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READING STYLE GUIDE

Phases of the Moon

2/26/2019

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The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
"The moon reaches her zenith -
Her glow silvering the world.
Joy sings out
Within every good soul."

"Flower Song for Maidens Coming of Age." From songs of Dzitbalché 7
translated by David Bowles
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Recently, several books about menstruation have been published for young readers. Most are collections of information presented in an engaging manner. The Moon Within takes a refreshing approach. Salazar weaves poetry, astronomy, and mythology together with Mexican and Caribbean culture in this intimate view of a young girl anticipating and experiencing her first menses.
The book is divided into sections mirroring the lunar cycle: New Moon, First Quarter Moon, Full Moon, and Last Quarter Moon. This journey from childhood to maidenhood is like the moon: at times dark, at other times shimmering with reflected light. 
Twelve-year-old Celestina Rivera lives in East Oakland with her father of Puerto Rican heritage, mother of Mexican ancestry, and younger brother Juju.
Magda, a drummer in her bomba class is "better than my best friend," and "my best echo." The two are inseparable.  
Celi's mother is thrilled that her daughter will soon have her first period.  She excitedly shares this news with friends and family and begins planning a tradition ancestral celebration to honor her daughter's first menses. Celi is mortified and feels that her privacy has been invaded. A clash between generations, cultures, and expectations leaves both mother and daughter at odds. Celi's internal dissonance extends to relationships with her peers.
She examines her feelings when Magda reveals her gender fluidity, requesting that family and friends refer to her as Mar because "I feel more boy than girl at the moment and because I can be both."  In addition, Celi develops a crush on skate boarder and capoeira dancer Ivan. Sadly, when Ivan and his friends mock Mar, Celi remains silent, refusing to speak in defense of her friend. ​​She finally realizes that she will have to take a stand. She must decide where her loyalties lie.
Salazar lyrically weaves several themes throughout this poetic first-person account. Reading becomes a sensory experience though explorations of rhythm "dancing bomba feels like warm Caribbean water swishing and swaying happiness inside of me," hearts "a locket in my heart ... holds all of the questions that do cartwheels in my mind,' and of course, the moon "I look into the dark and sway with Luna's moonbeams..."
Ultimately, Celi acknowledges that her Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage are an important part of her identity. She accepts and appreciates the biological changes taking place in her body. She celebrates the girl she is and the woman that she is becoming.
A full moon for many cultures
is a time for magic
for healing
for rituals.

Join in the Dance

Meet the Author


Culture, Identity, and Menstruation

A timely reminder of the universal nature of menstruation and cultural differences:  "Period. End of Sentence" won a 2019 Oscar Award for Best Short Documentary.
​The film explores the stigma attached to menstruation in a rural village in India where girls are prevented from staying in school, worshipping in temples, and having access to basic sanitary products.
​Follow the remarkable story of village women who learn to use a sewing machine, creating biodegradable and affordable sanitary pads for women in the surrounding villages. Their sewing machine was contributed by The Pad Project, a program created by high school girls in a California.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: February 26, 2019  Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books  ISBN: 978-1338283372
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Mighty Family

2/20/2019

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Going Down Home With Daddy
​
by Kelly Starling Lyons ill Daniel Minter

"We are a mighty family!" Daddy booms.
​"Mighty!" we roar back.
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It's time for the annual family reunion. Lil’ Alan along with dad, mom, and sister pile into the family car and head off for a weekend with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and "more cousins than I can count." They meet at the home place, where great- grandma Granny lives. The weekend is spent swapping stories, touring the family's land on a John Deere tractor, worshiping, and feasting on traditional "love-made” food. It’s a joyous gathering.
Young Alan worries: what can he share at the night's final ​celebration? He can't sing or recite. He didn't create anything. What will he do? Daddy advises,
"Think with your heart."
He becomes aware of the connection that family members share with the land. These feelings sink deep into his heart. Eventually Lil’ Alan realizes he has something special to share.
Kelly Starling Lyons' poetic text is bursting with glorious language and images. Granny, with her "peppermint kisses," fireflies that "wink and whirl in a carnival around us" offer more than sparkling descriptions. They embue the family's soul into each page.
They dreamed on this land as they made a way out of no way...
Daniel Minter's brilliant use of color is purposeful and evocative. As the family shares stories and memories, the color palette is predominantly blue, echoing grandma's favorite color.  As they reminisce, family members faces stand out among the soft blue heart-shaped background patterns.
While Lil' Alan and his father travel through the family's land, the colors become warm reds, yellows, greens. Minter artfully uses outlined linear patterns of cotton, family trees, pecans, and leaves motifs to reinforce the important of the family's agrarian roots.
Going Down Home with Daddy is a resplendent tribute to family, to the ability to do more than survive, to thrive, to build a legacy of family pride and belonging for generations to come. I love this book!
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Hand in hand, we create a ring inside the house Pa built for Granny.
Heart to heart, we share what we're thankful for.
Electronic copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: April 1, 2019  Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company  ISBN:  978-1561459384
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Sorting Things Out

2/15/2019

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Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt

​​"So listen, Jones," he said. "Things will get sorted out." 
"You mean in cricket?"
"In cricket, too."
Disclosure: I had a vague idea about cricket based solely on passing references in literature. Beginning on page one it was evident that cricket was going to be an important element to the story. Every single chapter begins with a quote describing cricket protocol.
​I put Pay Attention, Carter Jones down and scurried off to You Tube for a crash tutorial. While a knowledge of cricket is not required to appreciate the story, I found it helpful to learn a few basics.
Returning to the story...
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Carter Jones' life is in disarray. Dad is stationed in Germany. The family car is beyond repair. His three younger sisters function in crisis mode. Their dog is constantly barfing. The Joneses are trying to keep the family together and their heads above water.  They are not succeeding.
Then the doorbell rings.
It's the Butler. Thanks to arrangements from a deceased relative, the family now has a Butler. But this is no ordinary gentleman's gentleman. His major task is restoring order to a crumbling household. Homework, piano practice, and a proper breakfast are promptly instituted. 
The Butler takes the unusual step of introducing Carter to cricket and organizing a group of boys, teaching them the game's fundamentals. Separate story threads come together on a blustery Saturday morning when Team Britannia meets Team India on the local middle school football field for an exhibition game. ​Schmidt brings the contest between the two teams to a riveting finish that will have readers holding their breath until the final moments of the game. No one will want to stop for coffee.
Sixth-grader Carter slowly reveals the family's deep-seated wounds: the death of his younger brother and his parent's dissolving marriage. A distinctive voice makes this first-person narrative stand out. ​​Australian tropical thunderstorms, a treasured green marble, and unanswered emails expose his aching heart.
I was there.
In the Blue Mountains of Australia.
I was wet and cold and the wind was up, and my father had scattered my fire and now he was kneeling by the fire he had built and now he was stacking twigs onto it.
​Carter's offers wry commentary on wide range of topics:  the dog's choice of his neighbor's day lilies to do his business, a mandatory excursion to the ballet with his sisters, driving the Butler's Bentley, and taking the "unpatriotic" side in a class assignment.  ​
Keeping it real, Master Jones. Thanks for keeping it real.
Like The Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now, Pay Attention Carter Jones is a story of getting along, helping out, and standing up. Of growing up.
​Read it alone. Read it with a friend. Read it aloud. Read it while eating Irish steel-cut oatmeal or pizza. It works any way and every way. Pay attention to this one!
Note: Schmidt scatters little Easter Eggs throughout the text. Nods to children's literature and current events abound. The family lives in Marysville, New York. The middle school principal is Mrs. Swieteck. See Wednesday Wars. Principal Swieteck lived in England for a few years when her husband was studying art. And... her name is Lilian. See: Okay for Now. Krosoczka is not a common name. Perhaps Coach Krosoczka is related to the famous comic creator Jarrett Krosoczka. See: Lunch Lady series and Hey Kiddo. Was the name for the Cricket-playing Butler Bowles-Fitzpatrick inspired by New York Jets former head coach Bowles and Jets quarterback Fitzpatrick?

Look at all the shiny medals!

Interesting to note three covers feature the lower half of blue jeans ending in a pair of sneakers.
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Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: February 5, 2019  Publisher: Clarion Books  ISBN: 978-0544790858
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Big Ideas

2/12/2019

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Rocket to the Moon!: Big Ideas That Changed the World
​by Don Brown

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Big Ideas That Changed the World, a series created by Don Brown, "celebrates the hard-won succession of ideas that ultimately remade the world."  Rocket to the Moon! is the first book in the BIG IDEAS series, exploring the development of rockets.
​Rodman Law, a New Jersey daredevil parachutist in the early 1900's, is the character who narrates the chronology. He provides commentary and adds his own witty asides. 
I bet I'm the first guy to try flying in a rocket. OK, OK, there's a sketchy story about a Turkish guy who did it in 1633, but come on, 1633? I'm not buying it, so I'm claiming the title.
Briefly mentioned are the Chinese invention of gunpowder, as well as fifteenth and sixteenth century experimentation with rockets. The narrative progresses with greater detail when detailing the research of twentieth-century Russian, American, and Romanian scientists and the work of American-German aerospace engineer Werner von Braun. His association with Hitler's Germany is mentioned. ​​
​A substantial portion of the book is devoted to the United States' space exploration, including the "space race" with Russia. The narrative culminates with the successful Apollo 11 lunar landing.
Brown includes trivia tidbits that will fascinate young readers, including such things as peeing and pooping in space, strapping upright pilots in the lunar module with Velcro, and jerry-rigging a ballpoint pen to replace a broken switch.
They lightened Eagle by discarding an impressive pile of junk: boots, a camera, canisters, scoops, a shovel, space suit parts, and an empty storage container. They left a bag of barf, too, so watch your step if you're ever on the Sea of Tranquility.
Line drawings, and link wash are clean and straightforward,  moving the narrative along. The full-page panel of the moon's surface appropriately gives readers pause. Pacing shows the module’s slow descent to the Sea of Tranquility with a series of jagged-edge panels. Horizontal panels zoom in on one footstep as it descends down the ladder to the moon's surface.
Solid back matter adds significant value to this work and includes an extensive spaceflight timeline that begins with Jules Verne's 186 novel From the Earth to the Moon, continues with Robert Goddard's 1914 U.S. patents on multistage and liquid-fueled rockets, and concludes with SpaceX launch of the world's heaviest rocket in 2018. Brown directs readers to the NASA timeline for additional information. A brief biography of Rodman Law, endnotes citing sources for all individual quotes, a bibliography of books, articles, television programs, movies, and websites as well as an Author's Note round out the ten pages of back matter.
Informative. Fascinating. Engaging, Entertaining. An important addition to collections everywhere.

Don Brown Comics

Brown's historical comics have received numerous awards including Sibert honor awards and the YALSA Nonfiction award. Try these  excellent, well-researched graphic novels.
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Rocket History 

Explore the history of space travel with these graphic novels.
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Electronic copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: March 5, 2019 Publisher: Amulet Books ISBN: 978-1419734045
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Animalia: Two Picture Books

2/8/2019

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​The animal kingdom is filled with wonders. Two picture books beautifully capture the magnificence of some of these creatures. Each volume features an innovative approach to subject matter as well as stunning design. 

Contrary Creatures: Unique Animal Opposites
​by James Weinberg

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Weinberg uses bold graphic design to compare animal characteristics. The cover sets the stage with a wave-like separation between life on land and life underwater. The title font remains the same for both words. However, color and text position offer important informational cues. The demarcation between the two environments is neatly pierced with shafts of light streaming from the sky and penetrating the deep water. 
​Interior pages include comparisons of animal size, habitat, as well as distinguishing features and behaviors. There is even a nod to imaginary animals found in stories and legends.
A listing of the creatures along with a brief description of each can be found at the back of the book.
​​Debut author James Weinberg takes his silk screen art to new heights and depths with Contrary Creatures: Unique Animal Opposites. ​His designs are a fascinating study of color, shape, and texture. Take time to look for various textures and the pattern overlays found on each page.
Young readers may enjoy experimenting with some of these elements by creating simple potato prints. This How-To video from #MetKids is an excellent tutorial.
Contrary Creatures can be used to introduce/explore such concepts as antonyms, comparisons, animal characteristics, and design in nature. An excellent choice for inter-disciplinary activities in reading, writing, science, and art.
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Copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: October 16, 2018  Publisher: Page Street Kids  ISBN:  9781624145803

Home for a Penguin, Home for a Whale
​by Brenda Williams   ill Annalisa Beghelli      

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Images of ocean life, both in the water and near the shore, follow a wave-like motion across two-page spreads. Brenda Williams’ rhythmic couplets undulate along with these animals, visually reinforcing the text’s aquatic theme.
Annalisa Beghelli uses various shades of blue as the primary background. Generally the deeper blues are at the bottom of the spreads, with color values becoming lighter near the page top. Animals are depicted with a light whimsical touch.  Sharks and barracudas to not appear particularly menacing.
A fun read aloud with a bonus: a tiny sea snail is hidden on each page, waiting to be discovered.
Back matter is a rich source of additional information. Find facts about sea creatures, world oceans map, infographic of  ocean habitats, and introduction to current issues such as climate change, clean energy and plastic dumping.
Home for a Penguin, Home for a Whale invites readers to explore a wide variety of aquatic animals. Using the back matter as a springboard for discussion, students may want to investigate ways in which they can protect animals who thrive in and near the world's oceans. 
This National Geographic video encourages youngsters to take action and help save marine life.
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Electronic copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: March 31, 2019  Publisher: Barefoot Books  ISBN:  9781782857433
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Storms of Life

2/5/2019

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The Brain Storm by Linda Ragsdale ill Claudio Molina

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The title is a clever play on words. There's brainstorm, a group consideration of a problem. Then there is a brainstorm, a condition where one is unable to think clearly. Linda Ragsdale combines the two in her wordless picture book, The Brain Storm.
A boy wakes up in a foul mood. Maybe it's the ringing alarm clock. Perhaps it's a hold-over from yesterday's problems. Whatever the source, a cloud is looming over the head of our young protagonist.
This dark storm manages to escape the hat on his head, and take residence in his backpack, his locker, and his attitude. Every activity and every person he encounters is affected by his gloom.
At the end of the day, he arrives home. A loving caregiver, perhaps grandma, takes a look at that scrawl hovering overhead. She sets to work with her knitting needles, taking the strands of the tangled mass of misery to fashion a sweater. What can he do with her creation? Wear it? Stare at it? Kick it around?
Eventually he arrives at a solution to his problem. Like grandma, he will make something out of this.  With a bit of ingenuity, he shapes the ranging storm into an airplane and sends it flying out the window.  Bedtime arrives. Sleep comes. The brainstorm is gone.
Claudio Molina simple illustrations with ample white space allow the swirling tornado of a brainstorm prominence on each page. Backgrounds are kept to a minimum, usually a line drawing with a few touches of color
A distinguishing feature of the boy's face are his expressive eyebrows. Molina conveys emotions with a brow's shape and angle. Tiny button nose and no mouth, draw attention to this facial feature. Readers finally see a mouth, curved into a gentle smile on the book's concluding page, when the brainstorm is gone.
Share this book. Then consider ways to move beyond the stormy moments in life.
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Bad Days Happen

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Bad days come for us all.  Meet Alexander and Grumpy Pants who have their own very bad days.
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Worry-free Sleep

For children experiencing nighttime anxiety, a quitapena may be the solution. Handmade by a family in Guatemala, these worry dolls come in a colorful cloth pouch.
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Quitapenas means "to remove worries" in Spanish; artisan Aura Lopez explains the Mayan worry doll tradition. "My grandparents said that the way to use them was to take the doll out of the bag or wooden box and tell it your problems and fears," she states. "Then, you place the doll under your pillow and, the next day, your problem becomes smaller or can be resolved." ​
Copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: February 5, 2019   Publisher: Flowerpot Press  ISBN:  978-1486715565
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Black History Month

2/1/2019

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Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson ill Don Tate

The teaching of the whole truth will help us in the direction of a real democracy.
​Carter G Woodson 1944
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Deborah Hopkinson introduces young readers to an important historical figure: Carter G. Woodson.

​Born in 1875, the son of a formerly enslaved father and mother, young Carter grew up hearing the stories of his Virginian parents' struggles. Times were hard for this family. As a result, Woodson left school in his early teens to labor as a farm-hand, garbage collector, and coal miner. He and other West Virginia coal miners were often invited to the home of Oliver Jones, a Civil War veteran. Carter would read the newspapers to Jones and the other miners, researching and answering their questions.
​At age 20, he moved back to Virginia, graduating from high school. He went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees. At age thirty-seven, he was the second African American to earn a PhD from Harvard University. His life's work centered on researching and promoting Black history. This historian and educator established Negro History Week in 1926. He is recognized as the father of Black History Month.
Hopkinson sprinkles quotes from Woodson throughout the text, giving an immediacy and relevancy to the narrative. This biography stresses of the importance of education, reading, and research. Like Carter, young readers can learn more about their world and work for positive change.
Don Tate's realistic illustration style features slightly enlarged heads. Memories are rendered in a monochromatic palette and to the side of a full-color full color portrait. The book features full page spreads highlighting significant events in Woodson's life: a crushing mine incident, reading a newspaper, and wearing full academic regalia on receiving a PhD from Harvard University. The cameo portraits of important African American individuals feature a variety of occupations and a spectrum of skin tones. Line drawings of historical individuals from Nzinga of Ndongo and Joseph Cinqué to contemporary figures such as Katherine Johnson and Colin Kaepernick are a bonus.
The book's value is significantly enriched with extensive back matter which includes a bibliography of online and print resources, an Author's Note, an Illustrator's Note, a roster of the forty-three Black leaders pictured throughout its pages, a timeline of Woodson's life and accomplishments, and quotation citations. A rich resource for teachers and students.
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Carter Reads the Newspaper is an excellent introduction to African American History Month.
Use this poster with a display of books featuring biographies, historical accounts, historical fiction, and other works by Black authors and illustrators.  Download a copy of the poster featuring an inspiring quote and art by Don Tate.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: February 1, 2019  Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company  ISBN: 978-1561459346
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    Barbara Moon

    I like talking about books and  interesting ideas. I like thinking about how books affect my life. Not particularly interested in giving out stars or in rating books. 

    Audio Publishers Association
    2013, - present  Audies judge 
    American Library Association Book Awards and Lists 
    ​2017 YALSA Award Nominating Committee
    2016 Excellence in Nonfiction 
    2014 Margaret Edwards Award
    2012 Odyssey Awards.  
    2009, 2010, 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

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