Santa Bruce Giveaway Thanks to Disney Hyperion!

Disney Book Group is partnering with me for a giveaway!

Title: Santa Bruce  
Author: Ryan T. Higgins 
Illustrator: Ryan T. Higgins 
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion 
Publication Date: September 4th, 2018 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Books 
GoodReads Summary: Bruce is a lot of things. He is a bear. He is a grump. He is a pretty decent cook. And he is a mother.
One thing Bruce is not?
Santa Claus.But that doesn't stop the whole forest from lining up to give him their Christmas wishes when he becomes the victim of mistaken identity - again. 
What I Think: How can you not love Bruce? He's such a lovable grump. He's still grumpy but still a good sport about it in this new book, Santa Bruce. What I really love about the Bruce books is that Bruce is that even though Bruce might be mistaken for someone else, he's definitely still himself. We all know that he's grumpy and that's just how he is. Ryan has done a great job of establishing Bruce's character and it's a great opportunity to look at character development with student writers.
     As a writer, we have to develop our characters. One way to develop characters is to use dialogue to show who our characters are. In the snatch of text below, you'll see that Bruce's words reveal his grumpiness. His sentences are short and emphatic and that gives us information about Bruce. 
     This book has a holiday theme and many people around the world are familiar with Santa. It might be neat to find a few books with Santa in them and to look at what Santa's dialogue looks like in other books. Is it similar or different from Bruce's? And again, what does dialogue tell us about our character. Then of course, try using dialogue with your own characters and see how it's a device writers can use to show the reader who the character is. 
Snatch of Text:

"And then it happened...again.

'Are you Santa?!'

A case of mistaken identity.

Bruce did not like mistaken identities.

'No. I am not. Go away.'

'Ohmygosh! I met Santa! Wait right here while I go get my friends!'

'Wait! Grrrrrrr! I am NOT Santa!'"

And now for the giveaway!
I’m giving away a copy of #SantaBruceBook 
and this amazing prize pack thanks to my partner @DisneyHyperion!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Disney Books

for sending me a copy of this book to review 

and for partnering with me for this giveaway.

Love Sugar Magic

Title: Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble
Author: Anna Meriano
Publisher: Walden Pond Press 
Publication Date: January 2nd, 2018 
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Mild Fantasy/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Leonora Logroño’s family owns the most beloved bakery in Rose Hill, Texas, spending their days conjuring delicious cookies and cakes for any occasion. And no occasion is more important than the annual Dia de los Muertos festival.

Leo hopes that this might be the year that she gets to help prepare for the big celebration—but, once again, she is told she’s too young. Sneaking out of school and down to the bakery, she discovers that her mother, aunt, and four older sisters have in fact been keeping a big secret: they’re brujas—witches of Mexican ancestry—who pour a little bit of sweet magic into everything that they bake. 

Leo knows that she has magical ability as well and is more determined than ever to join the family business—even if she can’t let her mama and hermanas know about it yet. And when her best friend, Caroline, has a problem that needs solving, Leo has the perfect opportunity to try out her craft. It’s just one little spell, after all…what could possibly go wrong? 

What I Think: I have wonderful memories of making tamales with my grandma, my mom, my aunt, my sister, my cousin, and more recently my kids. We all pack ourselves into the kitchen to stir the dough and then when it's ready, we set up an assembly line and put tamal after tamal together. The joy and love in these memories reminds me of Leo and her family in Love Sugar Magic. 
     I love how we get to see the vibrancy of Leo's family and we can use this as  a mentor text for character development. Yesterday, I talked about how Tracy Holczer's character Lucy in Everything Else in the Universe also has a big family and how being part of a big family influences who she is and how she experiences the world. When we talk about characters and what makes them who they are, it allows us to also think about ourselves and what makes us who we are. And, ultimately, then we can think about other people and what makes them who they are. Discussions like this are so important. Discussions like this help us see that we might have things in common with other people and we might be different from other people. But just because someone is the same or different, it doesn't make them good or bad. Too often we don't slow down to ask why or to even realize that there might be a very good why that we need to understand. 
     As writers, we think about the world and the people in it. We need to know our characters and think about why they might make a choice that they do and in order do that, we need to understand what has happened in our character's past that has shaped them. Pairing Love Sugar Magic with Everything Else in the Universe gives readers an opportunity to think about the choice both authors made to give the main character a large and vibrant extended family. Recognizing the author's purpose in doing this give writers an opportunity to think about character development in their own stories.
     The snatch of text I pulled gives a little insight into Leo compared to her family getting ready in the morning and it also has an example of onomatopoeia, word choice, and being specific in describing. Lots of good things to discuss with these two sentences!

