Unleashing Readers – Page 35 – Helping Students Navigate the World of Books

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 8/14/23

August 14, 2023 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how it offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

Tuesday: Who Made this Mess? by Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Aleksandar Stojsic

Thursday: Meet the Megafauna! Get to Know the 20 Largest Animals Ever to Roam the Earth by Gabrielle Balkan, Illustrated by Quang And Lien

Friday: Students Voices: Book Recommendations from Sai B., Kyan V., Liam Z., and Gabi C., 8th Graders

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Sometimes We’re All Furious and How Books can Help with that” by Timothy Knapman, Author of Sometimes I am Furious

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Kellee

Today is my day off from IMWAYR, but you can To learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads

Ricki

Sorry I couldn’t post today–I will catch you all up with what I’ve been reading in 2 weeks.

Tuesday: Educators’ Guide for Symptoms of a Heartbreak by Sona Charaipotra

Friday: Student Voices: Character Reflection from Luci S., Caedan S., & Anna D., 7th graders, and Elisa, 6th grader

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “All Readers Benefit from Sad Stories” by Saira Mir, Author of Always Sisters

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!

and

Author Guest Post: “Sometimes We’re All Furious and How Books Can Help With That” by Timothy Knapman, Author of Sometimes I Am Furious

August 13, 2023 by Kellee

“Sometimes We’re All Furious and How Books Can Help With That”

Most picture books are about happy things. And so they should be. As a writer for young children, you have the wonderful privilege of being able to share your readers’ delight in the discovery of the amazing world all around them. So you write about cake, birthdays, holidays, more cake, adventures, the love of parents for their kids (and kids for their parents, and kids for cake). You write about dinosaurs, pirates, cake again, fairies, unicorns. You write about the limitless possibilities of a child’s wonder and imagination.

And did I mention cake?

But that’s not the whole job. Because you’re not a child, you’re a grown-up. (So stop talking about cake!) It doesn’t matter how imaginative or empathetic you can be, or how well you remember your own childhood – you also owe your young readers a duty of care. Because the world isn’t always wonderful, and they need to know that too.

The first stories for kids – such as the ones the Brothers Grimm collected (which have been told for centuries, millennia even) – are pretty much all terrifying. Because they’re warnings. Beware of the wolf in the woods, they say, or look out for the trap lurking in the surprise gift: that seemingly kind old lady may actually wish you harm. They were scary because they needed to be, because the dangers were real, and kids couldn’t be sheltered from them.

Thankfully, for most of us, the wolf issue has now been settled once and for all, and the kind old ladies that today’s kids encounter tend to be genuinely kind old ladies, not witches in disguise. But children still have problems and the books they read need to address them. Finding solace, finding answers – finding a way of making sense of their lives – in books is a useful habit, and something we should be teaching them. Which brings me to the kind of book that I’ve just written, which is an anger book.

My favourite picture book of all time is an anger book. It’s Where the Wild Things Are by the late, great Maurice Sendak. I love everything about it, from the strange poetry of its telling to the way the forest grows in Max’s room so that it spreads to the edge of the pages (overrunning the neat white margins that had previously kept the story within bounds). It’s perfect, of course it is, but I have on occasion felt a little dissatisfied that Max’s anger is just left to run its course, until he grows bored of the Wild Things and their lawless land and wants to be home where someone loves him “best of all”.

Sendak famously said that the Wild Things, with their strange cries of “We’ll eat you up – we love you so!”, were based on his smothering relatives. But what if there was a relative who understood Max, who showed him the way out of that forest?

Because it’s hard, this stuff – and we could all do with a little help. I’ve often thought that children learning how to handle their emotions is a bit like someone learning to drive during a demolition derby. You find yourself at the wheel of a hugely powerful machine which zooms around the place, forever crashing into people and things, and it’s only after a lot of scrapes and collisions that you finally get some kind of fix on how not to destroy everything every time your little brother eats the last piece of cake.

(Do I talk about cake too much? Is that even possible?)

And that’s why I wrote my new book, Sometimes I Am Furious (illustrated by the brilliant Joe Berger). In our story, a little girl is mostly kind and good, but on occasion… well, you can guess. And we make it clear that it’s not unreasonable that she blows up from time to time. Things don’t always go right for any of us – in life, there are disappointments and frustrations and you’re going to get angry. (By the way, check out how Joe shows our girl in ever greater close-up each time she says she’s furious – maybe it’s his version of Sendak’s expanding forest, as her rage spreads out to cover her world. You will also notice that Joe likes yellow.)

What our book has that Sendak’s doesn’t is a grown-up who is patient and loving and suggests ways the little girl can cope with her emotions so that they don’t overwhelm her. I’m not suggesting the advice she gives will work for everyone (though I hope it’s useful). It’s reading the book – sharing the girl’s journey through her anger and out the other side – that might help. Losing control is scary, but in the safe world of the imagination, where you can pretend to be someone else and try on different emotions just like you try on different outfits at a costume party, children can gain a clearer understanding of these big feelings, lose some of their fear of them and maybe learn a bit more control.

That way they’ll become better, more rounded individuals, just like all us grown-ups. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go. Hey, wait a minute – where’s my cake? I left a piece of cake right here! I’m not leaving until I find out WHO. TOOK. MY. CAKE!!!

Sometimes I Am Furious
Author: Timothy Knapman
Illustrator: Joe Berger
Published June 6th, 2023 by Penguin Workshop

About the Book: Life is all fun and games when everything’s going your way. But some days, suddenly, something becomes horribly UNFAIR. A melting ice cream cone, a too-tight T-shirt, a boy who doesn’t share… it’s enough to make you FURIOUS. But as this little girl discovers, it’s nothing that a deep breath, a happy song, and a good cuddle can’t sort out.

You won’t be furious reading this funny, friendly, and relatable book for young children (and their parents) about strong emotions and how to handle them.

Praise:

“Humorous art supports the rhyming verse with bold, eye-catching, thick-lined graphics. Kudos to Knapman and Berger for making it clear that feeling anger—especially at perceived unfairness—is fine; what’s important is finding ways to calm down before a meltdown.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Knapman and Berger … offer standard self-regulation advice by way of their young exemplar: seek out an empathic adult… and try some grounding exercises… While 24-7 equilibrium may not be possible, the creators suggest that knowing it’s within reach can be a big comfort.”—Publishers Weekly

“In this charming UK picture book import, our narrator’s cute, unassuming attire… comically mismatches the pure childhood-tantrum wrath of exaggerated downturned eyebrows and a glare so intense it practically burns through the page… The text’s rhyming couplets are smoothly read aloud and make this an ideal choice for a storytime that will have its audience in giggles and maybe inspire some introspection about how to deal with big emotions.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

About the Author: Timothy Knapman has written over 60 books for children, as well writing as plays and (the words for) musicals and operas. He lives on cake in his own private flying castle with his pet dragon, Enid, and finds it increasingly hard to tell the truth about himself.

If you’d like to find out more about him, please visit www.timothyknapman.com

Thank you, Timothy, for this hilarious yet important post!

Students Voices: Book Recommendations from Sai B., Kyan V., Liam Z., and Gabi C., 8th Graders

August 12, 2023August 11, 2023 by Kellee

Book Recommendations

“5 Books with Indian Rep” by Sai B., 2022-23 8th grade

India being one of the biggest countries in the world as well as one of the most populous countries is still very unknown to people who haven’t been to the country. There are so many cultures, languages, food, and people that have come from different parts of the country and there is so much to explore. As an Indian person myself, the country is so beautiful and fun to visit. Moving on, many people continue don’t know the true beauty of this country as they haven’t visited the country or have a stereotypical ideology about the country. However, these 5 books can help people understand the cultural and beautiful aspects of the country.

Book 1: Aru Shah Book Series (Pandava Series) by Roshani Chokshi(Presented by Rick Riordan)

I am so happy I read this series as it was written by an Indian author and it was presented by my favorite author Rick Riordan. These books explore one of the biggest stories in Indian mythology called the Mahabharata. This event was about these two groups called the Pandavas and Kauravas in which they fought over the destiny of a Kingdom. Many important gods took part in this event and are very important to the cultural part of India. These books go over a girl named Aruh Shah who learns she is a reincarnation of a Pandava who was the son of a god. She has to stop many evil spirits and demons through these books. These books do a great job in exploring the cultural part of India and explain a lot of the morals and values we learn from Indian mythology.

