Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: What am I reading? - Nonfiction Version

August 1, 2018 Alyson Beecher

This past weekend, I did a lot of weeding and reading, and reading and weeding. I started to go through a stack of nonfiction that I had and here is what jumped out of the stack.

What's the Difference? 40+ Pairs of the Seemingly Similar by Emma Strack, Illustrated by Guillaume Plantevin (Chronicle Books, July 10, 2018) - I loved both the retro looking art and the two page compare and contrast text. Kids are going to love this one and great for a mentor text.

Undocumented: A Worker's Fight by Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams Comic Arts, August 7, 2018) - I mentioned this in my last Monday What are you Reading? post but I loved this so much, I wanted to mention it again. What a beautiful book.

Nature's Friend: The Gwen Frostic Story by Lindsey McDivitt; Illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen (Sleeping Bear Press, July 15, 2018) - A fascinating introduction to the life of Gwen Frostic.

Up & Down: The Adventures of John Jeffries, First American to Fly by Don Brown (Charlesbridge Publishers, June 12, 2018) - A good introduction to the exploration of air travel through the life of John Jeffries.

Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker; Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk (Henry Holt & Co, June 12, 2018) - This book adds to the other biographies about Katherine Johnson and her role in saving Apollo 13.

Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible ALVIN by Michelle Cusolito; Illustrated by Nicole Wong (Charlesbridge Publishing, May 22, 2018) - A fascinating look at the inside of an ALVIN and what they do.

Tigers & Tea With Toppy by Barbara Kerley with Rhoda Knight Kalt; Illustrated by Matte Stephens (Scholastic Press, September 25, 2018) - This one in some ways pairs nicely with the Gwen Frostic title. Both are artists and used nature as their subject. Both had to overcome some personal challenges to be successful.

Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind by Cynthia Grady; Illustrated by Amiko Hirao (Charlesbridge Publishing, January 9, 2018) - An interesting look at the role one librarian played in connecting with children sent to internment camps.

Oceans: A Visual Miscellany by Ricardo Henriques, Illustrated by André Letria (Chronicle Books, July 3, 2018) - Another fabulous nonfiction book with engaging expository text and illustrations.

Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Lesa Cline-Ransome; Illustrated by James E. Ransome (Paula Wiseman Book/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, July 3, 2018) - A wonderful introductory biography to Venus and Serena Williams.

So, what are you reading? Look for these titles at your local indie bookstore or public library.

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

#Road2Reading Challenge: Mr. Monkey Bakes a Cake

July 26, 2018 Alyson Beecher

Mr. Monkey Bakes a Cake
by Jeff Mack
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (July 3, 2018)
Fiction * Early Reader * Humor
Audience: Ages 4 to 8
IndieBound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:
Curious George meets Mr. Bean in this adorable new picture book series from author-illustrator Jeff Mack that follows the loveable Mr. Monkey on his wacky adventures.

Mr. Monkey bakes a cake.

He can’t wait to win a ribbon!

But first he has to carry it to the contest.

What could possibly go wrong?

Quick thoughts on this book:
I read a lot of early readers. I appreciate how hard it is to write for very beginning readers. Most early readers serve a purpose of providing books for new readers to build reading skill and confidence. Since students do not spend a long time in early readers and move on fairly quickly to early chapter books and transition books, volume of books likely outweigh quality of story. As a result, I rarely find a book that is so well done that I want to read it over and over again.

However, it does happen. I do find early readers that I love and get really excited about. When I picked up Mr. Monkey Bakes a Cake, I was expecting another so-so early reader. Wow, I was certainly surprised.

Jeff Mack has done an outstanding job of keeping text controlled and patterned but also engaging. I have read this book a couple of times trying to figure out what he did to really make this book soar. I suspect that a significant part of it his success is due to the fact that he has created a funny and likable character in Mr. Monkey.

Yet, I suspect it is so much more than just a likable character and engaging text and laugh out loud humor. I think I might just read Mr. Monkey Bakes a Cake once again under the guise of trying to figure out how this book knocks it out of the park.

Don't miss Mr. Monkey Visits a School, which also came out on July 3rd.

Look for both these titles at your local indie bookstore or community 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.

Do you work with readers who are starting their journey on the road to reading? Join Michele Knott from Mrs. Knott's Book Nook and myself every Thursday as we explore books and ideas to help readers have a successful start to independent picture book and chapter book reading. If you blog or have a Goodreads page, please link up with us!

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Mentor Texts, Idea Books, & Picture Books that Inspire

July 25, 2018 Alyson Beecher

Thank you @TeamSmithAH and @cultofpedagogy for tweeting this out on Sunday. I love when a tweet gets me thinking and inspires a blog post.

Here was the first tweet that a friend tagged me....

Since I like to be clear before making book recommendations, I asked for some clarification about what was specifically being requested. Here was the reply...

Though I never did find out what was meant by "classic math picture books", I began to think more about this and it sparked several thoughts.

Mentor Texts vs. Idea Books
First let me define mentor texts for the purpose of this post. Mentor texts are books or a passage that demonstrates a writing technique or craft move that students can study and incorporate it into their own writing.

If I am writing a math or science paper or book, I might pull a variety of books where authors have done similar work and study their technique. Writing for math or science will often look and sound different than a narrative fiction text.

As I have kept reading, I discovered nonfiction that is written in engaging and descriptive styles...

and ones that helped students understand how to compare and contrast...

and others that explored the ideas through a question and answer format...

and others that teach about cause and effect...

There are so many rich and wonderful nonfiction books out there that can be used as a mentor text for learning about author's craft moves and to also inspire students to ask questions and to seek more information.

Need for More Math and Science Picture Books
Do we have enough? Can we use more book? Yes, there are not enough books out there to cover the various concepts that teachers expressed interest in. There tends to be an abundance of books in specific areas such as biographies, animal books, and outer space. However, there are many more concepts to write about to meet the needs expressed by teachers.

A Classic Math Picture Book Transformed
I am particularly curious about the phrase "classic math picture books". My interpretation of the phrase should not be seen as what was being communicated by the individuals who tweeted the original tweet. However, I want to share how I would define "classic math picture book".

Eight years ago, I was that educator who was not familiar with the new and improved children's nonfiction. I would have assumed that most children's math books were books that essentially were counting books for preschoolers.

And the science books were dry and boring and a chore to read. And then I started reading and discovered that there is a whole new world of books out there.

I remember reading Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci by Joseph D'Agnese and John O'Brien and being inspired to do a lesson with 4th graders on the Fibonacci Sequence.

Or being inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems by J. Patrick Lewis.

Or being fascinated by the research and ways that LeUyen Pham included math in her artwork of The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman and Illustrated by LeUyen Pham.

Or amazed by A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars by Seth Fishman and Isabel Greenberg and thinking about how children would react to the way the concepts were communicated.

It is true that these books don't include lesson ideas but they are inspiring and with a little work lessons can be developed. However, don't underestimate how these books will inspire students to be creative and ask questions and be curious about concepts.

Resources to check out:
If you are looking for lesson ideas, here are two books that are exceptional.

Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts by Stacey Shubitz (Stenhouse, 2016)

Perfect Pairs: Using Fiction and Nonfiction Picture Books to Teach Life Science 3-5 by Melissa Stewart and Nancy Chesley (Stenhouse Publishers, 2016)

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

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - July 23, 2018

July 23, 2018 Alyson Beecher

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's what jumped out of the pile these past couple of weeks....

Undocumented: A Worker's Fight by Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams ComicArts, August 7, 2018) - This one is coming out soon and this accordion style book is a must have. Books help students (and adults) become more aware of all kinds of issues and concerns and to build empathy and understanding. And given the attitude towards migrants and undocumented workers, Tonatiuh helps readers understand a little slice of worker's rights.

Perfect by Max Amato (Scholastic, January 2019) - Mark your calendar for January. I picked this one up at ALA Annual and had to share it. This will be a fabulous read aloud.

Red by Jed Alexander (Cameron, May 1, 2018) - I love wordless picture books and I love twists on fairy tales. This one offers both.

The Book Tree by Paul Czajak (Barefoot Books, September 30, 2018) - I picked this up at ALA Annual and I love when I find a book from a small press that I love. This one imagines a world without books and the spirit of storytelling and imagination that can't be squashed.

The Very Last Castle by Travis Jonker; Illustrated by Mark Pett (Abrams Books for Young Readers, October 9, 2018) - I am so excited for Travis and his debut picture book coming this fall. It will be a great read aloud.

Ode to An Onion: Pablo Neruda and His Muse by Alexandria Giardino, Illustrations by Felicita Sala (Cameron Kids, September 11, 2018) - This was another find from ALA and I really enjoyed this story about Neruda and his friend, Matilde.

Mr. Monkey Bakes a Cake by Jeff Mack (Simon & Schuster, July 3, 2018) - I love this new early reader series and hope there will be lots more.

Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths by Graham Annable (First Second, April 2018) - A fun graphic novel for young readers.

Cici's Journal: The Adventures of a Writer in Training by Joris Chamblain, Illustrations by Aurélie Neyret (First Second, November 2017) - A graphic novel in the spirit of Harriet the Spy.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, May 29, 2018) - I finally read this one and loved it. This book will be good for discussing immigration, poverty, racism, and empathy.

Professional Reading...

Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension by Sara K. Ahmed (Heinemann, March 2018) - Recently, I was at the Scholastic Reading Summit at Universal City and got to hear Sara present. I am excited to begin this one.

In case you missed it...

#Road2Reading Challenge: Tails From History

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: My 2019 Mock Sibert Thoughts - So Far

So, what are you reading?

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: My 2019 Mock Sibert Thoughts - So Far

July 18, 2018 Alyson Beecher

On Monday, January 28, 2019, the American Library Association (ALA) will announce their annual Youth Media Awards (YMA). As part of the YMA's, the winners of the Robert F. Sibert Award for the most distinguished informational books for children will be announced. For the past several years, several of us have participated in Mock Sibert Award predictions. Last week, Michele Knott posted her Mock Sibert list-so far. You can read it here.

This prompted me to start thinking about what would make my early list. I do need to say that I still have a stack of nonfiction picture books that I am working through so it is possible that these choices will change. I, also, decided to limit books to those that have already been released. With all that in mind, here are several titles that have risen to the top.

In no particular order, here are four picture books....