Adult Fiction
Skelly's Square (The Kirkwood Scott Chronicles) by Stephen Black ***** (Urban fantasy)
While not typically a fan of war scenes or urban fantasy, Stephen's book drew me in like a spider drawing a fly to its web. I was entranced by the fascinating aspects of story he created. A credit to novice writers, his craft is honed, with excellent vocabulary, metaphors, and simile, strong and believable characters with realistic flaws. Yet, it never feels high-brow. The story is accessible, full of pop-culture references that put you at ease and give you something familiar to grasp while the rest of the story sends you to unforeseen and unexpected plot points. There is the satisfying good vs. evil theme, and the need we ALL have for companionship -- indeed, the power of friendship. Well-done, highly recommended, and I'm ready for Book 2!
Calixta: The Vanquishers of Alhambra by Omayra Vélez **** (Fantasy)Very interesting story. At first I thought it was going to be erotica and almost put it down. I'm glad I continued reading. It's a beautiful story about unexpected grace. Emotionally engaging. Some of the dialogue breaks down for me (like it just feels like she switches characters in the middle of conversation. . . .) Also, a few typos. . . .overall I would definitely recommend the story for someone who enjoys fantasy. I especially enjoy the spiritual elements of this book. I'm looking forward to reading the second book.
Defending Jacob: a Novel by William Landay **** (Legal Thriller)
I read this one as part of my Word Weavers book club and I enjoyed it. It definitely keeps you guessing all the way through. It's an engaging read, with well-developed characters. It gives an interesting perspective to the legal system.
An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor (Historical Fiction)****
This is a sweet pastoral rural Irish tale, full of really fun, human (and some, animal) characters. It follows a village doctor and his protege through their routines leading up through the Christmas season. I'd love to visit Ballybucklebo (which is a fictional village). . . .There is a whole (huge) series of these books. This is the first one I've read. I have at least one more in my stack to go. I enjoyed it. It is not a compelling page turner. It's more like a cuppa tea on a dreary day. Comforting and steady.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson (Historical Fiction)*****+
This book had me in ALL the feels! I laughed, I cried! I wanted to throw the book at the wall a few times, definitely wanted to cause some of the characters bodily harm. :-O It was so. VERY. GOOD! It is not an easy book to read in terms of all the emotions, but her beautiful descriptive writing style makes the pretty places so pretty that it makes the ugly places bearable. I highly recommend this book. . . .
Picture books
I've been reading TONS of picture books lately, so this section will be pretty busy :-)
Princess Peepers by Pam Calvert ***** Really cute -- inventive and creative! Great for kids who have just gotten glasses, or who feel out of place in some other way. A great book for talking about peer pressure.
Flash, the Little Fire Engine by Pam Calvert ***** Precious! Lots of great firefighter vocabulary, good for kids who don't think they're "big enough" "strong enough" "good enough."
Nugget and Fang by Tammi Sauer ***** Super-fun! Great for talking about friendship and not judging based on what others think/say.
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin ***** Classic! Great for introducing journaling/keeping a diary, good science integration
Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds **** Very inventive, bizarre sense of humor, good introduction to STEM, problem-solving, fun Halloween tie-in
Backhoe Joe by Lori Alexander ***** Love this one! Really clever! Excellent to talk about doing the right thing even when it's hard.
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes ***** Classic! Good to talk about unconditional love and acceptance, good beginning of year story for teachers to talk about rules/bringing items to school . . .also good to use with toothpaste lesson about being careful what we say since we can't take it back.
Pippa's Passover Plate by Vivian Kirkfield **** Fun story about losing and finding something important; integrates some Jewish passover vocabulary and traditions
Sweet Dreams, Sarah by Vivian Kirkfield ***** Beautiful story about a young black woman who invents the cabinet bed. Excellent for talking about persistence, and also EXCELLENT for talking about editing/revising writing.
The Rough Patch by Brian Lies *****!!!! This one brought me to tears . . .such a poignant, wonderful description of the cycle of grief. . . . really lovely and wonderful for children (and adults) who have experienced loss. . . .every school counselor should have this on their shelf!!!
Making their Voices Heard by Vivian Kirkfield ***** Excellent story about the friendship and collaboration of Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald. Girlpower, black lives matter, women building women . . . this has so much to say to impact our culture today!!!
The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros ***** Beautiful story about dementia/Alzheimer's and the legacy of our memories. Another sweet, teary story! Another one that belongs on the school counselor's shelf.
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow *** Bright, cheerful illustrations, predictive rhyming text, and tons of fun! Great for teaching body parts, rules for art, and more! Singable text! :-)
The Night World, written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein **** Beautiful illustrations, gorgeous book about the transition from night to morning and dark to dawn.
Toys Meet Snow written by E. Lockhart, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky ***** Very inventive story; lots of imagination: Great to talk with kids about imagination, winter, snow fun . . .
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear written by Lindsey Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall *****!!! Being a huge fan of Winnie the Pooh, I adored this book! It tells the story of Winnie BEFORE Christopher Robin :-) Such a sweet story. Good for discussing armed forces, geography, trains, bears, and of course, Winnie the Pooh!
Flutter and Hum / Aleteo y Zumbido: Animal Poems / Poemas de Animales by Julie Paschkis ***** Beautiful bilingual book of poems about animals -- lovely wordplay in the poems and the illustrations. English and Spanish. Great for animal study, poetry unit, read aloud, or English/Spanish comparisons
Lenny and Lucy written by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead *** This book got lots of rave reviews, and I'm sure it's lovely . . . not my favorite, for whatever reason. I found it a little bizarre -- creative, but a bit strange for me. Just personal preference. . .
The Dog That Nino Didn't Have Author: Edward van de Vendel, Illustrator: Anton Van Hertbruggen **** Vintage-style illustrations and lots of imagination A boy imagines the dog he doesn't have who helps him deal with missing his dad (who travels) and then compares him to the REAL dog he gets, but his imagination keeps going . . . .Cute story, good for talking about imagination, pets, family structure, good for school counselors to add to their shelves
Before Morning Author: Joyce Sidman, Illustrator: Beth Krommes ***** A beautiful poem about a snowday with gorgeous scratchboard artwork! Lyrical text. . . Good for discussing poetry, winter, snow. .
The Bossier Baby Author and illustrator: Marla Frazee,*** This book has some funny moments, and I know it got excellent reviews by some very reputable sources. For me, it was just okay. Nothing against the book at all, just think it's not my cup of tea.
Du iz Tak Author and illustrator: Carson Ellis **** A book written completely in a made-up language. From a teacher perspective, would be perfect for talking about picture clues and the importance of punctuation because that's the only way you can figure out what they might be saying. The pictures, luckily, do a great job of telling the story. From an integrating perspective, wonderful for discussing the life cycle of plants and insects. Unique!
Ideas are All Around Author and illustrator: Phillip C. Stead **** A great book for teaching making connections, and for generating ideas for writing about or drawing.
The Journey Author and Illustrator: Francesca Sanna ***** The illustrations are so powerful in this book! It deals with very heavy subject matter -- war, refugees, migration/immigration, borders, etc. The characters face MUCH opposition. It is very open in regards to which country they are leaving and which country they are traveling to. It would be an excellent addition to teaching about any of those subjects.
Leave me Alone Author and Illustrator: Vera Brosgol **** Have you ever had one of those days when you wanted, or needed to finish a project, but experienced interruption after interruption? Well, this grandma was having one of those days. As she tries to escape the interruptions to complete her knitting, it takes her traveling all the way to space to be left alone to finish. Unique in its plot and illustrations. This book would be good to talk about resilience, alternative problem-solving, dealing with frustrations. . . .
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat Author and illustrator: Javaka Steptoe ***** This is a lovely biographical PB. The pictures are gorgeous and the text is engaging. It is everything a PB biography should be!
School's First Day of School Author: Adam Rex Illustrator: Christian Robinson ***** A very innovative first day of school book as it's told from the perspective of the school Lovely book! Great for teachers for beginning of school, also for teaching POV!
Thunder Boy Jr. Author: Sherman Alexie, Illustrator: Yuyi Morales ***** For anyone who's ever struggled with their name, for anyone who has ever struggled with needing their own identity. Such a sweet story. . . Native American characters, beautiful plot and a satisfying ending -- this is a story for anyone and everyone!
We Found a Hat Author and illustrator: Jon Claussen **** A book about 2 best friends who find a hat and how they both want it . . . simple illustrations and simple text in a not-so-simple book. There is lots of talk to be had here about character education, speaking up for oneself, sharing, compromising. . . .
A Well-Mannered Young Wolf Author: Jean Leroy, Illustrator: Matthieu Maudet *** Cute story -- could be used as a springboard for discussions about predator/prey in science, manners/character education. . .
When Green Becomes Tomatoes Author: Julie Fogliano, Illustrator: Julie Morstad ***** Beautiful lyrical poetry, full of imagery takes you on a journey through a year by noting the changing of seasons and the noteworthy happenings of each season.
Accident! Author and illustrator: Andrea Tsurumi **** Funny story about an armadillo who sets off a chain reaction of accidents A great springboard for talking about the difference in accidents and "on purpose" and how to handle each type of situation.
After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Up Again) Author and Illustrator: Dan Santat ***** Creative story about the aftermath of Humpty Dumpty's fall. A great book for talking about overcoming fears, introduction to bird-watching, and the importance of getting back up when you fall and trying again if you fail!
Baabwa and Wooliam Author: David Elliott, Illustrator Melissa Sweet **** A story of 2 sheep and a wolf in sheep's clothing Cute premise, excellent for talking about idiomatic expressions, love their names and that one of them knits :-)
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut Author: Derrick Barnes, Illustrator Gordon C James ***** Lots of fun street talk as a young black guy celebrates a fresh haircut! So fun! Love this story's lyricism and use of cool language and expression! Every barber shop should have a copy of this book!!!! :-)
I'm reading too many picture books to keep up! Plus, which, they are hard for anyone to find/read. I'm going to think about organizing this in a spreadsheet or something that is easy for you to find. .. . I've read 35 PBs this month alone (August 2020)
A couple of stand-out faves:
Acoustic Rooster by Kwame Alexander *****Great for music teachers (which I am) Definitely one I'm adding to my list for my music teaching! Lots of jazz references, rhyme, very cool book!
I Am the Storm by Jane Yolen and Heidi EY Stemple ***** They read this aloud at the SCBWI Summer Spectacular and I very unexpectedly found myself tearing up. . . It is so beautiful! Details different storms in very lyrical ways and how they affect the communities they go through. Just beautiful. Read it.
Come Sunday by Nikki Grimes***** A lovely book about experiencing church in the black Baptist tradition, although it is just as applicable for anyone who has experienced traditional church. A very sweet poetic look at that experience!
Adult Nonfiction
Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul This one is in progress. It's a tutorial -- step-by-step on how to write picture books for kids. I'll update when I finish.
Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen I read this as part of a faculty book study for school. If your teaching is stale, if you teach students of poverty, if you feel like you need a refresher on engagement or classroom management, this might just be the tinder that sets your teaching heart ablaze again. I remember reading Eric Jensen's work on brain-based teaching over 20 years ago when I first began teaching and he is still blazing trails to help us think about teaching the whole child. I am all for that. I got some new ideas to try and I loved this line from chapter 7, "...if you feel too busy and stressed to actually plan, set up, and use music in your class, then you're doing too much talking. Give students an activity. . . and use that time to source and cue up a suitable song for the next transition or activity. There is always time for music." I totally agree!
Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen I read this as part of a faculty book study for school. If your teaching is stale, if you teach students of poverty, if you feel like you need a refresher on engagement or classroom management, this might just be the tinder that sets your teaching heart ablaze again. I remember reading Eric Jensen's work on brain-based teaching over 20 years ago when I first began teaching and he is still blazing trails to help us think about teaching the whole child. I am all for that. I got some new ideas to try and I loved this line from chapter 7, "...if you feel too busy and stressed to actually plan, set up, and use music in your class, then you're doing too much talking. Give students an activity. . . and use that time to source and cue up a suitable song for the next transition or activity. There is always time for music." I totally agree!
Proudly powered by Weebly