Nonfiction Monday

December 10, 2018December 9, 2018

Siege

Siege: How General Washington Kicked the British Out of Boston and Launched a Revolution
by Roxane Orgill (Author)

Booktalk: Step back to British-held Boston and hear the voices of citizens, militiamen, and redcoats at a turning of the tide in the American Revolution . . .

Back matter includes source notes, a glossary, and a bibliography.

Snippet:
Prize

Blast!
from the swivel gun
Blast!
from the carriage gun
HMS Nancy
of the king’s navy
supply ship
bound for Boston–
captured!
Hauled to Cape Ann
unloaded–
what a prize!

A 2018 Cybils Poetry nominee

BONUS! Download the Teacher’s Guide

Nonfiction Monday

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December 10, 2018December 8, 2018

Counting Birds: The Idea That Helped Save Our Feathered Friends

The 119th Christmas Bird Count starts on Friday December 14, 2018. At Growing With Science we’re sharing Counting Birds: The Idea That Helped Save Our Feathered Friends by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and illustrated by Clover Robin, a picture book that describes the origins of the event.

We should say right up front that this is not a counting book, although there are plenty of birds to see and identify if the reader should want.

Instead, it is a combination of biography and explanation of the event. After giving a brief overview of ornithologist Frank Chapman’s life and how he came up with Christmas Count idea, author Stemple describes how the it works. She explains that all birds are counted:

Creepers, thrashers, bufflehead, brant, and bobwhites.
All birds are welcome.

And anyone can count, even those who are housebound:

Not all birdwatchers are in the field. Some count the birds that visit their backyard feeders.

All birders are welcome.

She also reveals the importance of the data that is collected in helping researchers understand and protect all kinds of birds around the world.

Counting Birds is a wonderful way to introduce young readers to bird watching and bird counts. Share a copy today.

For more information and activity suggestions, visit Growing with Science blog.

December 3, 2018December 2, 2018

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices
by Wade Hudson (Editor) and Cheryl Willis Hudson (Editor)

Booktalk: What do we tell our children when the world seems bleak, and prejudice and racism run rampant? Fifty diverse creators lend a voice to young activists with original art, poetry, and prose.

Snippet:
It Helps to Look at
Old Front Page Headlines
by Marilyn Nelson

The earthquakes, the militias. History
hairpins and switchbacks like a mountain road.
Things fall apart, no doubt. But good people wake
every day to thank, and to ask what they can do
today to make things better. People call
things back together when they choose to act
on behalf of our planet and all life
spinning with us on her around the sun.

Hear the entire poem in this Poetry Month video from First Book.

A 2018 Cybils Poetry nominee

Nonfiction Monday

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December 3, 2018December 3, 2018

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor

With a title like Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles (by Patricia Valdez and illustrated by Felicita Sala) what child can resist this picture book biography?

Fascinated by reptiles from an early age, Joan Procter found a mentor in Dr. George Boulenger who was the curator of reptiles and fish at the Natural History Museum. She became his assistant at a young age and took over his position when he retired. She mixed art and science, doing scientific research and creating exhibits at the Museum at the same time. Later, after designing a reptile house at the London Zoo, she formed a special bond with the most unlikely animal, a huge Komodo dragon.

Joan Procter was a person ahead of her time and she probably don’t get the recognition she deserved because of it. Patricia Valdez has done her part to shine the light on this amazing woman whose passion for reptiles helped her forge new paths for women as scientists. Valdez has chosen anecdotes from Procter’s life, like taking a small crocodile to math class, that are sure to engage and thrill young readers.

Like a chameleon, Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor will fit many lessons. Pull out a copy not only for Women’s History Month, but also for a STEM lesson on reptiles or the lives of scientists. It is perfect for history buffs and budding scientists alike.

Slither on over to Wrapped in Foil blog for activity suggestions to accompany the book.

December 3, 2018December 2, 2018

Ski Soldier

Ski Soldier: A World War II Biography
by Louise Borden (Author)

Booktalk: Ever since he first strapped on his mother’s wooden skis when he was seven, Pete Seibert always loved to ski. At 18, Pete enlisted in the U.S. Army and joined the 10th Mountain Division, soldiers who fought on skis in World War II. In the mountains of Italy, Pete encountered the mental and physical horrors of war. When he was severely wounded and sent home to recover, Pete worried that he might never ski again. But with perseverance and the help of other 10th Mountain ski soldiers, he took to the slopes again and fulfilled his boyhood dream–founding the famous ski resort in Vail, Colorado.

Snippet:
But for Pete,
skiing wasn’t just about racing.

It was part of something bigger:
the mountains.

Their silence and their sunshine.

Their storms and their seasons.

Their wide sky
and nights with a million stars.

A 2018 Cybils Poetry nominee

Nonfiction Monday

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November 26, 2018November 20, 2018

Three Stars in the Night Sky

THREE STARS IN THE NIGHT SKY
by Fern Schumer Chapman
Gussie Rose Press/June 6, 2018
Grades 5-8, 56 pages

Here’s what the publisher says:

At the age of 12, Gerda Katz fled Nazi Germany and came to America all by herself. Decades before the label gained recognition, she became what’s now known as an “unaccompanied minor.” Gerda’s story of family separation reflects the dislocating trauma, culture shock, and excruciating loneliness many unaccompanied minor immigrants experience. As Gerda becomes an American, she never stops longing to be reunited with her family. Three Stars in the Night Sky illuminates the personal damage of racism in three countries – Nazi Germany, the Dominican Republic, and the United States during the 1930s and 40s — and the emotional devastation of a child coming to a new country alone.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

And here are my thoughts:

This was an engaging, up close and personal look at an historical event that is sadly still relevant today for many reasons, including understanding World War II, anti-Semitism, refugees, and the very real impacts of immigration policies. There is also local relevancy here in western Washington state, as Gerda emigrated to Seattle to escape the persecution of Jews in Germany in 1938 and wound up facing the internment of the region’s Japanese-American citizens. I found the story and accompanying images to be…

To read the rest of my review, please click here!

November 26, 2018November 25, 2018

Aim for the Skies

Our featured book, Aim for the Skies: Jerrie Mock and Joan Merriam Smith’s Race to Complete Amelia Earhart’s Quest by Aimee Bissonette and illustrated by Doris Ettlinger, takes us beyond a famous person who has been the subject of dozens of biographies (Amelia Earhart) and introduces us to two equally fascinating women who aren’t household names.

Separately, female pilots Jerrie Mock and Joan Merriam Smith both dreamed of flying around the world all by themselves. By sheer coincidence, they both decided to take off within a few days of each other. Soon people turned their journeys into a competition, which is something neither of the women had intended.

Given what happened with Amelia Earhart, there is plenty of tension in this book as the women encounter problem after problem. Will they survive to finish their flights? Which one will “win”? Readers will be on the edges of their seats until they find out for sure.

Aim for the Skies is a must have for aspiring pilots and general readers alike. Be prepared to take off on your own journey of discovery.

Visit Wrapped in Foil blog for more details and an activity suggestion.

November 26, 2018November 25, 2018

My Family Celebrates Hanukkah

My Family Celebrates Hanukkah
by Lisa Bullard (Author) and Constanza Basaluzzo (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Spin the dreidel! Eat some latkes! Learn all about why people celebrate Hanukkah.

Snippet:

Nonfiction Monday

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November 19, 2018November 18, 2018

Making a TV Show

Making a TV Show
by Nadia Higgins (Author)

Booktalk: See how a TV show is made from idea to a finished TV program. Follow the timeline of each step of the project’s process, from writing the script and hiring actors, to filming, editing, and finally the episode’s premiere.

Snippet:

Nonfiction Monday

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November 19, 2018November 19, 2018

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga

At Wrapped in Foil blog we are featuring a perfect book to share this week, We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Frané Lessac.

Members of the Cherokee Nation say the word otsaliheliga to express gratitude. They use it as a reminder not just for one celebration or day, but throughout the year. Starting in autumn and moving through winter, spring and summer, Traci Sorell describes the weather/environment for each season, reveals celebrations that occur during that time of year, and describes special activities and foods that bind families together.

The back matter is a must read. It gives a deeper explanation of some of the terms used, explains the author’s source materials –and how other books have got things wrong — and tells the story of a man named Sequoyah developed the Cherokee written language in the early 1800s.

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga is a wonderful book that is hard to describe. It has things to offer that readers might not even know they want or need. Pick up a copy and you will be glad you did.

See the blog for more details and an activity suggestion.