The winner of our giveaway of the new graphic novel “Five Worlds” is
Cincylibrarian!
Congratulations, and thanks to all who entered.
Book Lists
Hello Mixed-Up Filers!
Hope all of you are doing well and have been enjoying all the recent posts as much as I have!
I know some of you are reading this and saying, “Whoa, Jonathan . . . what are you doing here? Aren’t you scheduled for June?”
Well, the answer to that, is yes, but . . . it seems that there was an intense emailing campaign to get me to go earlier and the powers that be here at the blog, had no choice but to acquiesce. So, thank you, Mom! You were right, it worked!
Anyway, as most of you know, I always have trouble deciding what to post about next, and this month was no exception. Several topics I wanted to do, but since we’re so close to summer, I decided to write about the books I’m most looking forward to, which are coming out this summer! Now, don’t get me wrong, because there are TONS of books that I’m looking forward to, but I’m just picking a few that caught my eye.
Great, right?
Well, even if you didn’t say, “Yes”, it’s too late, because that’s what I’m doing. So, without further ado . . . or maybe, a little ado, here we go!
Okay, right off the bat, I’m cheating. And the thing is, I know I’m cheating. This one doesn’t technically come out in the summer, but I can’t wait to read it nonetheless.
- Better Off Undead, by James Preller.
This is about a boy who navigates through middle school as a zombie and has to solve a mystery. First off, I would read just about anything zombie-related. Phone book for zombies and mark me down for a copy. But, this sounds really cool and I can’t wait to read.
- One Mixed-Up Night, by Catherine Newman
This story is about two kids, who each concoct a scheme to hide out in an Ikea store overnight. How ridiculously cool is that? I would’ve loved doing something like that as a kid!
- Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls, by our own Beth McMullen
In this, A girl discovers her boarding school is actually an elite spy-training program, and she must learn the skills of the trade in order to find her mother. I would’ve loved reading that as a kid. Well, I’m going to love reading that now, too!
- The World’s Greatest Detective by Caroline Carlson
Kids in a competition to find the world’s greatest detective! The contest turns into a murder mystery? Well, I’m hooked!
- Kat Greene Comes Clean by Melissa Roske
A girl dealing with her obsessive-compulsive mother and enters her in a cleaning competition. She’s also having issues with a boy at school during their production of Harriet the Spy! I’m so partial to this book since I have a daughter the same age and picture how she’d deal with these situations. Very much looking forward to it!
Well, that’s it for now, Mixed-Up Filers! Hope you’re looking forward to these as much as I am. As I said before, there are many more, but let’s go with these five for now . . . okay, well, there is one book about bunnies or something like that coming out this summer, which I might be slightly looking forward to. But, the name seems to be escaping me right now. Oh, well. I’m sure I’ll think of it.
Until next time!
Jonathan
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Cinco de Mayo is celebrated by many in the United States, but does everyone who celebrates know what the holiday commemorates? A popular myth is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day, similar to America’s Fourth of July.
But, it isn’t. Mexico’s Independence Day is September 16th.
Here’s the real story: On the 5th day of May in 1862, though out-numbered and poorly equipped, Mexican soldiers held off French soldiers in the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. This stopped the the French from progressing to Mexico City. It was a victory worth celebrating!
Also worth celebrating are some great middle-grade titles that feature Latina/Latino characters. But first, two words of caution as we think about diversity in our reading selections:
Not just today. Cinco de Mayo (or any holiday of cultural significance) is a great time to move readers toward more diverse book selection. But, let’s not limit that practice to the “culture of the month.” Each and every day, we should strive for diversity in our home, classroom, school, and public libraries.
Not just the classics. There will always be that treasured and timeless book we adore. We love it for its heart and for its story. And, because its characters helped us learn more about a given culture (in this case, think Esperanza Rising), we tend to gravitate toward it again and again. I say, Great! But, don’t stop there. Look for and champion new middle grade titles, like the ones below.
Click the book to go to the publisher’s page to read more about it.
Comment below with a book featuring Latina/Latino main characters that you’d like to read on Cinco de Mayo (or ANY day!)