Book 2: The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

This is another great book with representation of India but it digs deeper into the lifestyle of how Indian people live. Even though the scenario of Rukku and her brother Viji leaving their house after being violently hurt by their parents, this event is somewhat common to the poorer part of the country. Many families depend on their children to give them financial support and since in the book Rukku the older sister has intellectual problems, it is hard for the family to accept that type of child. Nevertheless, this book was an emotional rollercoaster as it did a really good job of depicting how poorer people live to survive in the country and also expresses the importance of family throughout the book.

Book 3: Save Me a Seat by Gita Varadajan and Sarah Weeks

This book is another great book with Indian representation. Even though it takes place in an American society it represents the adaptations Indian’s have to take after moving to a new country in order to have a better future. However, the lesson learned from the book does not just apply to Indians and is more of a broader moral. The book is about a character named Ravi who tries to adapt to a new way of experiencing things. He has to adapt to school and life in general. Throughout the book he meets Joe, an American, who is also struggling with fitting in and life. They both have the same problems and both try to fix them together. This book does a great job in depicting the values of friendship and the hardship it is for adaptation in a new society.

Book 4: Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca

This book is very similar to Save Me a Seat as it also explores a girl named Reha who is the only Indian-American in her school. However, this digs deeper into the way Indian homes are like. It shows how many kids have strict interpretations from their parents and feel disconnected from their parents. This is very common in Indian households as parents were raised to work hard and achieve success but they put these expectations on their kids. The kids feel very pressured by this expectation and feel distant from their parents. In the book Riha’s mom starts to feel really sick and this event allows Riha to be closer to her mom. This book does a great job in explaining the difficulties of fitting in and the importance of family.

Book 5: Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond Series by Sayanti DasGupta

This book is another cultural representation of India. It is about a girl named Kiranmala who lived in New Jersey. One day her parents disappear and a demon appears. We later learn she is a long lost Indian princess and goes on a journey to fight demons and save her family. Even though this book is somewhat fictional there are many cultural aspects included in the book and develops a lot of morals and values related to Indian culture. Overall, this book does a great job in representing Indian culture and is definitely a must read.

“5 Mystery Books You Need to Read Right Now” by Kyon V., 2022-23 8th grade

Within fiction, 12.5% of adult books are in the thriller genre. That is estimated to be about 23.6 million mystery books a year in the US alone.

So why are these books so popular? Everyone loves to read about a great mystery for several reasons. Some like to try and solve the mystery before someone in the books does. Some like the suspension and action the book brings. Some like imagining all sorts of things, like what they would do in the characters’ situations. For all these reasons, mystery books are one of the most popular genres. Here are my top 5 favorites for the year.

Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Chrstina Diaz Gonzalez is an Edgar winning author from The US with heritage in Cuba. Concealed is part of the 2022-2023 SSYRA ( Sunshine State Young Readers awards books.) With its release just over 2 and a half years ago, this book has been very popular with all kinds of ages, but especially middle schoolers. It has a plot like no other book that keeps the reader glued to the pages of the book, wondering what will happen next.

Framed! And its sequels by James Ponti

This book is the first of a series of 3 thrilling mystery books by James Ponti. The main character is a 12 year old boy with a new technique to help solve mysteries. He, alongside the FBI, solve mysteries together. Each book has its own unique plot. The reader can try to solve the mystery before the characters, therefore providing a reason to keep reading.

City Spies and its sequels by James Ponti

This book, just like Framed!, is the first of a three book series by James Ponti. In these books, a group of young students work together to thwart evil. It provides a vision into the characters and is totally immersive. The characters all come from different backgrounds and countries, and have to figure out a way to become a team in beating evil.

All Fall Down and its sequels by Ally Carter

This book by Ally Carter is highly underrated. This book does not receive the credit it deserves. What is your next step of action when your mom gets murdered? Of course go for revenge and make the killer pay. Who can you trust is on your side? This Mystery series by Ally Carter is just as good as the most popular mystery books out there to date.

One of us is Lying and its sequels by Karen McManus

5 kids from different backgrounds and social groups walk into a classroom. Only 4 make it out. This mystery book between 4 kids to find out which one is the killer is electrifying. I love this book because it relates to me as a middle schooler and different kids being forced to work together on something.

In conclusion, next time you want to find an exciting mystery book, come back to this blog post for 5 top mystery book recommendations that are sure to leave you excited and delighted.

“Favorite Between Two Favorites” by Gabi C., 2022-23 8th grade

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen vs Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch

It’s gonna be so hard to choose a favorite because I love both of these books. However, Love & Olives wins by a margin, and here’s why.

