It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 09/05/2016

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

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. 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:

The summer celebration at the middle school I work at was great! I talked with a group of 7th and 8th grade girls about Cherie Priest's I Am Princess X. It was fun to reread my favorite parts and hear their perspectives. We also read more of Matilda. 

Reviewed Last Week:

This week, I celebrated a fall writing bootcamp over at Story Exploratory!

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

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

I have to do some reading for the class I'm taking this semester...but I hope to keep reading Matilda with my boys and to find time for Hundred Percent by Karen Romano Young.

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!

JOIN: Fall Writing Bootcamp

Every Saturday, join me as I CELEBRATE This Week 

with Ruth Ayres from Discover. Play. Build.

So far today has been a lazy Saturday and it's been pure bliss. I slept in this morning, waking up to the kids and the dog cuddled up on the bed with me and watching cartoons. Then we went to watch my six-year-old play in his first soccer game. After that he picked a local hot dog place for lunch (I had a salad...and maybe some fries). We ate outside at the picnic tables and talked about plans for the rest of the day. Now we're home. College football is on and I'm sitting upstairs on my bed with lots of writing stuff all around me. There are notebooks and binders, markers and pens, scratch paper and scrapbook paper. 

I'm in a sort of take-stock kind of headspace. I signed up for a fall writing bootcamp with the YA Buccanneers so I took time to outline my goals, set up my accountability chart, and decide on rewards for myself along the way. Bootcamp is for September and October in prep for drafting in November for NaNoWriMo. So far I've been unsuccessful with NaNoWriMo...but I'm taking the opportunity to be in a group of writers who'll motivate me and celebrate with me over the next two months and then I'll probably start drafting in November although I know I won't have the time to give NaNo a go.

My goals for the next two months are to:

1. Write everyday. At least 20 minutes of writing something.

2. Revise the current ms I've been working on. 

3. Beat sheet the next ms I would like to draft.

And the rewards I have decided on are: visiting my favorite coffee shop, filling in my accountability chart, playing Disney Emoji Blitz (I'm a little crazy for this game right now!), going out to dinner, and going to a yoga class. 

Celebrating writing and milestones in my writing along the way really helps me keep going. It's a loooooooooong journey so I might as well have fun and celebrate along the way, right?

Do you have current writing goals?

And how do you keep track of your progress and celebrate along the way?

Thanks for stopping in!

Who Wins?

Title: Who Wins?  
Author: Clay Swartz 
Illustrator: Tom Booth 
Publisher: Workman Publishing
Publication Date: July 12, 2016 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Flipbook 
GoodReads Summary: Who would rock the mic at karaoke night? Abraham “The Great Emancipator” Lincoln or Jane “Lady Persuasion” Austen? How about a hot dog eating contest between Harry “Mr. Magic” Houdini and Mary “Mother of Frankenstein” Shelley? What about a pie contest? A staring contest? And who has a better chance of sneaking into Area 51, Isaac “Gravity Guy” Newton or Sacagawea aka “The Pathfinder”?

In Who Wins?: History, you decide the winner in over 50 head-to-head challenges between 100 of history’s most illustrious characters. But choosing the victor isn’t arbitrary. Readers must justify their answers using each of the historical figures’ six 0-10 category rankings in bravery, leadership, artistry, wealth, wisdom, and fitness; as well as facts from short biographies. As funny as it is informative, the book is uniquely formatted so readers can match up each and every character in any of the head-to-head battles. History has never been so much fun! 
What I Think: We had a blast learning about famous people in history and thinking how they might match up to other historical figures on some pretty random face-offs. As a mentor text, this could be a great way to get students thinking about argumentative writing. They would have to choose who might win and defend their thinking. The book gives each person a score in terms of six different rankings. Sometimes the scores correlate to the battle and sometimes you have to use your own thinking to come up with reasons why one person would win over another. It really forces you to think critically about what you know or just learned about a person and how that compares to another person's skills. 
     As a mentor text, I really love how this might get writers' thoughts going but it's also an example of writing a short summary of a person's accomplishments. I've learned that succinct writing is hard to do but powerful. Students might write what they've learned about a person and then try and cut down the number of words they used by half to get to a super specific and concise summary of that person's accomplishments. 
Snatch of Text:

Writing Prompt: Choose one of the match ups. Share who you think would win and use evidence to defend your decision.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 08/29/2016

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

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. 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:

We had a blast reading Dear Dragon, Pirasaurs, and Groovy Joe this week. My kids loved them all! We've also been reading Matilda and a nifty flip book from Workman called Who Wins? that we can't get enough of (I'll be reviewing it this week, it's awesome!).

Reviewed Last Week:

 

Don't miss the Journey and Quest giveaway!

This week, I celebrated Brenda Drake's Pitch Wars over at Story Exploratory!

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

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

I'm excited to keep reading Who Wins? with my kids and to explore other picture books we've received lately. They're back into school mode and we're back into a more consistent bedtime routine instead of our summer fun bedtime routine. I'm pretty sure cuddling up with my kids and talking and giggling about books is the best thing ever. At the end of the week, the middle school I work at will be celebrating summer reading students so I'll be rereading parts of I Am Princess X as I prepare to talk to my group on Friday!

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!

JOIN: Celebrating Brenda Drake's Pitch Wars 2016!

Every Saturday, join me as I CELEBRATE This Week 

with Ruth Ayres from Discover. Play. Build.

Two years ago around this exactly time, I finished up a revision of my first novel. I felt pretty good. Getting through a revision of a whole manuscript is a feat. It's truly a feat. So I got through it, realized the submission window for Brenda Drake's Pitch Wars was coming, and on a whim, I submitted. 

Maybe on a whim isn't the right sentiment...it was more like it felt scary but worth it and brave and right. The best part was it seemed like a win-win no matter what. If I got in, I would get to experience working with a mentor and have the opportunity to share my work at the agent round. If I didn't get in, my writing life would go on, I would revise and decide what to do next.

Well, I did get in. (Yay! Here as my Celebration post about getting into Pitch Wars in 2014!) I was fortunate enough to work with two brilliant women, Lindsay Currie and Trisha Leaver. They gave me great feedback, I revised like my life depended on it, the agent round came, I got one request, my life went on. 

I didn't get an agent through Pitch Wars but it did move me way further along in my writing journey. I started actively querying after Pitch Wars and since then that manuscript has been through a few different revisions...I don't even know how many at this point. 

This summer I decided to try for Pitch Wars again. I finished up a pretty big overhaul, tightened up my query, and submitted again. The same thoughts went through my mind, it'll be a win-win either way. If I get in, I get great support in revising my manuscript, if I don't get in, I reread, revise, reach out to my reader friends, and I go from there. Well, mentors announced their picks this week and I didn't get in. I was sad for a bit but I'm okay with it. 

Two things I've learned about writing since I was in Pitch Wars in 2014 

(even though I've learned waaaaaaaaaaay more than two things!):

1. People make it possible. (At least for me.) I wouldn't still be writing if it wasn't for people who support me, believe in me, show me what's possible, encourage me, celebrate with me, and see the writer in me. As much as I believe in myself and the stories I have to tell, I'm immensely grateful to all the people who agree with me. 

2. Writing is about perseverance. I love the term win-win because it defines perseverance. I make a move, I see what happens, I make another move. Maybe I have an idea of what I hope and dream and wish will happen when I make a certain move but it doesn't always go as I plan. That's okay, I make another move. See? Win-win. 

Getting to live the writing life with all my writer friends is winning. Writing is the art of keeping on. I'm always somewhere in the writing cycle but as long as I keep riding along, I win.

Thanks for being here to write with me! You win, too!

What are you celebrating today?

Have you taken a risk in your writing life?

And what are some things you've learned along the way?

Return...And Journey And Quest Giveaway!

Title: Return 
Author: Aaron Becker 
Illustrator: Aaron Becker 
Publisher: Candlewick 
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2016 
Genre/Format: Fantasy/ Wordless Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Failing to get the attention of her busy father, a lonely girl turns back to a fantastic world for friendship and adventure. It’s her third journey into the enticing realm of kings and emperors, castles and canals, exotic creatures and enchanting landscapes. This time, it will take something truly powerful to persuade her to return home, as a gripping backstory is revealed that will hold readers in its thrall. Caldecott Honor winner Aaron Becker delivers a suspenseful and moving climax to his wordless trilogy, an epic that began with the award-winning Journey and continued with the celebrated follow-up Quest.
What I Think: Return is the third book in the trilogy of lovely wordless picture books from Aaron Becker. In my review of Journey, I shared my love of wordless picture books and talked about the strong emotions elicited from the beautiful illustrations. Return also brings forth strong emotions and is a wonderful story that finishes off the trilogy. I mostly love wordless picture books as a way to share a story without having to be able to know how to read the words or speak a certain language to read the words. Anyone can enjoy it. As such, wordless picture books like Journey are awesome opportunities to create your own version of the story that matches the illustrations. Even though we're looking at the same drawings, we might interpret the story differently or put different words to the illustrations. It's a wonderful opportunity to get any writer started.
     Also as a mentor text, I love wordless picture books as starters for thinking about those emotions. I can't think of one wordless picture book that didn't tug at my heartstrings. They make you think, they make you feel...and from there we usually have something to write about. Love. It.
Writing Prompt: Write about at time in your life when you needed someone's help. How did you get their attention? How did it feel when you got the help you needed?
Book Trailer:

And if you haven't read Journey or Quest, I highly recommend them! Be sure to enter the giveaway of Journey and Quest below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Candlewick Press for sending me this title to review

and providing a prize pack for one winner from my site!

They All Saw a Cat

Title: They All Saw A Cat 
Author: Brendan Wenzel 
Illustrator: Brendan Wenzel 
Publisher: Chronicle 
Publication Date: August 30th, 2016 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws . . .

In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many lives of one cat, and how perspective shapes what we see. When you see a cat, what do you see? 
What I Think: Eep! It's so hard to write about this book as a mentor text without giving away the story. If you are looking for an example of how the text and the illustrations in a picture book work with each other to tell a story, this is it! Brendan shows us how a cat might be seen differently from different perspectives with his illustrations. Readers have to use all the visual cues and connect them to each of the different beings that see the cat. My six-year-old was entranced by the story. I could see the little gears cranking around in his head as he made sense of the illustrations and how they connected to different perspectives.
     My snatch of text is simple but profound at the same time. The more I read picture books and listen to authors and illustrators talk about all the intention that goes into their work, the more fascinated I am. When I write, I think about the state of my character and where he or she is when the story starts in relation to where I want that character to go. It's an art to give a teeny, tiny hint at what's to come or what's at play here and to clue the reader in to what to pay attention to. Honestly, it took me a few times through to think about how this story starts, and the specific focus that is put on the cat as we start off thinking about his whiskers, ears, and paws. In a way, it sets the mood, we're stalking along with the cat with his whiskers, ear, and paws but also, we have to pay attention to those whiskers, ears, and paws, right? As a mentor text, I would read the story and then go back and pay close attention to this line and have students think about how Brendan sneaks in this specificity right here and sets the stage for the reader. And then see if students can think about a starting sentence that might show the mood of the story while also pulling readers into the story.
     I've included the book trailer here as well as it's another example of the mood of the story.
Snatch of Text:  
"The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws..."
Writing Prompt: Think about where you will take your readers from start to end. Think about your main character and the state he or she is in at the start of the story and at the end. Write a first line or first paragraph that gives some subtle hint at the change we might see as we read.
Book Trailer:

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 08/22/2016

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

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. 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:

Ack! Being back to school for a whole entire full week kicked my butt! But the good news is the kids and I are back to school and loving it. We finished up Charlotte's Web. It was the cutest thing to talk to them about it. We also read an review copy of Dear Dragon by Josh Funk and loved it!

Reviewed Last Week:

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

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

This week I'm really hoping to read more of A Curious Mind and I think I'm going to start reading Matilda to the kids but we might pick something else to read instead. I'm taking a course this semester to work towards my ESL endorsement and that book just came in the mail so I'll start reading that text soon! It's going to be a busy year. I hope those of you still enjoying summer are reveling in the time you have left and for those who are headed back or went back recently, Happy New Year!

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!

Hey A.J., It's Saturday! Blog Tour

I'm super excited to be sharing my thoughts on Hey A.J., It's Saturday! and how it might be used as a mentor text to kick off the blog tour. Each blog will have a giveaway so be sure to check all the blog stops to join in on the fun!

Title: Hey A.J, It's Saturday! 
Author: Martellus Bennett 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary:  
A.J. Is an imaginative girl who finds another world that is strangely right downstairs in her kitchen. So strange there’s already a feast, breakfast being served by creatures and beasts.

Oh! What is going in this kitchen of hers? Pancakes! Waffles! Scrambled eggs! And a Jamaican Giraffe?

Breakfast will never be the same. Ever!
What I Think: Honestly, Marty Bennett's imagination comes to life in this wonderfully imaginative breakfast adventure. As a mentor text, I love that reading this book might spark kids' imagination and give them some ideas they can incorporate into their own writing or even spur some stories. I would stop at the two-page layout that invites readers to listen up close as Marty explains some secrets about breakfast and ask students to brainstorm what some secrets they might know about breakfast...and then even brainstorm some other secrets they might know about other parts of their days or lives. Insider information is exciting to write about and helping writers see that they might be secret experts is a fun way to engage them and get them into writing.

Marty also includes some alliteration and rhyme as you can see in the second snatch of text here. Alliteration is just so much fun! Stop and have kids listen to the sounds - not only the repetition of the "f" sound and the "s" sound but also point out the assonance here as the short "i" is repeated throughout.  Ask kids to write their own silly sentences using alliteration or assonance.

Snatch of Text:  

"There's a couple of things about breakfast that no one in the world knows. 

I'm going to tell you these secrets so listen up close."

"Fifty silly fishes,

swimming in the dishes.

This cannot be right.

Why are animals

in the kitchen?"

Writing Prompt: Write about your most outlandish breakfast ever or the wildest breakfast you can imagine!
Additional Resources: Order Hey A.J., It's Saturday! at the Hey A.J Shop. And find the app on iTunes and the Google Play Store.

Here are the stops on the blog tour!

Jen at Teach Mentor Texts - 8/16

Niki at Daydream Reader - 8/17

Michele at Mrs. Knott's Book Nook - 8/18

Jessica at Little Lake County - 8/19

Linda at Teacher Dance - 8/20

Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers - 9/4

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to The Imagination Agency for send me this title

and providing a prize pack for one winner from my site!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 08/15/2016

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

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. 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:

The kids and I are almost to the end of Charlotte's Web! It was cute listening to them fill my husband in on the story. I'm glad even Little Bean (who is going into 1st grade) is following along with the story. I ended up reading more of A Curious Mind by Brian Grazer and Charles Fishman this week.

Reviewed Last Week:

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

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

I have a bunch of picture books from the library, maybe I'll take some pictures of do a video when I go through them just for fun! I'm also hoping to finish up A Curious Mind and see if I can get to anything else...it's officially back to school for me and the kids this week so we'll see!

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!