The Logonauts

Saturday, October 7, 2017

October #diversekidlit

Our theme for this #DiverseKidLit is #ownvoices. The #ownvoices hashtag was created to draw attention to diverse authors and illustrators who are creating books that honor their own heritage and experiences. (As always, the theme is only a suggestion. Diverse posts on alternate topics are always welcome.)

What Is #DiverseKidLit?

Diverse Children's Books is a book-sharing meme designed to promote the reading and writing of children's books that feature diverse characters. This community embraces all kinds of diversity including (and certainly not limited to) diverse, inclusive, multicultural, and global books for children of all backgrounds.

We encourage everyone who shares to support this blogging community by visiting and leaving comments for at least three others. Please also consider following the hosts on at least one of their social media outlets. Spread the word using #diversekidlit and/or adding our button to your site and your diverse posts.

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We hope this community serves as a resource for parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, and authors! Our next linkup will be Saturday, November 4th and the first Saturday of each month.

Upcoming Theme

Themes are a suggestion only; all diverse book posts are welcome. Do you have a suggestion for a future theme? Share your ideas with us at katie at thelogonauts dot com.

Most Clicked Post from Last Time

The most-clicked post from the previous #diversekidlit was Myra's linkup post about Remembering Auschwitz through a picture book and a graphic novel. This post shares two powerful resources about the Holocaust in general, and Auschwitz specifically, as well as links to other sources. Thank you for sharing, Myra.

Welcome, Bethany!

#diversekidlit is excited to welcome new host, Bethany, of Biracial Bookworms. Bethany is an educator, blogger, world traveler, wife, and mom to two wonderful girls who inspired her web site. You can read more about her and her family here. We are thrilled to have Bethany joining our community as a host and advocate! Please follow here online: Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Instagram / Goodreads.

#DiverseKidLit is Hosted by:

Want to be notified when the next #diversekidlit linkup goes live?

Interested in joining as a host or an occasional co-host? Contact katie at thelogonauts.com.

(Never participated in a linkup before? Please click here for a more detailed step-by-step.)

Get #DiverseKidLit Recommendations on Pinterest!

Our Pinterest board highlights a wide range of amazing posts and resources for Diverse Children's Books. Please consider following the board for even more great books!

Share Your Link Below

An InLinkz Link-up

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Middle School Favorites: graphic novels

As one of our early "getting to know you" style activities, I asked my seventh graders to share about a favorite book that other classmates might like. (Please note that my students read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for seventh graders.) Click on the middle school tag for more. (You can also check out #3rdfor3rd for book recommendations from my third graders.)

Middle School Favorites: graphic novels

The graphic novel format is always a big hit among middle schoolers, but what I love are the diversity of titles, topics, and content available in the graphic novel format. These are just a few that my students recommend.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

Recommended by Andrew

Roller Girl is about someone who decides to do roller derby (and is pretty bad at it), and her friend goes to a different camp, which causes drama between them.

I recommend this book for people who like graphic novels, such as Smile, Drama, and Sisters. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks

Recommended by Jordan

The Nameless City is a graphic novel that follows the life of a kid that moves to "The Great City" to become a Dao solider. He meets a homeless girl that teaches him how to survive in the real world.

This book is recommended by 5 out of 5 people that recommend things (and by Zan, but he hasn't read it). I would give this book a solid 76 stars. [There is also a sequel: The Stone Heart.]

Sunny Side Up

Recommended by Zan

Sunny Side Up: this comic book is set in 1976 and the protagonist is a young girl named Sunny Lewin. She goes on vacation to Florida to see her grandpa and expects to have a fun time, but then she realizes that there are no kids there. She is also devastated because she finds out that her brother does drugs. Her vacation is going terribly so far but then she befriends a nice boy, and they read comics and eat candy together.

Will Sunny somehow find a way to turn her terrible summer around? I would recommend this book to people who like friendship and a little bit of adventure. Five stars. [There is also a sequel: Swing It, Sunny.]

Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang

Recommended by Will

Boxers and Saints is a two-book graphic novel series that includes beliefs, religions, action, fighting, lots of violence (some content may be too gory for younger children), friendship, betrayal, magic, and a great story line that concludes with a crazy ending.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be amazed. The story is set in 1890-1900s China and includes both a girl and a boy's look at what is going on. Oh, it also has enchanting sparkles of love and romance. Oooh, aaah. I'd give it a 24.5 out of 10 stars.

Want more book reviews? Click on the middle school tag for more middle schooler recommendations or check out #3rdfor3rd for book recommendations from my third graders.

Monday, September 4, 2017

It's Monday! What Have You Been Reading? #IMWAYR 09/04/17

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.

The "Catching Up from Summer" Edition

I read a ton this summer, which led to me getting very, very far behind in my blogging about my reading. To that end, I am giving myself permission to simplify the sharing process and just dump my quick notes, rather than longer, coherent reviews. So, here we go!

Middle Grade

Posted. (2017) by John David Anderson, p. 380. With cell phones banned, middle schoolers turn to sticky notes with wiggly escalating messages of meanness. About friendship, fitting in, and being true to yourself.

Forever, or a Long, Long Time (2017) by Caela Carter, p. 310. Adopted siblings Flora and Julian do not think that they were born, they somehow just appeared. To try and help them (and to find the missing details of their past) they take a mini road trip with their mom. A moving story about trauma, but I have questions about the author's authority. She wrote the story while starting her foster parent journey. I would be very curious to hear the opinions of foster and adoptive parents on this one. (Also, the kids and their step-dad are "incidentally" black or Latino. It's mentioned in their physical descriptions but does not come into the story.)

Our Story Begins: Your Favorite Authors and Illustrators Share Fun, Inspiring, and Occasionally Ridiculous Things They Wrote and Drew as Kids (2017) edited by Elissa Brent Weissman, p. 200. Stories and illustrations from when authors were kids. Really fun as mentor texts and inspiration for your budding authors and artists.

Nevermoor: the trails of Morrigan Crow. (2017 ARC) by Jessica Townsend, p. 420. Fantasy series about a cursed girl who finds another world attached to her own when she receives an invitation to join the Wundrous Society. Inventive but long and fairly predictable.

Tumble and Blue. (2017 ARC) by Cassie Beasley, p. 400. Two families have been alternately blessed and cursed from a 200-year old meeting with a golden alligator. Blue is cursed to lose and Tumble is a damsel-in-distress. Can you guess what happens? Yes, you can. This one seemed really long to be this predictable.

Orphan Island. (2017) by Laurel Snyder, p. 290. Magical realism novel about nine kids on an island - each year another arrives and the oldest leaves. Some hints about the outside world - books, but otherwise isolated.

Thornhill. (Arc 2017) by Pam Smy, p. 550. Story told in alternating voices - a girl's journal from 1982 and illustrations of a girl in 2017. Like a less-well done Brian Selznick book. Supposedly creepy but really isn't. Predictable.

Young Adult

Saints and Misfits. (2017) by S.K. Ali, p. 330. YA about a Muslim teenager, Janna, who is nearly assaulted/raped by a respected boy from her mosque (and her friend's cousin). This is a story about friendship and learning to stand up to others.

If I Was Your Girl. (2016) by Meredith Russo, p. 280. Amanda is a MTF trans person who moves in with her divorced father after her transition caused problems in her hometown. She finds a group of friends and a boyfriend but worries how/when/what to tell them. Incredible writing and story. The author is herself a trans woman.

Poe: Stories and Poems (2017 ARC) illustrated by Gareth Hinds, p. 120. Graphic novel of several short stories and poems. Something about seeing Poe makes these even more creepy (if such a thing were possible).

Revolution. (2014) by Deborah Wiles, p. 530. [Listened to first half as audio book.] Story of Freedom Summer of 1964, told mainly in 12-year old Sunny's (white) point-of-view but with some chapters of 15-year old Raymond (black) and a few about her step-brother, Gillette. Also interspersed with a bunch of nonfiction material: quotes, photographs, and news entries. The format didn't really work for me, the story was slow, slow, slow (6 hours of listening for half the book), and Raymond, in particular, was a type, not a character.

Solo (2017 ARC) by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess, p. 320. Novel in verse from the perspective of 17-year old Blade, oldest son of a drug-addicted, fading rock star. A story about love, loss, family, and belonging. (Spoiler: it gets sprung on him rather roughly that he's actually adopted, leading him to jump on a plane to Ghana to find his birth mother.) Also I'm not sure there was ever physical description to confirm his race. YA but minimal YA content (Dad's drug addiction, girlfriend who is waiting for marriage). I've heard the playlists that accompany the book are fantastic.

When Dimple Met Rishi. (2017) by Sandhya Menon, p. 380. Cute romantic story in two perspectives as Indian-American Rishi heads to coding camp to meet his future-wife, Dimple, whose parents neglected to mention him to her. Cue awkwardness! I thoroughly enjoyed this nerd-out of a story.

Happy Reading!

Saturday, September 2, 2017

September #diversekidlit

What Is #DiverseKidLit?

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.thelogonauts.com/search/label/DiverseKidLit" target="_blank" width=200 height=200 title="DiverseKidLit"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7ZBfm6Wm1URuUDCSpRoSVS1MzHZ9mViyikW9US7a9l9zxr6qXwcs_hTfSXpj_R89mSEiLemZj02yfTJzDlQ4KhbtROOwCPaebWFMJNCjws9nCTxJ32Lgqmita5n3Zrv0duDRRWzOC1o/s1600/diversekidlit-logo-1000px.jpg" alt="DiverseKidLit" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

We hope this community serves as a resource for parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, and authors! Our next linkup will be Saturday, October 7th and the first Saturday of each month.

Upcoming Theme

Themes are a suggestion only; all diverse book posts are welcome. If you're interested, you can start planning now ...

Our theme for October (7th) will be #ownvoices. The #ownvoices hashtag was created to draw attention to diverse authors and illustrators who are creating books that honor their own heritage and experiences. Please share your favorite titles or authors / illustrators with us!

Most Clicked Post from Last Time

The most-clicked post from the previous #diversekidlit was one I am sure we all could use: 19 Multicultural Children's Books teaching Kindness & Empathy. This fabulous collection of picture books covers a wide range of cultures and topics including issues around immigration, acceptance, jealousy, and more. Thanks for sharing, Svenja!

#DiverseKidLit is Hosted by:

Want to be notified when the next #diversekidlit linkup goes live?

Interested in joining as a host or an occasional co-host? Contact katie at thelogonauts.com.

(Never participated in a linkup before? Please click here for a more detailed step-by-step.)

Get #DiverseKidLit Recommendations on Pinterest!

Our Pinterest board highlights a wide range of amazing posts and resources for Diverse Children's Books. Please consider following the board for even more great books!

Share Your Link Below

An InLinkz Link-up

Thursday, August 10, 2017

#pb10for10: Must-Reads of 2017*

Hooray! Today is August 10th, which means it is time for the annual Picture Books 10 for 10 event (#pb10for10). Teachers and educators are challenged to choose and share their 10 favorite picture books, and the posts will be aggregated by Cathy of Reflect and Refine and Mandy of Enjoy and Embrace Learning.

Previous #pb10for10

Top 10 Picture Books Featuring Diverse Characters (in books that are not just about diversity) #pb10for10

Top 10 Diverse Picture Book Biographies of Artists #nf10for10

Top 10 Must Have Picture Books to Read Aloud #pb10for10

Top 10 Nonfiction Folktales for Reading Aloud #nf10for10

Top 10 Picture Books for Middle School #pb10for10

10 Who Stood Up and Made a Difference #nf10for10

10 Must-Reads of 2017*

I had the awesome opportunity at nErDcampMI last month to peruse a wide range of brand new (and upcoming) picture books. Below are some of my newest favorites for books published this year (*ok, and one for next year). Enjoy!

(In order of publication date)

Jan. 31: Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush's Incredible Journey by Doug Kuntz and illustrated by Amy Shrodes. This is a lovely addition to the canon of refugee literature, as an Iraqi family flees their home heading for Europe via Greece. Endnotes explain how the author discovered this story and worked with the family to share it with the world.

April 1: Flowers for Sarajevo by John McCutcheon and illustrated by Kristy Caldwell. Another inspired by a true story, this picture book shares a powerful moment in the Bosnian War through the eyes of a young boy who witnessed both the destructive power of war and the transformative power of music.

June 13: Blue Sky, White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. A must-read. I could take nearly any page in this book, frame it, and hang it proudly on my wall. This nearly-wordless book is a testament to a positive vision of America, its flag, and the true meanings of patriotism.

June 13: Owl Bat Bat Owl by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick. This charming little wordless picture book is a story about distrust becoming acceptance, as the owl family's branch is suddenly invaded by a group of bats! (A review copy of the book was provided by Candlewick. All thoughts are my own.)

June 20: Claymates by Dev Petty and illustrated by Lauren Eldridge. This is a book that will make you want to create! Claymates provides a behind-the-scenes look at what two balls of clay can come up with while their artist is away ...

Aug. 15: Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Peter Brown. Fans of Creepy Carrots! will be waiting with baited breath for this sequel. Personally, I actually found this one far funnier, perhaps because I was already willing to suspend disbelief based on the first book. Some very laugh-out-loud moments.

Sep. 19: It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk by Josh Funk and Edwardian Taylor. And speaking of laughing out loud, I had the chance to help perform a read aloud of this book with author Josh Funk at Nerd Camp last month. This will be a great one for Readers' Theater or reading aloud in small groups, as Jack and his fellow characters try to take control of their story back from a demanding narrator!

Oct 3: After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat. What if things didn't turn out quite so glum for Humpty Dumpty? How do you get yourself back up after a bad experience (or a bad fall) and start again? A great lesson in resilience.

Oct. 24: A Boy, A Mouse, and A Spider: the story of E. B. White by Barbara Herkert and illustrated by Lauren Castillo. I only got a peek at the F&G of this one, but it's sure to be a charmer. Some Writer! by Melissa Sweet is still one of my favorites from last year, but I love the idea of being able to pair it with this book for younger readers or those looking for something more read-aloud length.

Feb. 6: Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Jen Hill. This one is a must-have for any classroom or library. It addresses issues of bullying and bystanders but in a much more complex and meaningful way than many books for kids. Truly we need the power of this book's message about how individual actions (even if they may seem small) can have a big impact.

Looking for more #pb10for10? Check out #pb10for10 on Twitter or click the #pb10for10 tag to see my previous years' posts.

Shared with #DiverseKidLit

Saturday, August 5, 2017

#DiverseKidLit for August!

Our theme for this #DiverseKidLit is socioeconomic diversity. Kids from all economic brackets should be able to find themselves in books - as well as to learn about the lives of others in different economic situations. (As always, the theme is only a suggestion. Diverse posts on alternate topics are always welcome.)

What Is #DiverseKidLit?

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.thelogonauts.com/search/label/DiverseKidLit" target="_blank" width=200 height=200 title="DiverseKidLit"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7ZBfm6Wm1URuUDCSpRoSVS1MzHZ9mViyikW9US7a9l9zxr6qXwcs_hTfSXpj_R89mSEiLemZj02yfTJzDlQ4KhbtROOwCPaebWFMJNCjws9nCTxJ32Lgqmita5n3Zrv0duDRRWzOC1o/s1600/diversekidlit-logo-1000px.jpg" alt="DiverseKidLit" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

We hope this community serves as a resource for parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, and authors! Our next linkup will be Saturday, September 2nd and the first Saturday of each month.

Most Clicked Post from Last Time

The most-clicked post from the previous #diversekidlit was What is Family? 18 Picture Books about Loving Families in All Forms from Barefoot Mommy. This post includes new books as well as old favorites including multigenerational, multiracial, LGBTQ, foster, adoptive, and divorced families.

#DiverseKidLit is Hosted by:

Want to be notified when the next #diversekidlit linkup goes live?

Interested in joining as a host or an occasional co-host? Contact katie at thelogonauts.com.

(Never participated in a linkup before? Please click here for a more detailed step-by-step.)

Get #DiverseKidLit Recommendations on Pinterest!

Our Pinterest board highlights a wide range of amazing posts and resources for Diverse Children's Books. Please consider following the board for even more great books!

Share Your Link Below

An InLinkz Link-up

Friday, August 4, 2017

MKB Read Around the World: The Only Road

The Only Road (2016) by Alexandra Diaz, p. 300 [a Pura Belpré Honor Book]. 12-year old Jaime and his 15-year old cousin, Angela, are forced to flee north after the gang in their Guatemalan village kills their cousin/brother, Miguel. A scary but middle grade or middle school-appropriate version of the trip to illegally immigrate to the US. Definitely one I will be adding to my Latin American immigration book list.

See also Teaching Family History and Immigration for lesson plan ideas and additional books and resources.

Find more great, diverse book recommendations by visiting the rest of the Multicultural Kids Blogs Read Around the World Series! #ReadtheWorldMKB

Pages

Saturday, October 7, 2017

October #diversekidlit

What Is #DiverseKidLit?

Upcoming Theme

Most Clicked Post from Last Time

Welcome, Bethany!

#DiverseKidLit is Hosted by:

Receive an email reminder for each new #diversekidlit linkup

Get #DiverseKidLit Recommendations on Pinterest!

Share Your Link Below

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Middle School Favorites: graphic novels

Middle School Favorites: graphic novels

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks

Sunny Side Up

Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang

Monday, September 4, 2017

It's Monday! What Have You Been Reading? #IMWAYR 09/04/17

Recent Posts

The "Catching Up from Summer" Edition

Middle Grade

Young Adult

Saturday, September 2, 2017

September #diversekidlit

What Is #DiverseKidLit?

Upcoming Theme

Most Clicked Post from Last Time

#DiverseKidLit is Hosted by:

Receive an email reminder for each new #diversekidlit linkup

Get #DiverseKidLit Recommendations on Pinterest!

Share Your Link Below

Thursday, August 10, 2017

#pb10for10: Must-Reads of 2017*

Previous #pb10for10

10 Must-Reads of 2017*

Saturday, August 5, 2017

#DiverseKidLit for August!

What Is #DiverseKidLit?

Most Clicked Post from Last Time

#DiverseKidLit is Hosted by:

Receive an email reminder for each new #diversekidlit linkup

Get #DiverseKidLit Recommendations on Pinterest!

Share Your Link Below

Friday, August 4, 2017

MKB Read Around the World: The Only Road