Top Ten Tuesday – Page 11 – Unleashing Readers

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set Outside of the United States (By Continent)

July 19, 2016 by Ricki

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

Today’s Topic: Books Set Outside of the United States

We decided to add a bit of a twist. We are sharing our favorites from five continents. We opted to exclude North America (to go a bit farther from the United States) and Antarctica (because options are limited).

1. and 2. Asia

Ricki

Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

I recommend this book all of the time. It is a the harrowing true story of Arn Chorn-Pond. I learned a lot while reading it, and it inspired me to learn more about the Cambodian genocide. If you missed this book, I recommend you read it immediately!

Kellee

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Sold is about a young girl from rural Nepal who is sold into prostitution. Told in vignettes, this novel is harrowing and heartbreaking yet beautifully written. It was a coincidence that Ricki and I both chose a McCormick book, but that just shows how well she highlights the hardships of those living in this region.

3. and 4. South America

Ricki

Queen of Water by Laura Resau

When Laura Resau met Maria Virginia Farinango in Ecuador, two strong women collided to create this beautiful novel. Based on Virginia’s actual experiences, this is the story of many marginalized young women in Ecuador. I love the way Resau writes, and this story is just as beautiful as all of her others.

Kellee

Caminar by Skila Brown

Set during Guatemala’s civil war in 1981, this novel-in-verse tells the story of a boy who has lost everything and must decide how he is going to live now with war surrounding him.

5. and 6. Europe

Ricki

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Gayle Forman’s writing is always magical. I considered many books set on this continent, but I chose this one because the characters adventure to many countries throughout Europe. More than any other book set in Europe, this made me want to drop everything and travel the continent.

Kellee

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

This book fascinated me because it is a World War II story with WWII playing only a minor role in most of the book. It is mostly about Ada and Jamie and their journey to survive first in filthy conditions with an abusive parent then with Susan Smith, a lady forced to take care of them when they go to the suburbs to escape the war. The characters of this book with all their complexities, histories, heartbreaks, and triumphs will make any reader a fan.

7. and 8. Australia

Ricki

Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher

Well, I didn’t realize that I have a mild obsession for books set in Australia. Apparently, I have read many books for this category. I chose this book because it gripped me from the beginning to the end. I love when students read this book because they always want to discuss it immediately after they finish. This is a book that engages readers from the very first page. Plus, it is set in the Australian Outback, which is neat!

Kellee

Life In Outer Space by Melissa Keil

Opposite of Ricki, I had a very hard time finding a book set in Australia (I guess it is a book gap). Then I realized one of my favorite books is set there! Life In Outer Space is an under-rated contemporary nerd love story filled with true people, love for things like music and writing, and a ton of humor.

9. and 10. Africa

Ricki

Endangered by Elliot Schrefer

I love reading books set in Africa. I read about ten a year and am very glad the publishing industry highlights this continent often. While I could put dozens of great books on this list (maybe this is a future TTT category for Kellee and me!), in the end, it would always be Endangered as my final choice. This is a magnificent book that everyone should read. It is incredibly teachable and offers so many themes, ideas, and background that makes for rich classroom discussions.

Kellee

Diamond Boy by Michael Williams

While it was hard for me to not also pick a Schrefer book, I decided to pick a book that I feel should receive more attention than it does. I loved Williams’s Now is the Time for Running, so I was so happy to see that he had written a companion and that it explained one of the interesting secondary characters from Running. I was blown away by the characterization within this book. Although the plot is what propelled the story, the characters in this book are what made it. I also love the thinking that this book would cause. This book is at the same time easy to connect with, but also so completely different than anything most of the readers will have experienced. Quite unique.

Which are your favorite books set outside of the United States?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Facts About Us

July 12, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Bookish Facts About Us

Ricki

1. I get anxious any time a person tells me about a book. I don’t like to hear anything beyond the first page. I won’t even read the inside flaps of books!

