Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Grow! Raise! Catch!

 GROW! RAISE! CATCH! HOW WE GET OUR FOOD
by Shelly Rotner
Holiday House (July 30, 2016)
Audience: Ages 4 to 7
Nonfiction * Cooking & Food * Farming * Nutrition
IndieBound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads: 
From author and photo-illustrator Shelley Rotner comes a new and exciting book surrounding the food we eat each day and where it all comes from.

Who grows our juicy fruits and yummy vegetables? Who raises animals for our tasty eggs, milk and meat? Who catches fresh fish for our table? Farmers and fishermen show off their bounty in this lively look at the people who produce the food on which we all rely. In a book filled with bright and enticing photographs and an accessible text, Shelley Rotner s latest book offers a breakdown of the farm-to-table process that is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarten students. A glossary is included."

My thoughts on this book: 
I have to admit that I do not have a green thumb. My previous attempts at gardening, particularly vegetables, met with limited success. This is in part due to limited patience and skill. Regardless of my own minimal success, I did develop a new appreciation for those who grow fruits and vegetables. When I walk through our local Farmers Market, I never fail to leave without a sense of awe at the natural beauty found in fresh fruits and vegetables. 

When I taught preschool and kindergarten, I realized that my students really did not understand where food came from. Many of my urban students had never been on a farm and if they lived in an apartment building had never even experienced a backyard garden. Milk, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and meat all came from the local market. 

At ALA, I picked up an advanced copy of GROW! RAISE! CATCH! HOW WE GET OUR FOOD by Shelley Rotner. I was attracted to the topic but also by the memories of my students. While back at my hotel room, it was one of the first books that I read. I loved the photographs that would certainly be effective with young students during a read aloud. I loved that it celebrated farmers and fishermen. And I love how it celebrated where food comes from and how important healthy, nutritious food is for our growth.  I also love how the book not only focuses on bigger farms but also on the city garden and the family home garden. The end of the book contains an author's note or "Did You Know?" on healthy foods. Additionally, there is a glossary of terms. 

GROW! RAISE! CATCH! will be an excellent addition to a classroom library and a unit on gardening and growing food. I wish I had had this when I was a classroom teacher. Pick up a copy of the book at your local indie bookstore at the end of the month or at your community library. 

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Celebrate This Week: ALA

Last weekend, I was in Orlando for the American Library Association Annual Conference. It is always one of the highlights of my year. It is a chance to spend time with librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators and publishers to celebrate books. 

Mary Ann Scheuer roomed together at the conference and on our walk over to the Convention Center we saw these great #choosekind messages. Definitely a fun way to kick off the conference.

Photo credit: Mary Ann Scheuer 

After registering, I had a chance to meet up with author and publisher Marissa Moss. She invited Creston authors, Marcia Goldman and Robin Newman, to join us, and a surprise guest, author & illustrator, Kathryn Otoshi.

Photo Credit: Robin Newman

We had the best time talking about books and how important it is for children to have choice in what they read and write. These are the kinds of discussions that I love having and knew I would have over the course of the whole weekend. 

Bloomsbury Publishers kicked off ALA with an afternoon tea to celebrate some of their books.

Sadly, I didn't get any pictures with any of the authors. 

My evening was spent with the fabulous Sandra Markle. I admire who adventurous spirit and commitment to writing great nonfiction for children. I also love her sense of how to present information for teachers and librarians in order to better use her books with children. Next time, I need to get a photo with her.  For more nonfiction at ALA, check out my Wednesday post, here.

On my way back to the hotel, I ran into one of my good friends, Kellee Moye who convinced me to join her and to drop in on the Macmillan Dessert. I am so glad that I did. I ran into debut author, Bridget Hodder and many more.

The next day, I spent much of it with teacher/librarian, Cynthia Alaniz. We have certain traditions when attending ALA. One is wandering the exhibit hall and checking out books.

Photo Credit: Rocco Staino, SLJ

We also do at least one read aloud together and this year it was WE FOUND A HAT by Jon Klassen. 

