It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - 5/15/17

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.  Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and  Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kid lit focus. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kid lit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Here is what jumped out of the pile in the past few weeks:

Triangle by Mac Barnett; Illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick, March 2017) - The first in a new series by Barnett and Klassen features a friendship between Triangle and Square and a joke. 

Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History by Kate Schatz; Illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl (Ten Speed Press, 2016) - A wonderful introduction to awesome women around the world. 

Strong is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves by Kate T. Parker (Workman Publishing, January 2017) - A book for every young girl in your life. It was inspirational. 

Lucia the Luchadora by Cynthia Leonor Garza; Illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez (POW!, March 2017) - Another book featuring a strong girl and what it means to be a hero. 

The Case of the Stinky Stench: Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast #2 by Josh Funk; Illustrated by Brendan Kearney (Sterling, May 2, 2017) - Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast are back in another funny, and entertaining read aloud.  

Full Moon Lore by Ellen Wahi; Illustrated by Ashley Stewart (Sleeping Bear Press, April 2017) - Beautifully illustrated look at the twelve months. 

Abigail the Whale by Davide Cali; Illustrated by Sonja Bougaeva (Owlkids Books, September 16, 2016) - A read aloud that can open discussion about the power of how we perceive ourselves and the limits that may hinder us by what others say. 

Explorers of the Wild by Cale Atkinson (Disney-Hyperion, 2016) - A boy and a bear that learn about friendship while enjoying a wild adventure. 

I have held back some titles in order to share them on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

In case you missed it...

#Road2Reading Challenge: The Case of the Poached Egg

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: A Personal Vent About Nonfiction and Page Requirements

From Carolyn...

YA Friday Summer Update

So, what are you reading? 

YA Friday Summer update!

Having completed my first year of college, I am ready to get back into my summer reading patterns (when I spend the day doing very little besides consuming books and food). You can also look forward to a new summer reading challenge (which I'll be posting about shortly), but part of it involves reading as many books that I already own but haven't read. So, I'm focusing on reading series (so that I can finally read the last book), as well as other recent releases - but eventually, I'm planning on shifting over to the massive amounts of stand-alone ARCs I own. Here are some of the books I've been reading since I came home a week ago, as well as the rest of my massive TBR stack (or, at least, just the part of my TBR stack that fits on my nightstand):

The Embassy Row series: 

Ally Carter has long been adored for her YA series (starting with her Gallagher Girls series), but her latest series - Embassy Row - is probably my favorite yet. I reviewed the first two installments in the trilogy, All Fall Down and See How They Run, and am greatly looking forward to finishing off the series with the third and final book, Take The Key and Lock Her Up. 

The Winner's Trilogy:

The Winner's Crime is one of those rare sequels that manages to outshine its predecessor (as I noted in my review), so I'm very intrigued to finally read The Winner's Kiss. However, the complicated politics and history (all a part of Rutkoski's intense world building) are so integral to the plot that I am definitely going back to the beginning and rereading The Winner's Curse.

The Rebel Belle series:

The premise of the Rebel Belle series is pure comedic gold - a Southern debutante turned ancient guardian/warrior of an oracle (who of course is her arch nemesis) - but Rachel Hawkins manages to build a lovable cast of characters, and it is the characters and their emotional development (amidst the crazy-yet-hysterically-funny circumstances) that carries the series.

The Wrath & the Dawn series:

Easily one of my favorite fairy-tale retellings, The Wrath & the Dawn sets up a captivating and complex story that is finished in The Rose & the Dagger. I love trilogies, but I also love duologies - while I always want more books in the series, I do appreciate authors who have a specific plan for their series and stick to it (even if it means less total books). But if two books aren't enough for you, Renée Ahdieh released three different short stories: The Moth & the Flame, The Crown & the Arrow, and The Mirror & the Maze (two prequels, and one short story set in between the two main books, respectively).

The Sky Fall series:

While I do adore Shannon Messenger's Keeper of the Lost Cities series, I tend to prefer young adult books (rather than middle grade); when she released a young adult fantasy series (The Sky Fall series), I was overjoyed. While that joy is now bittersweet, knowing that the trilogy has come to a close, I am very excited to finally finish the series. 

The Metal & Lace series:

Though Arthurian legend is always popular in pop culture (*cough* Merlin *cough*), it tends to be less prevalent in the YA fairy tale retelling genre than other classic stories. So I was thrilled to dive into the first two books of the Metal & Lace Trilogy a couple of summers ago, but I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of the third and final book, Excalibur Reigning - until now. I've been looking forward to finishing this series for a while now (I have a soft spot for steampunk, especially steampunk fairy tale retellings - you can check out more details about the series in my review of Avalon Rising).

What are you reading this summer? Let me know in the comments, or tweet me your summer reads @YALitFrenzy on Twitter.

Carolyn is a teen blogger who shares her favorite YA reads and favorite book related finds with readers on Fridays.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: A Personal Vent About Nonfiction and Page Requirements

For those of you who know me well, in real life, you have probably experienced one or two of my rants about any number of topics. However, on this blog, I typically refrain from a long winded rant about anything. Yet, there is one topic that will get my blood pressure to rise. The dreaded nonfiction book report. 

A friend posted on Facebook: 
Last report of the year, non fiction oral book report- must be at least 150 pages. We like these 3 options but before we settle, any Middle Grade Non-Fiction recommendations out there?

My first reaction was...what grade are we talking about? Any particular topics? Are we talking about an 8 year old or a 12 year old? But what really jumps out is the page requirement.

And then the rant starts building within and spews forth. 

Let's talk adult nonfiction for a moment....

Language at the Speed of Sight by Mark Seidenberg (Basic Civitas Books, 2017) -
Total number of pages 384.
Print: tiny
Whitespace: very little

Reading this book, despite my already having a decent grasp on how people learn to read, is slow and laborious. I might not finish it. Maybe I will pick and choose chapters. It might take me weeks to work through this one. 

Now let's talk about adult fiction....

A Game of Thrones ( A Song of Fire & Ice, Book 1) by George R.R. Martin (Bantam, 2005)
Total number of pages 835
Print: small
Whitespace: little

On the other hand, an 800+ page fantasy adventure may be devoured in a few days. Double the number of pages as the nonfiction title but much easier to sit and read. 

Which of these could I probably get busy teachers to read over the summer? Though there might be some who would dive in and stick with The Language at the Speed of Sight, I would have better luck getting them to read the fictional title (or a fictional title).

The reality...if I asked a group of teachers to read something for professional development, I would have more luck with something like the book below.

No More Independent Reading Without Support by Debbie Miller & Barbara Moss (Heinemann 2013)
Total number of pages 87
Print: comfortable
Whitespace: Fair amount

This is a more comfortable and practical read and takes about 90 minutes. Yet it is the tenth of the length of the fictional novel. 

So, if as adults, much of our nonfiction that we consume is sometimes a half to three-quarters shorter than the fiction we read, why do we expect that children should read nonfiction with the equivalent pages of a fictional story? 

Let's go back to my friend's post. Turns out that the teacher was expecting third graders to read a nonfiction book that is 150 pages long. And this is where I start to sputter and go all crazy. 

Let's take a look at a children's nonfiction title:

The Great White Shark Scientist by Sy Montgomery; Photographs by Keith Ellenbogen (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2016) 
Total Number of pages 80
Print: comfortable
Features: Variety of nonfiction text features, including photographs

Technically by the teacher's standard, the student would not be able to read this book for his or her report. Yet, the reading level of this book is really more for 5th graders and up. And the interest level for sharks would be high. 

Here are a few other titles...

The Great Leopard Rescue: Saving the Amur Leopard by Sandra Markle (Millbrook Press, 2016)
Total number of pages: 48
Print: comfortable
Features: A Variety of nonfiction text features, including photographs

When Lunch Fights Back: Wickedly Clever Animal Defenses by Rebecca L. Johnson (Millbrook Press, 2014) 
Total number of pages: 48
Print: comfortable
Features: Variety of text features, including photographs

Even reading both of these book, which would be a challenge for some third graders, would not come close to the amount of pages that the teacher is requesting for her report. However, either of these books would be challenging, engaging and informative reads for a third or fourth grader.

From a publisher's perspective, books are printed in standard offset printing with page lengths in multiples of 8. So a picture book is typically 32 pages. Many of the current day, quality nonfiction for children 3rd to 7th grade fall within the 48 to 96 pages.  Much of the longer nonfiction that is 150-250 pages long are often not the right content matter or style for an 8 or 9 year old, even for those that are a bit more advanced as readers or who posses a better stamina. 

When a teacher makes a requirement like the 150 pages, s/he is greatly eliminating appropriate choices for most of his/her students and possibly creating a frustrating situation for the students. 

I have come to realize that teachers at schools where there are no librarians and little exposure to new nonfiction titles are unaware of the books that are out there and also unaware of how publishers format books for children. We need to continue to spread the word about the titles that we are sharing as part of this challenge. Stop by next week and check out Part II of this post, where I identify some of my favorite titles for 3rd and 4th graders that you can share with teachers. 

Artwork by Sarah J. Brannen @2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews: 

#Road2Reading Challenge: The Case of the Poached Egg (A Wilcox & Griswold Mystery)

The Case of the Poached Egg (A Wilcox & Griswold Mystery #2)
by Robin Newman; Illustrated by Deborah Zemke
Creston Books (April 2, 2017)
Audience: Ages 6 to 8  
Fiction * Mystery * Reader
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:
When Penny goes missing from the nest, Wilcox and Griswold are called in to track her down. Was the egg stolen by a rival for The Most Round in the Spring Egg-stravaganza? Was she used in a carrot cake or scrambled by a hungry porker? Or was she held for a hefty corn ransom? Who took Penny and can the detectives find her before trouble hatches?

Thoughts about the book:
The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake was the first book I read by Robin Newman and I was impressed with her ability to create mystery with sophisticated humor for young readers and yet do it in a way that was completely accessible. I have been eager to read the second book in the Wilcox & Griswold series and Newman didn't let me down. 

It is not easy writing for six to eight year olds. There is a huge range in reading abilities at this age. Yet, Newman has created a mystery with great kid appeal, and perfect for the more advanced reader who may not quite be ready for longer length of book. Newman's Wilcox & Griswold books also make for an entertaining read aloud that will hook children in and keep them engaged.  

If you haven't picked up a Wilcox & Griswold book, check one out of your local library or pick one up at your community bookstore.

Thank you Robin for sharing some swag with our students. They were excited about the bookmarks and rubber wristband. 

Mrs. Banerdt, our school librarian, read The Case of the Poached Egg by Robin Newman to several classes of enthusiastic second grade students.  

Mrs. Banerdt shared with me the response of the students to The Case of the Poached Egg:

Students caught the humor of the book and started using phrases such as "Eggscuse me Ms. Banerdt" and "Eggscellent book!".

Some other comments from second graders included:

"We have chickens and we get lots of eggs and I really liked the chickens and the puns. Also I like mysteries and jokes."

"I love jokes and puns, I love mysteries."

"It's funny, it's a mystery, and it's short." (Meaning it is easily manageable for a second grader.)

"I like the cheesy jokes." (This was definitely a compliment.)

The students really did enjoyed the puns, even though some went unrecognized.  Though the students were not familiar the saying, "mad as an old wet hen", they still caught the humor of the phrase. 

There is a wait to check out the book so if you pick up copies for your classroom or school library consider picking up more than one copy. 

About Robin Newman: 
Raised in New York and Paris, Robin is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and the City University of New York School of Law. She's been a practicing attorney and legal editor, but she prefers to write about witches, mice, pigs, and peacocks. She lives in New York with her husband, son, goldfish, and English Cocker Spaniel, who happens to have been born on the Fourth of July. 
Website | Facebook | Twitter

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. Don't forget to pop over to Michele's blog to check out her post as well. 

Double Blog Tour: Independence Cake by Deborah Hopkinson

If you missed yesterday's post about Deborah Hopkinson's A Letter to My Teacher, check it out here.  Today we take a look at Hopkinson's other book, Independence Cake. 

Independence Cake: A Revolutionary Confection Inspired by Amelia Simmons, Whose True History is Unfortunately Unknown
by Deborah Hopkinson; Illustrated by Giselle Potter
Random House/Schwartz & Wade (May 9, 2017)
Fiction * Historical * United States
Audience: Ages 4 to 7
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description for GoodReads: 
Master of the historical fiction picture book Deborah Hopkinson takes us back to late eighteenth-century America and the discombobulated home of Mrs. Bean, mother of six strapping sons, who simply can't manage until Amelia Simmons arrives and puts things in order. And how well she cooks everything from flapjacks to bread pudding to pickled cucumbers! She even invents new recipes using American ingredients like winter squash. Best of all, she can bake, and to honor the brand-new president, George Washington, she presents him with thirteen Independence Cakes one for each colony. "Delicious!" he proclaims. Author's Note and original recipe included! 

Quick thoughts about the book:
Sometimes a phrase just catches you and makes you smile. When I read the full title of the book, I couldn't help smiling at the last part "Whose True History is Unfortunately Unknown". This phrase seems like it could be both a gift and a curse for a writer. Do you attempt to write something as historically accurate as possible with what little information you have or do you go off and simply have some fun creating a story based on a kernel of information? Hopkinson seems to have found a balance with Independence Cake. 

There is a lot in the book that would be true of the time period for when Amelia Simmons lived. However, as a woman and a poor one at that, there would be little about her actual life. And yet, it is enjoyable to imagine Amelia finding a certain element of success in taking her experiences as a family cook (among other jobs) to making a cake for George Washington's inauguration and eventually creating a cookbook. 

The book concludes with some additional information about Amelia Simmons and a recipe for Independence Cake, at least if you want to make more than a dozen of them.

If you are looking for a story about a young girl with a "can do" spirit and enjoy a tale about baking, then pick up a copy of Independence Cake at your local bookstore or public library. 

Thanks again to Deborah Hopkinson for appearing.  For other stops on the Hopkinson Double Blog Tour please check deborahhopkinson.com.  #DoubleBlogTour.