Nonfiction Picture Book Releases - August 2012

The Nonfiction Detectives and I are hosting a Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge.  My goal has been to kick off the month with the new nonfiction picture book release titles.  Here are the August titles that I have found so far, but I know there are more.  Please share with me titles that you have found.

August 7, 2012

Lives of the Athletes: Thrills, Spills (and What Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull; Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt

Awesome Autumn by Bruce Goldstone

August 29, 2012

A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts; Illustrated by Sylvia Long

August 30, 2012

Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt's Treasured Books by Susan L. Roth; Illustrated by Karen Leggett Abouraya

The links for the above books will take you directly to the IndieBound.org book page for purchasing information, unless otherwise noted.  Please note, I do not make anything off these links or profit in anyway from posting the links.   I know that I am still searching for August releases and will likely do an update in September. If you know of a book that should be included in this list, please include the title and author in the comments section and I will update the list. 

Feel free to link your nonfiction picture book reviews to the Mr. Linky below.  

Liar & Spy and The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee share a book birthday!

If you are like me, you have been eagerly anticipating the release of the latest Tom Angleberger book - The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee.  This is the third book in the Origami Yoda series.

Here is a video of Tom Angleberger teaching readers how to fold their own Fortune Wookiee.




The other much anticipated book that is finally arriving in stores is Newbery Winner, Rebecca Stead's Liar & Spy.

I had a chance to read an early copy of this book and loved it.  I am excited to share this with children at school this year.

Here is a video of Rebecca Stead talking about her book When You Reach Me.



Look for both of these books at your local school or public library or independent bookstore.  Happy Reading!!!

It's Monday! What are your reading? From Picture Books to YA (34)

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen & Kellee from Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.

With just a couple more weeks before school starts, I am trying to keep working on some of my reading goals.  I continued to work on the Caldecott (& Caldecott Honor Books) Challenge and read 26 more Caldecott Honor Books in my quest to read every Caldecott Winner and Honor Book this year.  I also seem to be working my way through Jeanette Winter picture books, and quite a few other books.

Here are some of my favorite Caldecott Honor Books from the past week's stack:

Sector 7 by David Wiesner - This wordless picture book is beautifully illustrated. 

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee - I love this book.  Frazee's storytelling and illustrations are just plain fun.

Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson - I love finding alphabet books that are different or unusual and this one definitely fits that category.


Here are some other books that I was reading this past week:

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman - The much anticipated sequel to Unwind is almost here.  Excited to have a chance to read the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.  Love Shusterman's ability to tell a story and to challenge the reader.

Babymouse: Dragonslayer by Jennifer L. Holm and Matt Holm - Somehow I missed reading this Babymouse book.  I loved it and all the literary references. 

Mac and Cheese and the Perfect Plan by Sarah Weeks; Illustrated by Jane Manning - A fun early reader.

Emily Dickinson's Letters to the World by Jeanette Winter - One of my favorite Jeanette Winter's book from the pile this week.  Introduces young readers to the poems of Emily Dickinson.

She Loved Baseball:  The Effa Manley Story by Audrey Vernick; Illustrated by Don Tate - Effa Manley advocacy for civil rights and baseball's Negro League and its players was new to me.  I enjoyed reading about Effa Manley.

If You Lived Here: Houses of the World by Giles Laroche - I really enjoyed the format of this book about houses around the world.

So, what are you reading this week?

Author Event & Book Feature - When Blue Met Egg

Today I had a chance to meet the wonderful Lindsay Ward, author/illustrator at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena.

 

Lindsay introduces the book When Blue Met Egg to her young audience.  

Children and parents had a chance to hear Lindsay read of When Blue Met Egg.  I enjoy listening to authors read their own books.

Here Lindsay shares with readers that the end pages of the book contain images of all the places in New York City that Blue & Egg visit. 

Lindsay shared with the audience that they could go to her website and download a paperdoll of Blue.   If you take a picture of Blue wherever you are, she would love to see it.  She has a spot on her blog called Where in the world is Blue?

Lindsay explained that she cuts each image out of paper that she has collected.  She searches around for unique and vintage paper to use in her art.  Each of the pieces in the picture above were created from different pieces of paper.  When you look at it from that perspective, the illustrations in this book are even more amazing.  

Here is a favorite picture of mine when Blue finds Egg for the first time and decides he needs to find Egg's mother.

Lindsay also explained that she cuts each piece to scale.  I was hoping the imagine would give readers a sense of how small some of the details are.  These are all really tiny.  I can't believe what it would take to make such a tiny cut-outs.

Here is part of the bridge scene that is a 3 page spread that opens up.  Lindsay admitted that it was a challenge to create the bridge from one piece of paper.

Blue and Egg go on lots of adventures throughout New York City.  They even take a ride on the subway. 

Blue and Egg is a story of friendship and adventure.  It is a delightful book and one that is in my top 10 picture books for the year.  If you haven't had a chance to read When Blue Met Egg, I encourage you to seek it out at your local library or independent bookstore.   


For more information about Lindsay Ward: website | blog | facebook | etsy | twitter

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Timeless Thomas

Author/Illustrator: Gene Barretta
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (July 17, 2012)
Audience: Grades 2nd to 5th
Source: Personal Copy
Nonfiction * Biographical * Inventors

Description from GoodReads:
What do record players, batteries, and movie cameras have in common?
All these devices were created by the man known as The Wizard of Menlo Park: Thomas Edison.

Edison is most famous for inventing the incandescent lightbulb, but at his landmark laboratories in Menlo Park & West Orange, New Jersey, he also developed many other staples of modern technology.  Despite many failures, Edison persevered. And good for that, because it would be very difficult to go through a day without using one of his life-changing inventions. In this enlightening book, Gene Barretta enters the laboratories of one of America’s most important inventors.

My thoughts on this book:
I discovered Gene Barretta's books (Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin; Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci) a few months ago.  I loved his way of making information about famous inventors/thinkers very accessible and fun for young readers.  When I went in search of more information about Gene Barretta and his books, I discovered that a new book would be out soon.  I have been eagerly anticipating Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives and it didn't disappoint.

Barretta's latest book focuses on the life and inventions of Thomas Edison.  After a short introduction to Edison, Barretta begins by comparing "Present Day" activities such as recording sound or the photocopier and compares them to "Edison's Lab" and how some of Edison's inventions or ideas were forerunners to what we often take for granted.  There are over 15 examples of how Edison's inventions were instrumental in the development of the many common day items that are essential to us today.  Each of these items are presented in very readable text accompanied by bright, cartoon-like illustrations that add to the enjoyment of the story.

At the end of the book, Barretta provides the reader with short bios for 20 of Edison's Employees.  Additionally, there are some trivia facts and a bibliography that will hopefully encourage readers to learn more about Thomas Edison. Overall, this is an enjoyable look at Thomas Edison that will hopefully inspire children to not only try to succeed with taking risks but also model Edison's philosophy that failure is just as important to learning as getting it right.

I would encourage teachers and librarians to make a set of Barretta's books available in the classroom or school library.  I have a feeling that a lot of children will enjoy checking them out.  Look for Timeless Thomas at your local school or public library, and when purchasing books, consider supporting your local independent bookstore.

For more information on Gene Barretta: website | blog | facebook | twitter

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