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Thursday, April 30, 2015

The Sky Painter blog tour + author interview & giveaway

I am so honored to interview Newbery honor author Margarita Engle for her new book The Sky Painter, a gorgeous story told in verse about Louis Fuertes, considered the greatest bird artist who ever lived. I'm not usually a fan of ornithology or bird watching but Engle and illustrator Aliona Bereghici have created a melding of words and images to make readers like me sit up and take notice. Fuertes seemed like a kind, gentle soul who cared deeply about, not just birds, but conservation in general and The Sky Painter, just like all good biographical picture books, is a book that will make you want to learn more about him.


About the author:
Margarita Engle is a Cuban American poet and novelist whose work has been published in many countries. Her books include The Poet Slave of Cuba, winner of the Pura Belpré Award for narrative and the Américas Award; The Surrender Tree, a Newbery Honor book; Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian, a Kirkus Best Book for Children; and The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba’s Greatest Abolitionist, winner of the 2014 PEN Center USA Literary Award for Young Adult/Children’s Literature. Margarita lives in California, where she enjoys bird-watching and helping her husband with his volunteer work for wilderness search-and-rescue dog training programs. To learn more, and to download a free activity kit for The Sky Painter, visit: www.margaritaengle.com.


Before we begin, I want to tell you what a beautiful book The Sky Painter is, and how honored I am to get the chance to talk to you about it. When did the realization come to you that you wanted to write a book about Louis Fuertes?
 Thank you! That’s a perfect question for the subject of bibliophilic wanderlust, because I became fascinated with Fuertes while I was researching construction of the Panama Canal for my verse novel, Silver People. As preparation for a rain forest wildlife tour of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Center on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, I read all the diaries and field notes of Frank Chapman, an ornithologist who repeatedly expressed admiration for the bird artist on his expeditions. This led me to books about Fuertes’s bird art, as well as his own field notes and advice to young bird artists. As soon as I learned that he decided to abandon the tradition of killing birds and posing them, I knew he was unique and important. I asked myself why he isn’t as well known as Audubon. I decided to do whatever I could to introduce him to children, who can benefit from role models for independent thinking and problem solving, not just in conservation, science, and art, but in every aspect of life.


As a teacher, so often research is really difficult to sell to students. What kind of research went into writing a biographical book like this, and what advice do you have for teachers to help give students authentic reasons for and ways of researching? 
For me, the research was sheer pleasure! I loved looking at photographs of Fuertes’s bird art. I loved reading scientific field notes. I loved the time travel experience of imagining those early twentieth wilderness expeditions! I also loved exploring the rain forest myself. If teachers could take students outdoors to get them excited about nature, then the rest of the research would have a foundation. Perhaps it’s my own background in botany and agriculture, but I’m convinced that even the tiniest walking field trip has more nature study impact than any indoor activity.


Something I found so wonderful about The Sky Painter is that as Fuertes matures, so do his poems. Was that a conscious decision you made in the writing process that you had to struggle with, or did it just happen naturally?
Thank you for noticing! It was both—a conscious decision, and a natural process. The former is true because I have learned, while writing other biographical verse books, such as Summer Birds, The Poet Slave of Cuba, The Surrender Tree, and The Lightning Dreamer, that the only way to show the passing of time in a person’s life is to be faithful to thoughts and emotions as the child learns about life. The latter is true because imagining each moment was such a vivid experience. When Fuertes was a young child, he tied an owl to a table so that he could paint its portrait. He healed injured birds under the stairs of his house. Those were very similar to some of my own childhood experiences. I grew up in a room full of small wild animals—frogs, caterpillars, lizards, etc. My sister and I were allowed to observe metamorphosis and other natural phenomena up close, and we also cared for injured birds so that our mother could help us release them back into the wild. My father is an artist, so I am very familiar with that aspect.


One of my favorite parts of the book is a lighthearted moment in the story when Fuertes gets scolded by his parents for drawing his professors as funny birds. What other moments about Fuertes’s life surprised and delighted you that perhaps didn’t make it into the book? 
There were many fascinating experiences during expeditions. His trip to Africa would make a book by itself. There are photographs of him meeting with kings in safari camps, playing with baby animals, and sketching, always sketching.


Since my blog is about food, books, and travel, what is your favorite food, favorite book, and favorite place you’ve ever traveled? 
What a wonderful combination! I have a sweet tooth. My favorite treat is dulce de leche, a Cuban burnt caramel candy that brings back all sorts of childhood nostalgia. The only other Cuban food that triggers the same emotional depth is a freshly sliced key lime, which reminds me of a particular moment in my great-grandmother’s garden. The second part of your question is more complex. As a child, I was horse crazy, so The Black Stallion was my favorite. As an adult, the book I re-read most frequently is a bilingual edition of poetry by Dulce María Loynaz, called A Woman in Her Garden. Travel has always been a huge part of my life. My forthcoming verse memoir, Enchanted Air, is about childhood summers with relatives in Cuba, as well as family road trips in Mexico and Spain. My great-uncle’s farm near Trinidad de Cuba was my favorite childhood destination. I’ve been back to the island many times as an adult, but I’ve never been able to reach that particular patch of tropical magic again, because the roads are impassable. My dream is to borrow a horse and find some way to reach the lost farm one last time. In the meantime, I love all natural areas. I will travel to any forest, but rain forests are my passion. Costa Rica is thrilling, because the people are so educated that they were already protecting birds and animals long before ecotourism became popular. One of the highlights of my first trip to Costa Rica in 1980 was seeing rare quetzals that were passionately guarded against poachers by local villagers. I also saw a handful of the last golden toads in that same private wildlife reserve, just a few years before the species became extinct. Since this is a travel-book-food blog, I’ll mention a recent trip to a wildlife refuge in Borneo that inspired me to write Orangutanka, a children’s picture book about the beautiful, spectacularly intelligent great apes that will soon be extinct in the wild if we don’t stop eating products that contain palm oil. At the current rate of deforestation, it might take as little as fifteen years for all the rain forests of Borneo and Sumatra to be replaced by oil palm plantations. We need to think twice before eating packaged foods. We need to read labels. Fuertes spoke to women’s clubs about finding other ways to decorate their hats, instead of using the feathers—and in many cases, entire carcasses—of rare birds. I’m sure that if Fuertes were alive today, he would ask people to choose a brand of peanut butter, cookie, cracker, (or cosmetic, cleaning product, alternative fuel, etc.) that does not contain palm oil. He was not only a great bird artist, but a phenomenal conservationist, far ahead of his time. I’m sure he would have changed his eating habits in an effort to save orangutans.



Thank you so much for visiting the blog today Margarita! It's been amazing having you here! I loved The Sky Painter, and I have also read an ARC of Enchanted Air and I'm here to say that everyone should pre-order it today. It is simply magical.


GIVEAWAY!!!
One lucky winner will receive a copy of The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Aliona Bereghici. (U.S. addresses only.)


Wednesday, April 29, 2015

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

I liked watching other people deal with the loss of someone, not because I enjoyed seeing them in pain, but because, somehow, it made me feel better knowing that my pain isn't only mine. That my life isn't the only one that's missing something it will never have back.


Matthew Miller is still reeling from the loss of his mother, but now he must deal with his father who is drinking to numb his feelings. To help pay the bills, Matt has been given a job by Mr. Willie Ray, a friend of the family's, at his funeral home. Matt finds working there and attending these strangers' funerals oddly comforting as he continues to navigate his own grief alone.

One day, while working another funeral, Matt meets Lovey. A girl with a strange name, but who appears mature and composed despite the death of the grandmother who raised her. As the two become closer, Matt finds himself both smitten and confounded. Confident and insecure. One thing is for sure though, as Matt grieves over not just the physical loss of his mother, but the emotional loss of his father, he sees what a special connection he shares with Lovey, one that they will eventually discover goes back to their childhood.

Jason Reynold's 2014 debut novel, When I was the Greatest, was one of my favorite books of 2014. It deals with the topics of family, friendship, and community with tenderness and sensitivity. In Jason Reynolds' sophomore YA novel, The Boy in the Black Suit, he tackles the topic of grief with that same gentle sensitivity. Reynolds is a voice in young adult literature that is so desperately needed right now. Reynolds wants readers to see the side of his neighborhood and those like it, and hear from characters that most people don't automatically associate with the words Bed Stuy. (Do a Google search of Bed Stuy and the second thing that pops up under auto-fill is "Bed Stuy crime.")

My one complaint about The Boy in the Black Suit is that it didn't seem long enough. At just over 250 pages, it felt like it needed 50 more pages and could have used some tightened editing because there were a few things left unresolved or unadressed that readers will undoubtedly question. As a voracious reader, I understand that everything doesn't need to be tied up in a neat little bow by the last page, but a mention of the things left unresolved would also make the ending feel more satisfying. Some strands never wove together into a definitive denouement. So when I came to the last page, I thought for sure there was be another chapter, and was surprised when I turned the page and had come to the end.

I am someone who gravitates toward character-driven novels, and that is what Jason Reynolds does best. Matt Miller is a character you want to know. You feel for him. You want to be friends with him. And you want to know how his story ends. Which is why my affection for Matt has left me wanting more.

Even with my dissatisfaction about the way The Boy in the Black Suit ends, Jason Reynolds has quickly become a must-read, no-questions-asked author for me. That has been even further reinforced by his poem-a-day in April on his blog. His poetry is so profound despite its few words. But I already knew that based on the amazing book he co-authored with his friend Jason Griffin called My Name is Jason. Mine Too. Our Story. Our Way, an under-the-radar book that will undoubtedly be getting more attention now that Jason's star is on the rise. I've already got his 2016 novel, Long Way Down, on my Goodreads TBR list despite very little information about it. I am looking forward to reading ALL THE BOOKS from Jason Reynolds. I don't doubt he will have a long and storied career. Because how can you not want to read a book from an author whose bio is this:
Jason Reynolds bio


The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds
Published: January 6, 2015
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Pages: 257
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Disclosure: Finished copy provided by a Simon & Schuster rep

 If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound

Monday, April 27, 2015

It's Monday! What are you reading? 4-27-15

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Last week I finished reading:

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds
I will be reviewing this one soon, but in a nutshell, Jason Reynolds is a must-read, no-questions-asked author for me now. 


I also read:

Babymouse: Bad Babysitter by Jennifer L Holm and Matthew Holm
One of my new favorites in the Babymouse series.  


Favorite picture books from last week:

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson  
Minimal text paired with Kadir Nelson's always stunning artwork makes this proverbial story of sharing a can't-miss. 

 
Fred by Kaila Eunhye Seo 
A lovely book about the power of childhood imagination and how that diminishes as an adult. Would be a great book to pair with The Adventures of Beekle

 
What Does It Mean to be Present? by Rana DiOrio, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
 I love the message of mindfulness in this simple little picture book. It's a nice lesson for children and an even nicer reminder for adults.  


Currently reading:

No Matter the Wreckage by Sarah Kay 
I'm only a few pages in, but wow are these poems stunning. This is one of those books I will read slowly in order to soak in Kay's gorgeous writing.


Currently (still) reading with my ears:

Skink -- No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby


 On my teaching blog last week:
Celebrating new friends and new books

Monday, April 20, 2015

It's Monday! What are you reading? 4-20-15

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.


Last week I reviewed:

The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman
A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Last week I finished reading:

Enchanted Air by Margarita Engle
I don't think my mind can fully process yet how much I loved Margarita Engle's beautiful memoir in verse. I need to come back and write a longer review when I'm not feeling ALL THE THINGS all at once.

Lovers of Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming will love Margarita Engle's story of being caught between two countries and two loyalties during the height of the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis. Put this book on your TBR list and look for it to hit bookstores in August.



 Favorite picture books from last week:

Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett
Winne: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh by Sally M. Walker, illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss


Currently reading:

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds
I haven't technically started this yet, but I will as soon as I finish this blog post. :)


Currently reading with my ears:

Skink -- No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby


Last week on my teaching blog:
Celebrating a Beautiful Mess
Always seeking ways to spread Book Love

Saturday, April 18, 2015

A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

From Goodreads:
In 1710, a girl and her mother in Lyme, England, prepare a blackberry fool, picking wild blackberries and beating cream from their cow with a bundle of twigs. The same dessert is prepared by a slave girl and her mother in 1810 in Charleston, South Carolina; by a mother and daughter in 1910 in Boston; and finally by a boy and his father in present-day San Diego. 

A Fine Dessert, written by prolific children's book author Emily Jenkins, is told from an interesting perspective. Instead of a character, it is told from the perspective of an age-old dessert: blackberry fool. And what the reader is likely to notice as they progress through the story is that as life changes and society changes, the dessert stays the same.

Kids will notice obvious societal changes throughout the story such as the evolution of kitchen utensils, going from a wooden whisk, metal rotary beaters, and finally an electric mixer. But there are also subtle changes in the narrative that might be less obvious to kids, such as how the roles of women and men in the home have changed. There is also a greater emphasis on equality and diversity by the end of the story as one notices that the interaction between people of different backgrounds and races is vastly different. This type of progress might be obvious to adults, but to kids it is likely less so, which would make it a great book for discussion in an intermediate classroom. But what I most love about A Fine Dessert is that it is another reminder to us all that food, like family, is steeped in story.

Sophie Blackall's illustrations are soothing and pleasing to the eye and while visually the emphasis is not on the dessert per se, but more on the people, the book is still likely to make you want to run to the store to gather ingredients for blackberry fool. Luckily, the book includes the recipe at the end, and it is simple enough that it would be perfect to make with your kids.

A Fine Dessert:  Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Published: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Schwartz and Wade
Pages: 44
Genre/Format: Picture Book/Historical Fiction
Disclosure: Library Copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.   

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Audiobook Review: The Schwa was Here by Neal Shusterman

Antsy (short for Anthony) Bonano meets a kid at school named Calvin Schwa who has powers of invisibility. But it's not quite the magical invisibility reserved for Harry Potter novels you're likely thinking of. The Schwa's invisibility for him means that people don't notice him even when he's sitting smack dab in the center of an empty room. In some ways the Schwa is a tragic figure even though he doesn't die in the story. Much of that air of tragedy that surrounds the Schwa has to do with his surrendering to his fate of being invisible (the Schwa Effect as Antsy and his friends call it), but as the story progresses, the reader begins to realize that a moment in the Schwa's own family history is what set his invisibility fate in motion. 

This is one of those special books that hovers between middle grade and young adult. In some ways it's too old for middle grade and too young for YA so it's perfect for 7th and 8th graders.

Neal Shusterman not only wrote The Schwa was Here but also narrates the audiobook and he does an amazing job. Given that the story takes place in Brooklyn, I adore his perfectly on-point New York accent. I know Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn so it's not much of a stretch for him to do an on-point New York accent, but he still manages to rock it.  


The Schwa was Here by Neal Shusterman
Audiobook narrator: Neal Shusterman
Original hardcover publication date: March 2, 2006
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group/Listening Library
Pages: 240
Audiobook length: 6 hours 3 minutes
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: Middle Grade/Young Adult
Disclosure: Library download

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.   

Monday, April 13, 2015

It's Monday! What are you reading? 4-13-15

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Last week I reviewed:

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold The Eiffel Tower by Greg Pizzoli


I finished reading:

Wild Things! Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature by Betsy Bird, Julie Danielson, and Peter Sieruta
This had just the right amount of history, academia, and snark. I loved this so much that I'm pulling for an eventual Volume 2 of Wild Things


Favorite picture books from last week:

The Bus Ride by Marianne Dubuc 
Pay attention to all the little details in the illustrations, which tell significantly more of the story than the text. The last page you will come to an epiphany about the story and immediately go back and read it again to pick up on all the details you missed the first time around.


Peace is an Offering by  Annette LeBox, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
A beautiful poem that truly evokes feelings of peace and serenity. It's s book that just makes you feel good about the world.

 
The Sky Painter by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Aliona Bereghici  
A gorgeous story told in verse about Louis Fuertes, considered the greatest bird artist who ever lived. I'm not usually a fan of ornithology or bird watching, but Engle and Bereghici have created a melding of words and images to make readers like me sit up and take notice. Fuertes seemed like a kind, gentle soul who cared deeply about, not just birds, but conservation in general. I'm looking forward to being part of the blog tour for this book in a few weeks.

Currently reading:

Enchanted Air by Margarita Engle
I am not very far into this but oh my goodness is this a beautiful memoir in verse, one that would pair beautifully with Brown Girl Dreaming. Look for Enchanted Air on bookshelves in August from Atheneum. 


Still reading with my ears:

The Schwa was Here by Neal Shusterman  

Neal Shusterman didn't just write The Schwa was Here, he also narrates the audiobook, and he does an amazing job. I adore his perfectly on-point New York accent, which I know he grew up in Brooklyn so it's not much of a stretch for him, but still. It's pretty awesome. 

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower by Greg Pizzoli

(Imagine this first part being sung to the tune of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song)

Now this is the story all about how
this dude named Vic
was a con man renowned
and I'd like to take a minute
just sit right there
to tell you how this guy named Vic
sold the Eiffel Tower



Okay, so my little intro wasn't very well-written, and essentially says the exact same thing that the subtitle of the book does, but the point of the matter is that Tricky Vic is one of those books where truth seems stranger than fiction. It's a Big Fish Story in some regards. It's a "let me tell you a story" story. It's a "you're never gonna believe this" kind of a story. And it is SO GOOD. One of the best nonfiction texts I've ever read, in fact. Greg Pizzoli has written and illustrated the kind of nonfiction that kids are clamoring for. It is the antithesis of the kind of nonfiction you find in textbooks: it's quirky, page-turning, and full of voice. And may I be so bold as to use another anti word in describing this book: it is the antidote to voiceless, soulless nonfiction that students so often get in the form of school textbooks. It is also another book to add to my growing pile of titles to convince teachers that picture books aren't just for little kids.

All this talk about Pizzoli's stellar text, I would be remiss if I didn't also discuss the fascinating illustrations. Ask young readers why Vic doesn't have a face throughout the entire story -- only a fingerprint -- and an insightful discussion is sure to ensue. I am particularly smitten with this illustration midway through the story:
Tricky Vic illustration
Because kids are sure to ask: why does that guy have the head of a fish? And if they don't ask that question, I will because I'm dying to hear their answers. (Ever heard of a Big Fish story, kids? Or the saying, "I reeled him in hook, line, and sinker"?)

But if none of that convinces you to read Tricky Vic, maybe this will: a guy who conned even Al Capone -- one of the most notorious criminals in American history -- and lived to tell the tale, is a guy worth reading about. That's your booktalk right there. Mark my words, Tricky Vic is a 2015 title that will be winning lots of awards. But possibly even better than awards, when talked up by teachers and librarians, it is certain to never live a minute on the bookshelf; it will be passed around from hand to hand, reader to reader. And that is the best award of all.


Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower by Greg Pizzoli
Published: March 10, 2015
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Pages: 40
Genre/Format: Nonfiction Picture Book
Audience: Middle Grade/Young Adult
Disclosure: Finished copy provided by publisher 

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.   

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

Mark is just a regular kid. A regular kid who has lived most of his life battling cancer. Recently, he was told the cancer he thought was in remission has come back with a vengeance. So in a startling move of foolishness and bravery, Mark runs away from home with the money he's saved, a camera, a notebook, and his dog. His plan is to climb Mount Rainier to honor his grandfather who never had the chance to climb it with him. Along the way Mark meets many physical and emotional obstacles, relies on the kindness of strangers, and hopes that his best friend back home doesn't reveal his secret to the adults who are searching desperately for him.

Dan Gemeinhart's debut novel is a spare, allegorical quest -- a contemporary yet timeless middle-grade hero's journey. It is emotional, universal, and heart-wrenching. Despite the primary audience of this novel being for upper-elementary and middle school students, it also reads much older than that. I would not hesitate to put this in the hands of high school students as well.

I really enjoyed every aspect of this novel: from the loyal dog companion to the first person/third person narration swap between chapters to show how the story unfolds back home while Mark seeks enlightenment on his odyssey. The Honest Truth will undoubtedly be put in the pantheon of other great children's literature hero and survival stories such as Hatchet, A Wrinkle in Time, heck, even From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Essentially what I'm saying is that even though this novel is only a few months old, we already have a children's classic on our hands.


The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
Published: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 229
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: Middle Grade
Disclosure: Finished copy acquired at ALA Midwinter, provided by Scholastic 

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.  

Monday, April 6, 2015

It's Monday! What are you reading? 4-6-15

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.


Last week I finished reading:

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
I have a longer review of this book scheduled for tomorrow, but here's a sneak peek: despite the fact that The Honest Truth has only been in stores for a couple months, I do believe we already have a children's classic on our hands.


I finished reading with my ears:

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick
I immediately ordered Purple Heart for my classroom library after I finished this. Patricia McCormick is definitely a go-to author for me.


Favorite picture books I read last week:

Bunny Roo, I Love You by Melissa Marr, illustrated by Teagan White
This book comes really close to being saccharine, but maintains a dignified sweetness to it. I loved the color palate of the illustrations and the simple message.

 
Special Delivery by Philip Stead, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
 Both charming and utterly ridiculous, Philip Stead proves yet again that the best children's book authors are a little bit eccentric. Or at least their books are anyway.

I'm curious though why Phil decided not to illustrate this himself or have Erin illustrate it. I'm hoping to get the chance to ask him that soon since he lives in Ann Arbor and I've been to a few events with him and Erin at local bookstores. 



Wish by Matthew Cordell
Undoubtedly this book will be the new go-to baby gift for expectant moms and dads - especially if those soon-to-be parents encountered hardships in their desire for a child of their own.


Bird and Diz by Gary Golio, illustrated by  Ed Young
A book that is likely to interest more adults than kids but in the hands of a passionate, knowledgeable adult, it could get an already musically inclined kid interested in jazz.
 


Current giveaway:

Won Ton + Won Ton and Chopstick by Lee Wardlaw


Currently reading:

Wild Things! Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature by Betsy Bird, Julie Danielson, and Peter Sieruta


Currently reading with my ears:

The Schwa was Here by Neal Shusterman

Friday, April 3, 2015

Won Ton and Chopstick blog tour + author interview & giveaway

 April is National Poetry Month and so what better way to celebrate than with a book of poetry! I'm so excited to have author Lee Wardlaw on the blog today to talk about her new book Won Ton and Chopstick: A Cat and Dog Tale Told in Haiku, the sequel to Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku



Lee Wardlaw swears that her first spoken word was “kitty.” Since then, she’s shared her life with 30 cats (not all at the same time!) and published 30 books for young readers, including Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, recipient of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Children’s Poetry Award, the Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry, and the Cat Writers’ Association Muse Medallion. She lives in Santa Barbara, California with her family. 



Thanks for coming on the blog today Lee! Won Ton and Chopstick is the sequel to Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku. What made you decide to give Won Ton a new story to tell? 
 I loved writing from the viewpoint of Won Ton the cat. His thoughts and words and “catitude” came so naturally to me in the first book that I just had to pair up with him again. Too, judging from my fan mail and the too-numerous-to-count comments I’ve received during school visits, there are way more dog-lovers out there than cat people! What better way to please my audience and disrupt Won Ton’s lazy life than to introduce a (gasp!) adorable puppy into the household?


What drew you to creating stories told entirely in haiku? 
Several years ago, I wrote a few haiku about our cats for a poetry class taught by my friend and fellow author Ellen Kelley (http://www.ellenakelley.com). At the time, I was struggling with the writing of a picture book based on the sudden death of my son’s cat, Beaujolais. I planned to call it The Book of Beau, but I kept putting the manuscript aside because it was just so sad.

Then, one day, while revising the kitty-ku for class, it hit me: I should write the more uplifting story
of how my son became buddies with our new adopted kitten, Papaya. And I should write that story from Papaya’s point of view. And Papaya should tell his story in haiku! I mean, if a cat could speak human, wouldn’t it be in haiku? The two have so much in common! Both haiku and cats are deceptively simple; they both live in the now; they’re equally beautiful and elegant; and they both speak volumes in a just few words. Haiku aren’t furry, but hey, you can’t have everything.


Other than haiku, what are some of your favorite types of poems? 
I tend to fall in love with specific poems rather than certain poetry types. Here’s a sampling of a few favs: 

The first (and only the first!) stanza of “As Kingfishers Catch Fire” by Gerard Manley Hopkins (read it aloud and listen to its musicality. Holy wow!)
If” by Rudyard Kipling
Key” by Valerie Worth 
“Sophie, Who Taunted the Dogs” by Alice Schertle, from her book I am the Cat, illustrated by Mark Buehner (HarperCollins, 1999)
The Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert Service. (Once a year, my dad regales the family with his chilling recitation of this one!)


Describe the plot of Won Ton and Chopstick in a haiku. 
A purrfect life doomed
for good with one woof. Sibling
rivals with whiskers.


Since my blog is about food, books and travel, tell me: what is your favorite book, your favorite food, and your favorite place you've ever traveled? 
Favorite children’s book: Officer Buckle and Gloria, written and illustrated by Peggy Rathmann
Favorite Foods: Sweet potato fries (crunchy); Trader Joe’s The Dark Chocolate Lovers Chocolate Bar (85% cacao); and Hawaiian luau pulled pork. (I make it in my crock-pot since I don’t have an imu.)
Favorite places I’ve ever traveled: Kauai, Hawaii and the Scottish Highlands.




Thanks for visiting the blog today Lee! Readers young and old are sure to love Won Ton and Chopstick! 



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Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive both books featuring the adorable cat, Won Ton. Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku and Won Ton and Chopstick: A Cat and Dog Tale Told in Haiku. (U.S. addresses only)