Unleashing Readers

Doll Bones by Holly Black

October 25, 2013 by Kellee

Doll Bones
Author: Holly Black
Illustrator: Eliza Wheeler
Published May 7th, 2013 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Goodreads Summary: Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity…

My Review: Wow. I am very reluctant to read “scary” books because I too often find that they rely too much on the scary and not enough on the writing. However, with Doll Bones, Holly Black was able to write a well-written middle grade novel with a good plot arc and characterization mixed with a lot of creepy. Within her “scary” book, Holly Black is able to capture a very awkward time in one’s life– middle school! –in a very realistic way. Her characters are believable, completely filled with the internal debate of growing up or staying a child a bit longer. Then, on top of her great middle grade story, she has included a completely creepy aspect of the story that I even had to put down a couple of times because I knew I was reading some creepy stuff too close to bedtime.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This one will be a phenomenal read aloud and will find a ton of readers when put into classroom libraries. I also know that some of my teacher friends are planning to use it in a book club setting as well.

Discussion Questions: Have you ever been in a situation like Zach where you feel like you are supposed to grow up, but you’d rather play like you used to?; Do you think Poppy was telling the truth the whole time?; What do you think happened to The Queen?

We Flagged: “It wasn’t like a regular dream,” Poppy said, her fingers smoothing back the Queen’s curls and her voice changing, going soft and chill as the night air. It reminded Zach of the way Poppy talked when she played villains or even the Queen herself. “It wasn’t like dreaming at all. She was sitting on the end of my bed. Her hair was blond, like the doll’s, but it was tangled and dirty. She was wearing a nightdress smeared with mud. She told me I had to bury her. She said she couldn’t rest until her bones were in her own grave, and if I didn’t help her, she would make me sorry.” (p. 62-63)

Read This If You Loved: Mary Downing Hahn books, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Guys Read: Thriller edited by Jon Scieszka

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy!**

Reality Boy by A.S. King

November 14, 2013October 24, 2013 by Ricki

Reality Boy
Author: A. S. King
Published: October 22nd, 2013 by Little, Brown

GoodReads Summary: Gerald Faust knows exactly when he started feeling angry: the day his mother invited a reality television crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he’s still haunted by his rage-filled youth—which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle—and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school.

Nothing is ever going to change. No one cares that he’s tried to learn to control himself, and the girl he likes has no idea who he really is. Everyone’s just waiting for him to snap…and he’s starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that.

In this fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge, highly acclaimed Printz Honor author A.S. King explores the desperate reality of a former child “star” who finally breaks free of his anger by creating possibilities he never knew he deserved.

Review: Gerald’s incredibly dysfunctional family allows us to truly appreciate our own families. His mother wants him to be “retarded” so she doesn’t have to recognize the errors she committed while raising him, his oldest sister is allowed to both harm him and have loud sexual intercourse in the basement (while the whole family listens), his dad ignores the issues Gerald is facing, and his one good sister moved away and doesn’t call.

Rightfully, Gerald has a lot of anger, and he has great difficulty controlling it. I loved how raw this book was—it will help teenagers understand the ways that anger manifests itself. Gerald doesn’t have any friends (until he meets Hannah), and he feels very alone, which is a feeling that many teens (and adults, for that matter) can identify with. The book shows how our pasts can haunt us, as Gerald is unable to trust anyone and can’t escape from the decisions he made when he was a young child. This book will have widespread appeal, as different kinds of people will be able to identify with Gerald, and I highly recommend it.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This would be a great book to introduce to the entire classroom. It has strong literary merit, and teachers will find a wealth of teachable information with this text. It would be interesting to have students research the levels of anger and pair passages with emotions associated with anger. Gerald tries a variety of methods to cope with his anger: fighting, yelling, ignoring people, escaping into his own world (which he calls Gerday), running away, etc. It would also be interesting to investigate the techniques associated with anger management, as Gerald’s anger management guidance doesn’t seem to work for him.

Discussion Questions: How does Gerald’s past influence his decisions?; Is reality television always negative? Do we have a right to film children?; Do you agree with the way Gerald’s father handles the difficulties in the family unit?; Do you find Gerald and Hannah’s relationship to be dysfunctional? Do they help each other more than they harm each other?

We Flagged:

“‘I’m, well, I’m,’ I try. ‘I’m not very popular.’

She smiles. ‘Welcome to the club, Gerald. I’m also not popular. I’d go one step further and say I am rather unpopular. I’m okay with that. Aren’t you?'” (Chapter 30).

“When I look around the caf, I can’t see anyone else who is remotely as messed up as I am. Not even Hannah. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe most other people are messed up, too. It just wasn’t aired on TV or, you know, aired on Tom What’s-His Name’s face” (Chapter 31).

“It’s like we just witnessed a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis. Except that the butterfly isn’t quite what we expected it to be because the whole world is full of shit” (Chapter 38).

Please note: The above quotes are from the Advanced Reader Copy. The e-book (a galley) did not provide page or chapter numbers. The quotes may change when the book is published.

Read This If You Loved: Ask the Passengers by A.S. King, Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King, Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn, The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp, The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Recommended For:

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for sending me the Advanced Reader Copy!

Anubis Speaks! by Vicky Alvear Shecter

October 23, 2013October 23, 2013 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

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

Anubis Speaks! A Guide to the Afterlife by the Egyptian God of the Dead
Author: Vicky Alvear Shecter
Illustrator: Antoine Revoy
Published October 1st, 2013 by Boyd Mills Press

Goodreads Summary: Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of death and mummification, takes the reader on a personal tour of the “Dark Lands”–the Egyptian afterworld. While touring, Anubis explains ancient Egyptian death practices and escorts the reader onto Ra’s “Night Boat,” where they must battle the evil demon of destruction, Apophis, so that Ra can be reborn in the morning as the sun disk.

Based on Egyptology research–particularly the Book of the Dead, The Book of Apophis, the Book of Caverns and others–Anubis Speaks gives middle-grade readers a fun yet factual look at ancient Egyptian beliefs, rituals and practices.

My Review: I was introduced to Vicky Alvear Shecter when I read Cleopatra’s Moon and was struck by her way to intertwine fact, mythology, and fiction into a fascinating story. I’ve recently (once I started teaching it) become a very hug fan of mythology though mostly Greek and Roman; however, with my reading of Cleopatra’s Moon (then the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan), I jumped into Egyptian mythology head first and began learning more and more thus realizing how fascinating all mythology is.

Now to Anubis Speaks! What I enjoyed most about this book was how it was put together. It isn’t just another nonfiction book that lists facts and myths and hope that students find it interesting. Instead Shecter made sure to make the book entertaining and different and intertwined myths with a fun narrative from the Egyptian god of the dead. (YES! The whole book is told from the point of view of Anubis making it quite hilarious at points and making it more interesting than just an informational nonfiction book.)

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This book fits perfectly into a mythology unit. It can be used as a whole or parts taken out. It is a great resource for any teacher teaching Egypt or Egyptian mythology. Also, because it is written so entertainingly, it can definitely be used as a read aloud.

Discussion Questions: Which other Egyptian god/dess’s point of view would you like to read a book by?; Which myth that Anubis shared was your favorite?; What part of Egyptian history that Anubis shared did you find to be the most interesting?

We Flagged: “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Anubis—the Egyptian god of the “Mysteries of Embalming,” the “Guardian of the Veil of Death,” “Opener of the Ways of the Dead,” and if you are “bad” . . . Your. Worst. Nightmare.

But do not fear. I will not snatch your beating heart from your chest and toss it to my good friend, crocodile-headed Amut the Destroyer for a squishy snack . . . not today anyway. Instead, I will guide you through my world of deep magic, strange gods, and gruesome monsters. I will show you how my people, the ancient Egyptians, prepared the dead for eternal and evil—every night—to keep you safe.” (p. 8)

Read This If You Loved: The Kane Chronicles (series) by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians (series) by Rick Riordan, Cleopatra’s Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter, Aphrodite the Diva by Joan Holub, Who Was King Tut? by Roberta Edwards and other nonfiction King Tut books, Athena’s Son by Jeryl Schoenbeck, The Gruesome Truth about the Egyptians by Jillian Powell and other nonfiction Egyptian books

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Vicky Alvear Shecter and Teresa Rolfe Kravtin for sending me a copy!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Character Names

October 22, 2013 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: Top Ten Character Names

Ricki

1. Alaska from Looking for Alaska by John Green

When you picked up this book, I bet you didn’t think Alaska would be a girl—let alone a really cool girl.

2. Calpurnia Tate from The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Calpurnia Virginia Tate explores the wonders of the world, and her name fits perfectly with her character.

3. Doodle from “The Scarlet Ibis” (short story) by James Hurst

Doodle is the sickly, younger brother in this story. I find him to be fascinating, particularly in the way he treats the Scarlet Ibis. If he wasn’t so helpless, I would use his name as a nickname for a future child.

4. Dill from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Dill is such a fun character, and his name fits well with his adventurous, carefree spirit.

5. Sarah Dessen’s characters (Yes, all of them.)

I often forget characters’ names, but I find Sarah Dessen’s characters have very memorable names that always stick with me. I will always have a warm place in my heart for Remy and Dexter…Macy…Emaline and Theo…and all of the wonderful characters of these books.

Kellee

1 and 2. Quentin from Paper Towns and Augustus from The Fault in our Stars by John Green

I don’t know if it as much as they are my favorite names, but I just love the characters and the names fit the characters so perfectly. The names will never be associated with anyone else in my mind.

3. Wesley from The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Ah, Wesley! I don’t know how to explain why this name is perfect, but if you read the book and see the movie, I promise you’ll agree with me.

4. Jonas from The Giver and Son by Lois Lowry

Jonas is a biblical name which has debatable meanings—anywhere from dove (peace), to gift from God, to one who oppresses. All of these put together are Lois Lowry’s Jonas. He overcame oppression and was a gift from God for Gabriel (which is also a perfect name.)

5. Lady Brett Ashley from The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

I love the masculinity of Lady Brett’s name and felt it perfectly fit her character. Throughout my lit degree, I wrote a couple different papers about how Hemingway perfectly crafted her to be a dominant (not push-over woman) character and her name adds to that perfectly.

What are your favorite character names?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 10/21/13

July 27, 2015October 21, 2013 by Kellee

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

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

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

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

Last Week’s Posts

Congratulations to DAWN PLEET for winning a signed copy of The Real Boy by Anne Ursu!!!

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

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: This last week I finished Doll Bones (SO GOOD!). Once I got into it, I couldn’t stop. I then did some rereading in preparation for this week’s reviews: Chatswood Spooks #1 & #2 and Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween. Finally, I started My Sister Jodie by Jacqueline Woodson and I look forward to finishing it.

Ricki: This week, I read The Declaration by Gemma Malley. I love dystopians, and I have always wanted to read this one, so I was excited when it was assigned in a Methods class I am observing. I decided to read it along with the students because it seemed like the perfect opportunity. My reading group loved it. I also read Reality Boy by A. S. King. She is phenomenal, isn’t she? I loved this book as much as I loved her others, and look for the review this Thursday!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: This week I plan to finish My Sister Jacqueline. I then plan on reading Encyclopedia Horrifica then Halloween Hustle in preparation for more scary reviews. After that I have a pile of four books to read for ALAN and cannot wait to read them: Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick, girlchild by Tupelo Hassman, Loud Awake and Lost by Adele Griffin, and Season of the Witch by Mariah Fredericks. They should last me a couple of weeks 🙂

Ricki: This week, I also plan to read Halloween Hustle in preparation for our Halloween review day. I got caught up in books this past week, but I am definitely excited to get to Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson. Also, I just started a book by my advisor, Wendy Glenn. It is awesome so far (and I say that without bias—it is very engaging, and I can’t wait for bedtime to get back to it!). You can get the manuscript for free at www.swoonreads.com.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

So, what are you reading?

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

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Click "Add your link" to link up:

1.	Beth Shaum	14.	Andrea @ Mrs Payan Reads	27.	Jeanne @ True Tales & A Cherry On Top
2.	Tara @ A Teaching Life	15.	Maria Selke @Mselke01	28.	Megan@ YA? Why Not?
3.	Earl	16.	Franki	29.	Elisabeth @ The Dirigible Plum
4.	Myra @ GatheringBooks	17.	Natalie @Biblio Links	30.	Maria @ Once Upon A Story
5.	Linda - TeacherDance	18.	Crystal @ Reading Through Life	31.	Michelle Glatt @ I Push Books
6.	Carrie Gelson @There's a Book for That	19.	Holly Mueller	32.	Leigh Anne
7.	Debbie - Styling Librarian	20.	Page (One Book At A Time)	33.	Lorna @ Not For Lunch
8.	Julee Murphy @Book Egg	21.	Catherine @ Reading to the Core	34.	Megan Ginther
9.	Ms. Yingling	22.	Hannahlily @ My 100 Adventures	35.	Angie aka Ms. O
10.	Kate @ Reading Past Bedtime	23.	Nicole Levesque @ Bluestocking Thinking	36.	Miss Lifesaver
11.	Jen @ The Uninterrupted Reader	24.	Mary @ Mary-andering Creatively (follows back)	37.	Maine Reading Association
12.	Melissa @ Honey Bee Books	25.	Lisa @ I'll Tumble for YA	38.	Kristin Becker
13.	The Book Monsters	26.	Great Books for Kids and Teens

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Now Open the Box by Dorothy Kunhardt

December 27, 2013October 20, 2013 by Ricki

Now Open the Box
Author: Dorothy Kunhardt
Published: August 20th, 2013 by NYR Children’s Collection (First published: 1934)

GoodReads Summary: Peewee’s in the box! Peewee the dog doesn’t know any tricks, “not a single one not even how to roll over not even how to shake hands but never mind he is so teeny weeny that everybody loves him,” the clown, the fat lady, the thin man, the huge tall giant, the strong baby, the acrobats, the elephants, and all the other amazing performers in the wonderful circus of the man with the quite tall red hat. But then something unexpected happens that threatens to bring Peewee’s time under the Big Top to an end.

Now Open the Box is a beautiful example of the art of Dorothy Kunhardt, the author of the timeless classic Pat the Bunny and the pioneering picture book Junket Is Nice. Here Kunhardt speaks with wonderfully reassuring directness to children’s hopes and fears while making magic out of the simplest things.

Ricki’s Review: This picture book made me chuckle. I absolutely adored little Peewee and his circus adventures. I will admit, as an English teacher, the whimsical run-ons make me want to get out a pen, but I have to admit that they do add fantastic, curious element to the story—which remind me of Dr. Seuss’s fun stories. They certainly add to the book’s whimsy. Dorothy Kunhardt doesn’t just tell us about Peewee. She adds great imagery of the various, magical creatures in the circus. These aren’t your average circus animals, either. I loved the vivid illustrations and can’t wait to read this to my baby (who is due in 7 weeks!). I know this will be a favorite.

Kellee’s Review: I will have to second all that Ricki said. Dorothy Kephardt has a way of telling her stories that reminds me of the We’re Going on a Bear Hunt song/story. They are catchy, fun, and will get the kids chorally reading “S/He loved little peewee.” Then underneath all of the fun and whimsy is the essential question of the story: Will I be loved/wanted even after I am not young and little and cute anymore? I think that this question will leave a large impact on the primary students who will get the gift of this story.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Kids will have a lot of fun with this picture book. Teachers can read it aloud and then ask students to envision their own circus animals and draw pictures. There is a lot of great imagery. It would be beneficial for teachers to read a line from the book aloud and then ask students to visualize the animal before they see the picture. There are a lot of great stopping points where teachers could also ask students to make predictions about the box and Peewee’s plight. Finally, as Dorothy Kephardt writes her books in a formulaic fashion, students could use Now Open the Box as a mentor text to make their own story with a surprise ending. This would make for a great teaching tool, and we recommend it for the classroom.

Discussion Questions: What did you think would be in the box? How might your prediction have changed the story?; What makes Peewee unique? What makes us unique? How might being different be exciting and beneficial to us?; What happens after the story ends? Imagine the future for Peewee and add to the tale!

We Flagged: We loved all of the circus animals in this story, so we wanted to share one of the animals who loved Peewee:

“There was a giraffe who can swallow a big rubber ball without sneezing. He loved little Peewee” (p.31).

To see a sneak peak of the book and get an idea for the illustrations, visit the Now Open the Box Amazon page and “Look Inside”

Read This If You Loved: Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt, Junket is Nice by Dorothy Kephardt, The Napping House by Audrey Wood, That is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems, other picture book classics like Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey and The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

Recommended For:

classroomlibrarybuttonsmall

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**Thank you to Media Masters Publicity for providing copies for us to review**

The Scary Places Map Book by B.G. Hennessy

October 19, 2013October 19, 2013 by Kellee

Over the next 2 weeks, many of my reviews are going to be in honor of Halloween.

I am so happy to begin my two weeks of scary with:

The Scary Places Map Book: Seven Terrifying Tours
Author: B.G. Hennessy
Illustrator: Erwin Madrid
Published July 10th, 2012 by Candlewick

Goodreads Summary: Grab a flashlight for an after-dark exploration of seven very scary places. Giggles and goose bumps are in store!

Take a tour of seven spooky places, among them the Wicked Woods, a Ghostly Galleon, and the Western Terror-tories. Along the way, avoid booby traps, search for hidden objects, and learn basic map reading skills! A map key, items to look for, and points of interest, such as Dracula’s Castle and Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory, are included for each eerie region. Tips for touring (never take the Transylvania tour during a full moon) add to the fun. Kids who love to mix the ghoulish with the humorous will pore over the atmospheric pictures time and again, transported to strange, mysterious, very scary places.

My Review: This book tells you seven stories through an interactive tour of a map. Each map has a different theme and starts with an introductory story. I loved thinking of all of the fun ways this could be used in the classroom!

Teacher’s Tools For Navigation: While reading, I thought of so many different ways that this book could be utilized in a classroom:

First, the book teaches map skills because it has a key and directs the reader to different sections of the map by using the grid system and the scale.

Second, the setting of each map would be a great jumping off point to writing a story.

Third, many of the settings are based off of books or history and would be easy to connect to novels. For example, the first map is “The Ghostly Galleon Cruise of the Seven Seas” which could be connected with the Young Jack Sparrow books. “Land of Mythical Monsters” is set in Greece so could connect to mythology and any book like The Lightning Thief. “Roundup of the Western Terror-tories” to The Case of the Deadly Desperados, “Tour of the Wicked Woods and Witchfield Village” to Tales of Dark and Grimm, “Trip Through Transylvania” to Dracula Doesn’t Drink Lemonade, “Sleepwalking Tour of Nightmare House” to All the Lovely Bad Ones, and “Museum of Haunted Objects” to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde.

I have been very lucky that over the last year or so to be in touch with B.G. Hennessy about this book. I’m honored that based on my original review, B.G. has begun to make a comprehensive list of books to go with each book. This list is so awesome! She includes picture books, beginning readers, chapter books, nonfiction books, and activity books for EACH MAP.

I am sure there are even more ways I am going to keep thinking about it. I, personally, cannot wait to use this in my classroom. (I also found out there is a facebook page for the book where teachers and the author can share their ideas- https://www.facebook.com/ScaryPlacesMapBook) B.G. Hennessy has also put together a teacher’s guide for the book which includes standards, vocabulary, activities, and more (which is written for elementary, but it can definitely by used for middle school as well!). Check it out on her website: http://bghennessy.com/ What a wonderful resource for teachers!

Discussion Questions: For each map, what are some books that you can connect the map to? How do the map and book connect?; [Writing Prompt] Using one of the maps in the Scary Places Map Book to be the setting of a narrative that you write. Challenge yourself and try to include at least 5 of the events or characters mentioned in the map.

We Flagged: “Land of Mythical Monsters: Who better to lead a tour through the birthplace of the foulest, ugliest, and fiercest monsters of all time than Hercules, a legend himself. This tour is for experts only. Pack your best hiking shoes and sunscreen. Mighty Hercules will meet you at Athena’s Temple. You will trek through snowcapped mountains, sail to the sunny island of Crete, and hike back to the dark door to the Underworld. Test your skills and see if you can make it through the Minotaur’s famous labyrinth.” (p. 7)

Read This If You Loved: Lightning Thief (series) by Rick Riordan, Dracula Doesn’t Drink Lemonade by Debbie Dadey, All the Lovely Bad Ones (and others) by Marry Downing Hahn, The Case of the Deadly Desperados by Caroline Lawrence, A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz, The Coming Storm (series) by Rob Kidd, The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Recommended For: