REQUIRED AUTHORS 1-10
Required Author 1
Kwame Alexander
Kwame Alexander
The Crossover
Written by Kwame Alexander
Alexander, K. (2014). The crossover. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Kwame Alexander
(Per his website)
"Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and the New York Times Bestselling
author of 32 books, including THE UNDEFEATED, illustrated by Kadir
Nelson, HOW TO READ A BOOK, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, SWING,
REBOUND, which was shortlisted for prestigious Carnegie Medal, and, his
NEWBERY medal-winning middle grade novel, THE CROSSOVER. Some of his
other works include BOOKED, a NATIONAL BOOK AWARD Nominee, THE PLAYBOOK:
52 RULES TO HELP YOU AIM, SHOOT, AND SCORE IN THIS GAME OF LIFE, and
the picture books SURF'S UP, and OUT OF WONDER, which won the Coretta
Scott King Illustrator Award.
A regular contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, Kwame is the
recipient of numerous awards and honors, including The Coretta Scott
King Author Honor, The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Prize, Three NAACP
Image Award Nominations, the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award, The
Dominion Energy Strong Men and Women of Virginia, and The 2018 NEA Read
Across America Ambassador. Kwame’s belief in the power of poetry and
literature to inspire, engage, and empower young people is the guiding
force behind the #AllBooksForAllKids initiative he created in
partnership with Follett. Kwame is the Founding Editor of VERSIFY, an
imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers whose
mission to Change the World One Word at a Time. He's led cultural
exchange delegations to Brazil, Italy, Singapore, and Ghana, where he
built the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic, as a
part of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program he
co-founded."
Website: https://kwamealexander.com
The Crossover
Identical twins, Jordan and Josh, are the children of world
famous basketball star, Chuck Bell, and high school assistant principal,
Dr. Bell. Jordan, nicknamed Filthy McNasty, and Josh, nicknamed JB, may
be identical in looks, but not in personality. Before Jordan loses his
dreads to an accidental extra cut from a bet, that seemed to be the only
way to tell the two apart by appearance. Both leading in their father’s
footsteps, they play basketball and are the tallest kids on the team,
standing at six feet. Jordan can dunk as a twelve year old eighth
grader. Dad and the twins have a great relationship and practice
together daily. Dad motivates them and teaches them all about the game.
Chuck and mom attend every game they can and support their boys with
every ounce in them. As the year progresses, a new girl comes to school,
Alexes, and meets the twins in the lunch room. JB falls for her and
almost immediately. The two of them begin to date, and the tension
between the twins rise. Josh can’t understand JB’s fascination with
Alexes, Ms. Sweet Tea, and begins to get angry as JB’s concentration on
basketball seems to dwindle. The twins have a falling out, Josh throws a
game ball too hard, and JB ends up with a bloody nose while the boys
end up a feud. Mom suspends Josh from any future basketball games, even
if it means the championship. Throughout the book, we are informed that
mom is a bit of a health addict, but we aren’t quite sure why. At first,
you presume the healthy meals and lack of eating out is because of the
boys and their athletics. We later find out that hypertension runs in
the family, on dad’s side. Chuck’s father died at 39 years old from a
heart attack, the twins never knew him. Chuck goes from bloody noses, to
vomiting, to eventually falling during a one on one game between Josh,
ending with a trip to the hospital and Chuck in a coma. After twenty
plus days in the hospital, Christmas passes, and Chuck tells Josh he can
play in the championship game. The day of the game, mom runs upstairs,
alerts the boys that Chuck is relapsing again, and bolts to the
hospital. Jordan follows on his bike while Josh loads up with his
teammate and his dad. While playing, Josh is all about the game, barely
noticing the text messages from his mom. When Jordan walks in with tears
in his eyes, Josh knew the inevitable happened. His 45 year old father
died of a heart attack while Josh was playing basketball. The book ends
on a lighter note with the twins rekindling their friendship, Alexes
apologizing to Josh about not being at the funeral and her behavior, and
Josh shooting almost fifty free throws in a row, the same number his
dad shot in the Olympic finals.
Themes within the book: Death, Coming of Age, Responsibility, Love, and Family. Similar themed books are Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred Taylor and Lost in the Sun by
Lisa Graff. Besides the above, similar themed books, Alexander has a
very common set of themes throughout all of his book: coming of age,
family, and responsibility. Alexander has written fifteen other books.
Alexander has written books for young adults, children, and includes
novels, picture books, poetry, and more.
Additional Information:-Available in hardback and paperback
-48 pages
-Fiction, poetry, young adult, realistic fiction, sports fiction
-Winner/Nominee of:
Newbery Medal (2015)
Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee for Grades 6-8 (2016)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee (2017)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2016)
Evergreen Teen Book Award (2017)
Coretta Scott King Award for Author Honor (2015)
Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (2017)
North Carolina Young Adult Book Award for Middle School (2016)
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade & Children's (2014)
NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor Book (2015)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (2017)
Required Author 2
Nic Bishop
Nic Bishop
Snakes
(Written and photographed by Nic Bishop)
Bishop, N. (2012). Snakes. Broadway, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
Nic Bishop
(Per his website)
"A
traveler from a young age, he was surrounded by animals his whole life.
He began photography at age nine and continued on since.
In
the 90's my wife was offered a research position at Harvard University,
so we packed our bags once more and moved to Boston where i have worked
exclusively on children's books. Each new title is a whole new
adventure for me. I have been lucky to explore many new places while
taking photographs. One book even took me back to New Guinea, for the
first time in 25 years!"
"Switching to children’s books was quite easy for me. As a writer one has to work with a reduced palette in terms of vocabulary and sentence construction. But, as a photographer, very little change is needed. Even the youngest children can interpret sophisticated images of nature. So, I invest all the same skills and efforts in photographing for children that I do for adults. The work is every bit as rewarding, and I’m happy to say, a lot more fun.
Website: https://nicbishop.com
On his website, Bishop has written books broken down into the following categories: Nic Bishop Animal Series, Scientist in the Field, Additional Children's Books, Adult Nonfiction, and School Readers. A total of six books in the Animal Series (along with three books in the Nic Bishop Reader Series for grade 3 and younger), ten books in the Scientists in the Field, six Additional Children's Books, five adult books, and twenty School Readers.
Snakes
Scary? Cute? Ugly? Whatever you think of snakes, Bishop is here to inform you, not scare you. With two page spreads of breathtaking images, taken by Bishop, he introduces the reader to the world of snakes. Both terrifying and beautiful, the even balance occurs with the strictly informative text within the pages. There is both basic information, perfect for the focus age group, and a bit more captivating details, for the older ones. Some of the details include the appearance of snakes and why it occurs in the area they live in, their habitats, their habits, and some of their abilities that outshine other reptiles. Included at the back is an index, glossary, and short note from the Bishop about his research and stories about his photos.
Almost all of Bishop's books are nonfiction and focused on an animal of some kind. The themes tend to stay the same as well: environment, nature, saving the planet, photography, and science. Similar themed books, besides almost his entire series, would include anything under nonfiction, children's nature books. A few good books, that seemed to match the theme, I browsed through were easily found on a Google search list. Similar books were overflowing on websites, and it was hard to choose just a few to narrow down the theme. I would specifically choose a book that was written and photographed by the author, like Nic Bishop, so that they are able to tell their story and show it at the same time.
Themes include: Nature, Preservation, Snakes, Habitats, Reptiles, and Photography. Bishop teaches life lessons in this informative book that may not be distinguished from the start. Without informing others about snakes, we will always fear them, but if we take the time to understand a creature, we might grow to like it, or at least tolerate it a bit more. Many of his books that are along the same premise as this one show the same life lessons of acceptance after learning. Similar themed books, as well as similar books to the idea of snakes, include: The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery, Verdi by Janell Cannon, Secret Lives of Snakes by Lynne M. Stone, and Snakes are Hunters by Patricia Lauber.
Additional Information:
-Available in hardback
-48 pages
-Nonfiction, animals, science, children's books, picture books, environment and nature
-Nominee of:
PEN/Steven Kroll Award Nominee (2013)
Monarch Award Nominee (2015)
National Science Teachers Association Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students (2013)
National Council of Teachers of English Notable Book (2013)
William C. Towner Student Award (2014)
Sibert Medal winning photographer
Required Author 3
Margarita Engle
Margarita Engle
All The Way to Havana
(Written by Margarita Engle & Illustrated by Mike Curato)
Engle, M. (2017). All the way to havana. New York, NY: Holt.
Margarita Engle
(Per her website)
"Writing
a historical novel in verse feels like time travel, a dreamlike blend
of imagination and reality. It is an exploration. It is also a chance to
communicate with the future, through young readers.
I
love to write about young people who made hopeful choices in situations
that seemed hopeless. My own hope is that tales of courage and
compassion will ring true for youthful readers as they make their own
difficult decisions in modern times."
My connection to the history of Cuba is personal. My American father traveled to the island after seeing National Geographic pictures of my Cuban mother’s hometown, Trinidad. Even though they did not speak the same language, they fell in love and got married. I was born and raised in my father’s hometown of Los Angeles, California, but we spent summers in Cuba, where I developed a deep bond with my extended family. I also developed a lifelong passion for tropical nature, which led me to study agronomy and botany, along with creative writing."
Mike Curato (Illustrator)
Curato specifically traveled to Havana to do visual research and bring this story to life.
Website: http://www.margaritaengle.com
All the Way to Havana
As a family, a boy and his parents, drives into the city of Havana, Cuba to celebrate their cousin's first birthday, they see the wonders that the colorful, engaging city has to offer. The old cars the sea wall, the coastline, the sounds of honking horns, and the sounds of the bustling city all captivate the family. Before the trip could be made, the son and father had to tune up the old car, Cara Cara, to be able to make the trip safely.
The book itself is not heavy on Spanish words, the illustrations are bright and colorful, and the story is easy to follow along to, especially by any child who has rode in the car with their parents to visit another family member. This book shows a new light on Havana in a fun and bright way.
Engle states in an interview that, "[the book] can be read in a couple different ways, depending on the age of the child. As a read-aloud for very young children, it can just be a simple family story about a road trip. Hopefully, children who are a bit older will understand that the family keeps an old car going with constant repairs because they are poor, but perseverant".
Engle has written twenty-four other books, many falling under the Cuban history and culture aspect. The themes of the book include family, Cuban culture, and travel. Similar themed books and authors include My Havana by Rosemary Wells, I Live in Havana by Jordan Ortega, and Island Treasures: Growing Up in Cuba by Alma Flor Ada, and books written by popular Cuban authors such as Alma Flor Ada, Carmen Agra Deedy, and Cristina Garcia.
Additional Information:
-Available in hardback
-40 pages
-Fiction, realistic fiction, Cuba, cultural, children's book, transportation, cars
-Nominee of:
Charlotte Zolotow Award Nominee for Highly Commended Title (2018)
Required Author 4
Melissa Sweet
Melissa Sweet
Listen to Our World
(Written by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson & Illustrated by Melissa Sweet)
Martin and Sampson. (2016). Listen to our world. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
Melissa Sweet
(Per her website)
“I’ve been making art ever since I could hold a crayon, scissors, Etch-A–Sketch, and coloring book. Writing and illustrating children’s books is a lot like playing with art supplies as a kid– it’s fun to make something out of nothing and each day is different. Everyday I go to my studio, and I keep in mind four words by one of my favorite authors, E. B. White. Though written for a poultry primer, it’s sage advice for being an artist, and for living life: “Be tidy. Be brave.”
Melissa
Sweet has illustrated over 100 books as well as many toys, puzzles,
games for eeBoo. Her work has been in magazines, on greeting cards and
as drawings on her living room walls.”
Website: http://melissasweet.net
Listen to Our World
Sweet has written four books: Carmine: A Little More Red(a New York Times Best Illustrated book), Tupelo Rides the Rails, Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade (a Sibert Award winner for informational books and a NCTE Orbis Pictus winner for nonfiction), and her most recent book, Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White (a New York Times Best Seller and garnered an NCTE Orbis Pictus award).
Sweet has also illustrated three books by author Jen Bryant: A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams (Caldecott Honors), The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus(Caldecott Honors) and A Splash of Red: The Art of Horace Pippin(a Sibert Award and Orbis Pictus Award winner).
Additional Information:
-Available in hardback
-40 pages
-Fiction, realistic fiction, environment, nature, picture books, animals, underwater, sea, jungle, mountains
-Available in hardback
-40 pages
-Fiction, realistic fiction, environment, nature, picture books, animals, underwater, sea, jungle, mountains
Required Author 5
Mo Willems
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
(Written by Mo Willems)
Willems, M. (2003). Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus!. New York, NY: Hyperion Books.
Website One: http://pigeonpresents.com/ (Focus on the Pigeon)
Website Two: http://www.mowillems.com/ (Focus on the author)
Mo Willems
(Per Goodreads and his website)
"The New York Times Book Review called Mo “the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the 2000's. Willem’s books have been translated into a myriad of languages, spawned animated shorts and theatrical musical productions, and his illustrations, wire sculpture, and carved ceramics have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the nation.
Mo began his career as a writer and animator for television, garnering six Emmy awards for his writing on Sesame Street, creating Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats, Cartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City and head-writing Codename: Kids Next Door. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with his family. Continuing on with his work as a writer, animator, voice actor, and creator children's books."
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Awards and Honors:
- Caldecott Honor Award
- ALA Notable Book
- National Council of Teachers of English Notable Book
- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book
- South Carolina Picture Book Award winner
- NY Times best-seller
Sequels:
- The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! in 2004
- Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! in 2006
- The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! in 2008
- The Duckling Get a Cookie!? in 2012
- The Pigeon Needs a Bath! in 2014
Themes: Problem-Solving, Nature, Pigeons, Transportation
Additional Information
Genre: fiction
Sub-Categories: children's books, picture books, reader involvement
Pages: 36
Ages: Pre-K to 2nd grade
Required Author 6
Sharon Draper
Out of My Mind
Written by Sharon
Draper
Draper, S. M.
(2010). Out of my mind. New York, NY: Anthem Books for Young
Readers.
Sharon Draper
(Per her website- http://sharondraper.com/biography.asp)
"Sharon M. Draper is a professional educator as well as an accomplished writer. She has been honored as the National Teacher of the Year, is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Awards, and is a New York Times bestselling author, with Out of my Mind staying on the list for almost two years. She was selected as Ohio’s Outstanding High School Language Arts Educator, Ohio Teacher of the Year, and was chosen as a NCNW Excellence in Teaching Award winner. She is a Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award winner, and was the Duncanson Artist-in-Residence for the Taft Museum. She is a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement, and is the recipient of the Dean’s Award from Howard University School of Education, the Pepperdine University Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Marva Collins Education Excellence Award, and the Governor’s Educational Leadership Award. Last year she was named Ohio Pioneer in Education by the Ohio State Department of Education, and in 2008 she received the Beacon of Light Humanitarian award. In 2009 she received the Doctor of Laws Degree from Pepperdine University. In 2011, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions to the field of adolescent literature by The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English, as well as the 33rd Annual Jeremiah Luddington Award by the Educational Book and Media Association, also for lifetime achievement. In 2015 she was honored by the American Library Association as the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime literary achievement. In 2015 she was honored with the Anne V. Zarrow Award by the Tulsa Library Trust., as well as the 2016 Upstander Award by Antioch College.
She has been honored at the White House six times, and was chosen as one of only four authors in the country to speak at the National Book Festival Gala in Washington, D.C, and to represent the United States in Moscow at their Book Festival. Her book Copper Sun has been selected by the US State Department and the International Reading Association as the United States novel for the international reading project called Reading Across Continents. Students in the US, Nigeria, and Ghana are reading the book and sharing ideas-a true intercontinental, cross-cultural experience.
Actively involved in encouraging and motivating all teachers and their students as well, she has worked all over the United States, as well as in Russia, Ghana, Togo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Bermuda, and Guam, spreading the word about the power of accomplished teaching and excellence in education.
Her literary recognition began when, as a challenge from one of her students, she entered and won first prize in a literary contest, for which she was awarded $5000 and the publication of her short story, "One Small Torch." She has published numerous poems, articles, and short stories in a variety of literary journals. She is the published author of numerous articles, stories, and poems."
Website: http://sharondraper.com/
Out of My Mind
Melody, a young eleven year old, is smarter than she looks. She cannot walk, talk, is considered mentally challenged from her cerebral palsy, but she is determined to defy the odds and let everyone know how smart she is. She has a photographic memory, but no one knows this. She memorizes the shows she watches on Discovery Channel, and just about everything else. Melody's next door neighbor, Violet, would watch her when she was little while her parents worked. She taught Melody that she could roll over while she was on the floor. Melody knew everything Violet was saying to her. When Melody got a little older, Violet taught her how to fall out of her wheelchair safely if someone forgot to strap her in, so she wouldn't bash her head. Violet made a board with as many words written down so Melody could point to certain words and people communicate with her as best as possible. Melody was in that one class with all of the handicapped kids and they weren't really taught much of anything. Melody was too bright for all of that but couldn't tell anyone. One day though, the school decided the kids should start mainstream classes for one day a week. Melody meets many new friends and enemies along the way: Rose, Claire, and Molly. One day Melody sees someone with a new lap top, and she remembered the story about Stephen Hawking. She manages to give enough hints to Catherine about getting something just for Melody. They start searching online and they find the Medi-Talker. Catherine gets all of the information for Melody to take home to her parents. Melody is so excited when she gets to Violet’s, and they immediately start research on the Medi-Talker. When Melody’s mom arrives, she sits down at the computer, and they all begin to discuss the idea of Melody receiving one. It turns out the insurance will pay for half of it. Through all the trials, Melody does receive it. Finally, Melody got to actually speak to her parents for the first time.
"Hi, Dad. Hi, Mom. I am so happy."
Mom gets all teary-eyed, and her nose gets red. She is looking at me all soft and gooey.
When I think about it, I realize I have never, ever said any words directly to my parents. So I push a couple of buttons, and the machine speaks the words I've never been able to say.
"I love you."
Mom completely loses it. She bubbles up with tears and grabs dad. I think he might be sniffling back a couple of tears himself.
But he has recorded it all.
At one point in one of the classes, Melody wants to try out for the Quiz Team, as she was the highest scorer on a sample test. Mr. D. was reluctant at first but apologized later. Melody's Medi-Talker also prints out anything she types, allowing her to participate in anything she wants. Melody does face the same bullying issues as any other child, particularly from Claire and Molly.
When we arrive at Mr. Dimming's room, a group of kids from my history class are already there, whispering together and going over note cards. They look up in surprise when Catherine wheels me in.
"Hi, Melody," Rose says. "What are you doing here?" Her voice doesn't sound as friendly as usual.
"Quiz team," I type.
"She can't be on the team," I hear Claire whisper to Jessica, wrinkling up her nose. "She's from the retard room!"
Molly thinks that really funny. She screeches like a blue jay when she laughs.
After the first round, they end up in DC, some major drama occurs, and they don’t win, but Melody realizes her potential and carries on.
Themes within the book: special needs, handicap,
acceptance, change, and bullying. Similar themed movies: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The
Theory of Everything, and Children of a Lesser God. Similar themed books:
Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Ugly by Robert Hoge, and The One and
Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.
Additional
Information:
-Available in hardback and paperback
-295 pages
-Fiction, poetry, young adult, realistic fiction
-Winner/Nominee of (per her website):
-Available in hardback and paperback
-295 pages
-Fiction, poetry, young adult, realistic fiction
-Winner/Nominee of (per her website):
Out of my Mind, a New York Times Bestselling novel for
ALMOST TWO YEARS, received the Josette Frank Award by the
Children's Book Committee of the Bank Street College of Education. This award
for fiction honors a book of outstanding literary merit in which young people
deal in a positive and realistic way with difficulties in their world and grow
emotionally and morally. Out of my Mind was also chosen as a 2011 IRA
Teachers' Choice Book and a 2011 IRA Young Adult's Choice, as well
as the Best Book of the Year from KIRKUS. It was named as one of
the Outstanding Children's book of 2011 by Bank Street College, as well
as a 2011 Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts. It has won the Buckeye
Children's Book Award from Ohio, the Sunshine State Young Reader's Award
in both the middle school and elementary categories, the Black-Eyed
Susan Book Award from Maryland, the Beehive Book Award from Utah,
and the Virginia Reader's Choice Award. It was also featured in the July
9 issue of Time Magazine, and the July issue of Ladies'Home
Journal. It was also on the Indie National Bestseller List and
received the SAKURA Award from the children of Japan.
Required Author 7
Shannon Hale
Rapunzel's Revenge
Hale, S. & Hale, D.
(2008). Rapunzel’s Revenge. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Children’s Books.
Rapunzel’s
Revenge
Written by Shannon Hale
Hale, S. & Hale, D.
(2008). Rapunzel’s Revenge. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Children’s Books.
Shannon Hale
“Brief bio”: Shannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of over twenty-five children's and young adult novels, including a popular Ever After High series, graphic novel memoir Real Friends, and multiple award winners The Goose Girl, Book of a Thousand Days, and Newbery Honor recipient Princess Academy. She also penned three books for adults, beginning with Austenland, which is now a major motion picture starring Keri Russell. With her husband Dean Hale she co-wrote Eisner-nominated graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge, illustrated chapter book series The Princess in Black, and two novels about Marvel's unbeatable super hero, Squirrel Girl. They live with their four children near Salt Lake City, Utah.
“Slightly wordier bio”: New York Times best selling author Shannon Hale started writing books at age ten and never stopped, eventually earning an MFA in Creative Writing. After nineteen years of writing and dozens of rejections, she published The Goose Girl, the first book in her award-winning Books of Bayern series. Book of a Thousand Days, a standalone novel for young readers, is a Cybils award winner. Princess Academy won a Newbery Honor and is followed by best sellers Palace of Stone and The Forgotten Sisters. Her Ever After High books have been USA Today bestsellers. Real Friends, her graphic novel memoir illustrated by LeUyen Pham, was included in a number of best-of-the-year lists. Her books for the adult crowd are Austenland (now a major motion picture), Midnight in Austenland, and The Actor and the Housewife. With her husband Dean Hale, Shannon wrote two graphic novels: Eisner-nominee Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack (illustrated by Nathan Hale), two books about Marvel's unbeatable super hero Squirrel Girl, and popular early chapter book series The Princess in Black (illustrated by LeUyen Pham). Shannon's books have been translated into more than twenty languages and studied in classrooms from elementary schools to universities. She is a renowned public speaker and advocate for gender equality. She and Dean live with their four children near Salt Lake City, Utah.
“Even meatier bio”: Shannon's mother says she was a storyteller from birth, jabbering endlessly in nonsensical baby-talk. Once she could speak, she made up stories and bribed younger siblings to perform them in mini-plays until, thankfully, an elementary school teacher introduced her to the wonder of written fiction. At age 10, she began to write books, mostly fantasy stories where she was the heroine. She continued to write secretly for years while pursuing acting in television, stage, and improv comedy and a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah. Shannon was finally forced out of the writers' closet when she received her Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Montana. A few years and many rejections later, she published her first book, The Goose Girl, an ALA Teens' Top Ten and Josette Frank Award winner. Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Forest Born continue the award-winning Books of Bayern series. Princess Academy won a prestigious Newbery Honor award and is followed by bestsellers Princess Academy: Palace of Stone and Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters. Book of a Thousand Days received a Cybils award and was featured on many best of the year lists. With director Jerusha Hess, Shannon co-wrote a screenplay based on her first book for adults, Austenland. Shot in England, the film was a selection at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically by Sony Pictures Classics. She penned a sequel, Midnight in Austenland, as well as a third novel for adults, The Actor and the Housewife, which was the City Weekly readers' choice winner for best novel of the year. She and her husband Dean Hale co-wrote the graphic novels Rapunzel's Revenge, an Al Roker's Book Club for Kids selection and Eisner nominee, and its sequel, Utah Book Award winner Calamity Jack, both illustrated by Nathan Hale. With illustrator LeUyen Pham, they created the Princess in Black series of early chapter books. In addition to her own creations, Shannon has written a number of books about characters created by others, such as her Ever After High series, supported by Mattel's animated series and doll line; with her husband Dean, two books about Marvel's Squirrel Girl; and the fourth book in the Spirit Animals series. She makes her home near Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, with her super-human husband, their four children, and their two cats, Misty Knight and Mike Hat.
Website: https://www.squeetus.com/
Rapunzel’s Revenge
(Per her website) Once upon a time, in a land you only think you know, lived a little girl and her mother...or the woman she thought was her mother. Every day, when the little girl played in her pretty garden, she grew more curious about what lay on the other side of the enormous garden wall. As she grew older, things seemed weirder and weirder, until the day she finally climbed to the top of the wall and was horrified by what she saw beyond. Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale teams up with husband Dean Hale and brilliant artist Nathan Hale (no relation) to bring readers a swashbuckling and hilarious twist on the classic story as you've never seen it before. Watch as Rapunzel and her amazing hair team up with a mysterious boy named Jack to gallop around the wild and western landscape, changing lives, righting wrongs, and changing their world forever.
Following the original story of Rapunzel, with a slightly different take, the graphic novel is a fun take on the original fairy tale. Rapunzel learns that Gothel is not her real mother. Gothel is a witch. Rapunzel learns Gothel is not her mother when she climbs over a wall and talks to a woman working in a mine. Because Rapunzel knew of Gothel’s secrets she was sent away to live in a magical tree. Rapunzel managed to use her hair as a lasso and leave the tree prison. Rapuzel discovers that she is a cowgirl at heart and her hair is her lasso and she meets Jack the thief. Jack and Rapunzel are on a quest to find Grothel and get revenge and rescue her mother. In the process they are kidnapped but escaped. They also learned that Gothel is hurting many others as well. In the end she meets with her mother and Gothel cuts her hair. Gothel looses her powers and Rapunzel is reunited with her mother. In the end Rapunzel and Jack are happy together. To add to a happy ending we meet with Jack and Rapunzel as he “steals” a kiss from Rapunzel. The illustrator uses very vivid illustrations to show action, details in the setting such as ripped vines and burning fires. To show the action in the story the author uses words outside of the word bubbles such as RROW, SPRANG and CRASH.
"A dash of typical fairy-tale romance, a strong sense of social justice and a spunky heroine make this a standout choice for younger teens."
Kirkus Reviews
Themes within the book: imprisonment, restriction, good
versus evil, and courageousness. Similar themed books: The Courageous Princess by Rod Espinosa,
How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry
Deutsch, and All’s Faire in Middle School
by Victoria Jamieson. You could also compare and contrast the original story of
Rapunzel.
Additional Information:
-Available in hardback and paperback
- 145 pages
-Fiction, graphic novel, young adult, fairy tale, fantasy, adventure
-Winner/Nominee of (per her website):
-Available in hardback and paperback
- 145 pages
-Fiction, graphic novel, young adult, fairy tale, fantasy, adventure
-Winner/Nominee of (per her website):
- An ALA 2009 Notable Children's Book
- A YALSA 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens
- An Al's Book Club for Kids selection (See Shannon and Dean on NBC's Today show)
- An Eisner Award nominee (the Oscars of comics)
- Three starred reviews
- A Kid's Indie Next for fall '08 (formerly known as Booksense Picks)
- 2011 Young Readers Choice Award (presented by the Pacific Northwest Library Association)
- A Junior Library Guild Premiere Selection
- Nominee for the Texas Lone Star reading list
- A Best Book of the year from kidsread.com and teenreads.com
- A Cybil Award winner
- On the Dorothy Canfield Fisher ChildrenÕs Book Award Master List (Vermont)
- Nominated for the 2010 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
- On the 2009-2010 Maine Student Book Award Reading List
- On the TriState YA Review Group Books of Note for 2009 (Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey)
- Winner of the Utah Book Award for Children's Literature
- Winner of the 2009 Leah Adezio Award for Best Kid-Friendly work from the Friends of Lulu
- An ALA 2009 Popular Paperback
- Part of the 2010 ALA Amelia Bloomer Project Bibliography
- A Texas Maverick Graphic Novel
- An Oregon Battle of the Books selection
- A Young Hoosiers Book Award Nominee
- Winner of the Young Readers Choice Award, presented by the Pacific Northwest Library Association (Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana and Washington)
Required Author 8
Christopher Paul Curtis
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963
Written by Christopher
Paul Curtis
Curtis, C.P. (1995). The watsons go to birmingham-1963.
New York, NY: Yearling.
Christopher Paul Curtis
(Per Scholsatic)
"Christopher Paul Curtis was born and reared in Flint, Michigan. After high school graduation, he worked on the assembly line of the Fisher Body Plant/Flint Plant No. 1 and graduated from the Flint branch of the University of Michigan. His first book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963, received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor book citation in 1996, and Bud, Not Buddy received the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award in 2000.
His 2007 book Elijah of Buxton won a Newbery Honor, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction in 2008. "This novel came to me in a way that was far different than any other," states Curtis. "From the word 'go' Elijah and I became close friends. When I'd go to the library to write, it was as if he were anxiously waiting for me, waiting to tell about his life, his worries, his adventues."
Christopher Paul Curtis lives with his wife and two children in Windsor, Ontario, Canada."
“I believe when a reader picks up a book, he or she is entering into a contract with a writer, one in which they agree to suspend disbelief long enough and just enough that they can be moved by the artificial construct that is a novel. I hope my readers have faith enough in me to feel I’ve fulfilled my end of the contract with them.” -Christopher Paul Curtis
Website: Used to be active here, but no longer seems to be in service.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963
Kenneth Bernard Watson,
Kenny, the middle child of a dysfunctional African American family from the
north, narrates the story of his family's road trip to visit their Grandma
Sands in Birmingham, Alabama. Byron, the eldest of the three children, is a
juvenile delinquent who finalized the trip because of his poor behavior, in and
out of school. “By” plays with fire and gets a conk, sending dad into a fury.
Joetta, the youngest of the three, is considered a little angel in the eyes of
all who meet her.
Momma, Dad, Joetta (Joey), and the boys load up for a trip of
their lives, but it turns into having to save lives instead of enjoying them.
Birmingham's community church is blown up with a small bomb, presumabley thrown
by KKK members but never mentioned, with Joey potentially inside. As a member
of the church choir, Joey was supposed to be in the church performing, but Joey
left the church due to the hot temperature and the mirage of Kenny beckoning
her over.
After the incident, the family returns to Flint and Kenny is left to
live with what he saw. With the help of his brother, he overcomes his thoughts
and continues on.
Book Teaser/Trailer and Movie Trailer:
Themes within the book: racism, segregation, north versus
south, black versus white, cultural differences, violence, and acceptance. Similar themed
books and movies: The Story of Ruby
Bridges by Robert Coles and can also be paired with the movie made after
the book.
Additional Information:
-Available in hardback and paperback
-224 pages
-Fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, historical, young adult
-Winner/Nominee of:
-Available in hardback and paperback
-224 pages
-Fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, historical, young adult
-Winner/Nominee of:
- 1995 Golden Kite Award Winner- Fiction
- 1996 Newbery Award Honor Book
- 1996 Coretta Scott King Honor Book Award
- 1996 Jane Addams Children’s Honor Book Award
- 1996 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
- 1996 ALA Notable Children’s Book
Required Author 9
Carmen Lomas Garza
In My Family/En mi Familia
Written and Illustrated by Carmen Lomas Garza
Lomas Garza, C. (1996). In my family: En mi familia. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.
In My Family/En mi Familia
(Per Lee & Low) "In her eagerly-awaited second book for children, In My Family/En mi familia,
internationally-renowned artist Carmen Lomas Garza takes us once again
to her hometown of Kingsville, Texas, near the border with Mexico.
Through vibrant paintings and warm personal stories, Carmen brings to
life more loving memories of growing up in a traditional Mexican
American community: eating empanadas, witnessing the blessing on her cousin's wedding day, and dancing to the conjunto band at the neighborhood restaurant.
In My Family/En mi familia is Carmen Lomas Garza's second book of family pictures, a continuing tribute to the loving family and community that shaped her childhood—and her life."
In My Family/En mi familia is Carmen Lomas Garza's second book of family pictures, a continuing tribute to the loving family and community that shaped her childhood—and her life."
Theme:
culture, cultural backgrounds, Mexico, Hispanic, weddings, Hispanic
lifestyle, family, childhood, love, neighbors, traditions, friendship,
food, memories Similar themed books: The Alma Project by Deborah J. Francis
Additional Information:
-Available in paperback
-32 pages
-Non-fiction, biography, memoir, historical, realistic
-Available in paperback
-32 pages
-Non-fiction, biography, memoir, historical, realistic
-Available in Spanish and English
-Winner/Nominee of:
Carmen Lomas Garza
(Per her website)
"Carmen Lomas Garza was born in Kingsville, Texas, in 1948. Inspired by her parent’s activism with the American G.I. Forum, Lomas Garza joined the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. She is a graduate of the Texas Arts & Industry University, Juarez-Lincoln/Antioch Graduate School, and San Francisco State University where she earned her M.A. in 1981. Lomas Garza is a recipient of numerous awards and has exhibited her work in galleries and museums across the United States."
Required Author 10
Jon Scieszka
Squids Will Be Squids
Written by Jon Sciesza
Sciesza, J. (2003). Squids will be squids. London, England:Puffin Books.
Jon Sciescza
(Per his website)
"Jon Scieszka was born in Flint, Michigan on September 8, 1954. It was a Wednesday. Right around lunchtime. He is the second-oldest, and nicest, of six Scieszka boys. No girls. His mother, Shirley, worked as a registered nurse. His dad, Louis, was an elementary school principal at Freeman Elementary.His dad's parents, Michael and Anna, came to America from Poland. "Scieszka" is a word in Polish. It means "path." Jon went to Culver Military Academy for high school. He had some spectacular teachers there, and became Lieutenant Scieszka.
Jon thought about being a doctor and studied both Science and English at Albion College in Albion, Michigan. He graduated in 1976, lived in Detroit, then moved to Brooklyn, NY to write instead. He earned his MFA in Fiction from Columbia University in New York in 1980, then painted apartments.
Not knowing what he was getting into, Jon applied for a teaching job at an elementary school called The Day School in New York City. He started as a 1st grade Assistant Teacher, graduated to teaching 2nd grade, taught 3rd and 4th grade Math, 5th grade History, and then some 6th, 7th and 8th grade.
Teaching school, Jon re-discovered how smart kids are, and found the best audience for the weird and funny stories he had always liked to read and write. He took a year off from teaching to write stories for kids. He sent these stories around to many publishers, and got rejected by all of them. He kept painting apartments and writing stories.
Through his wife Jeri, who was working in NY as a magazine art director, he met a funny guy named Lane Smith.
Lane was painting illustrations for magazine articles, and working on his first children's book. Jon gave Lane his story— A. Wolf's Tale. Lane loved it. Lane drew a few illustrations for the story and took it to show many publishers. He got rejected by all of them. "Too dark," they said. "Too sophisticated," they said. "Don't ever come back her, okay?" they said. Jon and Lane liked A. Wolf's Tale. They kept showing it around. They kept getting rejected. Finally, Regina Hayes, an editor at Viking Books said she thought the story and the illustrations were funny. She said she would publish the book. And she did, in 1989, with the title changed to: The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!
3 Pigs!. has now sold over 3 million copies and has been translated into 14 different languages. Over the last 19 years, Jon and Lane have worked together on 8 picture books and 8 Time Warps. Lane's wife Molly Leach has designed all of their picture books.
Jon's books have won a whole mess of awards, and sold over 11 million copies all around the world.
Jon is now working on a giant pre-school publishing program called Trucktown. It's a world where all of the characters are trucks. And all of the trucks act like real preschoolers—loud and crazy and wild and funny.
Jon still lives in Brooklyn with his wife Jeri. They have two children: a daughter Casey, and son Jake.
Jon's favorite color (this week) is dark green. Jon's favorite foods are NY pizza and noodles of every kind. Jon's favorite sports are hockey, golf, and caber tossing.
Jon's pets are:
2 Zebra finches (Poephila castanotis) named George and Martha
2 Owl finches (Poephila bichinovi) named James and Dolly
2 Cordon Bleu finches (Uraeginthus cyanocephalus) named Martin and Abigail
75 Western Harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis) named (all listed on website.. all 75 names).."
Squids Will Be Squids
(Per Publisher's Weekly) "Scieszka and Smith, creators of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, turn their
attention away from fairy tales to reinvent the fable, thinly disguising
sage bits of advice as pithy morals. Foxes and grapes are too
pedestrian for these veteran absurdists, who tackle boastfulness in
""Duckbilled Platypus vs. BeefSnakStikR"" and who denounce vanity in the
story of a skateboarding frog. Unusual characters notwithstanding, each
piece highlights an everyday, modern situation in the manner of Aesop's
classics. Topics in these 18 tales hit the bull's-eye, running the
gamut from the toxic clique (Shark, Wasp and Bacteria wonder why no one
eats lunch at their table; ""Moral: Think about it"") to the dynamics of
a group project (Rock, Scissors and Paper all blame one another for
their bad grade; ""Moral: Shoot"") to handling friends and family. In
""Termite, Ant, & Echidna,"" for instance, foolish Ant throws aside
his best friend when he meets a new playground pal, realizing too late
that ""Echidna is another name for Spiny Anteater."" Scieszka ventures
deep into child appeal territory, as in a gas-passing anecdote about a
skunk, musk ox and cabbage (""Moral: He who smelt it, dealt it""). Smith
ardently keeps pace with Scieszka's leaps of fancy, lending credence to
a talking piece of toast, a walrus with a phone and a spiny, spiteful
blowfish. In one full-bleed painting, little green Grasshopper cowers in
the giant shadow of his mother as she grills him about his homework;
strokes of eggplant-colored paint extend the sweeping size of her
tentacle-like appendages, while splatters of softer shades suggest the
sweat from her brow. In another, the titular fable, Smith utilizes a
cartoon-like progression of panels to contrast the animated expressions
of Deer, Mouse and Rabbit as they enthusiastically attempt to plan an
outing with that of the deadpan, naysayer Squid. Meanwhile the design,
with text printed in three typefaces of multiple sizes and colors,
drives home each moral. The oversize format allows for a variety of page
layouts, not to mention an in-your-face attitude that will hold
readers' rapt attention. Unlike Paul and Marc Rosenthal's satiric effort
in Yo, Aesop! Get a Load of These Fables (Children's Forecasts, Mar.
23), this crafty volume pays tribute to the original fables' economy and
moral intent. Scieszka and Smith thriftily present one tale per spread,
and beneath this duo's playful eccentricity readers will discover some
powerful insights into human nature."
(Per his website) "If you ever wanted to gossip about your friends, this is how you do it.
Like Aesop did. Change the people into animals, add a moral, and
presto. Now your stories aren't rude gossip and bad jokes. They are
fables. Enjoy these thinly disguised stories of Elephant and Mosquito,
Straw and Matches, Piece of Toast and Froot Loops, and Duckbilled
Platypus vs. BeefSnakStik. The moral of the stories? If you can't say
something nice about someone, change their name to Donkey or Squid."
Additional Information:
-Available in paperback
-48 pages
-Fiction, picture books, humor, children's books, fables, fantasy
REQUIRED AUTHORS 11-20
Required Author 11
Jason Chin
Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle
Written by Miranda Paul and Illustrated by Jason Chin
Chin, J. (2015). Water is water: a book about the water cycle. New York, NY. :Roaring Book Press.
Jason Chin
(Per his website)
"Jason Chin combines imaginative storytelling with intriguing science to
create books that both enchant and educate. He is is the author and
illustrator of Grand Canyon which received a 2018 Caldecott Honor, Sibert Honor and won the 2018 Orbis Pictus award. His other books, include Redwoods, Island: A Story of the Galápagos, Gravity, and most recently Pie is for Sharing by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard.
While researching his books, he’s gone swimming with sharks, explored
lava fields and camped with scorpions at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Jason was raised in New Hampshire, studied illustration at Syracuse
University, and now lives with his family in Vermont."
Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle
(Per Goodreads) "Drip.
Sip. Pour me a cup. Water is water unless...it heats up. Whirl. Swirl.
Watch it curl by. Steam is steam unless...it cools high. This
spare, poetic picture book follows a group of kids as they move through
all the different phases of the water cycle. From rain to fog to snow
to mist, talented author Miranda Paul and the always remarkable Jason
Chin (Redwoods, Coral Reefs, Island, Gravity) combine to create a
beautiful and informative journey in this innovative nonfiction picture
book that will leave you thirsty for more."
Themes: environment, nature, science, preservation Similar themed books: All the Water in the World by George Lyon, A Drop Around the World by Barbara McKinney, and One Well: The Story of Water on Earth by Rochelle Strauss.
Additional Information:
-Available in hardcover
-Non-Fiction, environmental, nature, science, children's books, picture books, poetry
-40 pages
-Awards & Nominations:
- Charlotte Zokotow Award Nominee for Highly Commended Title in 2016 2018 Caldecott Honor (Grand Canyon)
- 2018 Sibert Honor (Grand Canyon)
- 2018 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award (Grand Canyon)
- 2010 FOCAL Award (Redwoods)
- Horn Book – 2009 Fanfare Title (Redwoods)
- Booklist – Starred Review (Redwoods)
- Publishers Weekly – Starred Review (Redwoods)
- Washington Post – Best of 2009 list (Redwoods)
- Amazon.com – Best of 2009 list (Redwoods)
- Junior Library Guild Selection (Redwoods)
- Society of Illustrators Orginal Art Exhibition (Coral Reefs)
- Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2011 list. (Coral Reefs)
- Junior Library Guild Selection (Coral Reefs)
Required Author 12
Dan Santat
Drawn Together
Written by Minh Le and Illustrated by Dan Santat
Required Author 13
Nikki Grimes
Bronx Masquerade
Written by Nikki Grimes
Written by Nikki Grimes
Required Author 14
Virginia Hamilton
Required Author 15
Walter Dean Myers
Walter Dean Myers
Monster
Written by Walter Dean Myers
Myers, W.D. (1999). Monster. New York, NY. :Harper Collins.
Written by Walter Dean Myers
Myers, W.D. (1999). Monster. New York, NY. :Harper Collins.
Walter Dean Myers
(Per his website)
“In truth, everything in my life in 1951 that was personal and had value was white,” Walter Dean Myers later wrote in his memoir “Bad Boy.”
It
wasn’t until he reached adulthood and read “Sonny’s Blues,” by James
Baldwin, a fellow Harlemite, that he felt he had permission to offer the
world a narrative with blackness at its core. By then, after a stint in
the Army, he was writing seriously. In 1968, his picture-book
manuscript for “Where Does the Day Go” won a contest for black writers
by the Council on Interracial Books for Children. It was published the
following year. Eventually he would write more than a hundred books for
young people: lyrical picture books and gritty novels, poetry and short
stories, history, biography, memoir, books that earned him nearly every
major award children’s publishing had to offer.
Literature
was his one true faith, the lens through which he surveyed every aspect
of the human condition. His personal mission: To create literature
about the people whose stories had been left off the shelf.
“If we continue to make black children nonpersons by excluding them from books and by degrading the black experience, and if we continue to neglect white children by not exposing them to any aspect of other racial and ethnic experiences in a meaningful way, we will have a next racial crisis,” he predicted in the pages of The Times in 1986.
He would write about the lack of diversity in children’s literature in
The Times again, in March of this year. He was responding to the
depressing news that while about half of American children are a race
other than white, less than 10 percent of the children’s books published
in 2013 were about minorities. He ended his essay with the words,
“There is work to be done.”
Work
was something he always welcomed, though. Fiercely disciplined, he
wrote a minimum of five pages a day until shortly before his death.
(Once, when a child asked him what the hardest part about writing was,
he said: “There are no hard parts. It’s all work, and you have to put
your mind and heart in it. It’s work. It’s all good.”) There was no
greater calling, he felt, than to do for others what “Sonny’s Blues” had
done for him.
Books
had given him both an identity and a way to affect the world, his son,
Christopher Myers, told me recently. “He felt that he owed books a
repayment,” he said. “All his books were about rendering the invisible
visible.”
Website: http://walterdeanmyers.net
Written
in a filmed interview form, Steve Harmon, a 16-year-old
African-American male is on trial for felony murder. Steve is a student
of Mr. Sawicki, the film teacher who has his students do projects with
video cameras. Steve’s go to subject of filming is his neighborhood and
showing the truth behind the mayhem. From
the beginning of the court case in July, Steve has an inner monologue
of whether he is truly guilty of doing something he knows he did not do
or if he really was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Steve is
referred to as a monster and he continues to label himself as that
throughout the novel. Although 16 years old, Steve is in jail at the
Manhattan detention center in New York with grown men and
is subjected to see violence and gang rapes, even in his own cell. While
he is personally not a victim to the violence, other than one man
stealing meat from his food tray, he is nervous to be in there and notes
how if he wasn’t in jail then he would not have been able to even visit
inside because of his age. Steve is visited by his father, mother, and from the outside of the prison walls his brother, Jerry.
Jerry is only 11 years old, but despite the age difference they seem to be pretty close to each other. Both parents are obviously distraught and the father mentions how he never expected his son to be in this certain type of circumstance. Mom doesn’t visit as often because she is taking it harder than dad. Mr. Nesbitt, a convenient store owner, was murdered when two men, James King and Robert “Bobo” Evans tried to rob his store. Around 4 o’clock on December 22nd, the two men entered the store after claiming that Steve gave them the go ahead signal. Mr. Nesbitt fought back despite being an older man, but he was overtaken by King. King was able to apprehend the gun that Nesbitt had a permit for and was legally allowed to keep in his store. Evans said that king was high and that was probably the reason why he shot the man because there was no previous plan for violence. Evans, a 22-year-old male also living in Manhattan, was an acquaintance to Steve, but Steve stayed away from him for the most part simply because Evans had multiple run ins with the law in the past and had a reputation for being a little off his rocker. Like Evans, King was only an acquaintance to Steve, rarely caught together talking, but when they did it was only about basketball or simple things like the weather.
Steve could tell from the beginning that the odds against him in the court room were not good. He was judged from the get go by the jury as a typical young black male in a rough neighborhood. Throughout the entire court time, Steve was extremely respectful and spoke in a well rehearsed way. His attorney, a white woman named Kathy O’Brien, trained him to properly answer a question with the right amount of details and background information using a Styrofoam cup in one of their meetings. Throughout the entire book you can tell that O’Brien is not fond of Steve, but she does do her job well and treats him with the respect she is required to treat him with. You never see her go out of her way to console a child who consistently repeats that he is not guilty and was not involved in the crime.
At times, Steve is even interested in O’Brien‘s personal life and tries to spark conversation with her, but she is quick to answer with a short response and a lack of emotion. The prosecutor, Sandra Petrocelli, is pushing for the death penalty, or at least life in prison without parole, for all of the members associated with the crime committed. She is a harsh woman who speaks when she wants and often interrupts O’Brien and King’s lawyer, Briggs. Thankfully, Steve’s parents attend the court proceedings and are there for him on an emotional and mental level. Steve never mentions his home life or how close he was to his parents, but you can tell by the way that they are there for him that they do care and trust his judgment that what he did or didn’t do was right. During a meeting with his mom, she tells Steve to never let anyone make him think that he’s guilty, and that she thinks he is innocent and that’s all that matters.
Jerry is only 11 years old, but despite the age difference they seem to be pretty close to each other. Both parents are obviously distraught and the father mentions how he never expected his son to be in this certain type of circumstance. Mom doesn’t visit as often because she is taking it harder than dad. Mr. Nesbitt, a convenient store owner, was murdered when two men, James King and Robert “Bobo” Evans tried to rob his store. Around 4 o’clock on December 22nd, the two men entered the store after claiming that Steve gave them the go ahead signal. Mr. Nesbitt fought back despite being an older man, but he was overtaken by King. King was able to apprehend the gun that Nesbitt had a permit for and was legally allowed to keep in his store. Evans said that king was high and that was probably the reason why he shot the man because there was no previous plan for violence. Evans, a 22-year-old male also living in Manhattan, was an acquaintance to Steve, but Steve stayed away from him for the most part simply because Evans had multiple run ins with the law in the past and had a reputation for being a little off his rocker. Like Evans, King was only an acquaintance to Steve, rarely caught together talking, but when they did it was only about basketball or simple things like the weather.
Steve could tell from the beginning that the odds against him in the court room were not good. He was judged from the get go by the jury as a typical young black male in a rough neighborhood. Throughout the entire court time, Steve was extremely respectful and spoke in a well rehearsed way. His attorney, a white woman named Kathy O’Brien, trained him to properly answer a question with the right amount of details and background information using a Styrofoam cup in one of their meetings. Throughout the entire book you can tell that O’Brien is not fond of Steve, but she does do her job well and treats him with the respect she is required to treat him with. You never see her go out of her way to console a child who consistently repeats that he is not guilty and was not involved in the crime.
At times, Steve is even interested in O’Brien‘s personal life and tries to spark conversation with her, but she is quick to answer with a short response and a lack of emotion. The prosecutor, Sandra Petrocelli, is pushing for the death penalty, or at least life in prison without parole, for all of the members associated with the crime committed. She is a harsh woman who speaks when she wants and often interrupts O’Brien and King’s lawyer, Briggs. Thankfully, Steve’s parents attend the court proceedings and are there for him on an emotional and mental level. Steve never mentions his home life or how close he was to his parents, but you can tell by the way that they are there for him that they do care and trust his judgment that what he did or didn’t do was right. During a meeting with his mom, she tells Steve to never let anyone make him think that he’s guilty, and that she thinks he is innocent and that’s all that matters.
For a majority of the book, we hear the testimonies of multiple
characters, both involved and not involved in the felony murder.
Besides the small side comments made by Steve, the other witnesses never
seem to mention him doing anything other than showing the signal that
it was clear to go in. Steve never showed a signal, but Evans took that
as a means of saying all was clear by showing nothing. The majority of
the characters are only introduced for a minor portion of the book,
specifically with the testimonies on the witness stand. The man who
stands out the most is Osvaldo. Osvaldo was told by police that there
would be a change in his sentence time if he was able to give the
correct information that pinpointed who actually committed the crime.
Most of the attorneys were able to sway the jury to have them understand
that Osvaldo would say anything for a plea bargain. With that being
said, most of his information got tossed out the window.
After the trial, Steve was marked as not guilty and King was marked as guilty. Evans was already in jail, and ended up back in for longer for petty crimes. Steve tries to hug O’Brien after the trial, but she blatantly denies it, making Steve wonder if she sees him as an innocent or a monster. Steve continues to work on his media study and takes short clips of himself speaking about who he really is versus what people think he is. With the help of his little brother, it becomes the new highlight of his life. His father leaves the family and an obvious distance has occurred between the two.
After the trial, Steve was marked as not guilty and King was marked as guilty. Evans was already in jail, and ended up back in for longer for petty crimes. Steve tries to hug O’Brien after the trial, but she blatantly denies it, making Steve wonder if she sees him as an innocent or a monster. Steve continues to work on his media study and takes short clips of himself speaking about who he really is versus what people think he is. With the help of his little brother, it becomes the new highlight of his life. His father leaves the family and an obvious distance has occurred between the two.
Movie Trailer:
The themes in this novel are heavy: murder, death, deceit, lies, choices, betrayal, fear, justice system, and how one's family reacts to it all. While none of these themes are ones that children will
never come upon, the novel intertwines them all in a beautiful way,
showing what the cause and effect of one's actions are. Similar themed books include Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher and Bronx Masquerade
by Nikki Grimes. The author Kwame Alexander, also tends to write with
common themes as this novel but in a more kid-friendly and younger
audience appropriate sense.
Myers has written an extensive list of books. From 1969-2011 he
has written eighteen books for grade K-2 and forty books for grades
3-5. From 1977-2013 he has written fifty-five books for grades 6-8 and
from 1977-2015 he has written thirty-two books for grades 9-12. In
total, Myers has written one-hundred and six books. His career ended in
2014 when he passed away at age 76.
Additional Information:
-Available in paperback
-281 pages
-Fiction, realistic fiction, criminal, law, justice, peace, family
-Turned into a film featuring Jennifer Hudson, Kevin Harrison Jr., and A$AP Rocky in 2016
-Literary Awards:
- Michael L. Printz Award (2000)
- Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee (2001)
- Coretta Scott King Award for Author Honor (2000)
- Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Nominee for Fiction (1999)
- Lincoln Award Nominee (2005)
- National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature (1999)
Also, check out the interview with A$AP Rocky here.
Additional information on the book turned movie can be found here.
Required Author 16
Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Written and Illustrated by Eric Carle
Carle, E. (1996). The very hungry caterpillar. Carson, California: Lakeshore Learning Materials.
Eric Carle
(Per his website)
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
opened in 2002 in Amherst, MA. The idea came to mind after his wife,
Bobbie, and him visited a plethora of exhibitions in Japan in the early
1980's.
Carle has been writing books from 1967 to 2015, with some out of print.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar was written in 1969 and is one of his
earliest works. Though the years have changed, the illustrations Carle
creates have not. Carle uses a collage technique, painting over colored
tissue paper with acrylic paints. After it dries, he cuts the shapes he
wants and begins to lay the scene and characters. Each illustration is
bright and distinct, making his work easily recognizable.
Many, if not all, of his stories contain some form of nature, whether
it be the surroundings or a focus on an animal itself. Carle credits his
father with the idea of nature being the forefront of his books. With
almost one-hundred books under his sleeve, he is not short of awards. A
full list of his books can be found on his website.
Awards and Honors (per his website):
- Honorary Degree from Williams College, Williamstown, MA , 2016
- Honorary Degree from Amherst College, Amherst, MA , 2015
- Honorary Degree from Smith College, Northampton, MA , 2014
- Honorary Degree from Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 2013
- Great Friend to Kids Awards, Association of Children’s Museums, Pittsburgh, PA 2013
- The Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Illustrators, New York, NY, 2010
- Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Literature Award presented by the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, 2008
- Honorary Degree from Bates College, Lewiston, ME, 2007
- The NEA Foundation Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education, 2007
- John P. McGovern Award in Behavioral Sciences, Smithsonian Institution, 2006
- Honorary Degree from Western New England College,Springfield, MA, 2004
- Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now called the Children’s Literature Legacy Award) from the Association for Library Service to Children, American Library Association, 2003
- Honorary Degree from Niagara University, Niagara, NY, 2002
- Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 2001
- Honorary Degree from College of Our Lady the Elms, Chicopee, MA, 2001
- Japan Picture Book Award, Presented by Mainichi Newspaper for Lifetime Achievement, 2000
- Outstanding Friend of Children, Pittsburgh Children’s Museum, 1999
- Regina Medal, Catholic Library Association, 1999
- University of Southern Mississippi Medallion from DeGrumond Collection, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattisburg, MS, 1997
- The 1995 David McCord Children’s Literature Citation, Framingham State College + The Nobscot Reading Council of the International Reading Association, 1995
- Silver Medal from the City of Milano, Italy, 1989
- First Prize for Picture Books from the International Children’s Book Fair in Bologna, Italy
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Book Award
- The American Institute of Graphics Award
- The Selection Du Grand Prix Treize in FranceAdditional awards from The Association of Booksellers for Children,The American Booksellers Association, The American Library Association
Above: An animated film.
Below: A read-aloud with Eric Carle.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
We are introduced to a little egg on a leaf in the middle of
the night. The next day, as the sun rose, a caterpillar popped out of
the egg. The caterpillar was hungry and began to look for items to
devour. Each day of the week mentions a new food item the caterpillar
eats. As the week progresses, the number of healthy, fruit items the
caterpillar eats continues to grow as well. On Monday he started off
with one piece of fruit and by Friday he was up to five healthy snacks.
Each page has a small hole in each of the food items, showing kids that
the caterpillar went straight through the food he was eating.
When Saturday comes around, our little caterpillar realizes that he is
still very hungry. At this point in time, the caterpillar has decided to
ditch the healthy foods and go for items such as cake, ice cream,
pickles, pie, and muffins. He did manage to eat a slice of watermelon,
but the rest of his goodies were nothing like his Monday through Friday
meals. A two page spread is filled from end to end of what the
caterpillar ate on Saturday.
Because of all his food, healthy and not, the caterpillar had
quite the stomach ache. When Sunday rolls around, he ate through one,
nice, green leaf and felt better. The caterpillar was full and went from
little to fat. A cocoon was built around himself, and he stayed inside
for two weeks, nibbled a hole, pushed his way out, and came out as a
beautiful butterfly.
Themes
found in Carle's book are: Moderation, Food Cycle, Animals, Nature,
Caterpillars, New Ideas, Change is Good, Healthy Choices, and Timing. A
young caterpillar has no idea what is to become of him, much like young
children have no idea what will happen when they grow up. The two go
hand in hand and would be a great teaching tool for older students who
need life lessons on accepting things as they are because change will
come out of it eventually.
Books with similar themes
to them can include both children's books and books for older readers,
depending on how you want to cater the themes. As mentioned above, the
themes can be taken light hearted with younger children or you can go
more in depth with the ideas with older children. For now, I will stick
with children's books: Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell and Lillian Hoban, A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman, Where Butterflies Grow by Joan Ryder and Lynee Cherry, and The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson.
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction
Sub-categories: children’s
books, picture books, animals, caterpillars, nature, change, growth
Pages:28
Ages:Pre-K- 2nd grade
Translated into more than forty languages.
Available in hardback or paperback.
Just celebrated its fifty year anniversary!
Required Author 17
Ezra Jack Keats
Hi, Cat!
Written and Illustrated by
Ezra Jack Keats
Keats, E. (1999). Hi, cat! New York, NY:Viking Books for Young Readers.
Keats, E. (1999). Hi, cat! New York, NY:Viking Books for Young Readers.
Ezra Jack Keats
1916-1983
(Per
the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation website)
"Ezra Jack Keats was a pioneer in American children’s literature. He based the lives
of his multiracial characters on his childhood but added loving parents,
friends and pets. He wanted no child to be an outsider. “If we could see each
other exactly as the other is,” he wrote, “this would be a different world.”
Ezra Jack Keats
Foundation: https://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/
Keats has written twenty-three books. The Snowy Day is one of his most popular and oldest books, published in 1962. The Snowy Day is considered one of the most important American books of the 20th century and will not be forgotten.
Keats has also illustrated over sixty books, not including any of the
titles he helped to write and/or edit through the years. Keats is best
known for using urban settings, multicultural characters, and developed a
use of collages for mediums in his illustrations.
Hi, Cat!
Archie, a young
black boy, is walking to play with the other kids, and he casually says,
"Hi" to a random cat. Because of a simple word, the cat begins to
follow him all day long, ruining his “street performances”.
Among his many
acts, his first one was an old man where he tried to create a beard and
mustache with his ice cream, while using his umbrella as a walking stick.
Surprisingly, the cat doesn’t ruin this one, the dog, Willie, does. Willie doesn’t
make a onetime appearance though; he always comes back for more.
The next act was
the creation of a big paper bag face. The face itself is quite scary, but the
face is meant to be a fun part of his street performances. The cat, being a
cat, shredded the bag to a million pieces, making the mask unusable.
The next act is
the world’s tallest dog, where Willie is put on the shoulders of a kid and
walks behind a fence, showing that he is taller than the fence, and giving the
allusion Archie wants. Suddenly, the pesky cat jumps on the fence and Willie
scares him away.
The crowd obviously
laughs, but Archie isn’t too happy. He heads home to tell his mom about his
day, and how he simply said one word to the cat and it followed him. Then,
after pondering for a moment, Archie realizes that the cat probably just really
liked him, and that is why the cat is still sitting on the stoop.
Above: A fun, read-aloud.
Themes
within the book: Acceptance, Friendship, New Ideas, Understanding,
Urban/City Life, Street Performances, Animals, African-American, and
Overcoming Obstacles. These were typical themes for Keats to touch base
on.
Each one of these similar themed books, as far as stories go, share one or more of the themes above: Pet Show also by Ezra Jack Keats (Urban/City Life, Animals, African-American), One Green Apple by Eve Bunting (Acceptance, New Ideas, Understanding, Overcoming Obstacles), Everybody Cooks Rice by Norah Dooley (Urban/City Life, Overcoming Obstacles, Acceptance), and Outside My Window by Linda Ashman (Urban/City Life, Understanding, New Ideas).
Awards & Honors (Credit)
Book Honors (all books)
The Snowy Day:
Caldecott Medal from the American Library Association in 1963, Film
version wins Venice Film Festival Lion of Saint Mark Award for best
short film for children in 1965, The New York Public Library’s Books of the Century in 1996, The
Library of Congress’s Books that Shaped America in 2012, Adapted by
Amazon Studios into an animated holiday special in 2016 winning two
Daytime Emmys® (out of five nominations) for Outstanding Preschool Children’s Animated Program and Music Direction and Composition in 2017, and Snowy Day Forever stamps (set of four) issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 2017.In a Spring Garden: Library of Congress Books of the Year in 1965.
Goggles!: Caldecott Medal Honor Book in 1970.
Hi, Cat!: Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for illustration in 1970.
Apt. 3 and The King’s Fountain: School Library Journal’s Best Books in 1971.
The Trip: Children’s Choices Award, International Reading Association and the Children’s Book Council in 1977.
Child Study Association of America’s Children’s Books of the Year:
The Little Drummer Boy, 1968
A Letter to Amy, 1968
Goggles! 1969
Hi, Cat! 1970
Two Tickets to Freedom, 1971
The King’s Fountain, 1971
Apt. 3, 1971 and 1986
Pet Show! 1972
Over in the Meadow, 1972
Dreams, 1974
Louie, 1975
Jennie’s Hat, 1986
Regards to the Man in the Moon, 1987
Ezra's Caldecott Speech is found here: Written Speech w/ Pictures of Book
Personal Honors
- UNICEF invited Keats to design the agency’s first set of greeting cards (theme: peace); over one million five-card sets were sold, 1966
- Guest of Honor, Second Tehran International Festival of Films for Children, where an animated film of Whistle for Willie was shown, 1967
- Member of White House Forum on Child Development and the Mass Media, 1970
- “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” on PBS featured Keats as a guest four times, 1971-1974
- Harvard University Gutman Library housed selected papers and illustrations of Keats, the first children’s book author-illustrator asked to donate his papers to the library, 1974-1975
- University of Southern Mississippi, Silver Medallion for Outstanding Service in the Field of Children’s Literature, 1980
- Keats Archives established by the de Grummond Collection of Children’s Literature, at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, 1985
- UNICEF Ezra Jack Keats International Award for Excellence in Children’s Book Illustration established, 1985-1994
- Ezra Jack Keats New Writers Award established by the New York Public Library, 1986
- Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Competition established by the New York City Department of Education in collaboration with the Foundation, 1986
- ‟Sesame Street” featured an appearance by First Lady Barbara Bush reading aloud Peter’s Chair, 1990
- American Library Association, Posthumous Honoree for Outstanding Advocacy for Libraries in the 20th Century, 2000
- Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award established by the New York Public Library, 2001
- Ezra Jack Keats Family Concert established by Brooklyn Recreation, Information and Culture (BRIC) as part of its annual Celebrate Brooklyn! summer series, 2005
- Society of Illustrators, Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award, 2006
- ‟Ezra Jack Plot” composed by Thomas Meadowcroft, based on and featuring video stills from The Snowy Day, 2007
- Induction into the New York State Writers Hall of Fame, presented by Empire State Center for the Book and the Empire State Book Festival, 2015
Locations Dedicated to Keats
- Ezra Jack Keats Room, the Warrensville, Ohio, branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, 1971-2012
- Skating rink in Kiyose, Japan, named after Keats in honor of his book “Skates,” opened 1974
- Ezra Jack Keats stepping-stone on the Celebrity Walk in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, dedicated 1985
- Ezra Jack Keats International School (P.S. 253) in Brooklyn, New York, attended by children from over 40 countries, renamed 1988
- Bronze statue of Peter and Willie, a storytelling site in the Imagination Playground of Prospect Park, dedicated 1997, designated an honorary Literary Landmark 2016
- Brass plaque commemorating Keats at the Arlington Library, in Brooklyn, where he read as a child, dedicated 1997
- District 28 Pre-K Center, at four sites in Queens, New York, renamed Ezra Jack Keats Pre-K Center, 2016
Exhibitions Dedicated to Keats
- International touring exhibition organized by the United States Department of State, 1971
- Ohanashi Caravan (mobile storytelling and puppetry program) tour of Japan in honor of Keats, 1973
- De Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, “Hopes and Dreams: The Art of Ezra Jack Keats,” University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, 1989
- Rotunda Gallery, in Brooklyn, New York, “Children’s Book Illustrators,” 1993
- California African American Museum, in Los Angeles, “Lasting Impressions: Illustrating African American Children’s Books”; traveled to Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Las Vegas, Baltimore, and New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1993-1996
- New York Public Library, “An Artist’s View of Childhood: An Ezra Jack Keats Retrospective,” 1994
- Brooklyn Public Library, “Children’s Artist of the City: An Ezra Jack Keats Retrospective,” 1995
- Traveling exhibition to four museums in Japan, “Hope and Dreams: The Art of Ezra Jack Keats,” 1995-1996
- Chrysler Museum, in Norfolk, Virginia, “Myth, Magic, and Mystery: One Hundred Years of American Children’s Book Illustration”; traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, and Wilmington, Delaware, 1996-1997
- National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas, “Ezra Jack Keats: Artscapes,” 2000-2001; traveled around the U.S. through 2003
- Children’s Museum of Manhattan, “Hopes and Dreams: The Art of Ezra Jack Keats,” 2001
- De Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, University of Southern Mississippi, “Collage: An Ezra Jack Keats Retrospective,” 2002
- Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, New York, “Children Should Be Seen: The Image of the Child in American Picture-Book Art”; traveled to Amherst, Massachusetts, and Los Angeles, 2007-2008
- Traveling exhibition, “The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats,” organized by The Jewish Museum, in New York. Toured from September 2011–September 2014, with stops at: Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts; Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco; Akron Art Museum, Akron, Ohio; National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia; and Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction
Sub-categories: children’s
books, picture books
Pages: 40
Ages: 3-7 years
Required Author 18
Jess Keating
Cute as an Axolotl
Written by Jess Keating
Keating, J. (2018). Cute as an axotl. New York, NY. :Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Jess Keating
(Per her website)
Did you know that a sea cucumber breathes out its BUTT?
Moving on.
I’ve always loved writing and making up stories. I even started a library in my room when I was a kid, so I could charge my brother late fees. To this day, he still owes me 8 bucks. I am also a giant science nerd, and love to incorporate weird science in my books.
Today, I write books for adventurous,
curious, and funny kids. Some are middle grade novels and some are picture
books, but they are all fun to read! (Promise.) My agent is the brilliant Kathleen Rushall of Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
This blog is for writers, teachers, students, librarians and anyone else with a curious mind. You’ll find a lot of posts in a whole range of topics that inspire me, including language, history, biology, and creativity. Anything is fair game here, as long as it sparks a story. I like to think of it as edutainment. *waggles eyebrows*
You can also find updates on my books and the publishing world in general. As these posts build up, you can navigate them by clicking on the ‘Category’ tab and searching for those that are up your alley! Who knows, maybe they will inspire a story of your own!
STUFF I LOVE:
- Reading tons of books
- Nerdy Science Videos
- Tweeting with Readers
- Happy Animals and Awesome Libraries
Interviews with Jess Keating
- Interview with John Schu (MrSchuReads!)
- Interview on The Hiding Spot
- Interview on All The Write Notes
- Dear School Library, guest post at Watch.Connect.Read
- Ana and Daz chat with Rachel
- Interview with Colby Sharp
- Q&A with Design of the Picture Book
- On Borrowed Bravery and the Books that Change Us, guest post at The Nerdy Book Club"
(Per her website) "The Internet pretty much runs on cute animal photos, but "cute" is so
much more than clickbait kittens and insta-pups. Cute is for
feathery-gilled axolotls (pronounced: ax-uh-LOT-ulz), shy pygmy hippos,
poisonous blue dragons, and armored pangolins. All of these animals are
cute, but they've also adapted remarkable ways to survive in their
unique environments.
With her signature blend of humor and zoological know-how, Pink Is for Blobfish
author Jess Keating shows how cute animals can be more than just a
pretty face in this latest installment of the World of Weird Animals."
Additional Information:
-Available in hardback and paperback
-48 pages
-Non-Fiction, children's books, picture book, informational text
-Literary Awards & Praise (per her website):
- “A dynamic introduction to 17 of the world’s most adorable creatures…[a] highly engaging overview that will have readers eager to learn more.” —Kirkus Reviews
- “A home run for public and school libraries.” —School Library Journal
- A School Library Journal Best Science and Nature Book (2018)
- A School Library Journal Favorite Nonfiction Chapter Book (2018)
- A Nerdy Book Club Award Winner (2018)
Required Author 19
Faith Ringgold
We Came to America
Written by Faith Ringgold
Required Author 20
Grace Lin
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same
Written by Grace Lin
Lin, G. (2010). Ling & ting: Not exactly the same!. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company.
Lin, G. (2010). Ling & ting: Not exactly the same!. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company.
Grace Lin
(Per her website)
"The Long Version: Grace Lin grew up in Upstate New York with her parents and two sisters.
While the other sisters became scientists, Grace became an artist.
Surprisingly enough, being an artist was not Grace's first choice. She
first dreamed of being a champion ice skater, and drew many pictures of
herself twirling and dancing on the ice. Unfortunately, Grace had
neither the talent nor coordination to make it to skating stardom.
However, the pictures she drew of herself held much promise and quickly
became Grace's career focus.
