Brown Girl Dreaming

Woodson, J. (2014). Brown girl dreaming. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

2015 Newberry Medal Honor Book
2015 Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner
2014 National Book Award Winner

Born in 1963 Columbus, Ohio was Jacqueline Woodson, whose father had wanted to name her "Jack" after him.  Had he known he would not be part of life for very long he might not have bothered  This moving memoir written in verse follows the childhood of "Jackie" as she, her brother, sister, and mother leave the racially accepting Ohio to live with her grandparents in South Carolina.  In 1960s South Carolina blacks and whites don't mix.  You keep your eyes down and you say "yes sir".  Despite all of the radical changes happening in the country Jackie and her siblings find love and stability with their grandparents.  Later Jackie's family will find a new life in New York with their mother and newest sibling, a baby brother.  The streets may not actually be paved with gold as she expected but on the streets of New York and in the desks of her classrooms Jacqueline discovers a passion for writing that she continues to this very day.

When asked why she wrote her memoir in verse rather than prose author Jacqueline Woodson said that was how memories happen.  Not in long sentences but in a few lines.  She wanted her memoir to be what it was- her memories.  And not just her memories but the memories of all the children of her generation who experienced the things she did.  Brown girl dreaming is a beautiful work of poetry that shows multiple different types of poems (the "How to listen" poems are written as haikus) as well as supplements lessons in life during the fight against segregation in 1960's America.  Other books that cover some of the same times and themes as Brown girl dreaming are Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, not Buddy and The Watsons go to Birmingham- 1963, The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, and Julie Otsuka's The Buddha in the attic.

Below is a short interview with author Jacqueline Woodson.

 

El Deafo

Bell, C. (2014). El Deafo. New York, NY: Amulet Books.

2015 Newberry Award Honor Book

 Cece was a normal four year old kid.  She liked to watch TV, sing, listen to music, and play with her brother and sister.  Then one day she got sick.  Really sick. Her parents rushed her to the hospital where she was diagnosed with meningitis which eventually caused her to lose her hearing.  Now Cece is having to learn things all over again.  Things like talking and listening, this time with the help of a huge hearing aid that hangs around her neck.  Cece has trouble hearing and now she looks different from everyone too.  Eventually Cece makes a few new friends, but not all of them are great.  Some are bossy and some yell at her and refer to her as "their deaf friend".  But bad friends are better than good friends?  Maybe not.  That's when Cece creates "El Deafo", her super hero alternate identity that can say whatever Cece is thinking and has bionic hearing that helps others.  With the help of El Deafo, Cece finds that true friendship is worth fighting for and that liking yourself is the real super power. 

Based on her real life experiences, author Cece Bell shows readers what it feels like to suddenly be different and to be suddenly treated differently.  This graphic novel teachers us about dealing with disabilities and how the way we treat those with disabilities makes them feel.  This is an excellent lesson in over coming obstacles and learning self acceptance.  Readers who enjoyed El Deafo and would like to read more books with similar themes should try Wonder by R.J. Palacio and Out of my mind by Sharon Draper.
Below is a short video of author Cece Bell talking a little about her real life experiences as well as her book El Deafo. 

 

Nana In The City

Castillo, L. (2014).  Nana in the city.  New York, NY: Clarion Books.

2015 Caldecott Honor Book

A little boy is going to stay with his Nana at her apartment in the city.  He loves his Nana, he does not love the city.  The city is scary and noisy.  There are people every where and they are not very friendly.  The city is no place for the little boy and it is no place for his Nana.  While the boy sleeps his Nana makes him a magic cape.  When he wakes she places the cape on him and they go explore the city.  The city is not scary! They city has museums and trains and parks.  The people aren't mean, they are just busy and quick.  The boy was wrong, the city is the place for Nana.  as the boy is leaving he gives his Nana his magic cape, just in case she ever gets scared in the city.

Trying new things and having courage are attributes that we try to instill in children.  It isn't always easy facing new challenges but it is sometimes necessary.  Nana in the city is a great companion to this lesson.  Below you will find the link to a great lesson on courage that incorporates this book.  I wish I could take credit for this lesson, but luckily the great brain from which it came is willing to share it with all.  Who ever you are great brain- thanks!

http://engagement.spps.org/uploads/week_5_courage_lesson.docx.

The Adventures of Beekle

Santat, D. (2014). The adventures of Beekle: The unimaginary friend. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

2015 Caldecott Medal Award Winner

He was born on a far away island where all imaginary friends are born.  He waited for his friend.  He waited under the stars and in the sand.  He waited and waited until he was the last one still waiting.  Then He had waited enough.  He did something no other imaginary creature had done before.  He went out into the real world to find his friend.  He searched and searched.  The real world was not what he expected.  He climbed to the top of the tallest tree and waited.  He didn't think his friend would ever come.  Then he heard it- "Hello".  There she was, Alice, his friend!  Finally, Alice was there and she knew his name- "Beekle" she said.  Beekle and Alice were meant to be friends and they shared many snacks and adventures.

  The wonderfully creative and colorful pictures in this book captivates readers and really makes turning the page a small adventure on its own.  The message of waiting and looking for true friendship is one that speaks to children and adults alike.  Doesn't it take us years to realize that having one true friend is an amazing thing?  The adventures of Beekle will sure to be a hit in any elementary library.  There is a YouTube video of the story book being read aloud below.  It is published with the permission of Scholastic Press.

The Right Word

Bryant, J. (2014). The right word: Roget and his thesaurus. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

2015 Robert F. Sibert Award Winner
2015 Caldecott Honor Book

Peter Roget didn't like to speak unless he had the exact word he was looking for,  which was not always easy to find.  Frustrated at not being able to find the word he wanted when he wanted it Roget began making lists.  Lists of plants, lists of emotions, hundreds of them.  Of course they were just for him to use- who else would want to lists of words?  As time went on Peter Roget became a tutor, a doctor, and a lecturer.  Impressed by how well he spoke others began wanting to sound like him.  Thesauruses were beginning to pop up in book stores but none were as detailed and easy to use as Roget's.  Persuaded by his children Roget eventually published his thesaurus and viola! The English language hasn't been the same since.

In the same fashion that Melissa Sweet's Balloons over Broadway has been used to introduce young children to biographies so too can The right word.  It is no coincidence that Melissa Sweet illustrated The right word.  Sweet brings her own unique blend of colorful detailed pictures to this story just as she did her own book.  Below is a book trailer for The right word: Roget and his thesaurus, although the trailer does say that Roget created the first thesaurus which does go against the information in the book.  Despite that little indiscretion it is still a nicely done trailer.

The Family Romanov

Fleming, C. (2014). The family Romanov: Murder, rebellion & the fall of Imperial Russia. New York, NY:  Schwartz & Wade/ Random House.

2015 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
2015 YALSA Excellence in Non-Fiction Finalist

The Romanov family and their deaths have long been a topic of debate and mystery.  Why was a royal family so easily murdered?  Did the youngest two children manage to survive? Was Rasputin to blame or the cause of their deaths?  These questions and more have often surrounded the Romanov Family, despite science's proven answers.  In her biography Candace Fleming answers all of these questions and more.  Readers follow not only the chosen Romanov family from Nicholas II's ascent to the throne to their death but also the common man's plight in a very poor and suffering Russia.  Readers learn about worker's strikes, starving families with pathetic wages and working conditions.  A war is blooming on the horizon- none of these things did Nicholas or his wife Alexandra face head on. They preferred to spend time secluded with each other and their five children.  Alexandra's reliance on the mysterious holy man Rasputin does nothing to calm rumors that she is bad news for Mother Russia.  Conditions eventually rise to a boiling point at which time the Tsar and his family are taken prisoner, led away from prying eyes, brutally shot and murdered (even the family dog), and buried in unmarked graves in the woods only to be found decades later.

Beyond being a great read The Family Romanov is an excellent addition to any unit on World War I.  The book has over 50 pages of pictures and graphics including a family tree for both Nicholas and Alexandra.  Biography lessons would benefit from this inclusion as well.  To further get your students' interest going there is a book trailer below.

Scared Stiff

Latta, S. (2013). Scared stiff: Everything you need to know about 50 famous phobias. San Fransisco, CA: Zest Books.

2015 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

Everyone is afraid of something.  Some people have rational fears.  Aviophobia (a fear of flying), Claustrophobia (a fear of confined spaces), or Nosocomephobia (a fear of hospitals).  These are usually linked to a bad personal experience or tales of horror seen on television or passed down by friends and family.  Most of these fears can be conquered with therapy and slowly introducing the one afraid to what they are afraid of in small increments.  Some people however suffer from fears that to most seem utterly ridiculous. Kinemortophobia (fear of zombies), Nomophobia (fear of being out of mobile phone contact), or Pogonophobia (fear of beards).  Whether serious or silly (at least to the reader) chances are your phobia may be in here.  Complete with amusing illustrations and suggestions on how to overcome those fears, Scared stiff: Everything you need to know about 50 famous phobias is a quick and fun read.

Scared stiff: Everything you need to know about 50 famous phobias is great for class read aloud!  My English classes had read out loud Tuesdays and Fridays.  I needed a book that all levels of learners would enjoy as a book that the non-readers could listen to without getting bored too quickly. Enter Scared stiff: Everything you need to know about 50 famous phobias!  My students loved learning about all the different phobias and this book spawned incredible class discussions about whether the fear we read about was logical, whether anyone in the room shared that fear, how did the students think that fear could be overcome, etc.  In the upcoming school year I plan on once again using this book for read aloud, I think October is the perfect month to tie this book in with urban legends, day of the dead, Halloween, etc.