I Wish You More

Title: I Wish You More 
Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal 
Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld 
Publisher: Chronicle Books 
Publication Date: March 31st, 2015 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Some books are about a single wish. Some books are about three wishes. The infallible team of Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld have combined their extraordinary talents to create this exuberant book of endless good wishes. Wishes for curiosity and wonder, for friendship and strength, laughter and peace. Whether celebrating life's joyous milestones, sharing words of encouragement, or observing the wonder of everyday moments, this sweet and uplifting book is perfect for wishers of every age.  
What I Think: Every year, we give our kids a picture book on the first day of school. I've written about this little tradition over at Nerdy Book Club, here, and for a local blog called Little Lake County. It's one of my favorite traditions and so far my kids love it too. For 3rd grade, I was sure I was going to gift my kids Katherine Appplegate's The One and Only Ivan but it just so happens that Peanut and I read it before third grade, he wanted to buy his own copy at the Scholastic book fair and then we also went to Anderson's Bookshop to meet her in person. So instead we picked out I Wish You More to give him on his first day of third grade.
      This book is beautiful. It's so perfect to any child any time really. It reminded me of I Haiku You by Betsy Snyder because of how breezily the text moves us through the pages and how the illustrations to sweetly match the message.The repetition makes it predictable but how Amy Krouse Rosenthal finishes the sentences that make them stand out. She plays with words and seems to so easily bring childhood to life. I would definitely ask students to think about how the repetition works here but how the fact that she offers some unique ways to finish it makes it possible for the repetition to not get annoying. Students could try writing their own wishes that they might want to share with their parents or other loved ones. It would be neat to have them illustrate it and put it into a just-because card to give to a friend or family member. It's almost like a backwards wish on a birthday candle - instead of the birthday boy or girl wishing for him or herself, we can send our best wishes! This would also make for a great class anthology. I can just see all the wonderful illustrations!
     As a mentor text, I love this book might provide several jumping off points. Children could write about how these wishes might come true in real life or share their own stories for how they've experienced some of the wishes already in life. It's also a neat opportunity to talk about the math terms "more than" and "less than"!
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 12 
Read Alone: Grades Pre-K - 12 
Read With: I Haiku You by Betsy Snyder, Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall, Here's a Little Poem by Jane Yolen, Only One You by Linda Kranz 
Snatch of Text:  

"I wish you more treasures than pockets."

Writing Prompts: Write about what you wish for someone important to you in your life. 
Topics Covered: Hopes, Dreams, Integration - Math

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*Thanks to Chronicle Books for 

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

World Rat Day

Title: World Rat Day: Poems About Real Holidays You've Never Heard of
Author: J. Patrick Lewis  
Illustrator: Anna Raff 
Publisher: Candlewick 
Publication Date: March 2013 
Genre/Format: Poetry Anthology/Picture Book
GoodReads Summary: From the Children’s Poet Laureate comes a year-round ode to wacky holidays just begging to be celebrated.

Nobody should ever forget Ewe on Ohio Sheep Day (July 14). No mata mata how hard they may try on World Turtle Day (May 23). If you’ve never heard of Dragon Appreciation Day, International Cephalopod Awareness Day, or Yell "Fudge!" at the Cobras in North America Day, it’s not because they don’t exist, it’s simply that they needed someone to spread the word. Luckily, the fantastically zany poems of J. Patrick Lewis and Anna Raff’s equally hilarious illustrations have memorialized these holidays forever. So get out your calendars — from Happy Mew Year for Cats Day to Chocolate-Covered Anything Day, World Rat Day (April 4) calls for a year-round celebration. 
What Kellee Thinks:Who knew there were so many animal related holidays?!?! J. Patrick Lewis takes us chronologically through the year and introduces us to quirky holidays throughout the year ranging from Dragon Appreciation Day (1/16) to National Skunk Day (Today!) to National Sloth Day (11/19). The poems range in types including concrete, but most are AB rhyming. The only thing I wish is there was a text box explaining the history of each holiday so we understood the holiday more instead of only having the poem as the reference; however, this could lend itself nicely into how to use it in the classroom. Read the poem, read a nonfiction article about the holiday, then write a story or some sort of variation.
What Jen Thinks: I hope that I am able to avoid skunks today! While I'm happy they exist in this world, I'm happy to not have to co-exist with them in the same space. I much prefer skunks in books...and rats for that matter. There are all sorts of animals throughout this book. I know that students will be intrigued by certain animals and also by all the silly puns throughout this book. I love talking to students about words with multiple meanings and giving them time to think through the plays on words throughout the poems in this book.
     I remember celebrating the spring equinox when I was in high school. We wore yellow and had a sun-themed party to celebrate  that our days were going to be getting longer and that we would have more fun. I loved that celebration, however nerdy it was. I can see how talking about the different days in this book could spark a conversation with students about what they might want to celebrate. Then students could research different days associated with what they want to celebrate. As I was reading this book, I was reminded of Anita Silvey's Book Almanac and website. There she shares bookish tidbits about the day. Matching these two together would be a wonderful way to share Anita's resource with students.  
Read Together: Grades K and up 
Read Alone: Grades 2 and up
Read With: Children's Book-A-Day Almanac by Anita Silvey (http://childrensbookalmanac.com/) 
Snatch of Text:   

June 14

National Skunk Day

"If the skunk did not exist,

Then the skunk would not be mist."

(p. 27)

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Asking Questions
Writing Strategies to Practice: Expository, Personal Narrative, Word Play, Puns, Rhyme,
Writing Prompts: Find a holiday that wasn't mentioned in World Rat Day and write your own poem celebrating this holiday.; After learning more about one of the holidays in the book, write a story about celebrating the holiday.
Topics Covered: Holidays, Animals, Integration - Social Sciences 

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Platypus Police Squad

Title:  Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked
Author:  Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Illustrator:  Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Publisher:  Walden Pond Press
Publication Date:  May, 2013
Genre/Format:  Fantasy/Novel
GoodReads Summary: From the Files of the Platypus Police Squad - Case #1138 Detectives of record: Rick Zengo and Corey O'Malley
Case brief: A local schoolteacher is missing, and the only thing fishier than the circumstances surrounding his disappearance is the smell coming from the bag he left behind. All clues point to billionaire businessman Frank Pandini Jr.--but why would Pandini get his paws into the illegal fish trade?  
What Kellee Thinks: Things I loved about this book: 
-Cop show allusions ("This is the city. Kalamazoo City. Population: 75,000. By day, it's bright, vibrant metropolis, the kind of city where dreams come true. It is a mecca of business, the arts, sports, and cuisine, and, at the center of it all, the gleaming facade of Pandini Tower, the jewel of Kalamazoo City. Those who don't live here dream of making it here. And those who do, well, they know that there's just no city like it. 
But it is a different city once the sun goes down. The criminal element, asleep by day, haunts certain dark corners at nigh. Especially the run-down old docks on the south side of town, perhaps the darkest corner of all." p. 1) 
-Puns (specifically animal puns) 
-The sly inclusion of forensics
-Jarrett Krosoczka's illustrations
-Um... Platypi are awesome! (Or is it platypuses just platypus?) Specifically Zengo and O'Malley who are the typical old cranky cop and young anxious rookie who team up together to fight the crime of Kalamazoo City. 
-The mystery aspect which allows the reader to be part of the police squad and can make predictions about what the outcome will be. 
What Jen Thinks: Sometimes books with animal characters makes me think too much about how possible would be it and things stand out to me more than with human characters. I must be developing as a reader because I didn't struggle with reading this book with animal characters as much as I have with other books in the past. Something about the way Jarrett wrote the characters made me feel so connected to them. I love Zengo and that there is so much more to him then it seems at first. He's actually a pretty complex platypus dude. I like how readers uncover more and more about him as the story goes on. I particularly love that he drinks hot chocolate every morning. Now there's a great visual: a platypus chilling at the breakfast table with his mug of hot chocolate. Gotta love it. 
     As layered as Zengo is, so is the plot of this story. Throughout the book there is a dark, creepy feeling of not knowing exactly what's going on or who exactly is up to no good. The reader definitely gets clues along the way but there are so many little pieces to tie together. Overall, it reminded me of great mystery movies or shows where even the innocent people had their own stories to tell in getting mixed up in everything. 
      I love the characterization in this book. Jarrett brings some amazing characters to life. I know I'm not supposed to like them, but Diaz and Lucinni cracked me up. They're just so ridiculous it's hysterical. I also really loved Peggy the secretary. She reminded me of Roz from Monsters Inc or Grandma Ethyl from the old show Dinosaurs. 
     When it comes to kids reading this book, I think the are really going to enjoy the characters and the mystery. I have a feeling they'll get caught up in the plot. I'm fairly confident they'll be calling for a sequel. I know I am! Bravo to Jarrett and his foray into middle grade non-graphic-novel novels! *applauds*
Read Together: Grades 4 - 6 
Read Alone: Grades 4 - 6 
Read With: Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander, Neversink by Barry Wolverton, Theordore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham, Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, A-Z Mysteries by Ron Roy,  Big Splash by Jack Ferraiolo
Snatch of Text:  
"He eyed the police-band radio and the dashboard like it was his birthday party right there in the car." (p. 27)
Mentor Text For:  Puns, Making Predictions, Simile, Activating Background Knowledge, Visualization, Characterization, Dialogue, Making Inferences, Identifying Character Traits, Expository
Writing Prompts: Choose a character from Platypus Police Squad and then explain what you infer about his or her character traits with specific text evidence.  
Topics Covered: Family, Friendship, Work Relationships, Adversity, Hard-Work, Determination, Trustworthy

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**Thank you to Walden Pond Press for sending us a copy for review!**

A Girl Named Digit

Title: A Girl Named Digit

Author: Annabel Monaghan

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Publication Date: June, 2012

Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel

Goodreads Summary: Farrah "Digit" Higgins may be going to MIT in the fall, but this L.A. high school genius has left her geek self behind in another school district so she can blend in with the popular crowd at Santa Monica High and actually enjoy her senior year. But when Farrah, the daughter of a UCLA math professor, unknowingly cracks a terrorist group's number sequence, her laid-back senior year gets a lot more interesting. Soon she is personally investigating the case, on the run from terrorists, and faking her own kidnapping-- all while trying to convince a young, hot FBI agent to take her seriously. So much for blending in . . .

What I Think: I love a book with a strong, smart female protagonist. It helps if the story is thoroughly entertaining as well. This book fits that mold. Farrah is nicknamed Digit because of her insane aptitude for numbers. She's never really fit in because of her brains, so when she went to a new school, she decided to hide her intelligence so she can hang out with the popular kids; however, she cannot completely block out her mind and ends up cracking a code to a terrorist plan. Now, she is FBI's only hope for stopping these criminals who are not afraid to kill others and die doing so. Now, she gets to embrace her genius and help save the world. 

     This book is one that will definitely find readers in many classrooms and has a great protagonist for girls to look up to. 

Read Together: Grades 9 to 12

Read Alone: Grades 8 and up
Read with: Secret Letters by Leah Scheir, Trash by Andy Mulligan

Snatch of Text: "I smiled, a little embarrassed, and started scanning the alley for nothing too, while I thought about my new favorite word: either. He could have just said, "I'm not just a pretty face." But he added either. Either can be an adjective (I could lean over and kiss either his neck or his lips), a pronoun (His neck or his lips? Either will do), or, like here, an adverb following a negative subordinate clause (I'm not just a pretty face either). I wondered if it could be a name. We could have a daughter and call her Either." (p. 54)

Mentor Text for: Grammar, Puns, Voice, Suspense

Writing Prompts: Think of a time when you tried to hide something about yourself because you were embarrassed. Thinking back, what advice would you had given your past self about not hiding your true self. 

Topics Covered: Ecoterrorism, Fathers, Role Models, Geniuses, Fibonacci, Math

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