<![CDATA[READING STYLE GUIDE - Blog]]>Thu, 19 Jul 2018 21:33:06 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Reach for the Stars]]>Thu, 19 Jul 2018 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.readingstyle.net/blog/reach-for-the-starsPath to the Stars:
​My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist
 
by Sylvia Acevedo
“Is there a badge for you somewhere in the stars? “ my troop leader wondered. ‘Maybe studying space? “
Meet Sylvia Acevedo, daughter of a Papa, Texas chemist originally from Mexico and Mami, a native of Mexico who didn’t speak English. She recalls this story of her birth:
​Some of the babies had blond hair. Some had brown hair or no hair at all, and nearly all of them had fair skin. Only one baby had very dark hair. “That was me!”
Acevedo grew up in Las Cruses, New Mexico, surrounded by a close-knit family. Young Sylvia had the desire to learn about her world and the drive to excel in a wide variety of endeavors. She credits the Girl Scouts with helping her learn to set goals and work to achieve them.
From childhood she realized that she had an affinity for numbers and a curiosity to learn how things work. By the age of thirteen, she assumed the responsibility of maintaining the family vehicle, including changing the oil. In junior high school, she opted out of home economics class, choosing instead to take an additional math course. Interestingly, one of the most challenging Girl Scout badges for her to earn was the cooking badge. 
I was nine years old, living in a small desert town. And on that day I decided I would go to Stanford someday.
In addition to excelling academically and advancing in Girl Scouts, Sylvia enjoyed basketball. Eventually she reached a point during her college years when she had to make a choice: continue competing on the court or focus her attention on preparing for a career in engineering. She chose engineering. This was a groundbreaking career choice, as engineering was not considered an option for women.
They'd never had a woman engineer, so they didn’t even have a bathroom for women in the test labs.
Sylvia pioneered the work of women in the sphere of science and math. Her achievements resulted in advances in the study of rocket science at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Equally important is the encouragement that her story provides for young girls, particularly for those from under-represented ethnicities and cultures. Her story can be the story for aspiring scientists everywhere.

Introduce middle grade to students to the remarkable Sylvia Acevedo: a girl who had a plan, worked hard and never gave up on her dream. This inspiring memoir belongs in all libraries, classrooms, and organizations which serve young people.
"My parents were proud of me, but now, I knew it was more important that I was proud of myself."
From Brownie to NASA scientist. Still the same winning smile!
There is another hero in this story: Sylvia's amazing mother. She was a woman determined to make life better for her children. Before Sylvia was old enough to attend school, her mother arranged for Sylvia and her brother to learn to read and write English. She also enrolled Sylvia in what was considered at the time to be a questionable program: Head Start. She helped Sylvia obtain a library card, open a savings account, and supported her participation in Girl Scouts. Mami learned to drive a car and made the decision to relocate her family to a neighborhood with more favorable schools. What remarkable women! Both Mami and Sylvia have my admiration and respect.
”'Are you happy?'! And, I finally realized, Mami asked the only question that really mattered."
Bonus 
My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist (English edition)  
is also available in Spanish: 
Camino a las estrellas: Mi recorrido de Girl Scout a ingeniera astronáutica
This autobiography is enhanced with liberal use of personal and family photographs inserted throughout the text. The author's "Note about Girl Scouts Yesterday and Today" provides context.

Companion Reading

Super Women:
​Six Scientists Who Changed the World
First Girl Scout:
​The Life of Juliette Gordon Low
Hidden Figures:
​Young Readers Edition
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: September 4,  2018       Publisher: Clarion Books    ISBN: 978-1328809568
]]>
<![CDATA[Texas Legend]]>Thu, 12 Jul 2018 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.readingstyle.net/blog/texas-legendWhat Do You Do With a Voice Like That?
The Story of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan

by Chris Barton ill Ekua Holmes
"My faith in the constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total. And I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, and the destruction of the Constitution."
Full disclosure: The first time that I heard Barbara Jordan speak, I was mesmerized. I had tuned into the impeachment hearings, and listened as a powerful voice spoke with measured authoritative language. I wanted to learn more about the woman behind that voice.
Well-known and respected Texas author Chris Barton whose Whoosh, Dazzle Ships, and The Day-Glow Brothers are some of his outstanding nonfiction titles has penned a picture book biography that is worthy of this Texas legend and her legacy.
What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan traces her life, beginning with her childhood in the Fifth Ward of Houston, Texas. Barton mentions the influence that her grandfather and her high school teachers had on her decision to study law. He details her service first as a Texas state senator and later as a United States Congresswoman. The concluding pages reveal her struggle with multiple sclerosis and her decision to return to Texas, teaching at the University of Texas at Austin.
The narrative emphasizes Barbara Jordan’s distinctive communication abilities by frequently repeating the word voice. The multiple meanings for this term are implied as readers learn of her unwavering defense of principle. Thought-provoking questions are posed. Each page turn brings answers and further elaboration. Barton makes it clear that in additional to her verbalization skills, Jordan is remembered for her devotion to the constitution and the values of right and wrong.

View

I had the opportunity to hear Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator Ekua Holmes (Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement). She displayed some of the original art that she created for this picture book.
​Ms. Holmes shared that her granddaughter served as the model for young Barbara Jordan. Note: she's the young girl in pink standing in front of a tree. It took a few tries before she captured the essence of a confident young Barbara Jordan. The image of Barbara, returning to her home years later is particularly poignant. The artist used a family home as the model in these images. It is fitting that these sources serve as inspiration for her work.
Page design and layout is particularly striking. Collages include campaign memorabilia and a photo of a television screen, which lend authenticity to the work. Innovative use of font size and color give added emphasis to key points. ​Back matter includes an author's note, time line, a list of recommended books and videos.
This exceptional picture book is a treat for the mind, heart, and eyes. What a fitting tribute to a remarkable woman. Well done, Mr. Barton and Ms. Holmes.
What do we do with a voice like that?
We remember it, and we honor it by making our own voices heard.

Listen!

After reading about the life of this extraordinary woman, view a video retrospective of her life and a recording of her opening statement during the congressional impeachment hearings. Her voice is compelling. Her influence is immeasurable.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: September 25, 2018  Publisher: Beach Lane Books  ISBN: 978-1481465618
]]>
<![CDATA[It's Amazing]]>Thu, 05 Jul 2018 08:24:10 GMThttp://www.readingstyle.net/blog/its-amazingHow Sweet the Sound: The Story of Amazing Grace
by Carole Boston Weatherford ill Frank Morrison
Thro' many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come
Who knew?
Who knew that in the 1700's John Newton, inspired by a violent storm he endured while on board a British slave ship, would pen the words to well-known hymn?  Really? A  slave trader would write the words to Amazing Grace?  The picture book How Sweet the Sound: The Story of Amazing Grace is an eye-opener.
The story continues. Eventually Newton returned to England, married, and became a minister. In time he completely reversed his views on slavery. He published these beliefs in the tract “Thoughts upon the African Slave Trade," a document which helped to end slavery in the British Empire.
Carole Boston Weatherford uses pairs of end-stopped couplets to create a lyrical retelling of the life of John Newton and the origins of this famous hymn.
The pictures book chronicles the history and popularity of this hymn, sung by African Americans, Cherokees, Civil War soldiers, activists, gospel singers, recording artists, and even a president of the United States.
Back matter includes a current version of the lyrics, an Author's Note, and suggestions for further reading and viewing. All enhance the value of this compelling story.

Marvelous Art

Multi-talented artist Frank Morrison painted classic images that are well-suited to the text. I had the opportunity to view some of Morrison’s original work for this book. The framed paintings are awe-inspiring. He has eloquently captured the heartfelt emotion reflected in the song's lyrics.
Below are my photos of two Morrison paintings, paired with the illustrations and accompanying text as they appear in the published book.
​​This picture book, signed by the artist, is now one of my treasures.

Amazing Sounds

There are many renditions of Amazing Grace. In addition to the two shown here, performances by Mahalia Jackson, Judy Collins, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and many others may be accessed on YouTube.
Review based a copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: May 1,  2018       Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers    ISBN: 978-1481472067
]]>
<![CDATA[Stories for All]]>Mon, 02 Jul 2018 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.readingstyle.net/blog/stories-for-allThe Book Tree by Paul Czajak ill Rashin Kheiriyeh
Books are dangerous! I don’t trust them. They act like seeds, which grow into ideas, and ideas turn into questions.
Picture
Imagine a world without books. Paul Czajak invites youngsters to visit the fantastical world of Arlo, a boy who loves to read. One day, while nested in the branches of a tree with his book, misfortune strikes. The volume slips from his hands and lands upon the head of the mayor. Furious, the mayor immediately calls for the destruction of all books, as he deems them dangerous.
Arlo is bereft  when all books are torn apart and the pages float away. He is not the only one missing books. There are no more stories for children at nap time. Meals become dull, as there are no cookbooks to consult. The theater ceases to perform as there are no scripts to enact. Arlo determines that perhaps he can create stories of his own. His writing germinates a torn book page, buried deep within the earth. A book tree begins to grow, nourished by the stories Arlo writes and shares. Eventually the book tree is filled with books and the town springs back to life.
Illustrations underscore the universality of stories. Kheiriyeh chooses to use a collage of text images from a variety of alphabets and languages as books contents. The fanciful residents of the town are depicted with different skin tones. The limited color pallet of a strong red, soft aqua, and muted ochre yellow span multiple cultures.
People grew hungry for stories again. Some wrote their own stories and became book gardeners themselves.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Meet the Author

​Paul Czajak began his professional career as a chemist. Making the shift from science to children's book author seems like a quantum leap. Czajak neatly refuses this supposition. 
​"​When it comes to science people have this idea that it is all numbers and equations, but in fact science is filled with creativity.  Go look at a picture of the Hadron Collider and try to tell me that didn’t take some serious imagination."
He is the author the Monster and Me series.  Monster Needs Your Vote might be an appropriate selection to read during this national election cycle.
​Paul has created coloring pages, which may be downloaded from his website.
Picture

Meet the Illustrator

Iranian-American artist ​Rashin Kheiriyeh brings her distinctive style to fine art as well as children's book illustration. She is the recipient of numerous international awards including 2017 Sandak Fellow Award, six-time winner at the Bologna Book Fair, and Golden Apple Award at the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB), Slovakia. 
Review based on an electronic copy.
Pub date: September 30,  2018       Publisher: Barefoot Books    ISBN: 978-1782854050
]]>
<![CDATA[A Room To Talk]]>Wed, 27 Jun 2018 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.readingstyle.net/blog/a-room-to-talkHarbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
I think, looking back on that day now, that’s the line that will always stay with me--Another room, by ourselves.
​What would happen if you intentionally leave a group of kids alone in a classroom?
This story framework, a group in a confined space for a specific period of time, is generally reserved for adult literature. Think: a sequestered jury, a therapy group, passengers on a plane/train etc. The most notable equivalent application for teens is The Breakfast Club. But a group of students deliberately put together in a classroom without an adult present is something I don’t offhand recall in another work of juvenile fiction.
It’s a bold construct that really works. It works so well that I became a virtual member of the group, as the dynamic slowly, often painfully, evolves. I could relate to each student. It was easy to picture myself as an unseen participant in the room.
Concepts of immigration, incarceration, racial disparity, and economic inequality are woven into the narrative. While these are important issues, it’s the relationship among the six kids that is imprinted on my mind and heart. Each voice is distinct and offers a unique perspective.
Kudos for the cover design. It captures the essence of creating harbors for kids.
Meet the students who gather each Friday in A Room To Talk (ARTT)
  • ​Haley is of mixed race with the distinguishing feature of red hair. An uncle cares for her while her father is in prison. 
             Sometimes, I don’t feel so brave. Sometimes I just feel scared.
  • Tiago uses art as a means of self-expression. He is proud of his Puerto Rican culture and heritage.
             I know in my heart...the language we speak is music and poetry and even cold sweet piranhas on hot, hot summer days.
  • Holly is Haley's friend. She often speaks before she thinks.
             Life gives you stuff you don’t want but you have to take it anyway.
  • ​Esteban lives with the uncertainty of deportation.
             You’re rich he always told us. Not in money ‘cause money isn’t everything.
             But rich in dreams, cuz in this country you can be anything.
  • Amari is Esteban's protector and defender.
             My pops said it’s like we’re suspects from the day we’re born.
  • Ashton is the only white member of the group.
             I never even thought about my color till that day.

​I loved the gradual shift of pronouns from you to we/us. At the book’s conclusion this diverse group with seemingly little in common learns to understand and accept one another and call each a friend. I absolutely LOVED the scene where the group moves in solidarity, walking shoulder-to-shoulder to protect Ashton from the eighth grade bullies. My skin tingles when I picture that encounter.
And we’ve been coming here so long I feel like I know you guys and you’re sort of like my brothers and sisters
​and I know I can trust you, right?
The value of this book will be enhanced with further exploration in the classroom. There are many themes here which would make excellent discussion points: 
  • Freedom and what it means to be free. Consider the larger context of freedom in a world view and compare that with the granular from the standpoint of classroom rules.
  • Familiar vs. the unknown
  • Time: the passage of time and our perceptions of time. Consider the words “always” and “moment”
  • Friendship: what it means to be a friend and the long-term effects of friendship
  • Harbor: what is a harbor (this may be a new concept for students living in land-locked areas) and what does harbor mean in the larger sense.
  • Poetry as a means of expression
  • Tragedy: the place that tragic events have in our lives
References to Harmonic Convergence, Ailanthus tree, Francisco Alarcón and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn may be unfamiliar to young readers. They provide opportunities for further exploration and discussion.
I was also intrigued by the choice to forgo quotation marks and use italics to denote dialog. This stylistic decision is well-suited to the narrative.
As a former classroom teacher, I can easily see this as a class study, with a copy of Harbor Me for each student.  Reading and discussing together, the shared experience would help students create their own ​ARTT.
...if the worst thing in the world happened, would I help protect someone else? Would we let ourselves be a harbor for someone who needs it.  Then she said I want each of you to say to the other I will harbor you. I will harbor you.

Sing Along

Introduce young readers to these classics mentioned in Harbor Me.

Bonus: Twitter post from Jacqueline Woodson

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: August 28, 2018  Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books  ISBN: 978-0399252525
]]>
<![CDATA[Get on Board]]>Wed, 20 Jun 2018 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.readingstyle.net/blog/get-on-boardIn Praise of Board Games
"I can't remember the last time I played a board game." Magda pulled a rack toward her and shook the bag of letters. Rattle. Rattle. Rattle.
"It's a lost art," Charlotte said. She sat down too.
Sometimes it's good to put way the electronics, take playing pieces out of the box and go "old school" with a board game.
Featured here are some middle school books that celebrate the joy of sitting across the table from an opponent for some friendly competition. Enjoy these novels for middle-grader featuring a board game component. Along with these books include a selection of new and classic tabletop entertainment in the library collection. 
​Let the games begin!

Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead

Meet Bob, the small green not-a-zombie creature who lives in Olivia's grandmother's closet with a Lego pirate ship and a dictionary. He has been waiting years for Livy to return to her grandmother's home in Australia.     
Long ago, Livy's father taught her the basics of chess. She, in turn, showed Bob to how to play. He has practiced alone in the closet, using only the white chess pieces, as the black pieces are missing. When Livy returns she recovers the black chess pieces.  They commence playing this game of thinking and planning strategically.
Together, Bob and Livy assemble collective memories into a meaningful pattern to remember about Livy's promise, made long ago. Using clues and deductive skills, the two friends uncover secrets from the past.
Check out my review of Bob.
​"But chess is not about luck," Bob says. "It's about recognizing the strength of the little guy."
Pub date: May 1, 2018  Publisher: Feiwel & Friends  ISBN: 978-1250166623

You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly

Charlotte's world seems to be falling apart: her dad suffers a major heart attack and her best friend wants to leave Charlotte and join another group of girls.
Ben's parents just delivered some shocking news: they are getting a divorce. Ben is floored.  He has no idea that this was coming and is at a loss on how to cope. He decides that maybe what he should do is run for a student body position.  He's a younger student and really doesn't have any close friends. How is this going to work?
The one thing that both Charlotte and Ben have going for them is their virtual friendship. They are serious Scrabble players.  They admire each other's playing skills and their online competition develops into a support system. Each helps the other as they work through word puzzles and puzzling events in their lives.
When she was seven years old, he pulled the game board from the closet and set it on the dining room table.
Pub date: April 10, 2018  Publisher: Greenwillow Book  ISBN: 978-0062414182

Me and Marvin Gardens by Amy Sarig King

Eleven-year-old Obe Devlin has always been a loner, spending hours at Devlin Creek, picking up trash. One day he encounters an animal never seen before. He names it Marvin Gardens because his dad is obsessed with the board game Monopoly. 
Obe is fascinated and escapes to the creek spending time with this strange creature. To his amazement, he learns that Marvin can consume plastic. While it might be considered a good thing, this also presents a tremendous cost to the environment. What will become of this creature? What will happen to the land that Obe loves?
Monopoly is a game of acquiring and selling real estate. This dovetails with the loss of the Devlin family's 175 acres and the construction of a housing development on the property.
Read my review of Me and Marvin Gardens.
I didn't believe stories about ghosts -- not even the one about spirits who were angry at the developers for growing houses instead of crops.
Pub date: January 31, 2017  Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Book  ISBN: 978-0545870740

Sunny by Jason Reynolds

Sunny has lost interest in running. Yes, he is lightning fast. Yes, he has a fistful of medals. But he doesn't want to run any more. Coach suggests that discus might be more to his liking. It's a whole new sport and requires an entirely different sets of skills. It combines his love of dance with his desire to stay connected with the team. Sunny decides to give it a try.
Sunny has his share of conflicts at home. His mother died during childbirth and Sunny blames himself for his mother's death. ​He lives with his father Darryl, who often seems detached from his son.
One thing that they share is a love for jigsaw puzzles. They are currently working on a complicated puzzle that is an image of Sunny's mother's face.  Will putting the puzzle together help to resolve the missing pieces in Sunny's life?
Yes, Diary, we still do puzzles together. It's our way of, I guess, bonding.
Pub date: April 10, 2018  Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books  978-1481450218
]]>
<![CDATA[Point of View]]>Mon, 18 Jun 2018 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.readingstyle.net/blog/point-of-viewLook Up! by Jung Jin-Ho
"Different people can perceive the same event or behavior differently" Jung Jin-Ho
When perusing my book shelves, I noted a slim little spine, crammed in a mass of book galleys, way up high on the shelf.  I was curious. What was that little yellow sliver wedged between so many mammoth-sized volumes? I pulled it out for closer inspection.
Look Up! is Korean author and illustrator Jung Jin-Ho’s tiny treatise on perspective and the power of point of view.
Using simple black line drawings, readers are invited into the street from an unusual vantage point, a birds-eye view of a terrace overlooking a city street. An initial spread reveals feet placed on the footrests of a wheelchair. The occupant of the wheelchair appears to be gazing on the scene below. As time passes and activity takes place in the street, the lone observer leans over the edge of the roof imploring, "Look up!" "Look up!" "I'm here! Look at me!"
Finally a passerby does indeed look up. He calls to the girl peering down from above.  She explains that she can't come down and that she can only see the tops of heads. The boy offers her another perspective. He lies down on the cobblestones below so that she can view him in his entirety. Soon others join, lying horizontally and offering the girl in the wheelchair a new view.  As other bodies take this supine position, the strictly black and white landscape makes a subtle change: trees begin to blossom in shades of pink. A bicyclist rides by, sporting a bouquet of colorful balloons.  And on top of the roof, a potted plant begins to sprout tender green leaves.
This little picture book posits that changing one's perspective changes not only one's view of the world but causes change to happen in the world.
"It is important to see things from different heights or travel in different paths." Jung Jin-Ho
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: January 23, 2018  Publisher: Holiday House; Reprint edition  ISBN: 978-0823440139
]]>
<![CDATA[Crowning Glory]]>Tue, 12 Jun 2018 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.readingstyle.net/blog/crowning-gloryMy Hair is a Garden by Cozbil A. Cabrera
My hair is a garden, and I give it love.
For as long as she can remember, MacKenzie has been the object of ridicule at her school. Students constantly tease her about her hair. She tries ignoring their taunts. That doesn't work. She takes to wearing a hat to cover her head. That doesn't help.
Finally she flees to the home of her neighbor Miss Tillie, who lives in a warm and welcoming home. MacKenzie pours her heart to her compassionate friend.
"I need help with my hair. Folks have been poking fun of my hair since I was little...Mama tried to fix it, but the truth is, she doesn’t know what to do with it."
Following a gentle shampoo and careful combing, Miss Tillie invites her young guest outside to enjoy her garden. Years of thoughtful planning, cultivation, and nurturing have resulted in a retreat that is a filled with a variety of lush and vibrant landscaping.  
MacKenzie discovers the similarities between caring for a garden and caring for her crowning glory.
Cozbi A. Cabrera has created a lovely picture book celebrating the magnificence of natural black hair. In addition to the narrative, she thoughtfully includes helpful hair care tips, along with suggestions for self-improvement and personal development.
​Recipes for Herbal infusion Rinse and Moisturizing Shea Butter include directions on proper application.
My Hair is a Garden is more than a story of self-acceptance, more than a set of platitudes. It offers a positive approach and realistic advice. When hair receives attentive care, it is indeed "beauty wrapped in a song."
My hair is a garden and I take care of it.
My words and thoughts are like seeds that I plant.
I say and I think beautiful.

For the Love of Hair

Picture books celebrating the glories of natural black hair.

Bonus

Cozbi A. Cabrera's creative talents are not limited to artistry with words and pictures.  She is a very talented seamstress, doll maker, and fashion designer. 
​Take a look at some of her creations.
Be sure to view her beautiful handcrafted dolls, featured in Country Living.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: April 1, 2018  Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company  ISBN: 978-0807509234
]]>
<![CDATA[School for Dinosaurs]]>Fri, 08 Jun 2018 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.readingstyle.net/blog/school-for-dinosaursWe Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
Sometimes it’s hard to make friends with children. Especially when you eat them.
Penelope Rex is about to enter a new phase in her reptilian life. This young dinosaur is going to Kindergarten. She’s got a new backpack decorated with ponies and she carries her lunch: three hundred tuna sandwiches and a juice box. Naturally she is anxious. What will her classmates be like? Will she make new friends? Upon arrival she is surprised to learn that all her classmates are ... Children!  Penelope reacts immediately, swallowing all the delicious children in an enormous gulp. With furniture in disarray and a shoestring dangling from her mouth, Penelope appears to be somewhat chagrined by what she has just done.
"Penelope Rex! We don't eat our classmates!  Please spit them out at once!"  
it is interesting to observe the teacher’s demeanor. She appears unruffled by Penelope’s instinctive action, but firmly states the class rule. She makes it clear that Penelope must comply. The obedient little Rex acquiesces.  As the day progresses Miss Rex comes to the unhappy conclusion that her behavior is not conducive to making friends. However, it is not the teacher who ultimately solves the problem. Neither Penelope nor the other students can help her control her impulsive responses. Assistance in helping Penelope's develop friendship-making skills arrives from an unexpected source: the class pet.
Higgins’ illustrations are whimsical. Who knew that a tiny T- Rex in pink overalls and slurping up young children could be so adorable? The artist wisely chooses to make Penelope the central feature on each page. Backgrounds are sometimes monochromatic or eliminated entirely. The little Kinder-dino and her dilemma are the focus.  End papers are a delightful display of children’s art, featuring representations of various dinosaurs.  We Don't Eat Our Classmates tells a story rich in charm, wit and wisdom. Get ready. There will repeated requests to "read it again."  All kinds of kids (and adults) will eat it up.
This picture book arrives at an opportune time. I have worked with a class of adorable toddlers that is currently experiencing a change in the group dynamic. A two-year-old has suddenly, for no apparent reason, begun biting other children. It seems so bizarre. The youngster comes from a calm, stable, loving family where differences are settled in a gentle manner. Where did this impulse to bite others originate? And why? Is there a little bit of Penelope in children?
Care-givers who encounter disruptive childish behavior: take heart. Penelope made the change. There is hope.

