Ocean Counting

Ocean Counting
by Janet Lawler (Author) and Brian Skerry (Photographer)

Booktalk: From 1 to 10 and over again, get ready for a wonderful ocean counting adventure!

Snippet:
4 reef squid
Four reef squid explore shallow waters. What color are they now? Faster than a blink they can change colors and patterns. They do this to signal each other, blend in, find mates, or warn enemies.

STEM Friday

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

Copyright © 2013 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
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City Critters: Wildlife in the Urban Jungle

City Critters: Wildlife in the Urban Jungle
by Nicholas Read (Author)

Booktalk: When we think of wild animals, we don’t immediately associate them with the cities we live in. But a closer look soon reveals that we share our urban environment with a great many untamed creatures. Heavily illustrated with color photographs throughout and full of entertaining and informative facts, City Critters examines how and why so many wild animals choose to live in places that, on first glance at least, seem contrary to their needs.

How do those deer, raccoons, squirrels, skunks, coyotes, crows, gulls and geese—not to mention the alligators, eagles, otters and snakes—manage to survive in the big city? What special skills do city critters have that many of their wilderness cousins lack? Why have they developed these skills? And what are our responsibilities in ensuring that these animals can continue to share our city lives?

Snippet: We are in the midst of what scientists call “the sixth great extinction,” meaning this is the sixth time in geological history that huge numbers of animal species have disappeared in a very short period of time. The last one occurred about 65 million years ago when, it’s believed, either an asteroid or a comet struck the Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs. This time the extinction can’t be blamed on outside events. It’s our fault and no one else’s.

STEM Friday

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

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard

Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard
by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (Author) and Priscilla Lamont (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Alice’s family plants a vegetable garden each spring, and this budding naturalist reports all she sees about how the plants grow, what insects come to eat the plants, and what birds and animals come to eat the insects. It’s the food chain, right in her own backyard! (Science concepts are shared by a pair of very knowledgeable chickens!)

Snippet:
Sunshine, fresh air, water and soil
help the seedlings in our garden grow.

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

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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The Secret Life of Money: A Kid’s Guide to Cash

The Secret Life of Money: A Kid’s Guide to Cash
by Kira Vermond (Author) and Clayton Hanmer (Illustrator)
160 pages

Booktalk: Odd anecdotes, engaging comics, and a wealth of surprising everyday connections help young readers see and understand cash from an entirely different angle.

Snippet: Cheddar. Bucks. Moolah. Funds. Bread. Bacon. Beans. Whatever you call your money, there’s a good chance you’re starting to take it a bit more seriously these days. Maybe you’re thinking about taking a babysitting class or mowing the neighbor’s lawn to turn your spare time into pure moneymaking magic. Sounds like a plan.

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

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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Friday Reads

Picture Book of the Day

Sir Cumference and the Viking’s Map
by Cindy Neuschwander (Author) and Wayne Geehan (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Xaxon Yellowbearyd was the fiercest Viking warrior of his time. Now a map to his hidden treasure lies in Radius’s and Per’s hands. Together the cousins must decode the strange numbered grid on the map-and figure out the secret of the Viking’s X and Y axes. As bungling bandits pursue them, Radius and Per use coordinate geometry in their quest for “treasure of the greatest measure.”

Snippet: “We’re well and truly lost,” Per said to her cousin, Radius. “How I wish we had a map.”
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STEM Friday

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

Come share your link!

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Chapter Book of the Day

Self-Portrait With Seven Fingers
by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen (Authors) and Marc Chagall (Illustrator)
40 pages

Booktalk: A biography in free verse, penned by J. Patrick Lewis, the 2011 Children’s Poet Laureate, and Jane Yolen, “the Hans Christian Andersen of America,” with paintings by Marc Chagall on every spread, this collection of fourteen poems is aptly named, as to do something “with seven fingers” is a Yiddish expression meaning to do something well or adroitly. Notes for each painting explain the vocabulary as well as Chagall’s art and personal history.

Snippet:
Paris Through the Window (J. Patrick Lewis)
My window opens to you, Paris!
Inhabit my brushes, dine on my canvas.
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Wild Rose Reader.

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Nonfiction Monday on May 7, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on May 7, 2012

is at The Swimmer Writer.

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Site Meter Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Young Readers

Picture Book of the Day

Baby Animals At the Zoo
by Editors of Kingfisher

Booktalk: With playful text, and beautiful close-up photography this board book features baby animals in their natural habitats.

Snippet:
Golden lion tamarin
I am a tiny monkey with a golden mane like a lion. My long fingers help me find yummy insects. Munch munch!
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Comic of the Week

Chick and Chickie Play All Day!
by Claude Ponti (Author, Illustrator)
32 pages

Booktalk: Chick and Chickie love to play in their very own way, whether scaring each other silly or tickling the letter A. As young readers eagerly turn the pages of the story, they’ll look forward to spotting all the witty side jokes and hilarious details.

Snippet:
Chickie, let’s make masks!
Good idea, Chick!
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Free Comic Book Day

The first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day!

See the video and visit the Free Comic Book Day website find out more!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/1pHAG2ClVKU]

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STEM Friday is coming!

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

If you blog about science or math books tomorrow,

come share your link!

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Children’s Book Week

Today is the LAST day to vote for the Children’s Choice Book Awards

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Site Meter Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Friday Reads

Picture Book of the Day

A Leaf Can Be . . .
by Laura Purdie Salas (Author) and Violeta Dabija (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Find out about the many roles leaves play in this poetic exploration of leaves throughout the year.

Snippet:
A leaf can be a …
Soft cradle
Water ladle

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

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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by The Opposite of Indifference.

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Chapter Book of the Day

Explore Simple Machines! With 25 Great Projects
by Anita Yasuda (Author)
96 pages

Booktalk: Investigating the common contraptions that make so much possible—from zippers and rolling pins to catapults and the pyramids—this book encourages kids to look differently at the numerous objects in everyday life. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the six straightforward implements that are at the core of daily activity: levers, inclined planes, pulleys, screws, wedges, and wheels and axles. Using only discarded items from the recycling bin, this guide harnesses kid-power by inviting young readers to build gadgets of their own design, including a working crane, a drawbridge, a car made of fruit peels, and an actual whirligig.

Snippet: Simple machines are all around you. They are in your home, your school, and your park. They are used in sports. They are used in games you play, even in board games. Simple machines can even be found in your body!

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

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STEM Friday

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

come share your link or a STEM haiku of your own!

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STEM Haiku

simple machines
pulley, screw, wedge and
wheel, planes and axles too
simple, but mighty
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Literary Link

Bank Street/SLJ Unveil Children’s Choice Award for Best STEM Picture Book

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Nonfiction Monday on April 30, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on April 30, 2012

is at GatheringBooks.

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Site Meter Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Young Readers

Picture Book of the Day

Fiesta Babies
by Carmen Tafolla (Author) and Amy Cordova (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Use this lively book for Cinco de Mayo next week and march to the music!

Snippet:
Fiesta Babies march on parade
wearing coronas Mama has made.
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Comic of the Week

Super Diaper Baby 2: The Invasion of the Potty Snatchers
by Dav Pilkey (Author, Illustrator)
192 pages

Booktalk: Dr. Dilbert Dinkle started his career as an ordinary, everyday evil genius/inventor/bank robber. But when he awakens one day transformed into a walking, talking puddle of pee, he vows to destroy every toilet in town. Will the devious Dr. Dinkle and his conniving cat, Petey, ruin restrooms for the rest of us? Or could this be a job for the death-defying duo of Super Diaper Baby and Diaper Dog?

Snippet:
It took 24 hours
from when he’d begun,
‘Till the Robo-Kitty
Three Thousand was done.

“All I need is a driver.
I need someone mean.
I need someone evil
to run my machine.”

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOrwAZd2XZY]

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STEM Haiku

old word, new place
cc means carbon
copy, but email doesn’t
use carbon paper
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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STEM Friday is coming!

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

If you blog about science or math books tomorrow,

come share your link or a STEM haiku of your own!

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Literary Link

My interview, A Little Bit of Everything is at Sandi’s blog, The Write Stuff.

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Site Meter Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Friday Reads

Picture Book of the Day

UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings
by Douglas Florian (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: Come inside the honeycomb—a busy, buzzy, bee-filled home—and learn about the unexpected wonders of these tiny insects’ lifestyles, families, and communities.

Snippet:
Bee-coming
From egg I hatch in just three days,
Bee-ginning my new larval phase.
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STEM Friday

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

come share your link or a STEM haiku of your own!

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Chapter Book of the Day

Under the Mesquite
by Guadalupe Garcia Mccall (Author)
224 pages

Booktalk: When Lupita learns Mami has cancer, she is terrified by the possibility of losing her mother, the anchor of her close-knit family. Suddenly, being a high school student, starring in a play, and dealing with friends who don’t always understand, become less important than doing whatever she can to save Mami’s life.

Snippet:
But lately Mami’s changed.
A thorny mesquite has sprouted
in the middle of her rose garden.
Even after she has pulled it out
by its roots repeatedly,
pricking herself on its thorns each time,
it keeps growing back.
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Random Noodling.

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STEM Haiku

sunrise, sunset
sunrise, sunset, and
the world turns around and
does it again…sunrise…
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Nonfiction Monday on April 23, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on April 23, 2012

is at Books 4 Learning.

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Site Meter Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Puzzled by Pink Author/Illustrator Interview

Picture Book of the Day

Puzzled by Pink
By Sarah Frances Hardy (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: Izzie hates pink as much as her sister, Rose, loves it. So when Rose plans an all-pink birthday party with the guests dressed in fairy costumes, Izzie decides to give her own alternative party in the attic, where the guests will be monsters, spiders, ghosts, and the pet cat. But some powerful magic triggers the appearance of yet another guest – an unexpected one. This will be a party nobody forgets!

Snippet: Today is my sister Rose’s birthday party.
She’s really, really into fairies and princesses and everything pink.

And now for a BONUS! An interview with Author/Illustrator Sarah Frances Hardy

Q. When did you start writing?

A. I’ve always written and had in the back of my mind a dream of writing and illustrating for children (and someday being published). For years, however, I focused more on my career as a fine artist, and kind of halfway sent out manuscripts every so often. It wasn’t until about eight years ago that I realized in order to make my dreams of becoming a children’s writer come true . . . I actually had to buckle down and start writing with a sense of seriousness. I also vowed to myself that I would still be sending out query letters from the nursing home if that’s what it took!

With my newfound sense of purpose, I began going to SCBWI Conferences so that I could learn about the craft of writing and illustrating for children. I wrote several books that I’m thankful will never see the light of day as I continued to learn and improve–AND rewrite and revise.

A few years ago, at my first national SCBWI conference in LA, I was lucky enough to land a critique session with our lovely blog hostess, Anastasia. I had written a book about a creepy little “Wednesday Addams” character, and Anastasia said, “This is a great character, but you have no conflict. Tell me, what is the worst thing that can happen to this little girl?” I answered “Something pink!” And voila! I had the beginnings of a story. I took that seed of a story and ran with it!

Q. Describe your writing process.

A. I always begin with a character, and since I’m an illustrator, I often draw sketches as a jumping off point. Once I’ve got an idea of the look of my character, I spend a great deal of time brainstorming with words. I ask myself dozens of questions, starting with more general things like “What’s your main character’s favorite color? Favorite toy? Who’s her best friend?” Then I get more specific (and I try to get a little weird with my answers–the weirder the better!) “What kind of lunch book does he take to school? Has he ever had stitches? Why? What does she keep in her favorite hiding place? What would she do if someone found it?”

After I’ve filled up several pages of a notebook with detailed character traits, I look for ones that are unusual and I ask myself “What would a character with these traits want or love more than anything . . . and what would really mess it up for him or her?” This gives me the skeleton for my story which I flesh out with words and details.

Then, when I feel like my narrative is in pretty good shape, I storyboard my manuscript using 32 blank rectangles on a piece of paper to represent a standard 32 page picture book format. I draw in stick figures on the storyboard and use it for lots of planning before I start doing any sort of detailed sketching.

After I have a complete storyboard, I do more refined sketches that I use to put together a book dummy that can be printed out on standard paper and gives a pretty good representation of what the book will look like.

But the main thing that I do during each of these steps in my process is REVISE. Constantly. Until my book is sent off and out of my hands, I consider it a living document that I should morph, mold and change until it feels exactly right.

Q. Tell us about your latest book.

A. My latest book, which is actually my debut, is called PUZZLED BY PINK, and it’s the one that Anastasia critiqued for me at a conference (by the way, if you go to a writing conference, ALWAYS sign up to have your work critiqued!). It’s about a little girl named Izzy who prefers spiders and skeletons to tutus and tiaras, and her little sister Rose won’t let Izzy come to her birthday party because she refuses to wear a pink tutu. Izzy huffs off and has her own party in the attic with her own friends–monsters, skeletons, spiders, her invisible friend– until her sparkly sister ballet leaps into the room and wrecks everything.

It’s kind of a “Wednesday Addams meets Fancy Nancy” kind of story!

Thank you for having me!

I’m so pleased you could visit, Sarah!

Readers, you can follow Sarah’s blog here and for a fun birthday party inspired by PUZZLED BY PINK, go to the party page!
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STEM Friday is coming!

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

If you blog about science or math books tomorrow,

come share your link or a STEM haiku of your own!

_____________________________________________________________________

Site Meter Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.