The Hug Machine Celebrates Hug a Book Week - September 6-14

One of the first author events I ever went to at Nucleus Gallery was for Scott Campbell and his book Zombie in Love. Last night, I celebrated my 4th time seeing Scott at Nucleus Gallery for the book launch for The Hug Machine. 

I met up with some friends (including Alethea from Read Now Sleep Later and her husband Jason). They came in colors to match the book.

Every time that Scott has come to Nucleus Gallery, they seem to go all out and decorate and become super creative. This time they were developing an obstacle course.  Here is a picture of the set-up.

Here is Scott at the beginning of the event.

He had a great slideshow and talked about his creative process and the development of the book.

The gallery above shows some of the slides. He also read The Hug Machine aloud to the group.

Scott signed copies of his book and prints of images from the book.

Those who attended could walk around and see his artwork and also enjoy some pizza and ice cream. 

Isn't this a great painting from his book?

At the end of the obstacle course, everyone could receive a special hug. Here is Kimberly from The Windy Pages getting a super hug.

Check out the official book trailer below:

Check out the downloadable material that can be used with the book: here

Be sure to follow Scott Campbell on Twitter @scottlava and also use the hashtag #hugmachine when tweeting about the book.  Of course look for a copy of the book at your local indie bookstore or public library.  And don't forget to hug a book this week.

My Bibi Always Remembers Blog Tour & Giveaway

Welcome back Toni Buzzeo and thank you  for stopping by Kid Lit Frenzy as part of your blog tour. 

Some thoughts from Toni:  I love to write, especially children’s books, but I also love to teach. Over the years, I’ve taught writing to college, high school, and elementary school students as a college and high school English teacher and as an elementary school librarian, because no matter what age we are, we have something to say about things that are important to us!

My newest book, My Bibi Always Remembers, centers on two things that are so very important to me—elephants and family. I’ve been lucky enough to visit Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, famous for its African elephants, on two different trips.

And if I could, I’d return every year to see the beautiful elephant families in their natural habitat. I’ve drawn on my memories of those travel experiences and combined them with personal memories in my young life with my Grandma Mae. 

I thought about our long walks together, about her devotion to me and my needs, about the love I felt for her at every turn—love that she reciprocated.

If I were back in the classroom or library and sharing My Bibi Always Remembers with students, I would follow a read-aloud with a writing activity. Each time Tembo wanders away from her family (she does that three times in the story),

​she counts on one of the grownups in her family to rescue her and return her to the group. And, of course, they do. In order to write about those three events, I had to put myself in Tembo’s place, trying to imagine what I was doing that caused me to get lost, where I might be when I got lost, how I would feel when I was lost, and the details of my surroundings. I’d begin, then, by discussing each of these aspects of Tembo’s experience.

Then, I would challenge students to think of a time when they got lost or in some other way needed help from an adult in their family. Begin by asking them to think about the details of getting lost or into trouble that required help. Where were they? What did the place look like (include specific details of the environment)? What were they doing? How did they feel?

I would then invite them to write about the experience, answering the questions above, and ending by telling who in their family found or assisted them and how they felt about that.

Not only will this writing activity work well in the classroom or library, it’s a lovely topic for family writing too!

MY BIBI ALWAYS REMEMBERS
By Toni Buzzeo, Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
Disney Publishing Worldwide
ISBN: 978-1-4231-8385-3; Ages 3 – 5 Yrs; $16.99
On-Sale: September 2, 2014

About the Author/Illustrator:
Toni Buzzeo (www.tonibuzzeo.com) is a new grandmother as well as children's book author, reviewer, and retired school library media specialist. Her most recent books include Just Like My Papa, and Stay Close to Mama, and she won a Caldecott Honor for the New York Times best-selling picture book One Cool Friend. She divides her time between a colonial farmhouse in Buxton, Maine, and a home near the ocean in Sarasota, Florida.

 Mike Wohnoutka (www.mikewohnoutka.com) grew up in Spicer, Minnesota and graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A. in illustration. He has published books with Random House, Dutton, Clarion, and Holiday House. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and two children.

Check out the other stops in the blog tour:
Friday, August 29:

The Children’s Book Review – Author Guest Post

Saturday, August 30:

Momma Drama – Author/Illustrator Interview and Review

Sunday, August 31:

Book Rock Betty – Review and Signed Giveaway

Monday, September 1:

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – Author/Illustrator Guest Post and Review

Tuesday, September 2:

As They Grow Up – Review and Signed Giveaway

Wednesday, September 3:

Susan Heim on Parenting – Review and Signed Giveaway

Thursday, September 4:

Kid Lit Frenzy – Author Guest Post and Signed Giveaway

Friday, September 5:

Mundie Kids – Author/Illustrator Interview and Signed Giveaway

Saturday, September 6:

Noodling with Words – Review and Signed Giveaway

Sunday, September 7:

The Power of One Writer – Author Interview

Monday, September 8:

There’s a Book – Review and Signed Giveaway

Don't forget to enter to win a signed copy of My Bibl Always Remembers: To enter the giveaway you must be 13 years or older and have a US mailing address. Please complete the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - September New Releases

Thank you everyone for all of the great posts each week for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.  

At the beginning of each month, I like to try to do a post to spread the word about recent releases or upcoming nonfiction/informational titles.  It is not comprehensive, but I do try to include a variety of books 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.

Here are some September titles and a few that I missed posting earlier in the year.  If you missed the posts from the past eight months, I have included links to them below.

January Post | February Post | March Post | April Post | May Post | June Post | July Part 1 | July Part II | August Post 

Coming this month:

September 1, 2014

Dear Wandering Wildebeest: And Other Poems From the Watering Hole by Irene Latham (Millbrook Press)

The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats: A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle (Millbrook Press)

When Lunch Fights Back by Rebecca L. Johnson (Millbrook Press)

September 2, 2014

In the Rain Forest by Kate Duke (HarperCollins)

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio by Jonah Winter; Illustrated by James E. Ransome (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Gibbs Davis; Illustrated by Gilbert Ford (HMH Books for Young Readers)

September 15, 2014

The Seasons of Little Wolf by Jonathan London; Illustrated by Jon Van Zyle (Westwinds Press)

September 30, 2014

The World According to Musk Ox by Erin Cabatingan; Illustrated by Matthew Myers (Roaring Brook Press)

From earlier in the year:

August 1, 2014

Who Was Here? Discovering Wild Animal Tracks by Mia Posada (Millbrook)

July 1, 2014

How Strong is an Ant? And Other Questions About Bugs and Insects by Mary Kay Carson (Sterling Children's Books)

April 1, 2014

The Secret Life of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Laurence Pringle (Boyds Mills Press)

March 18, 2014

Have You Heard of the Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray; Illustrated by Kenard Pak (HMH Books for Young Readers)

January 7, 2014

How Does a Seed Sprout? And Other Questions About Plants by Melissa Stewart (Sterling Children's Books)

How Many Planets Circle the Sun? And Other Questions About Our Solar System by Mary Kay Carson (Sterling Children's Books)

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - September 1, 2014

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

This past week was a huge release week and so many great books came out. Some of my favorite picture book authors came out with new titles, which I had to read and share. Also, I found a few new ones that were just a lot of fun. I am also reading Amulet, Vol 6: Escape from Lucien by Kazu Kibuishi, and The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm, but not quite finished with them yet.

Here is what jumped out of the stack from this week::

Three Little Peas by Marine Rivoal (Enchanted Lion Books, September 2, 2014) - I have been waiting for this one to come out. It would be a great read aloud in Pre-K to First. 

Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle (Chronicle Books, September 30, 2014) - Yes, there is a new Flora book and I loved it. What a perfect companion to Flora and the Flamingo.

Aw, Nuts! by Rob McClurkan (HarperCollins, August 26, 2014) - This just made me laugh so I needed to include it here. 

Tiny: The Invisible World of Microbes by Nicola Davies (Candlewick, August 26, 2014) - Nicola Davies is one of my automatic must read authors. A good introduction to microbes for children. 

Quest by Aaron Becker (Candlewick, August 26, 2014) - Becker has the perfect companion to Journey. I can already see how I can use this book in the classroom. 

Vanilla Ice Cream by Bob Graham (Candlewick, August 26, 2014) - Graham is another author that I put on an automatic, must read list when he has a new book.  There is just something special about his books. He makes the simplest thing seem incredibly special.

Frances Dean Who Loved to Dance and Dance by Birgitta Sif (Candlewick, August 26, 2014) - I loved Sif's book Oliver, and when I saw that she had a new one coming out, it went on my must read list. And I loved it. 

The Story Starts Here! by Caroline Merola (Owlkids Books, September 15, 2014) - This one was a new find for me and it caused me to laugh out loud at certain scenes. Parents will especially love certain lines, and this will be a hit for storytime. 

So, what are you reading?  

Building a Nonfiction Classroom Library Part V - Marine Life

When I began this series, I wasn't sure where it would take me. Of course, I want each post to assist teachers and other readers of the series to find great books to include in their classroom libraries, but I never realized how much I would learn too.    

In high school, my biology class took a field trip to the coast of Connecticut and we spent the day on a fishing boat discussing the various marine life in the area.  I was completely enthralled by the trip and always thought it would be cool to be a marine biologist.  Though that never became a part of my career path, I have always maintained an interest in and a love for the ocean and marine life. 

Today, listed below is over 25 titles written in different styles and also geared towards a range of reading levels. Some of the books are great for their photographs and others can be used as a read aloud or a reference, while others will draw students into shared reading experiences as they call others over to see what they have discovered.

Also don't forget to check out the previous posts for more book recommendations: 
Part I Introduction | Part II Biographies | Part III Animals/Mammals | Part IV Creepy Crawlies

This time I am taking a slightly different approach and instead of focusing on individual authors, I have grouped some titles together.  Below are 28 titles and really this is just a small number of titles that are out there. I realize that I have so many more books to read it this area and to expand beyond the parts of the ocean that I naturally gravitate towards, but this list will certainly get you started. 

National Geographic Kids - There are so many amazing titles by National Geographic Kids that it is best just to go browse on their website.  I have enjoyed everyone of their titles.

Scientists in the Field - This is an amazing series with so many wonderful titles. Check out the website for the series and all of the titles including the six listed below.

Biographies - Here are two biographies that I did not include in my previous post.  Here are the links - The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino and Life in the Ocean by Claire A. Nivola

Poetry - Water Sings Blue by Kate Coombs and In the Sea by David Elliott

Sharks and Coral Reefs
CORAL REEFS | NEIGHBORHOOD SHARKS | SURPRISING SHARKS | CORAL REEFS

Sea Turtles and More
I'LL FOLLOW THE MOON | ONE TINY TURTLE | LIFESIZE OCEAN | SHIMMER & SPLASH

And even more...
STAR OF THE SEA | HERE COME THE HUMPBACKS | DOWN, DOWN, DOWN | WEIRD SEA CREATURES

For several more titles beyond what I included here, check out the following posts by Carrie Gelson: Life in the Deep Blue Sea | Ocean Wonders: 20 Nonfiction Picture Books About Sea Life

Additional Marine Biology Resources:

marinebio.org 

Marine Mammal Center

Smithsonian: Ocean Portal

National Geographic: Ocean Photos 

Ocean Conservancy