July 2015 – Booktalking #kidlit

Whoosh!: A Watery World of Wonderful Creatures

Whoosh!: A Watery World of Wonderful Creatures
by Marilyn Baillie (Author) and Susan Mitchell (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A wonderful, whimsical exploration of various animals in the water and the ways in which children can, and do, mimic them! Each spread features an animal in a watery scene opposite a child mimicking the animal’s activity in some way. From splashing like a dolphin to fishing like a heron, from snoozing like an alligator to hiding like a clownfish, the echoing images bring to life the real ways that animals behave — and reveal how there’s a little bit of animal in all of us. The book closes with a “Guess What?” section that provides brief and quirky facts about the animals featured throughout.

Snippet:
I’m a river otter pup. My mom pulls me into the chilly water for my first swimming lesson. Patiently, she teaches me to paddle and dive. Look at me float!

Jump in the WATER and Join the Fun!
Read the rebus at the back of the book and try all of the ways to get up and move, such as scuttling like a crab or waddling like a penguin.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Aerospace Engineer Aprille Ericsson

Aerospace Engineer Aprille Ericsson (STEM Trailblazer Bios)
by Laura Hamilton Waxman (Author)

Booktalk: Have you ever built a cool science project? In middle school, Aprille Ericsson won second place in a science fair. She knew she wanted to keep creating amazing science projects. As an adult, she became an engineer and works at NASA building spacecraft.

Ericsson was one of the few girls in her middle school who loved math and science. Years later, she became the first woman to receive a PhD in mechanical engineering from Howard University. At NASA, she’s helped build spacecraft that can map the moon, monitor climate change, or even bring soil and rocks back from Mars. Learn how Ericsson’s passion for science has helped her pave the way for future engineers.

Snippet: One of Ericsson’s most recent projects will help scientists study the Earth’s polar caps. Greenhouse gasses are warming the North and South poles. The warmer temperatures are causing the ice caps to melt slowly. Scientists will soon be able to find out more with the new Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat-2). Ericsson was one of the managers in charge of creating a large instrument for ICESat-2 called ATLAS (Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System). The device wil be attached to ICESat-2 and will use lasers to measure the size of the ice caps. ICESat-2 is scheduled to launch in 2016.

See how the lasers will measure the size of the ice caps for ICESat-2 at Goddard Space Flight Center’s ICESat-2 page Goddard Space Flight Center page.

We’re all fired up! The ATLAS team turned on Laser 1 yesterday, the 1st time since it’s installation @NASAGoddard pic.twitter.com/Qz4Ye9XgoY

— ICESat-2 (@NASA_ICESat2) July 23, 2015

See more photos at @NASA_ICESat2

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

LEGO Space: Building the Future

LEGO Space: Building the Future
by Peter Reid (Author) and Tim Goddard (Author)

Booktalk: Spaceships, orbital outposts, and new worlds come to life in this unique vision of the future, built completely from LEGO bricks.

A selection of step-by-step building instructions will have you constructing your own cosmic creations to play with at home. Marvel at interstellar battlecruisers, space pirates, charming robots, and other stunning builds from an amazing future!

Snippet:

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Moví la mano / I Moved My Hand

Moví la mano / I Moved My Hand
by Jorge Luján (Author), Mandana Sadat (Illustrator), and Elisa Amado (Translator)

Booktalk: When a little girl moves her hand, she changes the world as she discovers it. As she moves her known world she discovers her own power and creates everything anew.

Snippet:
Moví la mano y encontré un coco.
I moved my hand and I found a coconut.

Agité el coco y encontré un lago.
I shook the coconut and I found a lake.

STEM + the Arts = STEAM

STEAM DIY Activity

Make a Moon Painting.

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Reflections on the Teche.

Look and See: A What’s-Not-the-Same-Game

Look and See: A What’s-Not-the-Same-Game
by Bill Kontzias (Author)

Booktalk: An innovative interactive puzzle book. Eye-catching photographs of toys, trinkets, and more present spot-the-difference puzzles that support early learning skills.

Snippet:
How to Play
Look at the first pictures,
Look at the second picture.
In the second picture, 1 thing is new,
1 thing is gone, and 6 things are moved.
Find the differences. The answers are
at the back of the book.

STEM + the Arts = STEAM

STEAM DIY Activity

Try it yourself with A spot-the-difference poster activity. Then make a puzzle of your own and test your friends!

Ferret Fun in the Sun

Ferret Fun in the Sun
by Karen Rostoker-Gruber (Author) and Paul Rátz de Tagyos (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Fudge and Einstein are a ferret duo. They’re going on a vacation adventure out west, to Arizona. Fudge doesn’t want to go. He likes to relax. Einstein likes action and can’t wait for their trip. But when they get to the ranch, Fudge experiences the biggest adventure of his life. Maybe trying new things isn’t so bad after all…

Snippet:
The back cover gives you a taste of this fun picture book comic:

STEM + the Arts = STEAM

STEAM DIY Activity

Make a fun pets comic online with Pixton.

How Do You Burp in Space?

How Do You Burp in Space?: And Other Tips Every Space Tourist Needs to Know
by Susan E. Goodman (Author) and Michael Slack (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Want to blast into orbit? Walk on the moon? Snag a personal photo of a shooting star? Well your time is coming! And when it does, you’re going to need a guide filled with information. Grounded in the history of space travel and the planned future of space tourism, this guide book will tell you what to pack (hint: no bubble bath or juggling balls!); what to expect from your accomodations (a sleeping bag attached to the wall), and what to do for fun (leapfrog on the moon!). Get ready to rock your rocketship!

Snippet: Eventually, you’ll be able to orbit Earth or vacation on Mars. It’s too early to make reservations, but it’s never too soon to start thinking about it. This guidebook will help you enjoy your space adventure long before you board the ship. After all, how can you daydream about it without knowing what you’ll eat and where you’ll sleep? Or what it’s like doing all of this while floating upside down?

STEM + the Arts = STEAM

STEAM DIY Activity

Remember this day in history and explore the story of the first moonwalk on July 20, 1969.
Watch the Footage from the Apollo 11 moonwalk.

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Bark Scorpion

Bark Scorpion (Desert Animals Searchin’ for Shade)
by Meish Goldish (Author)

Booktalk: The sun shines on the hot desert sand. Meanwhile, a small animal with lobster-like pincers and a long tail hides under some tree bark. After the sun sets and the air cools, the creature—an Arizona bark scorpion—leaves its hideout and starts to hunt for prey.

Snippet:
It is a hot, dry afternoon in the desert.

A bark scorpion rests in a tree.

It hides under the tree bark to keep out of the burning sun.

During the day, the temperature can climb to 120°F (49°C).

Yet the scorpion stays cool in the shade of the bark.

See this page inside the book.

STEM + the Arts = STEAM

STEAM DIY Activity

Watch the ‘Bark scorpions’ invade Indio news video and test your front door. What will you do if you are bitten? Make an action plan and post it on the refrigerator.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

It’s a Seashell Day

It’s a Seashell Day
by Dianne Ochiltree (Author) and Elliot Kreloff (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Sunny-as-a-summer-sky rhymes chronicle a mother and son sharing a day of sand digging, seashell collecting, and seashore exploring. (See the seashell facts in the back of the book.)

Snippet:
I rush down the path, over the dune.
Salty breeze blows. We’ll be there soon!

STEM + the Arts = STEAM

STEAM DIY Activity

Try this Sand Art project.

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by iWrite in Maine.

Lazy Bear, Crazy Bear: Loony Long Vowels

by Kevin Bolger (Author) and Ben Hodson (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Finally, a phonics primer that’s not un-bear-able! Lazy Bear, Crazy Bear is a collection of zany cartoons carefully designed to teach all five long vowel sounds. Perfect for beginners just learning to decode words and for older or reluctant readers who just need a refresher in foundational phonics rules.

Snippet:

STEM + the Arts = STEAM

STEAM DIY Activity

Make your own phonics comic with the online Comic Creator.