Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - The ALA 2014 Edition

Normally on the first Wednesday of the month, I do a post about new nonfiction releases.  However, this week, I am pre-empting my normal post to share about the Common Core IRL: In Real Libraries presentation that I was a part of at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Las Vegas this past weekend.

In preparing for the presentation, I had the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in different places around the country.  This was a phenomenal learning opportunity. 

On Sunday, June 29th, in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, we shared the information and our experiences working with students with our audience.  There were some great questions at the end of the session, and we are hoping to create future Common Core IRL: In Real Library posts in ways that will respond to questions.

If you are interested in checking out the presentation slides, the slideshare of our presentation is below.  Please share this with friends and colleagues who may be interested. 

Common Core IRL: In Real Libraries 2014 from Mary Ann Scheuer

Mary Ann Scheuer posted a portion of the introduction on her blog post, here.

Thank you to these amazing professionals, who I am thrilled to also count as my friends.

Mary Ann Scheuer, School Librarian, Emerson Elementary School (California) - greatkidbooks.blogspot.com

Louise Capizzo, Youth Service Librarian, Scarborough Public Library (Maine) - nonfictiondetectives.com

Cathy Potter, School Librarian, Falmouth Elementary School (Maine) - nonfictiondetectives.com

A special thanks to the following publishers for donating books for a special giveaway at the end of our presentation.

Boyds Mills Press

Candlewick

Capstone

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

National Geographic Kids

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews below:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Top Five Picks for the First Half of 2014

Thank you everyone for all of the great posts each week for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.

In the past, I have tried to review all of the picture books I have read during the first half of the year and select my favorite 10 at the end of June. This year, I decided to select my top five nonfiction picture books and then do another post for my top five fiction picture books. Out of the the 50+ nonfiction picture books published in 2014 that I have currently read, here are my favorites in no particular order.

Grandfather Gandhi by Arun Gandhi, Bethany Hegedus; Illustrated by Evan Turk (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, March 2014) - A glimpse into the life of Gandhi by his grandson Arun.  Readers learn about peace along with Arun.

A Baby Elephant in the Wild by Caitlin O'Connell; Photographs by Timothy Rodwell (HMH Books for Young Readers, March 2014) - By the team that brought us The Elephant Scientist comes a story about the birth and life of a baby elephant.  Informative and very accessible for younger readers.

Handle With Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey by Loree Griffin Burns; Photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz (Millbrook Press, January 2014) - I was fascinated about the story of a butterfly farm in Costa Rica and the photographs brought it to vivid life.

Water Can Be... by Laura Purdie Salas; Illustrated by Violeta Dabija (Millbrook Press, April 2014) - This follow up to A Leaf Can Be... is just as beautifully illustrated.  The simple phrases bring new vision to something as meaningful as water.

The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra by Chris Raschka (Candlewick Press, May 2014) - Both the illustrations and text work together beautifully in this picture book biography of the jazz musician, Sun Ra. Raschka does an amazing job capturing the spirit and life of this unique musician.

What are your favorite nonfiction picture books published in 2014?

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - The Pilot and the Little Prince

The Pilot and the Little Prince:

The Life of Antoine De Saint-Exupéry

by Peter Sís

Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (May 27, 2014)

Nonfiction * Biographical * Aviation 

IndieBound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was born in France in 1900, when airplanes were just being invented. Antoine dreamed of flying and grew up to be a pilot—and that was when his adventures began. He found a job delivering mail by plane, which had never been done before. He and his fellow pilots traveled to faraway places and discovered new ways of getting from one place to the next. Antoine flew over mountains and deserts. He battled winds and storms. He tried to break aviation records, and sometimes he even crashed. From his plane, Antoine looked down on the earth and was inspired to write about his life and his pilot-hero friends in memoirs and in fiction. Peter Sís’s remarkable biography celebrates the author of The Little Prince, one of the most beloved books in the world.

Image from The Pilot and the Little Prince

Reviews: Kirkus | Publisher's Weekly | Hornbook |

Links to interesting pages: NPR Interview of Peter Sís |  

About the Author: Peter Sís is the internationally renowned author and/or illustrator of many books for children. He is the recipient of the 2012 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration and has also been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. He has lived in and around New York City since 1984.

Where to find Peter Sís: website | facebook | 

My thoughts on the book:
A couple of weeks ago, I picked up The Pilot and the Little Prince.  I have been a fan of Peter Sís for awhile and when I saw that this was coming out I knew I had to have it.  Finally, I had a chance to sit down and spend some time pouring over this beautifully illustrated book.  And when I say pouring over this book, I do mean spend time with it.  This is not a book that you read once.  Though the narrative story text is fairly simple, there is much more to process.

