What I've Been Up To (Besides Reading)

It's been a while since I've done any posts that revolve around food or travel. I think about those things all the time, but I haven't written about them in a while.

My body is continuing to heal from all the digestive/IBS issues that have exacerbated the past few years and I finally found a solution with the Low FODMAP diet. I feel like going through that 6 week elimination two summers ago was my body's way of purging all the toxins that were causing my digestive system to overreact to almost everything I ate. I can't say that I can eat now with reckless abandon, but I have been able to add some foods back into my diet that were causing me problems before.

What else have I been up to? Well, I won't be writing about any big trips this year because my husband and I elected not to take a big summer vacation this year like we always do. Why is that? Well, because we just moved to Ann Arbor.

A horrible, sweaty picture of my husband and me post-run in front of our new house

I have always loved this town. This is both a physically, culturally, and politically active community, and as such, I have felt more motivated to get out of the house and get moving. I can now walk and ride my bike to places, whereas before, our neighborhood was not conducive to walking or bike riding. 

I also recently left my social media coordinator position with NCTE due to some reorganization they've been doing, but no worries because I accepted a full time position at my school next year. I will be teaching my regular 8th grade English classes, but then I will also be the K-8 librarian! To say I'm excited would be an understatement.

Since things seem to be falling into place, I'm hoping to start writing more regular posts here on the blog, especially food and book-related posts. Travel? Those posts will likely continue to be few and far between unfortunately.

Ah-Choo! Blog Tour: Author Guest Post

I asked my mom if I could have
a pet, or even two.

But every time I brought one home,
my sister went

Ah-Choo!

I'm happy to have Lana Wayne Koehler on the blog today, one of the authors of the book Ah-Choo! It's a story about a boy who wants so badly to have a pet but he can't because his sister is allergic. The text is clever and rhythmical and would make a wonderful class read aloud.


Take it away Lana...

As I sit in my air-conditioned office watching the squirrels scamper up and down trees in the yard, I

wonder what would happen if a squirrel had allergies. Would their eyes itch? Would their nose run? Would they sneeze?

My eyes itch, my nose runs, and I do sneeze—often! I’ve had allergies most of my life and it was when I was sitting in my allergist’s office that I thought about writing a children’s book about allergies.

While doing my research for the book, I found out that allergies in humans are well documented and common. In fact, they’re one of the most common diseases in the USA. They affect 30% of adults and 40% of children. Most people exhibit classic signs such as coughing, itchy eyes, runny nose, and sneezing. For some, allergies can lead to more serious complications like asthma, hives, and even death. It’s the third most common disease in children under the age of 18.

Author photo provided from www.lanakoehler.com

Allergies have always been a big part of my life. Like a lot of people, I spend most of the summer months avoiding grass, trees, and pollen.

However, animals are the biggest allergy of all for me. 

I know that a lot of people love their pet cats. Unfortunately, cats are especially lethal for me. I can go into an allergy attack if I sit in a chair after a cat owner has been there. Sometimes, it’s put a real damper in my ability to travel.

A few years ago, I was offered the opportunity to spend the summer vacationing in the south of France. The owners of the house where we would stay had a cat. What could I do? It was the south of France! So I cautiously accepted their kind invitation. Fortunately, a relative was able to care for the cat and I was able to spend the summer living out my dream in France!

In Ah-Choo!, I wanted the brother to be sympathetic to his sister’s plight. While he REALLY wants a pet, he’s willing to go to any lengths to find one that won’t make her sneeze.  Who wouldn’t want a big brother like that?

Some of the animals in the book are exotic. Has anyone here ever seen a dog from Kathmandu? It’s a special breed from Nepal and our illustrator, Ken Min, did a fabulous job of depicting him.  Ken mentioned that he had to do a lot of research to find pictures of some of the pets. His humorous approach really brings the animals to life!

Gloria G. Adams and I had fun with the repetition in Ah-Choo!. As a former librarian, Gloria knew that it would engage the children for story hour. We also hoped that kids at home would have fun sneezing along with the little girl. We’d love to hear how your children or grandchildren react to the sneezing.  Visit our Facebook pages: Lana Wayne Koehler, Author or Gloria G. Adams. Leave a post and we’ll reply!

Although I don’t have any specific allergies to food, I do have sensitivities to foods like breads and sugar. And, while I’m not allergic, I don’t eat oatmeal. EVER!

Not eating certain foods has put a damper on my ability to eat my way through a city like I did when I was younger. Since I’m from Upstate New York, I grew up on all kinds of spicy, exotic, delicious foods. Sometimes, I still indulge in the foodie delights of my youth and bear the consequences.

Looking ahead, I suppose that it’s time to think about writing a book about food allergies and sensitivities. What would that look like?

Which puts me back in my office looking out at the squirrels scampering up and down the trees in our yard and wondering what would happen if any of them had an allergy to nuts…

Resources:

http://www.aafa.org/page/allergy-facts.aspx

American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Allergy Facts. http://acaai.org/news/facts-statistics/allergies


Thanks for joining me on the blog today Lana!

Ah-Choo! by Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria Adams, illustrated by Ken Min
Published: March 1, 2016
Publisher: Sterling Children's Books
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book
Audience: Primary
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. 

Girl Last Seen by Heather Anastasiu and Anne Greenwood Brown

Kadence Mulligan and Lauren DeSanto are musical YouTube sensations. While Kadence loves the spotlight, Lauren is the brains and heart of the duo: writing soulful lyrics and haunting melodies. When Lauren falls ill and loses her voice for an indefinite amount of time, Kadence sees this as an opportunity to go solo. This along with some major boy-drama causes the two to have a falling out. This does not bode well for Lauren since she was the last person to see Kadence before she went missing.

Now it seems the only person at school who is convinced of Lauren's innocence is her former best friend who has a terrible secret of his own to hide, along with some rather disturbing writing and behavior that he must explain to the investigators of Kadence's missing person case.

Girl Last Seen is one of those books that I went into without any expectations. I hadn't heard of the authors before and I tend not to read a lot of mystery -- not because I dislike the genre, but because I don't come across that much of it in YA. So I started reading it rather slowly. I'd read a few pages and then put it down, read a few more pages and put it down... until I got to about the halfway point and then I couldn't put it down -- the wheels and cogs in my brain were turning at lightning speed because I was trying to figure out what happened to Kadence and who was responsible.

Girl Last Seen is an engaging read that keeps readers guessing until the very end. It's a great book to give to teens who love mystery and suspense with a dash of boy drama.

And, as an added bonus, I especially love that the publisher of Girl Last Seen, AW Teen, posted videos of Kadence and Lauren's songs to go along with the lyrics that are included in the story. (Though I caution you... listen to "Twisted" at your own risk. The chorus will likely get stuck in your head for days if you listen to it. I know it did mine!)

Book Trailer


"Twisted"


"Sing to Me, Calliope"



Girl Last Seen by Heather Anastasiu and Anne Greenwood Brown*  
Published: March 1, 2016
Publisher: AW Teen
Pages: 272
Genre: Mystery
Audience: Young Adult
Disclosure: ARC provided by publisher

*Purchasing the book from the above Bookshop affiliate link supports independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale.  

Please Be Nice to Sharks: Interview with Author Matt Weiss

On the blog today I have a special interview with photographer, filmmaker, and journalist Matt Weiss who has created a book about sharks to help kids see what misunderstood creatures they are.

Enjoy!

Publisher Summary:
Meet 14 cool sharks (and one manta ray) and see why it's important to BE NICE TO SHARKS! Though they’re often portrayed as vicious man-eaters, sharks actually kill fewer than 10 people per year. Yet those myths cause real harm: many species are being hunted to extinction, with as many as 100-200 million sharks being killed each year. This humorous book humanizes the incredible shark through breathtaking, original, underwater photography along with incredible facts about these amazing creatures in the wild—sending kids a crucial message about conservation in an irresistible format. 


In reading your author bio, you have written and photographed for many well-known publications. What made you want to create a children's book about sharks? 
As an underwater photographer, I saw a problem first hand: a precipitous decrease in shark populations around the world, with certain species declining by as much as 89 percent in less than 20 years. I wanted to find a solution that was in line with my company, DivePhotoGuide’s, mission: tell stories that have an impact on people through images and words. “Please Be Nice to Sharks” is my way of making a small contribution to the cause of saving sharks.


Your book discusses why we shouldn't see sharks as a threat people because shark attacks are often the result of confusion in thinking the human was something else, like a seal for instance. As much as you love sharks, have you ever had a close call with one? 
After countless hours in the water with sharks, I truly haven’t anything that I’d consider a close call. There have been times when my adrenaline has gone up and my heart raced – some of these sharks are very big fish – but nothing close to “an attack.” Sharks can be timid, and we often have to put chum in the water to get them within photography distance. During a dive in Papua New Guinea, the chum accidentally got on myself and a colleague. This lead to a few 8-foot silver tip sharks coming right up to us, bumping our cameras with their noses. After the dive, we both surfaced and exclaimed “let’s do that again!”


Conversely, what's your best shark-related memory? 
During the summer, about 20 miles off a small Mexican island called Isla Mujeres, whale sharks aggregate by the hundreds to feast on tuna eggs. Whale sharks are massive sharks, some of them in Isla Mujeres are 40 feet long, but they are gentle giants. The first time I hopped in the water during their aggregation and was surrounded by about 15 of these sharks, some just inches from me, was probably my favorite underwater experience.


What other animals do you like to photograph? 
As much as I like big animals, I’m an equally big fan of really tiny ocean animals. Hidden in the nooks and crannies of coral reefs are tiny fish and invertebrates that are incredibly interesting. Perhaps my favorite is a peacock mantis shrimp, which is only a few inches long, but can smash its prey with the force of a .45 caliber gun! They are also spectacularly colorful (hence their name) and make wonderful photography subjects.


Since my blog is about food, books, and travel, I always end my author interviews by asking what's your favorite food, book, and place you've ever traveled? 
When I travel I love to try the local street food. Probably my favorite food experience is to sit outside on a street called Jalan Alor in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and eat charcoal grilled chicken satay. My favorite book is Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams, which helped me understand the importance of wildlife conservation (although since this is partially a food blog, Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton is right up there). And easily my favorite place I’ve ever traveled is Antarctica.



Thanks Matt! You have certainly led a fascinating life of travel and a commitment to conservation.


Please Be Nice to Sharks: Fascinating Facts about the Ocean's Most Misunderstood Creatures by Matt Weiss 
Published: June 7, 2016
Publisher: Sterling Children's Books
Pages: 32
Format/Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Audience: Primary
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. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 7-4-16

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.


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.

Happy Independence Day! I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday filled with beautiful weather and lots of time for reading. :)

And here's a great book to have finished last week given that we are celebrating our nation's independence today :)

Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter


And while we're talking about my #hamilaria, I also read this picture book last week:

Aaron and Alexander: The Most Famous Duel in History by Don Brown


I'm also still reading with my ears:

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
This one's gonna take me a good long while to finish. It has TWENTY-NINE CDs! o_O


But, in case you're not obsessed with Hamilton like I am, here are some other books I read last week:

Never Insult a Killer Zucchini by Elana Azose and Brandon Amancio, illustrated by David Clark
Lots of silly fun. I didn't really understand the point of the killer zucchini though. His role in the story felt kind of secondary to the other crazy science experiments that were being presented at the science fair. Still, it's a fun read and worth sharing with students. 


Lost for Words by Natalie Russell 
A great text to use with students to discuss what counts as writing and ways you can try to unblock yourself when you're feeling stuck.  


The Not So Quiet Library by Zachariah Ohora 
Zachariah Ohora can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. His books are delightfully quirky and never fail to give me a good chuckle.  


I'm currently reading:

Girl Last Seen by Heather Anastasiu and Anne Greenwood Brown  


Last week I posted:

Starting my own Running Dream 
Return by Aaron Becker + giveaway


Also, don't forget to enter my other giveaway:

On Bird Hill by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Bob Marstall
This is a simple, lovely story with illustrations that I would describe as a mash-up of the gentle, soothing style of Sophie Blackall with the quirkiness of Dr. Seuss.

Return by Aaron Becker

If you have not read the stunning wordless picture book Journey, stop reading this blog post and do that right now before you even continue -- not because this review will spoil the trilogy for you, but because Journey is a book everyone should read and you need to get on that.

Return is the third and final book in the Journey trilogy and if you've read the other two books, it is just as stunning as you would expect it to be. It is a book that reminded me of everything I loved about Journey but this time the young protagonist understands the world in which she has drawn herself and is guiding someone into that world with her.

In Return, the young girl journeys back to the magical land into which she drew herself for the same reason she did before: a lack of attention from her family. Only this time, her father notices and follows her into this magical world. The man is awed by the wonder and curiosity of this place, but he can't quite take it all in because he is focused on finding his daughter. When he does finally catch up to her, she has no desire to return home with him, which leads them on a magical journey fraught with wonder and peril.

For lovers of Journey and Quest, Return is everything you want it to be: stunning illustrations, a compelling story full of imagination and fantasy, and characters that we find a way to care about despite the fact that they never speak.

I can't wait to share this book with my students in the fall. Thank you Aaron Becker for gracing the world with the gift of your stories and drawings.

GIVEAWAY! (Note: This giveaway has ended)

In anticipation of the release of Return, Candlewick Press is generously giving away to the readers of this blog a hardcover copy of both Journey and Quest to get caught up on the trilogy before the third books comes out.

Terms and conditions:
Must be 13 or older to enter and have a U.S. or Canadian mailing address
One winner will be selected to receive a hardcover copy of Journey and Quest.
Use the Rafflecopter widget to enter

Starting my own Running Dream

My husband and I are all sweaty and gross in this picture, but we deserve to show it off. We just finished week 1 of C25K.

I have never been a runner. I've always hated running. But it's my body that hated running. My mind wanted so badly to like it. Some years ago I read the book The Running Dream by Wendelin van Draanen and at the very beginning of the story, the main character said something that I have never forgotten. She said, "Running aired out my soul." As someone who so often has a million and one thoughts, emotions, and worries running through my mind at once, the idea of having something that clears your mind has always appealed to me. 

My husband and I recently moved to Ann Arbor, a town not very far from where we used to live, yet it feels light years away. Our change of scenery has allowed us to live in a place where people are more active, not just physically, but in the community and in their civic life as well. This has been a huge motivation for us to stop coming home from work and just plopping down in front of the TV, not to get up from the couch again until bedtime.

As we finished week 1 today, I started to feel a faint glimmer of what Jessica meant when she said, "Running aired out my soul." I'm glad my husband is there doing it and sharing it with me, but first and foremost, I have to thank Wendelin van Draanen for writing something that my mind couldn't shake even if my body resisted.