After attending the Rhode Island School of Design, Grace quickly set out
to achieve her dream of creating children's books. Her first book, THE
UGLY VEGETABLES, was published in 1999 and was quickly heralded. As well
as being an American Booksellers Association's "Pick of the List" and a
Bank's Street College Best Books of the Year, THE UGLY VEGETABLES was
nominated for the California Young Reader Children's Choice Award and
named a Growing Good Kids Book Award CLASSIC. Grace followed that success with the publication of over a dozen more books, including DIM SUM FOR EVERYONE! and LISSY'S FRIENDS. Grace's first children's novel, THE YEAR OF THE DOG was released to glowing praise in 2006 and nominated to the TX Bluebonnet list, which she followed with THE YEAR OF THE RAT. Her novel WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON was awarded the 2010 Newbery Honor, chosen for Al Roker's Today Show Kid's Book Club and was a NY Times Bestseller. Grace's early reader LING & TING was awarded with the Theodor Geisel Honor in 2011.
As well as occasionally reviewing for the NYTimes, Grace has became an advocate for diversity. She is a commentator for New England Public Radio and created the video essay, “What to do when you realize classic books from your childhood are racist?" for PBSNewHour. Grace also delivered the popular TEDx talk, "The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf." Grace truly believes, , "Books erase bias, they make the uncommon everyday, and the mundane exotic. A book makes all cultures universal."
To that end, when the cover illustration for her novel WHEN THE SEA TURNED TO SILVER (a 2016 National Book Award Finalist) was displayed at the White House, Grace, herself, was recognized as a Champion of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling. In 2019, Grace's picture book "A Big Mooncake For Little Star" was awarded a Caldecott Honor.
Grace lives in Florence, MA with her husband and daughter. Please visit her website: www.gracelin.com for more info"
"The Shorter and More Serious Version:Before Grace Lin was an award-winning and NY Times bestselling author/illustrator of picturebooks, early readers and middle grade novels, she was the only Asian girl (except for her sisters) going to her elementary school in Upstate NY. That experience, good and bad, has influenced her books—including her Newbery Honor WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON, her Geisel Honor LING & TING, her National Book Finalist WHEN THE SEA TURNED TO SILVER and her Caldecott Honor A BIG MOONCAKE FOR LITTLE STAR. But, it also causes Grace to persevere for diversity as a New England Public Radio commentator and when she gave her TEDx talk “The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf,” as well as her PBSNewHour video essay “What to do when you realize classic books from your childhood are racist?.” In 2016, Grace’s art was displayed at the White House and Grace, herself, was recognized by President Obama’s office as a Champion of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling"
"The Accolade Version: Grace Lin, a NY Times bestselling author/ illustrator, won the Newbery Honor for "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" and the Theodor Geisel Honor for "Ling and Ting." Her most recent novel "When the Sea Turned to Silver" was a National Book Award Finalist and her most recent picture book, "A Big Mooncake for Little Star" was awarded the Caldecott Honor. Grace is also a commentator for New England Public Radio, a reviewer for the NY Times, a video essayist for PBS NewsHour, and the speaker of the popular TEDx talk, “The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf.” In 2016, Grace’s art was displayed at the White House where Grace, herself, was recognized by President Obama’s office as a Champion of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling"
"The Obnoxious Version: Grace Lin, a NY Times Best selling author, is a rare silver NeCaGeNa because her books have been awarded honors for the Newbery, Caldecott, Geisel, and National Book Award. Grace is an introvert, but she also seems to talk a lot because not only is she occasionally a commentator for New England Public Radio, a reviewer for the NY Times, video essayist for PBS NewsHour, and TEDx speaker, she hosts the kidlitwomen* podcast. In 2016, Grace was recognized by President Obama’s office as a Champion of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling which has truly encouraged her to continue to create her books even though the Printz award will probably not be in her future."
Interview with questions from kids and adults: https://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=faq
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same
Sisters, and twins, Ling and Ting are always being told by others how
they look exactly the same. Like all twins though, Ling and Ting are
very different once you get to know them. As the book goes from start to
finish, you are introduced to the many reasons why the twin sisters are
not identical through and through. While the two have things in common,
the biggest portion of the book focuses on the differences. You see
Ling and Ting interact as they play, cook, and experience life together.Each chapter is an independent short story, allowing the book to be read chapter by chapter or all in one sitting. Lin uses the previous chapters to build the plot up allowing for the stories to be tied together.
Lin has the beginning stages of a series with Ling and Ting, allowing students to see more and more of the dynamic duo. Twins are not very common, so students can have a fun time mentioning similarities and differences that they find within the books and girls.
Below: The Ling & Ting series.
Additional Information:
-Available in paperback
- 48 pages
-Fiction, children's book, picture book, series
-Ages 5-9
-Awards & Reviews (per her website):
- Theodor Geisel Honor Book in 2011
- Junior Library Guild Selection
- starred Booklist review
- starred Kirkus review
- starred Horn Book review
- starred School Library Journal review
- NY Times Sunday Book Review
- 2010 Kirkus Best Children's Books
- 2010 Booklist Editor's Choice
- PW's Best of Books of 2010
- NY Times Notable Children's Books of 2010
- TLA's 2x2 Reading List
*Starred Review* Sisters Ling and Ting may be twins, but that doesn't mean "they're exactly the same," no matter what everyone says upon first meeting them. Children will come to their own conclusions after reading the six short, interconnected stories that make up this pleasing book for beginning readers. In the first chapter, "The Haircuts," Ling sneezes while her bangs are being cut, and for a while at least, it's easy to tell the twins apart. The chapters that follow reveal distinct differences in the sisters personalities, inclinations, and abilities. Despite those differences, in the end each girl subtly affirms her affection for the other. Framed with narrow borders, the paintings illustrate the stories with restrained lines, vivid colors, and clarity. The chapters often end with mildly humorous turns, from a neat play on words to a smack-your heard obvious solution to an apparently impossible dilemma. These endings, as well as bits of comic byplay that occur in the brief framework vignettes, will suit the target audience beautifully. Lin, whose previous books include Dim Sum for Everyone (2001) and the 2010 Newbery Honor Book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009), shows her versatility once again in an original book that tells its story clearly while leaving room for thought and discussion. from Booklist
*Starred Review* Newbery Honor author Lin makes a stunning entree into the world of early readers. The first of six short stories introduces identical Chinese-American twins Ling and Ting, who always wear matching patterned dresses. The similarities soon end after the girls visit the barber. While Ling sits still, fidgety Ting sneezes, causing the barber to lop off too much of her bangs. As the girls perform magic tricks and head to the library, young readers will begin to focus more on Ling and Ting's different personalities and less on their identical faces. The author introduces Chinese cultural elements as Ling and Ting make dumplings and try out chopsticks. Imbued with humor only a sibling could get away with, the episodes build on one another until the final chapter, featuring a picnic with the author's now-trademark cupcakes, serves as a funny summary of the twins' tales. Vibrant gouache paintings also extend each story, emphasizing the sisterly warmth that prevails even when the two don't see exactly eye to eye. This spot-on depiction of twins celebrates individuality (Early reader. 6-9). from Kirkus
*Starred Review* People are always telling twin sisters Ling and Ting that they are exactly the same. "'We are not exactly the same,' Ling says. Ting laughs because she is thinking exactly the same thing!" In her first early reader, author-illustrator Lin (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, rev. 9/09) presents six chapters, each a brief, humorous story about the sisters. In "The Haircuts," the girls have the same black hair, which needs cutting at the same time, but they don't behave the same-Ling sits quietly while Ting fidgets (and sneezes at a crucial moment)-and two different haircuts are the result. Ting's uneven bangs make it easy for young readers to tell who's who, though by the end they will know the identically dressed girls by their unique personalities, with Ting's goofiness a perfect match for her goofy bangs. Performing magic tricks, making and eating dumplings, visiting the library, and going on a picnic round out the rest of the book, warmly illustrated with Lin's color-saturated art inside boldly hued borders. from Horn Book
*Starred Review* Lin brings her talents to these charming stories about Chinese-American twins who like to stick together but are not as alike as everyone thinks. The six short chapters are the perfect length for beginning readers. In the first story, the girls get haircuts. Ting “moves her legs and her fingers. Ting can never sit still.†When her snipped hair falls on her nose, she sneezes and the barber cuts a little too much off her bangs. The simple illustrations follow this mishap throughout the book, making the sisters easily identifiable. In the other vignettes, Ling and Ting make very different dumplings, Ling cannot eat with chopsticks no matter how hard Ting tries to teach her, and they visit the library. Each story ends with an amusing punch line that will make readers laugh. The last chapter ties all of the tales together, showing the fun and friendship that the girls share. This relationship, combined with the simple sentence structure, repetitive text, and straightforward illustrations that reinforce new vocabulary words (HarperCollins). from School Library Journal
Just when we thought Grace Lin (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon) had stretched the limits of children's bookmaking to her fullest extent, she triumphantly tackles yet another challenging category: the beginning reader. Here she introduces identical twins Ling and Ting: "They have the same brown eyes. They have the same pink cheeks. They have the same happy smiles. People see them and they say, 'You two are exactly the same!'" But they are not "exactly the same," as Ling is quick to say, and Ting thinks to herself. The brief tales in this intelligently designed volume prove it. The clever first entry allows readers to tell the two apart easily. Ling sits calmly in the barber's chair, and the man cuts her bangs "in a smooth line." Restless Ting, however, causes the barber to clip a bit more creatively ("Ling and Ting are... not exactly the same. Now when people see them, they know it too"). Each succeeding tale reveals a little more about each of the girls' personalities. For instance, we learn that Ting is a tad forgetful (she can't remember the playing card she chose from the deck during Ling's magic trick). Some of the stories build on previous events: in a chapter about a trip to the library, Ting remembers her playing card from Ling's magic trick but forgets to check out a dog book for Ling. Other episodes offer insight into the girls' Chinese culture (as readers learn about dumplings and chopsticks). Each story spans six to eight pages, features an illustration on every page, and often ends with a wordless finale (like the twins approaching the library steps together). With a manageable vocabulary and chapter length, generous helpings of humor and two winning (and unique!) heroines, these half-dozen stories are sure to be a hit. Young readers will clamor for more adventures about these charming sisters.--Jennifer M. Brown from Shelf Awareness
No comments:
Post a Comment