Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more non-fiction. I am thankful that she has this challenge because I know I have read more nonfiction texts as a result.

Zoom in on Insects Series by Melissa Stewart

I got this series in the mail last week (minus the butterfly book) and am excited to share it with my students. The whole series is designed for younger readers. The books are laid out simply, but do share more than simple facts. The "zoom in" part of the title refers to the zoom bubbles that show the insects up close. The photographs are crisp and colorful and the facts are interesting too. They are eye-catching books that provide just the right balance of facts for my young researchers. I now know a lot more about fireflies than I did last week.

Slice of Life - A Wicked Afternoon

The Slice of Life Challenge was created by the people over at the blog Two Writing Teachers. The challenge is to write about some part of your day and share it each Tuesday then give feedback to at least three other bloggers.

My day started around 7:15 when my mother woke me up in our hotel room. We got dressed, packed and went down to grab a quick breakfast before hitting the road. We had to stop for gas, but then it was a straight shot back to her house. It was straight, but it wasn't quick. We got to Mom's around 11:15. We were pretty much on schedule because I was aiming for departure by noon at the latest.

Mom made sure she packed me a nice bag of snacks before I set off on the much longer road trip that would add at least another seven hours of driving to my day. Fortunately, the sun was shining, traffic was light and I had plenty of audiobooks and music packed in my car. I started out listening to the middle grade novel Five, Six, Seven, Nate!. Nate is an understudy performing in his first Broadway musical. About four hours into my drive, I hit Chicago traffic. I put my windows down and knew  driving was becoming way more complicated so it was time for music. Nate had me thinking about Broadway, so Wicked was the obvious choice. My copy is the version from Stuttgart so it also helped me review German vocabulary for a trip I'm taking this summer.

I've driven through Chicago many times between my home in Wisconsin and my mother's place in Ohio and have often been incredibly frustrated. This time though, a cool breeze, beautiful sunshine beaming down on me and Wicked blasting through my speakers made it my favorite traffic jam ever. Of course I sang at the top of my lungs. Wouldn't you?

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at my Goodreads shelf. Images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

The Past Week: 

I have been participating in my own Pura Belpré reading challenge over the past year or so. If I have counted correctly, there are 86 award and honor books so far. I had read quite a few and put the rest on my 'Must Read' shelf to encourage completion of the list this year. After this past week, I have 16 left to read. I especially enjoyed The Poet Slave of Cuba and Barrio: Jose's Neighborhood. 

Jimmy the Greatest! was an unexpected find at the library. It's a story to make you smile as a young man discovers a love for boxing. Weasels had me laughing out loud multiple times. It is too funny. 

Five, Six, Seven, Nate! and Glory O'Brien's History of the Future were audiobooks I took on a road trip this weekend. Nate was fun. Glory O'Brien was intense and quite unique. A.S. King knows how to get me thinking. I was super excited to finish Octavian Nothing. It did get a little more interesting toward the end, but I am happy to be done and if there was ever another one, I don't think I would read it. Purple Hibiscus was my favorite of the bunch by a long shot. It tore up my heart more than once and was also beautiful.

The Coming Week:
I don't have a plan for this week, but will be reviewing The Hunted on Friday for Rich in Color. Last week I reviewed Crazy Horse's Girlfriend and will be posting an interview with the author there tomorrow. Other than that, I am not sure what to grab next. I may start Surviving Santiago. We'll see what the days bring. Happy reading.

Reading Challenge Update

Diversity on the Shelf/Diverse Books - 82/100

Goodreads - 146/520

#MustRead2015 - 25/53

Diversity Reading Challenge - 9/12

Around the World With Books 2015

Celebrate!

Ruth Ayres has a link-up on weekends where people link to posts that are celebrations about their week. I love this reminder to celebrate every week.

This weekend I am writing my post early because I will be out celebrating too much to post. Last week a new person joined our family. My brother and his wife had a new baby girl. This will be my fourth niece and I get to meet her this weekend. I'm looking forward to meeting her and being with my mother, brother and other family members.