2. I have seven bookshelves in my house, and yet I still have piles of books that don’t seem to fit.

3. I’ve only recently developed a love for libraries. In an attempt to save money, I started visiting them. Now, they are one of my favorite places in the world. There is nothing more peaceful and pleasant than a library.

4. At any given moment, I am typically reading 5-10 books. I’ve always struggle to maintain focus on things (bookish or not), and this helps me address this problem. I always make sure these books are very different, so I don’t get confused about plot points.

5. I have a small fear that my second son won’t love books as much as my first son. I have been so happy with my son’s addiction to books that I worry that my next child (who is currently in my belly) won’t have this same joy.

Kellee

1. Ricki and I have #1 in common. I am not a huge fan about knowing too much about books. I don’t read flaps, I don’t read backs, I don’t watch trailers, etc. If I am reading a review of a book I’ve never read, I try to stick to the review part (“The writing was so lyrical,” etc.) and stay away from the summary. My students think I am crazy! (I don’t like watching movie trailers either!)

2. I am learned to love ebooks. I love that there is away to always have a book with you without carrying around a book. With a diaper bag, my stuff, and a toddler, a book was very cumbersome; however, I always have my phone with me. I didn’t have trouble transitioning–I love reading on my phone, especially with black background and white text. It also allows me to read in the dark!

3. I have over 3,000 book titles in my classroom library (and I have 4 more bags from purchases and ALA in my car). I am immensely proud of my classroom library, and I love the feel of being surrounded by books in my classroom.

4. I hate when I go to read a sequel and I cannot remember the first book, so I write myself private notes in Goodreads about how books that will have sequels end. This is how I keep myself from having to reread (there are too many books!).

5. I do not like reading aloud. I know this is blasphemous, but I really would rather listen to an audiobook than listen to myself read. I mean, they do voices! I can’t do voices, and if I try to, I can never remember what the voice sounded like from day to day. Even with picture books I find myself having trouble being an entertaining read alouder. Sigh. If you are good at reading aloud, I am super jealous.

What are some bookish facts about you?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 1000 Ratings On Goodreads

August 4, 2016July 5, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 1000 Ratings On Goodreads

Ricki

I avoided new releases because I suspect they will get more ratings!

1. The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings by Anna Llenas (57 Ratings)

Every time I read this book, I am impressed by it. This is my favorite pop-up book of all time (and I read a lot of pop-up books!). I love the way Llenas captures emotions so vividly, and it is really helping my son learn about all of the different emotions he experiences.

2. The House of Purples Cedar by Tim Tingle (139 Ratings)

This book is an epic. I felt like I’d lived another life after I finished it. It is beautifully written and was life-changing for me. Tim Tingle is one of the best authors out there today, in my humble opinion.

3. Thrice Told Tales: Three Mice Full of Writing Advice by Catherine Lewis (140 Ratings)

This book is an English language arts teacher’s dream. Each page features a hysterical rendition of a literary term. I wish I had known about this book when I was teaching.

4. The Racecar Alphabet by Brian Floca (175 Ratings)

I am stunned that this book doesn’t have more ratings. Everyone I know loves it! This book has accompanied my son to bed (in the bed) for the past year. He won’t sleep without it by his side. The rhymes are very fun, and the racecar pictures are awesome!

5. Quicksilver by Stephanie Spinner (539 Ratings)

This is an older book (2006) that I would still recommend highly to teachers. Whenever I book-talked this book, I only had to read the first page to get a line of readers. It is told from the perspective of Hermes, and the book is hilarious. It teaches mythology through the story. If you love the Riordan books, I promise you will love this one (and the others written by Spinner). She’s awesome.

Kellee

As I was scrolling through my Goodreads READ list, I didn’t even make it to books with over 100 ratings because I found these and was so shocked that not more people have read/rated them!
P.S. I decided to focus on books published before 2015 & 2016 because with those books it may be more about time they’ve been out than anything.

