Quote of the Month

When love and skill work together, expect a miracle. John Ruskin




Saturday, February 8, 2014

Twitterville Talk #138

Award lists are still being announced, people are still chatting about the American Library Association Youth Media Awards and so, so many new excellent titles are celebrating book birthdays in 2014.  I hope everyone had a good week despite Mother Nature sending another nasty storm.  Take time for reading.  Look for the giveaways.



Let's start this post off with a video of note from author Neil Gaiman reading Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham.


Thanks to author Neil Gaiman (Fortunately, The Milk) for this tweet.







Young Adult Library Services Association has released their Great Graphic Novels 2014.

 Thanks to Alyson Beecher, educator and blogger at Kid Lit Frenzy, for this tweet.








From one who was there, The 2014 Youth Media Awards: Things I Love; a pictorial recollection and reflection.

 Thanks to Travis Jonker, teacher librarian, 2014 Caldecott Medal Committee member and blogger at 100 Scope Notes, for this tweet.







This certainly raised a ruckus in the Harry Potter reading community, Hermione should have married Harry Potter, Rowling admits.

 I can't wait to see every single one of these books, 2014 Spring/Summer Picture Book Preview
To the first person who can tell me the first title on this list, I will send a copy of Tea Party Rules by Ame Dyckman with illustrations by K. G. Campbell.  Please leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter. (This title has been won.)
Thanks to Children's Bookshelf of Publishers Weekly for these tweets.








Interesting Nonfiction For Kids recently posted Book Bait:   10 Ways to Hook Kids On Nonfiction!

 Thanks to Debbie Alvarez, teacher librarian and blogger at The Styling Librarian, for this tweet.










Recently at the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts conference a session titled The Heart of a Reader by Professor Teri Lesesne was presented.  Donalyn Miller also referenced her page, Why Can't I Skip My Twenty Minutes of Reading Tonight?

 Please read this and share it with others, Setting Children Up to Hate Reading.

 Thanks to Donalyn Miller, teacher, author of The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child and Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits, co-founder of the Nerdy Book Club and blogger at Donalyn Miller for this tweet.



Let's not waste another minute...bring on the book trailers.

 

 








 It's always interesting to see what titles will appear on state book award lists.  This week the 2015 Master List Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Illinois Children's Choice Award was released.

 There will always be events where you will remember where you were and what you were doing when they happened, events huge in human history.  In a like vein an amazing group of people relate the impact of reading Lois Lowry's The Giver.  I know I will never forget where I was when I finished it and what I thought.  Follow this link to an exceptional video.

There have been additions to the award recipient thank you videos.  Check them out--ALA Youth Media Awards

 Children's Book Week starts in 92 days!

 Time For Kids interviews Kate DiCamillo, Brian Floca and Rita Williams-Garcia, Award-Winning Authors.
When you get a tweet like this, you do it. (You might want to grab a Kleenex or two.)

Thanks to John Schumacher, teacher librarian, co-host of the monthly #SharpSchu Book Club, 2011 Library Journal Movers & Shakers, 2014 Newbery Medal Committee member, and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. for these tweets.






Here is a  great resources you might want to use,  A Handy Dropbox Cheat Sheet For Teachers.

Thanks to Jennifer LaGarde, teacher librarian, 2012 Library Journal Movers & Shakers, ALA/NYT I Love My Librarian winner, co-founder of #levelupbc and blogger at The Adventures of Library Girl, for this tweet.




The new judges for the School Library Journal Battle of the Kids' Books were announced this week.  They are Rae Carson, Robin LaFevers, Malinda Lo and Katherine Marsh.  The 2014 Battle Plans were also posted.


Thanks to the Battle Commander for these tweets.








It's never, ever to late to learn.  9 Life Lessons Everyone Can Learn From These Beloved Classic Children's Books
To the first person who can tell me the eighth lesson and the title where it is found, I will send a copy of The Story of Fish & Snail by Deborah Freedman.  Please leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter. (This title has been won.)
Thanks to the Eric Carle Museum for this tweet.








Two technologies, a pop-up book and a video inform us about The Pangaea.

 

 Thanks to TED-Ed for this tweet.








Another huge announcement impacting the children's literature world was made this week, Inaugural Longlists For Prestigious CILIP Carnegie And Kate Greenaway Medals Announced.

 Thanks to Walker Books for this tweet.






Just in time Black History Month booklist , Happy Year of the Horse! and Olympics booklist.

Thanks to The Horn Book for these posts and tweets.




In case you missed the TL Virtual Cafe discussion this week, GeniusCon, the archive is linked here.

 This looks like fun, World Read Aloud Day Blogging Challenge.

 Thanks for these tweets go to elementary library media specialist, co-founder of #levelupbc, 2013 Library Journal Movers & Shakers Tech Leader and blogger at The Busy Librarian, Matthew C. Winner.






I'm pretty sure everyone will be able to use at least one thing from this article, 5 Smart Ways To Use Digital Images In The Classroom.


Thanks to elementary principal and blogger at The Colorful Principal, Ben Gilpin for this tweet.





This is enchanting.


The Magic Of Libraries from Emily&Anne on Vimeo.

Thanks for this tweet goes to Donna Baumbach, formerly edtech/edmedia professor at UCF in Orlando.







If you are looking for ideas Cool Tools for Featuring Student Book Reviews might be exactly what you need.


Thanks to School Library Journal for this post and this tweet.










I know this is a commercial for Bell's Whiskey South Africa but it is one of the best video's about literacy I have seen this year. (Accept my apologies if you are offended.) It is linked here.  I guarantee you will be moved.

Thanks to Anderson's Bookshop for this tweet.







The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association announced their 2013-2014 Awards.
I reviewed both of the picture book titles on this list.  To the first person who can tell me those titles, I will send a copy of How to Train a Train by Jason Carter Eaton with illustrations by John Rocco.  Please leave you answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter.

 Thanks to teacher librarian and blogger at Reading Through Life, Crystal Brunelle for this tweet.







Guess what? YALSA's 2014 Hub Reading Challenge Begins!

 Thanks to Tasha Saecker, librarian and blogger at Waking Brain Cells, for this tweet.




Enjoy this week's collection of quotes, announcements and cuteness that Xena and I enjoyed gathering for you.





























Posted by Xena's Mom at 2:18 AM 0 comments
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Friday, February 7, 2014

Poetry Problems

A line spoken in a movie, a phrase written in a book or a tune from a well-known song can become etched in the collective minds of many; Toto...I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore (The Wizard of Oz movie), Holy Bagumba! (Flora & Ulysses:  The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo,  2014 Newbery Medal winner) and the theme music from Jaws, the movie.  Their meanings have and will evolve over the course of history becoming a part of pop culture.  Whether they are spoken, read or heard, people will have a connection in common.

Sometimes one of these iconic phrases or songs will run on repeat in our minds needing another powerful phrase or song to chase it away.  Sometimes the activities of our days or the weather feel like they are on repeat, too.  More than once I've read people's declarations on social media this winter about feeling like they are in the Bill Murray, Audie MacDowell, Chris Elliott movie, Groundhog Day.  A boy in The Poem That Will Not End:  Fun with Poetic Forms and Voice (Two Lions) by Joan Bransfield Graham with illustrations by Kyrsten Brooker has a similar problem.  He has poetry in his thoughts...continually.

It started with a rhythm,
a rhythm and a rhyme.
It wouldn't let me stop,
it ate up all my time.

 That's exactly how it began but it did not stop.  At breakfast his mind was busy and his fingers twitched; alphabet-letter cereal shaping words (plus some squashed bananas) made his little brother squeal. Using a crayon on his buddy's shirt and a stick on the playground dirt, this young poet had no control.  Everything became the means to his end including French fries at the midday meal.

Recess writing in chalk produced an acrostic verse. After school tracing in mud composed a concrete, soccer ball ode. Riding and racing away, his bike seemed to speak.  His efforts to run from this worrisome word explosion were in vain as a sneeze at dinner spread a poetic three-liner in peas on the kitchen wall. Oh, this is getting worse.  When a thunderstorm rolled in that evening, the gifted guy was scribbling with pick-up-sticks on the steps into the house.

The craziness continues as he gets ready for bed.  These rhythms and rhymes keep spilling from his head.  After tossing and turning all night, he drags himself into school wondering if there is any end in sight.  What?  That's the next assignment?! Thank you, Ms. Frost.


The title only hints at the fun readers have following the story of Ryan O'Brian's poetic problems penned by the clever, creative Joan Bransfield Graham.  The entire narrative is a chain built from four-line rhyming verses.  Tucked within this story the living room, breakfast table, playground, school cafeteria, soccer field, on a bike or skateboard, kitchen, outside the house, bathroom, bedroom and classroom are all places poems seem to pop forth from Graham's inventive mind.  Twenty-three poems total, counting the story itself and a special poem on the back jacket and book case, in at least fifteen fabulously written forms, characterize this typical boy having a not so typical day.  Here is one of the poems.

Soccer Ball
Soccer ball,
you are the center,
sun of our universe.
We are planets orbiting
your supreme presence,
hoping to rocket you,
like a blazing comet,
into the galaxy of
our goal.


Mixed-media collage art pieced together by illustrator Kyrsten Brooker completely captures every poetic particular.  The illustration on the front cover of Ryan O'Brian soaring on his skateboard shouts out a greeting as the picture on the back invites speculation.  A paper is taped to a brick wall; a pencil is lying on the ground next to Ryan's dog looking up at the poem titled Anonymous. Guess who's peeking around from behind the wall in his signature striped shirt and baseball cap?

With little effort at all you can hear the sounds every single one of Brooker's illustrations makes.  Her pictures are alive with movement and brimming with humor from the title page to the final page.  Choosing to broaden and heighten the text with either two page spreads, single pages edge to edge or individual elements on white space, she takes readers by the hand leading them into Ryan's world.  And we are so glad she does.  We get to feel all the emotions on the character's faces from place to place.

The scenes at the breakfast table and during the storm are two of my favorites, each covering two pages.  The alphabet cereal scattered upon the kitchen table, Ryan holding up toast spelling face place, the dog looking woebegone with goo and bananas on his head and the baby covered with his meal, a poem written on his high chair tray are laugh-out-loud funny.  With overlapping shades of blue and gray in prominence, wind swirling about loose newspapers, tree tops bent in the wind, waves rolling white, an umbrella carrying woman scurrying and blackbirds screaming, Ryan conducts from the porch top.  His written poem covers the stair steps beneath him in all its Italian sonnet glory.


Written by Joan Bransfield Graham with illustrations by Kyrsten Brooker The Poem That Will Not End:  Fun with Poetic Forms and Voices is a lively look at the world of poetry through a delightful story.  Writers (and even those who would rather not write) will hardly be able to resist giving at least one of these forms a try.  The final three pages are Ryan O'Brian's Guide to Poetic Forms and Voices.  Nineteen terms are explained in the first section, five in the second.  You are going to love this book so much you will not be able to wait for National Poetry Month or even a special poetry day in your classrooms.  I know you will be hearing read it again more than once or twice. 

Please follow the link embedded in Joan Bransfield Graham's name to her website.  This link is to the final stop of the book's blog tour at Jama's Alphabet Soup.  Visit the blogs to gain more detailed information about this title.  Here is a link to a short review by Julie Danielson at Kirkus.
Posted by Xena's Mom at 12:38 PM 0 comments
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Thursday, February 6, 2014

To Complete A Sweet Beat

Eventually the prize was delegated to the oldie-but-goodie-not-working-worth-a-hoot pile but the recollection of the contest never fails to bring on a smile.  We had been practicing.  We could hardly wait for the night to arrive.  When the familiar tune started, the dance floor was soon packed with competitive couples.  We added extra steps, moving and grooving to the beat.  Before long we were one of a few couples left twistin' the night away.  When we were announced as the winners, we looked at one another and burst out laughing.

Music has a magic to it; a way of lifting your spirits or aligning with your moods, conveying what words sometimes are unable to say.  When you combine it with the spell cast by folklore, you will find yourself reading Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., February 6, 2014) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Beth Coulton with illustrations by Nate Wragg.  Get out your dancing shoes as the fractured fun unfolds.


Once upon a rock and roll time,
three bears in a band jammed with ease.
The Papa Bear drummed,
the Mama Bear strummed,
and Baby Bear tickled the keys.

 Now these bears loved to make music and were good but not good enough to bring in the crowds.  Papa Bear had a plan.  Leaving their porridge to cool one morning, they went on a quest to find a lead vocalist with a range much higher than theirs.

As if by some fairy tale fate, a girl came knocking at their door.  While the smell of breakfast got Goldi's attention, stepping inside made her cheer.  It seemed the bears had a stage jam packed with musical gear galore.

Three sets of mikes were too tempting.  Headphones, three, revealed a tune she couldn't resist.  Now a tough choice presented itself; should percussion, guitar or keyboard be used to assist?

It was sad to note but Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear had no luck.  Coming home they saw a chaotic scene.  It was clear someone had been there; not something they had foreseen.  A dozing Goldi was startled awake; her piercing exclamation relieved their frustration.  A marvelous melody finally fulfilled wishes for the fabulous four.


Corey Rosen Schwartz (The Three Ninja Pigs) and Beth Coulton show readers they have a true affection for word play (and music) giving the story its own rhythmic cadence.  Fashioning a harmonious blend of the original narrative with their rocking and rolling spin, as pages are turned toes will be tapping.  Humor emerges in their choices, combinations of language, and the contrasts it creates.  Here is a single example.

The family returned to their cottage,
distressed from their lack of success.
When they saw the inside,
the Mama Bear cried,
"Egads! What a terrible mess!"
Readers are given a "door's always open" hint at the events to come when looking at the book's jacket.  Rich shades of brown and golden yellow exude cozy warmth.  The grinning mouths, laughing eyes, and movements of the characters frozen in place all say good times are coming.  Throughout the book this color palette and the lively animation of the three bears and Goldi are continued with entertaining results.

Using pencils, painted textures and Adobe Photoshop, Nate Wragg brings spirited life to this tuneful rendition of an old favorite.  Wragg chooses to alter the size of his illustrations; two pages, single pages and smaller visuals grouped on one page, to enhance, extend and interpret the narrative.  His added details are downright hilarious; the insects with thumbs down at the bears' original performance, a speaker popping out, or two pigs plugging their ears as the third one sings.

One of my favorite illustrations is a single page featuring all four characters as if we are on the outside looking into the cottage.  Mama Bear is playing her guitar.  Papa Bear is giving them a beat on his drums.  Baby Bear is placing his paws across the keyboard.  And Goldi?  She is singing her heart out as a crescent moon shines among stars and musical notes.

I've listened to more rock and roll music in the past several days, than I have in years.  Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Beth Coulton with illustrations by Nate Wragg will have readers ready to grab the nearest instrument (or slap a beat on their knees), happily sing or dance around the room.  It's about time Goldilocks and those Three Bears formed a lasting friendship.

For more information about each of the authors and the illustrator please follow the links embedded in their names which will take you to their website or blog.  Follow a link here and here to learn more about the process of writing this title.  To celebrate the book birthday of Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears, which is today, follow this link to a giveaway.

UPDATE:  February 4, 2016 Corey Rosen Schwartz posted on Twitter about an Activity Kit.

Just in case you feel like dancing...


Posted by Xena's Mom at 3:02 PM 0 comments
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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

The Man Who Loved Books...And Libraries

Despite the passing of decades, the immense feeling of wonder when first entering the Library of Congress still remains vivid in my memory.  The collections of gathered words and illustrations surround you in a quiet embrace of reverence.  On April 24th of this year, the Library of Congress will have been in existence for two hundred fourteen years.

Originally kept in the Capitol in Washington, D. C. as a small library of resources for the legislators, its contents were burned in 1814 when British troops set fire to the building.  A man with a known passion for books and reading offered his extensive library as a replacement.  In January of 1815 Congress allowed compensation in the sum of $23,950 for his 6,487 books *.  This man was Thomas Jefferson.  Author Barb Rosenstock and illustrator John O'Brien chronicle the growth of this affection for the printed word in Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library (Calkins Creek, an imprint of Highlights, September 2013).


Thomas Jefferson learned to read.  And then, he never stopped.

 It is said before he turned six and entered school, he read the entire contents of his father's library, all forty-nine books.  He did accomplish other requirements for a young man of his time; learning French and Latin, the proper way to dance, and playing the fiddle.  It was reading, when given the choice, which occupied hours of every day.  His method of organizing his book collections is intriguing to say the least.

Marriage, children, the building of Monticello and the writing of the Declaration of Independence did not deter this man from the importance of reading. With his encouragement his family acquired a taste for books, too. For the remainder of his life, he carried a paper with words written by him and his wife, Martha, from their favorite book wrapped in a lock of her hair.

After the untimely death of Martha, Thomas Jefferson traveled to France to act as an ambassador seeking assistance.  The libraries and booksellers feed his soul's need to not only read but further develop his personal library.

Tom bought two thousand books in five years, more than a book a day.

 During his two terms as president, he tripled the number of volumes in the library at the Capitol.  Even after his retirement back at Monticello his love of books, reading and writing continued.  A special book stand in his library revolved allowing him to read five books at a time.  Like a true lover of books, he shared them with others as a loan or a gift and continued to purchase more.

Thomas Jefferson believed in the United States of America.  Thomas Jefferson believed in the power of books.  When the fire of 1814 destroyed the collection in Washington, D. C., Thomas Jefferson did the only thing he could do.


One of the truly appealing aspects of this book is the presentation of the information.  Barb Rosenstock has written two loosely connected narratives. As the first documents the life of Thomas Jefferson with reference to this love of reading, the second adds interesting, more detailed information in the form of quotes and specific facts.  Each compliments and supplements the other in a harmonious flow.  Here is a single example.

He sailed, and he read.
He bounced in fancy carriages, and he read.
He bowed to the king, charmed the court,
helped his country, and he read.

 "Books were at all times his
chosen companions."
---Ellen Wayles Randolph, granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson
Upon opening up the matching jacket and book case, readers (and those loving books as much as Thomas Jefferson) will be hard pressed not to smile at the scene of him shelving books among the block letters spelling the title, as four small children, a dog and cat are reading.  An exceedingly clever title page shows Thomas Jefferson on a scaffold building a library out of books with his quotation,

"I cannot live without books."  ---Thomas Jefferson, 1815

 embedded in an open book over the doorway.  Many of the added specifics appear in open books with smaller explanatory pictures on most of the other pages.  These books are tucked within the main illustration, sometimes even crossing the gutter.

The intricate lines used by John O'Brien make every single page one to savor.  His inclusion of the smallest elements add interest; small gravestones for the loss of Jefferson's children, a hand reaching in from the bottom of the page to support a quote, Napoleon serving Jefferson a shape resembling the size of the Louisiana Purchase on a plate or giving the library burning in 1814 the form of a large open book, bottom edges down, pages spread open.  The enthusiasm Jefferson brought to all his achievements is evident in facial expressions and body postures.  One of my favorite illustrations is on the final two pages.  The head of Thomas Jefferson is shown close-up as he holds an open book in his hands.  On those pages of the open book is the library full of people reading.  On the right-hand side is a younger Jefferson handing books to a woman gathering them in an open apron.


The combination of writing by Barb Rosenstock and illustrations by John O'Brien in Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library makes this a first-class addition to those books about this prominent figure in American history.  I keep reading it over and over...it's that good.  You can't resist reading books which bring the past into the present.  With Presidents' Day less than two weeks away, I highly recommend the use of this title.

The final three pages include an extensive Author's Note, Thomas Jefferson, Slaveholder, Acknowledgements, Selected Bibliography and Source Notes* and more sources notes for all the quotations.  By following the link embedded in Barb Rosenstock's name you can gather further resources for this book (Educator's Guide) plus her other titles.  The link embedded in John O'Brien's name will give you access to his website.  Enjoy the book trailer.

 

*The Library of Congress-About the Library-History


I am excited to be participating in Alyson Beecher's 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted at her blog Kid Lit Frenzy.  Make sure you stop over there to see all the other nonfiction picture books showcased by other bloggers.

Posted by Xena's Mom at 3:41 PM 2 comments
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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Edgar, Not Allan Poe, But A Storytelling Tool

Late last month Heather Moorefield-Lang, Education Librarian at Virginia Tech and current chairperson of the American Association of School Librarians Best Websites for Teaching & Learning committee sent out a tweet about a digital storytelling tool.  The name looked familiar to me.  I did some searching and found it was listed by Joyce Valenza, teacher librarian and blogger at NeverEnding Search, on a Digital Storytelling Tools wiki she had created.

Edgar states on their home page:

...a beautiful lightweight tool for creating digital stories. 
Use your instagrams, tweets or upload
your home photos and videos.  ...

 Across the bottom of the first screen you can see a navigation bar.  From left to right you can view features stories, learn about Edgar, meet the development team, provide a way to stay in contact with the site's news, read the latest news on their Tumblr, join, sign in and tell a story.  When you mouse over the blue Tell A Story button another image appears on the screen.  This application is very user friendly.



Upon selecting the Tell A Story button you are asked to log in or sign up.  If you choose, you can log in using your Facebook account.  After clicking the Sign Up button when you have entered in your name, email address and password, you are immediately sent an account activation email.



Upon logging, in the next screen offers a series of options.  From the top to bottom on the left-hand side using the tool bar you can, go back to the feature stories, view your stories or sign out, search for stories by keyword, view all the stories or by one of the seven categories, and view stories grouped by projects.  The final two icons, gray in color, were inoperable (at this time). When I selected the about at the bottom it took me back to the home page.




When selecting the small blue button in the upper right hand corner, Tell A Story, a new window opens.
You can give your story a title and start to add pictures.  Simply click on the title bar to add text.  Choose the plus sign on the image to upload a picture from your computer.  If you mouse over an added photo, a trash can appears so it can be instantly deleted.



At any time during the creation of your story you can edit by choosing the small button in the lower left-hand corner representing a page. If you select the plus sign to the right, it takes you to the next page.  Also after adding an image and text, you can choose to publish or add a page by selecting either of the available buttons to the right of the image.  When finished, choose Publish.


You are invited to place your story in one of the seven categories, add an optional custom tag and assign a geographical place to your story.  When this is completed, click Publish again.  Your story loads taking you to another screen.  At this screen the title is displayed in the upper left-hand corner.  Along the bottom you can move through the pages by selecting the small circles.  



In the upper right-hand corner is a series of icons.  The first, on the left, when selected shows the title of the story and the text for that particular page. (The text for any given page appears as soon as the page is loaded then fades so the image can be seen fully.) If you like the story, click on the heart icon.  The three arrows represent sharing options, like on Facebook, tweet on Twitter, get a URL link or HTML code for embedding on a blog or website.  Choosing the "x" takes you back to the first Tell A Story window. 

Now when you click on Me, your story is shown.  When you mouse over it, you have the choice to edit or view it.  You can also see how many times it has been viewed or liked.




Here is the link to my story, Year of the Big Snow, in case the embedded version below does not appear on your screen.


I did not locate any terms of service or privacy policy on the site but due to the need for giving an email address, I would advise using this with older students.  This application (to the best of my knowledge) is not even a year old yet.  It was originally designed for users to showcase their creations.  I did scroll through some of the stories looking for any material not appropriate for use in the classroom and did not see any at this time.

I found generating a story so easy, I would not hesitate to recommend this for use in the classroom. It could be used to document a special event, a daily activity, or as Edgar says simply...Tell A Story.  I invite you to give it a try.  Once you have a story in mind with images to match, the story is ready in minutes.  

Here is a link to a very fine site, Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling. 
Posted by Xena's Mom at 5:57 PM 0 comments
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Monday, February 3, 2014

Being You

Being different, an individual in a crowd of sameness, based upon a personal decision is not the same as having no voice in the matter.  When you find yourself in the position of being unlike those around you, through no fault of your own, the choice shifts.  You can either choose to embrace your uniqueness or not.

Whether by instinct, as a means of survival, or both, the animal kingdom abounds with examples of adaptations.  I must admit, though, to not having seen one quite like the resilient character in Elizabeth Rose Stanton's debut picture book.  Henny (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers), realizing she is no ordinary chicken, decides to high-five life.

Henny was not a typical chicken.
Henny was born with arms.

 One can only imagine the hen house chatter when Henny hatched but her mother, clearly surprised, gives Henny the same affection as her other chicks.  Having arms has its advantages and disadvantages.  Having arms can bring uplifting joy or humiliating sadness.

When you are a chicken with arms you tend to worry about which hand you will favor in completing tasks, the style of clothing best suited to your needs or taking care of underarm odor.  Blending in (or not), finding her place, on the farm requires the use of mail order catalogs, cardboard boxes and being in the right place at the right time.  Henny's differences come in pretty handy when Mr. Farmer needs assistance.

Sleep is replaced with dreaming of all the things Henny can do with her fingers, hands and arms; things normally taken for granted by others.  Little things like plugging her ears, unusual things like carrying a purse or big things like joining a circus fill Henny's mind with possibilities.  When daring to wonder, like Henny, the everyday can be accomplished by exalting in your differences.


Steeped in gentle humor, Elizabeth Rose Stanton tells Henny's story in simple sentences.  We experience her moments of joy, heartbreak, concern and curiosity.  As the tale progresses an undercurrent of optimism becomes more obvious.  Words like worry, imagine and could define Henny's growth.  Her true nature emerges filling us as readers with her distinct outlook in extraordinary circumstances.  One of my favorite sequences in the narrative uses a wonderful technique; one activity builds on another and yet another.


True to nature, after opening up the jacket, smiling at the waving Henny on the front, and having my grin grow as I looked at her mother's astonished gaze at the newborn Henny on the back, I removed the jacket.  Underneath the rich red of the title spreads across the front and back case acting as a background frame for a white circle in the center of each.  As if inside a spotlight, we see Henny standing, looking at us calmly with clasped hands resting on her stomach.

The opening and closing endpapers are integral to the story.  On the first we see the title in red over a single egg; the later revealing the triumph of Henny.  Contributing to the lightness readers feel when reading this book is the liberal use of white space.  Elizabeth Rose Stanton's pencil and watercolor illustrations, all carefully positioned on each page, literally glow.

Often we see a single sentence centered on a single page making an important point.  The placement and quantity of sentences and pictures, alternating in size and framing, on a page provide a pacing which encircles readers with Henny's buoyant personality. Facial features and the positions of Henny's arms add to the overall charm of this title, welcoming us into Henny's real and imaginary world.  One of my favorite two pages is the series of pictures where Henny realizes she can offer Mr. Farmer help.  We never see more of Mr. Farmer than the lower portion of his body, drawing our attention to Henny's good deed for the day.


When Henny written and illustrated by Elizabeth Rose Stanton is read, each individual will leave feeling a little bit better, a little bit happier, and a little bit more prepared to greet the day with a smile and hope in their heart.  Look out world, this cheerful chick has big plans.  Share Henny one on one or with an entire class, but make sure you do share her story.  It would be fun to have students imagine what other accomplishments or adventures Henny might do or have.

To look at additional artwork or read more about Elizabeth Rose Stanton please visit her website and blog linked above in her name.  John Schumacher, interviewed Stanton at Watch. Connect. Read. and premiered the book trailer shown below.  Follow this link to a recent interview of Stanton at Miss Marple's Musings.  For a peek at more illustrations from the book head over to the publisher's website linked here. UPDATE: Julie Danielson interviewed Elizabeth Rose Stanton at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on April 13, 2014.  UPDATE: Henny is interviewed at The Little Crooked Cottage.  It's lots of fun.

Posted by Xena's Mom at 7:27 AM 0 comments
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Saturday, February 1, 2014

Twitterville Talk #137

To say this week on Twitter was busy would be an understatement.  Let this post speak as a testament to that.  I hope everyone is staying warm, healthy and is relaxing this weekend.  Take time for reading.  To celebrate the American Library Association Youth Media Awards look for the giveaways.  I got carried away.  My local book store manager is happy.


Having had a kindhearted and wise principal when Xena was a puppy, I was allowed to bring her to school every day for the first six months.  (She was so tiny I had to feed her three times a day.) The students loved sharing their story times with her.  Xena still gets excited when entering the school building.  That's why the contents of this article, Read to a Dog, came as no surprise to me.

Thanks to educator and blogger at Finding Ways for All Kids to Flourish, Joan Young for this tweet.







Did you know the Library of Congress Adds New Interactive Online Game to Read.gov Reading-Promo Web Site?  I explored the site for a little bit and it's pretty good.

This is some overlap here with other notables in this post but Book Awards Roundup:  Rainbow List, Amelia Bloomer Project, and Other Non-YMA Awards  As an example of this, the Amelia Bloomer Project link given below is more inclusive.

This is excellent, excellent news, Lemony Snicket Sponsors Prize for Librarians Facing Adversity

Thanks to School Library Journal for this tweet.







The hour flew by as people predicted titles which might receive honors for six of the American Library Association Youth Media Awards during #titletalk last Sunday.  If you missed it the archive is here.

Thanks to Cindy Minnich, educator and blogger at Charting by the Stars, for this tweet and for gathering all the tweets for the archive.







Prior to the announcements at the American Library Association, the 2014 Recipients of American Indian Library Association's Youth Literature Award were released. 


Thanks to Debbie Reese, educator, student and contributor at the American Indians In Children's Literature web site, for this tweet and post.







Take a moment, if you haven't already, to read Reading as a Lifelong Lifeline by Jane Kise.

 Thanks to Donalyn Miller, teacher, author of The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child and Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits, co-founder of the Nerdy Book Club and blogger at Donalyn Miller for this tweet.





You cannot imagine all the tweets, links and videos filling my Twitter feed during and after the awards were revealed.  Rather than list them all here, I've made a virtual corkboard posting as many as I can using an online application called Spaaze.  Here is the link to the board titled American Library Association Youth Media Awards.  I will continue to add to it.  The link to my post about Spaaze is here.





This week we also learned of the winning titles for the 2014 Amelia Bloomer Project, a list of the best feminist books for readers from birth through the age of eighteen.
To the first person who can tell me the title of the first book listed, I will send a copy of Clementine and the Spring Trip by Sara Pennypacker with illustrations by Marla Frazee.  Please DM me your answer on Twitter or leave it in the comments below. (This title has been won.)

Wow!  What a list by the Young Adult Library Services Association!  2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults

Thanks to Stacy Dillon, school librarian and blogger at Welcome to my (New) Tweendom, for these tweets.








One of the outstanding posts this week at the Nerdy Book Club speaks to the importance, purpose and impact of historical fiction, Revising Historical Friction by Laurel Snyder.

 I for one really appreciate the efforts of the committee chair for this post, Demystifying the Schneider Family Book Award by Alyson Beecher.

Thanks to the Nerdy Book Club for these tweets and posts.






Take a trip down memory lane watching this video as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt celebrates their years of publishing.  I don't know about you, but I saw many, many favorite titles.




And away we go with the new book (and app) trailers for the week.  It looks like we have another fantastic year of reading ahead.  Lucky us!










Make sure to mark your calendars and read the book for what promises to be an hour of hilarity this month for the #SharpSchu Book Club.

During the previous week a series of videos were released highlighting conversations between Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and Katherine Paterson.  They are truly amazing. They are linked here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

 Katherine Paterson talks about Kate DiCamillo's book Because of Winn Dixie here. (I shed a few tears myself.)

All of the above videos are also included in the Storify titled Cyber-Sleuth---Mr. Schu Says.

 Booklist released Top 10 Black History Books for Youth: 2014

 Today is Take Your Child to the Library Day!

 Take note of the titles on this list by the Association for Library Service to Children---2014 Notable Children's Books
To the first person who can tell me the first book on this list I reviewed and Xena love, I will send a copy of Rutherford B. Who Was He?:  Poems about Our Presidents by Marilyn Singer with illustrations by John Hendrix.  Please leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter. (This title has been won.)


 Thanks to John Schumacher, teacher librarian, co-host of the monthly #SharpSchu Book Club, 2011 Library Journal Movers & Shakers, 2014 Newbery Medal Committee member, and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. for these tweets.






I know I can hardly wait to listen to this week's podcast, Let's Get Busy with author illustrator Deborah Freedman.  I review two of her books, The Story of Fish & Snail and Blue Chicken.

 Thanks to Matthew C. Winner, elementary library media specialist, co-founder of #levelupbc, Library Journal Movers & Shakers 2013 Tech Leader and blogger at The Busy Librarian for this tweet.






There are some new dots at Celebri-dots by Sage Blackwood and Aileen Stewart.


Thanks to Terry Shay, 5-12 vocal and computer teacher, college adjunct, FableVision Learning Ambassador and blogger at TJ On a Journey, for these tweets.




Three of the judges' names for the 2014 Battle of the Kids' Books have been released.  The articles are linked here, here and here.  I think this is going to be an interesting battle.
To the first person who can tell me the first three names of the judges, I will send a copy of the new, final Lunch Lady book, Lunch Lady and the Schoolwide Scuffle by Jarrett J. Krosoczka.  Please leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter. (This title has been won.)

Thanks for these tweets go to The Battle Commander.








In case you've been on another planet and just returned, here is the trailer for the movie The Fault in Our Stars.


Thanks to author John Green for this tweet and this book.








Lucky for all of us he was willing to share and took the time for this post, Gallery:  These Picture Books Have Secrets.  It's the first thing I do whenever I get a book; remove the dusk jacket to look at the case.

Don't miss this interview by Travis Jonker---The Kate Connection:  DiCamillo Talks About her Role as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature
To the first person who can tell me the answer to the final question in the interview, I will send a copy of Flora & Ulysses:  The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo with illustrations by K. G. Campbell.  Please leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter. (This title has been won.)

 They've been updated.  The Newbery Medal Infographic  The Caldecott Medal Infographic

Thanks for these tweets go to Travis Jonker, teacher librarian, member of the 2014 Caldecott Medal Committee and blogger at 100 Scope Notes.







This announcement is going to make a bunch of fans happy, Rainbow Rowell signs two-book deal with First Second--EXCLUSIVE

 Thanks to Fierce Reads for this tweet.







If you are in the midst of or getting ready to celebrate The Chinese New Year here is an updated list of resources.

Thanks to educator, author and blogger at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... , Larry Ferlazzo for this tweet.










I wonder how these books will read for the intended audience?  David Baldacci Launches Kids' Fantasy Series

 Take the time to read this outstanding article, Kate DiCamillo: "It's Easier To Do The Work Than It Is Not To Do The Work"


Thanks to Children's Bookshelf of Publishers Weekly for these tweets.







Here is yet another fantastic list of must read books---The Great Multicultural Children's Books of 2013 You Might Have Missed

 Thanks to author illustrator Yuyi Morales (Nino Wrestles the World) for this tweet.








Twitter users know this but perhaps there is something here to share with others---10 ways Twitter makes me a better educator

 Thanks to Ben Gilpin, elementary principal and blogger at, The Colorful Principal, for this tweet.






Get ready for an enlightening chat this Monday evening---#GeniusCon TL Webinar


Thanks to teacher librarian and blogger at The Library Fanatic, Sherry Glick for this tweet and post.





Here's a handy chart and reminder, The ABCs of Digital Citizenship.

 Thanks to Donna Macdonald, teacher librarian and technology integrationist, VSLA board member, ISTE SIGLIB president elect, for this tweet.






Enjoy this gathering of tweets with favorite pictures, quotes, observations and announcements which Xena and I think are important.






















Posted by Xena's Mom at 12:15 PM 1 comments
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