I am celebrating spring today too. We've had a little snow again this week, but today the sun is shining and the temps are back above 50. Today at our school we had a school wide celebration outside with music and dancing on the playground. It was a wonderful day for it.

Tennis is underway and I'm about to run out to watch another match. Our exchange student has been enjoying his time on the team. We only have about six more weeks with him before he heads back to South Korea. I enjoy having students come stay because we get to see our own lives through another perspective. I think we learn and grow every time someone comes to stay.

I was able to go to craft night yesterday. I wasn't able to work on the bracelet I had been making because the supplies weren't there, so I started a medallion (sort of like this). It's more complicated than the bracelet for sure and is one of the reasons I have an optometrist appointment next week. Those tiny beads and stitching are tricky when I'm looking over the top of my glasses and then back through them again. Bifocals may be in my near future.

Once again, I'm thankful that I work with fun people. Several of us spent time laughing together at lunch today.

I'm off to watch some tennis. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Slice of Life - Gettting Ready for El día de los niños, El día de los libros

The Slice of Life Challenge was created by the people over at the blog Two Writing Teachers. The challenge is to write about some part of your day and share it each Tuesday then give feedback to at least three other bloggers.

Third, fourth and fifth grade students are helping to create papel picado to dress up the library for El día de los niños, El día de los libros (Children's Day, Book Day) next week. We'll be celebrating with our decorations, but also by reading bilingual books, international books, and books that celebrate both children and books. It's fun to do something a little messy in the library for a change though in our small space (less than the size of a typical classroom since were located in a hallway) it's a bit tricky. We have no tables so we used lap boards. Supplies are distributed across the floor in front of the chapter book shelves and on the cart that displays new books. It's more than a little chaotic, but to see and hear students chatting and creating in honor of books is fantastic.

Are you celebrating El día de los niños, El día de los libros? If so, what are some of the activities you'll offer? If not, consider it for this year or next. There are excellent resources on Pat Mora's website, the founder of Día. I met her at ALA Midwinter this year!! Here's a great interview with her about Día on the ALSC blog.

There are also wonderful resources available at the Día: Diversity in Action page. That's where I found the templates for the pastel papel picado above (the sun and book designs posted by my office door). The papel picado the fifth graders created on tissue paper was inspired by the book Making Magic Windows by Carmen Lomas Garza. I reviewed that last week.

With our construction/remodel going on right now, we don't have space for a large celebration, but next year is the 20th anniversary. With our larger space, I am aiming for an expanded program next year to include families and even the community. I love any excuse to celebrate books and I especially enjoy Día because it also honors children and diversity.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at my Goodreads shelf. Images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

The Past Week: 

Picture Books

My favorites of these were Magic Windows/Ventanas magicas (because I'm having a great time with papel picado), Wolfie the Bunny (because it's too funny), and My Diary from Here to There (because I enjoy memoirs and always love illustrations by Maya Christina Gonzalez. By the way, Mr. Schu had a fantastic interview with her this past Friday.

Middle Grade

I had a fantastic time reading Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer. It is super funny. I reviewed it here.

Young Adult

The Firefly Letters was an interesting look at the roles of women in the 1800s. The roles and privileges were very different depending on class, race, and where a woman was born. Crazy Horse's Girlfriend was one I had been looking forward to after hearing Debbie Reese promote it. I really enjoyed the main character, Margaritte, and will be reviewing the book on Rich in Color later this week. Strange Fruit introduced me to many Black Americans unknown to me and seeing them in a graphic novel format made the stories even more interesting - less like a history textbook.

Adult Fiction

The Fishermen was an ARC that I picked up at ALA Midwinter. It was the only one I picked up that wasn't for school, my blog, or for Rich in Color. It was simply because it caught my eye. The author was there too, so it's signed. The main character is nine, but it is in no way a children's book. It was much more grim than I had anticipated. The writing had me right there with Benjamin and his family. Chigozie Obioma will be a writer to watch.