We continued our day together with a special lunch with Lee Bennett Hopkins. Listening to him during the lunch was like getting a children's poetry history lesson with a lot of humor thrown in. Thank you Boyds Mills Press for including us. 

Photo credit: Kerry McManus, Boyds Mills Press

Another tradition that Cynthia and I have at both Annual and Midwinter is to spend time listening to the ALA Children's Notable Book discussions. I learn so much from listening to others talk about books.

On Sunday, I ran into Louise Ang. I have been following Louise on Twitter for about six years now and this was the first time I had the opportunity to run into her face to face. 

The other highlight of Sunday (and Monday) was the Schneider Family Book Awards and luncheon. 

Photo Credit: Joanna Tamplin

L to R: Sean Qualls, Laurie Ann Thompson, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and Teresa Toten - winners of the 2016 Schneider Family Book Awards. 

The long weekend was fabulous and to thank all of the amazing publishers and authors and illustrators, I will take a page from my friends Elephant and Piggie. 

Until next year....

....celebrate books and happy summer reading. 

YA Friday: Symptoms of Being Human

Symptoms of Being Human
by Jeff Garvin
Balzer & Bray (February 2, 2016)
Audience: Young Adult
Fiction * Social Themes * LGBT
Indiebound | Worldcat

Description from GoodReads: 
The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl?

Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The thing is…Riley isn’t exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in uber-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley’s so-called “normal” life.

On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it’s REALLY like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley’s starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley’s real identity, threatening exposure. Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything.

Amaya's thoughts about the book: 
Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin is a beautifully crafted, awakening novel on gender identity, the LGBTQ community and Riley Cavanaugh who is punk rock, spunky, rebellious. Riley also happens to be gender fluid. Specific days Riley wakes up feeling the different gender identities of a boy and others as a girl. But, Riley’s identity is secret and with her father running for re-election for the Conservative Orange County it becomes a bit hectic and overwhelming for Riley. Taking the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to get out her pent up feelings which soon goes viral and a mysterious stalker threatens to out her. Will Riley delete the blog and give up everything she created- advice for strangers, new friends, a community where she feels she belongs or will she stand up and give society the finger.

Symptoms makes you a better person for even had read it. The novel makes you realize how you see a person and how gender has nothing to do with the person you see. This book will leave you wanting more. I haven’t read a book like this in a long time, years even. Truly remarkable masterpiece, you’ll just have to take a step back at the end of the novel and say “WOW” and just sit in revelation of the book nothing else needed to being said. Note to the reader: I used the pronoun “her” in my review purely as a writing function but Riley’s identity is never revealed.

Books similar to Symptoms of Being Human: Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and Ask the Passengers by A.S. King.

About the author: 
Before becoming a writer, Jeff Garvin acted in films and TV and was the front man of a nationally touring rock band. He has a BFA in film from Chapman University and lives in Southern California, surrounded by adorable, shedding beasts. Symptoms of Being Human is his first novel. 

Amaya is a high school senior and an avid reader sharing her favorite YA reads with readers on Fridays. 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: The ALA Edition

ALA Annual Conference is one of my favorite events. It's a fabulous opportunity to meet up with friends, authors, illustrators, and publishers and celebrate books.  I always say I will take more pictures and I still miss getting all of the pictures that I would like, especially pictures of the fabulous authors and illustrators that I got to spend time with. So, where I don't have a picture from the wild, I did add the cover image. The books are sorted by publisher but not in any particular order and this is not an exhaustive list. My goal was just to get you excited about some of the exciting titles coming out this summer and fall.

Boyds Mills Press

The Music in George's Head: George Gershwin Creates Rhapsody in Blue by Suzanne Slade; Illustrated by Stacy Innerst (September 2016)

Blood Brother: Jonathan Daniels and His Sacrifice for Civil Rights by Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallace (September 2016) 

Charlesbridge

Looking for a book to help support visual fluency, then you might want to track this book down in August 2016. 

I found myself reading the F&G (advanced copy) of POOP DETECTIVES: WORKING DOGS IN THE FIELD one evening of ALA despite how tired I was. I was just fascinated by these service dogs. Look out for this book in October 2016.

