Chapter Book of the Day – Page 6

Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something That Matters

Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something That Matters
by Laurie Ann Thompson (Author)

Booktalk: Do you wish you could make a difference in your community or even the world? Are you one of the millions of high school teens with a service-learning requirement? Empower yourself in today’s highly connected, socially conscious world as you learn how to wield your passions, digital tools, and the principles of social entrepreneurship to affect real change in your schools, communities, and beyond.

Snippet: Want something to show the college admission officers–not to mention scholarship selection committees–that you stand out from the other applicants? Changemaking shows off your real-world leadership skills and demonstrates a commitment to community service in a way that short-term volunteer positions don’t.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

**Laurie is one of my former students!**

Three Kingdoms 17: The Mortal Remains

Three Kingdoms 17: The Mortal Remains
by Wei Dong Chen (Author) and Xiao Liong Liang (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Bei Liu has won a decisive battle against Cao Cao, and the prime minister is in danger of losing everything. But like a cornered animal, Cao Cao is at his most dangerous with his back against the wall. What he does next will forge an unlikely alliance, and cost the life of one of China’s most legendary heroes.

Snippet: From the JR*COMICS

Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World

Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World
by Nancy Castaldo (Author)

Booktalk: Anyone who has ever spent time with a dog knows that dogs love sniffing! They sniff out hidden food, dirty socks, and the visitor who comes to the door. But some dogs work with police officers, soldiers and even scientists to put their “sniffers” to work. Sniffer dogs make use of the amazing biology behind their noses to protect people from bombs, catch criminals smuggling drugs, or help researchers locate a hard to find snail in a forest.

Snippet: During World War I and Wrld War II, dogs were used to help locate injured soldiers on or near the battlefield. These dogs were also called casualty or ambulance dogs. They were also used by the military as scouts, trackers, sentries, and messengers.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Templar

Templar
by Jordan Mechner (Author), LeUyen Pham (Illustrator), and Alex Puvilland (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Martin is one of a handful of Templar Knights to escape when the king of France and the pope conspire to destroy the noble order. The king aims to frame the Templars for heresy, execute all of them, and make off with their legendary treasure. That’s the plan, anyway, but Martin and several other surviving knights mount a counter-campaign to regain the lost treasure of the Knights Templar.

Snippet: From the 28 page preview at boing-boing

BONUS! Download the free 86-page e-book The Making of Templar.

Howtoons: Tools of Mass Construction

Howtoons: Tools of Mass Construction
by Saul Griffith (Author), Ingrid Dragotta (Author), Nick Dragotta (Author, Artist) and more!

Booktalk: Howtoons celebrates their 10th anniversary with a 360 page remastered collection containing more than 70 projects of the “best of” Howtoons over those years, along with new material, photos, and essays by the creators of the series.

Combining comics and real-life science and engineering principles, Howtoons encourages kids to become active participants in the world around them. Follow Celine and Tucker as they learn through play! Challenged to make something “other than trouble,” this brother-and-sister pair use everyday objects to invent toys that readers can build!

Snippet:

See the large scale hovercraft video!

See the zoetrope video!

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

Voices from the March on Washington

Voices from the March on Washington
by J. Patrick Lewis (Author) and George Ella Lyon (Author)

Booktalk: This powerful poetry collection weaves together the voices of six fictional narrators to tell the story of the March on Washington, DC, in 1963.

RAYMOND JARVIS, 25
B.A. DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
OUT-OF-WORK STORE CLERK
AMARILLO, TEXAS

THE RIDE

When we take our seats, the bus comes alive
honeybee people swarming to a hive,
buzzing with excitement and disbelief
at doing something to ease our grief.

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up will be hosted by The Poem Farm.

Painting the Rainbow

Painting the Rainbow
by Amy Gordon (Author)

Booktalk: In the summer of 1965, Holly and her cousin Ivy discover family secrets no one has spoken of since World War II involving a terrifying accident, their Uncle Jesse’s death in a Japanese Internment camp, and a boy named Kiyo.

Snippet: “What is a Japanese camp, Gigi?” I hear my own voice come out in a little squeak.

Gigi turned around to look at me. “Oh my Lord, Holly. I forgot you were here. I shouldn’t be talking like this.” But she turned back to Randy and started talking again.

Bugged: How Insects Changed History

Bugged: How Insects Changed History
by Sarah Albee (Author) and Robert Leighton (Illustrator)

Booktalk: For as long as humans have been on earth, we’ve co-existed with insects . . . for better or for worse. Once you begin to look at world history through fly-specked glasses, you begin to see the mark of these minute life forms at every turn. Beneficial bugs have built empires. Bad bugs have toppled them.

Snippet: When Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes first encountered the Aztecs of Mexico in 1518 he was amazed by the brilliance of the red robes worn by the Aztec leader, Montezuma II, and his high-ranking officials. The color was brighter and richer than any red seen in Europe…Cortes was doubly astonished when he learned that the Aztecs’ brilliant red was made from squashed bug bodies.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

The Prince of Venice Beach

The Prince of Venice Beach
by Blake Nelson (Author)

Booktalk: Robert “‘Cali” Callahan is a teen runaway, living on the streets of Venice Beach, California. He’s got a pretty sweet life: a treehouse to sleep in, a gang of surf bros, a regular basketball game…even a girl who’s maybe-sorta interested in him.

What he doesn’t have is a plan.

All that changes when a local cop refers Cali to a private investigator who is looking for a missing teenager. After all, Cali knows everyone in Venice. But the streets are filled with people who don’t want to be found…

Snippet: I was only half listening. I spun the wheel of my skateboard with my fingers. It was late afternoon now, and hot. I was in the mood for a nap. Or maybe a slice of pizza. I lifted my head up to see who was working at the Pizza Slice…and that’s when I saw the kid.

Fleabrain Loves Franny

Fleabrain Loves Franny
by Joanne Rocklin (Author)

Booktalk: Set in Pittsburgh in 1952, Franny Katzenback is recovering from polio. She falls in love with the brand-new book Charlotte’s Web. Bored and lonely and yearning for a Charlotte of her own, Franny starts up a correspondence with an eloquent flea named Fleabrain who lives on her dog’s tail.

Snippet: When Franny read a book, the waiting stopped. Pittsburgh time slipped away when she was reading, and only the hours of other worlds were true. Being a wide and fast reader, she could finish a book in two days. One, if the books were short.