It's Monday - Book Sharing

             Thanks to Ricki and Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts for hosting this meme. Your TBR lists will grow longer, but you will find books to love and to share. 

               Here are a few books I read and enjoyed this week!

I had to do some research as I read this book because the story is based on Indian folktales, and that is a good thing! There also is a terrific afterward by the author that explains quite a bit. Kids reading this will learn about another culture's stories and find more scary adventures that include escapes from other kinds of monsters. Ugh, and these monsters have sticky, sticky snot! The heroine, Kiranmala, has a big surprise on her twelfth birthday and it isn't cake and ice cream. Her parents mysteriously disappear, two young (and handsome) princes show up to help save her from that other 'thing' that shows up, ready to eat her, a rakkhosh. These rakkhosh are not the only ones to worry about when Kiranmala beats off this one (with the help of a prince). There are snakes, a demon island, and the one she never thought she wanted to see, The Serpent Prince.  Kiranmala learns that she is a real Indian princess, something she has resisted learning from her parents. She is smart and sassy, and no matter how alarmed, she acts to save herself, and others too. It's a story that's number one in the series, has a satisfying end, just makes you want that next book now!

          Thanks to Candlewick for the next two books, fun for younger readers. 

        It would be difficult not to love a story by Eve Bunting, and Will Hillenbrand adds to this story of a poor duck who can't swim with a lovely watercolored natural setting. In verse, we hear of this duck who laments: "I cannot swim, and that is bad./A landlocked duck is very sad." To me, the best thing shown is that he seeks advice from a frog and a wise owl. It helps! He decides to find a puddle: "I'll find a puddle. It will be . . ./the perfect practice place for me." A happy ending after he gains some courage will make a good topic for conversation. How does one find courage, and how to feel confident with that advice? When is it okay to wait a while to try a scary thing? Young children will like the story and applaud for this young duck!

         Now, I have read my first “Stink” book, this time Stink: Hamlet and Cheese. Stink is going to need to stay home with older sister Judy, so enticed by sword play and magic spells from witches, he signs up instead for Shakespeare Camp with his friend Sophie of the Elves. There are lots of fun things during these days like learning the best ways to hurl insults via Shakespeare: “Thou art more loathsome than a toad.” or “Fie on thee.” and sword-fighting with pool noodles, a beginning way to learn. Unfortunately, Stink also has to contend with Riley Rottenberger (great name) who just want to kiss him (or so he thinks). It turns out to be a fun week with some silliness and seriousness, a big surprise for Stink, too. The only thing I missed with the ARC was that Peter H. Reynolds' wonderful illustrations were not included this time. I’m sure they make the story even better.

             Kids at storytime finally get the story they want from the new liBEARian, a scary story! What turns out to be an “escape” tale is clever and imaginative, filled with people and animals quite recognizable with Alex Willmore’s wonderful illustrations. The kids rule the library show this time and it’s loads of fun to hear about it!

          This book tells the tale of Rodney, a boy who loves to be outside, is most of the time thinking of the pill bug he sees crawling across a windowsill, or the birds flying outside the classroom window, not thinking of what the teacher is saying. The book is published by an organization started by the author, Carmen Bogan, a multi-cultural children’s book publisher. This time, it’s partnering with Yosemite Conservancy. Rodney thinks the class is going to a small corner park, with not much more than a patch of yellow grass and some trash cans. He is surprised that the bus goes right by that park and on and on. They’re going to a marvelous outdoor park (must be Yosemite!). Floyd Cooper’s illustrations show the beauty of this park and Rodney’s joy, where he “was bigger” (examining an ant hill), “was smaller” (looking up at a very old and tall tree), “was louder” (shouting into the mountains), and “was quieter” (looking at a bird nest with three eggs). There is an author’s note with advice about going to a big park, probably a state or national park, and having a wonderful time, just like Rodney! Nature is a powerful thing for all people, maybe especially children.

       Except for the first chapter book, I seem to have read many of these books that are perfect fits for younger readers. This is a second rhyming story, from morning to night, this little girl, her dad, and her dog and cat spend the day starting four floors up. They go down four floors, out into the city and to the park, returning quickly because it starts to rain. Each page of rhymes highlights color words, as in "Hello, green park, bright blue sky, swing, swing, swinging way up high!" It ends with counting "pink cloud sheep". Carolyn Stutson passed away in 2015. You may remember her wonderful Blue Corn Soup? If not, get it. It's wonderful, too. 

A New Poetry Book Just Right for The Classroom!

        Ellen Shi’s illustrations make the poets’ voices shine with happiness in this poetry collection by Lee Bennett Hopkins. The school, in Rebecca Kai Dotlich’s voice, says “I am waiting--come on in!” and the other adults who also wait are inside, welcoming, giving an experience for children that makes good memories. Starting with Matt Forrest Esenwine’s friendly bus driver with a “good morning smile” to the teacher who, in Joan Bransfield Graham’s sweet words, “spark imagination--so the students “feel I, too, can fly” it’s a happy celebration of school. Other words to celebrate: “The Lunch Lady” who “says: “Here you go, Honey. . .handing each of us a full plate.” by Robyn Hood Black, “Art Teacher” who helps kids explore and “In her room/I am an artist.”, where Irene Latham writes about a “Music Teacher”: “She walks in music, like morning rain”, Renee La Tulippe shows off the “Theater Teacher” with “With him we are anything/we want to be”, and Amy Ludwig Vanderwater shows the kindness from a “Nurse”: “heals our hurts/big and small.” Children count on the friends who are already grown to keep the days delightful places to learn.

What's Next: Still reading another arc from Candlewick, a verse novel about the beginnings of the Revolutionary War, Siege, by Roxane Orgill And I hope to read a book from my #MustReadIn2018 list, also starting The Lilac Girls!