worth adding to a classroom or school library and will appeal to a wide range of students. 

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews: