Scholastic Reading Summit: Houston Highlights!

My summer is coming to a close, and as I look back on it, I can see it was not a traditional summer in the way that others picture: no swimming, no camping, and I didn't get my toes in the sand once! Instead, I had a great time learning about libraries, books, and connecting with members of my PLN, just as I did last week at the Scholastic Reading Summit.

I have attended four Reading Summits now, attending two and then presenting last year in San Antonio and this year in Houston. I was there to present a session on picture books (a topic for an upcoming blog post!), and had a great time doing so. (Many thanks to Anne Lee and the entire Scholastic team for all of their kindness and for making my Summit experience so wonderful!)

I enjoyed chatting with our amazing Scholastic hosts for the summit, friends John Schu and Donalyn Miller - - (it is ALWAYS great to see them!) and it was also great connecting with Todd Nesloney and Becky Calzada,  (fellow presenters, friends, and valued members of my PLN.

Kylene Beers and Bob Probst were keynote speakers. Of course, their work in literacy is legendary, and I always learn something valuable about reading when I hear them present.

I brought back a copy of their latest book Disrupting Thinking (Scholastic, 2017), and I am reading this now. I think it's a great read for school librarians. I have highlighted and underlined many sections!

Here is one of the slides from their presentation. It was one of my biggest takeaways of the day:

Our closing speaker was Jarrett K. Krosoczka, author of the ever popular Lunch Lady series. He was energetic, enthusiastic, and entirely inspirational! His childhood journey story of how he came to illustrate and write graphic novels was fascinating! His speech reminded me of the time I heard Kadir Nelson speak at NCTE, where he also spoke about pursuing his passion for art as a child and how that led him to the work he does today. 

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Krosoczka also writes/illustrates #4 and #5 installments of the Jedi Academy series. 

Here are a few of the many slides that scrolled through during the day. I appreciated these two in particular:

Of course, another wonderful part of the Scholastic Reading Summit is being able to shop the Book Fair that is set up! I spotted some of my very favorite picture books. I didn't get a picture of all of them, but here are a few:

As I blog about this memory now, I realize what an utterly ovely day it was! I gained so much, both in the way of learning and connections made. How energizing it was to be around other educators who love reading and understand its power as much as I do! 

Perhaps next year I will have the kind of summers others have -- nostalgic s'mores by the campfire, peaceful walks down the beach, days by the lake, etc. But even if I don't, I know that this summer I was right where I was supposed to be! 

Happy Book Birthday to . . .

Do you celebrate book birthdays? I do.

Why shouldn't we? Good books -- books by favorite authors, books by debut authors, books you've been waiting for, books you've heard about, books others are talking about -- will be around us awhile. We'll be sharing their titles, the author's and the illustrator's names, the publisher, etc. I always try to remember a book's publication year! 

I like to tweet about book birthdays, and I often do.  I am always happy for the author and the illustrator, and I can only imagine the joy they must feel as their book goes out for others to read! But I am also happy for the readers who will finally get to read the book.

Today, If You Plant a Seed (HarperChildren's, 2015) celebrates its official birthday.

I first saw a partial galley at ALA MidWinter in Chicago. That rabbit on the cover front and center with the bold, reflective eyes completely grabbed my attention. 

Nelson, Kadir. If You Plant a Seed. New York: Balzer + Bray, 2015. Print. 

Rabbit and Mouse plant some seeds together. They wait for the seeds to grow and are rewarded with a bountiful harvest (which they enjoy heartily). But when The Birds want a share of the meal, Rabbit and Mouse have no intention of complying. After a conflict ensues, and Rabbit and Mouse see the consequences, they try sharing instead. The result is an act of kindness that brings happiness to all of the animals. 

Bold, rich colors and large-size renderings of animals and vegetables combine beautifully in this quiet but powerful book. For me, the gorgeous paintings are reminiscent of vintage illustrations on seed packets. Kadir Nelson makes a simple head of lettuce look so perfect. 

In a two-page spread showing the standoff (Rabbit and Mouse vs The Birds), Nelson creates a mood of conflict in an otherwise peaceful field -- It's all in the eyes and turn of animals' heads. 

And on the very next page, as The Birds stare at readers and prepare for their next move, you can feel what might be coming. And you realize that this picture book story is filled with tension as well as beauty. 

Watch Rabbit. When he turns his head, looks up at The Birds, reads a gardening book, or lies on his back, he is telling you something. And how brave is Mouse? Is it just because he's friends with Rabbit. I don't think so. 

Though it's clear the illustrations are impressive, the story will inspire conversations about sharing, following the crowd, group work, planning ahead, and so on and so on. 

This book is a definite must-read AND a must-see.