Love & Olives had a better slow-burn plot, but the character development prize goes to Flipped. Both books had an amazing plot with nice pacing especially for their varying lengths. The major difference between the books was the boys. The girls were easily confident in themselves, loving, nurturing, and overall good role models. The boys however, couldn’t have been more different. In Flipped, Bryce was a terrible guy. While he became a “good guy” in the end, in the beginning and end, he was a jerk! His whole persona was bullying Julie and being mean to her at every chance he got. In Love & Olives, Theo is an angel who does everything in his power to make sure Liv is comfortable and happy in her new environment. This makes such a good difference in a book! But Bryce did redeem himself in the end. Love & Olives wins.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes vs AGGGTM by Holly Jackson

This may surprise some of you who know me in real life but I actually prefer AGGGTM by Holly Jackson.

Both books have creative mysteries with fun characters and unique plots. However, the way I am deciding these books is the small little details. I’m talking Romance, Sequels, etc. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love both but they each excel in different ways. AGGGTM did it a bit better… The romance won in the Inheritance Games, even though it was a bigger focus. I love the romance between Jameson and Avery in The Inheritance Games. Pip and Ravi were a bit plain but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt given that they were only getting together at the end of book. When it comes to sequels I also prefer AGGGTM. But both books were amazing.

Like a Love Song by Gabriela Martins vs Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park wins by default.

As many of you know Like a Love Song wasn’t one of my favorite books, especially compared to Eleanor & Park. Park was one of my favorite book boys! He was so sweet. Everything he did, he did for Eleanor. He introduced her to his mom. He defended her in front of her dad and provided such a safe space for her, no questions asked. He knew when to let go. As you can see, I put a lot of weight into how much romance my books have. So Eleanor & Park wins.

Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzales & Gabriela Epstein vs Starfish by Lisa Flipps

These Books. I LOVE these books. I have no complaints. The representation of Latino kids and Plus-size kids is exceptional. Both of these books make a safe space for kids who may feel a little different from everything else. Invisible made me see a little bit of myself in every character. Starfish made me see the perspective of someone different. Starfish was written so beautifully. It feels impossible for me to put these books against each other, So… I choose to ~~break~~ make an exception to my own rules. I have decided to make a tie between these two books!

“5 Underrated Books” by Liam Z., 2022-23 8th grade

Some books don’t get the credit they deserve. There are many good books but they are just not very heard of. While some books are lesser known, they are still extremely good and entertaining . Instead of searching for more known books, search for less popular books as they can be just as good or even better. Smaller books should get the credit that they deserve.

Rebel By Marie Lu

Rebel is an excellent book that not a lot of people read. This book is the 4th book of Legend but is normally outshined by the first three books. This is because this story took place many years later after the third book and it doesn’t contain June’s POV anymore. Despite that, the story is still incredibly good and contains Eden’s story of joining the republic. And also how Day reunites with June. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fast paced action books.

Restart By Gordon Korman

This book is super unique and different from other books. It is about a kid in 8th grade who had an accident and banged his head on the ground. This caused him severe amnesia which made him forget all about his life and had to try and regain it. In my opinion, this has one of the best plots and stories but more people should know about it. Overall, this book is wonderful but not enough people read.

Slacker by Gordon Korman

This is an extremely funny book about a kid named Cameron. Cameron is an extremely lazy kid who slacks off and causes many problems, including almost burning down his house. I really liked it because it has tons of funny parts and it’s entertaining. recommend this book to everyone.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

This is an interesting story about a boy who has these nightmares of a monster in the shape of a tree. This is not all he has to deal with because he deals with death and grief and struggles to overcome it. This story can be emotional or sad but the ending is very happy and he finally overcomes all the things that have happened. I really enjoyed this book because of the good story and plot.

Framed (Swindle#3) By Gordan Korman

Framed is a really good book that contains the search of a very expensive ring. Griffin Bing was getting framed by who he thought was his bully. But in the end, he discovered it was rats who ate the ring and coincidentally all evidence led to Griffin. This is not only a mystery book but also a comedy book. This book is better than it looks and should be more well known.

Thank you so much to my students for their book recommendations!

