What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR – June 16, 2013

Thanks to Book Journey for starting this whole thing!

Thanks also to Teach Mentor Texts for their focus on Children’s Literature of this meme!

Please like The Chronicles Of A Children’s Book Writer Facebook page!

If you’re on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag #IMWAYR when sharing your link!

I shared some Father’s Day picks earlier this week.

Commitment to Literacy= 190 books to be donated

-BOOM!: Big, Big Thunder & One Small Dog by Mary Lyn Ray, Illustrated by Steven Salerno [**]- The illustrations immediately caught my eye. This is a pretty cute story.

-Little You by Richard Van Camp, Illustrated by Julie Flett [**]-This is my new favorite baby shower book recommendation! Words and illustrations are perfection!

-The Red Diary: The Re(a)d Diary by Teddy Kristiansen, Iilustrated by Steven T. Seagle [**- My Pick of the Week]- This was a cool idea for a graphic novel. The same art and certain elements were used in each version of the story but then the story is remixed. Art and Identity are the common themes with each one. I guess I can stop saying I don’t usually read graphic novels because I’ve read a rather good amount of them over the years. And a good story is a good story whatever the format or genre.

-Mr. Wuffles! By David Wiesner [**]- I can’t wait until this comes out in October so everyone can enjoy this picture book by David Wiesner. He continues to amaze me with his originality!

-The Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman [**]- My boss recommended this to me. This is a great picture book about friendship and getting out from your comfort zone.

Rating Scale
*= It was OK
**= Liked it
***= Recommended
****= Highly Recommended
*****= Favorite

I think I’ll finally finish Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere this week!

Happy Reading!

 

Father’s Day Picks

Our Father’s Day display (with a rock painting craft project)

Father’s Day is just around the corner and I wanted to take some time to recommend books.

Of course, there will be the usual more common titles on display in bookstores and libraries so I’m going to try and stay away from those but a good book is a good book so these may be on it.

-You Are My I Love You by Maryann Cusimano Love, Illustrated by Satomi Ichikawa- This is more of a traditional pick. Some may find the rhyming text too saccharine but I love the sweetness of the book- from the words and the watercolor illustrations and the relationship between father and son.

-Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown
-Vader’s Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown
These two titles are big hits in the store. Even someone like me who hasn’t watched any of the Star Wars films found them hilarious. Of course, I’m familiar with most of the story and the relationships between the characters. I’m sure these comics will make for a nice quirky gift.

-Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle- This wonderful book is all about how certain male parents in the animal kingdom are the ones who take care of their offspring. A nice informative book for dads who do everything.

-Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
-Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems
-Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion by Mo Willems
I was surprised at it being so emotional. The trajectory of the books- seeing the characters grow (in age and maturity level) in the span of three books- was so unusual for a kids book. It was such a love story between a dad and his daughter. And I thought the illustration style was interesting- cartoon drawings over photographs.

-Daddy, Papa, and Me by Lesléa Newman, Illustrated by Carol Thompson- I think it’s great that kids who have same-sex parents have something they can relate to from the get go. Books are great in making people feel like they aren’t alone in things!

-The Fathers Are Coming Home by Margaret Wise Brown, Illustrated by Stephen Savage – This was a never published work by Margaret Wise Brown about fathers of all sorts coming home. I would say it’s another traditional pick but I just read it recently so I figured I’d include it. Stephen Savage’s illustrations add a wonderful retro and pleasing feel.

What are some books you’d recommend for Father’s Day?

 

What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR – June 9, 2013

Thanks to Book Journey for starting this whole thing!

Thanks also to Teach Mentor Texts for their focus on Children’s Literature of this meme!

Please like The Chronicles Of A Children’s Book Writer Facebook page!

If you’re on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag #IMWAYR when sharing your link!

My 13-day streak of working and volunteering ended this week so I’m relieved. I helped organize our Friends of the Library Annual Meeting. We had a great speaker- the librarian of the rare books room- and we saw a signed Charles Dickens rejection letter to an aspiring writer and also a very rare copy of A Russian edition pop-up Pinocchio with sound elements.

I wrote about R.J. Palacio’s Wonder again, a year after I originally did. This is a wonderful book to read if you haven’t yet.

Commitment to Literacy= 181 books to be donated

-City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems, Illustrated by Jon J. Muth [**]
-Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems [**]
-Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems [**]
I was familiar with the storyline for City Dog, Country Frog because a customer got emotional after reading it. She was buying it as a present for her mom. Jon Muth’s illustrations really impressed her, especially when the dog gave a very froggy smile. All three books were cute and fit in his style of simple yet not simplistic.

-At Our House by Isabel Minhos Martins, Illustrated by Madalena Matoso [**]-Get ready for some numbers fun! Go on a counting adventure that will have kids wanting to see how many heads, noses, fingers, toes there are at their house, their school, anywhere! Fun facts about the human body can be found at the end of this beautifully illustrated book.

-Desmond and the Very Mean Word by Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams, Illustrated by A.G. Ford [***]-Based on a real-life experience- and perhaps something everyone has gone through, this wonderful story captures the beauty and ugliness of what the world has to offer. After being told a very mean word by a bunch of kids, Desmond must decide if he can take Father Trevor’s advice to forgive those who have hurt us or to get back at them. Expressive illustrations.

-Meeow and the Big Box by Sebastien Braun [**]
-Meeow and the Pots and Pans by Sebastien Braun [**]
-Meeow and the Little Chairs by Sebastien Braun [**]
Meeow is a clever cat who likes to make things. A fun guessing game of a story that teaches kids colors and lets them think outside the box.

-Drawing from Memory by Allen Say [***- My Pick of the Week]- What a life! I love the different styles that were found in his memoir- picture book, photographs, drawings, and graphic novel illustrations. Very impressive.

-The Fathers Are Coming Home by Margaret Wise Brown, Illustrated by Stephen Savage [*]- This was a never published work by Margaret Wise Brown about fathers of all sorts coming home. Stephen Savage’s illustrations add a wonderful retro and pleasing feel.

-Artful Reading by Bob Raczka [**]- This is a collection of paintings of people reading with a short write up of how each artist was a reader and/or writer

-Downpour by Emily Martin, Illustrated by Mara Shaughnessy [*]- Another hedgehog picture book. The colors from the red poppies begin to run off into the world. Images of red things are kind of disturbing considering the latest Game of Thrones episode, The Red Wedding.

-Good People Everywhere by Lynea Gillen, Illustrated by Kristina Swarner [***]- Sometimes the world is a horrible dark place and we need a book like this to remind them there are still good people everywhere doing good things in the world everyday.

-How To by Julie Morstad [*]- I saw this title on a few #IMWAYR posts so I requested it from the library. It’s a fun imaginative “instructional” picture book.

-Mouse Bird Snake Wolf by David Almond, Illustrated by Dave McKean [**]- The cover caught my eye. In fact, all the illustrations were striking. In this rather dark fable, we have a bunch of kids imagining things into existence while the gods nap. At first I thought it’d be too scary for the intended audience but all fairy tales seem to have dark elements.

-The Lost [and Found] Balloon by Celeste Jenkins, Illustrated by Maria Bogade [*]- This is a cute lyrical picture book about a girl releasing a balloon into the world with a message attached to it. Where it finally lands is a nice surprise.

-The World Is Waiting for You by Barbara Kerley [**]-In this great photo book, National Geographic gives kids the opportunity to discover the possibilities and wonders awaiting them if they choose to seek them! The positive message will surely inspire readers to discover the world around them! Short bios of the explorers featured in the book are provided in the back.

Rating Scale
*= It was OK
**= Liked it
***= Recommended
****= Highly Recommended
*****= Favorite

One of my goals in June is to finally finish Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and Jasper Fforde’s The Woman Who Died A Lot but I keep finding other books to read! I just picked up John Grisham’s Theodore Boone: The Actvist.

Happy Reading!

 

The Wonder of WONDER

This time last year, I wrote a post about Wonder, one of the biggest books of 2012.

R.J. Palacio writes about Auggie, a boy with a facial deformity who’s been teased and taunted throughout his life because of it but faces another level of bullying when he decides to go to public school for the first time.

We have teachers who come into our bookstore and use Wonder as a conversation starter in their schools. I enjoy telling them about the Choose Kind initiative that was inspired by the book.

Recently I watched a documentary called Bully. It was truly heartbreaking. We all know the problem and why it should stop so I won’t get into that. It just reinforces my belief that we all should be a little kinder- maybe a lot kinder if you’re up for the challenge. Problems like these may seem insurmountable but if we can be a positive example to our circle of friends, then perhaps one of them will be a good role model to others in their own groups. And so on until our individual light of love and understanding drives out the darkness created by hate and indifference.

 

What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR – June 2, 2013

Thanks to Book Journey for starting this whole thing!

Thanks also to Teach Mentor Texts for their focus on Children’s Literature of this meme!

Please like The Chronicles Of A Children’s Book Writer Facebook page!

If you’re on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag #IMWAYR when sharing your link!

One of the bookstores in Portland is closing down and I’m so very sad about it. The owner is one passionate and knowledgeable bookseller! The important takeaway from this is to support the things you value in life before they’re gone!

I volunteered for the library to help them sort out the books and prizes they’ll be giving as incentives to the kids who join.

I wouldn’t even be able to remember anything if I weren’t looking over my Twitter and Facebook posts. This is Day 10 of 13 straight work & volunteer days. As stressful as it is, and it is my fault for not scheduling my time better, I’m glad I get to do what I love. Books are my passion.

Commitment to Literacy= 172 books to be donated

-Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems [***]
-Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems [**]
-Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion by Mo Willems [***]
I was surprised at it being so emotional. The trajectory of the books- seeing the characters grow (in age and maturity level) in the span of three books- was so unusual for a kids book. It was such a love story between a dad and his daughter. And I thought the illustration style was interesting.

-A Dog Is a Dog by Stephen Shaskan [***]- This is a great read aloud book. Nice rhythm. Fun story. Wonderful illustrations.

-How to Negotiate Everything by Lisa Lutz, Illustrated by Jaime Temairik [**]- This was a hilarious picture book written by a fictional character- David Spellman who is a character in Lisa Lutz’s mystery novel series. I can’t wait to see kids taking the advice and using it to their advantage!

-Ball by Mary Sullivan [*]- There’s only one word in this picture book. The relationship between the dog and his owner was sweet. Another fun read for kids.

-Inferno by Dan Brown [***]- However much it’s easy to dismiss Dan Brown, this was quite a pageturner. However formulaic his books are, he really knows how to tell a story. This was definitely a vast improvement over The Lost Symbol. It brought up a very thought provoking topic. This is a book equivalent of a summer blockbuster popcorn flick. I always want to look at the architecture and pieces of art mentioned in his books. Plus now I want to read Dante’s The Divine Comedy.

-The Umbrella by Ingrid Schubert, Illustrated by Dieter Schubert [*]- This picture book was pretty good. It had humor and action and no words.

-Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary [****- My Pick of the Week]- How have I not read Dear Mr. Henshaw before? Writing. Authors. Librarians. Everything I love in a book. It’s about a boy who writes to his favorite writer and through the letters (and later through diary entries) we learn more the boy’s life. This is not a cookie-cutter book. It deals with divorce and trying to fit in in an unfamiliar environment. It’s amazing how kids books are perceived as simple but the best ones aren’t. This had depth and emotional resonance. And, for anyone aspiring to be a writer, this is a must read! Dear Ms. Cleary, you rock!

-Otis and the Tornado by Loren Long [*]

-Flora and Tiger by Eric Carle [**]- This is a collection of very short stories about his life in both Germany and America. Each recollection and memory is animal based because his father had instilled in him a love and respect of nature. Some are poignant and some are quite funny. There’s at least one of his signature collage illustrations in his story.

-Amelia Bedelia’s First Library Card by Herman Parish and Lynne Avril [*]- I love libraries and I had grown quite fond of the Amelia Bedelia picture books. This was sweet even if I don’t have much to say about it.

-Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss! [*****]- Audible had a free download of this book, which is one of my favorite books ever. This was narrated by John Lithgow. Here’s the link to it but I don’t know for how much longer the offer will be good for.

-The Three Hedgehogs by Javier Saez Castan [**]- Hedgehogs are everywhere these days! This was a quirky picture book find divided into “two acts and a colophon” sandwiched between a “Dramatis Personae” and a glossary defining the Chinese, French, English, Spanish, and Latin terms found in its pages.

Rating Scale
*= It was OK
**= Liked it
***= Recommended
****= Highly Recommended
*****= Favorite

One of my goals in June is to finally finish Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere. I’m alternating that between Jasper Fforde’s The Woman Who Died A Lot. Hopefully I’ll finish at least one of them this week.

Happy Reading!

 

What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR – May 26, 2013

Thanks to Book Journey for starting this whole thing!

Thanks also to Teach Mentor Texts for their focus on Children’s Literature of this meme!

Please like The Chronicles Of A Children’s Book Writer Facebook page!

If you’re on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag #IMWAYR when sharing your link!

Will you participate in this year’s Read for the Record? I wrote about it here.

I checked out a couple exhibits this past week- one was all about Allen Say and the other was at Powell’s called by Paint by Author by Allison Bruns and Chris Haberman. They each made a portrait of 25 of their mot favorite writers, including these ones of Dr. Seuss.

Commitment to Literacy= 167 books to be donated

-Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
-Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems
-A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems
-The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! by Mo Willems
-The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems
-The Duckling Gets a Cookie? by Mo Willems
Aside from Oliver Jeffers and Eric Carle, Mo Willems is another author/illustrator whose work I want to read the entirety of. I’ve read a couple of his stand alone picture books and saw him read Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. I started reading him for my A to Z Picture Book Series Reading Challenge and fell in love with his Elephant & Piggie series. I was glad the latest one A Big Guy Took My Ball! was a return to form because the last few seemed like same-old-same-old stuff. I like recommending him and I can’t believe I hadn’t read of the Pigeon books before. I knew the style but I still enjoyed them tremendously. Mo Willems has truly mastered the style of simple text but not a simplistic story. The Duckling is a great foil for him.

-“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth by Eric Carle [*]
-Where Are You Going? To See My Friend! by Eric Carle and Kazuo Iwamura [***- My Pick of the Week]
-Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle [*]
-10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle [*]
-The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse [*]
I’m making my way through Eric Carle’s bibliography. He continues to introduce new concepts and/or provide facts in interesting ways. Mister Seahorse is all about how certain male parent in the animal kingdom are the ones who take care of their offspring. I absolutely adored Where Are You Going? To See My Friend! It was so cool how the English and Japanese storylines merged and everything about it symbolized a great message of coming together despite the differences. Each contributor had their own style and I loved Eric Carle drawing in his other characters.

-The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky [***]- I picked up The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I stayed up all night reading it. Charlie was such a refreshing character. I was immediately drawn to him and his predicaments. The storytelling style seemed original too. There were definitely moments that got to me- and they weren’t just the sad parts (I had to stop reading it in public) but the good parts. I felt his happiness, his sense of infinite. But, oddly enough, I didn’t get a sense of oh this is one of my favorite books. It was like When You Reach Me that way. But I’m glad I read it. I’ll definitely recommend it and I can’t wait to watch the movie.

-Otis by Loren Long
-Otis and the Puppy by Loren Long
I picked up these books to prepare for my Read for the Record post. Read my review there.

-The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas by Tony Wilson, Illustrated by Sue deGennaro [**]- I picked this book up because our customers seemed so taken by it. I had to see what was catching their interest. It was a cute story of not being your typical princess.

Rating Scale
*= It was OK
**= Liked it
***= Recommended
****= Highly Recommended
*****= Favorite

I’m still reading Dan Brown’s Inferno and hopefully will finish it this week so I can move on to the other novels I’ve started!

Happy Reading!

 

Read for the Record- October 3, 2013

Last year I wrote about Read for the Record.

Started in 2006, this national campaign helps raise awareness of the importance of literacy especially in young people’s lives in order for them to thrive not only in school and but in life in general.

On October 3, people are encouraged to read this year’s official selection- Otis by Loren Long. This is a great story about friendship between a tractor named Otis and a new calf that has arrived on the farm. It also tackles the topic of what each of has to contribute even when it doesn’t seem that we have anything new or unique to offer. Loren Long’s illustrations are striking.

2.3 people participated last year and read Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad by David Soman and Jacky Davis. Otis is free to read over at We Give Books so I encourage everyone to read it- or reread it- on October 3 and help read for the record!