Cute & Cuter

Title: Cute & Cuter 
Author: Michael Townsend   
Illustrator: Michael Townsend
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers  
Publication Date: June 2013   
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Cute kittens, cute puppies, and more! An explosion of cuteness tailor-made for "I Can Has Cheezburger" fans.

 Janie Jane's life takes a turn for the cute when she receives an adorable puppy as a birthday present. She and Sir Yips-a-lot do everything together. But before you know it, it's Janie's birthday again and she's got a new, potentially cuter present to unwrap: Lady Meow-meow, "The World's Cutest Kitty."

Wait! Sir Yips-a-lot has always been the cute one in Janie Jane's life. What if she doesn't need him anymore? Michael Townsend has crafted a lighthearted romp that will help children--especially those with new siblings--recognize and overcome feelings of jealousy.  
What I Think: With two kiddos in the house who are getting older and more competitive with each other and constantly vying for our attention, this book really hit home. Sir Yips-a-lot has to deal with a new kitty in the house. What I love about this book is that Sir Yip-a-lot is pretty dramatic and it's hysterical. He isn't shy about hiding his feelings and we had fun reading about it. 
     Another thing I thought was great about Cute & Cuter is that the illustrations are done kind of like a comic strip layout. I've loved comics since I was a kid and have celebrated them more and more with my own kids. I love these kind of in-between books because I think they are a great bridge between picture books and comics. I think adults need more of a bridge than kids do, but I still love how a picture book like Cute & Cuter brings these two formats together.  
Read Together: Grades K - 2 
Read Alone: Grades K - 4 
Read With: Scaredy Squirrel (series) by Melanie Watt, Beep and Bah by James Burks, Binky the Space Cat (series) by Ashley Spires, Dog in Charge by K.L. Going
Snatch of Text:  

"Sir Yips-a-lot began to feel something he had never felt before:

JEALOUSY!!!

'Why, I think she's cuter 

than ten pink hamsters dancing

in a field of flowers

while eating cupcakes!'"

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Making Predictions 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative 
Writing Prompts: Write about at time in your life when you were jealous of someone or something. What did you to do change how you were feeling? 
Topics Covered: Friendship, Feelings 

I *heart* It:

Let's Celebrate Indie Bookstores AGAIN!

It's time to CELEBRATE This Week with Ruth Ayres from Discover. Play. Build.  Every week Ruth invites us to share our celebrations from the week and link up at her blog. What a fun way to reflect on everything there is to be thankful for. 

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This week I'm celebrating Indie bookstores (again)!

*throws confetti*

Last weekend, I dragged my family downtown for Small Business Saturday to shop at Unabridged Books in Chicago. This bookstore was highly recommended by two of my city friends, Karyn Keenan and Lea Kelley. We really only focused on the children's book section but I'm completely in love with this place. They had so many books and all sorts of little notes about them. It was completely charming. I wish I had been able to look around more but it was a bit crowded and I was trailing my kiddos as they searched for books they wanted.

This is the moment when Peanut declared, "This is booktastic!" How insanely awesome is that? I just love this kid. Both of my kiddos adore books and it makes me so proud. Before I had kids, I just hoped and prayed that I would be able to help them develop a love of books and it's time like these when I think I've at least gotten this right!

Both kids were so proud of their book purchases. We crossed the street to get hot chocolate and read our books. I'm looking forward to visiting Unabridged Books again!

What are you celebrating this week?

Boris on the Move

Title: Boris on the Move 
Author: Andrew Joyner 
Illustrator: Andrew Joyner 
Publisher: Scholastic 
Publication Date: April, 2013 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Early Chapter Book 
GoodReads Summary: A new early chapter book series where adventure is always just around the corner.

