Mrs. P's Reading is Cool Blog

"The Flying Horse" will Gallop into the Hearts of Young Readers!

The Flying Horse will Gallop into the Hearts of Young Readers!  Written by Sarah Maslin Nir with illustrations by Lyle Frazier

I first became acquainted with author Sarah Maslin Nir when I read her memoir “Horse Crazy”. This book inspired me to start riding again in my sixties after a long hiatus from having my own horse. Even though “The Flying Horse” is the first in a series of fictional middle-grade novels, we are never too old to read a good horse story. 

"The Flying Horse" tells the story of a horse and a girl growing up and the events that happen to bring them together. The chapters alternate between a 7th grader named Sarah (just like the author) living in New York City and a Netherlands-born horse named Trendsetter.  Sarah and Trendsetter both are trying to live up to the expectations of others. Sarah as a top student and Trendsetter with his breeding legacy. Sarah’s decision to no longer do homework, because she is bad at spelling, and Trendsetter’s crooked hoof bring these two together with the help of a cast of wonderfully written kind characters in this charming story.   

The writing is lyrical and memorable. Describing how horses don’t celebrate birthdays was one of my favorites. “Each morning is a reset: a day to wake up, shimmy the dust off one’s fur, flick the wood shaving out of one’s tail, and take on what comes.” And it continues in a lovely prose from here. 

There’s kindness in this book which I really liked, especially for young readers.  There are beautiful lessons imparted throughout the book, like the importance of being resilient.  Sarah’s grandmother, Frieda, and her teacher, Ms. Moses, really understand Sarah and some of these moments even brought a little tear to my eye, as they were so tender and positive. If everyone had a teacher like Ms. Moses the world would be a better place.

This story, and I predict the two others coming in the series, will be on young riders bookshelves for years to come.  It is reminiscent of stories from my childhood, where I wanted to read passages over and over again. I felt for Trendy like I did for Misty back to my own childhood and reading Marguerite Henry’s “Misty of Chincoteague” book. 

I still fondly remember the day I finally got to go to Chincoteague Island when I was 20 years old to see the actual ponies I had fallen in love through reading. I imagine horse girls everywhere will now dream of seeing the beautiful Lipizzan horses from Nir’s rich descriptions in this book. 

This book will truly make your heart soar! Gallop over to your nearest bookstore and add it to your collection! 

 

A Vivid Imagination, Throw in a Horse or Two, and Voom! - Pencilvania Takes You on a Journey You Won’t Soon Forget!

Twelve years ago a young very introverted girl in our neighborhood gave me a drawing of the first horse she drew.  She didn’t think it was very good, and I thought it was incredible. She moved away, but recently came to town to look at a college and stopped by to see me. I showed her the drawing I had had framed on our wall, she couldn’t believe it. I recently won the book “Pencilvania” on the #FridayNightRaffle hosted by Cindy Schwind, a K-12 retired reading interventionist, and I don’t know if was because of this drawing I had, but from the moment I opened this book, I felt a connection. 

Pencilvania, written by Stephanie Watson and illustrated by Sophia Moore is a very imaginative middle grade chapter book. Two sisters, Zora the older, and Frankie the younger, lose their mother to cancer and have to adjust to living in a new city with a grandmother they hardly know. In addition to all the changes, they are also processing their mother’s death.

Zora’s mom had always encouraged her creativity. “Voom. That’s what Mom and Zora called the warm, tingly spark inside that said draw, draw, draw. Zora had felt it for as long as she could remember. Mom had Voom too.” Unfortunately, Zora felt she lost her “Voom” after her mom’s passing.

Zora and Frankie find themselves in the imaginary world of all of Zora’s drawings, called Pencilvania, after Zora scribbles over many of her drawings in frustration and anger about how she is feeling. Before their mom died, Frankie who loves horses was promised riding lessons for her seventh birthday. Zora had been taught a lesson from her mom on how to draw what you see during a trip to stables with Frankie, so she is more determined than ever to get those riding lessons for her sister.

The author cleverly created Airrol, the seven legged horse that Zora drew from the lessons with her mom, who becomes her guide in Pencilvania. Of course, Airrol also imparts lessons to Zora as they have to fight off the villain in their imaginary world (another horse called Viscardi). In the imaginary world of Pencilvania Airrol helps Zora finds peace with their mother's death and Zora regains her "Zoom".

There are many black and white illustrations throughout the fantasy/adventure book and they look just like a kid would have drawn them. I thought this was a nice touch for this particular story, as they seem very attainable for any budding artist. I loved how drawing and using one’s imagination saves the day in this story.

There might be a few advanced vocabulary words, but that's great as it might lead to a visit with the dictionary. The book also allows for great discussion about any child feeling or experiencing a loss.

 

“So You Want to Build A Library” Celebrates Libraries and the Joy of Reading! What’s Not to Love!

I love to stretch the creativity muscle. It’s one we need to exercise to keep our imaginations sharp. As a child, the library provided to me, a gift that stretched my imagination and developed a life long love of reading.

Lindsay Leslie’s children’s book “So You Want To Build A Library” definitely helps stretch the imaginations of young readers. It joyfully emphasizes that the library holds the key to opening the door of possibilities.  The clever premise has the reader in charge of building their dream library; nothing is off limits with your imagination.  

It’s a book that teachers, librarians or parents will love as it helps young students engage in their own storytelling, an important skill to develop.  With this read aloud, accompanied by the delightful illustrations from Aviel Basil, kiddos are asked what books would they read and how they would build their own library? A perfect exercise for sparking dialogue and creativity. 

The books we read (or someone reads to us) as children are the books we never forget. They shape us in ways we may not even recognize: how we see the world. We tuck their lessons away for safekeeping and bring them out—for the rest of our lives—and this book will have young readers always remembering that anything is possible in the library! 

 

Reimagining a Classic! Virginia Kantra Reintroduces You to Your Beloved Friends From Little Women!

Reviewed by The Head Elf and charter member of The Tiny Book Club

A revisit with my favorite childhood literature friends: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy! What could be better? Virginia Kantra achieved a grand contemporary retelling of  “Little Women”, one of my favorite childhood classics. 

You can tell the author knows the March sisters well, and that’s why it feels so authentic. I should know as my childhood best friend and I coveted this book. Between us we had all the Madame Alexander dolls and a trunk of old fashioned dresses from a grandmother where we played pretend and developed our own version of these characters.  So, it can be really tricky updating a classic and having avid fan girls, like ourselves, accept a new version. 

During the challenging time of quarantine this book provided my friend and me the solace we needed. We loved what the author did with our beloved characters.  

"Meg & Jo"

Just like the title, “Meg & Jo”, this book focuses mostly on Meg & Jo. Jo has moved to New York and is a food blogger as well as working in a restaurant.  Her experiences feel so real and honest.  Jo’s still strong and stubborn, but also shows a vulnerability in her relationship with a new love interest, who also happens to be her boss.  Her relationship with Chef Eric makes her feel more accessible as she isn't always in control. 

Meg, is a full time mother to her twins, having left a job at the bank that she loved. She learns she has a lot to offer when she starts helping a farmers market vendor with his books.  Her relationship with her husband, John, is very touching and real.  Kantra allows us to experience through Meg, what many women feel when they give up a job they love to stay home with the kids, portraying the very real feelings and struggles that many women go through. 

While Amy and Beth are in this book, I’ll wait to dive into them later.  The unexpected part of “Meg & Jo” was the mother, Abigail.  I won’t give away an spoilers, but let’s just say she is strong and independent in this story and runs a goat farm making artisan cheese.  A back injury Abigail suffers brings all the girls home to North Carolina and once again shows us that the March family is always there for one another.  

“Beth & Amy” 

I preordered this book with great anticipation after loving “Meg & Jo”.  I was supposed to wait to read it with The Tiny Book Club, but I couldn’t and consumed it in several afternoons. It felt like coming home, revisiting again with my old friends, the March family. 

Kantra’s intentions with each character allow you to both recognize them from the original “Little Women”, but also just love them as if they were new literary figures all on their own. 

Beth and Amy were always sort of the second tier characters in “Little Women”, everyone wanted to be “Jo” the strong, independent one.   Beth, was always sick and delicate, and Amy, was the bratty baby. In this new book, both Beth & Amy rise front and center and we see them in a whole new light. 

Amy, has created a successful handbag business all on her own and is learning how to change the way she has been labeled and seen by her family.  She also has the complexity of being in love with Jo’s old boyfriend, Trey. After having seen the Greta Gerwig version of “Little Women”, whenever I was reading about Trey I envisioned the darling Timothee Chalamet from the film, who played “Laurie”, or “Teddy” as Jo calls him in the film. Thank you for this Virginia Kantra!  Amy’s sassy but lovable in this book, and I think many readers would pick to be Amy now because of Kantra’s charming development of this character. 

Beth has been thrust into fame with her talent of writing music, but is a reluctant performer and hates the spotlight. The author has created an inner monologue for Beth that is very powerful. Beth suffers from confidence and body issues. Kantra isn’t afraid to put forth mental health struggles in both Beth and a new character, Dan, a war vet suffering from PTSD who helps on the farm.  There are many issues tackled in this book about ‘being good enough” and asking “what do you want” which are dealt with realistically and with compassion. 

Abigail, the mother, is also incorporated in the book as well with a few chapters of her own. Her reflections on family and marriage are very poignant. I really loved her observations and wisdom.  These chapters may have been my favorite. 

Aunt Phee and the back stories about Trey and Mr. Lawrence senior will also surprise and delight you. 

Chapter 29 starts off  with the words “Jo took me to the beach. Because, she said, the ocean makes everything better.”  I loved this quote! And I don’t think there could be anything better than my revisits with the March sisters thanks to author Virginia Kantra for creating these charming and enduring characters. 

I recommend both of these books to but on your bookshelf!  Like the original “Little Women”, you’ll want to read them again. 

P.S.  If you like to learn more about all of the research that goes into writing a book, check out Virginia Kantra’s talk hosted at the Orem Library in Utah.

 

Hooray for Horse Stories! Add These Three to Your Stable of Books!

During the pandemic I started to dream of jumping my horse, a horse that I hadn’t had in years. Then it seemed that every reading recommendation list I saw had horse books. So I decided to trot through the pages of these three and I urge you to saddle up to read them! 

This first one I recommend for a great family read aloud.  

Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley.  This book was a bright spot during the pandemic year. It’s a story of a curious racehorse named Perestroika (Paras for short), who meets a proud German Pointer (Frida) that knows charm is the key to survival.  They are joined by a pompous raven (Roule) who always has two cents to add in any situation. Throw in a bickering pair of mallards named Sid & Nancy, some rats residing in an elegant but declining old manor with an orphaned 8-year-old boy named Étienne and his blind great, great grandmother, Madame de Mornay, and you’ve got a charming story of banding together that’s filled with love and hope.  

I felt the freedom of Paras, the horse, exploring the city of Paris. I tasted the bakery treats that Frida, the dog, acquired on her rounds. I felt the dust floating in Madame de Mornay’s manor due to Smiley’s adept descriptions.  I love that the animals were wary of each other but also looked out for each other.

Anthropomorphized animals have of course been a staple of literature since Aesop. I’ve got my favorite talking animal books on my shelf; a childhood favorite “Charlotte’s Web” followed by “Animal Farm”, and “Watership Down”.  This book with be joining these classics on my shelf for years to come. 

This next book reminds me of having my first riding lessons and finding my tribe of horsey friends when I was about 8 years old. 

If you’re a horse girl, no matter what your age, Carrie Seim’s “Horse Girl” will speak to your heart. Check out the audio clip read by the author on the link. "Horse Girl" chronicles the life of 12-year-old Wills who has lived many places because her mom is an air force pilot. This time around though she and her older brainy sister have stayed behind in Nebraska with their father, rather than go to another post.  

The characters in this charming book are so authentic, Seim nails family interactions and the drama at the barn. There are footnotes throughout that provide information about riding and horse lingo. They were extremely well done as there is a humorous touch that makes learning the facts fun. I appreciated the author’s nod to Marguerite Henry, as I grew up reading the “Misty of Chincoteague” books. This book brought my 60 year old self right back to my first horse show at age nine on a pony just like Minnie! The theme of “finding your forever herd” will resonate with tween readers. This book is destined to be a classic for horse girls everywhere!

I thought I was the original Horse Crazy girl!  I wanted a horse since I was two, according to my mother.  Then I read Sarah Maslin Nir’s memoir, Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love With an Animal and I realized I no longer held this title! If you’re a teenage or above, this book is for you! 

Sarah Maslin Nir’s memoir, “Horse Crazy" took me on an unforgettable ride through equine history. Sarah is also a New York Times reporter and her skills shine in this book. I learned and I marveled, as I visited places and horses I never knew existed. Black Cowboys? Breyerfest? Marwari horses? Horse stewardess? The author felt like an outsider and horses were her friends and comfort. Perhaps that is what I related to most, as horses were that for me growing up, too. If you love horses or want to learn about them this book is the perfect ride.

These books are recommended by the head elf at MrsP.com and the charter member of The Tiny Book Club. 

Deedee Cummings Books Teach Empathy and Kindness. Reviewed for #MCBD2020

I received two vibrant colored paperback books to review from author Deedee Cummings.  The bright illustrations provided by Charlene Mosley grabbed my attention and made me want to dive into each book to explore inside.

I started with the picture book “In the Nick of Time”.  It’s a story about a boy names Nick who finds a letter addressed to St. Nick (Santa) in his mailbox.  The letter changes his whole outlook on the world.  When he learns that the letter is from a fellow student at his school named Cooper, he starts to learn about empathy.  Cooper’s family has lost their home and he’s asking Santa for a job for his mom and a truck for his brother.

Nick learns some valuable lessons, in that not every kid has an X-box, and many people struggle.  He learns what gratitude is, which is a universal message for children every where. 

I appreciate that the author made Nick a person of color, so the author’s own son had someone in books to identify with when reading. But the book is for any child, as they can all benefit from Nick’s revelations.

This is the Earth, is the second picture book I opened and was drawn in with the bold and colorful illustrations.  It is geared to early readers, or a child being read too. Cummings is evoking us, the reader, to strive for a peaceful society by taking the responsibility to unite as a global family.   A lofty order, but a worthwhile goal.  

The author suggests that the tenets of inclusion, respect, compassion and love will lead to peace. I especially liked the idea that instead of viewing the world through our own secluded islands, we unite and work together for the good of all. 

This book is a good discussion vehicle about what it means to have an open mind and how you can take responsibility to be an agent of change. There is a discussion guide at the end, though it seems geared to older students. 

I was moved by the message that we are all part of a larger family and that everyone is our neighbor.  This message can help children understand and think about other cultures in a very holistic way.  

Both of Cummings’ books are ideal for opening up a dialogue about important topics and teaching children about empathy and kindness.  I would definitely add both of these books in my library to share and recommend that you do too!

 

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators. Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.

MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board

Super Platinum Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings, Platinum Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls, Gold Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS: A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press, Silver Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,Bronze Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books, Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales   Author Sponsor Link Cloud
https://www.barefootbooks.com/l Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series Green Kids Club, Inc.

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE. Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts A Crafty Arab, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews

  FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

• Free Multicultural Books for Teachers
• Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWz
• Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators
• Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit

 

TWITTER PARTY! Register here! Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

 

 

New Kid by Jerry Craft - Reviewed for #READYOURWORLD

What I love about graphic novels is that readers are taken on a journey through the words and images.  We are able to inhabit the worlds of the characters and become part of their life for a moment.  We can feel what they feel and see what they see. 

With author-illustrator Jerry Craft’s “New Kid” we experience what it is like to start over at a new school.  The reader becomes engulfed in the world of art-loving seventh grader Jordan Banks.  Jordon’s perspective though his art, is inserted throughout the book in the black and white panels that are even signed by Jordon.  The signature looks like it was written after the printing, making it feel so authentic.  I especially loved Jordon’s take on the recommendation of library books “Judging Kids by the Covers of their Books”, it was so poignant and communicated so much. There are many gems like this to be discovered throughout the book. 

Jordon finds himself one of the few African-American students at his fancy new school, Riverdale Academy Day School. Not only do we experience Jordon’s struggle in his new mostly white environment, but we also see the mirror of his parents as they navigate feeling like outsiders in corporate America. His father wants to ensure Jordon doesn’t lose his roots and runs the community center in their Washington Heights neighborhood, and this has Jordon feeling caught in between two worlds. 

Luckily a visit from his grandfather helps Jordan embrace both of his worlds and he realizes he doesn’t need to choose between them, but find the elements that make him happy. 

This classic coming-of-age story will resonate with students.  Young readers can learn about how to navigate new situations and friends as well as school bullies.  There’s even a first kiss! 

I especially liked watching Jordon try on his different personas.  When he wants to appear tough in his neighborhood wearing his hood and sunglasses. How he pulls out his sketchbook in another neighborhood for his artist self, and then how he behaves around his new school.  This is so very real for any kid his age and author Craft does a beautiful job communicating these heartbreaking to heartwarming moments. 

If you love the genre of Graphic Novels, or just a great story this book is a must!  Geared toward middle school readers, though I loved it too. You’re never too old to enjoy an engaging story!   I give it my #Reading thumbs up! 

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators. Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.

MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board

Super Platinum Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings, Platinum Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls, Gold Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS: A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press, Silver Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,Bronze Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books, Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales   Author Sponsor Link Cloud
https://www.barefootbooks.com/l Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series Green Kids Club, Inc.

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE. Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts A Crafty Arab, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews

  FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

• Free Multicultural Books for Teachers
• Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWz
• Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators
• Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit

 

TWITTER PARTY! Register here! Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Mrs. P’s FREE website refocuses mission on making reading #1 and ends annual writing contest! Read all about it! #LoveOfBooks #ReadAloudMonth

     

What better month to make this announcement than March -  the celebration of Read Aloud Month.  After ten delightful years hosting my Be-A-Famous Writer Contest, I’ve decided to focus all my attention on inspiring young people to read.  Because becoming a good reader is the first step in becoming a good writer.  Right?  Write!  

I’ll always treasure the wonderfully-creative stories kids have sent me over the years from all across the country.  And you can still see many of the winners in my Magic Library.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

For Teachers - while we are no longer running the annual writing contest, we wanted to provide your classroom with writing resources.

Writing Prompts for your classroom I've created some fun playlists and blogs for your classroom to get their ideas flowing. Please give them a look, especially my Imagination Launchers and Book Bits at my Teacher Page

Mrs. P's classic filled library offers classic stories and activities that help students develop reading, listening and speaking abilities. I hope you bookmark this information and take a visit to my YouTube channel called Mrs. P Storytime.

Multicultural Children's Books! 3 stories Celebrating Cultural Heritage, Ecological Stewardship, and Joyful Learning #ReadYourWorld

 

I had the pleasure of reviewing three books in celebration of Multicultural Children's Book Day!  

 

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga -  written by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frané  Lessac.
This beautiful picture book is about celebrating the importance of traditions and community. The author takes us through the different seasons to learn about the role gratitude plays in the daily life of the Cherokee Nation. As the seasons are celebrated we learn about family life, foods, and even reflecting upon challenges. The flowing text felt poetic tied to the charming illustrations. I loved how you could linger on the pages to practice a Cherokee word, or find people of different generations  in the illustrations. I can imagine a child wanting to point out all of the things they found in the pictures, like I did as a child with Good Night Moon. The tie in between nature and gratitude also allows for sparking further questions about how other cultures celebrate. This book seems destined to be part of holiday celebrations year after year to remind us all to take time to reflect on what we are grateful for in our own lives. The book also contains pronunciation guides, and a Cherokee syllabary.

 

                       

Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Oceans by Janet Balletta
Everyone knows I'm a big fan of teachers but boy when they find the time to write a book that really puts me over-the-top.  Author and teacher, Janet Balletta crafted a story about mermaid sisters working together to save the oceans. The tale imparts a lot of valuable messages for young readers. From how to take care of our oceans and planet, to the value of teamwork. The teachers guide and vocabulary is a very useful tool for classrooms. I especially liked the thought questions that can help children dive deeper into ecological issues and to get them thinking about what they might do to help the planet. It really brought awareness to such a serious issue in a way that can engage young children.  I also loved the clamshell-lounger, it was very clever and children will enjoy these playful touches throughout the book.  The images made me think of a coloring book and I  would've loved to have of seen a page available for kids at the end of the book, but happily found them on the authors blog, which is a wonderful resource for any teacher! 

 

                         

 

K is for Kindergarten is another teacher written book by author Erin Dealey. From the minute you open the book with its vibrant illustrations by Joseph Cowman, you'll have any child's attention. Children will be able to spot themselves in the illustrations as they are representative of many backgrounds and cultures. Rhyming verse is used throughout, which is a fun way to engage early readers. Readers or listeners will be learning letters of the alphabet, and have many new words to practice. There is a lot humor which can also help kids who are anxious about heading off to school. The interactive nature of the book with its side bar activities of Countdown and Challenges is useful for parents in helping little ones face new challenges. The goal setting activities are a nice tool to come back to the book and revisit, reflect and share. This aspect of the book seems very useful for sparking a dialogue about how school is going once they have started. With this book children can have fun while learning.

                     

 

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 (1/25/19) is in

its 6^th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators. 

MCBD 2019 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board!

*View our 2019 Medallion Sponsors here: https://wp.me/P5tVud-
*View our 2019 MCBD Author Sponsors here: https://wp.me/P5tVud-2eN

Medallion Level Sponsors

Honorary: Children’s Book Council, The Junior Library Guild, TheConsciousKid.org.

Super Platinum: Make A Way Media

GOLD: Bharat Babies, Candlewick Press, Chickasaw Press, Juan Guerra and The Little Doctor / El doctorcito, KidLitTV,  Lerner Publishing Group, Plum Street Press,

SILVER: Capstone Publishing, Carole P. Roman, Author Charlotte Riggle, Huda Essa, The Pack-n-Go Girls,

BRONZE: Charlesbridge Publishing, Judy Dodge Cummings, Author Gwen Jackson, Kitaab World, Language Lizard – Bilingual & Multicultural Resources in 50+ Languages, Lee & Low Books, Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul, Redfin, Author Gayle H. Swift,  T.A. Debonis-Monkey King’s Daughter, TimTimTom Books, Lin Thomas, Sleeping Bear Press/Dow Phumiruk, Vivian Kirkfield,

MCBD 2019 is honored to have the following Author Sponsors on board

Honorary: Julie Flett, Mehrdokht Amini,

Author Janet Balletta, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw, Author Josh Funk, Chitra Soundar, One Globe Kids – Friendship Stories, Sociosights Press and Almost a Minyan, Karen Leggett, Author Eugenia Chu, CultureGroove Books, Phelicia Lang and Me On The Page, L.L. Walters, Author Sarah Stevenson, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Hayley Barrett, Sonia Panigrah, Author Carolyn Wilhelm, Alva Sachs and Dancing Dreidels, Author Susan Bernardo, Milind Makwana and A Day in the Life of a Hindu Kid, Tara Williams, Veronica Appleton, Author Crystal Bowe, Dr. Claudia May, Author/Illustrator Aram Kim, Author Sandra L. Richards, Erin Dealey, Author Sanya Whittaker Gragg, Author Elsa Takaoka, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo, Anita Badhwar, Author Sylvia Liu, Feyi Fay Adventures, Author Ann Morris, Author Jacqueline Jules, CeCe & Roxy Books, Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, LEUYEN PHAM, Padma Venkatraman, Patricia Newman and Lightswitch Learning, Shoumi Sen, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Traci Sorell, Shereen Rahming, Blythe Stanfel, Christina Matula, Julie Rubini, Paula Chase, Erin Twamley, Afsaneh Moradian, Lori DeMonia, Claudia Schwam, Terri Birnbaum/ RealGirls Revolution, Soulful Sydney, Queen Girls Publications, LLC

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts

A Crafty Arab, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Biracial Bookworms, Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Descendant of Poseidon Reads, Educators Spin on it,  Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joy Sun Bear/ Shearin Lee, Jump Into a Book, Imagination Soup,Jenny Ward’s Class, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Raising Race Conscious Children, Shoumi Sen, Spanish Playground

TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Make A Way Media: MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual @McChildsBookDay Twitter Party will be held 1/25/19 at 9:00pm.E.S.T. TONS of prizes and book bundles will be given away during the party ( a prize every 5 minutes!). GO HERE for more details.

FREE RESOURCES From MCBD

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teacher-classroom-empathy-kit/

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

 

 

 

The 10th Annual Mrs. P Be-a-Famous Writer Judges Choices are Announced! Meet the Honored Classrooms!

                                      
The judges this year in the heroes themed contest are Mia Wenjen who blogs at PragmaticMom on parenting, education and children's books; Colby Sharp a fifth grade teacher in Parma, Michigan and co-founder of Nerdy Book Club and the literacy conference Nerd Camp and co-host of the children's literature podcast The Yarn; and me, Mrs. P.  We used the following criteria when selecting the 13 honored schools. We looked for: 

• Originality
• Creativity
• Compelling narrative
• Humor
• Development of a theme or point of view

But then there is the harder-to-define stuff, such as which stories seem to “stick” with us when we read them.  In a way, the hard-to-define stuff was the most important. While technical proficiency is great, if a story didn’t move us, make us laugh, or give insight into another person’s life, it didn’t make it on this list!

This year 1/3 of the classrooms collaborated on a story to submit as their official entry. The other classrooms had students write stories individually and then voted on which story to put forth from their class.  40% of the entries came in illustrated this year, which was a first.  10 states are being honored in this years contest. 

So without further ado! The honorees of the 10th annual Be-a-Famous Writer Contest are:

Cheri Thompson’s third grade class at Legend Springs Elementary in Glendale, AZ collaborated on the grand prize winning story, "The Breakfast Planet.”  This story was very funny, creative, surreal and original. The concept of the Breakfast Planet is unique and was painted with a wonderful, joyous abandon! This story will be made into a video story by Mrs. P so everyone can see it on Mrs. P’s story time YouTube channel. 

Mrs. MacInnes, 4th grade at Pond Cove Elementary in Cape Elizabeth, Maine took 2nd place with their collaborative story “A True Hero”. Their story was exactly a 1,000 words including the title.  The maximum allowed for the contest. Mrs. MacInnes and her class came up with a number of ideas before settling on the one they submitted. The story was nicely written with evocative, small details, as well.  Mrs. P also decided to make this story into a video as well because of the enduring and important message that everyday acts of kindness can make you a hero. 

                                                                 
Anne Straume’s, 3rd grade at Meriwether Lewis Elementary in Charlottesville, VA took 3rd place with the story “The Brain”. Their class voted on their favorite story. This story was selected at it was exciting, clever and cinematic, with a great, original message at the end: that you can be a hero because of your intellectual - and not just physical - gifts. Judge Colby Sharp had this to say “The Brain is a mix of science, suspense, and action. A wild ride. It felt like I was on a roller coaster of excitement!”

Sonya Smith’s 4th grade from the Collegiate School in Henrico, VA  received 4th place honors with their story "The Amazing Misadventures of Super Clyde”. Everyone wrote a story, and they voted on their favorite one to submit to the contest. Ms. Smith let us know that the main character, Clyde, had been a character the student used every week for their different 'Wednesday Night Write' assignments—and he was challenged every week to make it fit the assignment in a creative way, and he inspired others in this class to be more creative writers.  Boy, we loved hearing that feedback!

Shannon Berghoff’s 4th grade at South Elementary in Jackson, MO rounded out the top 5 winners with a collaborative project, “The Adventures of Jake the Shapeshifter and Arrowhead Girl”. Judge Mia Wenjen said “I enjoyed the creativity of this story, especially the superpowers imagined for each character. The motivation for the bad guy of low self-esteem and judging herself by her appearance is a great theme to highlight for kids”.

Also in the top 13 judges choice awards are the following classrooms who all get goodies from the Mrs. P Better than Expected Goodie Box.  They are in no particular order, but were pulled out of the many entries from across the United States, as they had something extra that we wanted to acknowledge. 

Binion Elementary in Richard Hills, TX has two classrooms being honored.  Librarian Kelly Shelton organized the entries from Mrs. Southard’s 4th grade class and their story “A Hero with Braces” and Mr. Ayala's 4th grade class with their entry “Super Johnathan Saves the Whole World”. This story had the most amazing illustrations!  See for yourself!

Mrs. Meghan Miller’s 1st grade classroom at Miller Academy in Augusta, KY submitted a story called  “Chary the Fireman” that also had illustrations that just melted our hearts. 

       

Emma Harrison’s 4th Grade, Collegiate School in Richmond, VA for their story that was completed by one student and voted on by the class to submit to the contest.  “Luna Princess of the Moon”.

Alison Nelson’s 2nd grade at Meadow Ridge Elementary School in Plymouth, MN had a student write the story “Cat Girl, the Bully Fighter”.

Mrs. Karen Stout’s, 3rd grade at Dayton Elementary School, in San Leandro, CA, also known as the Playful, Clever Foxes of Room 14, had her students write their story about being a hero collaboratively. They all wrote our own stories to practice their craft first and then came the day to write the entire story together. Their story is titled “Room 14 heroes." 

Loree Akers 4th grade from South Elementary in Jackson, MO collaboratively wrote their story “Super Suckers”.

Librarian Sarah Libeau submitted “Preston’s Story” for Mrs. Berling’s 2nd grade at Cesar Chavez Elementary in Las Cruces, N.M.

Honorable Mentions were also awarded to: 

Mrs. Vanderberg’ 2nd Grade in Mankato, MN with their story “Heroes”.

And Elissa Malespina who submitted a story on behalf of Ms. Stanek’s class in Somerville NJ called “The Misunderstanding That Led to a Friendship”. 

Mackin Educational Resources, Tales2GO, and Powells Books were the official Gold sponsors of the contest!  Check out the photo of their amazing prizes they provided. You can read about all of the prizes at my contest website.  I can’t thank them enough for making this contest possible each year. 

Buncee, FlipGrid, Simon and Schuster, and authors Chris Grabenstein, Peter Reynolds, Josh Funk, Bonny Becker, and Shannon McClinktock Miller also provided prizes to these deserving classrooms!  

Teachers will be getting their prize packs and books directly from authors by the end of the month!   

         

Prepare your class for my Heroes themed K-4 annual Writing contest!

This year’s Be-a-Famous writer contest will be my 10th annual! Ten years of filling classrooms with books! WOW, it almost makes me feel like a superhero! I suppose my super power is to unlock the imaginations of students. The theme this year is all about heroes! There are so many kinds of heroes. From superheroes, with their extraordinary powers and awesome adventures, to real-life heroes —fireman, policeman, athletes, activists, teachers,— the many role models we look up too. There are so many examples of books with heroes for kids to read to prepare for the contest. Heroes can be people or animals!

                            My contest is all about stretching and exercising the imagination muscle. When we start the process of story telling and using my advice “If you can tell a story, you can write a story” we can find something magical. Not burdened by the correct spelling or sentence structure, just telling a story lets students discover their storytelling superpowers. They are free and have are no limits to their imaginations. So before you get them writing for the contest, how about starting off with a discussion to get the creative juices flowing.

• What is a hero? What are some adjectives that describe a hero?
• Who are some heroes you can name from history? What did they do that makes them heroic?
• Who are your role models? Are role models the same as heroes?
• Are there rules to being a super hero? Do they always have to save the day?
• If you were a superhero what costume would you choose? What would your super power be?
• Can a hero be an animal?  Can you think of a book where the animal was the hero?
• Can a friend be a hero? What would make them one in your eyes?

Use the theme as an opportunity for a trip to the library to read books about heroes. Students can explore different genres for example. Or let students explore different formats in reading such as graphic novels and audio books. Allowing students to explore in their reading can help build their vocabularies and comprehension skills. Many teachers create a research lesson around our theme, and heroes certainly let’s them make many book selections.  You can read about how teachers have used it in their classrooms and some of the benefits they saw.

I have a very special video made by students for your students to inspire them.

Be sure and watch this video to learn all of the details of the contest, so you can incorporate it into your classroom next fall!

So, think about how you can bring this FREE contest into your classroom.  Be a hero at your school, as your class will be filled with books and technology if you win!  These amazing companies provide it.