Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America's Doctor

Title: Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America's Doctor

Author: Kate Messner 

Illustrator: Alexandra Bye 

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers 

Publication Date: June 29th, 2021 

Genre/Format: Nonfiction Biography/Picture Book 

GoodReads Summary: The definitive picture book biography of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the most crucial figures in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before he was Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci was a curious boy in Brooklyn, delivering prescriptions from his father’s pharmacy on his blue Schwinn bicycle. His father and immigrant grandfather taught Anthony to ask questions, consider all the data, and never give up—and Anthony’s ability to stay curious and to communicate with people would serve him his entire life.

This engaging narrative, which draws from interviews the author did with Dr. Fauci himself, follows Anthony from his Brooklyn beginnings through medical school and his challenging role working with seven US presidents to tackle some of the biggest public health challenges of the past fifty years, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Extensive backmatter rounds out Dr. Fauci’s story with a timeline, recommended reading, a full spread of facts about vaccines and how they work, and Dr. Fauci’s own tips for future scientists.

What I Think: Honestly, until the Covid pandemic hit I didn't know of Dr. Fauci. One of my friends is writing a book set in the 80's and 90's which centers the AIDS pandemic and she told me how influential he was. I love that we now have this book to share his work with young people. 

     Last week I shared my review of Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez and I talked about how the snatch of text is an opportunity to think of ideas or messages from families that are passed down. Guess what? That's exactly the same activity you can do with this picture book biography from Kate Messner and Alexandra Bye. If you didn't check out Kate's Teachers Write blog post from this week, be sure to read how she thinks about the subject of a nonfiction picture book biography and looks for stories from their childhood that led to their work as an adult. You can do some reflection for yourself. I absolutely loved it! 

    And then when I read Dr. Fauci, I had to pause when there is a page where his dad gives him advice that he applies to his life. It made me think of last week and the words of wisdom I heard from my family. Asking students to think of words of wisdom from the adults in their life would be a great way to start the year and get to to know each other. It would also work at any time during the school year as a way to share what values and beliefs they bring to the classroom community. I bet there are many ways we intersect that we might not realize. 

    To take this even further, invite students to write a scene where we get to see them practicing this or an adult reminding them of this idea. Or invite them to interview that adult who shared this with them and hear how it has showed up in their lives. I can imagine this turning into a piece with the message in hand-lettered font and the text to go with it. I LOVE the funky letting for this in the book. It stands out and it can't be missed. It would be cool to show that to students and see what they notice and ask why they think this bit of text is presented the way it is.  

Snatch of Text: 

    "Anytime Anthony struggled with homework, his father reminded him that every problem has a solution. 

    'Don't get discouraged. Don't run away because you don't understand the problem. Think about it carefully and try to work it out.'

    Anthony learned to start with wondering, then gather evidence and keep an open mind."

When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon & Garfunkel

Title: When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon & Garfunkel
Author: G. Neri 
Illustrator: David Litchfield
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: March 20th, 2018 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: From childhood friendship to brief teenage stardom, from early failures to musical greatness — the incredible story of how Simon & Garfunkel became a cherished voice of their generation.

Long before they became one of the most beloved and successful duos of all time, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were just two kids growing up in Queens, New York — best friends who met in a sixth-grade production of Alice in Wonderland and bonded over girls, baseball, and rock ’n’ roll. As teens, they practiced singing into a tape recorder, building harmonies that blended their now-famous voices until they sounded just right. They wrote songs together, pursued big-time music producers, and dreamed of becoming stars, never imagining how far their music would take them. Against a backdrop of street-corner doo-wop gangs, the electrifying beginnings of rock ’n’ roll, and the rise of the counterculture folk music scene, G. Neri and David Litchfield chronicle the path that led two young boys from Queens to teenage stardom and back to obscurity, before finding their own true voices and captivating the world with their talent. Back matter includes an afterword, a discography, a bibliography, and a fascinating list of song influences. 
What I Think: G. Neri completely captured the mood of Simon and Garfunkel and their music in this wonderful non-fiction picture book biography. I could hear their acoustic guitar and folk style music in my head as I read. By the end, I had tears in my eyes after learning more about Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel and their friendship. I had no idea they had been friends since they were young. 
     I love this book because it's such a great example of how an author and illustrator have created a book that characterizes their subjects so well. This book is a great mentor text for showing what mood is. I would think about word choice here and how it contributes to the mood. I would also use this as a jumping off point to talk about writing about a historical figure and how a writer can use word choice to set the mood for their piece based on what they know about the subject. 
     As a mentor text for ideas, you could read this book and think of your own favorite singers or musicians and think about writing about them and their story. Similarly, you could dive into music and different styles of music. Once I finished reading, I went and found Simon and Garfunkel singing The Sounds of Silence on YouTube. It instantly reminded me of what I know of the time period and wanting to go and learn more. I love books as opportunities to spark curiosity and inspiration for writing. Below is the video if you want to take a trip down memory lane or maybe you've never heard the song and are curious what these two are so very well known for. 

Snatch of Text:  

"When it's over,

Paul and Artie stand there,

breathless and grinning

at each other. 

If nobody ever hears it,

at least they'll have a recording

just for themselves ---

a snapshot of their friendship,

frozen for all time."

Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova

Title: Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova 
Author: Laurel Snyder  
Illustrator: Julie Morstad 
Publisher: Chronicle Books 
Publication Date: August 18th, 2015 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction Biography/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: The world is big.
Anna is small.
The snow is
everywhere
and all around.
But one night . . .
One night, her mother takes her to the ballet, and everything is changed. Anna finds a beauty inside herself that she cannot contain.So begins the journey of a girl who will one day grow up to be the most famous prima ballerina of all time, inspiring legions of dancers after her: the brave, the generous, the transcendently gifted Anna Pavlova.  
What I Think: Words, words, words. I love words. But I especially love words that are strung together in such a way that they feel like art. Don't get me wrong, all words are art, but sometimes, words just envelope me and pull me into a sort of dream-like fairy tale just from how they are put together. Laurel Snyder's words do just that. As they tell Anna Pavlova's story, it feels like being sweetly tugged into a dance. Julie Morstad's art adds to the story, gently ushering the reader into the story woven by the text. It all just works together to make for an amazing book.
     Teaching tone and mood isn't easy. It's a little easier to recognize it as a reader than it is to write. But it all starts with reading and recognizing what authors have done differently. By looking at at least two different texts, readers can see the difference. Once they can see the difference, then you can invite them to zone in and notice what the author has done differently. And from there, you can invite them to try what the author has done in their own writing. Maybe they add some figurative language. Maybe they break up words or phrases or add figurative language in a very purposeful way. It's fun to play with words and to see what happens and using books like Swan as a mentor text really help writers see what is possible and find ways to write like that too.
Read Together: Grades 2 - 6  
Read Alone: Grades 2 - 4 
Read With: Enormous Smallness: A Story of e.e. cummings by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo, The Cosmo Biography of Sun Ra by Chris Raschka, The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Aliona Bereghici, The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant and illustratd by Melissa Sweet, Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix by Gary Golio and illustrated by Javaka Steptoe
Snatch of Text: 

"Something is happening...

There's a swell of strings,

a scurry of skirts.

A hiss and a hum and...

HUSH!

It's

all

beginning!"  

Writing Prompts: Write about something you feel strongly about sharing with others. What might you do to help share your passion with others?
Topics Covered: Family, Dreams, Determination, Courage 

I *heart* It:

Enormous Smallness

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Aly at Kid Lit Frenzy. 
Every Wednesday, bloggers link up their non-fiction picture book reviews. Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what great non-fiction books are shared this week!

Title: Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings
Author: Matthew Burgess 
Illustrator: Kris Di Giacomo 
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books 
Publication Date: April 7th, 2015 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction Biography/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Enormous Smallness is a nonfiction picture book about the poet E.E. cummings. Here E.E.'s life is presented in a way that will make children curious about him and will lead them to play with words and ask plenty of questions as well. Lively and informative, the book also presents some of Cummings's most wonderful poems, integrating them seamlessly into the story to give the reader the music of his voice and a spirited, sensitive introduction to his poetry.
     In keeping with the epigraph of the book -- "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are," Matthew Burgess's narrative emphasizes the bravery it takes to follow one's own vision and the encouragement E.E. received to do just that. 
What I Think: ee cummings is such a well-known poet and deservedly so. He played with words and structure in poetry in such a creative way and I love reading his poems. Last summer while I was in Boston, I visited Forest Hill Cemetery and tracked down his grave. I blogged about how awesome it was to stand there and read aloud one of his poems. As I read Enormous Smallness, I felt the magic of being in the cemetery in Boston all over again. Burgess plays with words and incorporates cummings' own poetry into the text in such a way that it feels woven into his own words. At the same time, Di Giacomo does an excellent job of representing words visually, helping bring meaning to life. 
     I love everything about this book. The writing is descriptive and powerful. Matched with the illustrations, it certainly brings a certain tone and mood to the text that matches both ee cummings himself but also the time period. 
     As a mentor text, I would definitely use this book to discuss how and author's word choice impacts tone and mood. In general, this book is a discussion on descriptive writing and author's craft waiting to happen. In the snatch of text I've pulled here, you can easily talk about metaphor and onomatopoeia but also rhythm and how sentence structure impacts that...but this is just one piece of text from one page in the book. It's definitely a book to be reread over and over just to soak in and savor all the textual and visual mastery here.
Read Together:  Grades 2 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 2 - 12 
Read With: Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown, Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow by Gary Golio, The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra: The Sound of Joy Is Enlightening by Chris Raschka, The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant
Snatch of Text:

"As Estlin grew, he drew many pictures

from the great circus of his imagination.

But even more than drawing

elephants, trees, and birds,

Estlin LOVED WORDS.

What words say and how they sound and look.

He loved the way they hum, buzz, POP, and swish."

Writing Prompts: In the book, Estlin made up his first poem after seeing a bird outside of his bedroom window. The author writes, "From his bedroom window, Estlin could see enormous apple and cherry trees." Write about what you see outside your bedroom window or maybe use you imagination and write about what you wish you could see outside of your bedroom window.
Topics Covered: Family, Inspiration, Imagination, Creativity 

I *heart* It:

Sisters

Title: Sisters 
Author: Raina Telgemeier  
Illustrator: RainaTelgemeier 
Publisher: Scholastic 
Publication Date: August 26th, 2014 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction - Memoir/Graphic Novel 
GoodReads Summary: The companion to Raina Telgemeier's #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and Eisner Award-winning graphic memoir, SMILE.

Raina can't wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren't quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she's also a cranky, grouchy baby, and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn't improve much over the years, but when a baby brother enters the picture and later, something doesn't seem right between their parents, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all.

Raina uses her signature humor and charm in both present-day narrative and perfectly placed flashbacks to tell the story of her relationship with her sister, which unfolds during the course of a road trip from their home in San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado. 
What I Think: Today is Halloween but I have more of a treat to share than a trick. Sisters is another great story from Raina Telgemeier. I love that she wrote another graphic-memoir. I gave El Deafo to my sister to read but now I'm going to make sure she reads Sisters. Just for fun, here's a picture of my sister and me when we went apple picking in September.

     If readers have a sister like I do, they'll completely relate to this book. I can't imagine how you couldn't. But whether you have siblings or are an only child, Raina also captures feelings and experiences that are part of growing up. I especially enjoy how she captures what she learns about herself but also what she learns about her relationship in this book.
     A couple summers ago we went to Kids Read Comics in Michigan over the summer and Raina presented on how to take one event and make it into a whole story. It was neat to watch her take one of the audience member's moments and expand upon it until it was a page of comic panels. As a writer, there are often times when we say too much in writing but there are also times when you can take a moment, freeze it in time, look at it from a 360 spin view and expand. There are definitely times for both so it's a good skill to have. When you need to cut something or someone from your book, you just have to let it go. When you have to expand, it's easy to feel like it's just not possible to write more but I've found that you can breathe life into situations by slowing down and thinking about how to describe the moment and then asking your characters to say something.
     Writing a personal narrative or memoir isn't. To me it can seem frustrating because you want to tell an engaging story but at the same time you want to be true to what happened. For me, it's much easier to infuse my own experiences or bits and feelings of emotions into fictional stories...but as a mentor text, Smile and Sisters both offer examples of how you can take a moment and describe what is happening and use characters to build what is happening.

Read Together: Grades 3 - 8 
Read Alone: Grades 4 - 8 
Read With: Smile and Drama by Raina Telgemeier, Chloe Instead by Micah Player, El Deafo by CeCe Bell, Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge,
Snatch of Text:  

  

Writing Prompts: Write about an experience you had with one or all of your siblings or as an only child. Do you ever wish you had more siblings? How might things be different if you did have more siblings?
Topics Covered: Family, Siblings, Relationships, Friendship, Courage  

I *heart* It:

Life in the Ocean

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy. Every Wednesday, I'll review non-fiction picture book. (It may not always be a picture book.) Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other non-fiction books are shared this week!

Title: Life in the Ocean 
Author: Claire A. Nivola 
Illustrator: Claire A. Nivola 
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux 
Publication Date: March 2012 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction Biography/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Sylvia Earle first lost her heart to the ocean as a young girl when she discovered the wonders of the Gulf of Mexico in her backyard. As an adult, she dives even deeper. Whether she’s designing submersibles, swimming with the whales, or taking deep-water walks, Sylvia Earle has dedicated her life to learning more about what she calls “the blue heart of the planet.” With stunningly detailed pictures of the wonders of the sea, Life in the Ocean tells the story of Sylvia’s growing passion and how her ocean exploration and advocacy have made her known around the world. This picture book biography also includes an informative author’s note that will motivate young environmentalists.
What I Think: I just looked up Sylvia Earle on wikipedia and it says she is 77 and was named First Hero for the Planet by Time magazine. I have to be honest that I had never heard of Sylvia Earle before reading this book and yet she is a very famous oceanographer.
     Claire Nivola does a wonderful job of telling Sylvia's tale and gracefully weaving in bits and pieces of her life. There is one page where she jumps from various times in her life to move the story along and it struck me how expertly she did that. It also made me stop and wonder if I remember that happening in other non-fiction narrative picture books so I want to go look back at Here Come the Girl Scouts by Shana Corey because I vaguely feel like I remember it in that text as well. After reading Save the Cat, a screenwriting book by Blake Snyder, I'm so much more aware of structure in stories or the different "beats" of a story as he calls them. It would be a great activity to pull different biography picture books to see how the beats overlap, what a great text analysis that would be!
     I think biographical picture books are such a great way to introduce students to influential people of the past and present. I know I connect so much more with a person from reading a picture book or other narrative non-fiction than from reading the informational type books that don't use a narrative style. I do think there is a benefit of combining both and also incorporating online reading as well. It might be a lot of fun to ask students to think about the most random thing and then research who invented that object and do research on that. This would tie in perfectly with Chris Lehman's ideas in Engergize about approaching research in a more authentic way. I'm sure there are people behind inventions whose story isn't very exciting but I'm also sure are fascinating stories out there. I can see how this would even be a great activity for partner or small group work so students could gather their information and discuss together whose story they would want to really research extensively and write about. When I read The Devil in the White City, I was shocked to find out why the Ferris wheel is called a Ferris wheel and how it came to be that Ferris wheels even exist! Oh! Now I just sparked my own idea for a possible picture book! Off to see if there are books already written about this and if there is even enough information to be able to write this. I can see students getting excited about writing their own!
Read Together: Grades 3 - 12
Read Alone: Grades 3 - 12 
Read With: Can We Save the Tiger by Martin Jenkins, The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, Here Comes the Girl Scouts by Shana Corey
Snatch of Text:  
     "Sylvia has even heard whales singing while she has been underwater, and, once, the force of the sound saves made her entire body vibrate and shake. Wavelengths of light do not penetrate deep into water, but sound waves travel four times faster in water than in air, so whales can communicate across vast distances. Sylvia says that hearing their haunting and beautiful songs in the sea is like being inside the heart of an orchestra."
Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Visualizing
Writing Strategies to Practice: Expository, Descriptive, Simile, $100 Words, Word Choice
Writing Prompts: Describe an experience you had in or near water, either in an ocean or other body of water or a pool. Use your five sense and be conscious of your word choice as you show, don't tell.  
Topics Covered: Values, Beliefs, Determination, Passion, Integration - Science, Oceans, Animals, Perseverance,

I *heart* It:

Dare to Dream...Change the World

Title: Dare to Dream...Change the World

Editor: Jill Corcoran

Poets: Jill Corcoran, J. Patrick Lewis, Alice Schertle, David L. Harrison, Jane Yolen, Joan Bransfield Graham, Ellen Hopkins, Georgia Heard, Hope Anita Smith, Elaine Magliaro, Curtis L. Crisler, Janet S. Wong, Denise Lewis Patrick, Joyce Lee Wong, Jacqui Robbins, Julia Durango, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, Lisa Wheeler, Hope Vestergaard, Carol M. Tanzman, Stephanie Hemphill, Alan Katz, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Marilyn Singer, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Joyce Sidman, Rose Horowitz, Bruce Coville, Kelly Ramsdell Fineman, Laura Purdie Salas

Illustrator: J. Beth Jepson

Publisher: Kane Miller

Publication Date: 2012

Genre/Format: Biography/Illustrated Poetry Anthology

Goodreads Summary: From Jonas Salk to Steven Spielberg, the subjects of these biographical-inspired poems invented something, said something, stood for something, did something, changed something. They dared to dream. 
     Thirty of our nation's most prestigious poets focus their creative vision on people who not only changed their own lives, but the lives of people all over the world. 
What Jen Thinks: We have so much to learn from the people who have come before us and made a difference in the world. This book collects so many biographical poems about many people throughout history who dared to dream and were able to make a difference. I especially enjoyed the pages that held a poem and a brief paragraph about the person who the poem was about. This type of combination of poems and prose reminds me of some of Steve Jenkins' books. What a great resource to discuss biographies. Using this text and other formats of biographies would help students recognize how one topic can be represented in different formats. It would also be interesting to look at how two different poets wrote poems about one person. Where do their ideas overlap, how are they similar, how are they different?

What Kellee Thinks: Jill Cochran’s introductory poem starts this book off perfectly: with using a butterfly leaving its cocoon to symbolize daring to dream. Within the anthology, I learned about historical figures who did amazing things such as Sylvia Mendez who helped desegregate Mexican students in California to Jonas Salk who discovered the Polio vaccine, modern day heroes such as Nicholas Cobb who as a child started a nonprofit organization to Chad Hurley, Steven Chen, and Jawed Karim who are the co-founders of You Tube, as well as artists who fought to stand out like Michelle Kwan, Steven Spielberg, Georgia O’Keefe, Martha Graham, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. All corners of heroes are represented. What I loved about who was chosen to be in this book is that although they are all extraordinary people, all of what they did is within the reach of anyone reading. It definitely pushes the readers’ mind when thinking about what is possible.  In Dare to Dream, you not only learn about these people through the poetry, but Jill Cochran also included biographical text boxes for each dreamer to share what they did to change the world.

     Many different kinds of poetry are also part of the anthology. Most are narrative, telling us the story of the life of inspirational person, while others are lyric or acrostic. Some rhymed while others didn't. One included quotes and another was written completely inspired by a quote. Not two poems are alike.

     Another beautiful aspect to this book are the illustrations by J. Beth Jepsen. It is amazing how she was able to change her style based on the poem/person. Anne Frank’s pages are filled with a depression while Father Gregory Boyle’s pages are filled with hope. Each page represents the dreamer in such a beautiful way. Would be a wonderful book to do a visual analysis on. 

Read Together: Grades K and up

Read Alone: Grades 3 and up

Read With: Tito Puente, Mambo King and Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown, The Boy on Fairfield Street, Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played with Puppets and others by Kathlee Krull, Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein, Biographies of any of the subjects

Snatch of Text: 

Ripples

By Bruce Coville

No one acts in isolation

And no act leaves the world the same.

Words and gestures ripple outward,

What shores they reach we cannot name.

All our lives end in a riddle - 

A mystery without an answer,

For even gone we ripple on,

Like a dance without the dancer.

Did you extend a friendly hand?

Did you lift a battered spirit?

The one you helped helped someone else

Ah! Now we're getting near it.

That second someone dropped despair

Did not give in, instead revived

To teach, to love, to fight, to dare,

And what you've done lived on, survived.

On and out the circle widens,

Past all hope of comprehending.

The slightest touch can change the world

Healing, helping, lifting, mending.

Actions last for generations

Our fathers' mothers mold our hearts.

We in turn shape all that follows; 

Each time we act, a ripple starts.

Mentor Text for: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Making Inferences, Descriptive, Expository, Compare and Contrast, Illustration, Poetic Elements

Writing Prompts: What do you notice about how the poets' styles? Are they similar, different? How does each poet capture the tone or mood of each person he or she writes about?; What did you notice about the subtle changes in the artists' style from page to page? How did the style reflect the person who was being written about?  

Topics Covered: Courage, Adversity, Determination, Belief, Motivation

Jen *hearts* It:

Kellee *hearts* It:

and

**Thank you to Lynn Kelley at Kane Miller EDC Publishing for providing a copy for review**

Tito Puente, Mambo King /Rey Del Mambo

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Here at Teach Mentor Texts we are always looking for more ways to support teachers! We've found that teachers seem to be constantly on the lookout for great nonfiction. We know we are! To help with this undying quest for outstanding non-fiction, we are excited to participate in Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and The Nonfiction Detectives. Every Wednesday, you'll find a non-fiction review here - although it may not always be a picture book review. Please visit Kid Lit Frenzy to see what non-fiction others have to share, too.

Title: Tito Puente: Mambo King/Rey del Mambo
Author:  Monica Brown
Illustrator: Rafael Lopez
Publisher:  Rayo / HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: March, 2013
Genre/Format: Biography/Bilingual Picture Book
GoodReads Summary:  Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, clap your hands for Tito Puente... The Mambo King plays and sways ans people dance the mambo, the rumba, and the cha-cha!

Damas y señores, niños y niñas, aplaudan a Tito Puente ... El Rey del Mambo toca su música y se balancea mientras la audiencia baila el mambo, la rumba y el chachachá!
What Jen Thinks: Reading this book had me wanting to dance and move and go look up more information about Tito Puente. The rhythm and lyricality of the text seemed to bring Tito Puente to life. It's as if Tito Puente just wants to dance right out of the book. I love how Monica Brown captures what seems to have been the essence of Tito Puente. I love her book Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People and felt a similar feeling when I read it. While both men are different, she is able to bring their personalities alive through the text she writes. I believe this is the best kind of non-fiction; non-fiction that is so well written that it compels you to do more reading, be it non-fiction or fiction.
     As more and more non-fiction biographical picture books are written, teachers have more of an opportunity to examine what choices an author makes to bring their subject to life. I absolutely love how great this book will be as a mentor text when paired with other non-fiction biographical picture books. Students can look at how authors portray different people and their different personalities. Description and word choice is very intentional in order to write a piece with tone and mood to match. I can especially see how this would be used with older readers. They could write about a person they know and then could do research on a famous person and gather facts and evidence to help them decipher what tone or mood would match the person they are writing about. I can see how they could use multimedia sources in their research as they study the person they are writing about.
What Kellee Thinks: This year I am teaching a Developmental Language Arts class for incoming ESOL students who, when they enter my school, have been in the United States for less than a year or score low English proficiency on the CELLA test when they enter. I knew this class would be a challenge as I do not know any other language, but I also knew (and now know) that this class was going to very rewarding. With teaching a different group of students than I've ever had before, my thinking when searching for books to use in  their class has changed and I am always looking for books that they'll connect to and books that celebrate world cultures. This book is perfect for my class! It'd be a way to build class community because many of my students come from Hispanic countries and they can share the music/dances with my non-Hispanic students. It also gives them the ability to share their language with me and the rest of the class. Finally, since it is such a well done biography, it gives them all an opportunity to learn about a fascinating young man.
Read Together: Grades K - 12 
Read Alone: Grades K - 12
Read With: Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow by Gary Golio, Twelve Rounds of Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali by Charles E. Smith, Jr., Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown  
Snatch of Text:  

"Before he could walk, Tito was making 

music. He banged spoons and forks on 

pots and pans, windowsills and cans.

Aun antes de caminar, Tito ya hacia 

musica. Usaba cucharas y tenedores 

para golpear ollas y sartenes, 

alfeizares y latas.

Tum Tica!

Tac Tic!

Tum Tic!

Tom Tom!"

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections  
Writing Strategies to Practice: Tone, Mood, Descriptive, Word Choice, Rhythm, Onomatopoeia
Writing Prompts: Write about a person you know and what they are passionate about. Pay attention to word choice so that your writing has the same energy as the person you are describing.
Topics Covered: Music, Passions, Movement, Dancing, Integration - Arts

We *Heart* It: 

and
**Thank you to Blue Slip Media for contacting us and sending us a copy for review!**

Jen Rereads The Dreamer

We're halfway through April! It seems like things are going really fast this time of year...I think because  I'm so busy I barely have time to think! I do at least have time to listen to books on my commute still and that might be part of what keeps me going. Reading in general is such a great escape but I am finding that I enjoy rereading more and more because I know I enjoyed the book the first time and anticipate enjoying it again the second time around. If curling up with a good book is like visiting with a friend, curling up to reread a good book is like spending time with a long-time great friend.

Title: The Dreamer 
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan   
Illustrator: Peter Sis 
Publisher: Scholastic 
Publication Date: April, 2010
Genre/Format: Historical Fiction - Fictionalized Biography/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Neftali finds beauty and wonder everywhere: in the oily colors of mud puddles; a lost glove, sailing on the wind; the music of birds and language. He loves to collect treasures, daydream, and write--pastimes his authoritarian father thinks are for fools. Against all odds, Neftali prevails against his father's cruelty and his own crippling shyness to become one of the most widely read poets in the world, Pablo Neruda. This moving story about the birth of an artist is also a celebration of childhood, imagination, & the strength of the creative spirit. Sure to inspire young writers & artists. 
What I Think: The first time I read The Dreamer I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was based on the childhood of Pablo Neruda. Pablo Neruda is a name that holds so many memories for me. My sweet grandmother has always been an avid reader. When she was little, she read every book in the local library...even the books that weren't appropriate for age when she was young. My grandmother read and read and read. She would tell us stories and jokes and recite poems and songs. I have always been amazed at how much she knew by heart. In college, my husband took a Spanish class and one of his assignments was to memorize and recite Pablo Neruda's Poema 20. I spent hours listening to him repeat the lines over and over again. And when he recited it for my grandmother she recognized it right away and started saying the lines with him. It is a wonderful memory I have of my grandmother and of my husband. After reading this book, I immediately called my grandmother and told her all about it. I was most excited to share that Pablo Neruda would write in green ink because he believes green to be the color of esperanza, which means hope. Esperanza is my grandmothers name and I believe her to be one of the smartest and most creative people I know. She's just a great woman.
     I tell this story of my connection with this book because Pam Munoz Ryan brought Neftali's story to life for me in such a unique way. I didn't know much about Pablo Neruda before reading this book other than he was a very famous poet whose writing was very sensual. Reading The Dreamer helped me really connect with Pablo Neruda and helped me be able to understand his creativity and where his passion came from. I can't imagine being as creative and passionate as Pablo Neruda but being as stifled as he was by his father. The beautiful, lyrical writing seems to exude Neruda's character. I can't recommend this book enough. I think it would be great for older readers to pair with Stitches by David Small which is a autobiographical graphic novel about another artist whose father impacts his life. I can also see it paired with non-fiction text about life in Chile during the time he was growing up in the early 1900's and throughout his life. It would be interesting to look at how the culture and the government and life in general during that time period influenced his father which then impacted his life. I loved getting lost in this book again and being able to think more about his father and to try to understand him.
     I did want to mention that last year around this time, our great friend, Alyson Beecher from Kid Lit Frenzy reviewed The Dreamer for us and also had wonderful things to say as well. You can read her review at Kid Lit Frenzy.
Read Together: Grades 4 - 8 
Read Alone: Grades 5 - 8 
Read With: Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown, Stitches by David Small, Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt, Paperboy by Vince Vawter 
Snatch of Text:  
     "His sense whirled and he felt giddy. He could not turn his head fast enough to absorb it all: tiny needles of light piercing the canopy, the untamed overgrowth of plants and trees, the musty smell of giant mushrooms, the crisp fragrance of pine, the sudden shrieks and flight of parrots." (p. 95)
     "All morning, Neftali wandered, inhaling the scent of wet leaves, wild herbs, and cinnamon." (p. 97)
Mentor Text For: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Making Inferences, Personal Narrative, Descriptive 
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you felt like you wanted something or wanted to do something but someone or something held you back.
Topics Covered: Family, Friendships, Siblings, Confidence, Perseverance, Hopes, Dreams, Adversity, Stuttering, Poetry, Writing, Determination, Creativity

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Twelve Rounds of Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Here at Teach Mentor Texts we are always looking for more ways to support teachers! We've found that teachers seem to be constantly on the lookout for great nonfiction. We know we are! To help with this undying quest for outstanding non-fiction, we are excited to participate in Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and The Nonfiction Detectives. Every Wednesday, you'll find a non-fiction review here - although it may not always be a picture book review. Please visit Kid Lit Frenzy to see what non-fiction others have to share, too.

Title: Twelve Rounds of Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali
Author: Charles E. Smith, Jr.
Illustrator: Bryain Collier 
Publisher: Candlewick Press 
Publication Date: November, 2007 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Poetry-Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: A dynamic author-illustrator team follows the three-time heavyweight champ through twelve rounds of a remarkable life.

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. . . . I’m the prettiest thing that ever lived!"
From the moment a fired-up teenager from Kentucky won 1960 Olympic gold to the day in 1996 when a retired legend, hands shaking from Parkinson’s, returned to raise the Olympic torch, the boxer known as "The Greatest" waged many a fight. Some were in the ring, against opponents like Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier; others were against societal prejudice and against a war he refused to support because of his Islamic faith. Charles R. Smith Jr.’s rap-inspired verse weaves and bobs and jabs with relentless energy, while Bryan Collier’s bold collage artwork matches every move — capturing the "Louisville loudmouth with the great gift of rhyme" who shed the name Cassius Clay to take on the world as Muhammad Ali. 
What I Think: Energy and determination fill the pages of this unique picture book. In twelve different "rounds", Smith has written a poem for different stages n Muhammad Ali's life. I discovered many things about Muhammad Ali that I didn't know before. I was especially drawn into the rhyming poems. The rhyme was used effectively to give a specific rhythym and cadence to the whole book. It is pretty amazing how the poetry seems to match who Muhammad Ali was as a person. Like I said, there is energy and also a fluid rhythm that seems to personify Muhammad Ali's personality and style in and out of boxing.
      I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know that it was going to be a collection of poems until I opened it but I love the choice to write poems. I think there is a chance that lengthy prose would not have been as effective in capturing the essence of Muhammad Ali in a picture book. I definitely recommend this book to use when talking about author's purpose. I would ask students to think about what decisions that author had to make when writing this book. Some questions I might pose would be:

*Why do you think the author chose to write this book in poems?

*What do you notice about the poems?

*How does the rhyme and rhythm in the poem help you visualize Muhammad Ali?

*What was the author's purpose in using poems that rhyme to narrative Muhammad Ali's story?

To continue this conversation, I would then read Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: a Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix by Gary Golio and talk about the decisions the author and illustrator made in writing that book. Both books seems to exude the very qualities that each man is known for. The story of Jimi Hendrix's childhood is illustrated with vivid, fluid artwork that seems to capture his personality. Likewise, the text is very descriptive and colorful and also has a certain rhythm to it that seems to bring Jimi Hendrix and his creativity to life. I think by focusing conversation on the author's purpose when reading both of these books, students would recognize how an author is very discerning and purposeful about decisions that he or she makes when writing a book. Also, at some point, I think it would be great to how a video clip of Muhammad Ali fighting or an audio of Jimi Hendrix's music to bring these people to life. This would help students see and decide for themselves if the author's work did truly personify each of this historical figures.
Read Together: Grades 5 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 5 - 12 
Read With: Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow, a Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix by Gary Golio, other books about Muhammad Ali, other books illustrated by Bryan Collier
Snatch of Text:  

"Confident teenager already in control

of mind, body, and spirit,

on the road to your goal,

using mouth, skill, and fire

to fulfill your desire

to become a pro boxer,

you set the limits higher

by pushing opponents

with words before a fight,

launching verbal jabs

and trying to ignite 

fear in them

and interest in you,

young Cassius Clay..."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Author's Purpose, Reading Fluency
Writing Strategies to Practice: Descriptive, Rhyme, Rhythm, Compare and Contrast, Mood, Tone, Cadence  
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you truly felt like you were acting like yourself - maybe it was with families or friends when you felt you could really let loose and be yourself. Be conscious of the choices you make as you write the story - how does choosing to write in a paragraph form versus a poem change the story you are telling? Try to capture how you felt at that moment in your writing be using descriptive language but also with the format you use.  
Topics Covered: Determination, Audacity, Strength, Will, Hardship, Integration - History, Equality, Energy, Beliefs, Religion

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People in the News Biographies

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Here at Teach Mentor Texts we are always looking for more ways to support teachers! We've found that teachers seem to be constantly on the lookout for great nonfiction. We know we are! To help with this undying quest for outstanding non-fiction, we are excited to participate in Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and The Nonfiction Detectives. Every Wednesday, you'll find a non-fiction review here - although it may not always be a picture book review. Please visit Kid Lit Frenzy to see what non-fiction others have to share, too.

Title: People in the News: Jon Stewart; People in the News: Suzanne Collins

Author: Randy Scherer; Elizabeth Hoover

Publisher: Lucent books

Publication Date: November, 2011; June, 2012

Genre/Format: Biography/Non-fiction book

Goodreads Summary: "People in the News" profiles the lives and careers of some of today's most prominent newsmakers. Whether covering contributions and achievements or notorious deeds, books in this series examine why these well-known individuals garnered public attention.
What I Think: Whenever my school library gets a new set of non-fiction books, I always try to grab a couple of the ones that interest me so I can try to find some good ones to share here and with students. When my media specialist received a new stack of biographies, I quickly grabbed these two because they are both people I admire yet don't know too much about their back story, how they came to be where they are today or their personal life. I'm always hesitant when I pick up a biography because I find most of the basic biographies quite boring. Now this may be because they are usually about the same old people and include no narrative aspect at all. These books are definitely not about the same old people and I found that they were better than average when telling the story of the lives of these people. It was a nice mix of information and narrative. 

     This series includes books on entertainment, political, sports and literary stars including Ellen Degeneres, Al Gore, Alex Rodriguez, J.K. Rowling, and Justin Timberlake. 

Read Together: Grades 4 to 10

Read Alone: Grades 5 to 9

Snatch of Text: "Comedy Central's Ongoing Indecision Comedy Central had used the title Indecidion once before for politically themed broadcasting, when Al Franken hosted the network's coverage of Bill Clinton's 1992 run to the White House. Hoever, Jon Stewart developd the concept further. Under Stewart's lead, Indecision satirizes more than just politics - it also takes aim at how the news media covers politics." (Jon Stewart, p. 41) 

"Mythical Inspiration for Contemporary Times If The Hunger Games reads like a myth, as Miller says, it is because Collins found her inspiration in Greek Mythology. She fell in love with these ancient tales when she was young, reading her mother's copy of A Child's Book of Myths and Enchanted Tales. One myth in particular - that of Theseus and the Minotaur - resonated with Collins because it showed how ruthless leaders keep their power by threatening the population and how one courageous person can stand up to a tyrant. (Suzanne Collins, p. 11) 

Mentor Text for: Non-fiction text features, Primary vs. Secondary sources, Research

Writing Prompts: Using evidence from the texts, share how Collins's and Stewart's parents influenced their career. How would their life have been different if they had different parents? 

Topics Covered: Politics, Religion, Comedy, Television; Scripting, History, Mythology

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