A Great Session at #ILA18

When I go to a conference, there are always sessions that really "stay with me"! I take frantic notes and way too many pictures! And usually, I have a stack of books I want to buy afterward. While attending the #ILA18 Conference in Austin last weekend, one of the sessions that fit the above description was about nonfiction books. Titled "Promoting Improved Literacy Achievement with Nonfiction Books: Presenting Award-Winning Authors Inform, Inspire, and Engage", the session was moderated by Dr. Donna Knoell.  

The authors on the panel were Carole Boston Weatherford, Kenneth Davis, and Doreen Rappaport. 

The authors spoke about their research process (with a shoutout to librarians!), the topics of their books, and their passion for writing this genre. Every author was completely engaging! Carole Boston Weatherford sang and spoke about her love of poetry, Doreen Rappaport shared how she approached the writing of Lady Liberty, and Kenneth C. Davis talked about the Spanish Flu (the topic of his latest book). 

Carole Boston Weatherford, Kenneth Davis, Dr. Donna Knoell (moderator), and Doreen Rappaport

This session could not have come at a better time for me. It turns out I have been reading a lot of nonfiction this summer! And as I read these books, I became interested in so many other topics, pursuing my own research, leading me to even more books! I made connections with trips I had taken, and places I had been. And if you ask me about these topics now, I could tell you so very much!

I want children of all ages to come to this same appreciation of this important genre. This is why I am so grateful we have authors like these in children's and young adult literature.

Kenneth Davis signing my copy of his latest book, More Deadly Than War (Macmillan, 2018) 

Kenneth Davis's latest book (Young Adult)

*Thank you, Macmillan Kids, for the copy of More Deadly Than War! 

Little Whale by Jo Weaver

As a librarian, I love to group books, connecting them by topic or theme. A book I read recently inspired me to think about whale books! (I'll bet you can  name one or two!) I immediately thought of these four titles:

After seeing them here, I see they do have similarities - besides the obvious. (First,  I marvel at the lovely blues on each cover!) Each of these stories is "quiet", revealing themselves gently to readers. Probably akin to the way we might approach a whale itself - if we were to ever see one!


Recently, I received a book I will add to this group, and I wanted to share it here with you!

Little Whale by Jo Weaver

Pub. date: Oct. 1, 2018

Peachtree Publishers 

When I opened the package with my advanced copy, I first noted the large size -- and thought that this made perfect sense for a book about whales. Of course!

Then I opened it, and noted the absence of  most colors - except an "oceany" or midnight blue, various grays, and white. (A book about gray whales calls for this-- naturally-- but as I read the book, with every page in these colors, it gave me the sense that I was on the journey, too.) The title is in gold, like the sunlight that pours down through the ocean's surface. 

Delving into the first few pages, I was placed right into the ocean, and into Little Whale's story. 

Little Whale is the journey of a mother whale leading her baby north for food, beginning their migration trek. Gray Whale explains to Little Whale that they are going home, and as they go along, of course, Little Whale asks a form of the question many children ask on road trips: "Are we there yet?") As a brief note on the copyright page in the back explains, the trip indeed will be long!) Gray Whale is patient, and readers along for the trek see stingrays, hammerhead sharks, Orcas, and various various other sea life. Grey Whale guides Little Whale along, as the narrator softly describes the scene before them: the skies, the mountains, the ships. As the journey nears its end, they are called home by whale song, illustrated stunningly in a double-page spread that made my eyes stop to take in everything. Remember, picture books are not meant to be rushed readings, especially this one -- melodic in its words, floating dreamily in fluid illustrations. 

More to notice: Do you love a good paper in a picture book? I'm noting that this one is thick and sturdy -- again, perfect for a book about a whale. The pages could very well have been waves, turned by my eager reader's hand-- moved by a whale's tail.

Little Whale is a calm and assuring walk through the hesitancy we all experience before any long, arduous journey - whether it be in the ocean, on land, or in our daily lives. The story is also a peek into the comfort offered by those who care for us -- as we all travel together. 

I will be recommending this book to teachers! 

Planning and Reading and Shoes (Of course!)

With the Fourth of July a memory now, I'll bet some librarians (like me) are already thinking about back-to-school things! I know I am! I made a Summer Bucket List and one of the items on there was to start my planning early and get a good sketch of my first month's work in the library. This hasn't actually happened yet, but I am getting started!

I realized though, that before I could start anything, I would need a cute new planner for my library work, since my current one ends in December. I am a Happy Planner gal, so I bought this Teacher Planner Kit and want to try it out this year. Although this isn't specifically for a librarian, I like the layout and will adjust it to make it work. I use a Happy Planner for my own schedule and personal work, and I find it helps me stay organized!

And when I am not working on my Happy Planner(s), I am reading, of course. I actually also record my reading in my planner, too. (My TBR list, my reading schedule, etc.)

Here are some of the books I finished recently:

You may have read Kate Beasely's first book Gertie's Leap to Greatness (Macmillan, 2016), and Lions & Liars is her second book. The setting is a summer camp, and the events move very quickly! One crazy thing leads to another, but readers who appreciate a quick pace will definitely connect with this one. Do we appreciate our friends? Are we locked into certain roles in life? This book will make you think of all of that! 

I really appreciated this lovely picture book from Peachtree Publishers! Soft and dreamy, the story is about a girl who's moved to a new home, and the lion that helps her through the transition. Sometimes we need a coach, a guide, a comforting friend to lead us to conquering challenges. Look for this one in October. I will no doubt reread this one and recommend it to teachers. 

Taking a road trip this summer? Expecting a rainy day? This activity book from Workman will definitely help you pass the time and help you flex our creative muscles! Included within the 112 pages, readers/creators will find word searches, fun drawing prompts, draw-in comic strip, and even a page of cardstock pieces to make a banner! 

Pablo Cartaya won a 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Award for The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora. ( I highly recommend it.) I read his upcoming book (due out in August from Penguin) and I was captivated by this one as well. Marcus wants to find his father and has many questions about why he left their family. He loves his family and takes good care of his younger brother, too. But he's gotten into trouble at school, and his mother (doing her best to hold everything together) decides they need to visit family in Puerto Rico. It's a story about a family taking a journey home --and back towards reconnecting with each other.

I also just finished Culturize by Jimmy Casas. This was our faculty book study read this summer!


What I am reading now: 
This is one of the six (yes, 6!) books I am currently reading: You Go First by 2018 Newbery Winner Erin Entrada Kelly. (Thank you, @HarperChildrens!)

The Shoes:

I picked up these b.o.c. brown sandals at DSW a few weeks ago, mainly because I needed something comfortable. But I think these are stylish, too, and verstile! I wear them with jeans and dresses in this summer heat and once I put them on, I don't think twice about it!

Writing this blog post tonight was a goal I set for myself! (I did a whole day of district professional development today, and I didn't think I'd have the energy, but I managed to do it!) I think it's because  I wrote it in my Happy Planner! ;-)