Unleashing Readers

Author Guest Post: “Cats vs. Dogs” by Paul Meisel, Author of Boom!

October 29, 2023 by Kellee

“Cats versus Dogs in BOOM!”

Sometimes the simplest explanations are the best ones. In the case of my book Boom! the idea came to me because, in my experience as a dog and cat owner, this is how dogs and cats act in thunderstorms. Dogs that I’ve owned have always been terrified, while our cat was amused by the light show and the noise. When a thunderstorm came she would sit in a window and watch quietly, twitching her tail as the sky grew bright and the noise got louder. Our dogs, on the other hand, would find a bathtub or closet to hide in, and shake uncontrollably. Usually my wife or I would have to hold them until the storm passed.

BOOM! isn’t a book about fear per se. It’s more about how amusing cats and dogs can be. Cats have that air of supreme confidence, while dogs, especially in a thunderstorm, are anything but confident. The wide eyed expression of “make it stop” are what appealed to me when I drew the dog in BOOM! I often draw dogs with that crazed look that dogs make when they’re happy, sad, or scared. Dogs are so emotive. You can always tell how a dog is feeling by the expression on its face. Cats play it much closer to the vest. They’re good poker players.

BOOM! is the first I Like to Read Comics that I’ve created. I played with some of the conventions of comics with the use of the textured, lined walls. The oversized hand-drawn type is also reminiscent of traditional comic book style.

The dog in BOOM! became the superhero and made the storm go away because dogs tend to be eternal optimists. The dogs we’ve had always believed they could catch that squirrel, even after failing a thousand times. They always thought if they sat, they’d get another treat…and they were always right. They always thought if they pushed their nose into your hand they’d get that ear scratch, and they were always right. And they always thought if they barked, whined, and fussed long enough, they’d get to go outside, and they were always right. And so I believe, although petrified, dogs probably do think they can will a storm away!

Our cat didn’t really care about too much. Eating? Whatever. Playing? Maybe, if she felt like it. Purring in your lap? Actually, that was a no brainer! The cat in BOOM! is similar to our cat— she did things on her schedule, no matter what was happening, even a thunderstorm. You have to admire cats for being so “chill”.

I think children will enjoy talking about how the dog and the cat approach the storm differently. Along with a teacher or adult, children might enjoy comparing and contrasting the dog and the cat’s behavior. And I hope children also enjoy the resolution and recognize their own superhero dog, if they have one.

As I get older, I am much more like the dog.

Published June 6th, 2023 by Holiday House

About the Book: BOOM! A funny story about a panicky dog, a nonchalant cat, and a loud thunderstorm.

This early graphic novel from two-time Theodor Seuss Geisel Honoree Paul Meisel is perfect for first graders learning to read on their own.

Dog and Cat are sleeping peacefully when–BOOM! A thunderstorm comes. While Cat is happy to spend the noisy night playing with toys, Dog frantically tries find the just the right hiding spot.

Easy-to-read text and energetic, cartoon-style artwork make for an accessible story filled with personality and visual humor. The recipient of two Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Books, Paul Mesiel brings young readers on a silly, nighttime adventure.

Comics-lovers can now share the fun with their kids, students, siblings, and younger friends who are learning to read!

I Like to Read® Comics are perfect for kids who are challenged by or unengaged in reading, kids who love art, and the growing number of young comics fans. Filled with eye-catching art, humor, and terrific stories these comics provide unique reading experiences for growing minds.

I Like to Read® Comics, like their award-winning I Like to Read® counterpart, are created by celebrated artists and support reading comprehension to transform children into lifelong readers.

We hope that all new readers will say, “I like to read comics!”

About the Author: I SEE A CAT, a Holiday House I Like To Read book, was named a 2018 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award winner by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association. SEE ME RUN was a 2012 ALSC Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor winner. SEE ME DIG and SEE ME GO are two other books in the series. I SEE A BAT, another book in the I Like to Read series for new readers, is available now.