1. Dolphin Sky by Ginny Rorby (42 ratings)

I cannot believe that any book written by Rorby doesn’t have thousands of ratings. I love everything she writes!

2. Star Challengers: Moonbase Crisis by Rebecca Moesta and Kevin J. Anderson (10 ratings)

I love the science mixed in with the fiction! It is written by a widow of a Challenger astronaut and hopes to keep kids interested in space exploration and the sciences.

3. How Fast Can You Go? by Kate Riggs (17 ratings)

Trent loved this board book that we checked out from the library! It is a perfect mix of fun illustrations and vehicles.

4. Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson (80 ratings)

This book is a book that all middle grade kids should read. It build empathy, passion, and leadership. I am so surprised more kids and adults haven’t found this amazing resource.

5. Mira’s Diary series by Marissa Moss (#1 301 ratings, #2 91 ratings, #3 37 ratings)

I love this series! It is a wonderful mix of history and science fiction! Mira’s adventures keep you reading, but I personally love all of the history you learn during her journeys.

Which underrated books have you enjoyed?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Jobs for People Who Love Books

June 28, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Ten Jobs for People Who Love Books

We are often asked by students: “I love books–but can I make a job out of it?” We argue that you can!

1. Teacher/Professor/Teacher Educator/Literacy Specialist/Reading Coach

As a teacher/literacy specialist and a future teacher educator, we love our jobs. We get to read books and share them with others for a living. How sweet it is!

2. Librarian/Library Media Specialist

This has always been a potential second career for us. We get jealous of those folks who are surrounded by aisles and aisles of books. We try to stuff as many bookshelves in our classrooms to reduce this envy.

3. Agent

We really enjoy reading raw, unpublished manuscripts and think it would be really fun to do this for a living. Then, we would be able to seek out publishers to get these manuscripts in the hands of readers!

4. Publishing Representative (Marketing or Otherwise)

We get really jealous of our friends who work in the Exhibit Halls of conferences. Granted, we aren’t jealous of the angry mobs they deal with, but we are extremely jealous that they always have really great, new recommendations. It would be neat to always be reading the next best books. Plus, we might argue that publishing reps are some of the coolest people we know.

5. Editor

Those masterpieces we read are so beautifully written, and sometimes, we forget just how influential and helpful editors are in the process. Editors are so, so important in book publications because they help authors see their books from a new set of eyes.

6. Author

And now we enter dream world. We both would love to be authors. We think everyone who loves to read has this secret wish. Alas, we don’t have the talent that these folks have, and we respect that. 🙂

7. Illustrator

The dream world gets deeper. Our artistic skills don’t compare to those of illustrators, but how cool would it be to take a story and represent it artistically?

8. Bookseller

This is yet another career we are jealous of. Similar to librarians, we love how these folks are surrounded by aisles and aisles of books. It must be really fun to make purchasing decisions and to crack the covers of brand new spines. Plus, bookstores smell fantastic.

9. Book Reviewer/Book Blogger

We are entering back into reality. We consider ourselves to be book reviewers—even though we aren’t professionals. It would be neat to work full time for a company like Booklist, among the others that give starred reviews. Perhaps in our next lives?

10. Parent

How neat is it to be a parent who loves to read? Sharing books with our sons is such a joy, and we consider this a full-time, very important job.

Which jobs are we missing? Please share!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons to Read

June 21, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Ten Reasons to Read

1. It passes time.

Long plane ride? Long waiting room wait? A book should fix that. 😉

2. It helps us sleep.

Dreamland wouldn’t be so sweet without the books to carry us there.

3. It’s calming.

Whenever we feel stress, we read. It brings us back to what is important.

4. It connects us to other people us may have never met.

We find that some of our closest friends are other readers/bloggers/authors. We value those bonds highly.

5. It connects us to characters and takes on amazing adventures.

We consider many characters to be close friends, and we cherish the journeys they take us on.