More Picture Books! More Fun!

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: June 19, 2018  Publisher: Disney Hyperion  ISBN: 978-1368003551
]]>
<![CDATA[Travels with Bicycle]]>Tue, 05 Jun 2018 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.readingstyle.net/blog/travels-with-bicycleThe Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss
You never know what's around the next corner,or across the next state line, right?
Sister Wanda discovers something unusual amid the  Mostly Silent Monastery construction clutter: a silent little girl with no name and no past.  Wearing a shirt emblazoned with the word BICYCLE, she is appropriately given the name Bicycle.  Our young heroine takes to the monastic life, spending her days intently listening and studying.  Her fortune changes the day that she accompanies the monks into town and discovers her namesake, a discarded bike. Scraping together all her loose change, Bicycle becomes the proud owner of the two-wheeler, christened Clunk.
Sister Wanda is concerned because her young charge lacks youthful companions and enrolls Bicycle in the Friendship Factory’s camp. Determined to escape from the well-meaning intentions of Sister Wanda, Bicycle decides to bike from Washington D.C to San Francisco to meet her cycling hero Zbig.
...you can take heart. It gets easier. And its's worth the effort.
Her epic cycling journey west is replete with ups and downs: a herd of stampeding pigs in Missouri, heat exhaustion in the Nevada desert, and the arduous scaling of the Rocky Mountains. Along the way she encounters the ghost of a young man killed in the Civil War who longs to return to his hometown of Green Marsh, a race horse named Cannibal, and the inventor of Wheels of Fortune 713-J, a fantastic bike equipped with everything from a climate-controlled tent to missile launchers. 
​​I won't give up hope without a dozen-cookie consideration first.
There is a lot of food in this book.  A cookie lady dispenses quantities of cookies along with sage advice. Paradise Pies features a constantly changing variety of hand-held pastry pockets encasing fillings such as tapioca muffin and chicken noodle.  SlowDown Cafe invites guests to travel by horse or bicycle and enjoy regional fare such as rainbow trout spaghetti, tumbleweed lasagna, and elk chops
The fertile imagination of Uss is a wonder.  Who would dream of a ghost from the Civil War, inhabiting a bicycle and entertaining his traveling companion with Stephan Foster melodies?  Who would have envisioned a bike with a sophisticated artificial intelligence system that can dispense restorative care to the rider and print cash?  
​​I've paddled as hard as I can in the river of luck.
Bicycle is a sparkling young protagonist, filled with equal parts, determination, imagination, and fear.
​​I still have my chance to do this my way...3,720 to 1 though it may be.
Several underlying themes are woven throughout the narrative: the part that luck plays in our lives, the importance of staying the course when the odds are stacked against you, and the need to find one's own way even when it goes against prevailing wisdom.
Cookies do help put a sweeter perspective on things.
The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle is an inventive and heart-warming novel for middle grade readers that is not-to-be-missed. A Sunflower Seed Burger to Christina Uss for this stellar debut. A scoop of Praline Scramble ice cream to Margaret Ferguson on the publication of her maiden novel for her new Holiday House imprint.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: June 5, 2018  Publisher: Margaret Ferguson Books  ISBN: 978-0823440078
]]>
https://www.readingstyle.net/1/feed
www.readingstyle.net
crawl=CC-MAIN-2018-30
99223
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:VOW4FFEG5BV4XCFECDPTXNXESPPEJWGA
<urn:uuid:c81b93cf-caa7-4ff2-a36f-403050a303e1>
2018-07-20T10:51:47Z
199.34.228.132
application/rss+xml
sha1:74O5ELRMM42KPXJG3H6T3XD4ZIMQ5COF
<urn:uuid:c1d4ba52-0f76-4dbd-87c0-b5c26abc4e79>
https://www.readingstyle.net/1/feed
response
<urn:uuid:3a640c47-ca0a-4fe9-bc32-cdb11e617d84>
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-79-230-204.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-30
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for July 2018
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf