Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - What am I reading?

Thank you everyone for signing up for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.  It is going to be an amazing year of sharing nonfiction books with one another.

In just a little more than a week, I am heading to Philadelphia to attend the American Library Association's Midwinter Convention.  I very much look forward to this trip and the opportunity to connect with other book lovers.  Additionally, I am very thrilled to be able to attend the Youth Media Awards.  One award that I look forward to is the Robert F. Sibert Medal Award and Honor Books.  I just had to squeeze in a few more nonfiction titles this week just in case one of them wins a medal or an honor medal.

Here are the last of 2013 nonfiction and historical fiction that I will probably be able to squeeze in before my trip east...

Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World by Elizabeth Rusch; Illustrated by Oliver Dominguez (Candlewick Press, September 10, 2013).  My first encounters with Nikola Tesla came from television shows with the first one being a sci-fi show.  I realized that I really had no clue who this Serbian-American inventor was and I needed to find out more. When I saw that Rusch had written a picture book biography about Tesla, I knew I had to read it.  Rusch does a solid job in introducing children to the famous inventor.  The scientific end notes are also informative and provide children with places to further explore both the inventor and his inventions.

The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan (Roaring Brook Press, October 1, 2013) - Until I picked up this book, I had never heard of George Ohr.  Apparently, this potter from Mississippi was flamboyant and possessed a bigger than life personality, in addition to being a very talented artist.  This picture book biography is geared for upper elementary and middle school students and will fascinate readers.  The book is filled with sepia toned photographs of Ohr and his family, a few illustrations, and many photographs of his pottery. 

A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road by Bonnie Christensen (Roaring Brook Press, October 15, 2013) - This is a beautifully illustrated story about the Silk Road.  Though this is technically historical fiction, I included it in this post because it does have some wonderful end notes including an author's note, maps, useful websites and bibliography on the Silk Road.  I am looking forward to sharing this one with students.   

Stop by the blog on Friday for a special nonfiction joint collaboration from Kid Lit Frenzy and Unleashing Readers. You will not want to miss it.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews below.  Also stop by and visit the other blogs participating in the #nfpb2014 challenge.  I love getting more suggestions for titles to read. 

Celebrate This Week - Four Things I am Thankful For

As part of my focus for the new year (I am refusing to say resolutions since I always break those), I would like to increase my attention to the many good things that happen, which are frequently overlooked by me.  To help me, I am joining Ruth Ayres' Celebrate This Week.
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This week was one of the busiest weeks I have had in awhile.  I know that it is busy because I normally manage to stay on-top of my work email, but I wasn't able to this week. Since I am almost a bit OCD about work email, I am trying not to stress, but instead find ways to celebrate.

4 Things I am celebrating this week....

* Safe Travels - This past Sunday, I traveled from the east coast to my home in Southern California.  I was one of the lucky people who had no cancellations or significant delays with my flight.  We, also, had a very uneventful flight, which is just the way I like my air travel.

* Beautiful Weather - One of the things I love about Southern California is the winter weather.  It is chilly at night and usually sunny for at least part of the day.  Most days get up to the high 60's or low 70's.  Granted that might just be for a couple of hours but it does a lot for my overall mood.  

* Time with friends - I missed being able to hang with friends while I was away for the holidays. When I go home for the holidays, I spend most of my time with my parents and a few other family members.   Most people have so many family obligations that it is hard to connect with others.  Add in unpredictable weather and well, social visits seem to be out.  However, now that I am back in California, I do not have those excuses.  On Friday night, despite being tired from the week, I had a wonderful time hanging with some friends.  There was friends, food, books, lots of discussions that were all over the place, and it was just what I needed to close out a very busy week.  

*  Professional Presentations - This week, I did receive a couple of emails asking me about doing several presentations.  Since I am still confirming some of the presentations that are being scheduled, I am not sharing yet, but it is still exciting to have some opportunities to consider. 
 
What are you celebrating this week?

Upcoming 2014 Five Must Reads - January 2014

As I was scrolling through new releases for this month, I realized that there were several books coming out at that end of the month that need to be on your must reads list...

Five, Six, Seven Nate! by Tim Federle (Simon & Schuster, January 28, 2014) - If you have not read Better Nate Than Ever, then go pick up a copy and read it so you will be ready for this one.

Lunch Lady and the Schoolwide Shuffle (Lunch Lady #10) by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Knopf Books for Young Readers, January 28, 2014) - I love the Lunch Lady and so excited for another one to read and recommend.

Seven Stories Up by Laurel Snyder (Random House, January 28, 2014) - This is a companion book to Bigger Than a Bread Box, which is also a must read.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by  Karen Foxlee (Knopf Books for Young Readers, January 28, 2014) - I have had a few students read the Advanced Reader's Copy of this and there has been nothing but high praise for it.

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets  by Kate Messner (Scholastic, January 28, 2014) - I love Marty McGuire and so excited to have a third one to read and recommend.

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Upcoming Releases January & February 2014

Thank you everyone for signing up for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.  I am excited already by a number of titles that I have found that will be released this year.  At the beginning of each month, I like to try to do a post to spread the word about recent releases or upcoming nonfiction titles.  It is not comprehensive, but I do try to include a variety of titles that might be of interest to readers.  Some of them I have read and some I have yet to read.  Often I include reviews in later posts.

January 2014 New Releases:

Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell; Illustrated by Christian Robinson (Chronicle Books, January 14, 2014)

February 2014 New Releases:

Endangered and Extinct Mammals by Jennifer Boothroyd (Lerner Publications, February 1, 2014)

The Pullman Porter by Vanita Oelschlager; Illustrated by Mike Blanc (Vanita Books, February 1, 2014)

Tools and Treasures of Ancient Egypt by Matt Doeden (Lerner Publications, February 1, 2014)

Florence Nightingale by Demi (Henry Holt, February 4, 2014)

Hippos Can't Swim and Other Fun Facts by Laura Lyn Disiena, Hannah Eliot; Illustrated by Pete Oswald (Little Simon, February 4, 2014)

Nest by Jorey Hurley (Simon & Schuster, February 4, 2014)

Weeds Find a Way by Cynthia Jensen Elliott; Illustrated by Carolyn Fisher (Beach Tree Lane Books, February 4, 2014)

The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky's Abstract Art by Barb Rosenstock; Illustrated by Mary GrandPré (Alfred A. Knopf, February 11, 2014)

Dare the Wind: The Record Breaking Voyage of Eleanor Prentiss and the Flying Cloud by Tracey E. Fern; Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully (Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux, February 18, 2014)

Please feel free to grab the new image at the top that was created by @frootjoos (aka Alethea of Read Now Sleep Later) or one of the smaller buttons here:

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews for the week....

Slice of Life - Life as a Marathon Not a Sprint - #slice2014

Last summer, I was hoping to participate regularly in the Slice of Life challenge at Two Writing Teachers.  Then life got in the way.  I am hoping to post regularly.  I will take it one week at a time.  If you want to participate, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can just head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here.
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On Sunday night, I returned from a two week stay in Connecticut with my family.  I texted a very dear friend to say that I was back.  She texted me to say her husband was once again in the hospital.  This was the fourth hospital crisis since early October.  When the first medical emergency happened, I thought to myself - "We need to think of this whole thing as a marathon and not a sprint." My friend's husband was going to be facing a long journey back to well-being.  And life would not be the same.

Initially, there was a huge out-pouring from their friends, their church, the soccer team he coaches, and their youngest daughter's school friends' families.  As people, and as a society, we want to help and be supportive.  Most people are quite compassionate and gracious.  However, we often want things to be resolved quickly.  Our lives are busy.  We do not want things to be any more complicated than they already are.  Friends have continued to pray daily for this family, and though many within the community continue to be present when they need help, most people need to realistically return to work or their daily lives.

This brings me back to the idea of a marathon.  Though I have never completed a marathon, I have walked two half marathons.  When I signed up for the first half marathon, I trained with a friend who wanted to celebrate her first anniversary free of cancer by walking a half marathon.  We participated in a training program and soon connected with two other women.  We walked together every Saturday morning leading up to the half marathon.  And when the actual day arrived, we encouraged each other all the way to the finish line.

Life just like a marathon (or a half marathon) requires a support team that trains with you.  The people who walk beside us, up and down hills and cheer us on week after week.  Sometimes just knowing you have people on your support team who are depending on you helps to make sure you show up.   These are the people that stick with us from beginning to end through blisters, and sore muscles, and crabby attitudes.   

Support, also, comes from completely unexpected places.  At one point in the race, I noticed a young woman run back through the runners and walkers.  It seemed odd but soon I realized that she was a team coach and was running back and forth to encourage team members to keep going.  Even though I wasn't on her team, it didn't stop her from encouraging me as well.  At mile 9 when you see that the so-called little hill is actually a one mile incline, every positive encouragement from anyone is helpful.  Additionally, those dear folks in the crowd who encouraged runners and walkers that just around the bend was the last 400 meters and it was all down-hill were also life-savers.   These are the people in life who come and go at just the right moment.

In real life, do you have a support team who shows up whether it is sunny or rainy?  I have tried to be that support team to my friends who are going through this particularly challenging time.  It hasn't always been easy, but it has been completely rewarding.

In real life, do you recognize those that are sent to you at just the right moment to encourage you up those unexpected hills or that shout that the end is near? My friends have seen this kind of support in many of the nurses and doctors that they see regularly and in the friends who may not be able to show up weekly but who are able to "run up that hill with them" or "shout that the end of the race is near".  Some of this support has come in the form of meals, or child care, or rides for the kids to school.

As my friend's husband is facing a new surgery, I know that I am in this one for the many miles or the long haul.  I am also thankful that I have people in my life who are there for me as well.

So, who is on your support team?