Snatch of Text: "The hallway filled with morning noises as the Logroño family got ready for the day. Leo shuffled down the hall, her orange-and-black-striped knee socks shush-shushing against the wood floor." (p. 4)

Bull

Title: Bull 
Author: David Elliott
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers 
Publication Date:  March 28th, 2017 
Genre/Format: Mythology/Novel in Verse 
GoodReads Summary: Much like Lin-Manuel Miranda did in Hamilton, the New York Times best-selling author David Elliott turns a classic on its head in form and approach, updating the timeless story of Theseus and the Minotaur for a new generation. A rough, rowdy, and darkly comedic young adult retelling in verse, Bull will have readers reevaluating one of mythology's most infamous monsters.
What I Think: Holy smokes! This book has voice, voice voice. From the very first line, I was like, whoa. I had no idea what to expect when I picked it up other than the cover was awesome and I knew it was about the myth of the minotaur. I only vaguely remember the original myth but it seems like it's pretty true to it, it's not a retelling as much as it is a new and up-to-date version that's going to speak to today's teenagers. 
     As a mentor text, I can't tell you enough how fantastic the voice is. Poseidon is pretty full of himself, he's a god after all, and David does an amazing job of bringing him to life on the page. You can't miss him. He's larger than life just as a god should be. Of course, there are other characters too and it's clear the difference in voice when other characters share their perspective. To think about the different characters, I would look at the word choice and what we learn about the characters through their actions and make connections to what students are visualizing. One way to do this would be to have students draw one or two characters based on what they can infer about their personalities or a variation of this could be to have students create a collage that represents a character, pulling pictures from the Internet or magazines. Students can think about what a character might wear, where they would hang out, what hairstyle they might have. There are so many ways to take the words in the book and ask the students to pay attention to how what they read translates to what they know about a character. Another option would be to have kids create a social media profile for one of the characters. There are so many options and I'm always in favor of giving students a choice but because of how clearly the characters jump off the page (especially Poseidon), this book truly lends itself to think about character development and how word choice and voice influence that.
     If I was teaching high school, I'd be bringing in this mentor text to compare with a more traditional version of this myth and to see what is similar and what is different. I'd also look at other examples of works that have been retold and maybe retold in different ways. One book that comes to mind that I read recently is My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. The authors take Lady Jane Grey's story and twist it up in so many ways. This would make a great lesson for thinking about ideas and how we find ideas. Sometimes a great story comes from taking a well-known story and turning it on its head and we can help students see this.
     Please know that there is mature language in this book (from beginning to end!) and some mature content. This is a book that I would recommend to a student who is at least in high school.
Snatch of Text:  

I could have turned his eyes

Into a nest for seething wasps.

I could have turned his face

Into a snapping clam.

I could have given him hooves

Or studded the roof

Of his mouth with thorns.

Could have fitted him with horns.

Flippers. 

Feathers.

Fits.

Made him smell like an outhouse.

Covered him with zits.

Turned his arms into eels.

His teeth into snails.

Bleat like a sea cow.

Blow like a whale.

Boils!

Scabs!

Gills!

A Snout!

Turn his

Ding-dong 

Inside 

Out!

I could have. 

But I didn't.

Parlor games.

A tad too mild.

Child's play.

And Poseidon's no child.

He needed something 

He'd remember

His howl stinkin' life.

That's why I bypassed him...

And went straight for his wife."

(p. 11-13)

Writing Prompt: Describe one of the characters and their character traits using evidence from the text to support your reasoning.

August 2017 Picture Book 10 for 10

Today was our first day back to school for the teachers in my district! I'm excited to be started my third year working in our amazing schools. I was excited my first year, happy to be back my second year, and overjoyed and inspired to see what this third year will bring. 

We started our school year with five literacy-focused Ted-talk-type speeches. I got to share why it's important to nurture our students as writers. I shared how I don't worry so much that my sons can spell bicycle or spot a dependent clause in a sentence but I really do worry about them growing up to be passionate learners who care about people and work to make the world a better place.

Then, after the rest of an amazing and fulfilling first day back at school...I came home to see all the amazing PB 10 for 10 posts and knew I had to share my favorite books for having discussions about empathy and compassion and giving kids the opportunity to think about how they might make the world a better place. It's always hard to pick only ten...I could add sooooo many more. But here's a start!

Can We Save The Tiger

by Martin Jenkins, illustrations by Vicky White

Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners

by Laurie Keller

This Is How We Do It:

One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World

by Matt Lamothe

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon

by Patty Lovell, illustrations by David Catrow

Each Kindness

by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrations by E.B. Lewis

Red: A Crayon’s Story

by Michael Hall

Nerdy Birdy

by Aaron Reynolds, illustrations by Matt Davies

Last Stop on Market Street

by Matt De La Peña, illustrations by Christian Robinson

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

by Philip and Erin Stead

Mango, Abuela, and Me

by Meg Medina, illustrations with Angela Dominguez

I'd love to hear any others you'd add to my list!

World Pizza

Title: World Pizza 
Author: Cece Meng 
Illustrator: Ellen Shi 
Publisher: Sterling Children's Books 
Publication Date: June 6th, 2017
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: When Momma spots a wishing star, she starts to ask for world peace—but a sneeze changes “peace” into “peace-AH-AH-AH-choo!” World PIZZA! Suddenly, yummy pies of every kind come drifting down from the sky. That’s not exactly what Momma hoped for . . . or is it? With humor, warmth, and heart, this delicious picture book celebrates the things that truly bring us together. 
What I Think: Oh, if only it was so easy to bring peace to the world! As an adult, I understand the complexities of so much more than a child would reading this text. Looking at it through the lens of reading this with a child or a group of children, I can see how it would definitely be a way to start conversations. Food is a part of culture but at the same time culture is so much more than food. And food brings people together. I love that World Pizza brings our attention to this. Right away the 5 F's of culture came to mind: food, fashion, famous people, festivals, and flags. Too often, these are the elements of culture that we see and understand without seeking to know more. Using World Pizza, we can see how food is different in different parts of the world and we can start a discussion about how each of us might like different kinds of pizza. I like a good veggie deep dish, no cheese and my younger son likes his pizza with bacon. Starting with something like pizza, that might be familiar to most kids, is a great way to start to recognize that we might have common tastes or we might have different tastes and that's okay. We can have our own opinions about foods and still get along. But then this discussion can turn into discussions about other things and still come back to the idea that we might be similar or different but we can still get along. 
     As a mentor text, I would read World Pizza and have students think of what they like on their pizza. They can draw and/or write about kinds of pizza they like. They can discuss things like their favorite pizza place, favorite type of crust, favorite sauce to cheese ratio, favorite toppings, etc. But there might be some kids who've never tried pizza or don't like pizza and that's okay too. It might be really neat to have each student write about their connections with pizza on a "slice" of paper and then the slices can be fit together into one pizza or a few smaller pizzas to show how our opinions can connect. 
Snatch of Text: 

"There was spicy pepper pizza, salty seaweed pizza, 

chocolate cherry pizza, and extra-cheesy-with-pickles pizza. 

None of the pizzas were the same, but they were all delicious." 

Writing Prompt: Why do you think the author decided the pizzas would all be different? And why do you think that she said, "...but they were all delicious"?

Out of Wonder

Title: Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets 
Author: Kwame Alexander with Chris Colderly and Marjory Wentworth 
Illustrator: Ekua Holmes 
Publisher: Candlewick Press 
Publication Date: March 14th, 2017 
Genre/Format: Poetry/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Out of gratitude for the poet's art form, Newbery Award winning author and poet Kwame Alexander, along with Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth, present original poems that pay homage to twenty famed poets who have made the authors' hearts sing and their minds wonder. 
What I Think: I'm such a fan of poetry and I love how this book celebrates so many different poets. Not only that, but each poem was inspired by one of those poets and it's a great example of the power of mentor texts. Writing poems is a great way to play around with style as a writer and using favorite poets as inspiration is such a powerful way to get going with poetry. I had a lot of fun trying my hand at this after reading Forgive Me, I Meant To Do It by Gail Carson Levine. You can read my blog post about it here.
     Out of Wonder is a perfect mentor text for poetry and you can use it in a few different ways. I'm sure the authors took time to read many poems by the poet they were emulating and even might have spent time researching the poet as well. Writers can choose one of the poets in Out of Wonder, read the poem in honor of them, and then go do some research on him or her and his or her poetry before trying to write on their own. Writers can also use the poetry in this book and choose one poem to use as a mentor text for his or her own writing. One thing I love to do with poetry is to borrow a line from a poem and use it to start or inspire my own poem.
     The more writing I do on my own and with other writers, the more I realize how helpful it is to have a place to start from. Whether it's brainstorming, finding an idea from my day, or finding a word or line from another author...anything to get started helps. Mentor texts help us in this way and poetry is powerful as a mentor text.  Kwame talks about just this in the preface of the book. He writes, "Writers often struggle with the blank page. A clean slate can motivate, but it can also scare us. We are always in search of experiences that spark ideas for our poems and stories. Inspiration can also come from reading the works of other poets."
Snatch of Text:  

Majestic

celebrating Maya Angelou

Rise

into the wonder

of daybreak.

Be a rainbow in the cloud.

Be a free bird on the back of the night wind.

Shine on, honey!

Walk with joy in your golden feet

over crystal seas

and purpled mountains.

Know your beauty

is a thunder

your precious heart unsalable.

Be brave,

like a new seed bursting

with extraordinary promise.

Shine on, honey!

Know you

are phenomenal.

-Kwame Alexander

Writing Prompt: Choose one of the poems in the book and use it as a mentor text to write your own poetry. Choose two of the poems in the book and compare and contrast the description used in each of the poems.

Little Fox in the Forest

Title: Little Fox in the Forest 
Author: Stephanie Graigin 
Illustrator: Stephanie Graigin 
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Publication Date: February 28th, 2017 
Genre/Format: Wordless/Picture Book
GoodReads Summary: A wordless picture book in which two friends follow a young fox deep into the woods and discover a wondrous and magical world. 
When a young girl brings her beloved stuffed fox to the playground, much to her astonishment, a real fox takes off with it! The girl chases the fox into the woods with her friend, the boy, following close behind, but soon the two children lose track of the fox. Wandering deeper and deeper into the forest, they come across a tall hedge with an archway. What do they find on the other side? A marvelous village of miniature stone cottages, tiny treehouses, and, most extraordinary of all, woodland creatures of every shape and size. But where is the little fox? And how will they find him?
What I Think: I'm such a fan of wordless picture books, in fact I've blogged about my favorite wordless picture books before and now I can add Little Fox in the Forest to the list. This book reminded me a bit of Aaron Becker's Journey and Mo Willem's Knufflebunny Free but with it's own story and certain charm. I absolutely love how the story goes from shades of blue and white to vibrant color. 
     I've decided the story sits perfectly in the realm of picture book magic. As I'm thinking about this, Please Bring Balloons by Lindsay Ward comes to mind too. Please Bring Balloons, Journey, and Little Fox in the Forest are stories where kids go off on adventures and then come back to their reality at the beginning...but something is just a bit different. It's picture book magic! It's the moment of knowing it was all in the character's imagination...except for that one element that made it back into their "real" world. I love this. This is a perfect example of how a book can elicit different responses from different readers. I think younger kids might accept the story as a story but older students can start to think about what exactly this idea of picture book magic is all about and how it might even connect with their own lives.
     As a mentor text, wordless picture books are a wonderful way to get writers started. Using the story as inspiration, writers can describe one drawing or tell the entire story. The great thing is the story is there, we just have to find the words to bring it to life. As a close read, wordless picture books are perfect for finding evidence to support your thinking. There are so many ways to interpret what's happening in the story and students can think about using evidence to defend what they have inferred from the illustrations.
Writing Prompt: Write about what similarities and differences you notice between Little Fox in the Forest and Journey and/or Please Bring Balloons.

Our Country's Presidents: A Complete Encyclopedia of the U.S. Presidency

Title: Our Country's Presidents: A Complete Encyclopedia of the U.S. Presidency
Author: Ann Bausum 
Publisher: National Geographic 
Publication Date: January 10th, 2017 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Informational 
GoodReads Summary: National Geographic presents the 43 individuals who have led the U.S., plus America's newest commander-in-chief, in this up-to-date, authoritative, and lavishly illustrated family, school, and library reference. It features comprehensive profiles of the 43 former presidents along with timelines and descriptions of crucial events during their terms. Information about the 2016 president-elect is also included. 
Thematic spreads cover a variety of topics from the history of voting rights to writing a presidential letter. Full-page portraits, famous quotes, and fascinating facts help kids get to know each leader. This new volume is a fascinating read and excellent reference for students and kids of all ages." 
What I Think: This book is a wealth of knowledge. It's colorful and the photographs are vibrant. It gives information about each of the presidents and his place in history but also ties ideas from the past into our current context. That's what I see as the power of history. We can learn from the past if our discussions come back to what we know now or what is happening now.
     Today is an important day to the United States. It's the inauguration of a new president. We as people should all be aware of history and how our government works, as we all play our part. I'll be reading this book with my own kids, talking about presidents of past and helping them see what they can do to impact local and federal governments. Reading books like this is the one of the best ways to open kids up to the history that has shaped our world and to help them see themselves in it.
     In the section about Barack Obama there is a quote,

"For as long as I live, I will

never forget that in no other

country on Earth is my story even possible."

Barack Obama

March 18, 2008

And that is a great message to celebrate with students. Their story is possible. Even when it might feel like we as citizens are far away from the officials elected to hold office, the truth is, they are people too. Students can reach out to local representatives and senators or others in office locally and connect with them. This is a start to realizing that they are people and that they listen to the people they represent and work for. Now as much as ever, we have to help students see the active role they can take in government matters.
     I'd also recommend reading Our Country's Presidents with Time For Kids' Presidents of the United States to spur even more discussion. The books are similar but different but both share the stories of the presidents of the United States. As with any discussion of history, it's important to gain different perspectives so I wanted to share this resource as an example of how to do this with students.
Writing Prompt: Write about one things you would like to see the president (or even local legislatures) do for the world?

Rude Cakes

Title: Rude Cakes 
Author: Rowboat Watkins 
Illustrator: Rowboat Watkins 
Publisher: Chronicle Books 
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2015 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Who knew that cakes were so rude?! In this deliciously entertaining book, a not-so-sweet cake—who never says please or thank you or listens to its parents—gets its just desserts. Mixing hilarious text and pictures, Rowboat Watkins, a former Sendak fellow, has cooked up a laugh-out-loud story that can also be served up as a delectable discussion starter about manners or bullying, as it sweetly reminds us all that even the rudest cake can learn to change its ways. 
What I Think: We usually think of cakes as sugary sweet...but not this cake! I love the choice to play with words this way. As a parent, I also love how the author uses some examples of kids being rude that we might not always take the time to talk through with kids. The illustrations are super sweet and support the text perfectly. This is a great text to use when talking to student readers about paying attention to the words and the illustrations. If you don't slow down to look at the illustrations, you miss out on all the interactions between the characters that truly bring the story to life.
     As a mentor text, this is a great book to start a discussion on manners and how we treat each other. So many of the examples of the little cake being rude could be acted out. And students could think about what the rude cake does and then what the giant cyclops does in contrast. This could even lead to a lesson on compare and contrast - looking at how the characters act similarly or differently in different situations. Students might even have ideas for what they do in similar situations that might be different from either of the characters.
     I would also use this book to look at commas in a series and to think about story arc. Throughout the story, we see how the main character changes and it is clear that a majorly significant experience causes the character to change. We want to see characters change or grow in stories but knowing how to make this happen isn't always easy. This book makes for a nice mentor text for inviting student writers to first recognize what life-or-death type moment happens in Rude Cakes and then to think about their own writing.
Read Together: Grades K - 2 
Read Alone: Grades K - 2 
Read With: My Teacher Is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.) by Peter Brown, You Will Be My Friend! by Peter Brown, Don't Play With Your Food by Bob Shea, Wolfie The Bunny by Ame Dyckman with illustrations by Zachariah Ohora
Snatch of Text:  

"Rude cakes never say please

and they never say thank you,

and they sometimes take things

that don't belong to them."

Writing Prompts: Write about a time when you remembered to use your manners and how it helped you or made a difference in your situation. 
Topics Covered: Family, Manners, Kindness, Caring 

I *heart* It:

*Thanks to Chronicle Books for 

a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review!*

In Real Life

Title: In Real Life 
Author: Cory Doctorow 
Illustrator: Jen Wang 
Publisher: First Second 
Publication Date: October 14th, 2014 
Genre/Format: Graphic Novel/Realistic Fiction 
GoodReads Summary: Anda loves Coarsegold Online, the massively-multiplayer role-playing game where she spends most of her free time. It's a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. It's a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends. 

But things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer--a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. This behavior is strictly against the rules in Coarsegold, but Anda soon comes to realize that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person's real livelihood is at stake.From acclaimed teen author (Little Brother, For the Win) and Boing Boing editor Cory Doctorow and Koko Be Good creator Jen Wang, In Real Life is a perceptive and high-stakes look at adolescence, gaming, poverty, and culture clash.  
What I Think: When I saw the gorgeous cover to this book and spotted Cory Doctorow's name as a co-author, I knew I had to buy In Real Life. I absolutely adore this book and am so happy for an accessible story that I believe young adult readers will relate and adults will learn from.
     I have to admit, I still have my original AOL e-mail address from 1994. Something about it is nostalgic so I just can't let go of it. Chat rooms were fun when I was in high school and while I don't play online games or visit chat rooms any more, I love Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and Vine. I have a digital presence and I know the potential and power of finding people I connect with around the world thanks to technology. But as I talk to more and more teachers, the more I realize not everyone has this same perspective and understanding of the depth of what it means to be a digital citizen.
     How can parents and teachers support students as they navigate this digital world if we don't know the lay of the land? I'm so excited to share In Real Life with teachers and parents so they can think through online relationships and how they impact our IRL relationships. But I'm also thrilled to have a book to share with students who might need to find solace in the fact that others are experiencing what they might be when forging online relationships. I know it was amazing for me to read Anda's story and see how our view of the world expands thanks to technology.
     I love this as a mentor text for examining character development and giving students opportunities to make connections, imagine possibilities, and talk through the impact of the choices we make. If I was writing a digital citizenship curriculum, this would most definitely be an anchor text. This would also make a great mentor text for comparing and contrasting because we have one character who is similar yet different online versus offline and both of her personas impact each other.
Read Together: Grades 7 - 12  
Read Alone: Grades 8 - 12 
Read With: Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 
Snatch of Text:  
See the book trailer here.
Writing Prompts: Think about how you interact with others through digital media - or imagine how it might be different from in person - and write about what you see might be different or the same.  
Topics Covered: Family, Friendship, Loyalty, Honesty, Advocacy, Support, Culture 

I *heart* It:

The Farmer and The Clown

Title: The Farmer and The Clown 
Author: Marla Frazee 
Illustrator: Marla Frazee 
Publisher: Beach Lane Books 
Publication Date: September 23rd, 2014  
Genre/Format: Fiction/Wordless Picture Books
GoodReads Summary: Whimsical and touching images tell the story of an unexpected friendship and the revelations it inspires in this moving, wordless picture book from two-time Caldecott Honor medalist Marla Frazee.

A baby clown is separated from his family when he accidentally bounces off their circus train and lands in a lonely farmer's vast, empty field. The farmer reluctantly rescues the little clown, and over the course of one day together, the two of them make some surprising discoveries about themselves and about life!Sweet, funny, and moving, this wordless picture book from a master of the form and the creator of The Boss Baby speaks volumes and will delight story lovers of all ages.  
What I Think: There's been so much buzz about this book that I finally had to read it. I've read it now a few times with Little Bean because he thought it was so much fun. I love to hear giggles erupt out of my little reader. We so enjoyed this sweet story and it's wonderful characters. It's hard to believe this book is wordless because it seems so alive to me.
     As with many wordless picture books, it offers an opportunity for readers to try their hand at writing - write the story, write dialogue in a scene, write a description of what they see in a two-page layout. For this book, you might do any of these activities with students but as much as the characters have lingered with me, I think zoning in on the characters might be great. Who is the farmer? What is his story? Why might he be all alone? What might the companionship of the little clown mean to him?
     The book House Held Up By Trees by Ted Kooser with illustrations by Jon Klassen instantly comes to mind. With middle or high school readers and writers, I would read these two books and then either compare and contrast the characters in The Farmer and the Clown with House Held Up By Trees or to help students think about how there is so much more to characters in a story. This is a great way to look at character development for fiction or non-fiction writing. When we read, we use all the information the author gives us and our own knowledge and experience to understand the characters. As a writer, we have to truly know our characters inside and out to be able to write them believably and clearly so our readers understand them.
      I love the quietness of this book. It reminds me of House Held Up By Trees but also A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead. But at the same time, the farmer and Amos McGee also make me think of the old man from Those Darn Squirrels! which has a completely different feel. So here's a question you might pose to students...what experiences might have shaped the farmer and the man from Those Darn Squirrels to make them such different people. Interesting, right?
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 12 
Read Alone: Grades Pre-K - 5 
Read With: House Held Up By Trees by Ted Kooser, A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead, Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin 
Writing Prompts: Write about an unexpected surprise that changed you - whether it changed your day or your life, describe what happened in the moment and then the impact afterwards. 
Topics Covered: Surprise, Caring, Compassion, Friendship, Love 

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Brown Girl Dreaming

Title: Brown Girl Dreaming 

Author: Jacqueline Woodson   

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books 

Publication Date: August 28th, 2014 

Genre/Format: Autobiography/Novel in Verse 

GoodReads Summary: Jacqueline Woodson, one of today's finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. 

 
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

What I Think: I've heard so many great things about Brown Girl Dreaming and it's all completely well-deserved. I loved soaking up this story. Jacqueline Woodson weaves her words into beautiful snippets of her life but at the same time each of her stories build up to a gorgeous big picture of how these stories shaped who she is today. 
     We just celebrated the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday but as we go into Black History month, reading this book and continuing the discussion of celebrating diversity, Brown Girl Dreaming would pair well with Dr. King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. After reading the speech and discussing what dreams he outlined in his famous speech and discussing events of the time, students might read Jacqueline Woodson's autobiography and compare and contrast Dr. King's dreams to Woodson's life. 
     At the very beginning of Brown Girl Dreaming, Woodson shares Langston Hughes' poem “Hold Fast to Dreams”. The theme of dreams runs throughout the entire book as Woodson talks about her life. When we ask students about their hopes and dreams, oftentimes, they articulate profound answers for themselves or people who are close to them.

     There are so many texts that could be matched up here to discuss diversity. I believe the key to talking about diversity is to help students recognize that while we all have certain qualities or characteristics that make us different or unique and it's important to celebrate those differences, there are some very core values and beliefs that we can all share - love for our family, compassion for others, wanting to be connected - and those bring us together no matter our differences.

Read Together: Grades 4 - 6 

Read Alone: Grades 5 - 8 

Read With: I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. with illustrations by Kadir Nelson, One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia, Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan

Snatch of Text:  

"What is your one dream,

my friend Maria asks me.

Your one wish come true?" 

(p. 210)

"Even though the laws have changed

my grandmother still take us

to the back of the bus when we go downtown

in the rain. It's easier, my grandmother says,

than having white folks look at me like I'm dirt.

But we aren't dirt. We are people

paying the same fare as other people.

When I say this to my grandmother,

she nods, says, Easier to stay where you belong.

I look around and see the ones 

who walk straight to the back. See

the ones who take a seat up front, daring

anyone to make them move. And know

this is who I want to be. Not scared

like that. Brave

like that."

(p. 237)

“Every dandelion blown

each Star light, star bright

The first star I see tonight.

My wish is always the same.

Every fallen eyelash

and first firefly of summer…

The dream remains.

What did you wish for?

To be a writer.

Every heads-up penny found

and daydream and night dream

and even when people say it’s a pipe dream…!

I want to be a writer.” (p.313)

Writing Prompts: Identify different characters in the book and infer their perspectives on dreams. Use evidence from the text to support your thoughts. As you think about the different characters - where they live, their lifestyles - how might you compare and contrast their dreams or what they think about dreams?

After reading Brown Girl Dreaming and imagining Jacqueline Woodson's life growing up, we know her dream was to be a writer. What is your one dream? If you would have one wish come true, what would it be and why?

Think about Jacqueline Woodson's one dream that you identified and your own one dream, do you see how you might be similar? Whether you have the same color skin as Jacqueline Woodson or not, what similarities do you see between her dream and yours? 

Topics Covered: Family, Love, Dreams, Friendship, Siblings, Determination, Adversity, Integration- SS

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