This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches. Aimed at 5-to-7-year-olds, this line of books is for children who are just starting to read independently. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

Meet Boris! He lives with his mom and dad in Hogg Bay. Their home is a van that once traveled all over the world. Then one morning, Boris feels a jolt. Could it be? Is the van really moving? Is Boris on an adventure at last?But when Boris ends up on a trip to a wildlife refuge instead of the jungle safari he'd imagined, he ends up having an adventure he'll never forget. Because for this little warthog, life never quite turns out as he plans. 
What I Think: I'm always on the lookout for early readers that grab young readers and get them excited about reading. I love that this book is accessible for early readers but also gives them the opportunity to feel proud of reading a chapter book. Boris is a kiddo with adventure on his mind, and what kid doesn't love a good adventure? I have to say I was definitely excited when Boris' parents help him make his dreams a reality but then there is the very real reality of just to what extent Boris' parents can make his dreams of adventure come true. From a parents' perspective I really enjoyed this. I'm not sure how kids feel about it but it's definitely awesome that this book acknowledges that not every trip can be a full-fledged trip to a jungle safari. It's so important that we help kids find the extraordinary in the everyday things around them. I love that this book shares that message.
     I would recommend this book for 1st or 2nd grade boys and give kids an opportunity to imagine their own wild adventures but at the same time.ask them to look closely at their everyday lives to find the fun and adventure right in front of them.  
Read Together: Grades K - 3 
Read Alone: Grades K - 3 
Read With: Elephant and Piggie (series) by Mo Willems, Mercy Watson (series) by Kate DiCamillo, Frankie Pickle (series) by Eric Wight, Roscoe Riley Rules (series) by Katherine Applegate 
Snatch of Text:  

"Boris dreams of big pets. 

He dreams of big wins.

And big trips.

But mostly he dreams

about big adventures!"

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Making Predictions 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative 
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you were disappointed in something someone. How did you deal with those emotions? 
Topics Covered: Family, Adventure, Dreams, Determination 

I *heart* It:

The Boy Who Loved Math

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy. 
Every Wednesday, I'll review a 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: The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos
Author: Deborah Heiligman 
Illustrator: LeUyen Pham 
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press 
Publication Date: June, 2013 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction Biography/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Most people think of mathematicians as solitary, working away in isolation. And, it's true, many of them do. But Paul Erdos never followed the usual path. At the age of four, he could ask you when you were born and then calculate the number of seconds you had been alive in his head. But he didn't learn to butter his own bread until he turned twenty. Instead, he traveled around the world, from one mathematician to the next, collaborating on an astonishing number of publications. With a simple, lyrical text and richly layered illustrations, this is a beautiful introduction to the world of math and a fascinating look at the unique character traits that made "Uncle Paul" a great man. 
What I Think: I know this is a non-fiction picture book that Aly really loves this year! Now that it's a Nerdy nominee, too, I finally had to get it. And I'm so glad that I did! I love picture book biographies, and especially of people I may not have known about otherwise. A picture book is just the right kind of way to tell an obscure biography if you ask me.
    What I enjoyed most about this book is that I felt like I connected more and more with Paul as the story went along. At first, he was just a kid who loved math and wanted to avoid school at all costs. But then Paul got a little older and quirkier and then adventurous and truly eccentric....and I loved him. What a fascinating guy.
     I really like this book for talking about being in tune with who you are and what you want. While students might not - and maybe should not - know exactly all their hopes and dreams and aspirations, I hope they do have some kind of inclination. There's nothing to say we can't change our hopes and dreams as we grow, but I think it's great to encourage students to have both personal and academic goals. One year, I worked with a sophomore in high school and he was really struggling to focus on academics...at all. I started talking to him about his interests outside of school and he was adamant about participating in Parkour. Usually, I'm pretty hip to what kids are interested in but Parkour was new to me. This student had to explain it to me and he seemed to know everything there was to know about Parkour. We wrote this down as his personal goal. I believe in balance in life though so we discussed how important it is to balance personal goals with academic goals. We had to be more specific and set very attainable goals so that he could reach them and we could celebrate a small success like writing his homework down in his planner.
     The Boy Who Loved Math would pair well with other non-fiction picture book biographies and also Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown as students think about their hopes and dreams and make plans for being true to themselves and achieving those goals. 
Read Together: Grades 2 - 12  
Read Alone: Grades 2 - 12 
Read With: Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown, Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown, Here Comes the Girl Scouts by Shana Corey 
Snatch of Text:  

"Paul and his friends did math together all over Budapest.
But Paul was the best.
He loved being at the top in math
and at the top of towers
and mountains
and buildings, too.

He thought about math
whatever he was doing,
wherever he was."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Visualizing 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative 
Writing Prompts: Write out your personal and academic goals and then outline steps to get you closer to achieving each of them. Explain why you feel strongly about working towards those goals. 
Topics Covered: Integration - Math, Hopes, Dreams, Passion, Determination 

I *heart* It:

The One With Revisions and Headstands #slice2013

Every Tuesday, I participate in the Slice of Life challenge at Two Writing Teachers. If you want to participate, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can just head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here. 

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I'm guessing if you've been on Twitter or blogs lately you've seen the #nerdlution craze started by Colby Sharp, Franki Sibberson, Katherine Sokolowski and Chris Lehman. Now lots of people are joining in. You can read about how it all started at Franki's blog and share your #nerdlution at Colby's blog. The whole idea is to commit to something you'll do everyday for 50 days. It might be writing, running, doing push-ups...whatever strikes your fancy. 

I'm a huge fan of setting goals. There's definitely a knack to setting goals though. They have to be enough of a challenge but not impossibly so. A goal has to be just right. Besides that, I've realized that the more I write, the more I need a motivator and checker-inner when it comes to reaching a goal. Accountability actually seems to be a buzz word in my life lately. It's one thing to say I'm going to do something but it's another thing to be held accountable to what I say I'm going to do. Getting another person or lots of people involved seems to be what really makes me feel accountable and helps me get to things that I really have to make time for in my life.  

I've decided on two Nerdlutions for this first round. My Teachers Write goal over the summer was to revise my novel. I worked on it quite a bit and created a whole storyboard that seems to make my plot so much tighter and definitely more interesting but I'm still so far behind where I want to be when it comes to revising. So I'm deciding to work on my revisions everyday for thirty minutes. I'm hoping that by looking at it everyday I'll really make some headway.

My other Nerdlution has a fitness focus. I fell in love with yoga a few years ago after I had Little Bean. Recently, I did the Do You Yoga 30 day yoga challenge and completely fell in love with it all over again. Erin Motz (see the video below) shares some great yoga workouts. I'm setting my second Nerdlution to do yoga everyday with a focus on being able to do my headstand without any help (usually it's the wall that helps me...) and to be able to hold it for 15 seconds. I have no idea if 15 seconds is a lot or not but I certainly can't do that now so I'm going with it. 

Yesterday was the first day and I worked on my revisions as well as practiced yoga. I love that yoga is a practice...it's not about achieving something or reaching something but about focusing on the moment and doing my best. And because I'm feeling super supported by all the Nerdies doing their own Nerdlutions I'm actually going to share my headstand from last night. I really believe that we have to be open and honest about where we are so that we can move forward. Plus, I thought I better document where I was when I started to be able to see if I can actually get better at this whole headstand situation. Please, ignore my mega-frizzy hair! And how dark it is! It was late and I had just put my kids to bed so I was trying to be quiet and keep it dark. Ohmigosh, I can't believe I'm posting this...just ignore me as I cover my eyes!

You'll see how I desperately still need the wall at this point. This doesn't even count as a headstand in my opinion. If the wall wasn't there, I so would have landed way hard on my back and would be out of commission for a while. Luckily, the wall was there! Being part of Nerdlution and knowing others are out there trying new things or rededicating themselves to great things is kind of like my wall. I feel like you all are there to catch me and support me towards my goals. It's crazy awesome. I definitely feel empowered! Thank you to everyone who has joined in and tweeted or blogged about their Nerdlutions!

I'm excited to see where I'm at with both of these Nerdlutions come mid-January. Did you set any Nerdlutions? It's only day two, I say you can still jump in if you decide now. Be sure to let me know what you are working on so I can cheer you on! Hooray!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 12/2/13

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and I decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them. 

Last Week's Book Adventures:

Jen Says: First of all, I can't believe it's already December! This is craziness. I'm still recovering from the fun of NCTE! It was nice to have the Thanksgiving break to recuperate and have some time to catch up on reading. I finished Celebrating Writers by Ruth Ayres and completely loved it. I found my copy of Jabba the Puppett (it was under the couch!) and was able to finish that and also The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater but am still working on Elizabeth Eulberg's Better Off Friends. I also was able to get some picture book reading in thanks to visiting some Indie bookstores last week!

Reviewed Last Week:

 

Click on any picture above to go read my review/post.

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

Jen Says: I'm still listening to Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan and grabbed On the Road to Mr. Mineo's by Barbara O'Connor to listen to afterwards. I missed David at NCTE but loved listening to Barbara O'Connor speak, she was completely charming. One of the books I've been waiting for and was so excited to get at NCTE was Gae Polisner's The Summer of Letting Go. I'm excited to finally read it! 

This Week's Reviews:

Check back throughout the week to read these reviews/posts. 

So, what are you reading this week? 

Link up below and don't forget to check out other blogs to see what they are reading!

To help build our community and support other bloggers, 

we ask that you comment on at least three other blogs before you. 

Also, if you tweet about your Monday post, don't forget to use #IMWAYR!

Robie House Tour

Two weeks ago, I finally went on a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House in Chicago. I've read Blue Balliet's book Chasing Vermeer that features the Robie House. Since then, I have wanted to visit and tour the Robie House and then I discovered that they have Robie House tours based on Chasing Vermeer and led by actual students. 

I convinced my sister and my friend Jennifer to come along with me on the tour. When my sister picked us up, she proudly showed us a jar of blue M&Ms. I had completely forgotten they ate blue M&Ms in the book. I did remember them eating Swedish Fish and talking about red herrings and all about Tommy and his Pentominos. If you haven't read any of the books from this series, they really are wonderful mysteries. The characters are great and we get to see how their friendship evolves. Besides the mystery, there are elements of art mixed in throughout in such a crafty way. They are all great books.

We weren't sure what to expect as we followed the GPS directions and meandered slowly towards the Robie House but as soon as it was in view, we spotted it right away. It's definitely unique and sits grandly amidst other more common buildings.

Our tour guide was a girl who looked like she might be in middle school or high school. She did a great job of pointing out aspects of Frank Lloyd Wright's creativity and dedication to style that I may have never noticed or known to appreciate. She also stopped along the way and pointed out places where important things happened in Chasing Vermeer. 

It's hard to tell from this picture but our tour guide explained that Frank was all about horizontal lines for the Robie House so the mortar that was vertical in between the bricks was painted to be a darker color so it would seem like there were just rows of horizontal bricks.

This next picture was taken from down below looking up at one of the balconies where the construction worker would have fallen and been hurt in the book Chasing Vermeer. As our tour guide pointed out, this house was built to stop people on the outside from being able to look in. It definitely would have been hard to spot someone if he or she had fallen and gotten hurt here.

One of the main parts of the book has to do with the man they can see in the art glass windows. Each of these large glass panes are actually doors leading from the basement of the house to the outer play area for kids. You'll notice that there aren't any door handles on the outside of the house and this was intentional because safety was a main theme in the Robie House. This art glass is all over the house, here is a far away picture where it's kind of hard to see him.

Here is a close up:

And here is me...being a dork but also having fun. See? I'm just like the art glass man! 

This was such a great addition to my Bookish Un-Boring List for 2013. I'm so glad we made it to the Robie House and would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who visits Chicago and is look for a bookish adventure.