Mañanaland

If you have ever read Pam Muñoz Ryan’s work, it will come as no surprise that I highly recommend this book.

With everything that is happening in the world right now, reading this novel with your child will give you the perfect opportunity to have some great conversations about family relationships, love, refugee life, immigrants, and separated families.

Eleven year-old Max lives in Santa Maria, a sleepy village watched over by the stone tower La Reina Gigante, with his Papá, his grandfather Buelo, and his beloved dog Lola.

He has always wondered what happened to his mother, but no one in the family will talk about it. He hears the derogatory whisperings about his family in town, and pushes to know the  truth.

Papá is too protective for Max’s taste, but Max has a good life, surrounded by his Buelo’s siblings, learning the family trade of building stone bridges, and sharing stories with Buelo each night. His favorite is the one he has heard so often that he has it memorized - The Secret Bridge and the Guardabarrera - a story Max believes to be a product of Buelo’s imagination.

Max is also practicing for fútbol tryouts, wondering if he will ever be as good as Papá and Buelo, who were both members of the national team.

When Papá leaves the village to get a copy of Max’s birth certificate, a requirement for fútbol tryouts, Max has the opportunity to learn the truth about his family and live the story of The Secret Bridge and the Guardabarrera.

Ryan’s rich, descriptive language helps readers visualize Max’s village, family, friends, and invites us into his head and heart. She is a gifted writer and this book is a must-read!

Thanks to Scholastic Inc and Pam Muñoz Ryan for providing this advance copy to Kid Lit Exchange.

Here’s a link to Pam Muñoz Ryan's website (be sure to look at her Reader's Theatre Scripts)

The Popularity Pact: Camp Clique

Thanks to @runningpressbooks and @eileenmoskowitzpalma for sharing a copy of The Popularity Pact: Camp Clique with @kidlitexchange - to be released 4/14/2020

Bea and Maisy have been best friends forever, but the summer before their last year of elementary school, confident Bea finds herself ghosted and spends the school year utterly alone as anxiety-ridden Maisy joins the biggest clique on campus, the M&Ms.

Unfortunately for both girls, they end up in the same cabin at summer camp, and Maisy gets a taste of how Bea felt for the past year.

To survive the summer, Maisy proposes a pact - if Bea will help Maisy become popular at camp, Maisy will help Bea become popular with the M&Ms.

As the girls each figure out how to hold up their end of the bargain, the author gradually reveals clues as to why Maisy disappeared from Bea’s life.

While acknowledging the social fears of tweens, the author also shows young women grappling with divorce, parental addictions, parental pressure to perform in sports and academics, parents finding a new partner, being invisible to a parent who has started over with a new family... 

Bea keeps her part of the pact, and the book leaves us with a cliffhanger that makes us wonder if Maisy will be able to fulfill her end of their agreement.

The author doesn't appear to have a website, but you can follow her on Facebook, Instagram,  and Twitter.

The Queen Bee and Me

Thanks to @bloomsburypublishing and @gillianmcdunn for providing @kidlitexchange with an advanced copy of The Queen Bee and Me, due to be released on 3 March 2020.

This middle grade novel is delightful!

Meg is a quiet, anxious preteen who has been swept along in her best-friend-since-kindergarten’s wake. She found comfort and safety in their friendship throughout elementary school, but as they entered the angst-ridden middle school years, Meg finds herself becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the mean Queen Bee tendencies that Beatrix is exhibiting.

When Hazel moves to their small town of Willow Pond, Meg reluctantly realizes that her friendship with Beatrix is no longer what she believes it to be. 

McDunn helps the reader see the parallels between a beehive and the social systems of a typical middle school. As Meg and Hazel’s science project about honey bees unfolds, Meg begins to recognize those connections. She struggles to figure out what role she wants to play in the middle school hive, and in life.

Watching Meg’s evolution is reason enough to read this book, but the other primary characters are also well-developed, and any female who has lived through middle school will recognize the character types, perhaps recognize themselves, and thank heaven that those days are gone 😂

Add this to your must-read list or gift it to your favorite middle-schooler. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author! #kidlitexchange

Gillian McDunn website

Elizabeth Webster and the Court of Uncommon Pleas

Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

Elizabeth Webster is a fairly average American teenager. She lives with her mother, stepfather, and younger stepbrother, loathes going to middle school, and wonders when she'll get to see her father again.

She resists all attempts to get her involved in anything that might draw attention to her, but when popular athlete Henry Harrison walks right up to her in the cafeteria and asks her to tutor him in math, all eyes are on her.

When she arrives at Henry's house, she discovers that he doesn't need help with math, he needs help with a ghost who is haunting him. The ghost asks Elizabeth to save her, and that sets Elizabeth, Henry, and their friend Natalie on the path to figure out what that means.

But the ghost's problems are competing with Elizabeth's desire to know more about her father. She decides to search through personal papers in her mother's home office and finds a letter of apology from her father to her mother, and with it, a business card that reads Webster & Son, Attorneys for the Damned.

She and Natalie go to address on the card and find that her grandfather is running a law firm right in the same town and has been waiting for her to come and take her place in the firm.

As Elizabeth, Henry, and Natalie dive deeper into the mystery of the murder of Beatrice Long, they discover that solving Beatrice's case leads them closer to finding Elizabeth's missing father.

This book has suspense, adventure, a bit of romance, and, if your middle grader loves the unearthly, it's got an abundance of that.

The ending leaves the reader with lots of unanswered questions, providing the perfect set up for a second book.

William Lashner's website

Girl Under a Red Moon

Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

This middle grade novel focuses on a small window of time during the Communist Cultural Revolution. Da Chen paints a bittersweet picture of the life of a family in a small village during the reign of Chairman Mao.

For many years, the Chen family has lived in Yellow Stone, owning a chain of storefronts and acres of land that they rented to others for a third of the profits. When Mao took power, he killed most of the landlords, and the ones that survived were sentenced to hard labor. As this story begins, the Chen's father is serving in a labor camp, and the rest of the family are living on moldy yams, caring for two aging and sickly grandparents, and being treated as traitors by their community because of their Grandfather's wealth.

Younger brother Da, focuses on the events in the life of his older sister, Sisi during this time. She is not only a beloved sister and daughter, but an important student at their school, serving as class monitor, one of a trio of singers and dancers who performs at school and community functions, and she is fully expecting to be honored with a place in the Red Guard at the upcoming ceremony.

Instead, she is not only snubbed at the Red Guard ceremony, but is humiliated in front of the crowd, shoved off the stage, and ordered never to return to school again. She must bear the shame of her ancestors' wealth and privilege.

Her family knows this will not be the end of her persecution, so they arranged for her to go to another village, Bridge Town. Her younger brother goes with her and they find refuge and work at the school.

At first, they enjoy the beautiful setting and the kindness of the adults that are charged with their care, Principal Jin, Mrs. Lin, and Ya Ba. They work in the kitchen, serve meals to visitors, work in the fields, and Sisi gains a new best friend, Su Lan.

When a member of the People's Liberation Army is sent to the school as a political advisor, their safety and security are once again at risk. Commissar Lai is a young man and he immediately seeks the company of Sisi and Su Lan. The three of them spend evenings enjoying the outdoors together, laughing and playing. The girls soon become sullen, their conversations quieter, and Da notices them reading Communist literature.

At a school gathering called to condemn Principal Jin, the girls are called upon to denounce their principal in front of the entire school. Su Lan tells the audience that the principal raped her. Sisi, who has clearly been told to tell the same story, tells the truth instead, that he is a good man who has been kind to her and Da. She and Da are immediately locked up in the school office with Mrs. Lin, and brutally injured Principal Jin and Ya Ba.

The principal is in dire need of medical intervention, and Mrs. Lin gets villagers to take him away. When his escape is discovered, the others are freed, but they don't feel free. Sisi learns that Su Lan has been raped by the Commissar, and Ya Ba has arranged for her to be transported home. He agrees to deliver Sisi and Da to their home on the way.

They are welcomed home and their life as farmers quietly continues.

This book released September 3, 2019, is a quick read that gives a vivid, first-hand
look at this tumultuous time in Chinese history. Chen's descriptions are simple, yet beautiful - "The dirt road...was covered with gleaming morning dew. Each wet pearl carried the whole earth within its full liquid moon..." He has a great talent for storytelling and, in this case, I find him to be remarkably candid and far more civil than most victims of such persecution and poverty would be.

The continuing ebb and flow of tranquility versus brutality in the story gives readers a glimpse of the underlying uncertainty the Chinese people must have felt during this time.

Most booksellers list this novel as being appropriate for ages 8-12, however, I would caution that the story contains violence and talk of rape, which parents may not feel is suitable for the younger end of this age range.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

This middle grade novel by Dan Gemeinhart, was wonderful. Read it. That is all.

Just kidding, you know I can't stop there. This compelling story chronicles the 5 year physical and emotional journey of 12 year-old Coyote Sunrise and her father Rodeo.

Coyote shares their story with the reader and it is immediately apparent that she is independent, intelligent, and street smart. She reveals herself to us slowly, peeling away the layers of street tough and pain, and as she does, we begin to understand how she and Rodeo came to live in a renovated school bus, driving from place to place on their wims.

Coyote and her grandmother, who lives in Washington, speak on the phone every Sunday, and it is during one of those calls that Coyote discovers that the neighborhood park she loved as a little girl is being bulldozed to become a parking lot. This news catapults Coyote into action and we soon learn that 5 years ago, she, her mother, and her two sisters buried a time capsule of sorts in that park and Coyote, who is, at the moment, in Florida, is determined to get back to Washington and retrieve the box before it disappears forever.

But, there is a considerable obstacle - Rodeo. He refuses to return to their hometown, or even speak of it. So how will Coyote convince him to take her back to Washington and save the time capsule in less than a week? No spoilers here.

As the will-they-get-there tension rises, Coyote begins to confront her past and, in turn, forces Rodeo to do the same. A cast of characters joins them as they cross the United States and each one adds depth to the story and introduces the reader to some of the tough topics and difficult choices we must make in life. One of the key events toward the resolution seemed a bit far-fetched to me, but it did make for an exciting chapter.

I love the way Gemeinhart resolved their story. With no shortage of events on both the rising and falling action sides of the story arc spectrum, it could have ended up in numerous ways, but his ending is satisfying and will help middle grade readers feel closure.

His books deal with tough subjects and this one is no different - mental health, death, parentification, breaking up with someone you love, coming out, dishonesty, and domestic abuse are all touched on in this novel. The difference between Gemeinhart and many other MG authors is that while he does not sugar coat things, he isn't graphic or offensive in the way he addresses the topics. If you'd like to hear him explain this, see the interview link below.

Researching Gemeinhart led me to the fact that he also lives in Washington, in the small town of Cashmere. He used to work as a teacher librarian, which gave him the opportunity to not only read tons of children's and teen literature, but gave him an inside look at what they like, what they are curious about, and the books that meet those needs.

Whether you choose a regular book, an e-book, or an audiobook, please read this story.

Dan Gemeinhart website
Interview with Dan Gemeinhart (scroll down for interview)
Interview with Dan Gemeinhart about his book Good Dog - it's a 27 minute segment, and worth watching, but if you want to hear his take on writing for middle graders, start at 9:26 and go to about 13:10.

Property of the Rebel Librarian

June loves her school library, it's her happy place at Dogwood Middle School. Miss Bradshaw, the librarian, is the perfect librarian for her middle school - she knows what kids like to read, keeps the shelves well-stocked with their favorites, she remembers their tastes and recommends just-right books.

Then one day, June's parents notice a book she has brought home from the library and decide it is inappropriate. Soon, Miss Bradshaw is suspended, the upcoming author visit is cancelled, books are being removed from the library faster than you can say, "censorship," and every non-textbook brought on campus must get administrative approval.

 A voracious reader, June cannot let this stand! As she is walking home from school one day, she sees a Little Free Library and gets a brilliant idea - she starts her own library in an unoccupied locker at school, filling it with banned books. Word spreads and soon, students are checking out books, and trying to keep them safe from prying eyes.

The question is - how long will she be able to keep it up?

 Allison Varnes, former English teacher, knocked it out of the park with her debut novel. This book has the potential to inspire a new generation of activists - it shows very clearly that one person can make a difference. This note is found at the end of Rebel Librarian:

   

As you read, you will be surprised at the titles that have been challenged over the years. 

Years ago, I was teaching 3rd grade, and chose Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for our after-lunch read aloud. Not one, not two, but THREE parents refused to allow their children to listen to the story because it involved witchcraft. 

So their children selected books of their own to read at a picnic table just outside our classroom while the rest of us enjoyed the first HP novel.

I still shake my head whenever I think of this. 

One of those parents had the audacity to give me a copy of Harry Potter and the Bible as a Christmas "gift" to show me the error of my ways. I exchanged it.

Allison Varnes website

Article by Allison Varnes - "Why Kids Need the Freedom to Choose the Books They Read"

Interview with Allison Varnes (scroll down for interview)

Grump: The Fairly True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

I always enjoy reading a classic fairy tale that has been fractured to tell the story from a different character's point of view.

Grump the dwarf was born too close to the Earth's surface and therefore isn't suited for life in the mines - he becomes physically ill when he goes too far underground. He longs to go to the surface of the Earth and see what life is like, and when he begins working in the mine, he finally finds a way to sneak to the surface. He meets Snow White and the evil queen and the traditional tale unfolds from there, told from Grump's point of view.

I love the details that Liesl Shurtliff provides about life underground in the dwarf community, especially their diet and the way the dwarves are named.

Visit Shurtliff's website to find out more about her and see her list of works.
World Over interview with Liesl Shurtliff
Book Trailer for Red
Book Trailer for Rump
Book Trailer for Jack

Ms. Rapscott's Girls

Just finished this little gem - if you like A Series of Unfortunate Events, you'll like this book. It has a lighter touch that ASOUE. The premise is that a group of 4 girls whose parents are too busy to parent, are packed into boxes and shipped to Ms. Rapscott’s School for Girls Whose Parents Are Too Busy. 

Ms.Rapscott (think tactless Mary Poppins) teaches them how to do all the things they haven’t been taught at home - how to bathe and brush their teeth, do laundry, cook, be safe crossing the street, entertain themselves without tv, do basic household chores, and how to have an adventure. 

The ending nicely opens the way for a sequel.

Visit the author's blog to learn more about her and her work.

11 Birthdays

A couple of years ago, a group of girls in my class were absolutely crazy for Wendy Mass books, so I added a few of her books to my classroom library, but I didn't make time to read them to see what all the fuss was about. I recently read this one and really enjoyed it. Think Henry and Beezus meets Groundhog Day. 

Amanda and Leo share a birthday and have celebrated together for the past 10 years. But this year, they have had a falling out and they are not celebrating together.

Amanda is anxious for the day to be over so she can forget about Leo and the fight they had. Unfortunately for Amanda, when she wakes up the next day, it's her birthday AGAIN.

Besides the Willow Falls series, which begins with 11 Birthdays, Mass has also authored the Space Taxi series, the Twice Upon a Time series, as well as 10 stand alone books. 

Wendy Mass website
KidLit podcast with Wendy Mass
KidLitTV interview with Wendy Mass

The Tiger Rising

Kate diCamillo is one of today's most popular junior fiction writers - great plots, engaging characters, challenging vocabulary, and abundant opportunities for inference and text connections.

Her best-known book is likely Because of Winn-Dixie, but she's also authored Flora and Ulysses, The Magician's Elephant, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Raymie Nightengale, The Tale of Despereaux, as well as her Mercy Watson and Bink & Gollie series'.

I had the opportunity to hear her speak when she was touring to promote Flora and Ulysses, and she is thoroughly delightful. The audience was filled with all ages and she was engaging to every age and interest level. I've included link to interviews below and this article by her about why children's book SHOULD be a little bit sad is well worth your time.

Tiger Rising has a lot of sad, and it's ok. Rob's mother passed away a year ago. His dad is so grief-stricken that he won't talk about her and doesn't want anyone else to mention her either, including Rob. But their hometown full of people who love them and his mother insists on wrapping their arms around them, so his father decides they have to move.

Rob has an image in his mind of a suitcase, and he puts all of his feelings, thoughts, and memories of his mother into that suitcase and keeps the lid shut tight. He refers back to the suitcase anytime he is tempted to cry or even talk to anyone about his mother.

They end up living in a hotel where his father works as a handyman. Rob is bullied at school, on the bus, everywhere he goes, and adults turn a blind eye. He has a rash on his legs, that to any adult would signal emotional distress, but to other children represents another opportunity to mock and tease him. He adds his feelings about being treated this way to his suitcase.

And then Sistine moves to town. Sistine's parents recently divorced and she is sure her father is coming any day to take her to live with him, so she has no intention of making friends or caring about this place. Rob is drawn to her immediately.

Sistine immediately becomes a target for the other children, but she, unlike Rob, fights back, leaving school each day with dirty, torn clothes, as well as scrapes and bruises. Before she and Rob can get to know each other very well, his principal sends him home until the rash on his legs clears up because some of the other parents are afraid it is contagious. Rob is thrilled!

Sistine brings him the schoolwork he has missed each day and they develop an uneasy friendship that is cemented when he shares that he has found a tiger in a cage in the woods, a tiger that sits squarely on top of his suitcase, holding it closed.

As the mystery of the tiger unfolds, Rob and Sistine come to terms with the truths in their lives - Sistine's father is not coming to get her and Rob must learn to talk about his feelings if he is going to be healthy.

This is a great read-aloud with older children. I recommend reading to together because of some of the intense topics and feelings that are woven into this wonderful story. It opens the door to opportunities to talk about divorce, death, compassion, kindness, mental health, friendship, decision-making, etc...

The ending is satisfying, but leaves enough room for the reader to imagine what the future holds for Rob and his friend Sistine.

Tiger Rising and Kate diCamillo's other works are available on Amazon.



Reading Rockets interview with diCamillo
Candlewick Press interview with diCamillo

Princess Academy

I read this book several years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. This year, I decided to read it aloud to my 4th graders as our final read aloud of the school year.

I'll admit, when I announced the title, there were lots of groans, mostly from the boys, and I was worried that they wouldn't be able to get past their princess book prejudices and enjoy the story.

By the second day, the class was calling out, "Nooooooo!" when I would stop for the day (I love it when that happens).

Miri and the other girls from her remote mountain village are forced to attend a Princess Academy because the leaders of their land have declared that the next princess will come from their village.

Their reluctant instructor teaches them everything she can about manners, commerce, history, and other subjects, while dealing a hefty dose of humiliation and abuse.

During the winter, they are snowbound and unable to go home for visits. It is then that a band of hoodlums decides to hold them hostage until the king pays a handsome ransom, the girls must figure out a way to save themselves.

Author Shannon Hale won a Newbery Honor for this book and wrote 2 sequels - Princess Academy: Palace of Stone and Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters. 

Her Books of Bayern series: Enna Burning, Goose Girl, River Secrets, and Forest Born, are also great reads for the intermediate crowd.

For younger readers, Hale has written The Princess in Black series, and for those with a taste toward pop culture, the Ever After High series might be just perfect for summer reading.

BookSpots interview with Shannon Hale
AdLit interview with Shannon Hale
Books Alive! interview with Shannon Hale (start at :58)
Library of Congress video - Shannon Hale talks about literacy

Author Birthday: Gary Paulsen

I'm noticing a pattern.

Since I've begun posting tributes on authors' birthdays, both here and, more frequently, on Instagram, I have noticed that most of my favorite authors are well into their 70's and 80's. Go ahead and say it - I'm old. But as far as I'm concerned, my age is a gift. Because I was born when I was, my childhood was filled with the works of Beverly Cleary, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Catherine Woolley, and E.L. Konigsburg.

My children's generation can claim that their shelves were filled with J.K. Rowling, Lynne Reid Banks, Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, and...Gary Paulsen.

Celebrating his 79th birthday today, Gary Paulsen is every bit as tough and rugged as the men he writes. He prefers solitude to cities, and nature to the general public, he has strong opinions on modern society, is a true adventurer and a gifted storyteller.

Gary Paulsen writes for kids, to make an impression, to foster new ideas within them. In an interview with the New York Times (August 2006), Paulsen states, "Adults are locked into car payments and divorces and work. They haven't got time to think fresh. Name the book that made the biggest impression on you. I bet you read it before you hit puberty. In the time I've got left, I intend to write artistic books - for kids - because they're still open to new ideas."

Paulsen is the author of more than 170 books and doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon. He is also a three-time Newbery award winner, but if you take the time to read a bit about him, or listen to him speak, it will become clear to you that he writes because he is driven to write, not because he is seeking accolades. 

He loves writing and he knows first-hand the impact the right books can have on a child. Paulsen had a difficult childhood, a gross understatement to be sure, and credits his local librarian with changing the course of his life.

If you know a reluctant reader, especially a boy, put a Gary Paulsen book in his hands, and you will soon see a changed reader.

Start with Hatchet. You won't regret it.

Winterhouse

A few weeks ago, I attended an author event at my local independent book store, Eagle Harbor Book Co., in which Washington author Ben Guterson introduced his first novel, a middle grade fantasy about 11-year old Elizabeth Somers, an orphan who lives with relatives on her father's side of the family.

On the last day of school before Christmas break, she arrives at home to find an envelope duct-taped to the front door. The envelope contains three dollars, a train ticket, and a note telling her they are going on a three-week trip for the holidays and she would be going to Winterhouse Hotel. The house is locked tight, but they "thoughtfully" gathered a few items of clothing, stuck them in a plastic grocery sack, and hung them on the doorknob for her.

While the train ride is uneventful, the bus from the train station to the hotel contains some passengers who make Elizabeth very uncomfortable - and so the adventure begins.

Elizabeth's three weeks at Winterhouse are filled with intrigue and fun. She has plenty of food to eat, a new wardrobe, a warm, clean, comfortable room, and discovers that a mysterious benefactor has paid for everything. Guests are invited to attend movies, lectures, and parties, they can check out recreational equipment, and best of all, at least to Elizabeth, they have access to the hotel's extensive library.

At Winterhouse, Elizabeth meets a cast of quirky, but lovable characters, finally makes a friend who is as quirky and smart as she is, and finds adults who actually care about her. She also discovers a mystery to solve, family secrets to learn, and...she cannot seem to get away from the mysterious couple from the bus.

Guterson has filled this novel with word ladders, anagrams, ambigrams, and Vigenere ciphers, which will keep readers guessing right along with Elizabeth. He also sprinkled the titles of some of his favorite children's novels throughout the book, which is sure to cause his young readers to say, "Hey! I love that book, too!"

Chloe Bristol, a Disney background artist, illustrated the book, perfectly matching the feel of the story with her unique style. The cover she created for this book is wonderful - a painting of the front of Winterhouse Hotel, with the windows cut out so you can see inside. In true teacher fashion, I laminated mine, so it can withstand the abuse it will take in my classroom ;)

Winterhouse is a solid debut and I look forward to the other two books in the trilogy. Click here to order your copy.

Trailer for Winterhouse.

Therapeutic Fiction

I've started a new hashtag on Instagram - #therapeuticfiction .

It's that time of year again, the time when we remember what the phrase "teacher tired" means. Students are antsy and sassy and exhausting. Those who have put in their best effort all year are tired, those who have spent the year piddling their own time, their classmates' time, and their teacher's time with constant disruptions are kicking it up a notch. It's EXHAUSTING.

I have to remind myself every year that they are feeling anxious about the coming changes. For some of them, school is their safe place and summer means instability and uncertainty. Some are worried because they are moving across town or even across the country, or will be far from home with a non-custodial parent for a month or two. Others, like my 4th graders, are anxious about moving to a new school.

We've been reading lots of picture books about strong emotions and new situations, something I do at the beginning of the school year as well. These books are WONDERFUL springboards for conversations about what is bothering children. In the past few days, I have learned so much about these children I thought I already knew so well!

• "That happened to me," 
• "I feel that way, too," 
• "His parents are NEVER getting back together," 
• "My parents got divorced without even asking me," 
• "My brother doesn't even talk to me anymore. All he does is play video games," 
• "I'm scared of that, too,"

Julia Cook is a former school counselor and teacher who writes about tough topics for kids - deployment, foster care, cancer, autism, executive function, and much more. She's written more than 60 books and they are teacher favorites! The two books pictured above are written by her and were our read alouds earlier this week. 

Wilma Jean the Worry Machine is about a girl who worries about EVERYTHING - this girl is a world class worrier, and nothing goes unnoticed or is too small for her to obsess over. Her mom finally snaps, consults every professional she can find and comes up with a plan to help Wilma figure out some strategies for tackling the things that are keeping her from living her life to the fullest.

Thanks for the Feedback...I Think was hilarious! R.J has no skills for handling either compliments or criticism. He also has trouble reading body language and sensing tone. When he is rude to his teacher during a parent-teacher conference, his parents take action and teach him some strategies for responding to others.

My class was keenly interested in the feedback story, which allowed us to have a interesting conversation about what feedback is and some appropriate ways to respond to it. 

I've taught a number of RJs over the years, and sadly, there are more of them in each class as the years roll by. Because they have no strategies for handling feedback, they immediately become defensive, argumentative and disrespectful. Thankfully, teachers have access to books like these to help children identify with characters and process solutions in a non-threatening way.

So...I'm going to keep posting my favorite titles for helping children learn to identify and handle strong emotions and new situations with the hashtag #therapeuticfiction. Join me and soon we'll have a tremendous list of teacher-tested and approved books on Instagram!

Happy Birthday to Margaret Petersen Haddix!

I've started having my "Social Media Team" create videos for author birthdays and we post them to Instagram. Here'e the one they created for Margaret Petersen Haddix.

Happy Birthday

They were so excited to do it because we just finished reading one of her older books, Running Out of Time. If you scroll down on the post, you'll see that she replied - they were over the moon!

I've been reading this treasure to my 4th graders for years and, as time goes by, I have to explain more and more about the 1990's to my students, but it's always worth it.

Haddix is well-known for both her Missing series and her Shadow Children series, all of which I recommend for young adult and middle grade readers. 

Be sure to visit her website. Her bio is interesting and kid-friendly, there's great interview in which she talks about herself as both a reader and a writer, and much more. 

Our class is in the middle of Dear Mr. Henshaw right now, so I was delighted to see a link on her site that says "Writing a Report? Here's some quick information about me." I laughed out loud.

Happy Birthday, Sid Fleischman!

When I taught 4th grade in California, we read this book every year in conjunction with our Gold Rush unit. Now that I teach in Washington, I can't break the habit and guess what? My students love the book just as much as my California kids, and I love having the opportunity to share the history of my hometown with them.

Thank you, Sid Fleischman, for a well-told tale that stands the test of time and...geographical location.

The Sign of the Beaver

Our class is finishing up our historical fiction genre study and this is the book I've been reading aloud to them during lunch each day. I've been using this in my 4th grade classes for years and every time I read it, I remember all the reasons I enjoy it so much. By time we reached chapter 3, this year's class was completely engrossed and silent as I read (not a state in which they typically exist ;)

1. Elizabeth George Speare - this author has historical fiction chops! This novel won 3 awards: a Newbery Honor Citation, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and the Christopher Award. She also received the Laura Ingalls Wilder (pause here for appropriate fangirl dance) for her "enduring and distinguished contribution to children's literature." Other well-known works are The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Calico Captive, and The Bronze Bow.

2. This story absolutely entrances children. I'm never sure how each class will respond, after all, this was published well before 9 year-olds began dressing and behaving like celebutantes. But Speare is a master storyteller who does not indulge in protracted descriptive paragraphs that young readers typically skim or ignore. Using direct language sprinkled with some vivid figurative language, she crafts a tightly woven story of friendship, prejudice, and growing up. Readers will be holding their breath to see how things turn out for our hero, Matt.

Twelve year-old Matt is left in the Maine territory to watch over his family's new home while his father returns to Massachusetts to fetch the rest of the family - mother, sister, and brand new baby.

While he waits, and the expected 6 weeks turn into months, Matt is robbed, has a life-threatening accident, and discovers that the nearby Native Americans - the clan of the Beaver - have been watching him and saved his life. He and the chief's grandson are forced to spend time together and grow from grudging companions into true friends.

The events have led to interesting discussions in our class about differences in lifestyle between then and now, attitudes toward Native Americans (called Indians throughout this novel) at the time, the instinct for survival, and honoring our responsibilities.

If you haven't read this book, check it out of your local library today! It will be well worth your time.

Wonder

I finished reading this little gem today and love, love, loved it! Wonder, R. J. Palacio's first novel, has quickly become a favorite of anyone I've talked to who has read it, adults and children alike.

Auggie Pullman is a 5th grader who is starting private school after years of being home schooled. He's not worried about keeping up academically, but he is worried about finding friends. Not an unusual concern for someone about to become the new kid, but he's only navigated a few friendships in his short life, not because he lacks the opportunity or social skills, but because his face is deformed and other children are reluctant to come near him.

Auggie is used to stares, whispers, shock, tight smiles, and even screams, but experiencing that all day, every day will be an adjustment he's not sure he wants to make.

Palacio tells the story of Auggie's 5th grade year not only through Auggie's eyes, but through the eyes of those who love him - his sister, Olivia and her friends Justin and Miranda, and his friends Jack and Summer. August and Olivia give the reader clear insight into their parents' view, but all of the voices telling the story are the voices of children and teenagers who understand the social ramifications each of the others face when they commit to becoming part of Team Auggie.

I shed more than a few tears and laughed out loud several time as the kids told their stories. There are characters who are redeemed and those whose pride doesn't allow redemption. Readers will enjoy meeting the frenemies, the love-blind parents, the long-suffering, invisible sister, and watching the transformation of the student body at Beecher Prep as they learn that the old saying is true - what matters is what is on the inside.

For those who want more Auggie, there is a companion to this novel titled Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories, which is waiting for me at my local library.

Bingo Brown

Continuing on my nostalgia tour, let me introduce you to Bingo Brown.  Award-winning author Betsy Byars, who has penned more than 60 children's books since 1962, including The Summer of the Swans, brought Bingo into my life in the early 90's.

She tells his story in a 4-part series: The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown, Bingo Brown and the Language of Love, Bingo Brown, Gypsy Lover, and Bingo Brown's Guide to Romance.  All are available in Kindle editions as well as through third party sellers through Amazon.  Each book can stand alone, but I recommend reading them all in order.  They're quick and entertaining, perfect for read aloud time with your own children or a classroom of 3rd-6th graders.

Let's talk about first things first - how does a kid get a name like Bingo? Well, his real name is Harrison, but only his grandmother is allowed to call him that. :)  His parents began calling him Bingo because that is what the doctor said when he entered the world.  Bingo is sure that the doctor says that every time he delivers a baby and feels like his moniker, and perhaps his very self, is unremarkable.

Byars deftly addresses his nickname in the third book, as the family gathers at the hospital for the birth of his new sibling. Bingo has a brief conversation with a nurse who says she was also in the room when he was born.  He asks her if the doctor says, "Bingo!" each time he delivers a child.  She says she can't remember him saying it any other time and  I could almost hear Bingo's sigh of relief as he lets go of the feeling that he is just another face in the crowd, or delivery room, as the case may be.  The whole exchange is so brief, such a seemingly insignificant incident in the series, but speaks volumes of the angst that tweens carry around with them as they try to find their place in the world.

While the titles correctly suggest that sixth grader Bingo is struggling to understand the opposite sex, each book also contains subplots dedicated to other challenges pre-teens often face:  a new sibling, bullies, teachers who betray their students' trust, friends moving away, and believing yourself to be in love with more than one person at the same time.

Byars is an expert at creating sympathetic characters and believable dialogue.  While some adults may not appreciate her lighter touch regarding more serious issues, such as the motorcycle accident, I found her treatment to be perfect for her target audience.

Today's readers may have a tough time understanding Bingo's world with it's land-lines, long-distance charges, and snail mail, but they will easily identify with his panic over participating in "mixed-sex conversations" on the phone, coping with wild crushes, idolizing a cool, young teacher, and figuring out familial relationships.