Posts Tagged children’s books

New releases for perfect Valentine’s gifts for children!

By on February 2, 2018   /   Book Lists, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, New Releases, News  

Here are some great ideas for Valentine’s gifts for middle-grade children. Hot off the press and ready for the special readers in your life!

The first two were actually released in January, and since ghost-written by one of our contributing members, we wanted to highlight them!

Taking Chances by Kelsey Abrams, illustrated by Jomike Tejido, (Jolly Fish Press)

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Grace has always rushed headlong into things often landing her in trouble. Her elderly neighbor (and close friend), Miz Ida, reminds her to think before she acts. Grace tries to be thoughtful and responsible when helping with Miz Ida s prize-winning cat, Chances, but it isn’t easy. Can Grace slow down enough to keep the people (and animals) she cares for safe? Or are there times when taking chances can be a good thing? At Second Chance Ranch, the Ramirez family cares and works to find homes for all kinds of animals on their 200-acre ranch in Texas. Sisters Natalie (12), Abby (10), and twins Emily and Grace (9) all do their part to help out and give each animal the second chance it deserves.

Wild Midnight by Kelsey Abrams, illustrated by Jomike Tejido

(Jolly Fish Press)

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Emily has her heart set on rescuing a wild mustang, but her family gets outbid at an auction. Instead she settles for helping a nearby ranch muck out stalls where some of the mustangs now reside. She quickly earns a reputation as a horse whisperer for her ability to calm Midnight, a horse that others cannot control. But even Emily cant help when a tornado blows through the area and Midnight gets loose. Or can she? At Second Chance Ranch, the Ramirez family cares and works to find homes for all kinds of animals on their 200-acre ranch in Texas. Sisters Natalie (12), Abby (10), and twins Emily and Grace (9) all do their part to help out and give each animal the second chance it deserves.

Lucy’s Lab: The Colossal Fossil Fiasco by Michelle Houts, illustrated by Elizebeth Zechel, (Sky Pony Press)

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In this third book in the series, Lucy accidentally overhears her parents talking about the family getting a second pet. But what pet should they get?

At school, Lucy’s class is learning about fossils and the plants and animals that left them behind.

One afternoon, Lucy finds a special rock, and Miss Flippo gets very excited! But when Lucy’s precious fossil goes missing, everyone in Room 2C is a suspect. . . .

My Hero Academia, by Kohei Horikoshi, (Viz Media)

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Midoriya inherits the superpower of the world’s greatest hero, but greatness won’t come easy.

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks”? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

I Survived the Children’s Blizzard, 1888, by Lauren Tarshis, (Scholastic)

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Eleven-year-old John Hale has already survived one brutal Dakota winter, and now he’s about to experience one of the deadliest blizzards in American history. The storm of 1888 was a monster, a frozen hurricane that slammed into America’s midwest without warning. Within hours, America’s prairie would be buried under ten feet of snow. Hundreds would be dead, thousands terrified and lost and freezing.

John never wanted to move to the wide-open prairie. He’s a city kid, not a tough pioneer! But his inner strength is seriously tested when he finds himself trapped in the blinding snow, the wind like a giant crushing hammer, pounding him over and over again. Will John ever find his way home?

Bravelands #2 Code of Honor, by Erin Hunter, (HarperCollins)

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Set in the African savannah and told from three different animals’ points of view, Bravelands will thrill readers who love Spirit Animals and Wings of Fire, as well as the legion of dedicated fans who’ve made Erin Hunter a bestselling phenomenon.

A baboon who has uncovered an act of treachery.

An elephant uncertain of her fate.

A lion poised to strike.

The code of the wild has been broken. The elephant leader known as Great Mother has been murdered. And Bravelands is on the edge of chaos. Now a young baboon, elephant, and lion must come together to discover the truth—before the fragile balance of Bravelands is destroyed forever.

Dragon Bones (The Unwanted Quests) by Lisa McMann, (Aladdin)

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Ten years after Alex and Aaron Stowe brought peace to Quill and Artimé, their younger twin sisters journey beyond Artimé in the second novel in the New York Times bestselling sequel series to The Unwanteds, which Kirkus Reviews called “The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.”

The Artiméans have suffered some devastating blows.

After years of peace, the recent daring adventure of twins Thisbe and Fifer Stowe have brought about dire consequences. Thisbe has been captured, Fifer is injured, and Sky is lost at sea. The twins’ older brother Alex, head mage of Artimé, is paralyzed with fear of losing anyone else he loves. Fifer must convince him to finally trust her to help in the battle ahead now that their true enemy has been revealed.

Meanwhile Thisbe is trapped underground in the catacombs, where the ancient dragon rulers are buried. Along with fellow prisoners, Thisbe’s job is to transport dragon bones from her crypt to the extracting room, where others extract the magical properties dormant in the bones. When it appears no one is coming back to rescue her, Thisbe must train in secret, trying to learn how to control her fiery magic and use it to escape. As her situation becomes more grave, she might even have to align herself with the ultimate evil.

Unfortunately it’s a risk she has to take.

Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire by John August, (Roaring Book Press)
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Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire is the first book in a spellbinding fantasy adventure series by screenwriter John August.

Some trails lead to magic. Some lead to danger.

As Arlo looked around, the walls of his room began to vanish, revealing a moonlit forest. Only his bed remained, and the frame of his window, through which he saw the girl. The world on her side of the glass was sparkling with silver and gold, like a palace made of autumn leaves. 
She looked off to her right. Someone was coming. Her words came in an urgent whisper: “If I can see you, they can see you . . . Be careful, Arlo Finch.”

Arlo Finch is a newcomer to Pine Mountain, Colorado, a tiny town of mystery and magic, but he’s already attracted the attention of dark and ancient forces. At first he thinks these increasingly strange and frightening occurrences are just part of being in Rangers, the mountain scouting troop where he learns how to harness the wild magic seeping in from the mysterious Long Woods.

But he soon Arlo finds himself at the center of a dangerous adventure, where he faces obstacles that test the foundations of the Ranger’s Vow: Loyalty, Bravery, Kindness, and Truth.

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Mentors on Your Bookshelf

By on January 24, 2018   /   Book Lists, Fiction, For Writers  

“There are only two ways, really, to become a writer. One is to write. The other is to read.” — Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed My Life

“During our fourteen sessions together you will begin writing a novel for young readers. You may be surprised by how committed you become to this work and how much you accomplish. But it will happen because you’ll have help from some of the best mentors writing today – the authors of the books we’ll be reading.”

For years, I began my children’s fiction writing MFA classes with some version of this statement. Creating a reading list each semester was my favorite thing to do. I chose books that would give my students a sense of the scope and possibility in writing for children. I looked for the titles that would transport them back to their own childhoods by recapturing the child’s world with its uniquely heightened senses and near-primal beliefs. I chose books by authors who were wizards—conjuring wonder, magic, make-believe, longing, justice, adventure, and hope in their pages.  I was a good teacher because the masters I’d learned from had become my teaching assistants.

I’m sharing five of my all-time favorite titles here, along with with notes on why and how I use them. I still read these books when I’m writing and trying to capture a mood, a character trait, a voice, or whatever is feeling elusive in my work. It’s not about copying, but about evoking something within.

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

 Why I chose it:

  • One of the many things I love about this story is how Kate DiCamillo reveals the invisible child–the part of a character that is open to readers but not to other characters in the story. How does the author capture the invisible self? Her protagonist, Opal, talks to the dog she adopts in the first chapter and names Winn Dixie. He is her first and only friend in the town she’s just landed in. This is how readers learn what’s on her mind and even the backstory that has brought her to this point in her life.
  • Another powerful way Opal reveals her invisible self is through praying. While talking to God, she discloses a secret she believes is true: No one wants to be her friend because her father is the preacher and she’d tell on them for everything they did wrong, and the preacher would tell God and their parents. What a heartfelt way to reveal the conflict that drives the story!

Read this book to see how the author created her lovable, quirky, and vulnerable character, and for Opal’s vibrant voice!

Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins

 Why I chose it:

  • The characters! The three protagonists,  a red ball, a stuffed starfish, and a toy buffalo, provide a wise and witty introduction to setting the rules and boundaries of fantasy. Favorite examples: The ball can read. The toys are able to use subliminal messaging to influence their mistress (a little girl). The stuffed starfish cannot swim.
  • In creating the rules for what these toys can and cannot do, the author gets young readers thinking about the meaning of life. The three toys confront identity, status, and competition. They ask Who Am I? and What Am I Good At? The amazing thing about this book is that it’s for readers in grades 1-4!

Read this book if you are new to writing fantasy or if you just want to up your game.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

 Why I chose it:

  • Addie, the immensely engaging protagonist of Connor’s novel, embodies one of the most valuable qualities we can give our readers— No matter how strong or brave or numb a character is, vulnerability lets us know that she or he can be hurt, can feel pain, can be affected and therefore be changed. But in order to enable a character to survive and grow, vulnerability must go hand-in-hand with resilience. Addie’s resilience includes staying alone in her trailer home for extended periods while keeping up her ‘normal’ routine of attending school, preparing meals, and caring for her hamster.

Read this book for an example of how to inspire readers to ask, ‘Could I be as strong as Addie?’

 Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

 Why I chose it:

  •  The first chapter of this compelling Newbery winner contains a roadmap of the novel’s structure. In just 3 pages, there is a move from Bybanks, KY to Euclid, OH, a secret hidden under the floorboards, the foreshadowing of a momentous 6-day trip, and the first appearance of the girl whose story will help protagonist Sal understand her own.
  • Story within story; plot and subplot. Creech has woven both of these techniques into her story as a way of creating mystery, surprise, and the complexity of human relationships.The climax of this healing story sends Sal on a fateful journey in which she takes risks that will enable her to learn and grow.

 Read this book for everything about the importance of structure in storytelling!

 One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

 Why I chose it:

  •  This book is a brilliant example of how to tell the story of a character’s personal struggle to find truth within the larger canvas of history—in this case, the early days of the Black Panthers, their struggles and triumphs in the late 1960’s.
  • Through 11-year-old Delphine’s eyes, author Williams-Garcia captures the excitement and importance of the times.  Her storytelling includes poetry, music, fashion, politics, and commitment to showing a lesser known side of the truth . Her vivid details are a lesson in bringing an important period in the civil rights movement to life.

Read this book if you have ever thought about using personal experience in a novel of historical fiction.

Now it’s your turn! Which books on your shelves serve as writing mentors? Tell us the titles and what to look out for!  

 

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STEM Tuesday Exploration— Writing Craft and Resources

By on January 23, 2018   /   Common Core & NGSS, Cross-Curricular, Curriculum Tie-in, Exploration, For Writers, STEM Tuesday, Writing  

How-To

From how to trouble shoot your printer to how to complete your tax forms, we all use procedural texts every day. Some procedural writing is boring, rigid, and downright miserable. Ugh. But it doesn’t have to be.

Discovering a brand new, fuzzy, four-legged species, exploring a volcano on the barren desert called Mars, escaping quicksand — scientific exploration is full of procedures packed with fun!

You’d think writing down the steps to a process would be easy, but – as any educator who has survived the first week of school knows – teaching “how to” is a bit more challenging than teaching “what.”

You pick: teach someone what the Large Hadron Collider is (a machine for speeding up particles so scientists can study them) or how it works (umm . . .).

See, it can be kind of intimidating. You have to really know what you are talking about. No wonder young (and old) writers struggle. Even writing about something a little easier, like dissecting a roadkill skunk, requires lots of decisions. Hard decisions about who the audience is, what to include, and how to present the information.

Never fear, STEM Tuesday is here.

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.orgThis month’s book list includes fantastic examples of writing about processes. Consider a multi-step, safety-critical process like blasting off to Mars presented by Pascal Lee in Mission: Mars (page 14). Some of the techniques used include: simplified numbered steps, sequential art, and detail-rich explanations. Lee re-uses these techniques on page 24 for the steps of landing on Mars.

Some questions for close reading:

  • How does the use of numbered steps add to procedural writing?
  • What aspects of page design help the reader?
  • Why might an author repeat techniques in order to explain additional processes in one text?
  • Is the author’s purpose primarily description or exposition? What leads you to that conclusion?

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.orgThe passages in Mission can be compared with more familiar approaches to procedural writing such as a fun submersible-building activity in Jennifer Swanson’s Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact (page 24) and/or a passage on how to pull a leech off your skin in Not for Parents: How to be A World Explorer (page 14).

Some questions for close reading:

  • What common elements of procedural writing do these authors use?
  • How are illustrations used in these examples?
  • What words, techniques, or signals indicate that these texts are instructional as opposed to descriptive? (For ideas, compare to pages 14 and 24 of Mission: Mars.)

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.orgFor a different take, check out a graphic novel. Starting on page 39 of Smash! Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe with the Large Hadron Collider, author Sara Latta and illustrator Jeff Weigel present their version of how the Large Hadron Collider works (see, it is possible). Their trick for turning the super technical into something readable while avoiding snores? Sequential art, characters who themselves need thorough explanations, and labeled diagrams. Breaking the complex process down into chunked steps, spread over several pages, didn’t hurt either.

Some questions for close reading:

  • What common elements of procedural writing are found in this text?
  • How does this passage differ from more traditional procedural writing?
  • How does this explanation compare to that of another complex sequence, such as that on page 14 in Mission: Mars.

Try it Yourself

  • Study an example of procedural writing. Identify a technique used by the author. Re-write the passage using a different technique. For example, convert the passage on leech removal into graphic novel form or write it without numbered steps.
  • Re-write a piece of procedural writing with a different point of view. Does that change the impact of the passage?
  • Write the steps for a familiar activity (eating pizza, shooting a basketball, cleaning up dog poop). The first time, write it in 5 steps. Re-write, providing only 3 steps. Re-write again with 10 steps. What’s different? Which was hardest? What audience might need each version? Which do you prefer?

—

Heather L. Montgomery writes for kids who are WILD about animals. She reads and writes while high in a tree, standing in a stream, or perched on a mountaintop boulder. www.HeatherLMontgomery.com

THE O.O.L.F. FILES

This month, The Out Of Left Field (O.O.L.F.) Files look at some not-so-ordinary ways STEM skills aid in exploration and expanding our knowledge base.

In addition to generating new knowledge, mind-blowing discoveries, and amazing high tech innovations, exploration can cause damage. One concern: pee and poop. From designing a space suit to handle six-days of pee to turning poop into plastic, people are getting creative to solve this problem.

  • Invisible Universe Revealed: A NOVA episode on the Hubble Telescope, its use in exploring the universe, and how an observation at home became a solution to fix Hubble’s “poor eyesight”.
  • Data Exploration: The digital revolution has allowed massive amounts of information to be collected, stored, and shared. Below are a few examples of how this data allows deeper exploration of the world around us.
    • Sabermetrics: The science and analysis of baseball data has changed the game of baseball forever.
    • Bioinformatics: The accumulation AND sharing of genomic sequences from all types of life have revolutionized life science.
    • FiveThirtyEight.com is a data-driven outlet that studies news, politics, sports, and society. (Their real-time election analysis & discussion is fabulous.)
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