6. It teaches us about history…and perhaps, the future.

Reading transports us to other times (both before and after us).

7. It teaches us about other places.

Reading also transports us to other parts of the world.

8. It brings together family and friends.

There’s nothing better than a dinner conversation about a great book or bedtime with a favorite picture book.

9. It helps us navigate life.

When we are in tough positions, we often think of characters and stories to help inform our decisions.

10. It completes us.

We consider reading to be a large part of our identities. Without this reader identity, we would not feel as complete.

What did we miss? We are sure there are more!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases For The Second Half Of The Year

August 4, 2016June 14, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of the Year

Ricki

1. You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan

This dynamic duo author pairing will surely be a crowd-pleaser. I love their individual work, so I am very excited about this one!

2. Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King

I love this woman, and I will read anything she writes!

3. Pirasaurs! by Josh Funk

I eagerly await this book! I got my hands on an early copy of Dear Dragon, and it was just as great as Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast. I can’t wait to read Pirasaurs!

4. The Leaving by Tara Altebrando

I love a good mystery and am intrigued by this cover.

5. Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia

I’ve heard this book is excellent, and it is right up my alley! I am very excited for its release!

Kellee

I am so looking forward to King’s newest and Josh Funk’s two new picture books also! Here are some other upcoming novels (if I did picture books too, my list would be way too long!) I’m excited to read:

1. When We Was Fierce by E.E. Charloton-Trujillo

This book reminds me of How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon and Tyrell by Coe Booth, both books which I love.

2. To Stay Alive: Mary Ann Graves and the Tragic Journey of the Donner Party by Skila Brown

I am fascinated by the Donner Party, and I love books in verse, so this one seems like a win-win for me!

3. Still a Work in Progress by Jo Knowles

I cannot wait! First, why is there a hairless cat in a sweater on the cover?! Second, yay Jo Knowles!

4. Radical by E.M. Kokie

I loved Kokie’s debut novel, so I am very much looking forward to the follow up.

5. What Light by Jay Asher

This sounds so unlike Thirteen Reasons Why which really interests me.

Which books are you eagerly awaiting?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons We Love Being Moms to Readers

June 21, 2016June 7, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Reasons We Love Being Moms to Readers

Ricki

1. I feel compelled to keep up with the latest picture books.

2. We get extra family time, reading books together each night.

3. And then my son reads books by nightlight after we read as a family. The way he sneaks extra books reminds me of my own childhood.

4. I spend several days a week in the library, and it is a peaceful, wonderful place to be.

5. I have a partner to share my joy when we open packages that have books in them. His “Ooos” and “Ahhs” rivel mine.

6. (I am cheating with one more than my allowed five): I have a stronger sense of the power of rereading. My son can read the same book thirty times in one day (and this can extend over several months). It amazes me.

Kellee

I hope through raising my son around books and around a mom who loves books, he’ll become a voracious reader. He already loves books which makes me so happy!

1. Listening to my son “read” books to me. Trent is reaching the stage where he is learning what is said for each page in his favorite books, and it has gone further than just knowing a few words per book , liked Pete the Cat, and towards him knowing the entire book of board book s like Llama Llama Zippity Zoom and longer books like Go Dog Go.

2. I love our time at night where Jim and I read to Trent. It is one of my favorite parts of the day.

3. Watching Trent learn through books is such an amazing experience. This is very similar to #1, but I love having him look at pictures and ask questions and learn. He is such an inquirer.

4. In the future, I cannot wait to listen to audiobooks of novels I love with Trent and especially cannot wait for Harry Potter.

5. In the future, I cannot wait to have a partner in library and book store visits. Right now, he does enjoy going, but it’ll be even more wonderful when he will wander the shelves with me and look at books and we can discuss and laugh and talk. My husband is a different type of reader than me, so I hope that Trent becomes a book lover like I am.

If you are a parent or caregiver, what is your favorite part about having a reader in your home?

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