Unleashing Readers – Page 37 – Helping Students Navigate the World of Books

The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla

July 25, 2023 by Kellee

The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn
Author: Sally J. Pla
Published July 11th, 2023 by Quill Tree Books

Summary: Neurodivergent Maudie is ready to spend an amazing summer with her dad, but will she find the courage to tell him a terrible secret about life with her mom and new stepdad? This contemporary novel by the award-winning author of The Someday Birds is a must-read for fans of Leslie Connor and Ali Standish.

Maudie always looks forward to the summers she spends in California with her dad. But this year, she must keep a troubling secret about her home life–one that her mom warned her never to tell. Maudie wants to confide in her dad about her stepdad’s anger, but she’s scared.

When a wildfire strikes, Maudie and her dad are forced to evacuate to the beach town where he grew up. It’s another turbulent wave of change. But now, every morning, from their camper, Maudie can see surfers bobbing in the water. She desperately wants to learn, but could she ever be brave enough?

As Maudie navigates unfamiliar waters, she makes friends–and her autism no longer feels like the big deal her mom makes it out to be. But her secret is still threatening to sink her. Will Maudie find the strength to reveal the awful truth–and maybe even find some way to stay with Dad–before summer is over?

Praise:

“A vulnerable portrait of one girl seeking to empower and redefine herself outside of her personal traumas.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Through Maudie’s earnest, occasionally poetic narration, Pla vividly explores the ways that physical and verbal abuse can distort self-perception. A perceptive, poignant tale of self-discovery.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A heartfelt story of courage and hope about Maudie, who navigates the world in her own unique divergent way, even while struggling with challenging family dynamics and loss. Readers will cry, cheer, and celebrate, and not soon forget, Maudie McGinn.” — Pam Muñoz Ryan, Newbery Honor-winning author

“A gorgeous, bighearted, beautiful book. I loved it.” — Elana K. Arnold, award-winning author of A Boy Called Bat

“A powerful and deeply affecting story that will carry readers along like the perfect wave.” — Barbara Dee, author of Maybe He Just Likes You

“A breathtakingly beautiful ride of a story about an unforgettable, neurodivergent heroine.” — Jess Redman, award-winning author of The Miraculous

About the Author: Sally J. Pla writes stories for young people. Her books have been translated into many languages, garnered starred reviews, appeared on many ‘best book’ and state lists, and picked up a few awards, but the best thing they’ve done has been to connect her to readers like you. The Someday Birds; Stanley Will Probably Be Fine; Benji, The Bad Day, And Me; and her latest, The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn, all portray characters who see the world a bit differently. Because we are all stars shining with different lights.

Sally has English degrees from Colgate and Penn State, and has worked as a journalist and in public education. You can find her at sallyjpla.com.

Review: This book, y’all. I am so glad that it was put on my radar because it is more than I could have guessed from the summary–I am so glad that I read it. It was a one-sitting read; I couldn’t put it down.

Sally J. Pla has crafted a book that pulls at heartstrings; has moments written in prose AND verse that are mentor texts in craft; will be a window, mirror, or sliding glass door (Sims-Bishop, 1990) for so many readers; touches on a tough subject that I truly think will help some readers with talking about their own situation; and has an amazing cast of characters!

Teaching Tools for Navigation: This book will be loved by so many readers. It is a must buy for middle school libraries and classrooms and may even be a good book club choice, just make sure to discuss the content triggers before choosing. Help the right readers find this book, help the right ones talk about it, and help the book get the love it deserves.

Discussion Questions:

Why do you think the author chose not to tell Maudie’s secret from the beginning?
How does surfing both help and hurt Maudie’s situation?
How is Maudie treated differently with her mom versus her dad?
Why does her dad seem to understand her better than her mom?
Why did the author include sections in verse throughout the book?
Why do you think Etta helps Maudie?
Why does Maudie begin to find her voice more now that she is with her dad?
How is Paddi’s school different than Maudie’s school in Texas?
Masks are talked about figuratively within the book. Why does Maudie and her mom feel like they have to wear a mask?
What type of character traits does Maudie and her dad show by starting over after the fire?

Flagged Passage:

Chapter 2 Wowowowowowowowow

The Molinas emergency shelter is packed with stressed-out neighbors, grim-looking police, and frantic aid workers handing out things like bottles of water and crinkly silver blankets.

It’s not cold, but I can’t stop shivering.

There’s an old clipboard perched on a table under a stale copy cup–leftover from some meeting. I take it with me to one of the cots the volunteers have set up. Its thing blue mattress crunches underneath me; it feels like it’s filled with plastic pellets.

I unclip an old paper from the clipboard and turn it over. And just like Mr. Parris taught me, back at that noisy dance, I do his calm-down trick. I start to catalog the too-muchness.

SMELLS
stale coffee
stale soup
industrial carpeting
body odor
ashes
smoke
fabric softener

SOUNDS
kids crying
a couple arguing in staccato Spanish
an old man coughing and hacking up something wet and gross into a Kleenex, ugh
some lady shouting “Who took my phone? Who took my phone?” over and over
distant sirens: wowowowo-wowowowowo-wowwwwwwww

TOUCH
this silver emergency blanket, which feels like slippery aluminum foil
this sweaty plastic-pellet mattress under my butt and legs
burning eyes, like my lashes are gunked with hot grit
headache, blaring and pounding at my temples like a vise
a strange iron-band feeling around my chest, keeping me breathless
B R E A T H E
B R E A T H E
B R E A T H E

SIGHTS
The curve of my dad’s back

Read This If You Love: A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner; Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan Vaught; Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit; The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean; Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Blue Slip Media for providing a copy of review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/24/23

August 23, 2023July 24, 2023 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop co-hosted by Unleashing Readers and Teach Mentor Texts which focuses on sharing books marketed for children and young adults. 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.

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: Rivka’s Presents, by Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Adelina Lirius

Friday: Students’ Voices: Book Recommendations from Laura L., Anna Liz R., Mai B., & Brielle P., 2022-23 8th Graders

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Unpacking the Layers of Meaning Hidden within a Picture Book” by Carin Berger, Author of In the Night Garden

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

Kellee

It has been a wonderful vacation for the Moye family–we spent time in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia then went on an Alaskan cruise. If you’ve never experienced Alaska and ever have the chance, I HIGHLY recommend it. It is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.

All Ages Picture Books

The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgár Changed the Game by Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Stevie Lewis: Judit is so ridiculously inspiring! I’m so glad the author chose to tell this story to highlight her brilliance, tenacity, and legacy. Wallmark crafted her story chronologically through Judit’s first 15 years, but makes sure to tie in heart to the biography, specifically tension of games and Judit’s resilience, and Lewis’s illustrations bring the story to life and add to this biography that is for all ages. And like Booklist says, I am so proud that this story is out there to “[dispel] the notion that women are inferior chess players, this biographical picture book spotlights a triumphant child/heroine.”
Marker by Anna Kang, Illustrated by Christopher Weyant: What a fun companion to Eraser! This time, we visit the teacher’s desk and look at the pressure of perfection and how important mistakes are for life and growth. And like always, Weyant’s illustrations are perfection. I just am such a fan of his style!
- GIVEAWAY TIME! Comment below or tweet and mention @UnleashReaders (by Friday) to be entered into a giveaway of a copy of Marker and its companion, Eraser, courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. and Canada addresses).
A Book for Bear by Ellen Ramsey, Illustrated by MacKenzie Haley: Oh, this book has quite the surprise at the end, and I LOVED it! This is a book about books and two friends who love to read, sadly, one is a bear who can’t visit anywhere to pick out his own book. You’ll root for the duo as they try to come up with the perfect plan to find the perfect book. What a clever book by Ramsey with such happy illustrations by Haley that is just a pleasure to read!

Weather Together by Jessie Sima: I love this series, and this is a wonderful new addition to it. Also, did you know there is a show?!?! I can’t wait to watch it!
Âmî Osâwâpikones/Dear Dandelion by S.J. Okemow: This book was everything. I randomly picked it up at a book store in Vancouver, and I am so glad I did. It is BEAUTIFUL. It is about nature but also about resilience and goodness, all through the story of dandelions. I highly recommend picking this one up.
Like the Moon Loves the Sky by Hena Khan, Illustrated by Saffa Khan: I couldn’t believe I hadn’t read this sweet book by Hena Khan yet. It is as wonderfully written as her novels and just a wonderful message from mother to child.
The Song that Called them Home by David Alexander Robertson, Illustrated by Maya McKibbin: This picture book, based on the folklore of Memekwesewak, is crafted so well. The story transports you to Lauren & James’s story and the illustrations are animated movie level so it feels like you are there. I loved learning about this new-to-me story from indigenous legends.

Middle Grade

Marisol Rainey series by Ein Entrada Kelly: Trent and I listed to this series, and I am a huge fan of Marisol, her adventures, and how her stories are written. The audiobooks were also quite good.
The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla: I’ll be reviewing this tomorrow!
Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen: I’ll be reviewing this soon!
Yokai Cats Vol. 3 by Pandania: This is by far the weirdest cat manga that Trent reads. I think I’m good with reading the first 3, but Trent LOVES them–he thinks they’re hilarious.

Adult

Murderland by Thomas B. Cavanagh: This murder mystery was written by my son’s sensai’s dad, and it is a perfect read for anyone who loves detective mysteries with some murder and a bit of humor. What adds a bit more fun is that it takes place here in Orlando within an imaginary theme park.

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–see you next week!

Kellee

I am currently reading both Kiss the Girl by Melanie Jacobson and Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin. I also have a ton of manga piled up to read that I hope to finish before students return to school on August 10th. As for listening, I will have to pick something as I return to work today–I’ll let you know in 2 weeks. Happy reading!

Tuesday: The Fire, The Water, and the Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla

Thursday: Cat Jokes vs. Dog Jokes: Cat Jokes Told by Dogs, an Epic Comedy Battle by David Lewman, Illustrated by John McNamee

Friday: Student Voices: Book Recommendations from Kellee’s Students

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Hasan Namir, Author of Banana Dream

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: “Unpacking the Layers of Meaning Hidden within a Picture Book” by Carin Berger, Author of In the Night Garden

July 23, 2023 by Kellee

“Unpacking the Layers of Meaning Hidden within a Picture Book”

On its face a picture book can seem like a simple thing. After all, most picture books are composed of a mere 16 spreads and a handful of words, plus a jacket, a case, end papers and a title page (all worth taking careful note of!). And yet a good picture book is a multi-layered, complex balancing act with many elements. Ideally, it works on several levels with layers of meaning woven within it that are revealed with repeat readings.

As an author and illustrator, I am fortunate to be able to toggle between visual and textual storytelling and allow a kind of play between the words and pictures. I can build secrets within the illustrations that continue to reveal new things upon multiple visits. I create my collages by hand, working with vintage ephemera, a material that I choose because I love the fact that each piece comes with built-in, hidden stories. One more layer of complexity. My goal is to build depth within my books, so that when they are used in a classroom, they can help foster meaningful discussions, cultivate careful observations, and to deepen visual and textual literacy. In the Night Garden, at first read, might seem to be simply a good night book. It has a lulling rhythm and takes place at night and ends with the phrase “Sleep tight.” An alert reader will notice a black cat who is on every page, and who chaperones the reader through the story, and functions as the narrator. The reader might also notice the passage of seasons within the illustrations. Certain spreads have interesting treats waiting to be discovered, for example the “visual onomatopoeia” in the illustration of the crickets and bullfrogs songs. Or the fact that hidden in the spread of the girl’s bedroom at the end of the book, there are objects from all of the previous spreads. Can you find them?

There are personal nuggets hidden within my books as well. I am a long-time fan of Al Hirschfeld’s illustrations. He always included his daughter’s name, Nina, within his illustrations. I have done this as well. The name of my daughter, Thea, is somewhere, hiding within the illustrations in all of my books including In the Night Garden. You will need sharp eyes, but I bet you can find it. Also keep an eye out for the letter T…as in Thea! In the Night Garden was in part inspired by Thea’s fear of the dark and difficulty in going to sleep at night. I think many children have some anxiety around this transition, and I hope that celebrating the beauty of the darkness will be useful. We used to lie out on the porch, gazing at the stars and identifying unfamiliar sounds as a way to ease her fear. This became a treasured ritual and part of the inspiration of In the Night Garden. My burgeoning love of gardening also inspired the book. I grew up around talented gardeners and I always longed to have my own bit of dirt to garden in. Now that we have our house in the country, I am insatiable. I find it a delight to watch the changes in the garden as seasons pass. There are often magical moments that happen: There was one early morning where I spotted a trio of fox cubs splashing playfully in our stream, and one autumn dusk when a hoot owl was only a few feet away, gazing steadily at me from our apple tree. We watch the dance of fireflies in the summer, and the whirl of bats that swirl above us in the early evening; we marvel at the silent transformation that occurs after a heavy snowfall. In some ways the book is an ode to Cupcake, the name our daughter gave our house, this place that we love. As you can see, it is deeply personal!

Finally, and also deeply personal, there is a more profound meaning tucked within the simplicity of In the Night Garden. I hope that the book inspires awe and wonder about nature and night time, as well as about seasons and the sometimes dazzling and sometimes subtle transformations that the natural world helps to highlight. I hope it lulls the reluctant sleeper to sleep. But it is more important to me that In the Night Garden works on a deeper level. I hope that the book can spark curiosity and initiate discussions about learning to explore the unfamiliar in a broader sense. I think fearing the unknown is universal, especially in childhood which is filled with newness and uncertainty. It is my deep wish that In the Night Garden can serve as a tool to start conversations about openness to things we aren’t familiar with, and that it will encourage readers to learn about new things, new people, new ideas. I hope that these conversations can help institute an openness to the “other”, something that I think is incredibly important, especially in these divisive times.

As you can see, picture books are not so simple!

Published July 4th, 2023 by Neal Porter Books

About the Book: A gentle, collage-illustrated bedtime read about the often mysterious and always beautiful experiences to be found in nighttime spaces.

In the night garden fireflies look like fallen stars.
Moonflowers unfurl and release their intoxicating perfume.

In the night garden you can lie
on the cool grass and look up to the
millions and trillions of stars…

In the night garden, nothing is as it seems and everything is made new. Blinking stars and pale moonlight might reveal a lone cat tiptoeing across a roof, luminous flowers unfurling in the cool air, a mama fox escorting her sleepy cubs home. Listen closely and you might hear the wind blowing through the trees, the murmur of a slow stream, or the gentle song of crickets and bullfrogs, lulling you to sleep.

Carin Berger is the award-winning author of The Little Yellow Leaf, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. With soothing words and spectacularly detailed, hand-cut collage artwork, she has fashioned a bedtime book like no other. Curious readers will be rewarded when they look for the mysterious cat that appears on every page!

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

★ “In tandem, the text and art endow nighttime with a sense of whimsy and wonder, and for little ones readying for bed, they’ll find comfort and reassurance for sweeter dreams.”—Booklist, Starred Review

★ “Nighttime is the right time for young readers thanks to this perfect amalgamation of soothing text and image.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

★ “Carin Berger’s sweet, gentle bedtime story is more than just a pretty face; it fully captures the imagination. Using her own garden as a muse, Berger (Finding Spring) takes the unease out of nighttime. . . .”—BookPage, Starred Review

★ “Berger’s attention to detail in the art, alongside her sophisticated and accessible text, creates a magical nighttime world. This spellbinding picture book will undoubtedly hold children in that glorious tension between wide-eyed curiosity and heavy-lidded drowsiness before they drift off to sleep.”—The Horn Book, Starred Review

About the Author: CARIN BERGER is the award-winning author and illustrator of almost a dozen picture books for children, including The Little Yellow Leaf, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book; All of Us; and Finding Spring. She is also the illustrator of Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant by Jack Prelutsky, and Are We Pears Yet? by Miranda Paul. She and her family divide their time between NewYork City and “Cupcake,” their home in the Hudson Valley. Carin spends all of her spare time tending her garden. Cupcake makes an appearance in and was the inspiration for In the Night Garden.

http://www.carinberger.com/
@carinberger on Twitter
@carinbergerdesign on Instagram
https://holidayhouse.com/book/in-the-night-garden/

Thank you, Carin, for reminding our readers about the complexity of picture books and their importance in our society!

Student Voices: Book Recommendations from Laura L., Anna Liz R., Mai B., & Brielle P., 8th Graders

August 12, 2023July 21, 2023 by Kellee

Book Recommendations from 2022-23 8th Graders

“Books I Would Love to Live In” by Laura L., 2022-23 8th grader

This book is about Belly who every summer goes to her mom’s best friend beach house. Every summer she’s excited to be there and see everyone, but especially to see Conrad Fisher, the older son of her mom’s best friends.

I would love to live in this book because every summer Belly goes every summer to a beach house, and it seems fun to have something to look forward to every summer. I would also like to meet the characters, especially Belly because she seems like a great friend and fun to hang out with.

This book series is about the boy who lived, Harry Potter, every year since he was 11 where he was sent to magic school, but he also has fight for his life and run away from Voldemort.

Who wouldn’t want to live there? You go to a magic school every year and learn spells and see something interesting every day. I would also like to be friends with Harry, Hermione, Ron, and especially Luna. And if I get to live in the book I would get to see the whole school and see the Ravenclaw dorms.

This book is about Jenny, a girl who plays violin. One day her mom tells her they have to live in Korea for a time because her grandma is sick, and she starts attending a school of arts.

I would like to live in this book because the school of the main character seems interesting and fun–it’s a school of art and can choose very different types of art. Plus , it is in South Korea because I’m really interested in their culture, and I might get to know the country and get to know the South Korean culture. Also, in the school there are celebrities, so I can meet them.

This book is about Mia who gets into summer ballet summer camp. Originally, her mind is only focused on ballet until she meets a boy and gets distracted.

This book was fun! If I danced ballet, I would like to live in this book. This book is about a girl that goes to summer camp in France. Apart from doing ballet in France, I would like to get to know the country. Like go to the museums, see the Eifel tower, meet new people and eat the food. I would also like to see the Eifel tower at night

After her mom died, Lina goes to Florence to make her mom’s wishes come true. When she arrives at Florence she meets a man who now she thinks is her dad, but also meets new people and new love.

The whole time I read the book I was like, “I want to go there!” After reading this book, I was interested in going to Florence and seeing the city.

“Books I Read That Were Out of my Comfort Zone and Ended Up Being Some of my Favorites” by Anna Liz R., 2022-23 8th grader

At first, I was completely scared to read this book. Not because of the storyline, but only because of it being a classic old book, with big, complex words that I would not understand. It was on my bookshelf, waiting to be picked up. However, one day, after wanting something completely different from what I was reading (romance books), I decided to pick this one. If you read this book, you would know that this book starts with letters a man wrote from an expedition to his sister, and just by that I was so invested. I wanted to know how Frankenstein’s life escalated, and his motives. This book for me was written so well, and I loved every second of it. And before I knew it, I was done with this book in about a day.

This book is so talked about on BookTok, so many varying reviews where people would absolutely love this book, or hate it. Not to mention the books get progressively big in terms of pages, and so you are committing to that when you start reading this series. However, one day I was in a big need of a fantasy world, something with two opposing worlds, where it takes one person to change it all, and with a romance subplot. So of course, ACOTAR was the chosen one for me. I loved this book, it was definitely the book I was looking for. Without hesitation I needed to pick up the second book (A Court of Mist and Fury) which was even better. Cannot wait to continue the series!

I never read a book that is 200-300 pages long divided in stanzas. And honestly I never thought I would. Yes, I do love poems, but they usually last a few pages. Now this book does not have rhyming words, or any complex hidden meaning. The word choices, the plot, the setting, literally just like any fiction chapter book, except the stanzas. I thought that was weird at first, I mean it’s not very common for me, but I was definitely willing to try it. As soon as I read the first page, I knew I had to continue. The meaning of this book was amazing. The character development, family hardships, friends standing up for you. I loved it, and I’m sure many people did too.

I definitely wouldn’t call myself the biggest graphic novel fan out there. For me, I prefer words rather than illustrations because then I get to picture the story myself, and that’s where I get to be creative. But due to the author’s visit at our school, I wanted to read more of her books, and so I decided to pick up this one. As I was reading, I loved the characters’ representation, how they have their own home problems, their difficulties in being familiar with the place and the language. The characters were so diverse! And not to mention the amazing ending that made me so happy! 🙂

When I read romance, I usually go for enemies to lovers. It’s just so amazing, and something I would never get tired of. But this book is a cutesy romance…so why did I read it since it’s not my cup of tea? Well, besides the title/main character having the same first name as me, and it taking place in Paris, I wanted to read something different. I wanted to discover the new concept of falling in love in a different way, not just daggers-pointed-to-the-throat type of enemies to lovers. If it was me last year, I would not believe I read this book. However, I’m certainly glad I did! The setting of Paris was described so well, and you see the main character discovering Paris while being new to the school and language, new to everything basically, all without her parents. And her slowly falling for Etienne St. Clair. This book overall was so sweet and amazing, and I loved it!

“Books I Could Talk About for Hours” by Mai B., 2022-23 8th grader

This book talks about the story of Morgan, a girl who has a complicated relationship with her friends and family, as she is hiding lots of stuff from them. She meets a mysterious girl, who saved her from drowning, eventually they become closer and everything starts to change for Morgan.

I’m so passionate about this book that I could talk about it for hours. I love the story so much and I find it kinda relatable. I love the characters and the way they develop their relationship with each other. I find the ending very sweet and even a little sad. What makes me the most passionate about the book is the story and how I find it relatable.

This book talks about Lucia, a girl who lives happily in Cuba with her family. She’s caught up in a communist revolution and forced to immigrate to Nebraska, where everything changes for her, in both positive and negative ways.

I find this book very relatable, as an immigrant. I loved the way the book developed and how it accurately portrayed the experiences of an immigrant, especially one that has to see their own country be ruined by its own people. I loved the ending and I don’t think it could’ve ended better, I absolutely adore it.

This book shows the story of Link, Hyrule’s famous hero, who’s looking for his dear friend, Navi. As he’s traveling on his horse, he is attacked by Skull kid who steals his ocarina and creates chaos upon Termina. Link has to get Majora’s mask back from Skull kid and save the town.

I love this book so much, the ending is perfect and the characters are very likable. Their personalities, backstories and the way they show it is something I love about this book. I love the art style too; it’s very cute. In my opinion, it shows what happened very well.

This book talks about the story of Giorno Giovanna, a young boy who joins the mafia so he can stop the dealing of drugs to minors. He enters a gang where he makes friends and is assigned an important mission, which he’s going to take advantage of and try to kill the headmaster.

This manga is honestly one of my favorites, but I specifically love part 5. I adore the characters and the way the story is narrated and developed, it honestly has a special place in my heart. The ending made me cry so much, and I still loved it.

This book talks about the story of Shoko and Shoya, two high-schoolers who have been bullied and caused them to have issues with themselves. They become friends, even after not having a great relationship as kids. And help each other be better, see things differently and change the way they think. It helps them have better relationships and react to things better.

I like this book so much because of the way it shows how social anxiety and self esteem issues can affect your relationships and the way you react to others, it’s a really sweet story too and I like the way the characters are shown. It made me cry a little, but it’s still really good. I also like how it realistically shows how having a disability can affect the ways others see you, and how different people can react to a disability.

“Summer Recommendations” by Brielle P., 2022-23 8th grader

This series is perfect for summer. It has exciting romance and is overall a perfect summer book.

This book is perfect for that Outer Banks vibe this summer. It reminds so much of Outer Banks if it was in the keys.

The reason I added this book is because it gives me such summer vibes, even though the book isn’t by the ocean, it’s just the layout and colors of the book give me summer serotonin.

This book is perfect for the summer, reading by the beach or pool!

If you want to read a summer romance, this is the one for you.

This is sad, but it’s also heart warming.

This book is amazing–it shows the hardships of her life and what she wants to be/do.

This is such a cute summer book; you will love it!

This book follows four women and their POVs for their summer. It is really interesting and a nice light read.

Thank you so much to my student voices today and their book recommendations!

Rivka’s Presents by Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Adelina Lirius

July 18, 2023July 18, 2023 by Kellee

Rivka’s Presents
Author: Laurie Wallmark
Illustrator: Adelina Lirius
Published July 11th, 2023 by Random House Studio

Summary: In this heartwarming story about the importance of community, a little Jewish girl living on the Lower East Side during the flu pandemic of 1918 can’t start school because her father is sick, so she makes a trade with her neighbors: chores for lessons.

It’s 1918 on the Lower East Side of New York City, and Rivka is excited to start school. But when her papa gets sick with the flu, her mama has to go to work at the shirtwaist factory and Rivka needs to stay home and take care of her little sister. But Rivka figures out a way to learn anyway: she trades chores with the grocer, the tailor, and an elderly neighbor for lessons. As the seasons change, Rivka finds she can count pennies for the iceman and read the labels on jars of preserve. And one day, Papa is no longer sick, and Rivka can finally start school! Full kindness and love for your neighbors, here is a story that introduces life on the Lower East Side for a Jewish family during the flu pandemic of 1918.

Praise:

★ ”Simply told but unexpectedly moving, the narrative honors generations of immigrant families and communities that have done their best to educate their children despite language barriers and poverty.” —Booklist, starred review

“A unique book that would be a great asset to collections.” —School Library Journal

“This tale will be at home in any discussions about American immigration and young people pursuing education despite barriers, as well as those focused more specifically on Jewish immigrants in this period.” —The Bulletin

About the Creators:

Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark writes picture book biographies of women in STEM. Her titles include Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars; Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, which received four starred reviews and a Cook Prize Honor; Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code; Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life, a Crystal Kite Winner and Cook Prize Honor recipient; and others. Laurie has an MFA in Writing from VCFA and is a former software engineer and computer science professor. You can find Laurie online at www.lauriewallmark.com.
On Twitter: @lauriewallmark
Facebook: @lauriewallmarkauthor
Instagram: @lauriewallmark

Adelina Lirius is an illustrator based in Stockholm, Sweden. She loves painting imaginary scenes, portraying nature, and depicting the different cultures she grew up with. Adelina is the illustrator of a picture book adaptation of The Secret Garden; The Fort by Laura Perdew; and I, Too, Am Mozart by Audrey Ades, which received a starred review from School Library Journal. Visit her on Instagram @adalinaillustration.

Review: This story of resiliency shows what those hungry for learning will do to make sure they can fill their brains with the knowledge they seek. Rivka finds herself unable to go to school because her father is ill with the 1918 influenza, so she is in charge of her younger sibling. But Rivka searches for a way to help out and to learn–she does this by trading her time and chores for knowledge. Through connections with community members, she learns her letters, arithmetic, and civics. All of these teachers help build the foundation for Rivka’s education!

I loved the combination of the emotional narrative and the realistic and sweet illustrations. It, like Booklist states, is unexpectedly moving because Rivka’s story travels from the pages right into the reader’s heart.

Teaching Tools for Navigation & Discussion Questions: Utilize this author-provided curriculum guide for teaching tools and discussion questions!

Flagged Spreads:

Read This If You Love: Historical fiction picture books, Picture books about the love of learning

Recommended For:

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

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/17/23

July 22, 2023July 17, 2023 by Ricki

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

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.

Happy reading!

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Middle Graders are Unpredictable–and the Characters we Create for Them Should be, too!” by Linda B. Davis, Author of Food Fight

Kellee

It’s my week off, but I will see you next week! To see what I’ve been reading, check out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

Picture Books

My kids and I were excited to read Simon and the Better Bone by Corey R. Tabor. It’s a cute pup story about a dog who mistakes his reflection for another dog. We also really enjoyed The Digger and the Butterfly by Joseph Kuefler. This is a sweet story for vehicle lovers, especially, but I think everyone will enjoy its charm. We also enjoyed Spark, Shine, Glow!: What a Light Show by Lola M. Shaefer, Illustrated by James Yang. This one is great for teaching STEM concepts in the classroom!

Middle Grade

I am a sucker for Hansel and Gretel stories, so I wasn’t surprised that I really enjoyed Neil Gaiman and Lorenzo Mattotti’s version. I liked that Gaiman drew from Mattotti’s existing artwork. This one is dark, but it was nice to read an extended version of the story that felt true, in many ways, to the original.

My three kids have been sucked into Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and they loved The Bad Beginning. We had to (immediately) check out book two, of course.

Adult

I loved Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead. It’s very well-written, and the characters felt so real to me. I was really sad when this book ended because I didn’t want to let the characters go.

Ricki

I am listening to Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and rereading Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young for a manuscript that I’m writing!

Tuesday: Rivka’s Presents, by Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Adelina Lirius

Friday: Students’ Voices: Book Recommendations from Kellee’s Students

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Unpacking the Layers of Meaning Hidden within a Picture Book” by Carin Berger, Author of In the Night Garden

and

Author Guest Post: “Middle Graders are Unpredictable–and the Characters we Create for Them Should be, too!” by Linda B. Davis, Author of Food Fight

July 16, 2023 by Kellee

“Middle Graders are Unpredictable–and the Characters we Create for Them Should be, too!”

As adults, we understand that an individual’s personality cannot be defined with one word. People are complicated and inconsistent—that’s what makes us interesting. Our neighbor yells at the kids who play on his lawn but later gushes over puppies and kittens. A happy-go-lucky waitress cries in the walk-in refrigerator where no one will notice. Kids can sometimes have difficulties recognizing and understanding these inconsistencies in themselves and others.

Recent research has shown that helping children become more aware of their own multifaceted identities and the ability to see themselves from multiple angles can promote flexible thinking and improve problem solving (Gaither, et al). Their findings suggest that learning to see ourselves from many perspectives helps to reduce rigid thinking, which can potentially promote open-mindedness and inclusiveness in a diverse society.

A quick glance at my debut middle grade novel, Food Fight, might suggest that several characters risk being reduced to stereotypes—a quirky loner, a social-climber, a pushy father, and a bully and the kid he is targeting. However, my intention was to create nuanced characters who behave inconsistently and a main character whose conflicting feelings and observations about himself, his parents, and his peers cause him great distress.

Food Fight is the story of eleven-year-old Ben Snyder who is starting middle school. Things go sideways for him right away because his extreme picky eating, which no one has been too concerned with in the past, is suddenly drawing a lot of attention—from his old friends, his weird lab partner, the girl he’s crushing on, and a bully. Before he knows it, Ben finds himself in social free fall, sliding toward the bottom of the middle school food chain. And if that’s not bad enough, he’s facing an upcoming class trip featuring three days and two nights of authentic colonial living—and authentic colonial food that Ben cannot eat.

In preparation for the trip, Ben sees a therapist who suggests that Ben may actually have an eating disorder called ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). ARFID, a relatively new diagnosis, is often characterized as extreme picky eating, but the reality is actually quite serious and can cause significant medical, social, and self-esteem issues. It is described as a lack of interest in eating and/or a complete avoidance of eating particular foods based on sensory characteristics including texture, smell, and color. ARFID is often associated with other sensory disturbances, fears of choking or vomiting, and neurodivergence (although neurotypical kids and adults may also have ARFID).

People living with this condition generally say that most foods don’t seem like something they could even put in their mouth, let alone eat, which results in very restrictive diets limited to foods that feel “safe”—often processed or fast foods, which taste the same every time. And although the clinical definitions are descriptive and accurate, they often do not adequately convey the sheer psychological terror involved with ARFID—some call it a food phobia. People with ARFID do not limit themselves to foods they choose to eat—but to the only foods they can eat.

Although ARFID is a relatively rare condition, estimated to affect between three and five percent of kids, the types of obstacles it presents are universal in the world of middle graders as they confront the age-old question of How do I fit in? The bodies and minds of early adolescents are developing more rapidly than during any other stage of human development except between birth and age two. Even without significant medical or mental health issues, middle schoolers are navigating momentous social and academic challenges as well as shifting power dynamics in relationships with peers and parents—and their feelings and strategies for coping are nuanced and evolving, too.

It would be tempting to portray Ben’s bully as unilaterally bad, but he’s not. Other kids actually find him hilarious, and Ben watches on with surprise as the bully walks away from an opportunity to take revenge on another boy. Ben’s quirky lab partner carries herself with an arrogance that pushes others away, but she is loyal to Ben in ways that his own best friends are not. Ben’s father uses friendly language to shame him about his eating. Ben’s best buddy is intent on building up his own popularity but in the process has forgotten how to be a friend. And Ben himself, who could be easily portrayed as a great kid facing unfair circumstances, makes several bad decisions including lying, breaking rules, and responding to an accusation impulsively.

In a 2019 interview, Mayra Cruz, principal of a public school in Washington, DC, described middle schoolers as “consistently inconsistent” (Wong, 2019). It seems fitting that the characters in the fiction they read should be, too.

Sarah E. Gaither, Samantha P. Fan, Katherine D. Kinzler. Thinking about multiple identities boosts children’s flexible thinking. Developmental Science, 2019: DOI:10.111/desc.12871
Wong, A. Why is Middle School So Hard for So Many People? The Atlantic, October 7, 2019.

Published June 27th, 2023 by Fitzroy Books/Regal House

About the Book: Food Fight is the story of an overnight class trip that becomes a survival mission for an eleven-year-old boy who is learning that his super picky eating is actually an eating disorder called ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).

Smart and athletic, Ben Snyder is ready to start middle school. But his super picky eating, which has never been a big deal before, is about to take him down. Suddenly everybody’s on his case about what he’s eating and what he’s not—his old friends, his new friends, his weird lab partner, the girl he’s crushing on, and a bully—and Ben finds himself in a social free fall, sliding toward the bottom of the middle school food chain.

Even worse, there’s an upcoming three-day class trip to a colonial farm. Knowing there’s no way he can handle the gag-worthy menu, Ben plans for the trip like a survival mission. Armed with new information about his eating habits, he sets out with three tactical goals: impress the girl, outsmart the bully, and avoid every single meal. But when things go sideways and epic hunger threatens to push him over the edge, Ben must decide how far he will go to fit in and if he has the courage to stand out.

About the Author: Linda B. Davis has always been curious about why we do the things we do. As a social worker in a community mental health setting, Linda became passionate about the need for accurate and accessible mental health information in children’s literature. She is a member of SCBWI and active in the Chicago writing community. She enjoys traveling, gardening, and buying more books than she can possibly read. Food Fight is her first novel.

Thank you, Linda, for honoring the complexity of middle graders!