Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Upcoming Releases

As part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, one of my favorite things is to round-up as many new quality nonfiction books for children about once a month to share them with readers of this blog.  Some months, I miss the release of books and add them to the next month's post.  Since I have not seen every book listed, I cannot always confirm if they are truly a nonfiction book or more of an informational fiction text or a bit of historical fiction.  Here are some that I am looking forward to reading.

Previous Nonfiction Release Post: January | February | March | April | June

Alexander Graham Bell Answers the Call by Mary Ann Fraser (August 15th 2017 by Charlesbridge Publishing)

I Like the Farm by Shelley Rotner (August 15th 2017 by Holiday House)

John Deere, That's Who! by Tracy Nelson Maurer; Illustrated by Tim Zeltner (March 28th 2017 by Henry Holt and Co.)

Listen: How Pete Seeger Got America Singing by Leda Schubert; Illustrated by Raúl Colón (June 13th 2017 by Roaring Brook Press)

The Man Who Loved Libraries: The Story of Andrew Carnegie by Andrew Larsen; Illustrated by Katty Maurey (August 15th 2017 by Owlkids)

Newton's Rainbow: The Revolutionary Discoveries of a Young Scientist by Kathryn Lasky; Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (April 18th 2017 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

The Quest for Zee: The True Story of Explorer Percy Fawcett and a Lost City in the Amazon by Greg Pizzoli (June 13th 2017 by Viking Books for Young Readers)

Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee! by Andrea J. Loney; Illustrated by Keith Mallett (June 15th 2017 by Lee & Low Books)

Science Comics: Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared by Alison Wilgus; Illustrated by Molly Brooks (May 23rd 2017 by First Second)

Science Comics: Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield by Falynn Koch (August 29th 2017 by First Second)

Strong as Sandow: How Eugen Sandow Became the Strongest Man on Earth by Don Tate (August 22nd 2017 by Charlesbridge Publishing)

What Makes a Monster: Discovering the World's Scariest Creatures (The World of Weird Animals) by Jess Keating; Illustrated by David DeGrand (August 8th 2017 by Knopf Books for Young Readers)

Wolf Pups Join the Pack by American Museum of Natural History (June 6th 2017 by Sterling Children's Books)

The World is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter (August 22nd 2017 by Beach Lane Books)

Look for these at your local indie bookstore or community library. 

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: What Are You Reading?

It seems that my life is going to be incredibly hectic for awhile. But one thing that continues to be constant is that a stack of picture books and some time to read is incredibly restorative and that even when things are simply out of control, I need to find time to sit down and center myself with a stack of books. 

This past weekend, I went through a large stack of picture books and here were some of the nonfiction titles that popped out....

Cat Tales: True Stories of Kindness and Companionship with Kittens by Aline Alexander Newman (April 11th 2017 by National Geographic Society) - I am a sucker for a good cat story and this book provides you with some feel good stories of cats and their owners. 

Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines by Jeanne Walker Harvey; Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk (May 2nd 2017 by Christy Ottaviano Books) - I was very much touched by the story of how the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial was created. Definitely a picture book biography that I would recommend. 

Women In Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win by Rachel Ignotofsky (July 18th 2017 by Ten Speed Press) - Ignotofsky's follow up to Women in Science is just as good. Even if you haven't read the first one, go pick up this one. 

Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville; Illustrated by Brigette Barrager (August 29th 2017 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers) - I had never heard of Mary Blair and the illustrations in this book celebrated the life of color that was the trademark of Blair and her work. 

Dangerous Jane by Suzanne Slade; Illustrated by Alice Ratterree (September 1st 2017 by Peachtree Publishers) - I really appreciate multiple biographies on the same character. Though I knew some things about Jane Addams, this biography shines a light on some things I did not know about her. 

Look for all of these at your local indie bookstore or community library.

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews? 

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Interview with Cathryn Sill & John Sill

About Habitats: Seashores
by Cathryn Sill; Illustrated by John Sill
Peachtree Publishers (August 1, 2017)
Nonfiction * Habitats * Nature
Audience: Ages 5-8
Indiebound | WorldCat

Today, I am welcoming Cathryn and John Sill to the blog to talk about their most recent book ABOUT HABITATS: SEASHORES. 

Alyson: About Habitats: Seashores is your newest book in the About Habitats series. Can you share with readers how you and your husband, John work together on your books? What does the process look like? 

Cathryn-I take the first several weeks of the process to research my subject. I let the information “cook” in my brain and decide the important facts about the subject that should be included in the book. After determining the content, I begin to condense the information into language a young learner can understand. I write the main body of the book first and then supplement the information with the Afterword.

 John-After Cathryn finishes the manuscript she and I discuss the illustrations I will paint. We decide how to best depict the words she has written. We carefully research the animals and plants that are found in the habitats she is writing about. Accuracy is extremely important when presenting facts.

Alyson: About Habitats: Seashores is very accessible for younger children who are just beginning to read independently. Though the books can be used with a variety of age groups for various purposes, was there an intentional decision to write for a younger audience?  

Cathryn-When I was a kindergarten teacher in the public school system I was interested in writing material I could use with my students. Being familiar with the age group was a definite factor in my decision to write for this audience. I have a good understanding of what young children are able to comprehend. I love nature, books and kids so it just seemed natural to write books about the things I love for an audience that is important to me.

Alyson: You have done a number of "About" books, first with a focus on animals and next with habitats. Will there be more "About" books? Can you share anything about upcoming projects?

John-Since I am primarily an artist who paints birds,  I am excited to be working on the book “About Woodpeckers” which is next in the animal series.

Alyson: Cathryn, your bio indicates that you were a teacher for 30 years. How has your experience in the classroom influence your writing for children? How have you seen the teaching of science and writing in the classroom change over the years? 

Cathryn-At the time I began writing my books there was a shortage of accurate and interesting non-fiction for young children. I am pleased to say that good books about science and natural history are much more plentiful now than when I first started teaching. I have always enjoyed reading non-fiction so it seems natural to write about the things that interest me. When visiting schools I tell students that if they have a choice they should write about the things they love and enjoy. It is easier and a lot more fun.

Alyson: Can you share about a few of your favorite school visits? 

Cathryn-During the question and answer time getting the very young children to understand the difference between a story to share and a question is often a challenge. One little boy started sharing a story. I tried to gently interrupt him and remind him that this was a time for questions. He didn’t miss a beat. He started over with his story prefacing it with “Did you know that I …?”. Then he went on with his story. I love kindergartners!

John-One of my favorite visits was to a school that had prepared for our time with them by having the students write a musical using the book About Insects as their inspiration. They performed for us with great gusto.

About the creative team: 
CATHRYN AND JOHN SILL are the dynamic team who created the About... series as well as the About Habitats series. Their books have garnered praise from educators and have won a variety of awards, including Bank Street Best Books, CCBC Choices, NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12, Orbis Pictus Recommended, and Science Books and Films Best Books of the Year. They live in North Carolina. 

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

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

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Nonfiction Read Alouds Part II

In less than three full weeks, the new school year begins in my district. For some of you, it may be earlier and others you may still have until September. However, if you are like me, you are already thinking about lessons and classroom set-up and read alouds. Last week, I chose five picture book biographies to consider reading aloud. Check out the post here.

This week, I want to talk about expository nonfiction books for read aloud. Narrative nonfiction books like fictional stories are easy to see as a read aloud. However, this leaves out a vast assortment of nonfiction. And as a nonfiction lover that makes me sad. Similar to last week, I have selected five books from 2016 and 2017 that need to be shared with children and what better way but through a read aloud.

Here they are in no particular order....

Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World's Perfectly Pink Animals (World of Weird Animals) by Jess Keating; Illustrations by David DeGrand (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, February 2016) - This may have been my favorite nonfiction book in 2016. I loved the text, the formatting, the artistic layout. 

A Beetle is Shy by Dianna Hutts Aston; Illustrated by Sylvia Long (Chronicle Books, April 2016) - I love all of the books in this series. Beautiful lively, engaging text with gorgeous illustrations. 

Otters Love to Play by Jonathan London; Illustrated by Meilo So (Candlewick Press, March 2016) - This book is just as fun and playful as the subject of the book. 

Grand Canyon by Jason Chin (Roaring Brook Press, February 2017) - Beautiful illustrations and informative text lead readers through the Grand Canyon. 

Can an Aardvark Bark? by Melissa Stewart; Illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Beach Lane Books, June 2017) - I love the question and answer format of this book. Not only is it super engaging but it also is a great mentor text for learning how to write in this style. 

Some tips for reading expository nonfiction:

• Electronic versions of the book can be easily projected to make it easier to read and show various text features. A document camera works as well.
• For books that include facts along with the informational text, consider reading the book over multiple days. Sharing first the text and then going back to enjoy the included facts.
• Practice reading the text aloud before using it as a classroom read aloud. This seems obvious but with expository nonfiction it is even more important. It will help make pace and vocabulary easier and smoother. 
• Another option is to read the book in smaller chunks. Some books like Pink is for Blobfish can be shared one animal a day before heading out to lunch or upon return from recess.  
• Don't forget to share the author's note, and illustrator's note, and extra material at the end. This can be a great way to create further interest and assist students in learning more.

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

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

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Nonfiction Read Alouds Part I

With various teachers, librarians, and bloggers posting about #classroombookaday or beginning of the year picture book read alouds, I realized that the titles were predominately fiction. As a result, I wanted to share my favorite nonfiction read alouds. I am sharing this in two parts. This week, I am sharing 5 biographical picture books. Next week, I will share 5 of my favorite science themed read alouds. In picking books, I decided to limit titles to books released in 2016 and 2017. 

Here are my picks in no particular order....

Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas by Gwendolyn Hooks; Illustrated by Colin Bootman (Lee & Low Books, 2016) - This story of Vivien Thomas and the work he did to create surgical tools and to be able to perform heart surgery on babies was inspiring and one that children need to learn about. 

I, Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsberg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy; Illustrated by Elizabeth Baddedley (Simon & Schuster, 2016) - Learning about the life work of Supreme Court Justice RBG is another example of hard work, and perseverance and so much more. 

Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood; Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport (Simon & Schuster, 2016) -This story fascinated and inspired me. I struggle to play a regular instrument and in Paraguay there are students who have learned to play instruments created from recycled materials. Learning about how this program has changed the lives of students is powerful. 

Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton; Illustrated by Don Tate (Charlesbridge, 2016) - I don't know how many children think about the inventor behind the Super-Soaking but Whoosh! provides children with a fun topic and a look again at hard work and perseverance. 

Malala: Activist for Girls' Education by Raphaële Frier; Illustrated by Aurélia Fronty (Charlesbridge, 2016) - Malala is an inspiration to me and to many others. Her story is a powerful one about standing up for what is right despite opposition. 

Look for all of these titles at your public library or independent bookstores. 

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

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