MEET THE MEGAFAUNA!: Get to Know 20 of the Largest Animals to Ever Roam the Earth by Gabrielle Balkan, Illustrated by Quang And Lien

August 10, 2023August 10, 2023 by Ricki

MEET THE MEGAFAUNA!: Get to Know the 20 Largest Animals Ever to Roam the Earth
Author: Gabrielle Balkan
Illustrator: Quang And Lien
Published: June 27, 2023 by Workman Publishing

Summary: The world’s largest animals come to life in this interactive book featuring 20 megafauna, 10 gatefolds, full-color illustrations and tons of facts!

An interactive (complete with gatefolds!), large-format exploration of megafauna, the mostly-extinct class of ginormous animals that thrived during the Pleistocene era after the extinction of the dinosaurs. Meet a giant armored armadillo, a giant sloth, and the three megafauna still found on earth today—African Bush Elephant, Masai Giraffe, and the Blue Whale.

Review: This book is stunning. The illustrations are captivating, and there is so much to learn. My first grader can recite more dinosaurs than anyone I know, so he was thrilled to dive into this book. For weeks, he’s been telling strangers about the megafauna. Reading this book made me feel like I was visiting a vivid museum—the gatefolds make it particularly exciting to read. I highly recommend having a copy of this one in your classroom.

Tools for Navigation: Students could research an animal in history and create their own gatefolds!

Discussion Questions:

Which megafauna did you find most interesting? What did you learn?
How does this book add to your knowledge about history?

Flagged Spread:

Read This If You Love: Dinosaurs, Animals, History, Cool Things 😉

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Chloe from Workman Publishing for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.**

Who Made This Mess? by Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Aleksandar Stojsic

August 8, 2023 by Kellee

Who Made This Mess?
Author: Laura Gehl
Illustrator: Aleksandar Stojsic
Published July 31st, 2023 by Capstone

Summary: Mud splattered everywhere, tangled-up wool in huge piles, and carrot tops strewn about–what in the world is happening in this animal village? It’s quite a mystery! But thanks to rhyming clues, everyone will be able to easily guess the animal culprits–or will they? In this laugh-out-loud, expectation-defying picture book, Laura Gehl (May Saves the Day and The Hiking Viking) uses a rhyming mystery to help readers adjust their outlook, keep an open mind, and learn not to make assumptions.

About the Creators:

Laura Gehl is the award-winning author of more than forty popular picture books, board books, and early readers including One Big Pair of Underwear, Except When They Don’t, My Pillow Keeps Moving, Apple and Magnolia, and the Baby Scientist series. Laura lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with her husband and four children. Visit Laura at lauragehl.com.

Twitter: @AuthorLauraGehl
Instagram: @authorlauragehl
Facebook: @AuthorLauraGehl

Aleksandar Stojsic graduated from Novi Sad Academy of Arts in 2006. He is a prolific character designer and children’s book illustrator who has been producing humorous illustrations for clients for over two decades. He has worked with many leading publishers and animators around the world.

Review: The full page, colorful illustrations in combination with the silliness and rhyming will lead to so many kids loving this book. It is entertaining concept that will lead to so much fun back and forth when reading allowed: “Who made that mess??” then kids yell the answer and discuss then continue. It will be so much fun! And it lends it self to reading and writing opportunities in the classroom!

Tools for Navigation: This book will lead to conversations when read aloud and a fun writing activity. First, each new mess gives an opportunity for prediction. Second, because some are unexpected while others aren’t, the predictions can lead to discussions about assumptions. Third, the rhyming text can be used as a mentor text to make their own “Who Made This Mess?” spreads.

Discussion Questions:

Who do you think made the mess?
Were you right or wrong?
Why did you assume ____ had made the mess?
What does this book teach us about assumptions?
Would you want to go to the party?
What type of mess could you write about an animal making? What about a mess YOU make?

Flagged Spreads:

Read This If You Love: Silly animal picture books

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Barbara at Blue Slip Media and Capstone for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 8/7/23

August 7, 2023 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

Happy reading!

Tuesday: Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen

Thursday: Paperfold Wild Animals: 10 Amazing Punch-Out-and-Fold Paper Creatures by Megan Montague Cash

Friday: Student Voices: Sharing Webtoons, Mangas, and Graphic Novels by Emma Y. & Jorge G., 8th graders, and Bibi C., 6th grader

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Where Story Ideas Come From & Why Personal Narrative Writing Works Best for Me” by Charlotte Offsay, Author of Challah Day!

