Readings

1. Informational - One Proud Penny by Randy Siegel

2. Biography/autobiography - Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille by Jen Bryant, Illustrated by Boris Kulikov

Picture books / Easy Readers 

3. Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

4. Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty, Illustrated by David Roberts

5. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

6. Elephant & Piggie series by Mo Willems [reader] - We are in a Book!

7. Realistic Fiction - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

8. Christian - The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, Translated by J. Alison James

Mystery / Suspense

9. A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket (The Bad Beginning)

10. There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

11. Multicultural & International - Islandborn by Junot Díaz, Illustrated by Leo Espinosa

Romance & Poetry

12. For Every One by Jason Reynolds

13. Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

Fantasy

14. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

15. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Graphic Novels

16. Binky to the Rescue by Ashley Spires

17. Smile by Raina Telgemeier

18. 2x2 Award - Triangle by Mac Barnett 

Caldecott Medal books

19. Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

20. Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

Newbery Medal

21. Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

22. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

23. Lonestar - Bean Stalker and other Hilarious Scary Tales by Kiersten White

24. Pura Belpre - La Princessa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

25. Coretta Scott King - Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

26. LGBTQ - Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

27. SciFi - National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (NERDS) by Michael Buckley, Illustrated by Ethen Beavers

28. Horror - The Witches by Roald Dahl

Simon Vs. the Homosapiens Agenda

Photo credit Amazon.com

“I like no endings,” I say. “I like things that don’t end.” Just like Simon, I did not want this story to end! Simons vs. The Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli is such a funny, endearing, coming of age story that reflects what teens go through today, especially gay teens. This book is the heartwarming story we all need right now! It’s a must read!

The characters the Albertalli has created are absolutely adorable. They are so different and diverse yet come in and out of each other's’ lives in the right moments. Even the parent characters were so unique and fun, but so lovable. For example, his dad says, “Well I’m just going to put this out there, in case the message got lost somewhere. I love you. A lot. No matter what. And I know it’s got to be awesome having the cool dad.” “Ahem” says my mom. “Excuse me the cool parents. The hardcore, badass hipster parents.” Martin who Simon says “I’ve never met a nerd so beloved by the popular kids. I mean, I’m not going to lie. They kind of live to tease him. But there’s no bite to it. It’s like he’s their mascot.” And Blue, “If Blue were a real junior at Creekwood with a locker and a GPA and a Facebook profile, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be telling him anything. I mean he is a real honor at Creekwood I know that. But in a way, he lives in my laptop. It’s hard to explain.” Their relationship is different from the other characters in that they don’t know who each other are and talk through anonymous emails, but you can still tell a lot about Blue from those emails and the conversations that they have.

The dialogue between characters was so endearing and makes the reader feel like they are friends with the characters they are reading about. The way the dialogue can connect to the way the reader is feeling was amazing. For example, when Simon is talking to Leah, he says, “And no, I don’t have that kind of a history with Abby. But that’s what made it easier. There is this huge part of me, and I’m still trying it on. And I don’t know how it fits together. How I fit together. It’s like a new version of me. I just needed someone who could run with that.” I sigh. “But I really wanted to tell you.” How many of us has felt that? It’s so much harder to tell the people we love. The conversations with his sister are funny and lovely and shows the people we love care about us and understand more than we think they will sometimes. Alice says, “I mean, if you have the guts to tell them you’re gay, I should... “You should have the guts to come out as straight.” She cracks a smile “Something like that. You’re funny, bub.” “I try.” The relationships in this story are shown through the dialog between characters, and the dialog also helps tell a lot about the kind of people each character is.

Because this is a novel about high school students, their dialogue sometimes is littered with both sarcasm and figurative language and it’s what makes this book laugh out loud funny and so heartfelt. The way their feelings are sometimes described as a comparison to other things really makes the reader feel, how they feel in a full sensory experience. For example, “Bram was right: people really are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows. And maybe it’s a good thing, the way we never stop surprising each other.” I think the fact that we can see into the souls of others and think we know them is so special, learning something new about someone or seeing them change can be just as spectacular. But sometimes life can be “like a tiny heartbreak. It’s like eleven o’clock on the night of your birthday, when you realize no one’s going to throw you a surprise party after all.” Everyone can relate to that feeling. The most sarcastic figurative language is when Simon is talking about Nick and Abby and he says, “And then she hugs him. Honest to God, he’s like a freaking anime character. I can almost see the hearts popping out of his eyes” This gives the reader such a great and hilarious visual.

While I really enjoyed Simon Vs. the Homosapiens Agenda, I completely disagreed with the way a lot of students started bullying Simon after he came out. For example, a football player coming up and trying to pretend kiss him and then saying someone else wants a turn, or the two guys that had the sign at his rehearsals, “The first guy’s sign says How you doin’ Simon? And the guy in the skirt’s sign says, what what-in the butt!” and the guys are grinding. I know this is a frequent occurrence especially with teens, and i think that is what makes it so incredibly difficult for gay people to come out and be who they really are. I feel like hating and bullying someone just because they love people of the same gender is completely uncalled for. Hate like that is bullying someone for not liking the same pizza toppings as you. We are all different and we can’t control our tastes in food or in love. Society needs to be more accepting and compassionate because who’s to say, “straight is the default?” or even “white is the default?” I think this book being in the point of view of Simon as he is coming out and dealing with all this may help readers build empathy for others who may be going through the same things. I wholeheartedly enjoyed reading this and I give it five out of five stars! I highly recommend this book!

Simon Vs. the Homosapiens Agenda was such a fabulous book! The characters drive this story and become so relatable that you feel as though they have become your friends as well. The dialogue between the characters that encompasses sarcasm and figurative language shows so much of the characters personalities and is so witty and heartfelt, that the reader will both laugh and cry at times, just like in life. This book is a great reflection of life as a teen, especially for gay teens, in today’s society. With Simon’s first person point of view, this book will have you falling in love with Simon and all his friends!

Albertalli, B. (2015). Simon Vs. the Homosapiens Agenda. New York: Balzer + Bray.

Flora & Ulysses

Photo credit katedicammilo.com

“You’re going to vacuum up that squirrel! Holy unanticipated occurrences!” Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K.G. Campbell, is a laugh out loud, heartwarming, adventure that is sure to appeal to readers everywhere! A superhero squirrel, a comic book enthusiast and an unexpected villain, what more could you want? Well, get ready, because there is so much more to this tale!

The detailed illustrations by K.G. Campbell, are delicate and expressive, with moments that underline the humor and the action in the text. Many of the illustrations are in comic-style graphic sequences to highlight Flora’s love for comic books and the super hero Incandesto! The images capture facial expressions particularly well (both human and squirrel) and this provides the readers with a visual experience to bring the text to life. Sometimes the illustrations move the plot line forward as a small section of the story is told through the graphic novel panels, so the details within the illustrations really help tell the story.

The characters that DiCamillo has created are unique and zany, yet endearing. Flora is a self-proclaimed cynic, with her mantra “do not hope, instead observe.” Ulysses is a squirrel, who because of an accident with a vacuum cleaner, is a superhero and can fly and type poetry. William Spiver is, according to him, blind due to a traumatic experience and who lives inside his head and is very philosophical. These three very different characters come together in a hilarious adventure to save their superhero squirrel and discover some things about themselves as they develop and grow through the story. Flora becomes more loving and hopeful as she spends time with Ulysses and his love of the ever expanding universe. Ulysses discovers who he really is and William Spiver discovers that he misses his father and is going through a period of grieving. Together they become what each other needs at this time in their lives.

Throughout this adventure, Flora and Ulysses come across some people who embark on them the wisdom of the world, such as Dr. Meescham, who says, “You must also list among his powers the ability to understand. This is no small thing, to understand.” This is an unexpected insight within a fun adventure about a flying squirrel. Ulysses also speaks wisely within his poetry and sees so much beauty in the world. The most amazing things according to Dr. Meescham is “what I love about life, that things happen which I do not expect.” These unexpected insights bring so much meaning into this fictional tale for readers to discover according to their own experiences and connections to the world. “You open the door because you could not stop hoping that on the other side of it would be the face of someone you love.”

The insights about love and the beauty in the world really connected to my views of the world. Not everything has to be huge to be wonderful. The little unexpected things in life are sometimes the best. The beauty in the small things that Ulysses wrote about such as “Flora’s round head, sprinkles, giant donuts and the ever expanding universe” are some of the things that we may take for granted. Sometimes I can be a cynic like Flora and it takes a good friend to help me see the beauty in the world and not look at the negatives in life. We all face challenges, but there is so much beauty in the world to be thankful for and enjoy. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in Flora and Ulysses! I found their adventures and personalities funny and entertaining and deserving of four out of five stars!

“Holy Bagumba!” as Flora would say, what a great story! DiCamillo has seamlessly blended comic-book elements, a zany cast of characters and unexpected insights to create a thoroughly original, heartwarming tale. This book is unlike any other that I have read before and is completely deserving of the Newbery Award that it received. This action packed, hilarious adventure is sure to keep readers reading and wanting more! I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages!

DiCamillo, K. (2013). Flora & Ulysses. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.  

La Princesa and the Pea

Photo credit Penguin Random House

“The queen has a trick up her sleeve, but el principe just might have one of his own.” La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal is such a fun retelling of the princess and the pea fairy tale. The illustrations are eye catching and the story line is both sweet and humorous with a spanish language tie in to the english story. This story is great for readers of all ages and is sure to become an instant classic within the fairy tale retellings.

The precise language used by the author creates a very rhythmic feel to the picture as though it is poetry in both english and spanish. The words flow together seamlessly, aligning the spanish words with some context within the english language to help the reader create meaning. There is also a glossary for the spanish words within the text to enhance the reader’s understanding. For example:

“The queen ate her treats. The bed was stacked high,

And right when they finished, la nina came by.

“Here is your cama, a place you can sleep.”

“Thanks!” said the girl, “I won’t even count sheep.”

Juana Martinez-Neal has created such detailed illustrations to provide the reader with a full visual experience to match what is going on in the text. These details add an additional layer of fun with the enhanced facial expressions of the background characters, such as the queen’s cat and the prince’s guinea pigs. These characters can be seen as opposites within the story as the guinea pigs are trying to help the prince find a good princess and make sure that the girl he likes passes the test of the queen, and the cat who is just as grumpy as the queen and who is very picky about who the prince marries.

The colors within the illustrations bring so much life to the pages of this story. The colors seem connected to the character’s personality, such as the black angry cat, the dark red dress with all dark colors for the queen and the pastel sweet colors for the lovely girl that the prince wishes to marry. The beautiful different colors of each mattress that the princess is going to sleep on displays just how tall and how many mattresses are stacked on top of the pea. The colors also pop from the neutral background of the light tan rocks or gray castle walls. The colors really draw the reader’s eyes to what is important within the story.

La Princesa and the Pea drew me in with the beautiful illustrations. I remember reading this story as a child and this is such a unique and fun retelling of a classic story! It was beautifully recreated and highly entertaining. I felt like a big theme within this picture book was that you can’t help who you love. While your parents may want what's best for you, your heart may want something else. I think everyone needs to follow their heart and do what’s best for themselves just like the prince did when he sabotaged his mother’s test so that he would be able to marry the girl that he loved. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it for classrooms to add in their fairy tale units! Kids of all ages can enjoy this retelling and it is great for a compare and contrast of fairy tale retellings or a unit on fairy tales from certain parts of the world as this has a South American influence.

Susan Middleton Elya has created a wonderful addition to the fairy tale retellings. This book  is fun, unique in that it adds in spanish words within the text and puts a spin on the traditional tale. Readers will love the precise, rhythmic language that creates a nursery rhyme feel, the beautiful detailed illustrations where sometimes the queen’s cat steals the scene, and the wonderful warm colors that help enhance the setting and reflect the personality of the characters to bring this story to life! La Princesa and the Pea will become a well loved classic fairy tale retelling that all readers can enjoy!

Elya, S. E. (2017). La Princesa and the Pea. New York: C.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Interrupting Chicken

Photo credit Penguin Random House

“This book is called Interrupting Chicken, right Papa? Yes. Now please don’t interrupt the story!” Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein is such a fun book that every bedtime story reader can relate to. Little Red Chicken just can’t resist jumping into the stories to save her favorite characters!

Stein’s illustrations depict the action and interruptions of Little Red Chicken jumping right out of the fairy tales that his Papa is reading. This moves the plot along and adds humor to the story. It creates the true sense of the interruptions within each story. The illustrations also depict the character’s point of view. The smooth illustrations show how the father is reading the story and how he wants to get Little Red Chicken to go to bed and relax, yet the excited Crayola illustrations show Little Red Chicken’s excitement and how he feels about the stories he is hearing.

The texture of the illustrations go back and forth between the rough childlike Crayola drawings and the more smooth, detailed illustrations to create the story. The texture of the illustrations helps create the mood of the story where the smooth illustrations are the calm bedtime story that Papa is telling Little Red Chicken. On the other hand, the rough childlike Crayola illustrations show excitement every time Little Red Chicken interrupts.  

The illustrations also reinforce the text within the storyline, as the reader can visualize the story right along with reading it. The two different types of illustrations also reinforce which character is telling the story or speaking in the story as the Little Red Chicken interrupts the story we see him jumping out of the fairy tale picture book that his Papa is reading.

I personally feel a connection between the Little Red Chicken and myself when it comes to interrupting stories or talking out loud to the characters in the stories to try to keep them safe. I feel so invested in stories that I don’t want bad things to happen to my favorite characters, just like Little Red Chicken shouted “Don’t go in! She’s a witch!” to Hansel and Gretel, or “Don’t talk to strangers!” to Little Red Riding Hood. I wholeheartedly enjoyed Interrupting Chicken and found Little Red Chicken to be endearing and completely invested in his Papa’s stories. I really enjoyed this story and kids always love all the interruptions. I give this four out of five stars!

Interrupting Chicken is a fun, hilarious picture book that is even better when it is read aloud! With its amazing illustrations that reinforce the text for young readers, create texture between the two types of illustrations that depict the action in the story. The hilarious interruptions by the Little Red Chicken cause giggles galore and shows young children how it feels when they shout during read alouds during their story times.

Stein, D. E. (2010). Interrupting Chicken. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

NERDS

Photo credit Abrams Books

“You have accessed the physical enhancement protocol of the National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society. Prepare for upgrade. Code name, please? NERDS. It’s an unfortunate acronym.” NERDS by Michael Buckley is a hilarious science fiction middle grade novel that will put you right into the action! Stumbling upon a secret society in your school and being turned into an robotic spy is just as much fun as it sounds, but be careful, if you get caught in the guards sights, you’ll be “cooked like a Hot Pocket.”

The narrator in NERDS tells the story in 3rd person point of view, but does it in transmissions from secret spy files, which adds dimension to the story. There are times during these transmissions that the narrator talks directly to the reader for special spy clearances. For example, “Still here, huh? I would have bet money that your little belly couldn’t handle all the excitement. Well you’re braver than I thought. Eager for more? Good. Please place you eye on the retinal scanner. I’m waiting pal. I know you didn’t do it. Level 3 access granted. See how easy it is when you cooperate? Begin transmission:” This interaction between the reader and the narrator adds humor and engagement to make readers feel like they are a part of the story.

Buckley has so much character development and grown within the novel that it makes the characters well rounded and relatable. We can all relate to making friends and feeling like an outcast, but it’s how we treat people that matters and Jackson has to learn this. “Ashamed, Jackson looked across the lawn at his teammates, and for the first time he wasn’t annoyed that they didn’t want to be his friend. He suddenly understood. He didn’t deserve their friendship.” While Jackson made strides in his character development, the relationship between him and his brother Chaz also developed as the story went along. “I’ve been a total jerk to you. Chaz said. Jackson shrugged. If it wasn’t for your insults, I wouldn’t have anyone speaking to me at all. They talked for hours. Mostly about their father, but also about how much they missed their mom, and about how much their dad had changed since she died.”  Grief had changed them all and in a way after they dealt with it and navigated through the hard times, it brought them closer and developed them in ways they never imagined.

While this is a science fiction novel, there were some unexpected insights into life, that I think kids at this age need to really think about. Instead of all action and spy missions, the characters had to learn how to rely on each other but also how people may not always be what you think. “That's your problem, Braceface. You judge others by what they look like. You’ve spent your life putting people into little categories - nerd, geek, athlete, cheerleader, weakling - and you can’t imagine they might be more than what you think. People are always more than what they appear.” I think for us, as people, we want things to fit in nice little boxes, but people and the world are so much more than that.

Buckley takes a look at good vs. evil in NERDS like most science fiction novels, there is a battle between good and evil, but there is also moral dilemmas that the characters face. For example the assassin, Hyena, has a hard time killing a job she is on because her target’s daughter appears and reminds her of herself and her father, so she can’t kill him. Jackson also has a moral dilemma that appears when his actions are shown as being a bully and he sees how that impacts others. Our morals and how we treat people are so important to how we can make the world a better place. The NERDS are there to save the world, and their actions should reflect that. I found NERDS to be so much fun! It was highly entertaining, hilarious, and a wonderfully told story from two different perspectives. I give this 4 out of 5 stars!

NERDS is a fun, action packed, adventure! With its wonderful character development, reader engagement from the narrator in a unique story structure, and unexpected insights, this book has something for everyone. This is a hilarious middle grade novel that is sure to engage readers and keep them laughing all the way through. Make sure you get your level clearances to access these top secret National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society files.

Long Way Down

Photo credit Simon and Schuster

“This rickety thing has always moved slow, Buck said, grinning. Yeah, but this is ridiculous, I replied, palms wetting. Might as well relax, Buck said.

It’s a long

                        Way    

                                    Down."

In a matter of one elevator ride, 60 seconds to be exact, how would seeing everyone you love, everyone who died by gun violence, in an elevator with you on your way to avenge your brother’s death? Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is a powerful novel in verse taking in all the different aspects and perspectives of a death by gun violence.

The precision of Reynolds’ word choices make a powerful impact on the reader. The words that mean something in the beginning come back later along the elevator ride to make both the reader and Will, the main character, think about what happened and about what he is about to do and what he remembers about each person he meets. For example when he meets Dani his childhood best friend,

“Gunshots

Like firecrackers

Coming from everywhere,

Dani said her body burned

And all she wanted to do was

Jump outside of herself,

Swing to somewhere else

Like we pretended to do

On monkey bars.”

This poem takes him and the reader back to the playground where his brother taught him how to backflip off the monkey bars and how he taught Dani and then when it happened. These powerful word choices completely pull at the reader’s heart and keep the reader turning the page.

The figurative language that Reynolds uses creates a full sensory feeling for the reader, pulling them into the story and not letting them go. With each page the words seems to create a feeling, a sense about what was going to happen, and a connection to the pain, the fear, the anger and grief that is felt by those who lose someone. For example:

“A noise from the hallway

My mother,

Stumbling to the bathroom,

Her sobs leading the way.”

“SLEEP

Ran from me

For what seemed

Like forever,

Hid from me

Like I used to hide

From Shawn

Before finally

Peeking out from

Behind pain.”

The composition of text that Reynolds creates within each poem creates powerful images that connect the reader to a visual of what Will is seeing. The creation of images with the words themselves makes the impact of the words more powerful. For example,

“Ive never been

In an        earthquake

Don’t        know if this was

Even        close to how they

Are,       but the ground

Defi     nitely felt like

It o     pened up

And      ate me.”

The way the words are broken apart like the ground opens up in an earthquake is visually engaging and draws the reader into the story. Or the way he makes words display the visual he’s describing such as:

“At the elevator…

White light

Surrounded the

Black arrow.

Down

Down

Down Down Down

Down Down

Down”

I could not put this book down! It was incredibly moving and passionate and meaningful. I connected with the way Reynolds displayed the different perspectives and aspects of everyone who is affected by gun violence. While the rules said to get revenge, not everyone thinks about how that revenge will just continue to light the spark towards revenge upon them or what happens if they get revenge on the wrong person. So many people are affected by gun violence daily and there needs to be more light on the impact this violence has on so many different people than those who were murdered. Each person has a story and each person is affected in different ways, but everyone is affected by gun violence and I think more people need to look beyond revenge and how this just continues. I think this is a must read for everyone. It’s a powerful read that deserves the awards and honors its received. I give Long Way Down five out of five stars and highly recommend it.

Jason Reynolds has a way with words and this free form novel in verse is the perfect display of his writing! The way he integrates figurative language into the poems to provide the reader with a full sensory experience in connection with the composition of words in the shapes and breaks to create a visual experience for the reader shows the masterful precision in his word choices to enhance the experience of the reader. It was captivating, stunning, heartbreaking and a necessary read to shed light on the hurt and the cycle of gun violence.  

Reynolds, J. (2017). Long Way Down. New York: Atheneum.

Triangle

Photo credit MacBarnett.com

Triangle by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen is a fun take on a shapes book! The illustrations connect the reader to the shapes, yet there is a fun story line that goes with it. Triangle is a simple yet engaging picture book, that can help teach children about the shape of the triangle. Plus, if you like sneaky tricks that are sure to make you laugh, then this book is for you!

Klassen does an excellent job creating illustrations that depict the action within the plot line! The reader can see exactly how the triangle and square move across their town and to each others’ same shape houses! The different background rocks really depict the movement of the characters in a simple yet efficient way. Then the movement stops at the climax of the story, and the illustration depicts no movement, but from the character’s faces you can see the tension.

The simple straight lines really enhance the way the reader can tell the shapes, square and triangle as they move across rocks that are the same shape. The characters themselves are also in the same straight simple lines to connect the reader to those shapes. The lines also depict some of the movement in the illustrations by creating longer and shorter lines across the page as the triangle and square move.

The illustrations do so much to reinforce the text to both connect young readers to the names of the shapes and their illustration, but also showing them the story that they are hearing being read aloud, or for some starting to read. When it says, “He walked past small triangles and medium triangles and big triangles” the reader can see the rocks in the shapes of small triangles, then medium triangles, and then big triangles. This helps enforce the shape of the triangle, but also the sizes.

Triangle is such a fun read, especially for the little readers! When I read this out loud to the kindergartner I babysit, he loved it! Afterwards he went around saying “I will play my sneaky trick. Just like triangle.” So having tricks played on me is something I can personally connect with in this story! I found this to be a highly entertaining read, and the illustrations were different than most picture books about shapes. While it is simple, I found it to be engaging and deserving of four out of five stars!

Barnett and Klassen have created a great book for emerging readers! This one definitely deserves to be on the Texas 2x2 list! It’s illustrations reinforce the text, encompass simple lines to draw the reader’s eye in and depict the action and movement in the story! Any reader will be able to follow along with this book. I can’t wait to read the others in the shape trilogy!

Barnett, M. (2017). Triangle. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.