Anastasia Suen – Page 45 – Booktalking #kidlit

Cinder Book Giveaway

Chapter Book of the Day

Cinder: Book One in the Lunar Chronicles
by Marissa Meyer
400 pages

Booktalk: Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon a Time…. Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Snippet: Tossing the screwdriver onto the table, Cinder gripped her heel and yanked the foot from its socket. A spark singed her fingertips and she jerked away, leaving the foot to dangle from a tangle of red and yellow wires.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/pXrMAFGWyuE]

BOOK GIVEAWAY! Do you want to read this debut novel? The publisher will send a copy to ONE of my blog readers (U.S. or Canada only). Add your name to the comments and I will select one name for today’s book giveaway.

Edited to add: The winner is Linda Baie! Congratulations, Linda!

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Picture Book of the Day

Bright Baby Touch & Feel Colors
by Roger Priddy (Author)

Booktalk: A board book with bright colors and stunning photos, each page has a new color and a new object to touch and feel.

Snippet:
yellow
banana
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STEM Friday on January 20, 2012

STEM Friday is coming! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on January 20, 2012

is at Wrapped in Foil.

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Literary Links

Next (online) Intensive Picture Book Workshop is Feb 1-Mar 14, 2012

74% Of Book Buyers Have Never Bought An eBook (via eBookNewser)
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Great Books

Picture Book of the Day

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred
by Samantha R. Vamos (Author) and Rafael Lopez (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A bilingual story of how the farm maiden and all the farm animals worked together to make the rice pudding that they serve at the fiesta (with a “house that Jack built” pattern).

Snippet:
This is the goat
that churned the cream
to make the MANTEQUILLA
that went into the CAZUELA that the farm maiden stirred.

A Pura Belpré 2012 Illustrator Honor Book
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Chapter Book of the Day

Soldier Bear
by Bibi Dumon Tak (Author), Laura Watkinson (Translator) and Phiip Hopman (Illustrator)
144 pages

Booktalk: A group of Polish solders stationed in Iran during World War II trade a pen knife and some canned beef for an orphaned bear cub, and Voytek, as they name the bear, travels with them from Iran to Italy and then on to Scotland. See how they train a bear to help them in the war. (Photographs of the real Voytek are in the back of the book.)

Snippet: The air rippled with heat. At that time of day, the army camp was like a ghost town. If you ventured out into the sun, it felt like you were about to burst into flames.

But even so, one creature still came out into the blazing heat, bumbling along the path between the parked trucks and stopping to sniff at every vehicle.

*This book (shared in October) won the Batchelder Award (given to books translated into English).
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The (Theodor Seuss) Geisel Award

Winners and honor books for the (Theodor Seuss) Geisel Award for beginning readers were announced this week.

2012 Medal winner

Tales for Very Picky Eaters
by Josh Schneider (Author, Illustrator)
A father tells his son outrageous stories to try and get him to eat. Chapter book

2012 Honor Books

I Broke My Trunk!
by Mo Willems (Author, Illustrator)
Uh-oh! Elephant broke his trunk, and now he has a CRAZY story to tell Piggie. Easy reader

I Want My Hat Back
by Jon Klassen (Author, Illustrator)
Bear’s hat is gone, and he wants it back, so he asks everyone he sees about it. Picture book

See Me Run
by Paul Meisel (Author, Illustrator)
Dogs play in the park and find buried bones in this easy-to-read picture book.
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Literary Links

J.R.R. Tolkien & George Orwell Removed From Public Domain (via GalleyCat)

Take Your Child to the Library Day launches Feb 4th (via @sljournal)
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

New Children’s Literacy Workshop (for Writers)

Children’s Literacy Workshop (for Writers)

The Children’s Literacy Workshop (for Writers) is a new 6 lesson email course
for writers who want to write easy-to-read books.

I will send you a new lesson each Wednesday.
You have 2 weeks to complete each lesson, so the workshop lasts 8 weeks.

Easy-to-read books have many names. These books with simple words and short sentences for children who are learning to read are also called beginning readers, leveled readers and easy readers. While picture books are read to a child by an adult, easy readers are meant to be read by the child himself. (You’ll know you’ve found an easy reader when you see the words “read,” “reader,” or “reading” on the cover.)

Learning to read takes place on a continuum, and the books reflect that. Easy readers range from 8 page books with a single word or a simple phrase on each page to 64 page books divided into chapters.

As you study 5 easy readers per lesson you will explore 3 of the 5 literacy development phases that children experience as they learn to read. You will also learn three literacy strategies that writers use in books for beginning readers.

The first session of this NEW online workshop begins on Wednesday, February 1st.

The February workshop dates are February 1-March 14, 2012.

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Picture Book of the Day

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours
by Duncan Tonatiuh (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: See and hear the story of Diego as a young, mischievous boy who demonstrated a clear passion for art and then went on to become one of the most famous painters in the world.

Snippet: Diego Rivera was born in Mexico in a city called Guanajuato, which means the “land of frogs.” As a boy, Diego enjoyed playing with his trains, but more than anything, he liked to draw.

BONUS! Hear the author/illustrator talk about winning the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/ApqkcoYLMn8]
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Chapter Book of the Day

Black and White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene “Bull” Connor
by Larry Dane Brimner (Author)
80 pages

Booktalk: With careful attention to history, Larry Dane Brimner relies on oral histories, FBI files, court records, archived newpapers, and other primary source documents to capture the clash between conviction and courage, on one hand, and tradition and hate on the other in this unforgettable story of Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and his stand against Eugene “Bull” Connor.

Snippet: The first time the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) tried to kill Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth was Christmas 1956. The KKK was a group that believed white people were superior to Negroes. Its members intimidated blacks–and whites who supoorted the Negro quest for equality and justice–through threats and violence.

BONUS! Hear the author talk about winning the Sibert Honor!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/nyN8W830TuY]
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Literary Links

Supreme Court Upholds Law Restoring Copyright to Some Public-Domain Works

Publishers Show Less Enthusiasm About eReaders Increasing Reading (via eBookNewser)
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

The Big Day!

2012 ALA Youth Media Awards

Today is the big day! The eyes of the publishing world will turn to Dallas at 7:45 a.m. CT on Jan. 23, 2012, when the American Library Association (ALA) announces the top awards in children’s and young adult literature as part of the ALA Midwinter Meeting, January 20 – 24.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/IkEn8kHDnyI]

The 2012 Youth Media Award announcements include:

ALA will host a live Webcast from the Dallas Convention Center begining at 7:30 a.m. CT, Jan. 23. (Virtual seating will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.) You can also follow the announcements live via twitter at @ALAyma.

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January 2012 Carnival Of Children’s Literature

Add your post about this year’s winners to our carnival!

Our January 2012 host is Delightful Children’s Books.
Please send in a link to YOUR post by January 26th.
The carnival will go live on January 28th.

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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012

Kathleen Krull booktalks
Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought)
on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…

Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Shelf-employed

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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Bones: Dead People Do Tell Tales

Bones: Dead People Do Tell Tales
by Sara L. Latta (Author)
104 pages

Booktalk: All bones tell a story–you just have to know how to read them. See how forensic anthropologists do it.

Snippet: Forensic anthropology uses the scientific study of humans to answer legal questions. “Forensic” comes from a Latin word referring to the forum. The Roman forum was a place where legal issues and politics were discussed and debated. Today, the practice of public speaking and debating is often called forensics. The term forensic science has come to mean science used in a court of law or the justice system.

STEM Friday

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

Young Readers

Picture Book of the Day

You Push, I Ride

By Abby Levine (Author) and Margot Apple (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A rhyming look at a toddler’s day from the child’s point-of-view. This 8″x 8″ board book is just the right size for a toddler’s hands.

Snippet:

We go outside.

You push, I ride.

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Chapter Book of the Day

Under Dogs: Three Novels

by Marcus Zusak

512 pages

Booktalk: From the author of The Book Thief, three books in one volume about the Wolfe brothers: The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe and Getting the Girl. The first book in this omnibus is also Zusak’s very first book, now published for the first time in the United States.

Snippet:

We were watching the telly when we decided to rob the dentist.

“The dentist?” I asked my brother.

“Sure, why not?” was his reply. “Do you know how much money goes through a dental surgery in a day? It’s obscene. If the prime minister was a dentist, the country wouldn’t be in the state it’s in right now, I tell you. There’d be no unemployment, no racism, no sexism. Just money.”

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January 2012 Carnival Of Children’s Literature

January 2012 host is Delightful Children’s Books.
Please send in a link to YOUR post by January 26th.
The carnival will go live on January 28th.

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STEM Friday on January 20, 2012

STEM Friday is coming! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on January 20, 2012

is at Laurie Thompson.

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Literary Links

Love children’s and YA poetry? Join the new Poetry Ambassadors listserv!

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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Great Books

Picture Book of the Day

Tyrannosaurus Dad
by Liz Rosenberg (Author) and Matthew Myers (Illustrator)

Booktalk: What’s forty feet long, fifteen feet high and wears a necktie? (Tobias’ Dad! He is, after all, a Tyrannosaurus.)

Snippet: With Tyrannosaurus Dad around, he never felt afraid of spiders or strange noises at night, Still he couldn’t help wishing his father would be — well, a little more part of things. His dad was always, always working.
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Chapter Book of the Day

The Buddy Files: The Case of the Fire Alarm
by Dori Butler (Author) and Jeremy Tugeau (Illustrator)
144 pages

Booktalk: On Buddy’s first day at school. someone sets off the fire alarm. Who could have set it? A kid? A ghost? Buddy is on the case!

Snippet: “There was a fire at our school a long time ago, and part of the school burned down. This girl–her name was Agatha Curry–she got burned up in the fire and now her ghost haunts the old part of the school.”
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5 Great Books About Valentines

Arthur’s Great Big Valentine
by Lillian Hoban
Arthur argues with his friend on Valentine’s Day. Level 2 easy reader

Clifford’s Valentines
by Norman Bridwell (Author, Illustrator)
Clifford makes his own Valentine. Level 1 easy reader

It’s Valentine’s Day!
by Jack Prelutsky (Author) and Marylin Hafner (Illustrator)
This classic poetry collection is back in print with new illustrations. Level 3 easy reader

Let’s Get Ready for Valentine’s Day
by Lloyd G. Douglas (Author)
A young girl gets ready for Valentine’s Day in this photo-illustrated easy reader.

Scooby-doo Reader #10: Valentine’s Day Dognapping
by Gail Herman (Author) and Duendes Del Sur (Illustrator)
Scooby-doo finds pizza and witches in this Valentine mystery! Level 2 easy reader
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Literary Links

Citing High Implementation Costs of Local Taxes, Powell’s Closes Pennsylvania Affiliates (via @publisherslunch)

Babies Don’t Just Listen, They Try Lip-Reading While Turning Babble into Words (via @washingtonpost)
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

100 Day

My Book of the Week

100 Day by Anastasia Suen
Math easy reader

A class of kindergarten children celebrate the 100th day of school.

Guided Reading level: C
Intervention Level: 4
DRA Level: 3
Paperback: 8 pages
Publisher: Bebop Books

Book Activities:

Use these 100 Day Lesson Plans and Printables.

Make your own 100 Days of School book.

Use these 100 Day with your class.

Also available in Spanish

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Picture Book of the Day

A New Year’s Reunion
by Li Qiong Yu (Author) and Zhu Chen Liang (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Little Maomao s father works in faraway places and comes home just once a year, for Chinese New Year. At first Maomao barely recognizes him…

Snippet: Papa bries a coin in one of the balls and says, “Whoever finds the ball with the coin will have good luck.”
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Chapter Book of the Day

Tempest: A Novel
by Julie Cross (Author)
352 pages

Booktalk: The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps– it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future. Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Snippet:
The first time I jumped was about eight months ago, during my first semester of college. I was sitting in the middle of a French poetry class. I nodded off for a few minutes and woke up to a cold breeze and a door slamming me in the face. I was standing in front of my dorm. Before I even had a chance to panic, I was right back in class again.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/sidaeJl0qOE]
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Literary Links

Reading Comprehension Strategies (via @rourkebooks)

YA novel readers clash with publishing establishment (via guardian.co.uk)
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Nonfiction Monday

Chapter Book of the Day

Sitting for Equal Service: Lunch Counter Sit-Ins, United States, 1960s (Civil Rights Struggles Around the World)
by Melody Herr (Author)
160 pages

Booktalk: On February 1, 1960, four black college students sat down at the whites-only lunch counter in a Woolworth’s department store in Greensboro, North Carolina. The young men knew the waitress couldn’t take their order because of the store’s segregationist policies. But the young men hadn’t come to eat–they had come to make a peaceful stand for equality.

Snippet: On August 28, 1963, more than more than two hundred fifty thousand protestors joined the March on Washington. They met at the Lincoln Memorial, a landmark symbol of freedom. John Lewis, the chairman of SNCC, was one of the many civil rights leaders who addressed the crowd. That day Dr. King gave the most famous speech of his life, “I have a dream.”

Rememberthe dream!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/smEqnnklfYs]
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Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is The Swimmer Writer

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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Friday Reads

Picture Book of the Day

The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families
by Susan L. Roth (Author, Illustrator) and Cindy Trumbore (Author)

Booktalk: For a long time, the people of Hargigo, a village in the tiny African country of Eritrea, were living without enough food for themselves and their animals. The families were hungry, and their goats and sheep were hungry too. Then along came a scientist, Dr. Gordon Sato, who helped change their lives for the better. And it all started with some special trees.

Snippet:
These are the trees,
Mangrove trees,
That were planted by the sea.

BONUS! Read an interview with the book’s creators!
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by A Teaching Life

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Chapter Book of the Day

Infections, Infestations, and Diseases
by Shirley Smith Duke (Author)
48 pages

Booktalk: It’s that time of year again, cold and flu season. Are you staying well? Learn how in this book on communicable diseases.

Snippet: Infections and diseases are spread in several ways. They are spread through touch, air or water, food animal bites, or insects. Sneezing or coughing sprays germs into the air.
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STEM Friday

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

This week’s STEM Friday Round-up is hosted by Capstone Connect.

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Nonfiction Monday on January 16, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on January 16, 2012

is at The Swimmer Writer.

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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)