I’m the author/illustrator of a dozen books with more on the way. Here’s a link to a review in the New York Times Book Review of MY AWESOME SUMMER BY P. MANTIS (Holiday House). AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prizes named MY AWESOME SUMMER BY P. MANTIS a 2018 finalist for best books of the year in the Children’s Science Picture Books category. MY HAPPY YEAR BY E. BLUEBIRD, MY STINKY SUMMER BY S. BUG, and MY TINY LIFE BY RUBY T. HUMMINGBIRD are three other titles in the Nature Diary series. YOU POOP HERE is a humorous and simple potty training book which I authored and illustrated, available also as a board book. BOOM! is a new Holiday House I Like to Read Comics book for emerging readers about a dog who’s scared of thunder and his cat friend who’s not.

I wrote and illustrated GOOD NIGHT, BAT! GOOD MORNING, SQUIRREL! and ANNA AND SAMIA: THE TRUE STORY OF SAVING A BLACK RHINO. I also illustrated DOGS LOVE CARS, written by Leda Schubert.

To date I have illustrated more than 90 books, including early readers, picture books, eight books in the HarperCollins Let’s-Read-And-Find-Out Science series (LIGHT IS ALL AROUND US, ENERGY MAKES THINGS HAPPEN, FORCES MAKE THINGS MOVE, and others), and a number of mass market books. Two chapter books written by my son, Peter, and illustrated by me, are STINKY SPIKE THE PIRATE DOG and STINKY SPIKE AND THE ROYAL RESCUE.

I graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Wesleyan University, where I also played on the squash team. I studied in Rome at the Tyler School of Art my Junior year. I received an MFA in Graphic Design from Yale University and worked briefly as a graphic designer before becoming a full time illustrator and author.

In addition to children’s trade books I also work in editorial, educational and advertising illustration. I illustrate traditionally and digitally, and use a combination of both.

When not illustrating and writing or spending time with the family I like to play tennis, pickleball and garden. Coco, our labradoodle seen in the picture above, is no longer with us but she was an avid runner and digger and the inspiration for a number of my books.

Instagram: @pdmeisel

Facebook: Paul Meisel

Thank you, Paul, for this introduction to the animals of your book and the conversations that they can start!

Mascot by Charles Waters and Traci Sorell

October 24, 2023 by Kellee

Mascot
Authors: Charles Waters and Traci Sorell
Published September 5th, 2023 by Charlesbridge

Summary: What if a school’s mascot is seen as racist, but not by everyone? In this compelling middle-grade novel in verse, two best-selling BIPOC authors tackle this hot-button issue.

In Rye, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, people work hard, kids go to school, and football is big on Friday nights. An eighth-grade English teacher creates an assignment for her class to debate whether Rye’s mascot should stay or change. Now six middle-schoolers—all with different backgrounds and beliefs—get involved in the contentious issue that already has the suburb turned upside down with everyone choosing sides and arguments getting ugly.

Praise:

⭐ Publishers Weekly, starred review

Told via seven alternating narratives, this ripped-from-the-headlines collaboration in verse by Waters (African Town) and Cherokee Nation member Sorrel (One Land, Many Nations) follows a fictional town’s division over a racist sports mascot. Callie Crossland, who is Cherokee and Black, has just transferred to a middle school in Rye, Va. She immediately expresses disgust at her school’s mascot, a “copper-toned, muscled, loincloth-clad, tomahawk-wielding” caricature of an Indigenous person. Callie’s English teacher Ms. Williams soon assigns a group writing project regarding the “Pros and Cons of Indigenous Peoples as Mascots,” and Callie is annoyed at being paired with Black classmate Franklin, who believes the mascot “brings so much joy.” Waters and Sorrel paint a complex portrait of the differing reactions toward the controversy by layering the racially diverse tweens’ perspectives and showcasing the effects the event has on their individual relationships and the community beyond their school. The creators eschew judgment to present a well-rounded discussion about classism and racism, as well as effective allyship, with compassion and understanding. A glossary and resources conclude. Ages 10–up.

⭐ Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Waters and Sorell (Cherokee Nation) join forces to write about the power of being true to oneself.

In a middle school in Rye, a fictional town near Washington, D.C., a racist mural and offensive pep rally chants shock new student Callie Crossland, who is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and African American. Callie shares a heartfelt poem with her seventh grade honors English class, reminding everyone that the “stupid tomahawk-chop chant” and the “cheap chicken-feather headdress” are nothing less than symbols of “white supremacy.” Afterward, Ms. Williams, her teacher, assigns a persuasive writing and oration project entitled “Pros and Cons of Indigenous Peoples as Mascots.” The small, broadly diverse group of students is assigned to work in pairs; Callie is matched with Franklin, who is Black and a proud fan of the Rye Braves football team. Franklin insists, “I wish we could Lysol racism away. / It’s a bad odor,” but he feels conflicted: “I still don’t think our mascot is racist though. It brings so much joy. / …what’s the big deal?” This clever novel unfolds in poems told in multiple voices showing the wide range of students’, families’, and community responses to the controversy; for some, initial feelings of opposition, hesitation, or indifference change and friendships are tested. The compelling, highly relevant subject matter and accessible text invite readers to understand different perspectives and witness individual growth.

A brilliant story not to be missed; deeply engaging from the first page. (glossary, additional information and resources) (Verse fiction. 10-14)

About the Authors: Charles Waters is a children’s poet, actor, educator, and coauthor of African Town; Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z; and the award-winning Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship. He lives near Atlanta.

Traci Sorell writes fiction and nonfiction for children featuring contemporary characters and compelling biographies, including the Sibert Honor books We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga and We Are Still Here!. She is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and lives in northeastern Oklahoma, where her tribe is located.

The Authors Discuss the Book:

Review: The tagline of this book is “Discrimination is discrimination, even when people claim it is ‘tradition,'” and this tagline tells you exactly about the theme of the book. Told from four students’ points of view, it looks at a school where there is a lot of school spirit around their sports team, called the Braves, and a new student starts who is indigenous and is horrified at the appropriation of her culture. The book is written in verse which gives such well written insight into each of the students’ point of view as these kids aim to make a difference. I read this book in one sitting–it is such a great read where you want to know what is going to happen, so you cannot put the book down.

This topic is also so very timely! I saw Traci Sorell at AASL, and she shared that about 2,000 K-12 schools still have Native American-themed mascots. I know of a couple in my area, and I hope that someone shares this book with them to get the conversation going as the book does a beautiful job of looking at the effects of the ignorant choices that were made in the past (and that too many continue to ignore, despite the racism).

Discussion Questions:

*This discussion guide is provided by the publisher.

Flagged Spreads:

Read This If You Love: Novels in Verse, Books with multiple points of view, Books that look at timely injustices

Recommended For:

**Thanks to Charlesbridge for providing a copy of the book for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 10/23/23

October 23, 2023October 23, 2023 by Ricki

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: Apart, Together by Linda Booth Sweeney & Ariel Rutland

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “There’s a World of Inspiration Out There” by Karah Sutton, Author of The Song of the Swan

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

Kellee

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

Ricki

Adult

I fell hard into the Emily Henry ferver. After reading and enjoying Book Lovers a couple of weeks ago, I decided to read her other three popular novels. I’ve always enjoyed romance and love watching people fall in love, so I just kept going. Needless to say, it’s been a busy week of romance. I don’t typically read adult novels, but this was a fun splurge. I think I’ll go back to YA, middle grade, and picture books now.

I’ve noticed it is very popular for people to rank the order of which they enjoy Emily Henry’s novels. I suppose I’ll play along, but I found them to be quite similar to each other. Anyways, here is my order of enjoyment with the carats that people on the internet are using:

Beach Read > Book Lovers > People We Meet on Vacation > Happy Place

To be perfectly honest, though, I am unclear about the impassioned defense and rating of the books on the internet because all four were enjoyable. The first two ranked higher for me because I loved the literary theme. The third was not as exciting for me because I am not much of a traveler, but I did enjoy the friends-to-lovers theme. The fourth ranked lowest to me because I hate break-up novels (not a spoiler–the novel starts with a breakup), but I did love the bond between the friends! All four were a pleasure to read, and I can see why people love this author.

Middle Grade

I couldn’t have been more excited by this author collaboration. Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith are two of the best authors writing today, and I was very eager to start the Blue Stars series. It lived up to my (very high) expectations! This is a series that will be very popular among kids. After I finished it, I gave it to my own three children, and they sat in the corner (or on the couch) and didn’t get up until they’d read it cover to cover! I recommend getting your hands on this book, Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem.

I am really enjoying the beauty of Eagle Drums by Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson.

Tuesday: Mascot by Charles Waters and Traci Sorell

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Cats vs. Dogs” by Paul Meisel, Author of Boom!

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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Author Guest Post: “There’s a World of Inspiration Out There” by Karah Sutton, Author of The Song of the Swan

October 22, 2023 by Kellee

“There’s a World of Inspiration Out There”

In his book of essays, The Anthropocene Reviewed, John Green addresses the problem of sunsets: “How might we celebrate a sunset without being mawkish or saccharine?… what can we say of the cliched beauty of sunsets?” Green initially assesses writing about sunsets as being cliche, but ultimately decides that the opposite is true: that writing about sunsets cannot be cliche when marveling at sunsets is such a universal human behavior.

As he writes, Green gives examples of sunset descriptions which are “menacing,” “sentimental,” “innocent,” and full of “mysticism.” What’s so extraordinary to me about this essay is how these exemplify writing as an art form. Sunsets differ by place and time; each person observing the sunset is unique and altered from one day to the next. No sunset viewing is the same, and no description of a sunset is either. When we write, we may explore common themes, tropes, and situations, but our individuality will transform our output.

There are multiple sunsets in my book The Song of the Swan. When a story contains a curse that turns humans to swans at sunrise and returns them to humans at sunset, its writer needs a strategy to describe them.

I regularly go for walks around sunset as it’s the time when I can best hear my favorite birdcalls, and I did this often while writing The Song of the Swan. As I walked, I’d ponder and problem-solve, discover new story ideas while discarding old ones. If there was a pleasing sunset, I’d stop to watch it. Because I knew I needed new ways to describe skies which glow with orange and pink, I would do an exercise in my mind that has since become a frequent activity in my writing process, which I invite you to try for yourself.

Step 1:

Go outside and find somewhere to sit. Use your senses, focusing on one sense at a time. How is the breeze brushing against your ears? Is there laughter nearby? Can you smell the food truck on the corner? Including these details make writing feel more vivid, especially if you can tie your descriptions to real moments where you’ve observed similar sensations.

Step 2:

Thinking of what you noticed, try describing those observations by making connections to unexpected things. This sense of surprise is what gives prose delightful originality. Those flowers might be arranged like a wedding bouquet, but they might also infest the meadow with forced cheer. The multi-colored cars in the parking lot are like jewels in a treasure chest. The sky at sunset is the color of a bruise.

Step 3:

Now, consider the comparisons you’ve chosen, and think about the tone conveyed by each one. A description might be silly, but it could also be creepy, or joyful, or melancholy, or mysterious. What is it that makes the description feel that way? Is it because of the image it conjures? Or is there something about the specific words chosen that have an emotional quality?

And for extra credit:

Go back through your list of observations, and try rewriting to use descriptions that all evoke a consistent emotion. If a lot of your descriptions depict a similar emotion already, try changing them to something different. If you’ve described flowers in a humorous way, how might you describe them in a way which feels sad, or angry, or unnerving?

This exercise can be done anywhere, but I like to do it outside, because I’ve always found extra value in the outdoors and physical exercise while doing creative exercises. The benefits of going outside is a common theme in writing advice: Dickens, Thoreau, Woolf, and many others extol walks as fuel for creativity.

Whether in nature or the bustle of a city, I find that when my body is exploring the outdoors, my mind is more receptive to unexpected ideas. I discover new connections between seemingly separate things, which is what the creative process really is—in order to make something new, artists collect and connect things, like bees patrolling their flowers. Or telephone wires snaking between buildings. Or blackberries destined for a pie.

You get the idea. There’s a world of inspiration out there.

The Song of the Swan
Author: Karah Sutton
Illustrator: Pauliina Hannueniemi
Published October 24th, 2023 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

About the Book: A magical retelling of Swan Lake, featuring a clever orphan, a castle filled with enchanted swans, and a quest to unearth the secrets of the past.

Olga is an orphan and a thief, relying on trickery and sleight of hand to make her way in the world. But it’s magic, not thievery, that could get her into trouble.

When Olga and her partner-in-crime Pavel learn of a valuable jewel kept in a secluded castle, Olga sees an opportunity to change their lives: a prize so big, they’d never have to steal again. But the castle is not as it seems, ruled by an enchanter who hosts grand balls every night, only for the guests to disappear each morning, replaced by swans. Guided by cryptic clues from the palace spiders, Olga soon realizes she’s in over her head—torn between a bargain with the enchanter, loyalty to Pavel, and determination to understand how the enchanted swans are linked to her own fate.

One thing is certain: there is dark magic behind the castle’s mysteries, and Olga will stop at nothing to unmask it.

About the Author: Karah Sutton is an American/New Zealand children’s author and former bookseller. Her debut middle grade fantasy adventure A Wolf for a Spell was an American Booksellers Association Indies Introduce selection, an Indie Next List Top 10 selection, a Junior Library Guild selection, and was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award. Inspired by her many years as a ballet dancer, The Song of the Swan is her second novel.

Visit her online at KarahSutton.com or on Instagram at @KarahdactylAuthor.

Thank you, Karah, for reminding of us the beauty around us!

Apart, Together: A Book About Transformation by Linda Booth Sweeney & Ariel Rutland

October 17, 2023October 17, 2023 by Kellee

Apart, Together
Author: Linda Booth Sweeney
Illustrator: Ariel Rutland
Published October 17th, 2023 by Balzer & Bray

Summary: This bold, surprising picture book demonstrates the magic of everyday transformations (and introduces cause-and-effect) for the youngest readers.

What happens when 1+1 equals . . . something other than 2?

Apart, blue is blue and yellow is yellow . . . but together they make green. Bees and flowers together make honey. Soap and water become foam!

With playful art and a simple, lyrical structure, this picture book is a delightful read-aloud and the perfect way to talk about all the wonderful ways that, so often, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

About the Author: Linda Booth Sweeney is a writer, educator, game maker, and trampoline jumper who writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. Her picture books include Monument Maker: Daniel Chester French and the Lincoln Memorial, When the Snow Falls, and When the Wind Blows. She lives in Boston, MA. You can visit her online at lindaboothsweeney.com.

Review and Tools for Navigation: This picture book seems simplistic, but its underlying lessons are so much more complex than at first glass. The book’s creators definitely have created something that is accessible for so many ages of readers and will lend itself to read alouds and lessons.

This text has so many discussion opportunities. It looks at cause & effect; science including animals, plants, & pollination; primary/secondary colors; team work; and baking! It is also a wonderful mentor text for students to create their own apart & together spreads, including illustrations.

Discussion Questions:

What other items can you think of that are different when they are apart versus when they are together?
How are some apart, together examples, like the soccer one, different than the others, like the paint one?
What other colors combine to make another?
What else do bees and flowers combine to make?
What else do seed, soil, sun, & water combine to make?
What else do flour, eggs, & sugar combine to make?
What else do bricks & blocks combine to make?
What else can players combine to do?
What else do soap, hands, & water combine to make?
What else do twigs, feathers, & love combine to make?

Flagged Spreads:

Read This If You Love: Simplistic picture books that teach big lessons

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Spark Point Studio for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 10/16/23

October 16, 2023 by Kellee

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

Happy reading!

Tuesday: The Uninhabitable Earth (Adapted for Young Readers): Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells

Thursday: Up In Flames by Hailey Alcaraz

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Big Problems and Small Fascinations” by Olivia A. Cole, Author of Where the Lockwood Grows

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

Kellee

Middle Grade

Scout is Not a Band Camp by Jade Armstrong: I am so glad we read this for my teacher book club. I can completely understand Scout’s obsession with an author and wanting to do anything to meet them. Also, Scout’s navigation with friends in middle school is SO realistic; I think middle school readers of all different types will connect with her.
Mascot by Charles Waters & Traci Sorell: I will be reviewing this book soon!
Don’t Check Out This Book! by Kate Klise, Illustrated by M. Sarah Klise: My friend, Shannon, recommended this book to me when the recent attack on books started, and I am so glad she shared it with me. I loved the multi-format, with articles, letters, memos, etc., which sometimes doesn’t lend itself to buying into a story as much, but that is not the case for this book. It is a great story about why libraries and books are important.
No Such Thing As Perfect by Misako Rocks!: Perfection is something that so many of us at one point or another strive for, but it is something that no one can be, including Emma who must figure out how to make it through as she navigates not being the best at something she loves. Luckily, her friends, and her new pet, are there for her. I also loved that this wasn’t just a normal sequel to Bounce Back, but was a companion, but we do get to see Lilico and how she is doing.
Unicorn Boy by Dave Roman: What a fun, odd, silly, adventurous graphic novel!! Brian’s new unicorn horn is more than just a horn, and it leads to a whole adventure, including needing to save his kidnapped friend Avery who was sucked into another realm by shadow creatures. With a fun cast of characters, including a talking muffin and talking black cat, Brian must go save his best friend!
Magic Girls: Kira and the (Maybe) Space Princess by Megan Brennan: Inspired by Sailor Moon, Brennan’s Magic Girl series is about Kira who wants to be a Magic Girl so badly when a mysterious Catacorn shows up and may be able to help her with her goal.

Young Adult

The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming (Adapted for Young Adults) by David Wallace-Wells: I reviewed this last Tuesday.
Yacqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass Adapted by & Illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas, Novel by Meg Medina: When I read this novel by Meg Megina, I was affected so deeply, (I reviewed it in 2014) and I think this adaptation into a graphic novel truly does what the novel did and has now made the story more accessible. This story looks at what bullying does to someone, which is a heartbreaking story and this reissue of the story will bring light to this topic again, which is one that isn’t delved into as thoughtful as this book in many other books. And Vargas’s adaptation is so well done–the abridged story still captures the prose novel’s underlying feeling and the illustrations are so well done, bringing the effect of bullying to light in a different way than a novel without images can. This is graphic novel is superb.
Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer: I am obsessed with this series! I cannot tell you much about this book in particular because it is book #3 of the series, but I will tell you that our new character, Cress, is based on Rapunzel.

Picture Books

Ethan and the Strays by John Sullivan, Illustrated by Hatem Aly: I love Ethan! His heart is huge and seeing this story through his eyes will only make the reader’s heart fill. And the message of trap-neuter-release for strays is one that I do not think is in any picture book, so I am so glad it exists now in this sweet book!
Pass the Baby by Susanna Reich, Illustrated by Raúl Colón: What a sweet story about the love that happens around a new baby but also all of the exhaustion of a family gathering, especially with that new baby. With great rhythm, the text will be so fun to read out loud, and with Colón’s fun and beautiful illustrations, this book will be a great read aloud.
Fungi Grow by Maria Gianferrari, Illustrated by Diana Sudyka: What a wonderful combination of nonfiction and verse! The illustrator and author worked perfectly together to bring this book that has everything you’d want in a children’s nonfiction picture book: Fun text to read, lots of information, and beautiful illustrations.
How This Book Got Red by Margaret Chiu Greanias, Illustrated by Melissa Iwai: I need everyone that does not understand inclusivity and representation. It is told in a cute, cuddly red panda way, but has a very serious message that is so important. Oh, and the illustrations are perfect for the tone! Please read this book with all of the kids and maybe a bit loudly so some adults who need to hear it hear it, too.
The North Wind & The Sun: A Fable Retold by Philip Stead: With Stead’s sweet illustrations and poignant message surrounding perseverance and hope, this charming picture book of 3 sister’s journey as fall turns to winter is one that kids will love looking at and adults will love reading.
Beulah has a Hunch!: Inside the Colorful Mind of Master Inventor Beulah Louise Henry by Katie Mazeika: I did not know about Beulah before this book, but we all should! What an amazing inventor! There are so many things that she is part of that we still use today, and this is all without any support and having to go against all of the gender norms surrounding her. Oh, and the illustrations are wonderful, too! I am so glad that this book is out there, and do not miss out on the back matter which delves even more into her life!
The Wishing Machine by Jonathan Hillman, Illustrated by Nadia Alam: This picture book has so many layers, all of which readers will connect with, including a look at ending traditions, the unease of change, spreading kindness, how people are home not a place, and a low socioeconomic status leading to different housing. I loved seeing this story through the eyes of a child, because it shows how kids can find magic, even in truly tough situations; however, the story doesn’t make light of anything, even with the magical aspects. Mixed with colorful and playful illustrations, many readers will enjoy this book.

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 see you next week!

Kellee

Reading: Glitch, Vol. 1 by Shima Shinya, Translated by Eleanor Summers
Listening: Winter (Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer

Tuesday: Apart, Together by Linda Booth Sweeney & Ariel Rutland

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “There’s a World of Inspiration Out There” by Karah Sutton, Author of The Song of the Swan

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2.	Lisa @ Literacy On the Mind	5.	cheriee weichel	8.	Beth @ Library Chicken
3.	Max @ Completely Full Bookshelf	6.	Jane @ Raincity Librarian	9.	Ms. Yingling @msyingling

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Author Guest Post: “Big Problems and Small Fascinations” by Olivia A. Cole, Author of Where the Lockwood Grows

October 15, 2023 by Kellee

“Big Problems and Small Fascinations”

School requires a lot from young people. Focus, sitting still, hands to yourself, social skills. (This doesn’t end with elementary school. Middle school? For sure. High school? Yep!) This is all hard enough – particularly if you won the neurodivergent lottery – and then you have to throw the whole “actual learning” thing on top too: the math and the science and the history. Oh, and homework! Don’t forget homework. (I’m admittedly sad that the “no homework” movement seems to have lost steam in the last year.)

Where is the space for special interests?

This isn’t a write-up about kids being swamped by “activities” starting in kindergarten. It’s not about how college prep seems to start earlier and earlier in a country where college isn’t free. It’s not even about overwork and burnout.

It’s about small fascinations.

In Where the Lockwood Grows, Erie Neaux isn’t tied up with swimming practice. Rather, she and the other young people in the town of Prine are struggling under the yoke of child labor, although of course no one is calling it that. It’s called survival. (Which at least is more noble than the current justifications.) Erie (and the other children who have no choice but to do the dangerous work in the trees that keeps their town running) wakes up before dawn to finish their work, after which they go to school for a few hours, where most of them are too tired or stressed to pay much attention to what they’re expected to learn.

Erie spends most of the time either daydreaming or flipping through an old encyclopedia of entomology, studying the many strange bugs and their attributes contained in the pages. She applies her knowledge as best as she can in the tiny, insulated town of Prine, admiring the dustnose beetles and other local insects.

But when she and her sister discover the truth about what keeps the people of Prine in the dark, their adventure takes them to the city of Petrichor, where Erie’s world finally opens up. Along the way, she’s taken to the Bug Yard, a place where other bug-lovers have developed their fascinations with insects and turned them toward solutions to climate and waste problems. (Awesomely enough, these imaginings aren’t science fiction!) In the end, Erie’s fascination with bugs that she nurtured in her sparse spare time plays a big part of saving the day.

Capitalism has a way of wringing every drop out of a day. Adults feel it when we don’t even have time for a hobby. (Or worse, when we try to turn hobbies into streams of income.) Children feel it when between school and homework there’s none of their day left empty for daydreaming.

In Where the Lockwood Grows, the lockwood blocks the stars that Erie’s mother says her children need to dream. What about us? What do we need to dream? Our Earth has big problems that need big solutions, born from creativity and innovation, from small fascinations that grow into resolutions. How will they be born if we don’t have time to dream?

Published August 15th, 2023 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

About the Book: Twelve-year-old Erie has never lived life fully in the sunlight. After destructive wildfires wreaked havoc on the world around her, the government came up with a plan—engineer a plant that cannot burn. Thus, the fire-resistant lockwood was born. The lockwood protects Erie and her hometown of Prine, but it grows incredibly fast and must be cut back every morning. Only the town’s youngest and smallest citizens can fit between the branches and tame the plant. Citizens just like Erie.

But one evening, Erie uncovers a shocking secret that leads her to question the rules of Prine. Alongside her older sister, Hurona, she’ll journey from the only home she’s known and realize that the world is much more complicated than she’d ever imagined.

About the Author: Olivia A. Cole is a writer from Louisville, Kentucky. Her essays, which often focus on race and womanhood, have been published in Bitch Media, Real Simple, The LA Times, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Gay Mag, and more. She teaches creative writing at the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts, where she guides her students through poetry and fiction, but also considerations of the world and who they are within it. She is the author of several books for children and adults. Learn more about Olivia and her work at oliviaacole.com and follow her on Twitter @RantingOwl.

Thank you, Olivia, for this food for thought and reminder that it is okay to allow kids to focus on their loves and passions!