Review: Warrior Girl

Title: Warrior Girl

Author: Carmen Tafolla

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Pages: 209

Review Copy: ARC via publisher

Availability: On shelves now

Summary: An insightful novel in verse about the joys and struggles of a Chicana girl who is a warrior for her name, her history, and her right to choose what she celebrates in life. 

Celina and her family are bilingual and follow both Mexican and American traditions. Celina revels in her Mexican heritage, but once she starts school it feels like the world wants her to erase that part of her identity. Fortunately, she’s got an army of family and three fabulous new friends behind her to fight the ignorance. But it’s her Gramma who’s her biggest inspiration, encouraging Celina to build a shield of joy around herself. Because when you’re celebrating, when you find a reason to sing or dance or paint or play or laugh or write, they haven’t taken everything away from you. Of course, it’s not possible to stay in celebration mode when things get dire--like when her dad’s deported and a pandemic hits--but if there is anything Celina’s sure of, it’s that she’ll always live up to her last Guerrera--woman warrior--and that she will use her voice and writing talents to make the world a more beautiful place where all cultures are celebrated.

My Thoughts: From the start, Celina, or Tere as she was called at home, knows that she comes from a courageous and loving people. The poems share the many times when she comes up against people in her schools and elsewhere that don't listen to her or believe that they know her or her name better than she does. With her Gramma and the one teacher that encouraged her and other students to use their voice, Celina is able to keep from having her culture, history, and self be erased. 

Writing is Celina's comfort when she is dealing with difficult things and she doesn't want to burden her family or worry them. So we get to see her inner thoughts as she works through the stresses. When it's not writing or her family, the moon and nature are where she looks for peace.

In middle school, Celina learns much more about poetry and writing and as a teacher I see all kinds of possibilities for using this book in a classroom. There are examples of great writing in the poems, but there are also lessons about poetry. And the lessons are in Celina's voice and style so they aren't super didactic. 

There are interesting conversations about history too like when they discuss who gets to relax on Labor Day, or why Columbus could claim the land that already had people, or that slavery was a reason for the battle at the Alamo though it often isn't framed that way in classrooms. There are many times when Celina asks questions of her friends and teachers and creates space for thinking about things. 

Part of the story happens during the spring of 2020 so events of that time including COVID come into play. The fear of illness or loss of loved ones and the killing of George Floyd are part of Celina's life even as she is still waiting for her father to return after deportation. There's a lot going on, but she has the support of family, friends, and some teachers who care. 

Recommendation: Get it soon. This is a short book that packs in a lot of things to think about around freedom, identity, family, friendship, history, community, and more. 

A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart

Title: A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart
Author: Zetta Elliott
Illustrator: Noa Denmon
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Pages: 32
Review copy: Purchased
Availability: On shelves now

Summary: 
There is a place inside of me
a space deep down inside of me
where all my feelings hide.

In this powerful, affirming poem by award-winning author Zetta Elliott, a Black child explores his shifting emotions throughout the year. Summertime is filled with joy—skateboarding and playing basketball—until his community is deeply wounded by a police shooting. As fall turns to winter and then spring, fear grows into anger, then pride and peace.

In her stunning debut, illustrator Noa Denmon articulates the depth and nuances of a child’s experiences following a police shooting—through grief and protests, healing and community—with washes of color as vibrant as his words.

Here is a groundbreaking narrative that can help all readers—children and adults alike—talk about the feelings hiding deep inside each of us.

Review: The subtitle says it all. These words have the power to heal the hearts of readers. This book spoke to my heart already in the dedication. "for Zion and all the children who miss the hand they used to hold...trust that you will laugh again and love again once your heart has had time to heal." Anyone who has lost a loved one can connect with this wish for the young ones.

Readers will accompany a young child who's sharing about the many emotions hiding within. The words are gorgeous, but so are the illustrations. And the illustrations add information. Readers will need to read those too or they may miss a lot.

Unfortunately, there are still way too many communities and families reeling due to police shootings and other instances of violence by the hands of the state. This book is one way for readers to find their way to healing. Children and their loved ones or caregivers will have opportunities to reflect on their own emotions and ways that they can express and experience them. I see this as a path to meaningful discussions or even just a way for loved ones to sit with each other in their pain and healing.

There is beauty in the strength and the hope that this young Black child finds when looking within and when looking at his community.

Recommendation: I highly recommend this book for any home or shared library that serves young people. Anyone can find healing within the pages of this book, but I think that this is particularly true for Black readers. There are certainly ugly things happening, but that is not where the poem ends. The young person feels pride in knowing that through the struggle, his people have emerged strong. In the face of everything, he is able to show compassion and love and so are others in his community. I believe it will move readers toward healing, but will also be empowering. I hope it gets in the hands of many, many readers.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - Are You an Echo?

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 nonfiction. My plan is to read at least 100 nonfiction picture books this year. So far I've read 84.

Today I want to highlight an incredible new book. Betsy Bird wrote a very thorough review that led me to purchase the book.  I am so glad she wrote that review so I could get to know this book and Misuzu Kaneko. I hope her review also convinces you.

Are You an Echo? The Lost Poetry of Misuzu Kaneko is a fascinating book that had me reeling. It's beautiful in both illustration and in the narrative and poetry. It's also unique. It's part biography and part poetry anthology. The first part of the book is a picture book biography, but when the narrative author David Jacobson describes Misuzu Kaneko he uses her own poetry to help tell about her. He knows Japanese, but there were two translators, Sally Ito and Michiko Tsuboi, who also worked to make Kaneko's poems accessible to readers who would need the poetry to be in English. I don't know if the translations are accurate, but the poems spoke clearly and beautifully to me.

The biography portion of the book is moving and powerful as readers get to know Kaneko and then learn about the difficulties she faced in her married life. Suicide is not something that is dealt with often in picture books, but Jacobson told about this aspect of her life. We often seek to protect children from the ugliness and pain in the world, but Jacobson has included this in a way that honors the truth without making the book become focused on that one aspect of her life.

The illustrations of Toshikado Hajiri are warm and inviting. There are moments when I see glimpses of manga type facial features, but there are also more traditional nature scenes that are simply gorgeous. 

To see some of the interior pages and to learn more about Kaneko, visit the website for the book.

Here's Janet Wong's interview with the narrative author David Jacobson and one of the translators, Sally Ito.

Here's Julie Danielson's Q&A with David Jacobson.

Here are some of Kaneko's poems included in the book.

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 nonfiction. My plan is to read at least 100 nonfiction picture books this year. So far, I've read 58 this year.

Yum! ¡Mmm! ¡Qué Rico! America's Sproutings by Pat Mora
illustrated by Rafael López

Summary from author's page: 

Smear nutty butter,
then jelly. Gooey party,
my sandwich and me.

Peanuts, blueberries, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and more-here is a luscious collection of haiku celebrating foods native to the Americas. Brimming with imagination and fun, these poems capture the tasty essence of foods that have delighted, united, and enriched our lives for centuries. Exuberant illustrations bring to life the delicious spirit of the haiku, making Yum! ¡Mmm! ¡Qué Rico! America's Sproutings an eye-popping, mouth-watering treat. Open it and dig in!

An interview with Pat Mora about this book in particular and the need for diverse books.

My thoughts: This is a beautiful book combining two things I really enjoy - food and poety. The haiku are fun and I really appreciated learning the history of these indigenous foods. The artwork is vibrant and gorgeous. I look forward to sharing this with students.

 

Fresh Delicious: Poems from the Farmers' Market by Irene Latham

illustrated by Mique Moriuchi

Goodreads summary: In these vivid poems, blueberries are “flavor-filled fireworks,” cucumbers are “a fleet of green submarines in a wicker sea,” lettuce tastes like “butter and pepper and salt,” but sometimes “I crunch into a leaf the very same flavor as rain.” The unexpected, ingenious imagery and enticing artwork in this collection will inspire the imaginations of young readers, and show how poetry can be as fresh and delicious as the farmers’ market produce it celebrates.

My thoughts:  Fresh delicious is another wonderful pairing of food and poetry. The poems and illustrations are playful and full of life. The addition of adorable animals is also a plus. I think this book is a great way to get young readers excited about fruits and veggies. I appreciated the inclusion of recipes.

Celebrating Poetry with our Poet Laureate

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 week we celebrated Poem in Your Pocket Day at our school. In preparation, students chose or wrote poems in library classes. The night before though, I was still trying to choose mine. I remembered that we have a U.S. poet laureate and realized that I've never talked to my students about him. I read one of his books earlier this month and wrote a blog post about a few of his books. I wondered if I could find a poem of his that would work with my students. When I searched for poems by Juan Felipe Herrera, I found "Jackrabbits, Green Onions, and Witches Stew." I read it and thought since it was an unusual collection of words, it would be a fun one to share, but I wondered if I was reading it correctly so I looked for a video.

