Kellee – Page 263 – Unleashing Readers

Jimmy the Joey by Deborah Lee Rose and Susan Kelly

November 13, 2013 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Jimmy the Joey: The True Story of an Amazing Koala Rescue
Authors: Deborah Lee Rose and Susan Kelly
Photographer: Susan Kelly
Published July 9th, 2013 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: This warm and inspirational photographic picture book for ages 4 to 8 is a compelling and uplifting true story, with a sweet message about coping with loss that draws attention to an important and threatened wild animal.

Jimmy is an adorable baby koala whose tender tale is sure to strike at the heartstrings of every animal lover. Readers will marvel at Jimmy’s new life at Koala Hospital, being raised by loving human caregivers and interacting with other koalas healing from injury. The book also introduces young readers to the need for conservational awareness: Through Jimmy’s life story readers will come to understand the many obstacles koalas and other species face today.

My Review: So I must warn you. This book is full of adorable. You fall in love with Joey instantly and will love every second of his story. Joey’s story is combined with information about koalas as well as information about conservation. However, it never gets preachy; it is just the facts of Jimmy’s story. Oh, and did I say ADORABLE?!?!

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This will be a favorite read aloud in elementary classrooms. How can you not love reading about this adorable koala. The read aloud cold easily move into cause and effect discussions about how the environmental changes are effecting animals. Jimmy would be a great introduction to deforestation.

Discussion Questions: How did the tearing down of forests effect Jimmy’s life?; Why does the Koala Hospital let the koalas go after they are better?

We Flagged: “Many trees in the forest had been cut down to make room for roads and people’s houses. The mother koala needed to find a new tree with plenty of fresh leaves to eat. One starry night, with her joey holding tight to her fur, the mother koala climbed slowly to the ground.” (p. 6)

Read This If You Loved: Seymour Simon animal nonfiction books, Let’s Make a Difference: We Can Help Orangutans by Gabriella Francine, Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins, Seabird in the Forest by Joan Dunning

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Tracey at Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy for review!!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 11/11/13

July 27, 2015November 11, 2013 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It’s also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…you just might discover the next “must-read” book!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too.

We encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting at least three of the other book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Last Week’s Posts

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Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: YAY! Another good reading week! Maybe it is picking back up–during the first half of my pregnancy I had a really hard time concentrating and not falling asleep when reading, so it made it really hard to read; however, it seems recently that I have been able to read more and it feels great! First I finished girlchild by Tupelo Hassman and it is such a unique novel although I believe it is an adult novel that some young adults will enjoy.

I also read a ton of picture books and enjoyed each and every one of them!: Penguin on Vacation by Salina Yoon, Bogart and Vinnie by Audrey Vernick, Millie and the Big Rescue by Alexander Steffensmeier, a bunch of Seymour Simon books (Penguins, Cats, Gorillas, Extreme Oceans, Extreme Earth, Strange Mysteries, and Out of Sight) and some National Geographic books (Jimmy the Joey, Ye Olde Weird but True! and Space.)

Ricki: This week, I read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Wow, wow, wow. This was a really good one. Rowell expertly captures the insecurities, relationships, and overall dynamics of college students. I loved it. I also reread Looking for Alaska by John Green for a class I am observing. It is always great to reread incredible books like this one.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I can finally read Allegiant!!! I am so excited! That is my only plan for this week! (Read This Dark Endeavor Ricki–everything he writes is amazing!)

Ricki: For the class I am observing, I am rereading Tyrell by Coe Booth. I absolutely love this book, so I am excited. I can’t decide what I will read next. I have always wanted to get to This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel. It feels like this is the week!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

So, what are you reading?

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!

