It's Monday - More Reading That I Loved

      Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and 

  

Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they and others have been reading! Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading!

Thanks to everyone for sharing so many great books that I put on my list, read and enjoy! I hope you are continuing to be well and managing these challenging days.  

         Thanks to Walker Books, US, a division of Candlewick Press, I had the pleasure of reading this tech adventure, based on the podcast The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel! What could possibly go wrong when Mars has his close, close friends-like-family who will do anything to help him find his close friend Aurora, then another, Jonas? Well, quite a few things, including finally questioning the honesty of detention teacher Mr. Q. It all comes down to who will get into the elite school run by Oliver Pruitt, whose Podcast is followed by millions of kids. "To the stars", he says. Mars' group follows through all sorts of alarming mishaps, each using their special powers. It's quite a group that kids will see in themselves, perhaps, smiling and nervous, but never faltering. Sheela Chari includes texts and bits of podcasts along with regular text that make this story even more fun. There are more than a few hints that this may not be the last we'll read about Mars Patel and his friends!

               One sad thing about this book about Jacob Riis is that need of the homeless and those in poverty is still here, more so exacerbated by the pandemic and the ineffective way it has been handled by the U.S. administration. He worked so hard himself and accomplished much over a hundred years ago, would be saddened to learn that so many problems are still not solved. I've visited the Tenement Museum in NYC and seen some of his photographs, chilling to believe that thirteen people including a week-old baby lived in one room! Alexis O'Neill has written Jacob's story from his beginnings as a twelve-year-old, to his work at many jobs at fifteen when he moved to Copenhagen, then his move to NYC at twenty-one. Ending up as a newspaper reporter, he spent hours visiting the slums, writing article after article about the terrible conditions. Nothing worked to change things until he discovered the power of the camera. Lots of added information with some of his photos are at the back. The powerful and poignant illustrations by Gary Kelley help tell this inspirational tale of one man who never stopped caring and trying to help those in need. 

          It's interesting to share this next new book by Chris Raschka, also about a city, but this time a happy city of apartments, people hanging out windows, two young girls in particular. And lots of birds, too! In brief rhyming text with Raschka's ever-whimsical splashes of color in his illustrations, two friends find each other, at last!

          Thanks also to Candlewick Press for the following three books, gifts for a variety of children.

         Gorgeous double-page spreads by Galen Frazer using a starry background of the universe (and beyond) teach readers about spaceflight. The beginning pages wow, showing a dad and two kids in silhouette looking at the universe (the Milky Way highlighted), explaining how we are all made of stars. Andrew Radar's explanations are brief and clear, giving a beginning knowledge that will inspire more and more research. He includes familiar concepts like "gravity", the "solar system", and "earth and moon" that are beautifully highlighted with Frazer illustrations. Many more concepts include "How Rocket Engines Work", "Going to the Moon", "Exploring Mars" along with further information about Jupiter and Saturn. New concepts are also discussed with an added glossary in the backmatter. This special book will tickle everyone's space curiosity, child to adult!

           These next two books use metaphor to tell a particular story, share a specific challenge. I enjoyed them both and would love to read them aloud to a group of children to see their eyes light up as they understand about both Ellie's Dragon and the question about bears skiing.

         As a very young girl, Ellie found a newborn dragon. His tiny claws tickled her hand. She thought he was wonderful and named him Scratch. She made him a bed, she asked her mom if she could have some matches so he could eat the tops off. (Dragon fire!) Mom said "Certainly not!" But really she saw only the tiny matchbox bed, no dragon. Time moved along and Ellie took Scratch to pre-school where all the kids thought he was terrific, but the teacher saw nothing. As readers read this story, and as Ellie grows older, Scratch gets bigger, and "things" change. Chronicling the sweetest story of growing up, Bob Graham also illustrated with his wonderfully soft colors outlined in black. You will love the ending. Perhaps tears will appear?

         Dad Bear has a hard time waking up this little bear, stepping so loudly that the radiator shakes and the bed "rumbles like a large empty tummy, etc. "I'm up! I'm up!" he says, dresses and shares he loves his colors LOUD. Snow is out the window and everything is still. Dad counts up the stairs to hurry for breakfast. Dad says something; Little bear thinks it's "Can bears ski?" Raymond Antrobus, a deaf poet, shows a little more about little Bear, on the way and at school, often hearing "Can bears ski?" In subtle way, readers realize something is the matter and little Bear must not be hearing well. A visit to an audiologist and seeing his audiogram, soon he gets hearing aids and lessons in lip-reading. Soon, he enjoys Dad Bear reading a book at bedtime. Figuring out there's a hearing challenge is shown in fun scenes with bears and various animals at school and in the neighborhood by Polly Dunbar, partially deaf. It also shows that there is a way to help. 

           The American Society for Deaf Children endorses this story because it stresses the importance of full language and communication access for children and allows deaf children to see themselves represented in a story.

Next - Continuing Quinn's The Rose Code & just got Bloom by Kenneth Oppel!