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Kellee

My Father is a Unicorn by Monaka Suzuki: Trent wanted to read this, but since it was marked Teen, I wanted to check it out first, and it is quite a ridiculous book! It is truly about a boy whose mother remarries a unicorn (who can transform into a human), but then she oddly has to go away leaving her son and her new husband/unicorn together. This leads to funny and sweet moments, all centered around the unicorn stepdad working on being a human/stepdad.
Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin: A fun middle grade book about a middle school medium who is dealing with not only new powers but moving across the country. Fans of ghost stories and realistic middle grade school stories will both enjoy reading this book!
Spy Family Vol. 1-4 by Tatsuya Endo: I was told a couple of years ago that I’d love this series. Then months ago my library clerk lent me the first 8 books. But they sat. Until last week when I finally knew I needed to read them to return the books, and THEY ARE SO GOOD!! WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?!?!?! This book has spies, assassins, telepathy, humor, awkward situations… everything! I am loving every book, and I cannot wait to continue reading them.

Hooked on Books by Margaret Chiu Greanias, Illustrated by Kristyna Litten: Oh, I love Pearl, the little anglerfish in this book, and I think many readers will connect with her as well. She wants to be alone to focus on her book, but as soon as she is done, all she wants to do is talk about it. What a valid feeling! Tied into this book-loving book is also science content with deep sea creatures being introduced along with Pearl. Can’t wait for this to be picked up and read by adults and kids alike!
Bear with Me by Kerascoët: This duo really knows how to pull on your heart strings. In their book, I Walk with Vanessa, they looked at bullying. In Bear With Me, they look at change and comfort–specifically going to school and a comfort stuffed animal. This book will be perfect for back to school!
Spreckle’s Snack Surprise by Sandra Balsbury: Spreckle just wants the perfect snack, but as a dragon born on a farm, he is having quite a tough time find one. I love the solution at the end–it is just perfect. And do yourself a favor by reading the back of the book. It is PERFECT!
Who Made This Mess? by Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Aleksandar Stojsic: I’ll be reviewing this tomorrow!

What a Map Can Do by Gabrielle Balkan, Illustrated by Alberto Lot: Oh, I love this book! It has a very specific purpose, but it does its job in a fun way that kids will find enjoyable while also learning. I was a fan of the different types of maps shared including bus map, museum maps, trail maps, weather map, and star map. It hits on symbols as well. A wonderful introduction implemented very well.
Ten Dragon Eggs: A Book About Counting Down by Lynda Graham-Barber, Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler: This book will be a read aloud favorite! With wonderful rhyming text, great rhythm, vibrant illustrations, and lessons in counting and colors, both adult and child will enjoy their time with this book.
Where Have You Been, Little Cat? by Richard Jones: I love this! Ever thought about what outdoor cats do all day when they aren’t home? Well, this book has a fun theory! (Is it what the cat actually did?? Or is it the child’s guess?? It is up to you!) The story reminds me a little bit of Where the Wild Things Are but it is the cat going on its adventure which adds a nice rumpus tie in. I was also a fan of the illustrations as they had a nostalgic feel to them.
In the Night Garden by Carin Berger: I can see why this book has been listed on many Caldecott lists–the illustrations are pieces of art. Each spread has so much to see, and I am truly impressed by the use of collage–it is amazing! (Don’t forget to check out her guest post, too!)

To learn more about any of these books, click on any title/image to go to the book’s Goodreads page or check out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

This is my week off–I’ll update you all next week on what I’ve been reading.

Kellee

Reading: Spy Family Vol 5 by Tatsuya Endo & Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Listening to: The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune & Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi (with Trent)

Tuesday: Who Made this Mess? by Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Aleksandar Stojsic

Thursday: Meet the Megafauna! Get to Know the 20 Largest Animals Ever to Roam the Earth by Gabrielle Balkan, Illustrated by Quang And Lien

Friday: Students Voices: Book Recommendations from Sai B., Kyan V., Liam Z., and Gabi C., 8th Graders

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Sometimes We’re All Furious and How Books can Help with that” by Timothy Knapman, Author of Sometimes I am Furious

and

Author Guest Post: “Where Story Ideas Come From & Why Personal Narrative Writing Works Best for Me” by Charlotte Offsay, Author of Challah Day!

August 6, 2023August 6, 2023 by Kellee

“Where Story Ideas Come From & Why Personal Narrative Writing Works Best for Me”

One of my favorite questions to ask other authors is where their story ideas come from. It fascinates me that everyone seems to harness creativity differently. Some authors I know will take two things that ton’s typically go together and combine them into a story, for example mashing vampires and a beach vacation lead author Laura Lavoie to write Vampire Vacation. Other authors will create lists – emotions, settings, types of narrators etc. – and challenge themselves to combine them into a story.

Personally, I prefer Personal Narrative Writing and tend to mine my own life for story ideas. I find that when I write from experience or from the heart, it shines through in my writing and brings out my best work. Since I write picture books, I like to take my own personal experiences and then channel them through a child lens and onto the page.

Take for example my upcoming picture book Challah Day! illustrated by the talented Jason Kirschner (8/1/23 from Holiday House). The idea for Challah Day! was born out of a personal experience close to my heart – my love of baking challah with my two young children.

Book Description: Challah Day! is a joyful, rhyming story about a Jewish holiday food that’s baked with love. From kneading sticky dough to gathering with family around the table, Challah Day! celebrates family, food, heritage, and tradition! Join this happy family as they bake delicious braided egg bread for their Friday night Shabbat dinner.

I began making challah with my two young children when they grew old enough to stop trying to eat the raw dough. Making Challah with them has brought clouds of flour, broken eggs, endless laughter, delicious bread and a beautiful timeless tradition into our home. Channeling my joy of baking together led to my writing the first draft of Challah Day! after one particularly giggle-filled baking session.

I sat down and wrote an upbeat, rhyming story about a family baking challah together for Shabbat. I included fun details from my own life, for example one page reads:

Crack the eggs – one… two… three… four
Extra if some hit the floor.

These lines were inspired by the countless eggs my children broke while learning to master cracking eggs.

The lines…

Chocolate? Raisins? Which to use?
It’s not hard for us to choose!

…come from my daughter who loves to try and fit an entire bag of chocolate chips into her challah dough.

And the lines…

Grandma lights the candles bright.
She and Grandpa hold us tight.

…were inspired by my in-laws who still scoop my children close every time we light the Shabbat candles together.

Mining personal experiences for story ideas can be a great way to help students create their own stories – everyone has a story to tell! Students can choose to stick close to their personal experiences the way I did with Challah Day! or they can use the concept as inspiration and then take artistic license.

Personal Narrative Writing Prompts:

Write about a food that you love to cook or bake with your family.
Describe a favorite tradition or holiday.
Where is your favorite place to visit and why?
What was the best day you have ever had?
Write about your first sleepover
What is something that you are proud of?
What is the silliest thing that has ever happened to you?

Steps:

Pick a personal narrative writing prompt.
Who are the characters in your story?
What are the steps or order of events in your story?
What fun personal details can you add?
Write an opening line that will introduce your character and make your reader want to keep reading. For example, “The silliest thing that ever happened to me was ____” Or “I am proud of ____ because _____.”
Write about the events that happened in your story while keeping the action moving forward. Follow your order of events using words such as: First, Next, Then, Finally.
Incorporate your fun personal details as you write just like I did for Challah Day! Add adjectives/describing words and answer the following questions within your story: Who, What, Where, Why or How.
Conclude your story with one of the following:
1. How things ended
2. What you learned
3. What you will never forget
4. How the story changed you/made you look at the world differently
5. What you look forward to doing next time

Happy creating!

About the Author: CHARLOTTE OFFSAY was born in England, grew up in Boston, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. Through her work, Charlotte hopes to make children laugh, to inspire curiosity, and to create a magical world her readers can lose themselves in time and time again.

Charlotte is the author of The Quiet Forest, illustrated by Abi Cushman (Paula Wiseman Books, 2024), Challah Day!, illustrated by Jason Kirschner (Holiday House, 2023), A Grandma’s Magic, illustrated by Asa Gilland (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, April 2022), The Big Beach Cleanup, illustrated by Kate Rewse (Albert Whitman, 2021), and How to Return a Monster, illustrated by Rea Zhai (Beaming Books, 2021).

Learn more about Charlotte’s work at charlotteoffsay.com and follow her on Twitter and Tiktok at @COffsay and on Instagram at @picturebookrecommendations. Charlotte is represented by Nicole Geiger at Full Circle Literary.

Thank you, Charlotte, for this post about your process and ideas to help kids with theirs!