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1.	Debbie. Styling Librarian	13.	Julee Murphy @ Book Egg	25.	Elisabeth @ The Dirigible Plum
2.	EARL	14.	Tara @ A Teaching Life	26.	Carrie Gelson @There's a Book for That
3.	Linda Baie, TeacherDance	15.	Maria Selke @Mselke01	27.	Maria @ Once Upon A Story
4.	Crystal	16.	Andrea @ Mrs Payan Reads	28.	LisaILJ @ I'll Tumble for YA
5.	Myra @ GatheringBooks	17.	Gigi McAllister @ The Late Bloomer's Book Blog	29.	Celeste Reads
6.	Michelle Glatt @ I Push Books	18.	Great Books for Kids and Teens	30.	Beth @ Library Chicken
7.	Melissa @ Honey Bee Books	19.	Megan Ginther	31.	Angie aka Ms. O
8.	Ms. Yingling	20.	Beth Shaum	32.	Joanne Toft
9.	Melanie Swider	21.	Stacey H.	33.	Page (One Book At A Time)
10.	Maine Reading Association	22.	Miss Lifesaver	34.	The Book Monsters
11.	Holly Mueller	23.	Megan@ YA? Why Not?	35.	LadyInRead
12.	Stacey from Raising a Literate Human	24.	Jeanne @ True Tales & A Cherry On Top	36.	~ linda @ The Reader and the Book

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Children’s Book Poll Results

July 27, 2015November 10, 2013 by Kellee

Last Sunday we asked for your help.
We are both having baby boys very soon (Ricki in December, Kellee in February) and are looking to make sure they have the best books available. To make sure we didn’t miss anything, we asked you all to share with us the MUST HAVE classic and contemporary picture books we need for them.
Today we are so excited to share the results

Recommended Classic Picture Books

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

29291

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Barn

401730

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

310259

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

310258

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

4948

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

32929

Wilson’s World by Edith Thatcher Hurd

The Going-to-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

53580

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.

759611

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

153540

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr.

Recommended Contemporary Picture Books

10 Minutes Till Bedtime by Peggy Rathmann

773915

Time for Bed by Mem Fox

835495

Knuffled Bunny by Mo Willems

58924

Bear Has a Story to Tell by Phillip C. Stead

13170028

May We Sleep Here Tonight? by Tan Koide

2038110

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson

2769817

The Family Book by Todd Parr

120654

Yummy Yucky by Leslie Patricelli

577348

The Snatchabook by Helen Docherty

17773504

Peas on Earth by Todd H. Doodler

12676022

Journey by Aaron Becker

Nathaniel Willy Scared Silly by Judith Mathews

440972

The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson

17659588

Button Nose by Nina Laden

6024642

Sick Day for Amos by Phillip C. Stead

7268995

If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen

1220282

Little You by Richard Van Camp

17074068

There are many books on this list which we may have overlooked!
Thank you to everyone who shared their favorite picture books with us and we cannot wait to get these for our babies’ libraries!

and

Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick

November 9, 2013 by Kellee

Gorgeous
Author: Paul Rudnick
Published April 30th, 2013 by Scholastic Press

Goodreads Summary: Inner beauty wants out. When eighteen-year-old Becky Randle’s mother dies, she’s summoned from her Missouri trailer park to meet Tom Kelly, the world’s top designer. He makes her an impossible offer: He’ll create three dresses to transform Becky from a nothing special girl into the most beautiful woman who ever lived.

Becky thinks Tom is a lunatic, or that he’s producing a hidden camera show called World’s Most Gullible Poor People. But she accepts, and she’s remade as Rebecca. When Becky looks in the mirror, she sees herself – an awkward mess of split ends and cankles. But when anyone else looks at Becky, they see pure five-alarm hotness.

Soon Rebecca is on the cover of Vogue, the new Hollywood darling, and dating celebrities. Then Becky meets Prince Gregory, heir to the British throne, and everything starts to crumble. Because Rebecca aside, Becky loves him. But to love her back, Gregory would have to look past the blinding Rebecca to see the real girl inside. And Becky knows there’s not enough magic in the world.

A screamingly defiant, hugely naughty, and impossibly fun free fall past the cat walks, the red carpets, and even the halls of Buckingham Palace, Gorgeous does the impossible: It makes you see yourself clearly for the first time.

My Review: This book is more than just a retelling of Cinderella, it is a look at our society and the importance (or lack there of) of physical appearance and celebrity. I would love to know which celebrities influenced Rudnick for some of the crazy characters in Gorgeous. I also loved Becky as a person—she is quite funny and a very good person, even after she dives into Rebecca. Readers who love romance, fashion, Hollywood, and royalty will find a winner with this book and will also find a book that delves into deeper issues than it seems originally.

Teacher’s Tools For Navigation: Although parts of of this book could be pulled out for read alouds to talk about satire or society, I know that where this book will find its home is in classroom and school libraries.

Discussion Questions: What celebrities do you think Rudnick was referring to when he wrote _____?; What is the theme of Gorgeous?; Would you have chosen to stay as Rebecca or gone back to Becky?

We Flagged: “But running away, with two dresses to go, wasn’t just timid and cowardly. A fast exit would be an insult to my mom. Because, when she didn’t shred that phone number, my mother had held out this possibility. She’d handed me that plane ticket, or maybe a pair of iridescent couture wings, and now I was flying, or at least cleared for takeoff.

Locking eyes with the woman on the TV screen, I knew that I had to find out where Rebecca might take me. Maybe Rebecca was more than a shell; maybe she was an amazing means of transportation, a surreal, hypersonic, goddess-shaped rocket ship, blasting out of East Trawley. And because Rebecca could do anything, maybe I could finally learn what had happened to my mother, and what had destroyed her.” (p. 58)

Read This If You Loved: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, Skinny by Donna Conner

Recommended For:

Harlem: A Poem by Walter Dean Myers

February 8, 2025November 8, 2013 by Kellee

Harlem: A Poem
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Illustrator: Christopher Myers
Published 1997 by Scholastic Press

Goodreads Summary: Walter Dean Myers calls to life the deep, rich, and hope-filled history of Harlem, this crucible of American culture.

Christopher Myers’ boldly assembled collage art resonates with feeling, and tells a tale all its own. Words and pictures together connect readers -of all ages – to the spirit of Harlem in its music, art, literature, and everyday life, and to how it has helped shape us as a people.

My Review & Teacher’s Tools For Navigation: After reading this book the first time, I knew I was going to have to tackle it differently than just reading a picture book. I wanted to make sense of it and I knew that I didn’t have the background knowledge so I knew that the power of all of the words had not sunk in yet. So, I typed up the poem in Google Drive and began doing my very own close reading of the poem. I started with research of terms and names that I didn’t know, building my knowledge of the culture and history of Harlem. Through this build up of knowledge, I began to understand the beauty behind Myers’s poem. The voice of this poem is one of heartbreak, but strength; proud of not only what he has become, but where he came from. This poem is a celebration of the history of Harlem and its citizens—a celebration of its religion, music, poets, authors, and everything that made/makes it a hub for the civil rights movement and African American culture.

This book would be a great one to use across many different subject areas- history, literature, and art.

Discussion Questions: What references to Harlem’s history did Myers intertwine into his poem?; How did Christopher Myers’s illustrations take the poem to another level?; (Writing) Do research about your ancestors and your heritage. Through this research, find people, places, literature, art, musicians, etc. that helped shape who you or your family are. Use this research to construct a poem about your heritage. Find a piece of artwork to accompany your poem.

We Flagged:

The uptown A
Rattles past 110th street
Unreal to real
Relaxing the soul

Shango and Jesus
Asante and Mende
One people, a hundred different
People
Huddled masses
And crowded dreams

Read This If You Loved: Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra and Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa by Andrea Davis Pinkney, The Complete Poems including Harlem by Langston Hughes, Harlem Summer by Walter Dean Myers, Nonfiction books about Harlem

Recommended For:

Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya

November 6, 2013 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War
Author: Yukio Tsuchiya
Translator: Tomoko Tsuchiya Dykes
Illustrator: Ted Lewin
Published October 30th, 1997 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Summary: A zookeeper recounts the story of John, Tonky, and Wanly, three performing elephants at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, whose turn it is to die, and of their keepers, who weep and pray that World War II will end so their beloved elephants might be saved.

