Fun Summer Read: Like Bug Juice on a Burger

by Julie Sternberg; Illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Harry N. Abrams (April 1, 2013)

Description from GoodReads: I hate camp. I just hate it. I wish I didn’t. But I do. Being here is worse than bug juice on a burger. Or homework on Thanksgiving. Or water seeping into my shoes. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, Eleanor is off to summer camp. At first she’s excited to carry on the family tradition at Camp Wallumwahpuck, but when she gets there she finds icky bugs, terrible food, and worst of all: swim class, where she just can’t seem to keep up with everyone else. But as the days go on, Eleanor realizes that even the most miserable situations can be full of special surprises and that growing up is full of belly flops.

My thoughts on the book:
Finding fun reads for 2nd to 4th graders can be difficult.  Two years ago, I discovered Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie.  It was a great read that was fun, but also had a wonderful story about dealing with and accepting change.  When I discovered Like Bug Juice on a Burger, I was thrilled to have a sequel to the first book.

Ellie is back and this time she is going to summer camp.  The same summer camp that her mother attended when she was a girl.  Her initial excitement about camp soon fills with uncertainty. Yes, camp may be a family tradition, but it also has icky bugs, and terrible food, and the dreaded swim class.  

Sternberg approaches first time camp experience with humor and sensitivity.  Readers experience camp right along with Ellie.  And as with the first book, Sternberg shows readers how they can learn and grow from their experiences.    

If you haven't read Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, I would highly recommend reading it along with Like Bug Juice on a Burger.


A Little Small Talk with Julie Sternberg - an interview video with Julie as she talks about her first book:



Check out the activity pages for both books on Julie Sternberg website. 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Love Her

Author: Amy Novesky
Illustrator: Vanessa Brantley Newton
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers (June 18, 2013)
Source: Personal Copy
Audience: Grades 1 to 3
Keywords: Biography, American Jazz, Women Singers

Description from GoodReads:
Billie Holiday—also known as Lady Day—had fame, style, a stellar voice, big gardenias in her hair, and lots of dogs. She had a coat-pocket poodle, a beagle, Chihuahuas, a Great Dane, and more, but her favorite was a boxer named Mister. Mister was always there to bolster her courage through good times and bad, even before her legendary appearance at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Newton’s stylish illustrations keep the simply told story focused on the loving bond between Billie Holiday and her treasured boxer. An author’s note deals more directly with the singer’s troubled life, and includes a little-known photo of Mister and Lady Day.

My thoughts on this book:
Picture Book biographies are difficult on a variety of levels.  How do you condense someone's life down to 32 to 40 pages and most often without a lot of words? Then there is the challenge of what colorful bits of a person's life do you keep in and what do you leave out.  Some individuals made some great contributions to art or music or science or math but along with being absolutely brilliant they often had some interesting character traits which may not be the best thing to highlight in a book written for 7 or 8 year olds.

With that in mind, I appreciate how Amy Novesky tackles the life of Billie Holiday.  In this picture book biography, Novesky shares Holiday's rise to fame and musical contributions through a unique aspect of the singer's life, her love of dogs.  And she certainly loved dogs.  There are at least eight dogs mentioned in this book.  However, the main focus is on a boxer named, Mister.  Did you know Mister had a mink coat? Pretty stylish dog. 

Though Novesky does not explicitly mention that Holiday spent a year in prison for drug possession, she does mention that the singer got into "trouble and had to go away for a year".  The book wraps up with Holiday's return to stage and Mister's presence in the wings on that evening.  The author's note at the end provides more insight into Billie Holiday's life and some additional resources.  Vanessa Brantley Newton's illustration compliment and enhance Novesky's words making this a win-win on several levels.

I am looking forward to including this book in some of the units that I do with students during the school year.  Look for a copy of this book at your local library or independent bookstore.    


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

Slice of Life - 7/16/13

Every Tuesday, Ruth and Stacey, host Slice of Life at their blog, Two Writing Teachers.  This is my second week participating in Slice of Life, and I am hoping to make it a regular feature.

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One of the reasons I wanted to participate in Slice of Life was to give myself an opportunity to write more freely.  I began to realize that most of the writing I did was technical. A letter to parents, a proposal regarding instructional materials, newsletters, and more have made up my regular writing.  Even my blog was primarily technical - book reviews. Yet, it would seem that coming up with what to write about is more of a challenge than I expected.

I wonder if this is what writing is like for the students that I work with? If I as an adult with reasonable writing abilities struggle to find the words to put down on a page, how is this any different for my students, especially for those who are English Language Learners or the others ones with special needs? Maybe when they stare out into space or play with their papers or lean over to talk with a peer, it's similar to my staring at a computer screen praying for words or thoughts or phrases to come. Maybe it isn't a lack of what to say or even the lack of words, but the struggle to decide on what is  important enough to talk about?  Do they wonder if their words are valuable enough to put down on paper or that others would want to read those words?

This will not be a long post today.  I just don't have the words I need to put my thoughts down in a coherent manner.  Maybe next time.  However, I hope I remember this moment and that the reminder of it will help me discover ways to provide my students with the understanding that what they have to say is important, that others do want to read their words, and that there are ways to support their journey as writers. 

Oh My Godmother: The Glitter Trap - Event Announcement and Giveaway

by Barbara Brauner and James Mattson
Publication Date: May 14, 2013 (Hyperion Books)

Middle school is far from a fairytale for adorkable misfit Lacey Unger-Ware. When Lacey ends up with popular girl Paige Harrington's smart-mouthed fairy godmother, Katarina, trapped in her hair, life gets more magical--just not in a 'prince charming' kind of way.

Katarina's wings are too damaged to continue her fairy duties, and Lacey must take over as Paige's fairy godmother. Distracted by her new responsibilities, Lacey's in danger of losing her best friend, Sunny. Can Lacey get the hang of magic, make Paige's dreams come true, and survive middle school?
Barbara Brauner and James Iver Mattson's debut novel is full of heart and charm. Get ready for the Oh My Godmother series to cast a spell on tween girls!


Today, Barbara Brauner and James Mattson stops by to share about a giveaway they are doing for Oh My Godmother: The Glitter Trap.  Stop by GoodReads to enter to win a signed copy of the book.  And for those of you living in Southern California, don't forget to stop by Once Upon a Time Bookstore in Montrose on Wednesday, July 24th for Adventures Inbetween and meet Barbara and James.

As a special treat I asked them to answer a quick question: It's summer time.  Can you name 3 characters from books that you would like to go on a summer vacation with and where would you go? 

Professor William Waterman Sherman from The Twenty-One Balloons. He’s probably still got a stash of diamonds from Krakatoa, so we could balloon during the day and stay in the best hotels at night.


Nancy Drew from the original edition of the series. We’d like to visit her in River Heights because there’s sure to be a good mystery. And we’d look good in that blue roadster.

Claudia and Jamie Kincaid from From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. They've already done the Met, so we’re thinking a couple of weeks at the Louvre would be nice.

The character we don’t want to go on a summer vacation with is Harry Potter, because we’d have to stay with the Dursleys, and that wouldn’t be any fun at all.

Check out this video from the Launch Party for OMG The Glitter Trap:


For more information about Barbara and James: website | blog | facebook | Barbara on Twitter | James on Twitter

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - 7/15/13

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

Last week, I had some Reader ADD.  I started a lot of books but didn't finish as many.  Most of them I will finish in the next week or two.  Some may never make it to the finish line.  I have learned that it is okay not to finish something.  There are too many books out there that I want to read and if something isn't working then I move on.  With that said, there were some really fun and awesome books too.

Here is what stood out from the pile last week...


Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, September 3, 2013) - This one doesn't come out until September but put it on your "to read list".  I want to see a shiny medal on this book come January.


The Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman (Viking Juvenile, June 13, 2013) - Freedman's illustrations jump off the page in this story.  I will be reviewing it later this week.


Papa's Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming; Illustrated Boris Kulikov by (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, June 4, 2013) - A loose biographical look at Lodner Phillips.  This is an entertaining read and will make a great read aloud.


The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman; Illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Roaring Brook Press, June 25, 2013) - Heiligman and Pham team up to give readers a look into Paul Erdos' life. Click on the link to go to my review.


The Tree Lady: The Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins; Illustrated by Jill McElmurry (Beach Lange Books, September 13, 2013) - This is probably one of my favorite biographical picture books this year.  I look forward to sharing it with teachers in the fall.


Oz: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower; Frank L. Baum; Illustrated by Skottie Young (Marvel Oz Comics, September 2009) - This graphic novel is based on Baum's books rather than on the movie so many are familiar with.  


Every Day After by Laura Golden (Delacorte Press, June 11, 2013) - What a beautiful story and such a wonderful set of characters, especially Lizzie.  One of my favorite MG books this year. 

So, what are you reading?