I found something even better. I found a lesson plan by Nicolle Stellon O'Donnell that included a video of Herrera reading my chosen poem, but also another helpful video. In the second one, he shares another poem, but also, near end of it, Herrera talks about how he defines poetry (at about 2:45).

I don't totally know what "Jackrabbits, Green Onions, and Witches Stew" might mean, but the text reminds me of Dr. Who. Whether I figured it out or not, Herrera seems to believe the most important thing is spending time with the poem. The poem may simply be meant to cause readers to be baffled or bring a smile to their face. Herrera may not even know what one of his poems is really saying. I'm good with that.

Diverse Children's Books for Poetry Month

Diverse Children's Books is a brand new book-sharing meme designed to promote the reading and writing of children's books that feature diverse characters. This community embraces all kinds of diversity including (and certainly not limited to) inclusive, multicultural, and global books for children of all backgrounds.

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We encourage everyone who shares to support this blogging community by visiting and leaving comments for at least three others. Please also consider following the hosts on at least one of their social media outlets. Spread the word using #diversekidlit and/or adding our button to your site and your diverse posts. Interested in joining as a host or an occasional co-host? Contact Katie at 1logonaut (gmail). We hope this community will grow into a great resource for parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, and authors! Our next linkup will be Saturday, April 16th.

Poetry Month is here again!

Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton by Don Tate

I love April because the whole month is a reminder to deliberately seek out poetry and poets. I love this book by Don Tate. It's a wonderful look into the life and writing of George Moses Horton.

Here are a few more selections to check out during poetry month. Some of the titles are on the high end of middle grade (Voice of Freedom, Walking on Earth & some of the novels in verse).

 

 

The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas/Illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Laughing Tomatoes: And Other Spring Poems/Jitomates risuenos:Y otros poemas de primavera by Francisco X. Alarcón/Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzále

Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat edited by Nikki Giovanni/Illustrated by Kristen Balouch and Michele Noiset

My People by Langston Hughes/Photographs by Charles R. Smith Jr.

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer by Carole Boston Weatherford/Illustrated by Ekua Holmes

Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo (Poems) by Linda Sue Park/Illustrated by Istvan Banya

Ashley Bryan's ABC of African American Poetry compiled and illustrated by Ashley Bryan

Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown/Illustrated by  Julie Paschkis

Walking on Earth & Touching the Sky edited by  Timothy P. McLaughlin/Illustrated by S.D. Nelson

Novels in Verse

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle

Caminar by Skila Brown
 

Diverse Children's Books is Hosted By:

Katie @ The Logonauts Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest

Myra @ Gathering Books Blog / Twitter / Facebook

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Carrie @ There's a Book for That Blog / Twitter

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Review: Monsters, Zombies + Addicts

Title: Monsters, Zombies + Addicts: Poems
Author: Gwendolyn Zepeda
Publisher:  Arte Publico
Genre: Poetry
Pages: 84
Review copy: Final copy from publisher
Availability: On shelves now

Summary: "I was scared of a thing that might have happened. In daytime I'm sure it never did. / At night, I don't trust daylit memories or instincts. In nightmares, like filmstrips, the feared thing occurs." In her second poetry collection, monsters real and imagined chase Houston Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Zepeda through late nights when she can t sleep. Ghosts routinely visit in the early morning hours, but in spite of her fears, she dares to believe that she has escaped the devils that once followed her.

This collection of 62 narrative poems contains witty observations about the rituals of contemporary life. In "Cocktail Hours", she wonders, "What if all my nights were Christmas lights on patios with tinkling drinks and fun conversations." And in "Recipe for Fun," Zepeda offers a ten-point guide to soothing away life's frustrations, including a suggestion to get some peace by giving "everyone in your house pizza, cat food or video games."

Musings on family, remembrances of childhood games and encounters with strangers (and ants!) fill this clever, thought-provoking collection in which Zepeda dares to express her individuality. She knows that she is different, "Maybe I am a boy in drag. Especially here, where I don't feel like everybody else." She doesn't follow others blindly or do what society expects of her. Readers will appreciate this second poetry collection, which is deeply personal yet universal in its hopes and fears.

Review: Since I usually review children's and young adult titles, I want to make it clear that this is an adult collection. It's marketed adult and is written from an adult perspective. Having the word zombies on the cover may still get the attention of a few YA readers or adult readers that don't usually venture into poetry. The word zombies is what caught my attention. The title also lets you know that this is a darker poetry collection. Zepeda delves into the creepy and disturbing areas of life. There is a smattering of humor here and there, but on the whole, these poems are unsettling and are definitely not sweet and pretty ditties. These poems were unlike any other collection I have dipped into before. The poems expressed some strong emotions and called to my own.

Whether the topics were drinking too much, anxiety attacks, a brother's anger, devils, maggots or nightmares, Zepeda's poems are probing into scary aspects of life and into the dark places of the mind. Real or imaginary, the effect is the same. Hansel and Gretel has always been a disturbing story, but under Zepeda's pen, it becomes even more chilling.

The book is organized in four sections: Addicts and Obsessions, Monsters and Warriors, Zombies and the Bitten and Animals and Nature. Animals and Nature had several of my favorites and were more likely to be amusing. One that I really liked was "Recipe for Fun" mentioned above in the summary. Feeding others then hiding in the bathroom with a salt scrub sounds appealing to me. It made me want to write my own recipe for fun too.

It is a poetry collection, but a few of the pieces appear to be narrative essays. Even when they don't have the tradition form of a poem though, all of the selections are filled with rich imagery capable of calling up emotions - and strong emotions at that.


While I don't often venture into the realm of the creepy, I'm glad that I had the chance to walk through the twisted paths found here.  -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Extras: 
Interview with Gwendolyn Zepeda via WordMothers
"Gwendolyn Zepeda Explains Her Life to Strangers"

Review: The Red Pencil

Title: The Red Pencil
Author: Andrea Davis Pinkney
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 336
Review Copy: Digital ARC via NetGalley
Availability: On shelves now

Summary: "Amira, look at me," Muma insists. She collects both my hands in hers."The Janjaweed attack without warning. If ever they come-- run."

Finally, Amira is twelve. Old enough to wear a toob, old enough for new responsibilities. And maybe old enough to go to school in Nyala-- Amira's one true dream. But life in her peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when the Janjaweed arrive. The terrifying attackers ravage the town and unleash unspeakable horrors. After she loses nearly everything, Amira needs to dig deep within herself to find the strength to make the long journey-- on foot-- to safety at a refugee camp. Her days are tough at the camp, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind-- and all kinds of possibilities.

Review: In May of this year, I was fortunate enough to attend the 2014 May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture "Rejoice the Legacy" presented by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Her presentation was inspiring and all kinds of fabulous. You can watch it below. As part of the lecture, she introduced her newest book, The Red Pencil. 

Andrea Davis Pinkney is a gifted storyteller and just as she explained in the lecture, she managed to share both the beauty and the plight of the people of Sudan through this book. It's a middle grade book, so the use of free verse poetry was one way that Pinkney shared the violence, but also sheltered the readers from some of it. Readers will clearly see the death and devastation, but the spare words keep it from being overwhelming. Careful readers will still see enough details to know that the situation is horrific and not one anybody would wish on others.

Pinkney begins the story before tragedy comes to Amira's family. We see the powerful love in her family. We also see that their way of life has many strengths. There are a few challenges too, which include the resistance of Amira's mother to the idea of schooling for girls. My favorite part of the book is the game What Else is Possible? that Amira and her father play. Her father explains why they have this game:

He says,
"Worrying, that is a waste of time.
Better to ask, 'What else is possible?'"

When worrying about something, instead of focusing on the horrible outcomes that are possible, they guess only positive answers to the question. Amira says it this way:

What Else is Possible?
is a game about looking at things
in shiny ways.

I read this book three months ago, but didn't review it at the time. More than anything else, this game stuck with me. This ability to look for the possibilities is one of the strengths that sustains Amira. Of course, she also has her creativity with art and words. From the beginning we see that Amira creates pictures with her stick and with her words. Creating pictures in the sand comes as naturally to her as breathing. Along with her family, drawing is her joy. She also has a gift with words. She plays with them and has a unique voice. I love her descriptions like this one about her friend's mother:

Words flap from her
like giddy chickens escaping their pen.

The Red Pencil will be a book that I will be sharing enthusiastically with teachers and students. It allows us to see a young girl and her resilience in the face of heart-breaking circumstances. It also provides us with a window to another part of the world.