My Review: I picked up this book as soon as I read that Jillian Heise thought that it’d be a good companion to Endangered. I read aloud Endangered with my 8th graders last year, and I trusted that Jillian knew what she was talking about. The subtitle warned me that this picture book would definitely not be a cheery one, but I could not have prepared myself for how emotional the book actually was. The lyrical writing and soft, watercolor illustrations add to the intensity of the story. Be warned: tears will happen.

Teacher’s Tools For Navigation: This book not only would be a perfect companion to Endangered, it is definitely a wonderful picture book to lead to deep discussions in the classroom. Children are always very emotional about books pertaining to animals, so I know they will have an intense opinion about what happens in this book. As the zookeepers kill the animals to protect the city in case of a bombing, students will definitely disagree with this decision and this will lead to a great debate. The story also lends itself towards discussions about animal emotions and abuse as well as cause and effect discussions.

Discussion Questions: In what ways is the story of the elephants in Faithful Elephants similar to the story of the bonobos in Eliot Schrefer’s Endangered?; Was there an alternate solution that the zookeepers could have considered for the elephants?

We Flagged: “Not far from the cheerful square, there stands a tombstone. Not many notice this monument for the animals that have died at the Ueno Zoo. It is quiet and peaceful here, and the sun warms every corner.” (p. 8)

Read This If You Loved: Endangered by Eliot Schrefer, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, The Outside of a Horse by Ginny Rorby

Recommended For:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 11/4/13

July 27, 2015November 4, 2013 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

We encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting at least three of the other book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Last Week’s Posts

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Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I almost read all that I planned on reading. I did finish Adele Griffin’s Loud Awake and Lost and I read most of girlchild by Tupelo Hassman and The Season of the Witch by Mariah Fredericks. I hardly ever read more than one book at a time and I actually think trying to do so made me read them both slower than I would have if I’d just focused on one. I actually hope I will finish them very soon!

Ricki: I had a great reading week and read five books! I read two YA books: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch (this one was EXCELLENT, and I highly recommend it) and The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork (this was a reread for a class I am observing, and I loved it just as much this time around).

I also read three children’s picture books: Crow Call by Lois Lowry (beautifully written), Ballet for Martha by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan (a great nonfiction book), and Halloween Hustle by Charlotte Gunnufson (a fun, literary Halloween book).

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: After I finish the two books I’ve started, I have 3 piles of picture books: one of 3 fiction picture books that Candlewick was kind enough to send me, one of National Geographic books that I received and am so excited to leave, and finally a pile of 7 Seymour Simon nonfiction books. PHEW! It’ll be an awesome picture book reading week.

Ricki: I just started Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I am pretty excited about it, and so far, it is great. I am not sure where I will head after that, but it is a hefty one, so that may be it for this week. The baby is coming in five weeks, and I need to get some of my long-term projects for graduate school completed, so I am ready to devote 100% of my time to him.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

So, what are you reading?

and

Click "Add your link" to link up:

1.	Debbie - Styling Librarian	12.	Julee Murphy @ Book Egg	23.	Jeanne @ True Tales & A Cherry On Top
2.	Myra @ GatheringBooks	13.	Stacey H.	24.	Booktoss
3.	Carrie Gelson @There's a Book for That	14.	The Book Monsters	25.	Angie aka Ms. O
4.	The Chronicles Of A Children's Book Writer	15.	Megan Ginther	26.	Joanne Toft
5.	Beth Shaum	16.	Michelle Glatt @ I Push Books	27.	Andrea @ Mrs Payan Reads
6.	Crystal @ Reading Through Life	17.	Linda Baie-TeacherDance	28.	Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy)
7.	Mrs. Brown Loves Bookworms	18.	Page (One Book At A Time)	29.	Beth @ Library Chicken
8.	Nicole Levesque @ Bluestocking Thinking	19.	Great Books for Kids and Teens	30.	Julie @ My Book Retreat
9.	Melanie Meehan	20.	Elisabeth @ The Dirigible Plum	31.	~ linda @ The Reader and the Book
10.	Natalie @Biblio Links	21.	Megan@YA? Why Not?
11.	Tara @ A Teaching Life	22.	Lorna @ Not For Lunch

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