Image from The Pilot and the Little Prince

The story is laid out in multiple ways - readers can simply begin with the straight narrative text that tells the life of Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  Additionally, the illustrations provide readers with another level of visual literacy that can and should be read.  Finally, there are illustrations with scripted text, which provides another layer.  Though I do have to say that the small font was a bit difficult for me to read with ease. If I were to ask for one addition to the book, it would be for back matter (author's note, additional reading, links, or other things) to be included at the end of the book.

Overall, this is a beautiful picture book biography for children in Kindergarten to Third grade.  It would make a lovely addition to a classroom or school library. 

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Marine Pollution & Environmental Protection For Our Oceans

Have you ever thought about what happens to the plastic that is thrown into the ocean? Two of my books this week, shared stories about how plastic has a significant impact on our oceans.  I am sharing a couple of resources about the impact that trash has on marine life and oceans and more.  Both of these books are extremely informational and I know I learned a lot.  

Check out the books, videos, and links for more resources that you can use with students in grades 4 to 8.

 

Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion

by Loree Griffin Burns

HMH Books for Young Readers (March 26, 2007)

IndieBound * WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:
Aided by an army of beachcombers, oceanographer Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer tracks trash in the name of science. From sneakers to hockey gloves, Curt monitors the watery fate of human-made cargo that has spilled into the ocean. The information he collects is much more than casual news; it is important scientific data. And with careful analysis, Curt, along with a community of scientists, friends, and beachcombers alike, is using his data to understand and protect our ocean.

In engaging text and unforgettable images, readers meet the woman who started it all (Curt’s mother!), the computer program that makes sense of his data (nicknamed OSCURS), and several scientists, both on land and on the sea, who are using Curt’s discoveries to preserve delicate marine habitats and protect the creatures who live in them. A Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book for Nonfiction.

For resources connected with Tracking Trash: Discussion and Activity Guide |  Author Notes

Tracking Trash Multi-Touch Edition  is another resource which includes videos, interactive photo gallery, and web-search enabled text can be purchased here.  

Scientist in the Field Adventure Notes: Message in the Bottle | Tracking Trash and the Common Core | Tracking Trash and Making Art

Loree Griffin Burns: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Video: Gyre: Creating Art from a Plastic Ocean

Plastic Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

by Patricia Newman; Photographs by Annie Crawley

Millbrook Press (April 1, 2014)
Amazon * WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:
These scientists are on a mission. As part of a research expedition known as SEAPLEX, theyre studying the massive accumulation of plastic in the Pacific Ocean known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. As they use the scientific method to conduct their investigation, their adventures will introduce readers to the basics of ocean science and the hazards of plastics.

Patricia Newman: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Other resources: 10 Ways to Reduce Ocean Plastic | Video Research Project | Activity & Discussion Guide | Algalita's Ship-2-Shore Program | Five Gyres

Watch the Book Trailer for Plastic Ahoy!



Additional Books to begin exploring the topic of "tracking trash" with Younger Audiences:

10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle (HarperCollins, 2005) - In this poignant and funny story, illustrated with strikingly designed collages, Eric Carle also takes readers on an exciting voyage of discovery. Following the little ducks as they float to all parts of the globe, young explorers can see for themselves the meanings of directional words, and learn simple math concepts such as counting and the use of cardinal and ordinal numbers. Each creature the ducks meet is seen in its own habitat and behaves in a true-to-life manner, offering a very simple first view of biology and geography. (description from goodreads)

Ducky by Eve Bunting; Illustrated by David Wisniewski (HMH Books for Young Children, 1997) - A yellow plastic duck makes a long perilous journey when he is washed overboard with a crate full of bathtub toys during a storm. (description from goodreads)

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Some Musings

Thank you everyone for all of the great posts each week for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.

Several years before the Common Core State Standards decided to try mandating the amount of nonfiction or informational text students should be reading, I realized that I had a serious book gap.  Though I went through phases when I did read nonfiction related to things I was interested in as an adult, I realized that I focused on very little nonfiction for children. Frankly, I saw it as boring and not particularly worth my time. Yes, I needed an attitude adjustment.

However, I can tell you when my attitude changed and by which book.  It was January 18, 2010, and I was listening to the ALA Youth Media Awards curled up in bed at 5 a.m.  The awards were in Boston that year and in order to hear them live, I had to get up early.  As they announced the awards, I was intrigued by several of the Sibert Medal Winners, particularly, The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton.  Shortly, after the announcements were made I tracked down a copy of the book and from that moment on I have been on the search for creative, informative, and interesting nonfiction picture books for children.

My interest in nonfiction picture books has lead me to starting this challenge and to getting to know all of you.  I have felt good about the amount of nonfiction that I have been able to feature on my blog, especially through this weekly challenge.  However, I have been playing with some ideas, and will probably be adjusting my posts.

Once a month, usually the first Wednesday of the month, I feature new nonfiction picture book releases.  From the feedback, I have received readers really seem to enjoy this post. So, I am going to keep doing it.  I am going to try and find ways to keep improving it but overall, it seems to be working.

Next, I might start doing a What are you reading? type post to share all of the great nonfiction I find.  Often, I don't have time to review everything I read, but I would like to give more attention to books that I have enjoyed and want to share with others.  I will share these separate from my Monday What are you reading? posts, especially when I have a lot of titles to talk about.

Finally, I want to do more posts that feature a collection of books around a similar topic and include links to various resources or ideas of how to use them in the classroom.  I tried it recently with the post for The Sea Turtle Scientist.  It seemed to work.  So I am trying it again.  Let me know with these new posts what is helpful and what you would love to see more of as a teacher or librarian or parent.

If you are looking for the link to the Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday Widget please go here, and check out my post about Tracking Trash, and Plastic Ahoy!

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: June Releases

Thank you everyone for all of the great posts each week for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.  At the beginning of each month, I like to try to do a post to spread the word about recent releases or upcoming nonfiction/informational titles.  It is not comprehensive, but I do try to include a variety of titles that might be of interest to readers.  Some of them I have read and some I have yet to read.  Often I include reviews in later posts.

Here are some June titles and a few books that I missed posting last month.  If you missed the posts from the past five months, I have included them below.

Link to January & February Releases Post
Link to February & March Releases Post
Link to March & April Releases Post
Link to More April Releases Post
Link to May Releases Post

Releases this month...

June 3, 2014

My Country 'Tis of Thee: How One Song Reveals the History of Civil Rights by Claire Rudolph Murphy; Illustrated by Bryan Collier (Henry Holt and Co.)

June 5, 2014

Tiny: The Invisible World of Microbes by Nicola Davies; Illustrated by Emily Sutton (Walker Books)

June 17, 2014

I am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer (Dial Publishers)

June 24, 2014

What's New? The Zoo!: A Zippy History of Zoos by Kathleen Krull; Illustrated by Marcellus Hall (Arthur A. Levine)
June 26, 2014

George Ferris, What a Wheel! by Barbara Lowell (Grosset & Dunlap)

Some previous release...

March 18, 2014

A Baby Elephant in the Wild by Caitlin O'Connell (HMH Books for Young Readers)

May 27, 2014

Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond Between a Soldier and His Service Dog by Luis Carlos Montalván; Photographs by Bret Witter & Dan Dion (Roaring Brook Press)

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - The Scraps Book

Thank you everyone for all of the great posts each week for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.

The Scraps Book: Notes From a Colorful Life

by Lois Ehlert

Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster (March 4, 2014)

Audience: K-3
Memoir * Women Illustrators * Art

IndieBound * WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:
The renowned Caldecott Honoree and illustrator of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom provides a moving, intimate, and inspiring inside look at her colorful picture book career.

Lois Ehlert always knew she was an artist. Her parents encouraged her from a young age by teaching her how to sew and saw wood and pound nails, and by giving her colorful art supplies. They even gave her a special spot to work that was all her own.

Today, many years and many books later, Lois takes readers and aspiring artists on a delightful behind-the-scenes tour of her books and her book-making process. Part fascinating retrospective, part moving testament to the value of following your dreams, this richly illustrated picture book is sure to inspire children and adults alike to explore their own creativity.

Reviews: Kirkus | HornBook | Publisher's Weekly | 100 ScopeNotes
Extra Material: HornBook's 5 Questions Interview with Lois Ehlert |  

My thoughts on this book:

"When I was little, I read all the books on the library shelf and I thought maybe someday I could make a book." - Lois Ehlert, The Scraps Book

 

When I began teaching my first books were by author/illustrators such as Tomie dePaola, Eric Carle, and Ezra Jack Keats. My collection also included dozens of books by Lois Ehlert.  As part of my curriculum, I created many learning activities tied into Ehlert's books. Though I never thought to do an author study on Ehlert, with the release of her incredibly creative memoir, The Scraps Book, I am already itching to do exactly that.

Today, Lois Ehlert is 79 years old and still creating art and books. Frankly, amazing anyway you look at it. When I opened up this book, I knew within a few pages that it was coming home with me. Ehlert shares with readers how her family inspired and supported her art. Readers are treated to little facts about the art and ideas she used to create her books.  I loved that she explains that "I'm mess when I work."

The Scraps Book celebrates the life and art of Lois Ehlert in only the way that she can do it with mixed media and scraps of all kinds and the images that made us love her over the years. As I mentioned earlier, I already want to create lessons and an author study with this book as the center of our inspiration.

An interview with Lois Ehlert (Reading Rockets):



Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:
 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra

Thank you everyone for all of the great posts each week for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.

Cosmo-biography of Sun Ra: The Sound of Joy is Enlightening

by Chris Raschka

Candlewick Press (May 13, 2014)

Audience:  Grades 2nd to 5th

Biography * Jazz Musicians *  African American Musicians

IndieBound * WorldCat * Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Description from GoodReads:
Jazz musician Sun Ra (1914–1993) always said that he came from Saturn. Being from another planet, he was naturally intrigued by everything earthly — especially music, because music is the one thing on Earth most like the stars. Earthlings themselves confused Sun Ra, the way they sorted themselves by color and fought wars against one another. So he made music. And he traveled with other musicians and singers, calling themselves the Sun Ra Arkestra, playing, singing, and dancing for people all over the planet. Because music, he said, is what holds us all together. Join acclaimed author-illustrator Chris Raschka in celebrating a legend of the jazz world who was truly one of a kind.

My thoughts on this book:
As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to find it.  On Monday's What are you Reading post, I said that this book was "Interesting and a bit out there.  However, I suspect that Sun Ra, the musician, was also a bit out there."  After watching the video that I included below, I can certainly say that Sun Ra was "a bit out there."  

Not knowing much about Sun Ra and his band, I wasn't sure what to expect.  After learning a bit more and reading The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra, I felt that Raschka captured the personality and flare of this very unique jazz musician claiming to be from the planet, Saturn. 

Since I am not sure that I can do justice to this book, I have included links to reviews by Kirkus (a starred review) and Publisher Weekly.  The author's note, found on the Candlewick website, provides further information for readers. Finally, check out the videos included in this post to develop a better sense of who is Sun Ra.

Reviews:  Kirkus | Publisher's Weekly

Additional Material: Author's Notes

Check out the official Book Trailer:



Sun Ra Night Music - 1989 Video Interview & Performance - A Taste of both Sun Ra and his music.




After reading Raschka's The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra, I would like to check out some of  his other Jazz biographies.

John Coltrane's Giant Steps (Simon & Schuster, 2002)

Mysterious Thelonious (Scholastic, 1997)

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Sea Turtle Scientist

 Sea Turtle Scientist

by Stephen R. Swinburne

HMH Books for Young Readers (January 7, 2014)

GoodReads | IndieBound | WorldCat | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Description from GoodReads:
Dr. Kimberly Stetwart, also known as the Turtle Lady of St. Kitts, is already waiting at midnight when an 800-pound leatherback sea turtle crawls out of the Caribbean surf and onto the sandy beach. The mother turtle has a vital job to do: dig a nest in which she will lay eggs that will hatch into part of the next generation of leatherbacks. With only one in a thousand of the eggs for this critically endangered species resulting in an adult sea turtle, the odds are stacked against her and her offspring. Join the renowned author and photographer Steve Swinburne on a journey through history to learn how sea turtles came to be endangered, and what scientists like Kimberly are doing to save them. For the complete selection of books in this critically acclaimed, award-winning series, visit www.sciencemeetsadventure.com.  



About Scientists in the Field: Where Science Adventure Meets -
The Scientists in the Field series shows people immersed in the unpredictable and dynamic natural world, making science more accessible, relevant, and exciting to young readers. Far from the research laboratory, these books show firsthand adventures in the great outdoors—adventures with a purpose. From climbing into a snake den with thousands of slithering snakes to tracking wolves, swimming with hammerhead sharks, and collecting bugs, readers experience the thrill of discovering the unknown.

The Scientists in the Field series has been deemed consistently excellent, imaginative, engaging, and informative. The series provides a broad range of curricular opportunities that will both teach and entertain children.

Follow them on: Twitter | Facebook | Discussion Guide for Sea Turtle Scientist

My thoughts on this book:
Lately, I seem to be partial to all things Scientist in the Field and National Geographic.  I have been trying out some activities with first and second graders using a variety of nonfiction titles. 

In Sea Turtle Scientist, Stephen R. Swinburne focuses on the work of Dr. Kimberly Stewart.  As I read about her work, I found myself not wanting to put the book down but instead to stay up late reading.  Additionally, I was struck by how hard it is to really observe and do research on sea turtles given their lifestyle and way of moving 1,000's of miles through the sea.  

For many of the first graders that I have been working with, Sea Turtle Scientist would be a challenge even as a read aloud.  However, the photographs tell their own stories and I found that by reading the text beforehand, I could summarize the text and use the photographs in a way that the students benefitted from the book.

We talked about Dr. Stewart and the type of education she would need to be a sea turtle scientist and also, how fun it would be to work on a beach and wear flip flops. It was a bit hard for students to understand why she would need to check the nests and also examine all of the egg shells.  I would love to bring in some flippers, sand and ping pong balls to help the students really begin to experience how difficult it is for the mother sea turtle to come from the sea to lay her eggs.  

I would highly recommend this book for grades three and up, but it could make a great read aloud for an attentive group of first and second graders. Below, I have included a few Sea Turtle Videos that you may want to use to front-load information for students or to supplement the books you are reading with them. I have also included some of my favorite Sea Turtle books for Kindergarten to Second grade.

All About Sea Turtles Video by Sea World:



Turtle Hatching:



Other Sea Turtle Books for Younger Readers:

Sea Turtles (National Geographic Readers) by Laura Marsh (National Geographic, 2011) - As with all of the super readers by National Geographic, this book does a great job of introducing younger students to sea turtles.

One Tiny Turtle: Read and Wonder by Nicola Davies; Illustrated by Jane Chapman (Candlewick Press, 2005) - I love this story and also the combination of narrative text with fact.

Scholastic Adventures With Books: One Tiny Turtle Classroom Activity Guide.

I'll Follow the Moon by Stephanie Lisa Tara; Illustrated by Lee Edward Fodi (Stephanie Lisa Tara Children's Books, 2012) - This fictional story in verse helps readers connect on a different level to the journey of baby sea turtles must begin when hatching from their nest.

On Kiki's Reef by Carol Malnor, Illustrated by Trina L. Hunner (Dawn Publications, March 1, 2014) - A 2014 release, On Kiki's Reef provides a narrative look at the journey of a sea turtle and the reference to the life cycle of sea turtles.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Release for May

Thank you everyone for all of the great posts each week for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.  At the beginning of each month, I like to try to do a post to spread the word about recent releases or upcoming nonfiction/informational titles.  It is not comprehensive, but I do try to include a variety of titles that might be of interest to readers.  Some of them I have read and some I have yet to read.  Often I include reviews in later posts.

Here are some May titles and a few books that I missed posting last month.  I also found some additional titles that came out earlier in the year.  If you missed the posts from the past four months, I have included them below.

Link to January & February Releases Post
Link to February & March Releases Post
Link to March & April Releases Post
Link to More April Releases Post

Releases this month...

May 1, 2014

Don't Dangle Your Participle by Vanita Oelschlager (Vanita Books)

May 6, 2014

Lifesize: Ocean by Stuart Jackson-Carter; Illustrated by Anita Ganeri (Macmillan)

US Presidents (Ken Jenning's Junior Genius Guides #3) by Ken Jenning (Little Simon)
May 13, 2014

The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra: The Sound of Joy is Enlightening by Chris Raschka (Candlewick Press)

Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America's Own Backyard by Mary Kay Carson; Illustrations by Tom Uhlman (HMH Books for Young Readers)

May 15, 2014

Before We Eat: From Farm to Table by Pat Brisson; Illustrated by Mary Azarian (Tilbury House Publishers)

May 21, 2014

Plant a Pocket of Prairie by Phyllis Root; Illustrated by Betsy Bowen (Univ. of Minnesota Press)

May 27, 2014

The Pilot and the Little Prince: The Life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry by Peter Sís (Farrar, Strauss, Giroux Books for Young Readers)

New Releases for older students...

May 6, 2014

How They Choked: Failures, Flops, and Flaws of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg (Walker Children's)

Past Releases that you may be interested in...

The Griffin and the Dinosaur: How Adrienne Mayor Discovered a Fascinating Link Between Myth and Science by Marc Aronson, Adrienne Mayor; Illustrated by Chris Muller (National Geographic Children's Books, April 8, 2014)

Jubilee! One Man's Big, Bold, and Very, Very Loud Celebration of Peace by Alicia Potter; Illustrated by Matt Tavares (Candlewick Press, April 8, 2014)

Migrant: The Journey of a Mexican Worker by Jose Manuel Mateo; Illustrated by Javier Martinez Pedro (Abrahms, April 15, 2014)

Secrets of the Seasons: Orbiting the Sun in Our Backyard by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (Knopf Books for Young Readers, April 22, 2014)

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews below...