HMH Books for Young Readers

I have no idea how Jenkins can release as many books per year as he does, but his second title with HMH for 2016 comes out November 2016.

If you don't have SOME WRITER! on your list to read this fall, you must add it.  I have read it once but want to go back to read and savor it. Some of Sweet's finest work. Comes out October 2016.

Holiday House

This picture book introduces young children to the concept of how we get our food. 

Lerner/Millbrook Press

Rebecca E. Hirsch has two books out this fall. PLANTS CAN'T SIT STILL reminds me of Lois Ehlert's work but it will pair nicely with PLANTING THE WILD GARDEN and books about seed dispersal.

Kirsch's other book looks at how wind power and birds can co-exist without impacting the environment in negative ways.

Sandra Markle has a new book coming out in August 2016. I can't believe that I had a fabulous opportunity to spend the evening with Sandra over dinner and never got a picture of the two of us. I was fascinated by Sandra's adventurous spirit but her understanding of how to communicate her books with teachers blew me away. I was so thankful for the time we spent together. I also loved that Sandra created a special blog post about Little and Littler Monkey, when I asked about a nonfiction book to pair with Quick, Little Monkey! by Sarah L. Thompson (Boyds Mills Press, 2016). 

Anne Rockwell and Floyd Cooper have created a picture book biography on James Lafayette. An incredible story out in November.

Though I didn't get to read this one, I did get to flip through the pages and it is beautiful. Can't wait to get my hands on it this fall.

Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story by Caren Stelson (Carolrhoda Books, October 2016) 

Macmillan Children's Publishing

Antsy Ansel: Ansel Adams A Life in Nature by Cindy Jenson-Elliott; Illustrated by Christy Holt (September 2016)

Science Comics: Volcanoes Fire and Life by Jon Chad (October 2016)

Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep by April Pulley Sayre; Illustrated by Steve Jenkins (November 2016)

Giant Squid by Candace Fleming; Illustrated by Eric Rohmann (September 2016) - This book pairs beautiful verse with gorgeous illustrations. 

Simon and Schuster

I managed to snap a picture of this one but not get a chance to read it. Can't wait to get my hands on it. 

Another one that I want to read just because Robin Page illustrated it. 

And for the final title...a picture book biography on Stephen Bishop. 

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Gorillas Up Close

Gorillas: Up Close
by Christine Nippert-Eng; Photographs by John Dominski & Miguel Martinez
Henry Holt and Company (April 19, 2016)
Nonfiction * Animals * Apes
Audience: Ages 8 to 13
Indiebound | Worldcat

Description of the book: 
Have you ever wondered how experts train a gorilla? Or what design features make a great gorilla habitat? Did you know that some gorillas can solve problems on giant touch-screen computers?

Filled with facts and photos, Gorillas Up Close takes us into the world of gorillas. Explore the differences between gorillas in zoos and in the wild with the gorilla family troop in Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Readers will delight in the similarities gorillas share with humans while finding out more about these incredible animals.

Thoughts on the book:
At 176 pages this is clearly not a typical picture book, but to be fair, GORILLAS UP CLOSE has pages and pages of photographs of gorillas. Along with all of those fabulous photographs, Nippert-Eng has provided readers with accessible facts, information, and stories of gorillas. I found the choice of sharing about gorilla development, and behavior in the context of actual gorillas was effective in helping to better understand about the life and relationships and behaviors within a gorilla troop. Readers also learn about how zoo gorillas can differ some from gorillas in the wild.  

Though one book cannot provide readers with all the facts about a given subject, GORILLAS UP CLOSE does a good job with this. Young readers upon finishing the book will have a strong understanding of gorillas. For those wanting to know even more about gorillas, this book is an excellent starting place. Additional resources, websites, and information follow at the end of the book.

Readers can check out the Lincoln Park Zoo for more information about some of the gorillas referenced in the book and to follow their blog posts on gorillas. This is definitely a book to add to a classroom or school library.  Look for a copy of GORILLAS UP CLOSE at your local independent bookstore or public library.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews: