Books I'm Talking About at ILA 2015

P. Zonka Lays an Egg by Julie Paschkis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

P. Zonka is a dreamer. She's also a preoccupied hen -- much too busy to lay eggs. Instead she spends her time observing the beauty around her, noting the colors of the flowers, and admiring the blue of the sky. Her hen peers question her constantly about her refusal to lay eggs. Does P. Zonka give in and do what everyone else does?

This brilliantly illustrated picture book is filled with swirls, curved lines, and vivid flourishes reminiscent of Ukranian decorated eggs. Each two page spread swims beautifully in pastel shades of yellow, blue, green, or orange. The artwork perfectly personifies the creativity and freedom P. Zonkas enjoys.

A picture book about creativity, being true to self in the face of opposition, and finding beauty in one's surroundings.

Meet the Dullards by Sara Pennypacker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Dullards have three children, and they have raised them to be boring in a boring environment complete with gray walls and a dull neighborhood. But one day they catch their children reading books! After they replace the books with plain paper, Mr. and Mrs. Dullard decide a change of scenery is in order to ensure the continuing "dullness" of their children. But when they arrive, they encounter a few challenges. Do the children continue to be dull? Or do they rebel? This comical, clever picture book entertains and inspires rereads for details of boredom.

Even the endpapers are gray in this picture book, and readers will appreciate the reason. Use of color is a part of the story, and emotions such as surprise, disdain, and want are shown with expressive eyes.

A must-have picture book for both ingenuity and humor.




Special Delivery by Philip C. Stead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sadie has an elephant she'd like to mail to her Great-Aunt Josephine. But when she finds out how may stamps are required, she imagines other means of delivery (including by train and alligator). When she finally delivers the elephant, readers discover another surprise about Aunt Josephine. Delightfully and colorfully illustrated by Matthew Cordell, this picture book is imaginative and playful - and readers will come to love Sadie for her determination, sense of adventure, and the way she keeps her promises.

Note the book cover resembling a stamp, the outdoor post office, and emotions shown in elephant eyes. Under the dust jacket, the casing reveals another wonderful surprise from Matthew Cordell.

The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate. By Jacqueline Kelly. Henry Holt/Macmillan Children's, 2015.  320 pages. $16.99

When I taught fourth grade here in Texas,  I enjoyed teaching our state symbols, history, geography, wildlife, etc. With each year, my appreciation for my native state grew - especially with more visits to the Alamo, the Capitol, and other Texas historical landmarks.

So, understandably, when I come across books with a Texas setting, I take note!

This is where Calpurnia Tate comes in. 

I'd read the Newbery Honor Winner The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Henry Holt, 2009) years ago, and enjoyed it. When I received a copy of the sequel, The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate (Henry Holt, 2015), I could hardly wait to see what Calpurnia had been up to!

It's 1900 in Fentress, Texas, and Callie Vee Tate still has to contend with her brothers' antics, piano lessons she's less than fond of, and every wild creature young Travis wishes to sneak into the house. Granddaddy continues to feed Callie's passion for science with books and insightful discussions. But the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 has hit the coast, displacing relatives, and Callie's cousin Aggie comes to stay with the Tates. Aggie keeps to herself, holding secrets, frustrating Callie, but eventually the two find commonality in their need for independence - albeit on different terms. Told in Callie's engaging, storyteller voice, the book is both historical fiction and a coming-of-age story. Fans of the first novel will be pleased, and readers new to Callie's world will be equally charmed.

Note that Calpurnia's brothers (Lamar, Sul Ross, Jim Bowie, Sam Houston, and Travis) are named after Texas historical figures. There is also mention of Texas locations such as the San Marcos River, Austin, and Beaumont. And of course, as is in the first installment, science topics abound, with reference to animals, veterinary medicine, and scientific work.

To read more about the author and Calpurnia, click here.

My Podcast with Matthew Winner

Awhile back, my friend Matthew Winner, a school librarian in Maryland (better known as THE BUSY LIBRARIAN) asked me to be on his Let's Get Busy podcast. Matthew and I met on Twitter, and most recently in real life at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference in 2015. Matthew was the keynote speaker at TLA's awesome Tech Camp 2015. 

We like to talk about books! And libraries!

And we've connected our students via Skype for events such as Dot Day 2014. 

So when it came time to record the podcast, I said yes!

And then I realized that I don't really like the sound of my own voice.

But I did the podcast anyway.  And, I had a lovely time! We talked about some of the kidlit standouts of 2015 because there wasn't enough time to talk about all of them. As we talked, my appreciation for these books grew even more.

In this 40-minute podcast, I proved something to myself about what I can do! And hopefully, I will do something like this again. I know I did a lot of critical thinking as I spoke, and I even made myself go back and reread some parts of the books AFTER the recording. Why? I think it was because I was processing the book in a different way, and asking and answering my own questions.

If you'd like to listen to the podcast, click here to go to Matthew's Let's Get Busy Blog. Go to Best Books Ever to listen to our book discussion.

And - of course - be sure to get copies of all of these books at your local library!

A HANDFUL OF STARS by Cynthia Lord

Lord, Cynthia. A Handful of Stars. New York: Scholastic Press, 2015. Print. 

This post is a long time coming. I read this one in the spring right before TLA 2015. I even took it with me on the trip. Not sure why--  I just knew I had to have it with me. Do you know that feeling? Do you carry around books you've already read just in case you want to share them?

First, the cover is quite distinctive! A blueberry on a dog's nose = Memorable and cute. And second: Cynthia Lord's Rules (Scholastic Press, 2006), Touch Blue (Scholastic Press, 2010),and Half a Chance (Scholastic Press, 2014) are already permanently part of any book list I send out when someone asks for middle grade recommendations. If you've been reading kidlit for awhile, you are probably familiar with Lord's work. Her books are a staple for my fourth grade teachers -- especially when it comes to book club titles. 

Lily - the main character- lives with her grandmother and grandfather in Maine. Her dog Lucky is blind. One day Lucky runs off, in danger of being hit by a truck. But luckily, and for Lucky's sake, he is saved by Salma, the daughter of one of the migrant families that travel to Maine to pick blueberries. With this happenstance meeting, Lily and Salma begin a friendship. Though they live different lives and have different backgrounds, they are connected through a mutual love of art - and a hope that Lucky's vision can be improved with surgery. And when Salma decides to enter the Maine blueberry pageant, the story begins. Salma dreams of going to college, and since the top prize in the pageant is a savings bond, her goal is to enter and win. 

One of the strength's of this book is Lord's style of bringing the reader into Lily's world. Lord describes the community and the people surrounding Lily in a way that makes the setting an integral - and rich - part of the plot. Maine, the blueberry barrens, the town where everyone knows everyone - where traditions are important. 

And most definitely, this is a book about friendship. Lily becomes a friend to Salma and the two help each other.  But  Lily changes most from the connection. In Salma, Lily sees someone with confidence and purpose. As they prep for Salma's appearance in the contest, Lily learns a lot -- as we usually do from good friends. 

Salma is an unforgettable character, and she gives readers a glimpse into the hard life of migrant farmworkers and their families.  She becomes for me a sort of beacon character -- a character much like Hattie from Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson - a character that illuminates aspects of real life and shines light on our own. And definitely, Salma is a character readers will remember long after they finish the book.  

This book was released in May, so it is available now. 

I know I'll reread A Handful of Stars-- as I have done with all of Lord's other books. 

Read more about A HANDFUL OF STARS here.

Teacher - Author Skype

At a recent district literacy conference, my fellow librarians and I presented to elementary classroom teachers. Under the leadership of my fabulous district librarian, we talked about our databases, how to use and access e-books, and ways to collaborate with their own school librarian. The experience was very rewarding, and I enjoyed connecting with these dedicated educators. I especially enjoyed working with my fellow librarians!

I presented two portions of the presentation. In one (working with a fellow librarian), I recommended some nonfiction picture books. (See previous post.) I tried to pick some titles that I knew their library already would have, while also giving a few new recommendations. 

In the second part of my presentation, I talked about using Twitter and Skype to connect readers with authors and bring the world into your library. I've used both many times to connect my library with the kidlit community, so this was not hard for me at all! 

My district librarian had the wonderful idea to Skype with an actual author DURING our presentation. And she immediately thought of one of our state's wonderful authors, Chris Barton. Chris is the author of Shark vs Train and his latest book is  The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch -- two books I highly recommend.

We were so grateful to Chris for being willing to join us that day! Although we had a bit of technical difficulty at first,  the experience was absolutely wonderful. Chris talked to teachers about his books, his research, and his process.  It was a short but very powerful experience. The teachers enjoyed listening to Christ talk about his work, and his talk couldn't have been more perfect. 

Prior to the Skype, we had brought out copies of Shark vs. Train, and even made hats. We all had to choose a side! (This was, again, my district librarian's idea and I thought it was a wonderful one!)  We surprised Chris by wearing the hats during our Skype.

We also had a wonderful discussion about who actually won: Shark OR Train.

On a side note, I mentioned to the teachers that Chris's next book (set for release on Sept. 1, 2015) is called THE NUTCRACKER COMES TO AMERICA. I am fortunate to have an early copy and I will be blogging about it soon:

Barton, C. Nutcracker comes to america: How three ballet -loving brothers created a holiday tradition. Illus. by Cathy Gendron. Minneapolis, MN: Millbrook Press, 2015. Print. 

Check out Chris's other books here.

Books I've Shared Recently

Recently, I presented a session with some of my fellow librarians at our district's literacy conference. In our session, we shared digital tools with teachers, and showed them how their librarian could support them in their literacy instruction.

In the section of our presentation about picture books and research, it was my job to choose some titles to share. My goal was to mostly discuss nonfiction books so that we could demonstrate how to tie in research, but I also shared a few story picture books, too. There were many I could have chosen! But I only had a certain amount of time!

Here are the books I shared:


Burns, Loree G. Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard. Illus. by Ellen Harasimowicz. New York: Square Fish, 2012. Print.

I chose CITIZEN SCIENTISTS because author Loree Griffin Burns shows readers how they can be scientists in their own world. The chapter titles are called Fall Butterflying, Winter Birding, Spring Frogging, and Summer Ladybugging. I listened to Loree Griffin Burns speak at NCTE in 2014, and her work is fascinating and inspiring.

Stewart, Melissa. Feathers: Not Just for Flying. Illus. by Sara H. Brennen. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2014. Print. 

The scrapbook format of FEATHERS NOT JUST FOR FLYING is very appealing, and the drawings of the birds are engaging. Did you know that (for some birds)  feathers act as a sunscreen?  I didn't! I learned it from this book.

Davis, Kathryn Gibbs. Mr. Ferris and His Wheel. Illus. by Gilbert Ford. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2014. Print. 

I've blogged about MR. FERRIS AND HIS WHEEL before. It's the story of George Ferris, a persistent engineer with a dream! This one also includes lots of history about the World's Fair as well as great examples of problem-solving. 

Stead, Philip C. Special Delivery. Illus. by Matthew Cordell. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2015. 

I love the character of Sadie in SPECIAL DELIVERY. She has set a goal to mail her Aunt Josephine an elephant, and she will do whatever it takes to get it there. The cover looks like a stamp (so delightful!), and it's written by Philip Stead. (A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE is a very special book to me.) Of course, there is a surprise at the end that will make you smile.) 

Johnston, Tony. Sequoia. Illus. by Wendell Minor. New York: Roaring Brook, 2014. Print. 

SEQUOIA tells of the life of a sequoia tree, grand and stately: we read what the tree sees, smells, feels, and hears. Wendell Minor's illustrations are soft and and vivid at the same time. A stunning book!

Burleigh, Robert. Trapped! Illus. by Wendell Minor. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2014. Print. 

I've included another book illustrated by Wendell Minor here. It wasn't on purpose. Okay, maybe it was. This book is based on the true story of a whale trapped in nets off the coast of California in 2005. Burleigh uses powerful verbs, and the story is compelling! A page turner! Can the rescuers free the whale? Read the book to find out. 

Dyckman, Ame. Wolfie the Bunny. Illus. by Zachariah Ohora. New York: Little Brown, 2015. Print. 

I've also blogged about WOLIFE THE BUNNY before, and how successful it was as a read-aloud. This is a delightful book about a family of rabbits that takes in a wolf -- and the bunny sister who doesn't think it's such a good idea. I love the bunny suit! 

Mora, Pat. Water Rolls, Water Rises: El Agua Rueda, El Agua Sube.

In WATER ROLLS, WATER RISES: EL AGUA RUEDA, EL AGUA SUBE, Pat Mora shows us how water moves throughout the world, in lakes, reservoirs, streams, and storms. The English text is on the right, the Spanish is on the right, and Meilo So's illustrations are filled with vibrancy and life. 

It was a pleasure to celebrate these books in our presentation, and I was honored to work with my fellow librarians. My hope is that these teachers will, in turn, recommend these books to other teachers, and, of course, that more young readers will enjoy them. 

Ending the Year: Beginning A New One

From a banner my students gave me for Librarian Appreciation Week 

On our final day of school last week, our campus was a buzzing place. Teachers saying goodbye to their classes. Staff members preparing to move out of one classroom and into another. Some teachers wrapping up long, successful education careers as they started their retirement.

For me, it meant checking in teacher materials and continuing to take inventory(-ies). It meant cleaning up my makerspace cart. Definitely lots to do. At the same time, I was also shuffling books into sections and trading out shelves in hopes of making more room and granting easier access to readers for the coming year. (Thankfully, I had two volunteers to help.)

Yes, I had many items on my to-do list that day. And as I was trying to cross one off with a trip down a hallway, I came upon two 5th graders, feeling sad about leaving elementary school.  As they saw me, their eyes lit up -- both with tears and joy. With wonderful energy (spoken with a bit of sadness in their voice) the two girls told me just how much they loved reading and books. Of course they already knew I felt the same way. And then they both made sure I knew how important libraries were. (I listened to every word, thankful that I had walked this particular hallway.) It was a glorious rush of conversation and excited statements all to the tune of "The library is the best place ever!"  And we were all sharing our love of libraries by the end. I can't remember every word, but looking back now, I think about how I had just heard the best library advocacy speech.

We all vowed to visit the library that summer and read many, many books! Then we said goodbye, knowing that libraries and books connected us, even if we would never be in the same building again.

And looking back now, a week later, I can see that having that particular conversation was the best way to both end the year and begin a new one. It reminded me of what the library did for me as a child (I probably would have given the same speech then if I'd been asked), and what I want libraries to mean for every learner. Everywhere.