Summary: In a memoir written in graphic novel form, Lucy Knisley takes readers on a journey through her life as a gourmet chef and illustrator. She talks about her life discovering food, cooking, and all the joys that life brings. At the end of each chapter, Knisley includes a recipe that is treasured by her. This book connects food, her life, and the world all in one book. Review: I really enjoyed this book. Graphic novels are some of my go to books for reluctant readers and this one fits that mold perfectly. The graphics are entertaining and remind me of the 90s Nickelodeon shows. She has a very easy writing that teens will find both informative and interesting. It is a great book for teens looking for a quick read that also touches on the topics of cooking. Nowadays with cooking shows being everywhere, teens palettes are growing, so having recipes that they could try out would be very appealing towards them. As you can see from above, the graphics are fun and interesting (and in my opinion remind me of the TV show, Doug). The pages of the book are packed with information, but not overloaded to the point that people can't weed out the details in a manner that makes sense. I also believe that this would be a great book to add to a nonfiction list for a teen cooking program. Often times those books I've used for cooking programs have solely been cookbooks, but this gives a different option that would work for those who like to read actual books. Check out a book trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sT8kAtEotI
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Surprising Swimmers by Emma RyanSummary: Animal lovers that are looking for unique characteristics other than typical behaviors will find this book extremely interesting. Ryan, gives examples of animals who are typical land type and show what they are able to in the water. This book includes fun facts about their swimming and why they don't normally swim. The book also includes many pictures which are not typically seen, such as the elephant seen on the cover. https://media.giphy.com/media/1sSWWMNnaZLlm/giphy.gif Review: There were a few things that I really enjoyed about this book.
I think this book would be something that could translate into studies on animals that swim when talking about habitats and survival methods. I know this was one of the kids in my wife's first grade class when she taught and they were mesmerized by the book and that these different animals could swim. Below would be a great short video that would accompany this book. Teachers would be interested in reading the book and then using this videos as supplemental materials to continue an peak their students interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM4An3aGWio
Summary: Known because of her hit television show on TLC, Jazz Jenning comes together with author Jessica Herthel to tell her story of realizing she was transgender and how her life changed from that moment on. The book moves from the time that she was two years old an shows how she loved to dress in pink and like a mermaid and hated to dress in boys' clothes. Her parents then take steps that many might not do and make an appointment for the doctor's to try and figure out what is going on. They tell the story in a way that is interesting and appealing to not only younger readers but to parents and educators as well. To get a better feel for who Jazz Jennings is outside of this book, check out this 20/20 interview between Diane Sawyer and Jazz herself. My Review: What a wonderful book to introduce young children to the concept and idea of transgender people. Exposure to a group of people that is outside the typical binary of what people are at a young age will only increase their understanding and acceptance in the future. The images in this children's book are great as they offer a mix of full page illustrations and some that are separated by white space to give the eyes a break. While the book doesn't go into extreme details about Jazz and the medical side of transgender, it's a great introduction to the topic. The beginning stages of figuring out being transgender are really shown in the images and text. As you can see above, there is just enough text to make the story make sense and keep younger readers interested. I would suggest reading this as a read aloud in classes to talk about diversity and acceptance of different people. Overall I would give this book a 4.5/5 rating.
If someone were looking for more information on transgender children's books whether nonfiction or fiction, this list is a good go to: http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogs/scholastic-parents-raise-reader/6-picture-books-about-transgender-children. (Sorry that the link isn't live, it isn't working right now) I would also suggest checking out the TV show I Am Jazz to see a bit of Jazz's daily life. Summary: If you brought up the name of Elizabeth Cady Stanton to a group of young elementary students, they probably wouldn't know her name. Tanya Lee Stone brings a famous name into a children's book and brings Stanton's past to life. This biography celebrates Stanton's life and how she came from a little girl who would not accept what everyone thought she deserved, to the natural born leader as a woman to help secure the right to vote for women. Review: I really enjoyed this book. I thought that Tanya Lee Stone did a great job of showcasing Stanton's whole life. There were times growing up that Stanton felt like she couldn't do what she wanted, solely because she was a girl and the author really portrayed that well in the book. As you can see below, there is quite a bit of white space that separates each picture and text which helps the reader focus on what is happening at that exact moment. I think this is why it make a good book for early elementary readers because it doesn't overwhelm them and gives them a chance to help process the story, especially with this story where the topic is a little advanced. While there are moments with a lot of whitespace, Stone also gives a couple images that are full blown color. These instances help the readers feel engaged and excited to continue reading. I also don't feel as though the style of illustration is uniquely exciting for younger readers so the full color images help make them more enticing. When thinking about other resources teachers could utilize to bring up Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Women's Suffrage movement, the below links intrigued me and I thought they would work well for younger students.
Here is a link for the book: https://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Leads-Way-Stanton-Right/dp/0312602367/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479666143&sr=8-1&keywords=elizabeth+leads+the+way Summary: Youth are introduced to the world of mammal, specifically those found in the water. Majority of the book is about whales and dolphins, however it also talks about others such as: polar bears, sea otters, seals, sea cows, and more. Readers are given information on the physical characteristics of mammals as well as how they behave. Image taken from: https://media.giphy.com/media/ZFGtOflRCro88/giphy.gif My Review: Kids who are looking for a book that gives background information on many sea mammals, or are looking to learn for fun, will be drawn to this nonfiction work. It's full of rich, full color images which are mixed with text. There is never really a spot that is too bogged down with text, but the text seems to fit with the images, often times changing shape and form to fit with the images themselves. This would be a great book for teachers to use as a read aloud to introduce the topic of sea mammals. For me at least, when I think of a mammal my mind instantly goes to something on dry land, so having a book that can showcase the true breadth of mammals is great. Reluctant readers would enjoy this book because of the amount of images present. The book also contains a table of contents, glossary, and index. Overall, I would give this book a 4.5/5 for readers looking for a nonfiction that isn't too intimidating, while also staying informative. Read Alikes: Super swimmers : whales, dolphins, and other mammals of the sea by Caroline Arnold Dolphins, seals, and other sea mammals by Mary Jo Rhodes Great migrations. Whales by Laura F. Marsh If someone were to say the words "bubonic plague" there are probably three things that come to mind: medieval England, death, and ....image taken from: http://www.allgeektome.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ellaria-sand-game-of-thrones-reaction-gif-mountain-viper.gif Summary: This nonfiction work is packed with information for someone looking to learn about how the bubonic plague made its way to America. Gail Jarrow takes to history and brings to life the bubonic plague and the scare that it caused in America in the early 1900s, but still manages even to this day haunt America. This book contains 15 chapters that span across the last 150 years, tracing the bubonic plague and showing its place and effect on medicine, America, and immigrants. It has a ton of sources, bibliographies and indexes, made available. My Review: Are you interested in learning about one of the most talked about diseases in history, love the thought of infections and blood, or don’t mind a lot of rats? Then this book is ABSOLUTELY for you! Trust me, with pictures that are more real and vivid then a real life doctor’s visit. The author makes the material even more interesting than it already is by her writing style. The first chapter, which introduces the plague, but rather than saying things like: “the plague this”, “people got the plague”, and “the plague spread”, she turned the plague into an almost person like quality saying things like, “The Killer” and “The Phantom”. Doing this completely transforms the idea of this being nonfiction and gives the reader a sense that it could be a fictional book, but then BAM on the next page you a faced with gruesome images of what the plague does to its victims! I thought overall this book read very painlessly and was very informative. I, myself, did not know that the plague expanded to the U.S. and this book really shows how it was a huge problem, especially on the West coast. The book is full of real pictures, documents, and drawings to explain what is going on. What a great read for middle schoolers and those older.
Summary: This procedural nonfiction title will surely make any Potterhead’s dreams come true. With over 30 different craft projects ranging from: crafts to wear, for school, for the bathroom, for the house, for your bedroom, and even for the outdoors. If you are looking for the perfect accessory, a pencil wand, or even a snake door wreath, this book is the book for you. Whether by “floo powder” or the glue of a hot gun, readers will be transported to the Magical Wizarding World of Harry Potter! image taken from: http://themagicalworldofharry.wikia.com/wiki/File:Floo_Powder.gif My Review: Nothing says make me, like crafts with very few steps. What I love about this book is that pretty much every craft is 12 steps or less. There is also a great feature that is called “transfiguration tips” which showcase various tips for making variations of the project. The structure of the book is perfectly laid out to find what project you want. There is a table of contents split up based on type of project which allows for people to look for the specific craft they want. When you finally make your way to the crafts, almost every step has some sort of picture attached to it. This is a great feature for visual learners, giving them an idea of exactly how to complete the project. Overall, if you are looking for a book that is full of Harry Potter crafts, this book is probably the one for you! If you are looking for another book that transports you into the world of Harry Potter, then check out The unofficial Harry Potter cookbook: from cauldron cakes to knickerbocker glory by Dinah Buchholz. This book includes over 150 different recipes based on the Harry Potter Series
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AuthorMy name is Chaise Carter. I am currently a grad student working towards my MLS. I love YA lit, so a majority of the books reviewed and posted will fall in that realm. Archives
November 2016
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