The Coming Week:

Would you believe that I'm still listening to the second Octavian Nothing book? I started it about a month ago. I have 4 more CDs left, but I have a long drive later this week so I will definitely finish. I started Purple Hibiscus and am enjoying that one. I will probably grab at least one more audio book for my road trip, and I have The Poet Slave of Cuba checked out right now. We will see what else jumps into my hands.

Reading Challenge Update

Diversity on the Shelf/Diverse Books - 73/100

Goodreads - 135/520

#MustRead2015 - 19/53

Diversity Reading Challenge - 8/12

Around the World With Books 2015

Review: Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer

Title: Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer
Author: Kelly Jones
Illustrator: Katie Kath
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Review Copy: ARC via publisher
Availability: May 12, 2015

Summary: Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown feels like a fish out of water when she and her parents move from Los Angeles to the farm they’ve inherited from a great-uncle. But farm life gets more interesting when a cranky chicken appears and Sophie discovers the hen can move objects with the power of her little chicken brain: jam jars, the latch to her henhouse, the entire henhouse.... And then more of her great-uncle’s unusual chickens come home to roost. Determined, resourceful Sophie learns to care for her flock, earning money for chicken feed, collecting eggs. But when a respected local farmer tries to steal them, Sophie must find a way to keep them (and their superpowers) safe. Told in letters to Sophie’s abuela, quizzes, a chicken-care correspondence course, to-do lists, and more, Unusual Chickens is a quirky, clucky classic in the making.

Review: The title struck me as amusing before I even got to the text. The look in the top chicken's eye's on the cover also cracks me up. There was no way that I could ignore this book and I'm so glad I didn't. Sophie and her adventures had me smiling and giggling over and over even when dealing with serious things. Her first letter to her grandmother is a good example. Her abuela died recently  and Sophie writes, "I know you're dead, and I don't believe in zombies, so you don't need to write back or anything."

And those chickens! The chickens are hilarious and only become more so as you slowly learn how unusual they really are. There is a mystery unfolding throughout the book and I don't want to spoil it, but know that there are many laughs along the way. The humor is also embedded in the fun pictures. Katie Kath has added a lot through her playful illustrations. The expressions on the faces of the people and the chickens are fabulous.

This is a light-hearted and entertaining book, but Sophie doesn't only talk about the chickens in her letters. She mentions the chicken that uses The Force and other bizarre happenings involving superhero type powers, but she also discusses race, class, identity and fitting in. It's done in a matter of fact way and doesn't get teachy or preachy. Sophie is half Latina and looks like her Mexican American mother. She explains that some people assume that Sophie and her mother (who was born in the United States) are undocumented immigrants. Another time she writes, "People always think Mom and I are poor. They even did when we had some money, just because we're brown." This is not a case of a humorous story with a character who "just happens to be Latina." Her culture shapes her story and how it is told.

An extra bit of wonderfulness in the story is the recipe for migas. I love books that encourage me to make something new in the kitchen. *Update: I tried the migas tonight for dinner and ate way too much because they were seriously yummy.

Recommendation: Definitely get this as soon as it's available. You'll want to read Unusual Chickens  and share it widely. You may also end up grabbing The Hoboken Chicken Emergency since Sophie is a superfan and read it aloud to her chickens.

Celebrate

Ruth Ayres has a link-up on Saturdays where people link to posts that are celebrations about their week. I love this reminder to celebrate every week.

This week has had plenty of ups and downs. The construction work at school this week was noisier than it had been for a while. This led to headaches and a general desire to get out of the building as soon as possible at the end of the day. To combat this stress, several of us took walks together during our lunch breaks. Fortunately, the weather was gorgeous this week. We finally really have spring. Many staff members also met after school on Friday in a teacher's backyard for conversation and snacks. It was a fantastic way to relax.

Another bright spot was that my third and fourth grade students are creating papel picado for Día de los niños using the designs in the resource guide. The fifth grade students will be trying some of the designs from Carmen Lomas Garzas book Making Magic Windows. We'll use one of the flower patterns and one with lizards.

Today I was able to go to Zumba class again. It was not fabulous for my back, but it was still a lot of fun. My husband and I were also able to go on a great hike to look out over Lake Winona and the Mississippi in the distance. It was a beautiful day and I always enjoy getting up to the top of the bluffs to see the water.

Last Saturday my exchange student and I made it to the powwow in Madison. It was cool to see the variety of dancing. We also had a wonderful walk by the lake and some yummy root beer floats. Strangely enough we got to see the engineering students creating the world's largest Rice Krispies Treat too. We stopped and visited with my son and he directed us to the world record breakers.

Though I was feeling behind on blogging Thursday, I did catch my breath and have made lists and plans. Things seem more achievable now.

There was much to celebrate and the celebrations outweigh the difficulties by a ton. Have a wonderful week!

Catching My Breath

It's late Thursday night. Tuesday was the day meant for Slice of Life writing. Didn't happen. Wednesday was the day meant for blogging about a nonfiction picture book. Didn't happen. Today, a review could have happened, but didn't. A nap was taken instead. Dinner was made. Email was read and many responses were written, but still no post.

Do any of you bloggers have weeks like this? I had many intentions, but little action. I opened up my bullet journal tonight for the first time in a while and got back to writing my lists. This may get me back on track. If you have suggestions on how to keep up and stay motivated, let me know. In the meantime, I'll stop worrying about the yesterdays,

focus on my One Little Word,

and keep moving forward so I don't get all grumpy

like this guy.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at my Goodreads shelf. Images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

The Past Week: 

I read and reviewed Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer. It's a great book, especially for educators, and it provides quality information about American Indians.

Another adult nonfiction title that I read was What It Is by Lynda Barry. The last book I read by her was about creating visual art and this one was about writing. It had some fantastic prompts and included pieces of writing that appeared to be memoir. They made for good mentor pieces.

I also read and reviewed Photos Framed: A Fresh Look at the World's Most Memorable Photographs, Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature, and Making Magic Windows: Creating Papel Picado/Cut-Paper Art with Carmen Lomas Garza. They were all excellent nonfiction books. As I typed that I realized that most of my reading this week was nonfiction. Hmmm.

And here are some of the fiction books that I read. Mama and Papa Have a Store was so interesting to me because I had heard of Chinese immigrants to Spanish speaking countries only in the past year. That is a part of history that I didn't know much about. In this memoir picture book we see a family from Asia that is making a new life in Guatemala City. Snapshots from the Wedding really reminded me of Carmen Lomas Garza's Family Pictures. They are fun little slices of life. My Name is Gabito was a nice picture book biography of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. 

The Coming Week:

I was also still listening to Octavian Nothing (still a struggle) and reading The Fishermen which is so much more than I expected. I don't quite understand why Octavian Nothing is considered young adult especially when I am reading both of these at the same time. The main character of The Fishermen is only nine and the book is definitely for adults so it can't be simply that Octavian is a young person. Octavian seems to narrate in a very adult style so I am puzzled really especially when I find it so difficult to stay interested and the language is so formal. 

I started the graphic novel Strange Fruit Vol 1: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History today too. I just picked up Crazy Horse's Girlfriend yesterday and am excited to start that soon. I'll probably read a few picture books along the way also.

Reading Challenge Update

Diversity on the Shelf/Diverse Books - 67/100

Goodreads - 125/520

#MustRead2015 - 15/53

Diversity Reading Challenge - 8/12

Around the World With Books 2015

Celebrate!

Ruth Ayres has a link-up on Saturdays where people link to posts that are celebrations about their week. I love this reminder to celebrate every week.

I don't have much time to write this morning. I need to run to the store, the post office, and the library before we drive a few hours to Madison to go to a powwow. It should be a lot of fun. I'll also have a short visit with my son there too. This is an impulse trip since I didn't know about the powwow until Thursday evening, but impulsive things have been good this week.

On Wed. night I went to craft night and while there found out that Many Moccasins was going to be performing at the local university that night. All of a sudden my plans changed. Their group performs many traditional dances, but also includes some more modern forms and music. The strong drum beat throughout many of the songs pulsed in the air and through our bodies. The energy and beauty of the dances really made it a night to remember.

Another celebration is that my cold and migraine have faded. I had to leave school one day this week because I was feeling so horrible. I am celebrating effective medication and the ability to take time off of work without fear of penalty or loss of pay.

Another celebration is that we were able to purchase a TumbleBook Library subscription and many students were able to enjoy some very fun reading this week using that library of ebooks.

While I was home feeling crummy, I was able to listen to a book on CD and experiment with papel picado. I enjoyed following the designs that Carmen Lomas Garza shared in her book Making Magic Windows.

The best part of the week was having my son home for Easter and sharing a wonderful meal together on Sunday. Those times are precious and we are thankful to have time with each other.

I hope you have a week filled with many big and small celebrations.

Review: Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask

Title: Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask
Author: Anton Treuer
Publisher: Borealis Books
Pages: 190
Review Copy: Library
Availability: On shelves now

Summary: “I had a profoundly well-educated Princetonian ask me, ‘Where is your tomahawk?’ I had a beautiful woman approach me in the college gymnasium and exclaim, ‘You have the most beautiful red skin.’ I took a friend to see Dances with Wolves and was told, ‘Your people have a beautiful culture.’ . . . I made many lifelong friends at college, and they supported but also challenged me with questions like, ‘Why should Indians have reservations?’ ”

What have you always wanted to know about Indians? Do you think you should already know the answers—or suspect that your questions may be offensive? In matter-of-fact responses to over 120 questions, both thoughtful and outrageous, modern and historical, Ojibwe scholar and cultural preservationist Anton Treuer gives a frank, funny, and sometimes personal tour of what’s up with Indians, anyway.

• What is the real story of Thanksgiving?
• Why are tribal languages important?
• What do you think of that incident where people died in a sweat lodge?

White/Indian relations are often characterized by guilt and anger. Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask cuts through the emotion and builds a foundation for true understanding and positive action.

Review: Many non-Native people have ideas about what it means to be Indian. They may or may not ask the questions that bounce around in their heads. They may not even know which questions they would ask if given a chance. In this book, Anton Treuer shares his answers to many questions and "offers a critical first step to comfortably dispel erroneous imaginings and develop deeper understandings."

This is a good beginning place for learning about Indians. It isn't meant to be exhaustive, but attempts to provide answers to common questions in a way that is easy to understand. He took very complex issues and explained them simply and with diplomacy.

As he delved into the history, he noted, "We cannot afford to sugarcoat the dark chapters of our history, as we have for decades upon decades." He brings some of the dark moments out into the light - not for purposes of making people feel guilty - but to see that these moments aren't repeated and to work towards healing.

Along with history, Treuer focuses on terminology, religion, culture & identity, powwow, tribal languages, politics, economics, education, and the future. He covers many topics, but they are in small bite size pieces for the most part. The book isn't necessarily meant to be read cover to cover in one sitting.

There were several things that stood out to me as an educator in Wisconsin. The first big revelation was The Great Seal of the Territory of Wisconsin (you can see it here). The Latin caption on the seal says "Civilization Succeeds Barbarism" and there is an Indian facing west towards a steamship. This would likely be one of the Ho-Chunk who were forcibly moved to Nebraska. I have seen the state seal, but hadn't ever looked at the territory seal. This would definitely be something to look at critically with students when discussing the history of Wisconsin and the perception of settlers in the 1800s. It would also create space for discussion of the Ho-Chunk perspective.

The explanations surrounding sovereignty were also helpful, but another thing that really stood out was the questions and answers around tribal language. He noted that tribal languages "are defining features of nationhood." He also noted that tribal languages should be important to all U.S. citizens. He states, "the survival of tribal languages and cultures is a litmus test for the morality of our nation and its ability to provide for the needs of all of its citizens."

Throughout the book there are issues that could generate guilt or anger, but Treuer points out that these emotions aren't going to fix anything. Fortunately, he also includes a section about what people can do moving forward.

This is a great book for educators, but I would recommend it to anyone who has gathered knowledge of Indians primarily via history classes and the media.

Extras:
An excerpt of the book may be found at Indian Country Today Media Network
An Interview with Anton Treuer on Minnesota Public Radio

-- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

What Do You See?

Today I'm sharing a few books that focus on seeing or making something to see. 

Some of my practice papel picado

Making Magic Windows: Creating Papel Picado/Cut-Paper Art with Carmen Lomas Garza

by Carmen Lomas Garza

Goodreads summary: Author Carmen Lomas Garza is a pioneer in popularizing the traditional Mexican craft of papel picado in the United States and developing it into a sophisticated art form. This workbook shows children and their families how to create these beautiful papel picado designs and banners by simply folding and cutting tissue paper. Children will learn how to craft eight different traditional designs, including The Four Cardinal Points, a design reminiscent of the four points of a compass; Tiles, echoing the colorful hand-painted tiles that decorate many Mexican buildings; and The Fan, one of the artist's favorite designs, consisting of leaves, hummingbirds, and flowers.

My thoughts: Last year for El día de los niños/El día de los libros, my students and I made simple papel picado to help decorate the entrance of our school. When I was looking at the Pura Belpré winners later, I saw Magic Windows by Carmen Lomas Garza. That led me to what appears to be this companion book Making Magic Windows. She gives step-by-step instructions for creating wonderful papel picado with scissors or even with a craft knife. I don't know if I will go that far, but I may invite some of the older students to try this more complicated cutting this year rather than the more simple designs we used before. I had a fun time trying out some of her designs.

Review copy: Public library book

Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature by Sarah C. Campbell

Photographs by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell

Goodreads summary: We see familiar shapes in nature all around us—this orange looks like a sphere, that icicle a cone, those cucumbers are almost cylinders. But trees, clouds, or broccoli—what shapes are they? In this photo-filled conceptual picture book, young readers will not only get an introduction to those amazing and naturally repeating patterns called fractals, but they’ll also learn about what makes fractals unique. Curious kids will leave with a sense of wonder about the intricacies of the natural world and the many shapes around us!

My thoughts: I was excited to get this book if for no other reason than explaining what "frozen fractals" are and why they may be "all around" as we learned in Disney's Frozen. The photographs in the book are gorgeous and make the subject easy to understand. The text is written on quite a simple level and could be used even with primary grades. I had thought it would be aimed only at upper grades, but am happily mistaken. I can see that it would be fun to start drawing fractals after reading this.

Review copy: Purchased

Photos Framed: A Fresh Look at the World's Most Memorable Photographs 

by Ruth Thomson

Goodreads summary: Photographs can be beautiful or harrowing, honest or manipulative, dramatic or comforting. Photos Framed explores twenty-seven of the most important and vivid photos taken over the medium’s history, from a formal portrait of Louis Daguerre taken in 1844 to a candid shot of a Cuban girl and her doll in 2011. Readers are invited to use their powers of observation to zoom in on photographic elements, blow up details of the subject matter, think about the big picture, and pan out on the photographer. Photos Framed will open viewers’ eyes to the art of photography and its power to tell a story.

