Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: What are you reading? - 4/26/17

During April, I have been doing a number of "What are you reading?" posts. Part of my goal has been to catch up on 2016 nonfiction picture books that I missed.  This week's post will continue to highlight 2016 titles that I missed and feature a couple of titles that won't be out until later in 2017. 

So, here is what jumped out of the pile for me....

She Stood for Freedom: The Untold Story of a Civil Rights Hero, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland by Loki Mulholland, Angela Fairwell, Charlotta Janssen (Shadow Mountain, 2016) I didn't know the story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland and found it fascinating to read. 

Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas by Gwendolyn Hooks; Illustrated by Colin Bootman (Lee & Low Books, 2016) - Another story that I was completely unaware of and found thoroughly fascinating. 

Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk by Jane Sutcliffe; Illustrated John Shelley (Charlesbridge, 2016) - Sutcliffe and Shelley did a fabulous job on both the concept and illustrations. I found the origins of so many common day phrases to be fascinating.

Ticktock Banneker's Clock by Shana Keller; Illustrated by David C. Gardner (Sleeping Bear Press, 2016) - If you are looking for a story of determination and perseverance, this one certainly fits the bill. 

Moto and Me: My Year as a Wildcat's Foster Mom by Suzi Eszterhas (Owlkids Books, April 11, 2017) - This is a new release and as a kitten foster mom for the next few weeks I couldn't pass up reading this one. 

Upcoming Books:

Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion by Chris Barton; Illustrated by Victo Ngai (Millbrook Press, August 1, 2017) - This book is going on my mock-Sibert list, which I am still compiling. Of course, I don't put my list together until the fall but this book is definitely going to be on it. I was fascinated about the story of these ships and the artwork is stunning. 

The Great Penguin Rescue: Saving the African Penguin by Sandra Markle (Millbrook Press, August 1, 2017) - I love this series by Sandra Markle. I knew little to nothing about these particular penguins but Markle has a way of drawing you into the story will also providing readers with lots of facts and information. 

Crayola Fall Colors by Mari C. Schuh (Lerner Books, September 1, 2017) - As a preschool/kindergarten teacher, I would have used this in the fall with one of my teaching units. 

Look for these at your local indie bookstore or community library.

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen @2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

#Road2Reading Challenge: April New Releases

As part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, I started doing new release posts. Once a month, I will post about new releases as I find out about them. This month I focused on April book releases. Look for future mini-reviews as I read through new releases. Also, I have included links to previous posts mentioning new releases just below. Also, don't forget to check out Mrs. Knott's Book Nook for more releases. 

Check out previous new release posts: January I | January II | February | March

April Releases:

Invasion of the Insects (The DATA Set #6) by Ada Hopper; Illustrated by Sam Ricks (Little Simon, April 4, 2017) 

Animal Inn: The Bow-wow Bus by Jennifer Swender, Paul DuBois Jacobs; Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis (Aladdin, April 11, 2017)

Charlie & Mouse by Laurel Snyder; Illustrated by Emily Hughes (Chronicle Books, April 11, 2017)

The Year of the Garden by Andrea Cheng; Illustrated by Patrice Barton (HMH Books for Young Readers, April 11, 2017)

The Bad Guys #3: The Furball Strikes Back by Aaron Blabey (Scholastic, April 25, 2017)

Double or Nothing with the Two and Only Kelly Twins by Johanna Hurwitz; Illustrated by Tuesday Mourning (Candlewick, April 25, 2017)

All journeys have a starting place.
This is a weekly place to find books and tools
that you may use with readers at the start of their reading journey.
Join in the conversation at #road2reading.

Each week, Michele Knott and I post about new early readers and transitional chapter books. We hope that you will join in with your own posts or enter into discussion through the comments. 

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: March and April New Releases

As part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, one of my favorite things is to round-up as many new quality nonfiction books for children at the beginning of a month and share them with readers of this blog.  Some months, I miss the release of books and add them to the next month's post.  Since I have not seen every book listed, I cannot always confirm if they are truly a nonfiction book or more of an informational fiction text or a bit of historical fiction.  Here are recent releases to check out.

Previous Nonfiction Release Post: January | February | March 

February 2017

The Secret Project by Jonah Winter, Jeanette Winter (Beach Lane Books, February 7, 2017)

March 2017

Feathers and Hair, What Animals Wear by Jennifer Ward; Illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong (Beach Lane Books, March 7, 2017)

Lighter Than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot by Matthew Clark Smith; Illustrated by Matt Tavares (Candlewick Press, March 14, 2017)

Red Cloud: A Lakota Story of War and Surrender by S.D. Nelson (Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 14, 2017)

Rhino in the House: The Story of Saving Samia by Daniel Kirk (Harry N. Abrams, March 14, 2017)

Wake Up! by Helen Frost; Illustrated by Rick Lieder (Candlewick Press, March 14, 2017)

Bees: A Honeyed History by Piotr Socha (Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 28, 2017)

April 2017

Shell, Beak, Tusk: Shared Traits and the Wonders of Adaptations by Bridget Heos (HMH Books for Young Readers, April 4, 2017)

The Hawk of the Castle: A Story of the Medieval Falconry by Danna Smith; Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (Candlewick Press, April 11, 2017)

Tide Pool Secrets by Narelle Oliver (Candlewick Press, April 11, 2017)

Laugh Out Loud Animals by Jeffrey Burton (Little Simon, April 18, 2017) 

The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori & the Invention of the Piano by Elizabeth Rusch; Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, April 18, 2017)

Teedie: The Story of the Young Teddy Roosevelt by Don Brown (HMH Books for Young Readers, April 20, 2017)

Eye of the Storm: NASA, Drones, and the Race to Crack the Hurricane Code (Scientists in the Field) by Amy Cherrix (HMH Books for Young Readers, April 25, 2017)

Looking Up! The Science of Stargazing by Joe Rao; Illustrated by Mark Borgions (Simon Spotlight, April 25, 2017)

Super Women: Six Scientists Who Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor (Holiday House, April 26, 2017)

Look for these titles at your local indie bookstore or public library. 

