Friday, September 30, 2022

RICBA Nominees 2023

I already finished all 20! It helped that I had already read 6 before the list was announced. Here's what I thought of them ... favorites at the top. 



The 1619 Project: Born on the WaterThe 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Should be required reading in every school.

 

Bartali's Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy's Secret HeroBartali's Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy's Secret Hero by Megan Hoyt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

(NOTE: I wrote this review last year before it was on the list.) WOW. Amazing. And to think Bartali never told anyone about what he did. True bravery.

 I don't think my 2nd graders would have enough background knowledge for this book to resonate with them, but this would make an excellent readaloud in higher grades to highlight a heretofore unknown resistance fighter. 
 

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race MassacreUnspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(NOTE: I wrote this review last year before it was on the list.) I am thinking about doing a Mock Sibert with my 2nd graders this year, but this one might be too traumatizing for 7 year olds. Maybe I'll read it to 5th grade? Unbelievable that it was covered up for so long.
 

The Adventure Is NowThe Adventure Is Now by Jess Redman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finally! The new go-to book for every time a kid asks me for a book with an "adventure." Short chapters, lots of action, some feelings, and silliness. Also I think I might use the list of misspelled words on p. 118 as a brainteaser for my students.




Playing the Cards You're DealtPlaying the Cards You're Dealt by Varian Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, I hope my kids give this one a chance. I liked it way more than I expected. Realistic portrayal of family drama, friendship woes, stressing about an activity ... and I really want to learn how to play spades now.


 

Bea Is for BlendedBea Is for Blended by Lindsey Stoddard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The family situation was a bit run-of-the-mill, but the soccer team drama bumped this up a star for me. Wow, Principal Meesley sucked. Loved that the team took the situation into their own hands and received so much support - but not interference - from their families.

I did think it was weird that the season seemed to have consisted of only four games before the semifinals? I guess there aren't a ton of teams floating around rural Vermont?
 

The Lion of MarsThe Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting, pretty fast-paced, and most of the questions I had were answered as the book went on. I would like to smack Sai, though. Moral of the story: Don't jump to conclusions.

p. 28 - "Just because everyone says something doesn't mean it's true."
 

She Was the First! The Trailblazing Life of Shirley ChisholmShe Was the First! The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm by Katheryn Russell-Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had always heard of Shirley Chisholm, but never knew that much about her. What a role model!

 

Maya and the RobotMaya and the Robot by Eve L. Ewing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We need more books like this! Fast pace, illustrations, non-white characters, large type, just over 200 pages. Extra star for checking these boxes.



 

Allergic: A Graphic NovelAllergic: A Graphic Novel by Megan Wagner Lloyd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had the same reaction when I got my environmental allergies test done several years ago ... although for some reason, I can handle horses and rabbits. No trees or grasses, though.

Anyways, good realistic plot threads with situations my students will be able to relate to. So long as they can actually read the print. I have on my glasses and lots of lights and still had trouble reading some of the dialogue.


WillodeenWillodeen by Katherine Applegate
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My favorite part was Willodeen doing an experiment to test a hypothesis.

Some jarring parts were Mae saying "Moi" and quoting Shakespeare. There was mention of the railways coming through, so is this supposed to be set in rural England during the 1800s? Mr. Burke mentions having seen gas lamps in "the capital." The internet tells me Baltimore had gas lamps in 1814 ... are we set in rural America?
 

Shark SummerShark Summer by Ira Marcks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Wow, that Captain Atwood story was DARK.



 
 

Katie the CatsitterKatie the Catsitter by Colleen A.F. Venable
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

(NOTE: I wrote this review last year before it was on the list.) OMG next year's third- and fourth-graders are going to go bananas for this.



 

UnsettledUnsettled by Reem Faruqi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hoo boy; I'm not one for trigger warnings, but there is a miscarriage and domestic abuse and a hate crime. That being said, this kind of shit happens all too often.

I feel like the "poetry" is once again the kind of sticking returns into sentences, but overall a decent addition to the recent spate of immigrant stories. My suburban students need to be exposed to other cultures and gain some empathy.
 

The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with ArtThe People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art by Cynthia Levinson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am not familiar with Shahn's art at all.
Students will not be familiar with Czar Nicholas.

I wanted more about graphic design and sign painting ... they count as art to me!

How did Ben get the money to travel around the world?

I liked the text a lot, but the illustrations were disconcerting.

Also ... really ... per the author's note, Ben met his FRIEND Bernarda while he was already married? Sorry, Tillie, you get no mention in the book, even though Wikipedia tells me you were his travel companion.

And mentioning Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange as fellow photographers would have been nice. Ben wasn't the only one taking pictures.

Wondering if the art teacher would be interested in a project involving the history of murals ...
 

ChunkyChunky by Yehudi Mercado
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Could have done without Chunky himself. Although a lot of Hudi's jokes were lame, I liked that he kept trying to find his place ... and finally found it.





Saving American Beach: The Biography of African American Environmentalist Mavynee BetschSaving American Beach: The Biography of African American Environmentalist Mavynee Betsch by Heidi Tyline King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Gorgeous illustrations, but the information seemed to have some gaps. Who sold the land? Was it taken by eminent domain? How much was developed? The text says "all that was left was a sliver of land." Did George W. Bush actually sign the law?
 

Simon B. Rhymin'Simon B. Rhymin' by Dwayne Reed
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I found the raps a little cringey, but maybe my students will like them.

I did like that Simon realized that homeless people deserve respect, and I wonder if this book could inspire a PBL project? Not that I want to read the whole thing out loud ...

Also, I was surprised that we weren't told outright that (view spoiler) ... I am correct in reading between the lines here, yes?
 

Sona Sharma, Very Best Big SisterSona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister by Chitra Soundar
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I will have to ask my students of Indian descent if they have naming ceremonies.





 

Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun BearSaving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear by Trang Nguyễn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Beautifully illustrated, but the story itself is meh.

How did the girl who got a glimpse through a window of a bear KNOW that that very same bear, Misa, was at the sanctuary?

How does one just go around visiting forests?

Who is caring about the frogs that Sorya is trying to eat?

Did Chang really just hang out in the forest for MONTHS with a bear?

Second book I read this week that told me that pandas are now considered part of the bear family. When I did a report in elementary school, they were not. How things change.

Monday, September 5, 2022

Best Reads Summer 2022

Here are my favorite books that I read during the summer break. Click on the titles to read plot summaries. If you'd like to see all of my books, you can follow me on Goodreads.


Picture Books


Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings!Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings! by Laurel Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On my first venture, I died. Wah waaaaaah.

Huge props to Snyder for writing rhyming text with rhythms that line up! Like a dork I counted syllables, and most lines are 14 with iambic (I think) feet. I have read too many rhyming books lately that don't bother with meter and they make me cranky.

Anyways, our class periods are getting extended from 35 to 50 minutes next year, and while in the past I may have dismissed this as being too long to get through effectively for Mock Caldecott, I welcome it now!
 

Brave Every DayBrave Every Day by Trudy Ludwig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'd like to use for Mock Caldecott, but I also feel there's value in reading it to ALL of the students at the beginning of the year and having them write out:

I worry about what if ...
I worry that I can't ...
I'm scared that ...
BUT
I'll try to ...

Or will I just be opening myself up to dealing with trauma and having to tell the social worker?? Hmm.
 

Let's Find Momo!: A Hide-And-Seek Board BookLet's Find Momo!: A Hide-And-Seek Board Book by Andrew Knapp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Will definitely use with PreK.





Early Readers


Cranky Chicken: A Cranky Chicken Book 1Cranky Chicken: A Cranky Chicken Book 1 by Katherine Battersby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I laughed out loud at the evil worm and the various cranky pants.







Middle Grade Fiction


The Adventure Is NowThe Adventure Is Now by Jess Redman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finally! The new go-to book for every time a kid asks me for a book with an "adventure." Short chapters, lots of action, some feelings, and silliness. Also I think I might use the list of misspelled words on p. 118 as a brainteaser for my students.


 

ThirstThirst by Varsha Bajaj
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The chasm between those that have and those that do not widens every day. Everywhere. This depiction of life in Mumbai illustrates societal problems (including the WATER MAFIA - despicable) without completely traumatizing the reader. The characters continue to cling to hope and work to better their situations. The kind of book more of my middle-class kids need to read.

I may need to do something for World Water Day with my students on March 22. Loved the app idea Minni came up with.

p. 42: "Is this growing up? Learning how dangerous the whole world can be? Learning that not everyone follows the rules. That some people don't care if they hurt others. That they only care about themselves and making a profit."
 

This Is Not a DrillThis Is Not a Drill by K.A. Holt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The texts and app were the perfect way to tell this story. Seems like they were in lockdown a lot longer than it should be necessary with just one intruder. But ... Uvalde just happened, so what makes sense doesn't seem to happen that often.



 

Nonfiction


When Cloud Became a CloudWhen Cloud Became a Cloud by Rob Hodgson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my favorite water cycle book I ever read.




 
I'm Trying to Love GarbageI'm Trying to Love Garbage by Bethany Barton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bethany Barton does it again! Fun, informative, and in this case, very timely.

 

Blips on a Screen: How Ralph Baer Invented TV Video Gaming and Launched a Worldwide ObsessionBlips on a Screen: How Ralph Baer Invented TV Video Gaming and Launched a Worldwide Obsession by Kate Hannigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zachariah Ohora's illustrations are a great match with the topic of this book, and I love that the back matter encourages kids to protect their own intellectual property. Will use with Grade 2 for Mock Sibert and possibly older grades as well. I can't wait to see their horrified faces when I show them what video game graphics used to be.


My Stinky Summer by S. BugMy Stinky Summer by S. Bug by Paul Meisel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can definitely use this as part of a library lesson. We can talk about timelines, habitats, diets ... and smelly things.





For Grownups


The Word Is Murder (Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery, #1)The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Such fun! The fact that there was kind of no way to figure out whodunit without seeing a photo that we couldn't see knocked it down to a 4, but I can't wait to read the next one.


 

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter (The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club, #1)The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SO MUCH FUN. Victorian murders! Mysterious societies! Powers! So many characters kept appearing, it was like a party, and the Athena Club's interjections throughout the narrative were entertaining. Can't wait to read the next one.


 

His & HersHis & Hers by Alice Feeney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finally guessed who did it in an Alice Feeney book! Could not put down.




 

No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club: Diary of a Sixtieth Year (Marie Sharp, #1)No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club: Diary of a Sixtieth Year by Virginia Ironside
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm pushing 50, and evidently I'll be just fine when I'm 60, because I related so much to Marie. I too worry about:

- cancer of the esophagus from wine ingestion
- "this baby being weird. And me being the only person who could spot it being weird."
- the fact that "I am so busy pottering about and mooching around, I would never have time to get in twenty minutes of brisk walking."

I too want to:

- be able to "spend a day doing nothing instead of feeling obliged to cram it with diversionary activities to avoid guilt and anxiety"
- wear comfortable shoes ... you know, "the hideousa but comfortaballa shoesa for the olda batsa!"

Unfortunately, looks like I won't be able to read any more books about Marie without buying them used on Amazon. Which I may do as a birthday gift to myself.
 

Rock Paper ScissorsRock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
You did it again, Alice Feeney!
The same way!
But I will still read more of your books.
Just maybe not in one sitting until after midnight again.
Because then I don't get out of bed until 10.
 

I Know Who You AreI Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well. Feeney got me again. Never in a million years would I have figured out that twisted, bonkers, nasty twist. Oh, but the ride to get there.

 

RecursionRecursion by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

REALLY engrossing, although I got lost at the end and did not quite understand the solution. Overall, mindbending in a good way.

p. 123 - "He has wondered lately if that's all living really is - one long goodbye to those we love."

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