My thoughts: Many of the photos in this book will be familiar to readers and so will catch their attention. It's great to have some back story to the photos and to learn a bit about the photographers that took them. In addition to providing information, the book also asks the reader to think about many questions as they look at the photos. The questions don't necessarily have a right or wrong answer and no answer is provided. The questions may lead to some fantastic thinking or discussion in a classroom. When I read the book I immediately thought about our 5th grade unit on photo essays. The book would help in their discussion of photography used for storytelling and persuasion. There are sections breaking the photos into portraits, nature, art, and documentary. I found the photographs and text to be fascinating and am eager to share it with our art teacher and the fifth grade unit also.

Review copy: Copy via publisher (Candlewick)

Slice of Life

The Slice of Life Challenge was created by the people over at the blog Two Writing Teachers. The challenge is to write about some part of your day and share it each Tuesday then give feedback to at least three other bloggers.

Today I don't feel so very wonderful. I have a spring cold along with a few other aches and pains. My comfort drink is warm tea and my comfort food is cinnamon toast. My favorite chair, a book on CD and some tiny finches outside the window are also helping to make me feel a little better before I finally give in to the nap that is calling my name.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at my Goodreads shelf. Images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

The Past Week: 

I enjoyed my picture book choices this week. Orangutanka by Margarita Engle is playful poetry (using the tanka form) that suits the orangutans in the illustrations. Turtle's Race with Beaver by Joseph Bruchac was a story about a clever turtle and how cooperation can be a very good thing. I shared this with my third graders and they loved it. Abuelo is another nice picture book about a boy and his grandfather. The illustrations are by Raúl Colón and are fabulous. My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete and her daughter Ryan Elizabeth Peete, is a book about twins Callie and Charlie. Callie tells the story about how their family found out that Charlie has autism and what that has meant for Charlie and those around him. This would be a great book to share to start a conversation with young children about autism. Bintou's Braids by Sylvanie A. Diouf is a beautiful story about a young girl who is eager to have her hair done in braids like the older girls. She wants to grow up in a hurry. 

I also read the ARC (from the publisher) of the young adult dystopian book The Hunted by Matt de la Peña. It's the sequel to The Living and I really enjoyed it. I'll be reviewing it formally over on Rich in Color closer to its release date.

I re-read Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero and loved it the second time. I reviewed it over at Rich in Color. It's an amazing book and shouldn't be missed if you enjoy young adult lit.

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis is a unique young adult fantasy that kept me guessing. I loved the characters and how they interacted with each other. 

The Coming Week:

I'm still listening to The Plague of Doves and the second Octavian Nothing book. I am close to finishing Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask. It's an excellent resource. I started The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma (an ARC I got at ALA), but got distracted by The Hunted so will start that one again this week. 

Reading Challenge Update

Diversity on the Shelf/Diverse Books - 62/100

Goodreads - 117/520

#MustRead2015 - 11/53

Diversity Reading Challenge - 8/12

Around the World With Books 2015

Celebreate

Ruth Ayres has a link-up on Saturdays where people link to posts that are celebrations about their week. I love this reminder to celebrate every week.

This week we had our music programs for 1st & 2nd grade and 3rd & 4th grade. It was fun to see the students dancing and singing around on the stage. Sometimes they are super silly, sometimes they're serious and sometimes they seem so filled with joy and excitement that they can't quite contain themselves.

We have two extra days off for Easter. My son is home from school so I took him and our exchange student to the National Eagle Center. Being in the same room with an Eagle is quite an experience. They are not that heavy - the one in this picture is about 10 pounds, but those talons are impressive. The eagles can exert up to 400 pounds of pressure with and have those nice sharp pointy tools too. Eek! I'm glad I'm not a fish or a rabbit.

Another bit of fun this week was coloring the Easter eggs. Our exchange student hadn't done this before. It's fun to see the eggs get darker and darker. After we were finished, I got a paint brush and used the dye on watercolor paper to make a painting too. Art is just so relaxing. 

Today, I am mostly celebrating that we are all together and have been enjoying each other's company this weekend. Oh, and we'll be enjoying the Badger game together tonight. Have a wonderful week.