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen @2017

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

#Road2Reading: My First Book of Soccer

My First Book of Soccer: A Rookie Book: Mostly Everything Explained About the Game
by The Editors of Sports Illustrated Kids (Sports Illustrated/Time, Inc., May16, 2017)
Nonfiction * Sports * Soccer
Audience: Ages 4 to 7
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description for GoodReads: The fourth book in the fan-favorite Rookie Book series, Sports Illustrated Kids explains the most popular sport in the world to its youngest fans.

The ref blows the whistle, the striker approaches for kickoff, feet fly-a soccer match is underway! With a fun mix of Sports Illustrated action photography, simple text, a full glossary of terms, and awesome graphics, My First Book of Soccer introduces readers to the world's favorite game. Kids (and probably a few adults, too) will learn how the clock counts "up" and never stops, what an offside means, what's up with those yellow cards, and how kicks become a gooooaaaallll!

Illustrated "rookie" characters appears on every page, guiding the reader moment by moment, and helping to make My First Book of Soccer an ideal shared reading experience between parents and their little rookies before, during, and after the game.

Quick thoughts on the book:
This larger size book on soccer is bound to draw in readers for multiple readings with a friend. 

I appreciated that Sports Illustrated chose to use both photographs of men and women soccer players as they explained the rules of the game of soccer. 

I also appreciated the multiple layers present in the book, which can encourage children to the book more than once. There is the main text telling about the game of soccer, and also fun cartoon characters that add a layer of humor to the book. The text is similar to what you would find in an early reader but the format is more of a picture book. Regardless, this book won't stay on the shelf long in a classroom or library. 

Check out the previous books in the series:

Check out the book trailer for My First Book of Football:

Pair with:

Look for these and other titles at your local indie bookstore or public library.

All journeys have a starting place.
This is a weekly place to find books and tools
that you may use with readers at the start of their reading journey.
Join in the conversation at #road2reading.

Each week, Michele Knott and I post about new early readers and transitional chapter books. We hope that you will join in with your own posts or enter into discussion through the comments. 

Henry and the Chalk Dragon Review & Giveaway

Henry and the Chalk Dragon
by Jennifer Trafton
Rabbit Room Press (April 4, 2017)
Fiction * Imagination * School Children
Audience: Ages 8 to 12
Indiebound | Worldcat
Curriculum Guide

Description from GoodReads: 
In the town of Squashbuckle, just about anything can happen, and when Henry Penwhistle draws a mighty Chalk Dragon on his door, the dragon does what Henry least expects--it runs away. Now Henry's art is out in the world for everyone to see, and it's causing trouble for him and his schoolmates Oscar and Jade. If they don't stop it, the entire town could be doomed! To vanquish the threat of a rampaging Chalk Dragon, Sir Henry Penwhistle, Knight of La Muncha Elementary School, is going to have to do more than just catch his art--he's going to have to let his imagination run wild. And THAT takes bravery.

Quick thoughts on the book:

"Dragons can only eat you, but people can laugh at you, and that is like being
chewed to death by a smile." - Henry Penwhistle from Henry and the Chalk Dragon

First, would it be completely terrible to judge a book by it's cover? Henry and the Chalk Dragon has a fabulous cover. Not only because of the chalk drawing on the black background, but because the cover is soft. Not squishy soft but a smooth soft. 

Okay, I am moving on and beyond the cover. Jennifer Trafton has created an enjoyable, imaginative read in Henry and the Chalk Dragon. Within pages, I was caught up in the beauty of her writing. It has a timeless, classic feel. Additionally, what child hasn't imagined a painting or their drawing coming to life? In this case, a mighty dragon that runs away and causes all sorts of chaos leaving Henry, Oscar and Jade to deal with it.

"You're a nut," said Oscar.
"I am not a nut."
"Hey, I've got an idea. If we can find out what kind of a roar a dragon's mother makes, then we can sneak into Principal Bunk's office and use the intercom to broadcast dragon-mother sounds around the whole school. and the dragon will miss its mother and come looking for her, and then we can catch it."
"No, I've got a better idea," said Henry. "You can keep being a knight, but I need to become a superhero for a minute." 
Oscar looked doubtful. "What is your superpower?" he said.
"I can read minds but only on Fridays. And only when I'm wearing my supersocks."

Imagination and humor and adventure balance out one another to make an engaging read for children and adult. This is one of those books that makes for a wonderful read aloud in the classroom. Look for Henry and the Chalk Dragon at your local indie bookstore or community library. 

About the author: Jennifer Trafton is the author of The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic (Dial, 2010) which received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal and was a nominee for Tennessee’s Volunteer State Book Award and the National Homeschool Book Award. Henry and the Chalk Dragon arose from her lifelong love of drawing and her personal quest for the courage to be an artist. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where, in addition to pursuing her love of art and illustration, she teaches writing classes, workshops, and summer camps in a variety of schools, libraries, and homeschool groups in the Nashville area, as well as online classes to kids around the world. To learn more, and to download free materials, visit jennifertrafton.com.

Giveaway: One copy of Henry and the Chalk Dragon. Winner must be 13 years old or older and have a U.S. mailing address.

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