Wednesday, March 30, 2016

New Book Alert: Waylon!


Waylon! One Awesome Thing by Sara Pennypacker with illustrations by Marla Frazee. Publication date: April 5, 2016. (We received an ARC of this book with our Scholastic book order, and I will be adding it to my classroom library. All thoughts are my own.)

Waylon may be familiar to fans of Sara Pennypacker's well-regarded Clementine series, but now he has his own story. Straddling the line between young fiction and middle grade at 200 pages, this novel details some of the struggles of fourth grade, especially the growing sense of identity vs. the growing need to conform or at least consider the opinions of one's peers. Waylon also sees the ways his older sister, Neon, is changing, as she withdraws from the family and fully embraces her outsider-highschooler vibe.

I think this book will appeal to students who love mysteries, science, and stories about friendship issues. Throw in a new student and some critical scientific observations, and you have an entertaining and engaging story!

Looking for more great books for this age? Check out the #3rdfor3rd tag for book recommendations written by my third graders about their favorite books or the Read This Next tag for their recommendations about what to read after you finish a certain book.

Monday, March 28, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 3/28/16


It's Monday! What are you reading? was started by Sheila at Book Journey and was adapted for children's books from picture books through YA by Jen of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee of Unleashing Readers. You can visit either site for a round up of blogs sharing their weekly readings and thoughts or search Twitter for #IMWAYR.



Last Weeks' Posts

  • If You Like Fantastic Mr. Fox ... My students are sharing book recommendations, following the "If you like ... read this next ..." format. Find out what series to check out if you like Roald Dahl classics like this one.

Follow The Logonauts on Facebook! I recently started a Facebook page for The Logonauts. Many parents and teachers are on Facebook, so it seemed like a great way to connect. Please consider "liking" to get updates via your Facebook feed, thanks!

Picture Books



Just a Second (2011) by Steve Jenkins. This book takes time and makes it literal - sharing a variety of natural answers to how many X can happen in Y amounts of time (a second, a day, a week, etc.). I am hoping to use this as a mentor text to help kids wonder more about the world as they start thinking of ideas for their upcoming Passion Projects.


Why? (2005) by Lila Prap. I was hoping for a lot more with this book. Each page asks a question (Why do zebras have stripes? for example) and gives a series of goofy answers, along with the "scientific answer." The wonky formatting really bothered me, because sometimes you'd read the answers before you could find the question, and the silly answers just weren't that clever. I don't plan to use this one.


Daniel Finds a Poem (2016) by Micha Archer. Another miss for me. Daniel wants to write a poem for the upcoming poetry reading, so he asks all the animals in the park about poetry. He then knits all of their answers together into his poem. While I appreciate the idea that "poetry is everywhere," the fact that he simply plagiarizes his poem from others would really bother a lot of my literal, rule-following students.

Middle Grade



Summerlost (March 29, 2016) by Ally Condie. I really loved this new middle grade offering from Ally Condie, which is available this Tuesday. Working on a fuller review soon. (ARC received from an entry in a Publishers' Weekly email. All thoughts are my own.)


P.S. Be Eleven (2013) by Rita Williams-Garcia. [Coretta Scott King Award Winner.] Book two in the Gaither sisters series picks up immediately where the One Crazy Summer left off. I enjoyed this book as well, though perhaps not quite as much as the first. It was interesting to see how the girls adjusted back to their "normal" lives after their time in CA visiting their mother. Looking forward to also reading book three!

Professional Development



The Collapse of Parenting: how we hurt our kids when we treat them like grown-ups (2015) by Dr. Leonard Sax. I had read some of Dr. Sax's writings on gender during my teacher training, so I was very interested in his newest book. So many of his case studies seemed to be pulled right from conversations that I have also had with parents who sometimes seem to expect school and teachers to handle some of what used to be parenting basics. Part 1 of the book lays out what he sees as the problems with current trends in parenting, while part 2 focuses on potential solutions. I have a lot of bookmarks to work through in trying to see how I can apply some of his advice to help my own students' parents!

Stay Tuned ...


I am launching a brand new book link up featuring Diverse Children's Books. It will run the first and third Saturdays of the month and be an opportunity for bloggers to share their links to reviews and posts about diverse books for children. I really hope you'll join us!

Happy Reading!

Sunday, March 27, 2016

How to Participate in a Link-Up or Linky Party

What is a Link-Up / Linky Party / Meme / Blog Hop?


There are many words for link parties (link-up, linkup, linky party, blog hop, blog meme, etc.) but the basic idea is the same: a site or group of sites hosts a regular event where other bloggers get together to share posts - often around a given topic or theme.

Interested bloggers will visit the main post, share their link in a linkup widget or a post comment, and visit other linked up blogs. These parties can be a great way to grow your blogging community, by finding like-minded bloggers with similar interests. Book-themed memes are also an incredible way to find out about new books or old favorites you might have missed!


Quick Tips for How to Participate


How to Share a Link


The most important thing about sharing with a link-up is making sure that you share a permanent link to the specific post you are sharing - not just a general link to your blog. For example, http://www.thelogonauts.com/ is the main URL for this blog, while http://www.thelogonauts.com/2016/03/linky.html is the permanent link for this post. If you only share a link to your blog, people are going to be confused or disappointed and are far less likely to go looking around for your posts.

To find the permanent link for a post, click on the title of your post, and then copy and paste that URL into the link-up.

When sharing, please be sure that your post fits any theme or guidelines established by the hosts. Others will not click on spammy, off-topic posts or advertisements without any content. Don't post your favorite recipe to a photography link up, and don't post your review of a racy adult book on a children's book meme.

After Sharing: Be Social


Link parties are a great way to drive traffic to your blog, but even more importantly, they are a wonderful way to find new resources and network with other bloggers! Put the time and effort in to read and comment on other posts in the linkup. Most linkups recommend commenting on at least three posts, but the more, the merrier. Follow up with folks who leave you comments too.

Hosts appreciate it when you follow them on social media, as well as when you share about the linkup as well. Tweet out about it, let your followers know you are sharing.

If the linkup has a button or logo, consider sharing it on your blog too. Some bloggers maintain a page for links to all the linkups they participate in, while others share the logo on every post that they write for a given meme. It's good practice to help others find these great communities too.

Ready to Share?


Take me back to the Diverse Children's Book Link-Up! (First and third Saturdays)

Take me back to the Kid Lit Blog Hop! (Third Wednesday of the month)

Other places I link up:


#IMWAYR - It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a blog meme where folks share about the books that they are reading. Jen of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee of Unleashing Readers host a kidlit version every Monday.

#nfpbchallenge - The Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge is hosted by Alyson of Kid Lit Frenzy. Every Wednesday she shares great nonfiction resources for kids and invites other bloggers to share their favorite nonfiction posts too.

#PoetryFriday - Poetry Friday is a weekly roundup of great poetry and posts about poetry books and resources for teaching kids poetry. The host changes weekly, and you can find a full list of upcoming hosts here.

Other great teaching/children's book linkup communities include Marvelous Middle Grade Monday hosted by Shannon MessengerTop Ten Tuesday hosted by the Broke and the Bookish, the Slice of Life Story Challenge (also on Tuesdays) hosted by Two Writing Teachers, and Celebrate This Week (Saturdays) hosted by Ruth Ayres. There are also many, many linkups open to bloggers more generally, but I have found that niche-specific linkups tend to generate more active communities and comments.

What are your favorite linkups?

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Incredible South Asian Book Pictures, part 2: traditional tales

The first post in this mini-series about the South Asia Book Award (SABA) covered biographies and realistic fiction books, as well as more details about the award itself. Read part 1 here.

This post will focus on traditional tales from South Asia that have been honored with a South Asia Book Award, honor, or highly commended. This is one of a series of posts featuring books chosen by Diverse Book Awards. Click the Award Winning Books tag for more!

Incredible South Asia Traditional Tales



The Wooden Sword: a Jewish folktale from Afghanistan (2012) by Ann Redisch Stampler and Carol Liddiment. (A SABA Honor Book)

This folktale comes from Afghanistan and features a curious shah and a dedicated Jewish shoemaker. The shah tries each day to test the man's faith, but his commitment never wavers. I appreciate in the author's note how much detail she shares about the research and work that went in to making sure the book was historically and culturally respectful.


The Wise Fool: Fables from the Islamic World by Shakrukh Husain and illustrated by Micha Archer. (A SABA Highly Commended Book.)

This anthology of stories about Mulla Nasruddin or Khoja focuses on his pan-Islamic influences links to central Asia, south Asia, and beyond, and the artwork showcases a variety of styles and influences. This book is also included in my text set of "Foolish" Wise Men: folktales from India and the Middle East.


Gobble You Up! (2013) by Sunita with text by Gita Wolf. (A SABA Highly Commended Book)

This cumulative folktale is an adaptation of a Rajasthani trickster tale told through Mandna artwork, a traditional finger-painting style from the Meena village. The hand-bound nature of the book's construction further amplifies the handiwork involved in creating this unique book. Combined with an engaging and humorous text, this book is sure to delight! Another excellent arts integration project-in-waiting.


Ganesha's Sweet Tooth (2012) by Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes and illustrated by Sanjay Patel. (A SABA Highly Commended Book)

This is a highly entertaining and engaging picture book about Ganesha and the writing of the Mahabharata, though it is more accurate-described by the authors as "loosely based" on the Hindu legend. These is some charming humor and visual effects that kids will enjoy, and the bright, stylistic artwork adds to the joyful exuberance of this story.


The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna (2013) by Demi (A SABA Highly Commended Book)

This book shares the childhood adventures of Krishna, the Hindu Lord Vishnu reborn on earth to defeat the evil demon kings. The wide variety of spectacular and menacing demons are rendered in dramatic fashion through Demi's brightly colored artwork. A truly fantastic way to share these stories with kids.




Looking for more great South Asia books? Please read Part 1: biographies and realistic fiction and check out my post on Picture Books from India. What is your favorite book set in South Asia?

Friday, March 25, 2016

If You Like Fantastic Mr. Fox ...

This semester, my students are sharing book reviews in a different format, linking one book they thought many people in the class might have read and another that would appeal to a reader of the first book. (Please note that my third graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for third graders.)

This "If you like ... read this next ..." format was inspired by the We Need Diverse Books summer reading series. They used the format to encourage people to find and read diverse books, so all of their "read this next" choices highlight great, diverse book choices. You can find their posts here on their Tumblr page.

If You Like Fantastic Mr. Fox ...


By: Jamie

If you like the book Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl, then you should read Fortunatel,y the Milk by Neal Gaiman.

They both are funny, they have many twists and turns, and they both have talking animals.

I love both of the books, but if you asked me which book I liked better, It would be Fortunately the Milk, because it has a balloon that is a time machine. I mean who does not like a book with a time machine? But I like the pictures in Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Looking for more book recommendations? Check out the #3rdfor3rd tag for book recommendations written by my third graders about their favorite books or the Read This Next tag for more recommendations like this one!

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Book Club: Because of Winn-Dixie

Book Club discussion groups are a great way to get kids excited about books and discussing them. This is one of a series of posts sharing some of my favorite books for Book Club discussions. Please click on the "Book Club" tag to read more.

Because of Winn-Dixie


Because of Winn-Dixie (2000) by Kate DiCamillo is a new classic. The story of a girl, the new dog she discovers, and the new town she has to adapt to. Winner of the Newbery Honor Award. (This is another book that has been turned into a movie (2005), but I feel like this is a movie that disappeared shortly after being released. I haven't seen it.)

Summary


India Opal Buloni is lonely. Her absentee preacher father has moved them to a new town, and her mama left them when Opal was only three. She rescues and befriends the titular Winn-Dixie in the first chapter, and her new dog helps teach her some lessons about love, loss, and friendship.

Reading Level: 4.1
Guided Reading Level: R
Lexile Level: 610L

Big Ideas and Discussion Topics


  • Friendships and relationships. Much of the book revolves around Opal's issues with friendships, as well as her growing relationship with Winn-Dixie. This also includes friendships across age lines (with the older Miss Franny), across backgrounds (Otis, who has been to jail), and with peers (boys and girls).
  • Loss. Opal deals with the absence of her mother by asking her father questions and trying to memorize and hold onto these facts about her mother. Other characters also open up about their own experiences with loss, as Opal learns more about empathy.

Suggested Chapter Breakdowns


I usually use four to six sections for Book Club discussions with my students. They meet twice a week (often Tuesdays and Thursdays), which gives us two or three weeks to finish any given round. When I first started I had many more Book Club divisions, but I found that kids had a hard time sustaining interest in a book when it became incredibly drawn out.

  1. Chapters 1-5, pages 7-39
  2. Chapters 6-8, pages 40-59
  3. Chapters 9-12, pages 60-86
  4. Chapters 13-17, pages 87-117
  5. Chapters 18-21, pages 118-149
  6. Chapters 22-26, pages 150-182
[Please check page numbers against your own editions, as publishers sometimes change the size or shape of the book, which alters the page numbers.]

Do you have a favorite Kate DiCamillo book? This one is high up there, for me, but Edward still holds my heart. (Click here for more Book Club recommendations.)

Monday, March 21, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 3/21/16


It's Monday! What are you reading? was started by Sheila at Book Journey and was adapted for children's books from picture books through YA by Jen of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee of Unleashing Readers. You can visit either site for a round up of blogs sharing their weekly readings and thoughts or search Twitter for #IMWAYR.



Last Weeks' Posts

  • If You Like the Royal Diaries ... My students are sharing book recommendations, following the "If you like ... read this next ..." format. Find out what series to check out if you liked The Royal Diaries books.
  • March's Kid Lit Blog Hop. Come link up a favorite kid lit post and find other great recommendations from bloggers and authors.

Follow The Logonauts on Facebook! I recently started a Facebook page for The Logonauts. Many parents and teachers are on Facebook, so it seemed like a great way to connect. Please consider "liking" to get updates via your Facebook feed, thanks!

Picture Books


I read several new picture books for this week's featured diverse posts: Incredible South Asian Books, part 1: biographies and realistic fiction. See what makes these SABA winning-books so great!

Middle Grade



Maybe a Fox (2016) by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee. New this month, Maybe a Fox is a tug-at-the-heartstrings kind of novel but in a soft and gentle kind of way. While I miss the lyricism and unconventional structure of The Underneath, Maybe a Fox is likely to be more approachable for its intended audience. Could also be a great book for a child that has experienced loss or death, as different characters experience and express their grief in different ways. A keeper.

Happy Reading!

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Incredible South Asian Picture Books, part 1: biography and realistic fiction

If you have not yet heard of the South Asia Book Award (SABA), then you are missing out on a great resource for high-quality books about South Asia. This is one of a series of posts featuring books chosen by Diverse Book Awards. Click the Award Winning Books tag for more!

The South Asia Book Award



The South Asia Book Award is presented yearly in Madison, Wisconsin by the South Asia National Outreach Consortium. The award celebrates children and young adult books that feature South Asians either at home or abroad. (They define South Asia as including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the region of Tibet, as well as stories in the Caribbean Islands that focus on a South Asian subject.) It was first awarded in 2012. Click here for more about the South Asia Book AwardsA list of current and previous winners can be found here.


I had the privilege of attending the 2014 SABA ceremony, and this year our school was able to arrange a visit from 2015 SABA-winner author Paula Yoo. She met with my third grade students and later with fifth and sixth grade students to talk about her writing and the picture book writing process. She had a great, engaging slideshow (with cat pictures!) as well as really solid, thoughtful advice about writing. I would highly recommend her for an author visit. She won for her newest book, Twenty-Two Cents.


Twenty-Two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank (published in 2014 by Lee & Low) is written by Paula Yoo and illustrated by Jamel Akib.

Twenty-Two Cents is a picture book biography of Muhammad Yunus, the Noble Peace Prize winner and founder of the Village Bank (eventually Grameen Bank). The book begins with his childhood and includes background information about the political and economic situations of the time. This is a great book for introducing kids to the work of Muhammad Yunus. It is also an inspirational message of how one person can improve the world around him/her. Readers of this book will be encouraged to start asking their own hard questions and perhaps find their own solutions to current and future problems. You can read my longer review of this book (including activities) here.

More Incredible South Asia Picture Books



Razia's Ray of Hope: one girl's dream of an education by Elizabeth Suneby and illustrated by Suana Verelst. (SABA Winner in 2014.)

This powerful picture book is based on the true story of the Zabuli Education Center started by Razia Jan outside Kabul, Afghanistan. The main character, also named Razia, finds out about the construction of the new school and wants desperately to attend. Despite her grandfather's support, her brother initially bans her from going. Only by proving the power of an education and convincing the teacher to come speak to her family, does Razia get to go to school. The book includes statistics about children not in school as well as the back story about Razia Jan, the school's founder. There is also a page of possible classroom activities and discussion questions. (This book is also included in my book list on The Power of Girls and Schools.)


King for a Day (published in 2014 by Lee & Low) is written by Rukhsana Khan and illustrated by Christiane Krömer. (A SABA Highly Commended Book.)

Set in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, King for a Day chronicles the spring festival of Basant by focusing on the kite-flying battles. The main character, Malik, has designed a special kite, nicknamed Falcon, that he is certain will be the champion of the kites. There are so many things to love about this book! You can read a longer review plus links to videos from the Basant kite festivals and kite-building activities here.


Same, Same but Different (2011) by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw. (A SABA Winner in 2012 and winner of the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award)

Same, Same but Different is a phrase popular in Nepal and India, and here is used often by the two narrators, penpals who are sharing letters back and forth between India and the United States. The boys share descriptions and illustrations of their homes, families, favorite activities, and more. This would be a great book to use in a classroom to highlight the many ways we all are "same, same, but different."


Following My Paint Brush (2010) by Dulari Devi (text by Gita Wolf). (A SABA Honor Book)

This incredible autobiography is told in illustrations of Mithila art by Indian artist Dulari Devi. Formerly a cleaning lady, Dulari Devi explains how she discovered the power of painting and created this book, despite her lack of a formal education. This would be another incredible book to use for an arts integration lesson in this style of art and drawing. SABA has created a handout with additional resources and activity ideas here.


Gandhi: a March to the Sea (2013) by Alice B. McGinty and illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez. (A SABA Honor Book)

This picture book biography focuses specifically on the March to the Sea (March 12-April 5, 1930) and Gandhi's act of civil disobedience gathering salt. The two-page note at the end fills in the rest of the historical context, including the eventual independence of India from British rule. The illustrations in his book are particularly incredible, especially in their depictions of the many other Indian people who celebrated and supported Gandhi.


Looking for more great South Asia books? Part 2 will featured traditional tales that have received SABA recognition, or check out my post on Picture Books from India.

What is your favorite book set in South Asia?

DiverseKidLit

Shared with #DiverseKidLit

Friday, March 18, 2016

New Book Alert: Once Was a Time


Once Was a Time by Leila Sales. Publication date: April 5, 2016. (I received an ARC of this book through an ad in PW Children's Bookshelf. All thoughts are my own.)

Once Was a Time is the first middle grade offering from popular YA author Leila Sales, and she knocks it out of the park. The story revolves around two best friends, Lottie and Kitty, who are growing up in Bristol, England in 1940 under the ever-expanding shadow of Hilter. Lottie's father studies time travel, and his investigations have drawn interest from many sides. A dangerous situation forces Lottie to make a choice - does she trust her father and his research?

This is a surprising and engaging tale, and it is hard to write a review without jumping further into the twists and turns of this story. Suffice to say that time travel is not always what - or where - one expects. This book falls more into the realm of classic friendship and mystery tales and is not as "science fiction-y" as a story with a time travel premise might seem. I can see many different kinds of readers being attracted to this book, and I am looking forward to sharing it with my students.

Looking for more great books for this age? Check out the #3rdfor3rd tag for book recommendations written by my third graders about their favorite books or the Read This Next tag for their recommendations about what to read after you finish a certain book.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

If You Like the Royal Diaries ...

This semester, my students are sharing book reviews in a different format, linking one book they thought many people in the class might have read and another that would appeal to a reader of the first book. (Please note that my third graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for third graders.)

This "If you like ... read this next ..." format was inspired by the We Need Diverse Books summer reading series. They used the format to encourage people to find and read diverse books, so all of their "read this next" choices highlight great, diverse book choices. You can find their posts here on their Tumblr page.

If You Like the Royal Diaries ...

By: Megan


If you like the Royal Diaries, you might like the American Girl doll series.

I recommend these books because that they are about girls who stand up for themselves and you should read these because American Girl believes that when you read them you can grow up and make changes tomorrow.

Looking for more book recommendations? Check out the #3rdfor3rd tag for book recommendations written by my third graders about their favorite books or the Read This Next tag for more recommendations like this one!

March's Kid Lit Blog Hop!


Hello! Welcome to the March 2016 Kid Lit Blog Hop. This exciting, monthly hop is where we develop an engaged group of people who love everything that has to do with children's literature. Everyone is welcome to join us: bloggers, authors, publicist, and publishers!

Simply make a post and add it to the linky. (Please make sure to add your direct post only.) If you are an author, feel free just to link to your blog.

Once you are done, then hop around to visit others. Please follow the co-hosts and visit at least the two people above your link. Please leave a comment when you do visit; we all like those. Also, it would be appreciated if you grab the Kid Lit Blog Hop Badge and display it on your blog and/or your post.

We would also be grateful if you tweet about the blog hop too: #KidLitBlogHop. Let’s grow this wonderful community.

Our next hop will be April 20, 2016. The hostess will be around to see you soon.

Reading AuthorsHostess
Julie Grasso, Author/Blogger
Cheryl Carpinello, Author/Blogger
BeachBoundBooks
Pragmatic Mom
The Logonauts
A Book Long Enough
Spark and Pook
Hits and Misses


Featured Favorite Post


New this month, I wanted to highlighted the great work and incredible posts from this community, so I decided to choose a favorite post from last month's hop. If you missed it, please check out Linda's review of Inside Out & Back again over at The Reader and The Book.


Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai is the winner of a Newbery Honor and is a National Book Award Winner. Linda shares a thoughtful review of the novel in verse, including a few excerpts from the poems. I also really love the personal connections she shares to her own work as an ESL teacher. Please hop over to Linda's original post to check it out!

Happy Hopping!

Link Up Below:





Monday, March 14, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 3/14/16


It's Monday! What are you reading? was started by Sheila at Book Journey and was adapted for children's books from picture books through YA by Jen of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee of Unleashing Readers. You can visit either site for a round up of blogs sharing their weekly readings and thoughts or search Twitter for #IMWAYR.



Last Weeks' Posts

  • If You Like Guardians of Ga'Hoole ... My students are sharing book recommendations, following the "If you like ... read this next ..." format. Two boys share their thoughts about what to read after Guardians of Ga'Hoole.

Follow The Logonauts on Facebook! I recently started a Facebook page for The Logonauts. Many parents and teachers are on Facebook, so it seemed like a great way to connect. Please consider "liking" to get updates via your Facebook feed, thanks!

Middle Grade



One Crazy Summer (2010) by Rita Williams-Garcia [Newbery Honor, Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, Coretta Scott King Winner, and a National Book Award Finalist]. I have heard so many good things about the books in this series, so I knew I had to jump in at the beginning.

Sisters Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern are off to spend a month in the summer of 1968 visiting their mother in Oakland, CA. Delphine, the oldest (and our narrator), is the only one with memories of their mother, who left right after Fern was born. This is a book with strong characters that pull you into the story, balanced against a tumultuous time period (with enough explanation and context provided to help kids without strong background knowledge about the Civil Rights Movement or the Black Panthers). A fascinating and thought-provoking book.

The series continues with P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama, which I have already place on-hold at the library.

Happy Reading!

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Spotlight on Diverse Book Awards


Looking to add more diverse books to your classroom, library, or reading list? There are thousands of new children's books published each year, such that no one person could possibly ever keep up with them all!

One easy way to find high-quality diverse books is to seek out those already vetted by knowledgeable experts: children's book award committees. There are many different awards out there and many that specifically honor diverse groups. This post will provide an overview of some great resources from diverse book awards. Click the "Award Winning Books" tag for posts about individual awards.

Diverse Book Awards To Watch


Africana Book Awards


The Africana Book Awards honor books on Africa for young children and older readers. The award was established in 1992. Click here to learn more about the award, including a list of current and past winners.

American Indian Youth Literature Awards


The American Indian Youth Literature Awards honor authors and illustrators for books about American Indians that "present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts." It was first awarded in 2006 and is presented every two years. Click here for more about the award, including lists of past winners.

The Américas Awards


The Américas Awards honor authors, illustrators, and publishers for quality children's and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the US. Both primary and secondary reading levels are chosen. This award was founded in 1993. Click here for more about the Américas Award, including the most recent winners. A list of all previous winners can be found here.


Arab American Book Awards


The Arab American Book Awards was created to honor books written by and about Arab Americans and is awarded by the Arab American Museum. This award was first given in 2007. Click here for more about the Arab American Book Awards, including a list of current and previous winners.

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature


The Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature celebrates books written about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage. The award is given for picture books, children's books, and young adult books, as well as adult titles. Click here for more about the Asian/Pacific American Award. A list of current and previous winners can be found here.

Carter G. Woodson Book Awards


The Carter G. Woodson Book Awards were established by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) to honor books for accurate depictions of ethnicity. It was first awarded in 1974 and now encompasses three categories: elementary (K-5), middle school (5-8), and secondary (7-12). Click here to learn more about the Carter G. Woodson Book Awards. A list of current and previous winners can be found here.

Coretta Scott King Awards


The Coretta Scott King Awards are given to African-American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults and was first awarded in 1970. In addition to the author and illustrator awards, the committee also selects the Coretta Scott King / John Steptoe New Talent Award and the Coretta Scott King / Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. Click here for more about the award, including the most recent winners. A list of all previous winners can be found here.

Lambda Literary Awards


The Lambda Literary Awards "celebrate the best lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender books of the year and affirm that LGBTQ stories are part of the literature of the world." One of their awards is an LGBT Children's / Young Adult category. This award was first presented in 1989. Click here for more about the Lambda Literary Awards. Links to lists of all previous winners can be found here.

Middle East Outreach Council Book Awards


The Middle East Outreach Council Book Awards began in 2000 to honor books for children and young adult that "contribute meaningfully to understanding of the Middle East." Categories include picture books, youth literature, and youth non-fiction. Click here for more information about the Middle East Book Awards. A list of all previous winners can be found here.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award


The Mildred L. Batchelder Award highlights children's books originally published in a foreign language and in a foreign country that have been translated into English and published in the US. It was first awarded in 1966. This award is a great one to follow for global literature. Click here for more about the Batchelder Award, including the most recent winners. A list of all previous winners can be found here.

NAACP Image Award


The NAACP Image Awards celebrate the accomplishments of African-Americans across a wide range of categories, including the Outstanding Literary Work (Children). The award was established in 1967. Click here to learn more about the NAACP Image Awards. A list of all current winners can be found here (the book awards are near the bottom).

National Jewish Book Awards


The National Jewish Book Awards include a children's literature award for books that must be of Jewish content and distributed in the United States. The award was first given in 1949, and the first children's literature award was given in 1952. Click here to learn more about the National Jewish Book Awards. A list of all current and previous winners can be found here.

Pura Belpré Awards


The Pura Belpré Awards are presented to Latino/Latina writers and illustrators for children's book that celebrate the Latino cultural experience. It was established in 1996. Click here for more about the Pura Belpré Awards, including the most recent winners. A list of all previous winners can be found here.

Rainbow Book List


The Rainbow Book List is a bibliography of ten books "with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning content, and which are aimed at youth, birth through age 18." The first list was published in 2008. Click here for more information about the Rainbow Book List. Links to lists of current and previous winners can be found here.

Schneider Family Book Awards


The Schneider Family Book Awards features books that embody "an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences." Three awards are given annually for children's, middle school, and teen books. It was established in 2004, and the wonderful Alyson Beecher of Kid Lit Frenzy is the current committee chair. Click here for more about the Schneider Family Book Awards, including the most recent winners. A list of all previous winners can be found here.

South Asia Book Awards


The South Asia Book Award is presented yearly in Madison, Wisconsin by the South Asia National Outreach Consortium. The award celebrates children and young adult books that feature South Asians either at home or abroad. It was first awarded in 2012. Click here for more about the South Asia Book AwardsA list of current and previous winners can be found here.



Stonewall Book Awards


The Stonewall Book Awards honor books for children or teens that show exceptional merit "relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience." It was first awarded in 1971 and has now expanded to several different sub-awards including the Barbara Gittings Literature Award, the Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Award, the Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children's and Young Adult Literature Award. Click here for more about the Stonewall Book Awards, including the most recent winners. A list of all previous winners can be found here.



Sydney Taylor Book Award


The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries and honors books for younger readers, older readers, and teen readers. The award encourages the publication and use of quality Judaic literature. It was established in 1968. Click here to learn more about the Sydney Taylor Book Award. A list of all current and previous winners can be found here.

Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award


The Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award is given to both authors and illustrators for literature that depicts the Mexican-American experience. It was first awarded in 1995. Click here to learn more about the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award. A list of current and previous winners can be found here.

The Walter Award


The Walter Award is a brand new book award from We Need Diverse Books named for children's author and poet Walter Dean Myers. The Walter Award has been created to honor diverse authors writing about diverse characters and subjects. This first year will honor YA books, but there are plans to expand to picture books and middle grade books in the future. Click here to learn about the award and check back soon for the first winners!

A Note about Book Awards


Our school librarian and I both served on our first awards committees this year (mine, the Cybil Award for Fiction Picture Books and hers, the Charlotte Zolotow Award), and one of our biggest takeaways was that the focus on the "winning" book can overshadow the incredible contributions of all of the honor or highly commended books chosen by a committee.

Many honor or highly commended titles are likely to have been the winner in the hearts of some, even if not all, of the committee members. In the light of this realization, I will be starting an occasional series focusing on drawing attention to incredible honor books from these great, diverse book awards. Click the "Award Winning Books" tag to read more!

Do you have a favorite diverse book award that I missed? Please share in the comments below!

Friday, March 11, 2016

If You Like Guardians of Ga'Hoole ...

This semester, my students are sharing book reviews in a different format, linking one book they thought many people in the class might have read and another that would appeal to a reader of the first book. (Please note that my third graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for third graders.)

This "If you like ... read this next ..." format was inspired by the We Need Diverse Books summer reading series. They used the format to encourage people to find and read diverse books, so all of their "read this next" choices highlight great, diverse book choices. You can find their posts here on their Tumblr page.

If You Like the Guardians of Ga'Hoole ...


By: Nathaniel


If you like Guardians of Ga'Hoole, you should read The Land of Stories books.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole is a story about an owl named Soren and his gang of owls. This book is built off an owl legend of the great Ga'Hoole tree [or well they thought was a legend].

Guardians of Ga'Hoole is very similar to Land of Stories by Chris Colfer which is a book series with about 11 less books (which tells you that there's a lot of Guardians of Ga'Hoole books). As for the Land of Stories book series well, I got a video for that, please watch it!

I hope you enjoy! This is a link to the trailer for Land of Stories.

If You Like the Guardians of Ga'Hoole ...


By: Grant


If you like Guardians of Ga'Hoole, read Wolves of the Beyond next. Both series are about after the humans are extinct and Animals can talk. There are 15 books in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole and 6 in the Wolves of the Beyond series. Both series are by Kathryn Lasky.

Wolves of the Beyond:


I recommend these to people who like books that are not humorous but are serious.

Looking for more book recommendations? Check out the #3rdfor3rd tag for book recommendations written by my third graders about their favorite books or the Read This Next tag for more recommendations like this one!