Extras:
Audio snippet - Andrea Davis Pinkney reading a few poems from the book

Educator's Guide

(comments about The Red Pencil begin at 1:16:54)

Poetry Friday

I am excited to see that there is a new Poetry Friday Anthology coming out. Syvia Vardell and Janet Wong shared their news and are hosting Poetry Friday at Poetry for Children.

I was lucky enough to attend #nErDCampMI again this year. While there I was able to go to a session about poetry led by Mary Lee Hahn. She was inspirational and shared many poetry resources, but she also had us do a little poetry writing. I am hoping to do more writing in the coming year. Here is one I have been rolling around in my head during my training runs the past week or so.

Summer Flirtation

As my feet pound the path
Nature woos me.
Butterflies kiss my legs and arms.
A frog in my way
  makes my heart skip a beat.
A sleek fox catches my eye.

Sweet bunnies melt my heart

  while the sun warms my skin.

A lake winks slyly from
  between the trees.
The breeze murmurs in my ear.
Birds sing their serenades.
I never run alone.

Poetry Friday

This weekend I am planning to go see Sarah Kay in Chicago. I love her spoken word poetry. Here is one of the poems from her recent book No Matter the Wreckage.

Here is the first poem I ever heard from Sarah Kay. In this one, she is doing what I would call a poetry duet with Phil Kaye.

At some point in the past, Sarah created a Youtube playlist that highlights some of the spoken word poets who have influenced her own work. It's pretty cool. 

Finally, I also found a helpful book this week, Picture Yourself Writing Poetry.

It has some fantastic writing prompts that are tied to the photographs in the book. Laura Purdie Salas also offers some sample poems and many excellent suggestions for writing poetry inspired by photos. 

Here is a photo that I took a while back as a train passed by me. I am attempting to use it as a prompt. I've started brainstorming words, but don't have a poem yet. Wish me luck.

Poetry Friday

I love this poem duet - or I guess the correct terminology is poem in two voices. Happy Friday! 

Poetry Favorites

In honor of Poetry Month here are a few of my favorite poetry books. 

What are some of your favorites?

Poetry Friday

I am not actually posting a poem, but would like to point you to a few poetry posts that I wrote for Rich in Color.

Here is a list of diverse young adult books that are full of poetry or are poetry related.

Here is a list of diverse young adult novels in verse.

Here is a review of Marilyn Nelson's book How I Discovered Poetry.

Have a wonderful Friday full of poetry!

Poetry

I love that we focus on poetry in April. I made a couple of poetry lists over on Rich in Color if you would like some diverse young adult poetry titles you can click here.

Poetry is a powerful way to communicate. Here is a great example:

Poetry Friday

Piles of Poetry is one of the posts that I put together over on Rich in Color. The post was about some great diverse young adult poetry including this spoken word poetry from the Spoken Word Team from the Santa Fe Indian School.

Another form of poetry is in music. This is another fantastic poetic experience from Tall Paul.

April is a time when many of us think about and read poetry. What are some of your favorite poems or poetry books? My favorite recently was What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms and Blessings.

I am looking forward to reading How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson for Poetry Month. 

Here is an NPR interview with Marilyn Nelson. It sounds like an amazing book.

Getting in the Mood for Poetry

I was so happy to stumble across several great poetry videos. The one above may be found on the YouTube Channel of Renee LaTulippe. She has created a fantastic collection of videos of various authors reading their poetry. She also has a website called No Water River with poetry resources.

Another great source of poetry videos is The Poetry Foundation. I enjoyed seeing a sign language presentation of Emily Dickinson's "Hope is the Thing with Feathers" and Mary Ann Hoberman reading her book I Like Old Clothes. I especially loved "April Rain Song" written and read by Langston Hughes. 

Reading Rockets also has some fantastic links and resources for poetry. I can tell April will be awesome!

Some Nerdy Poetry

In reading some of the books on the Nerdy short-list, found here, I have come across a few noteworthy poems this past week. Some of them were old friends and some are now brand-new friends. A few were even hidden in a narrative rather than featured in a poetry collection.

From Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart
  Selected by Mary Ann Hoberman

The Road goes ever on and on
(from The Fellowship of the Ring)

The Road goes ever on and on
      Down form the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
      And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
      Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
     And wither then? I cannot say.
      J.R.R. Tolkien


From A Stick is an Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer

Really Fast!
 
Skateboard races,
          pigeon chases,
                running bases.
              Backyard dashes,
            racecar crashes,
       puddle splashes.

Everything's a blast
      when you do it really fast!

From Walking on Earth & Touching the Sky
    Edited by Timothy P. McLaughlin

Racism

Racism is a strong bullet through a person's heart.
Racism is like a bank with lots of unkind words.
Racism is like a gun in a child's hands
loaded with all the words a devil would say
     --Julian Bear Runner


Quiet

Quiet is the ringing in the ear.
Quiet is the pitch of the night.
Quiet is the feeling of relaxed.
Quiet is the soft touch of friends.
Quiet is the tenderness of babies sleeping.
     --Tia Catches

The Earth is God's face showing all over the place. --Sandy Red Feather

From No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller

Mother to Son

Well, son, I'll tell you:

Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

It's had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor--

Bare.

But all the time

I'se been a-climbin' on ,

And reachin' landin's,

And turnin' corners,

And sometimes goin' in the dark

Where there ain't been no light.

So, boy, don't you turn back.

Don't you set down on the steps.

'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.

Don't you fall now--

For I'se still climbin',

And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

     --Langston Hughes

The Dream Keeper

Bring me all of your dreams

You dreamer,

Bring me all your 

Heart melodies

That I may wrap them 

In a blue cloud-cloth

Away from the too-rough fingers

Of the world. 

    --Langston Hughes

I really appreciate the Nerdy Book Club and it's unceasing quest to inspire and encourage reading. I especially like that we help each other to push past our usual boundaries and read a wide variety of books. I love being a part of this wonderful reading community!

It's Monday! What are you Reading?

Jen & Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts host a meme every Monday that invites people to share the children's and young adult books they have been reading over the past week and what they plan on reading the following week.

Past Week:

Newbery Challenge

This week was a good one for Newberys. I love, love, love, Claudia in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. She is a girl with a plan - a fabulous plan. I remember going to the Los Angeles Museum of Art on a field trip after reading this book and just imagining how Claudia did it all. The High King was also pretty fun. It was a trip down memory lane as I thought back to my earlier reading of both this and The Mabinogion (Welsh legends) that Alexander used in writing this series. For more on this visit my previous post here. Sounder was a less pleasant read, but certainly was powerful. I just really have a hard time with those sad books. It has made me cry each time I have read it. I am also not sure how I feel about Armstrong and how he chose to write the book without names and from the sharecropper perspective. I am not sure that he had the best point of view for it, but really, I will have to think about that some more.

Poetry

The McElderry Book of Mother Goose: Revered and Rare Rhymes was okay. I enjoy Mother Goose most of the time, but this particular collection didn't really catch my fancy. I am not entirely sure why, but maybe there just weren't enough of the ones that I love. Cousins of Clouds: Elephant Poems was a fun exploration of elephant facts. The poetry was nice, but not out of the ordinary, but I did like the combination of poetry with the non-fiction.

Middle Grade Novel

Three Times Lucky was highly recommended to me, but it was another book that didn't quite grip me. It took a long time for me to finally get past the feeling that the characters seemed unreal. I enjoyed the humor of Mo, but she just wasn't believable. She seemed too funny, too precocious, and the lines were just too snappy for me to settle in. Eventually, I just accepted the book as humor and moved on to the mystery. 

Picture Books

I re-visited Crossing Bok Chitto and still find the illustrations and the story very engrossing. This is a fantastic tale of friendship, bravery, and a bit of magical realism. Loved it. 

I also had fun reading Joseph and His Little Overcoat. The collage was very entertaining and the cutouts added a uniqueness to the book. The story was very cute. Of course, I had to wonder if the author of I Had a Favorite Dress had read this once upon a time and was inspired. They would be fun to pair together.

I almost forgot, I also read the newest Elephant and Piggie book, Let's Go For a Drive. This completely made me thing of John Schu and his road trip with his friends Donna and Ivan and all of the things they collected as they prepared to go. I had to wonder if he had read an ARC of this before writing about "Every Road Trip Needs..."

Still Reading

I am nearing the end of Lies My Teacher Told Me, but still have a ways to go with Other People's Children, and Courageous Conversations About Race. 

The Coming Week: Hopefully, I will finish up some of the books above. I have just started the next Newbery Summer of the Swans (another re-read). I have a few Caldecotts on hold at the library to pick up this week and I finally got Shana Burg's Laugh with the Moon today. It should be a good week. Happy reading!