Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Mock Sibert Group on GoodReads

For the past 3 years, Kid Lit Frenzy has hosted a Mock Sibert as part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge/Wednesdays meme. Each year the Mock Sibert award has grown from just this blog to including Unleashing Readers co-hosting and then to including There’s A Book for That and then to anyone who wanted to participate.

2016 Sibert Award Winner

2016 Mock Sibert | 2015 Mock Sibert | 2014 Mock Sibert

2015 Sibert Award Winner

This year, Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers proposed to a small group of us the idea of expanding the Mock Sibert to a Book Group on GoodReads.  There are currently groups for a Mock Newbery, and a Mock Caldecott, and a Mock Printz.  We felt it was time for a Mock Sibert group. By starting this, we get to discuss books all year long.  

2014 Sibert Award Winner

Come join us on Goodreads at the Mock Sibert Book Club!

First, go to GROUPS at the top of the Goodreads home page.

Please make sure to answer our new member’s question, and we will approve you to jump into our conversation!

Our plan for the group is for group members to start discussions about any nonfiction books that they feel are 2017 Sibert Award contenders. Then within those discussion boards, we will discuss the books we each “nominate.” At the end of December, we will vote for the books we feel need to be looked at again. We'll then have a FINALISTS discussion board where we look closer at each of the books with an eye specifically towards the Sibert criteria. Following our discussions, we will vote for what we believe will be the finalists. We'll then have a WINNER discussion board where we look again at the books we voted as finalists and discuss who we think will win. About a week before the 2017 ALA Media Awards, with enough time to blog about our winner and finalists, if participants would like, we'll vote for the winner.

Hope you will come join us!

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: What are you reading?

Recently, I have been attempting to track down a few books I missed in 2015 but really wanted to read. Here are a few titles that I finally got my hands on and a couple of upcoming titles. 

Catching up on books missed in 2015:

Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark; Illustrated by April Chu (Creston Books, October 2015) - There are not enough books showing the influential thinking of woman in the world of mathematics.  Lovelace was truly ahead of her time in how she could envision the use of mathematic algorithms and their application. Add this title to your STEM collection. 

The Fantastic Ferris Wheel: The Story of Inventor George Ferris by Betsy Harvey Kraft; Illustrated by Steven Salerno (Henry Holt, October 2015) - Another strong book to add to a STEM collection. Shows the determination of George Ferris and the strength of his invention.
Pair with: Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis; Illustrated by Gilbert Ford (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2014)

Moon Bears by Mark Newman (Henry Holt, November 2015) - Information and facts about moon bears are shared in connection to rescued moon bears. 
Pair with: Moon Bear by Brenda Z. Guiberson; Illustrated by Ed Young (Henry Holt, 2010)

We Dig Worms! Toon Books by Kevin McCloskey (Toon Books, April 2015) - Worms on a very basic level for beginning readers. 
Pair with: Yucky Worms by Vivian French; Illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg (Candlewick Press, 2010)

Books from 2016:

Their Great Gift: Courage, Sacrifice, and Hope in a New Land by John Coy (Carolrhoda, March 1, 2016) - Simple text and photographs combine to show the courage and sacrifices of immigrants.

Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass by Dean Robbins; Illustrated by Sean Qualls & Selina Alko (Orchard Books, January 5, 2016) - Another picture book story about the friendship of Anthony and Douglass. Definitely want to pair this one with Friends for Freedom.
Pair with: Friends for Freedom: The Story of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass by Suzanne Buckingham Slade (Charlesbridge, 2014)

So, what are you reading?

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: ALA Midwinter & The Youth Media Awards

On Monday morning, January 11, 2016, in Boston, the American Library Association presented the Youth Media Awards. You can read the full press release here.  It was great to be in the audience and to feel the excitement and energy as the awards were announced. 

The Members of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award picked the following Winner:

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

Four  Sibert Honor Books were named:

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans written and illustrated by Don Brown (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose (Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers) 

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March written by Lynda Blackmon Lowery as told to Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley, illustrated by PJ Loughran (Dial Books)

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement  written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (Candlewick Press)

I was happy that I had read four of the five recognized books.  I pulled The Boys Who Challenged Hitler off my shelf and will be reading it as soon as I can.  In the comments, please let me know which book you were most happy to see on the list.  I was excited that Drowned City was recognized.

Since my predictions were way off and only one of my choices made it onto this list, the winner of the giveaway will receive a copy of Funny Bones by Duncan Tonatiuh or one of the honor books. Congratulations to Annette Bay Pimentel.  Please email me your choice and mailing address at Kidlitfrenzy@gmail.com

Other nonfiction spotted in other award categories not specifically focused on nonfiction:

Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson; Illustrated by Sean Qualls received a Schneider Family Book Award.

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick; Illustrated by Sophie Blackall won the Caldecott Award.

Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews ; Illustrated by Bryan Collier received a Caldecott Honor, and a CSK Illustrator Award.

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement  written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes received a Caldecott Honor, and the CSK/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award. 

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle; illustrated by Rafael López, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner.

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir written by Margarita Engle, is the Belpré Author Award winner.

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh was also recognized as a Belpré Illustrator Honor Book. 

It was a fabulous year for biographies and memoirs and I am thankful for the hard work of all of the committee members. My wish for next year's awards is that even a few STEM themed books will catch the eye and hearts of the 2017 committee members. 

Over at the Nonfiction Detectives, Cathy Potter posted about the new nonfiction spotted at ALA Midwinter. Check out her post here. 

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

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: