Monday Reading - Much to Share!

       

        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!     

       I'm not sure I feel able to assess Naomi Shihab Nye's work, yet I want you to know about her new book of poetry. This is for mothers, about hers, but for all of us who are, who have, and who miss, our mothers. It's bittersweet, it's full of love and sad yearnings, and it's extraordinary. Don't miss finding a copy for reading, then re-reading, connecting with her memories in ways you might not have imagined you would.

         Just last week, I shared Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith. Now, I'd like to share William Kent Krueger's newest book in the Cork O'Connor series. It, too, has an underlying theme of the sad truth of so many, many Native women and girls disappearing. Yet, often law enforcement does not take it as seriously as other disappearances of white females. All the usual family members and other friends of Cork are in the story; some have changed - jobs or life circumstances - and it feels both bittersweet and comforting all at the same time. Krueger adds resources to learn more about these tragic disappearances.

           Thanks to Publishers Weekly for this copy, from WaterBrook at Random House! I won it in one of their giveaways!

            A new superhero brings a new adventure for middle graders to read and love. It's written by Meredith Davis,  whose new 'superhero', Noah Minor, shows up on the first pages while being dropped from a building's sixteenth story. A reporter sees it all, though the great-uncle denies he did it. However it happened, all that we know is that it's a "Minor Miracle" and here is dear Noah, now in middle school, reading to have an eye check. Plot twists often happen in stories, but the story by Davis seems to surprise often with ordinary events turning into surprises, not only for Noah but for his friends, Haley and Rodney. Each one appears to have a superpower, yet it's not always the kind that has them flying through the air, but the challenge to think ahead, to make better decisions, to take good care of friends, and family, too! Except for an introduction, Noah tells the story, his dilemmas, his worries, and the decisions that are really hard to make. Sometimes, they're not so good, and Noah has to become a superhero different from how he had ever imagined. Illustrator Billy Yong adds to the action with his graphic illustrations, adding much to the emotional impact of the action. It's a terrific book! 

         Here's a peek at the cast, showing off Billy Yong's style, too! 

          The scenario: "When a pilot suffers a heart attack at 35,000 feet, a commercial airliner filled with passengers crashes into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota, which becomes ground zero for a catastrophic national crisis with global implications." I enjoyed reading the scientific background of what does happen, what can happen, if such a catastrophe occurs, but more than that, reading (watching?) the people, who they are, and what they do no matter the danger and/or sacrifice, they stepped up, they did not give up to help and to rescue. I enjoyed it, though kept thinking of the two times it has happened in our history, Fukushima and Chernobyl when the endings were not so favorable. It may only be fiction this time brought to readers by T.J. Newman.

Thanks to Charlesbridge for the following picture books!

         It's a wonderful thing that, according to Cindy Neuschwander, author, a young man named Volomo ran into Sir Cumference right before a huge snowstorm was about to hit! He explained how he'd built just the correctly-sized boxes so that each held a bushel of grain, to keep the varmints from getting into them, to know what's there or gone, too! The knight races back to the castle, and he and Lady Di return to ask for help if they're going to feed all the people in the countryside, 150! The story fills with tension as they estimate how much food is needed, what a snow sledge will hold (not enough) and the simple, but clear ways they solve all the problems, including the VOLUME that's enough and that they must carry back to the castle! This is the thirteenth Sir Cumference book, all written by Cindy Neuschwander and illustrated by Wayne Meehan in beautifully colorful pages, historical scenes of people working outside and inside, to solve problems! This, and others, are entertaining and educational, just perfect for those at home helping children understand some math concepts, or for a teacher in the classroom! (Do you see the connection with Volomo?) 

         If you'd like to know about the birth of these "Sir Cumference" stories, go HERE to read from Cindy, the author, about how they started!

            From the cover, this poignant book seems to be about a little girl who loves unicorns. First published in Spain, written and illustrated by Dani Gómez, and translated by Luisana Duarte Armendáriz, it is about loving unicorns, as young Emma did. She collects them, puts their pictures on her bedroom walls, and dresses up on Halloween with her dad as unicorns. "Giddy up, Unicorn!" happens often. But Emma grows up, year by year, and things do not remain the same. Gómez lets her illustrations tell the story, change by change. It isn't only a story for young readers about unicorns. It's a story that might bring a few tears to parents and show life in all its wonder, young, then older, then older still! It's a wonderful book!

 

          From Charlesbridge, first published in Spain and translated by Luisana Duarte  Armendariz, illustrations by Veronica Aranda beautifully bring Irene Verdu's sweet story to life. It's a treasure of a story all about finding kindness! A letter has fallen from the postman's mailbag and been whisked away without him noticing. It was raining and the letter landed on the wet street, losing the person's name to which it belonged. The wind thought it was a lovely letter. All it said was "I Love You". So, the wind sailed it into the air, onto Mr. Cat's roof and down the chimney. Mr. Cat found it, yes, grumpy Mr. Cat, and wondered who in the world could have sent it. He began walking through the neighborhood, asking away, with everyone saying "No, not I!" The rest of the story and the sweetest surprise ending shows you what a little act of kindness can do! Mr. Cat learns right along with all his neighbors!

           I cannot possibly tell all that one can discover about space telescopes, the history and the journey to the recent fabulous Webb Telescope. This, by Suzanne Slade, tells in the clearest language how it all began for us to know more than what our naked eyes can see or imagine. The journey she shares is filled with examples of pictures, diagrams, and photos, all the way to what we're seeing recently, that Webb image of the Tarantula Nebula, which holds thousands of young stars! Previously, they couldn't be seen because of space dust.

          There is an added bibliography, a link to building one's own scale model of the Webb telescope, and more! 

          Also, at the very end: “The promise of Webb is not what we know we will discover; it’s what we don’t yet understand or can’t yet fathom about our universe.” —NASA Administrator Bill Nelson

Next! I've had Olivetti by Allie Millington for a long while! Time to read it!