This is a sweet book written in verse about the Muslim celebration of Ramadan. I first learned about Ramadan from one of my neighbors in Forest Grove, Oregon back in 2001. I believe my neighbor was pregnant at the time, and the idea of fasting from dawn to dusk was astonishing to me. Iman (my beautiful neighbor) was cheerful about it though. I wish I had this book back then to help me understand all that was celebrated and looked forward to with henna patterns on hands, Eid day and an increased focus on charity, sharing, praying and giving.

Ramadan Moon is a rich and comprehensive picture book that reaches out to share some of the treasured beliefs of Muslim families everywhere. I love the collage enhancements on the illustrations. Well done!

Sometime after 10 a.m. on this shivery-cold and windy Chicago morning, seven men gathered in a nondescript garage warehouse on Clark Street.
Most of them were wearing hats and coats against the chill of the nearly empty warehouse as they waited, maybe for a big shipment of smuggled whiskey, maybe for a special meeting. These were no Boy Scouts. All had ties to a criminal gang run by George “Bugs” Moran […]. Most of them had done some jail time. […]
On the snow-dusted street outside, a black Cadillac with a police gong, siren, and gun rack—the type usually driven by police detectives—pulled up to the curb. Four or five men emerged, two dressed like police officers, and went into the warehouse. Seeing the “officers” and apparently thinking local cops were conducting a routine alcohol raid, the seven men inside lined up against the back wall and put their hands in the air.
They were still in that vulnerable position when two machine guns started firing. (1-2)

So begins Karen Blumenthal’s book about the Prohibition movement. Tracing back forty-five years to the very beginnings of the push against alcohol, Blumenthal creates a thorough account of how the 18th Amendment was added to the Constitution. After its enactment in 1919, the nation spent over a decade fighting against people who continued to traffic and sell what had become an illegal substance. With no clear way or agency willing to enforce the new law, a growing industry evolved in distributing alcohol. As public and political opinion shifted sides, the push began to repeal the law that was meant to save the nation from lawlessness.

I’d heard rave reviews of this book from multiple journals, and the sub-title gives the impression of a story of corruption that would rival the Sopranos or the Godfather. While Blumenthal does an admirable job presenting the history of the amendment and stays relatively neutral (there are some slips), it’s not the gang bang, violence filled account that you expect by the title. Besides the opening account of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (which is mentioned again later on) and some actions by Al Capone that are added almost as asides, less than 25% of the book covers the era the amendment was in affect, much less the deadly aspects of that decade.

Mostly detailing the campaigns to first invoke and then revoke the amendment, it also brings to light the audacity of the public to flaunt the system, as Blumenthal writes:

In grocery and department stores, packages of dehydrated grapes were sold with labels that read something like this: “WARNING! If the contents of this package are added to 5 gallons of water, 5 lbs. of sugar, and 1 cake of yeast, the result will be an intoxicating beverage which is illegal in the United States.” A brick of grape concentrate, customers were told, shouldn’t be put in a jug, corked, and set in a dark place for three weeks or shaken once a day because—hint, hint—it would turn into wine. (82)

It’s those little “winks” that make me question or objectivity towards the subject, but as I said she presented quite a bit more background information than most books on the subject contain.

Abundant black and white pictures give readers a window into life during the late 1800s and early 1900s. An extremely thorough bibliography and source notes also follow the text, however most of the books appear quite old based on their copyright dates, and I wonder how easily accessible they are to readers looking for more information. Since the book is being recommended for teenage audiences, I also would have appreciated some sort of indication as to which sources were appropriate for that age group. The inclusion of a timeline in the accompanying material would have also been nice.

Overall it appears to be a well researched book about Prohibition, good for projects but probably not so appealing to the merely curious.

Sir Cumference and the Viking’s Map
by Cindy Neuschwander (Author) and Wayne Geehan (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Xaxon Yellowbearyd was the fiercest Viking warrior of his time. Now a map to his hidden treasure lies in Radius’s and Per’s hands. Together the cousins must decode the strange numbered grid on the map-and figure out the secret of the Viking’s X and Y axes. As bungling bandits pursue them, Radius and Per use coordinate geometry in their quest for “treasure of the greatest measure.”

Snippet: “We’re well and truly lost,” Per said to her cousin, Radius. “How I wish we had a map.”
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Come share your link!

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Chapter Book of the Day

Self-Portrait With Seven Fingers
by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen (Authors) and Marc Chagall (Illustrator)
40 pages

Booktalk: A biography in free verse, penned by J. Patrick Lewis, the 2011 Children’s Poet Laureate, and Jane Yolen, “the Hans Christian Andersen of America,” with paintings by Marc Chagall on every spread, this collection of fourteen poems is aptly named, as to do something “with seven fingers” is a Yiddish expression meaning to do something well or adroitly. Notes for each painting explain the vocabulary as well as Chagall’s art and personal history.

Snippet:
Paris Through the Window (J. Patrick Lewis)
My window opens to you, Paris!
Inhabit my brushes, dine on my canvas.
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Wild Rose Reader.

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Nonfiction Monday on May 7, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on May 7, 2012

is at The Swimmer Writer.

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Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Today’s the 16th anniversary of El día de los niños/El día de los libros, Children’s Day/Book Day

Lola Reads to Leo
by Anna McQuinn (Author) and Rosalind Beardshaw (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Lola becomes a big sister in her latest story celebrating books and reading. From potty time to bath time to nap time, Lola knows just the right book to read to baby Leo.

Snippet:
Lola and her mommy read together a lot.
Lola chooses stories the baby will like.

BONUS! See the Día Celebrations video!
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Picture Book of the Day

Minette’s Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat
by Susanna Reich (Author) and Amy Bates (Illustrator)

Booktalk:This biography introduces the iconic American chef Julia Child to a new audience of young readers through the story of her spirited cat, Minette, whom Julia adopted when living in Paris. While Julia is in the kitchen learning to master delicious French dishes, the only feast Minette is truly interested in is that of fresh mouse! This lively story is complete with an author’s note, a bibliography, and actual quotations from Julia Child and comes just in time for the 100th anniversary of her birth. (It’s the first-ever children’s book about the beloved chef.)

Snippet: Minette Mimosa McWilliams Child was a very lucky cat, perhaps the luckiest cat in all of Paris.

And now a interview with author Susanna Reich. Her awards include the NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor, Tomás Rivera Award, International Latino Book Award, ALA Notable, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, and Best Books of the Year honors from School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, Scripps-Howard, and the Association of Booksellers for Children.

Q. When did you start writing?

A. I started writing children’s books in the early 1990’s, but I’d done other kinds of writing before that. My first published article was actually about Polynesian dance. I have a B.F.A. in Dance from N.Y.U.’s Tisch School of the Arts and had done some graduate work in Dance Ethnology at the University of Hawaii, so the subject came naturally.

After dancing in New York for a few years, I switched careers and worked as a florist. Before long I was writing about floral design. I published an article about wedding bouquets in Bride’s magazine, and another about the flower arrangements I created for Julia Child’s 80′th birthday party.

By the early 90’s, I was married and had a young child. My husband, Gary Golio, and I  were reading a lot of picture books. We were also studying T’ai Chi with the children’s book illustrator Ed Young, who often talked about his work and about the world of children’s books. I became more and more intrigued and began to experiment with picture book texts. I joined SCBWI , went to conferences, submitted manuscripts – and got lots of rejections.

It seemed like everyone was trying to write picture books (this was before the current YA craze), so I figured it would be easier to break in with something different, like nonfiction. My local children’s librarian told me there was a need for biographies of women, and my mother, a music historian, suggested Clara Schumann. At first I said, “Oh, Mom, that’s your thing!” Then I thought about it and realized it was a good idea. I worked on a biography of Clara for about three years before selling it. That became my first book, Clara Schumann: Piano Virtuoso.

Q.  Describe your writing process.

A. Most of my books are biographies, so my process begins with figuring out who to write about. Since Gary also writes biography, this is something we talk about a lot!

A subject has to meet several criteria. First, it has to be someone with whom I want to spend a lot of time, someone whose work interests me and has had a significant cultural impact. Second, there has to be sufficient source material. Third, and perhaps most importantly, I have to be able to find an angle that will interest young readers.

Once I’ve chosen a subject, the research begins. I read the adult biographies on the subject and study the subject’s work by visiting museums, listening to CDs, watching videos, going to performances. I pay special attention to primary sources – like personal letters, memoirs, photographs, archival newspapers – to ensure accuracy and to find good quotes. I also read background material to get a feel for the historical context – for example, Mexican history and dance history for José! Born to Dance, and Native American tribes and languages for Painting the Wild Frontier. Researching Julia Child was especially fun because I got to read cookbooks and try recipes. I even researched the history of cat food!

As I research, I take extensive notes and begin to formulate the book’s structure. I’m looking for that child-friendly angle and developing a narrative thread for my story. If it’s a book for which I’ll be providing images, I’m doing illustration research at the same time.

Only once I’ve completely immersed myself in the person’s life and times, and feel like I know the person really well, do I begin to write. At that point, the words flow pretty easily, though I do a lot of revising as I go. I’m very attentive to details of structure and style, and tend to write and rewrite until I’m satisfied. Of course, after the manuscript is sold I get editorial feedback, and then there’s more writing and revising.

Q. Tell us about your latest book.

A. I come from a family that loves to cook and eat, and I’d wanted to write a picture book about Julia Child for a long time. The challenge was to find the right approach. I didn’t want to just write about how Julia Child learned to cook boeuf bourguignon.

Then I read that Julia was a cat lover who got her first cat, Minette, when she and her husband, Paul, lived in Paris. Minette ate Julia’s leftovers, but there were also mice in the apartment. Now, I’ve lived with cats my whole life, and I know that no matter what you give them to eat, you can’t compete with fresh mouse—even if you’re Julia Child! So that became the premise for Minette’s Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat. I didn’t have to invent any of the anecdotes about Minette or any of the dialogue. All of the quotes in the book are things Julia actually wrote in her memoirs and letters.

I’ve never had so much fun writing a book. Julia was a joyful, enthusiastic, energetic person with a great sense of humor. I tried to channel that into Minette’s Feast. And Amy Bates’ illustrations are perfect. They’re both historically accurate (we worked on that a lot!) and full of feeling, and they really capture the look of Paris in the late 1940’s, as well as Julia’s warmth and personality.

BONUS! We’re celebrating the launch of the book with a giveaway, courtesy of Abrams. Readers can enter to win a free, signed book by sending an email with the subject line “Minette’s Feast giveaway” to susanna@susannareich.com. Winners will be selected on May 31.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 30 – Booktalking - interview with Susanna

Tuesday, May 1 – Books Together - interview with Amy

Wednesday, May 2 – Tales from the Rushmore Kid - interview with Susanna’s cat

Thursday, May 3 – The Fourth Musketeer - interview with Susanna

Friday, May 4 – Original Content - review and discussion of creative nonfiction

Sunday, May 6 – Great Kid Books - guest post by Susanna about reading as a child

Monday, May 7 – Shelf-Employed - interview with Abrams art director Chad Beckerman

Tuesday, May 8 – Readerkidz - “Dear Reader” guest post by Susanna
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Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is GatheringBooks

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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012

Seymour Simon booktalks Butterflies

on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…

Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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Literary Link

Need a great Mother’s Day gift?
May 2-June 20 (online) children’s book writing workshops begin this Wednesday!

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STEM Haiku

Share your own haiku about a STEM topic on this last day National Poetry Month.

(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

30 in 30: a body of work
thirty poems in
thirty days: one poem a
day–isn’t math grand!
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

A Leaf Can Be . . .
by Laura Purdie Salas (Author) and Violeta Dabija (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Find out about the many roles leaves play in this poetic exploration of leaves throughout the year.

Snippet:
A leaf can be a …
Soft cradle
Water ladle

**Laura is one of my former students!**

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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by The Opposite of Indifference.

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Chapter Book of the Day

Explore Simple Machines! With 25 Great Projects
by Anita Yasuda (Author)
96 pages

Booktalk: Investigating the common contraptions that make so much possible—from zippers and rolling pins to catapults and the pyramids—this book encourages kids to look differently at the numerous objects in everyday life. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the six straightforward implements that are at the core of daily activity: levers, inclined planes, pulleys, screws, wedges, and wheels and axles. Using only discarded items from the recycling bin, this guide harnesses kid-power by inviting young readers to build gadgets of their own design, including a working crane, a drawbridge, a car made of fruit peels, and an actual whirligig.

Snippet: Simple machines are all around you. They are in your home, your school, and your park. They are used in sports. They are used in games you play, even in board games. Simple machines can even be found in your body!

**Anita is one of my former students!**

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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

come share your link or a STEM haiku of your own!

_____________________________________________________________________

STEM Haiku

simple machines
pulley, screw, wedge and
wheel, planes and axles too
simple, but mighty
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Literary Link

Bank Street/SLJ Unveil Children’s Choice Award for Best STEM Picture Book

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Nonfiction Monday on April 30, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on April 30, 2012

is at GatheringBooks.

_____________________________________________________________________

Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

The first time I heard the name Knucklehead, it wasn’t being used as a particularly good name. I think it was my dad, finding that his toast tasted like melted green plastic army man, who first asked the question, “What Knucklehead put an army man in the toaster?”
The answer was Jim. He was trying to get one of his riflemen to aim a little higher. But that didn’t seem like the best answer. So Jim, me, Tom, Greg, Brian, and Jeff all said, “I don’t know.”
Over the years, there were a lot more questions. (105)

Since he grew up in Flint Michigan, I tend to count Jon Scieszka as one of “our” authors, even if he doesn’t live in the state anymore. So I have a soft spot for his work and his accomplishments. His autobiography of his time in Michigan growing up as one of six brothers is a laughable account. Proof that biographies don’t have to be about stuffy old dead people, Scieszka instead relates tales of boyish high-jinks like making money by charging your siblings and friends for various things, getting in trouble for using bad words, and all aspects of sibling rivalry and one-upmanship including Halloween costumes, grades, and sharing your room.

This is one of my go-to books for parents who are serving as guest readers in the upper elementary schools. Filled with dozens of very short stories, most kids and especially the boys find quite a bit to laugh about, and parents can read as many or as few as necessary to fill their time slot. Teachers and librarians should take a look too.

Seabird in the Forest
by Joan Dunning (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: Until the 1970s, no one knew where the marbled murrelet laid its eggs. The little bird seemed to live entirely at sea.

Snippet: For thousands of years murrelet chicks have simply waited, all alone, high above the forest floor, waited for their paernts to return each day with a little silver fish…waited a whole month to grow up…and so will this one.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Seeing Red: The True Story of Blood
by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (Author) and Steve Rolston (Illustrator)
122 pages

Booktalk: Gory and fascinating (and if you’re a vampire, delicious) blood is at the heart of human life. Take a stab at understanding this vital fluid via a mix of science, history, pop culture, and even cookery.

Snippet: Today the average grade four student probably understands more about blood than the world’s most educated doctor did 500 years ago. Back then, blood was seen as one of many important but mysterious boldily fluids–something doctors tried to measure and regulate.
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Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Books 4 Learning

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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012

Ginger Wadsworth shares activities for First Girl Scout: The Life of Juliette Gordon Low

on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…

Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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STEM Haiku

In honor of National Poetry Month, we invite you to share an original STEM haiku.

(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Share your original STEM haiku at the new STEM Friday blog.

Earth Day
We celebrate Earth
Day once a year, but each day
we live is Earth Day.
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings
by Douglas Florian (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: Come inside the honeycomb—a busy, buzzy, bee-filled home—and learn about the unexpected wonders of these tiny insects’ lifestyles, families, and communities.

Snippet:
Bee-coming
From egg I hatch in just three days,
Bee-ginning my new larval phase.
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

come share your link or a STEM haiku of your own!

_____________________________________________________________________

Chapter Book of the Day

Under the Mesquite
by Guadalupe Garcia Mccall (Author)
224 pages

Booktalk: When Lupita learns Mami has cancer, she is terrified by the possibility of losing her mother, the anchor of her close-knit family. Suddenly, being a high school student, starring in a play, and dealing with friends who don’t always understand, become less important than doing whatever she can to save Mami’s life.

Snippet:
But lately Mami’s changed.
A thorny mesquite has sprouted
in the middle of her rose garden.
Even after she has pulled it out
by its roots repeatedly,
pricking herself on its thorns each time,
it keeps growing back.
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Random Noodling.

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STEM Haiku

sunrise, sunset
sunrise, sunset, and
the world turns around and
does it again…sunrise…
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Nonfiction Monday on April 23, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on April 23, 2012

is at Books 4 Learning.

_____________________________________________________________________

Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Bambino and Mr. Twain
by Priscilla Maltbie (Author) and Daniel Miyares (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Grieving the death of his wife, America’s favorite author and humorist shuts himself up in his Fifth Avenue house and abandons his writing. Only his daughter’s cantankerous cat, Bambino, seems to understand Samuel Clemens and his moods. When the feisty cat disappears, Sam is determined to find him

Snippet: “Everyone wants to meet witty Mark Twain,” the man said. “But tell me, Bambino, would they want to meet sad, old Samuel Clemens?”
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Chapter Book of the Day

The Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology
by Don Nardo (Author)
64 pages

Booktalk: Discover the exploits of all-powerful Zeus, leader of the Olympians, the mightiest of all the gods. Relive the excitement of the Titanomachy, the colossal War of the Titans. See what motivated the gods and goddesses, and encounter the ultimate winners and losers in Greek mythology’s incredible battles.

Snippet: The ancient Greeks who lived between about 800 BC and 300 BC believed that the gods they worshipped had interacted with select humans during a period of the distant past. They called it the Age of Heroes.
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Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is The Nonfiction Detectives

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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012

Susan Stockdale booktalks Bring On the Birds

on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…

Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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STEM Haiku

In honor of National Poetry Month, we invite you to share an original STEM haiku.

(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Share your original STEM haiku at the new STEM Friday blog.

byte-sized mail
emails fly across
cyberspace, ones and zeroes
become written words
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Kidlitosphere
Cyberspace is a
lovely place to meet with friends
and talk about books!
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is here!

Add your post to the round-up by clicking on the link below. Please write the title of your poem or book (in parentheses) after your name so Mr. Linky makes a hotlink for it. I’ll post the links on this page as the day goes on. Thanks!

Here’s what the kidlitosphere is reading and writing this week…

1.Kate Coombs’ Mud at 30 Poets/30 Days
2. Gathering Books (A Love Poem from Marguerite Burnat- Provins)
3. Children’s Poem “The Daffodil Dance” by Deborah Diesen
4. No Water River “Hydrophobiac” by Laura Purdie Salas
5. Julie Larios (Seamus Heaney’s Birthday!)
6. Tabatha (Progressive Poem and Fictional Faves)
7.Alice@ Supratentorial (Mathematickles)
8. Mary Lee (CAKE- KU–a cake pop haiku)
9. Liz Steinglass (Chippy Chap)
10. Tara@ ATeaching Life
11. Robyn Hood Black’s “Haiku Mind” at Author Amok
12.Laura Salas (crab haiku)
13. Laura Salas (15 Words or Less poems)
14. Robyn Hood Black (- Laura Purdie Salas and BOOKSPEAK)
15. Charlotte’s Library (A Little Bitty Man)
16. Shannon @ Mountaineer Country
17. Hope Is the Word (Laura Ingalls Wilder fairy poems)
18. Linda (an inspirational poem)
19. jama (Adele Kenny’s “Chosen Ghosts”)
20. A mathematical septina and an original sestina at Write. Sketch. Repeat.
21. Diane Mayr (“Sometimes in Spring”)
22. Kids of the Homefront Army (“ The Train”)
23. Kurious Kitty (Renga)
24. KK’s Kwotes (Robert Frost)
25. Linda Baie (original poem)
26. Ruth (original poem)
27. Heidi Mordhorst (Ken Slesarik’s Poetry Rocks! e-book)
28. Teaching Authors guest post by Helen Frost featuring her poem “ Friend”
29. Dori Reads (Don’t Be Flip)
30. Charles Ghigna (“ Over Herd”)
31. violet (“V is for…”)
32. Sara Lewis Holmes (Book with Wings)
33. Amy LV (LBH Birthday Party!)
34. Karen Edmisten (John Updike)
35. Reader KidZ (Kate Coombs Author- In- Residence)
36. Sylvia Vardell (Hoyte & Roemer Interview)
37. Wild Rose Reader (MOLE: An Original Animal Mask Poem)
38. Jone (Renee LaTulipe poem)
39. Jone (zombie poems)
40. Jeannine Atkins (The Poetry Teacher’s Book of Lists by Syliva Vardell)
41. Books 4 Learning (Science Verse)
42. david e (twitku roundup wk 2)
43. Lynn Plourde (Reading and Writing Ear Candy)
44. Thinking in Rhyme (Spot the Superstitions)
45.Kristie Hamilton (The Adventures of Babadooga: Back to Big)
46. On Point (Twenty- Seven Years)
47. readertotz (Water Sings Blue)
48. Jennie from Biblio File (Under the Mesquite)
49. Carlie from Twinkling Along (an original spring poem)
50. Betsy (Morning Greeting)
51. Janet (Lemonade and other poems squeezed from a single word)
52. Mainely Write (L is for Leaf)
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Picture Book of the Day

T is for Titanic: A Titanic Alphabet
by Debbie & Michael Shoulders (Authors) and Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen (Illustrator)

Booktalk: At 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912, the fate of the world’s most famous ship was sealed when the lookout on the luxury liner, RMS Titanic, spotted an iceberg in the ship’s path in the North Atlantic. By 2 am, the ship had started its slide into the frigid waters, carrying close to 1,500 people to a watery grave.

Snippet: A is for the Anatomy of the Titanic

The RMS Titanic
included ten decks in all.
it was the world’s largest
moving object at 175 feet tall!

BONUS! Download the teacher’s guide!
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Chapter Book of the Day

A Funeral in the Bathroom: and Other School Bathroom Poems
by Kalli Dakos (Author) and Mark Beech (Illustrator)
48 pages

Booktalk: The school bathrooom is a place where kids meet their friends, go to think when a pet has died, or just to take a break from it all.

Snippet:
Germs
It was about germs…that TV show.
The bathroom has a zillion, you know.
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

come share your link or a STEM haiku of your own!

_____________________________________________________________________

Nonfiction Monday on April 16, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on April 16, 2012

is at The Nonfiction Detectives.

_____________________________________________________________________

Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Earth Day Every Day
by Lisa Bullard (Author) and Xiao Xin (Illustrator)

Booktalk: On Earth Day, we find ways to help the Earth. Trina plants trees with her class. She forms an Earth Day club with her friends. What can you do to make every day Earth Day? Do your part to be a planet protector!

Snippet:
Mom says people should clean up their own messes.
Earthlings made this Earth a mess.
So we Earthlings should fix it.
It’s a job for everyone.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Scheduling Smarts: How to Get Organized, Prioritize, Manage Your Time, and More
by Sandy Donovan (Author)
64 pages

Booktalk: Time management. It’s a challenge for everyone. Between homework, family life, friendships, and after-school activities, most teens feel overscheduled and stressed out. But did you know you can create a ‘time budget’ to help you manage your list of to-dos? Or that identifying your priorities is a great first step toward getting your crazy schedule under control?

Snippet: Ever heard the expression, “Time is money?” People use this phrase to describe how valuable time is. What they’re really saying is, “Treat your time like money, because you’ll never feel as if you have enough of it.” In fact, this saying is true in more ways than one. Time is valuable, and you do need to budget it just like you budget money.
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Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Ana’s NonFiction Blog

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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012

Deborah Hopkinson booktalks Titanic: Voices From the Disaster

on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…

Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

_____________________________________________________________________

STEM Haiku

In honor of National Poetry Month, we invite you to share an original STEM haiku.

(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Share your original STEM haiku at the new STEM Friday blog.

pruning the roses
I cut the old canes
away, and new ones grew back
fuller and stronger.
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
_____________________________________________________________________

Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

These Bees Count!
by Alison Formento (Author) and Sarah Snow (Illustrator)

Booktalk: As the children in Mr. Tate’s class listen, they use science and math to learn how bees work to produce honey and make food and flowers grow.

Snippet:
One by one, we zip up high,
buzzing through
the bright blue sky.
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Read, Write, Howl

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Chapter Book of the Day

Saving Animals from Oil Spills (Rescuing Animals from Disasters)
by Stephen Person (Author)
32 pages

Booktalk: When disaster strikes, people aren’t the only ones in danger. On April 20, 2010, an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. See how the animals were affected…

Snippet: As much as two and a half million gallons (9.4 million liters) of oil flowed from the broken pipe into the Gulf of Mexico every day. Scientists knew that the Gulf’s wildlife was in serious danger.
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STEM Haiku

Night Sky
Venus, Jupiter
and Mars, I see you at dusk
shining on the moon.
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Come visit the new STEM Friday blog – and add YOUR link!

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Nonfiction Monday on April 9, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on April 9, 2012

is at Ana’s NonFiction Blog.

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My NEW chapter book is Just So, Brianna (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

I highly recommend this for anyone interested in illustration, young or old. It’s full of great pointers and practical advice. Even my five year old could use some of these pointers, even though he’s not the one interested in illustration. He was in tears today over his homework- he had to draw a picture of his favorite television show, which is Wild Kratts. He was very unhappy with his picture. It wasn’t perfect- the hair, in his distraught opinion looked like birthday candles on a cake instead of spikes. I did try to tell him that even professionals make sketches and mess up a lot and start over. He didn’t want to believe me. They could mess up, but he wanted to be perfect. Without practice. Hmm. That would be kind of nice. I’d sign up for that ability any day.

But, since that’s not likely to happen, I decided to take an illustration class this summer from Julie Oleson. I’m a little nervous. I want to be perfect too. Even though I know I’m not and I will never improve if I throw fits and whine about how I’m not as good as I would like to be. I’m taking the plunge. I signed up for the class. There are no refunds. Wish me luck!

Do you have a life-long dream that you’ve thought about pursuing? Maybe you want to be a writer, or an illustrator, or a dancer? Take some lessons, sign up for a class! You’ll never get there if you don’t start down the path no matter how scary it may be.

Twice as Good: The story of William Powell and Clearview, the only golf course designed, built, and owned by an African-American
by Richard Michelson (Author) and Eric Velasquez (Illustrator)

Booktalk: To nine-year-old Willie Powell, there was no prettier sight than the smooth grass lawns of Edgewater Golf Cource.

Snippet: Willie Powell as fast. He was the only third grader who could run across the playgound faster than most fifth graders. But the new golf course as seven miles outside of town, and he’d promised his mother he would be home before dark.

BONUS! Download the teacher’s guide!
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Chapter Book of the Day

Amateur Wrestling: Combat on the Mat
by Garrison Wells (Author)
32 pages

Booktalk: Did you know that wrestling started out as a deadly sport? Ancient Greeks and Romans used it for self-defense. In modern times, amateur wrestling is still powerful and challenging. But training, equipment, rules, and scoring systems make the sport safer for competitors.

Snippet: Amateur wrestling is one of the oldest styles of fighting. It has been around for thousands of years. Proof of its history has been found in China, Egypt, India, France, and other countries. Archaeologists in Egypt have found art dating back to 2300 B.C. that shows wrestling. Drawings on cave walls in France show wrestling existed more than 15,000 years ago.
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Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Rasco From RIF

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April 2012 Online Workshops

The April 2012 workshops will begin on Wednesday, April 4th.

Which workshop is best for you?

New to children’s books?
Learn about the different types of children’s books in the Children’s Book Genres Workshop.

Passionate about literacy?
Find out how you can write for children learning to read in the Children’s Literacy Workshop (for Writers).

Ready to write?
Write and edit your book in the

• Intensive Picture Book Workshop,
• Easy Reader Workshop,
• Children’s Chapter Books Workshop or the
• Children’s Novels Workshop.

After you finish a writing workshop you can work through two more edits in a “work-in-progress” workshop, by rewriting your picture book or easy reader or working on the next chapter of your children’s chapter book or children’s novel.

The April workshop dates are April 4-May 23, 2012.

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STEM Haiku

In honor of National Poetry Month, we invite you to share an original STEM haiku.

(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Share your original STEM haiku at the new STEM Friday blog.

I’ll start…

Comments
A blog is a place
to share your thoughts. We invite
you to share yours here…
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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My NEW chapter book is Just So, Brianna (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

The Maine Festival of the Book is a literary extravaganza taking place tomorrow, March 31st. Workshops, presentations and readings are scheduled throughout the day and take place at various USM locations including the Abromoson Center and Glickman Library. Children’s and Young Adult authors and illustrators including Jeannie Brett, Anne Sibley O’Brien, Brenda Reeves Sturgis, Lynne Plourde, Reza Jalali, Maria Testa and others will be present.Click here for a complete schedule and specifics!

2. 

If you liked my review of CITIZEN SCIENTIST by Loree Griffin Burns, you’ll probably love Anastasia Suen’s blog hosting creation Nonfiction Monday. Different bloggers agree to host a round of Nonfiction Reviews from blogs all over the kidlitosphere. Take a look!

3. We are on the cusp of April National Poetry Month! I hope you have events in your area. Here in Brunswick, I’m one of the organizers of Poem in Your Pocket Day on Thursday, April 26th. Please take a look at our Poem In Your Pocket-Brunswick Facebook page for events throughout the last week of April. It’s also a great place to find links to just the right poem to fit your mood. We’ll be putting up posters next week and distributing stickers to local businesses and libraries over school vacation. Look for them!

4. Speaking of poetry…and blogs

At Jama’s Alphabet Soup, she has a wonderful round up of Poetry events all over the kidlitosphere here (click on image):

and a list of all the Poetry Friday Hosts here (click on image):

If you haven’t seen allaboutlemon, it’s a blog where the creativity just flows. Every 3rd Saturday, the author invites people to write haikus inspired by her collaged photo. For the Love of Haiku

Here’s mine:

Middle class captive
Blind to horrors far away
Our valley is lush

And here’s the picture:

Wild, right?

5. What’s coming up on Book Review Wednesdays? I’ve got a bunch of nonfiction and poetry that I’ll be sharing round-up style throughout April. Some new, some not as shiny but just as precious. Hope to see you here all month long.

A Dress for Me!
by Sue Fliess (Author) and Mike Laughead (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Hippo is looking for a new dress. There are so many choices! Dresses with beads and fringe, dresses with shiny sequins, dresses with stripes and checkers, and more!

Snippet:
Rows of dresses,
wall to wall.
Watch me as I
try them all…
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by my juicy little universe

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Chapter Book of the Day

Shetland Ponies Are My Favorite!
by Elaine Landau (Author)
24 pages

Booktalk: Shetland ponies have small, broad heads and stocky bodies, and they’re known for being hard workers. Did you know that Shetlands hauled coal in England’s coal mines in the mid-1800s? Or that modern-day Shetlands sometimes help the blind by serving as guide ponies?

Snippet: Shetlands are the perfect size for kids to ride. They are usually about 44 inches (112 centimeters) tall. That’s just a little bit bigger than a very large dog.
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Come visit the new STEM Friday blog – and add YOUR link!

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Nonfiction Monday on April 2, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on April 2, 2012

is at Rasco From RIF.

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My NEW chapter book is Just So, Brianna (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Surviving the Hindenburg
by Larry Verstraete (Author) and David Geister (Illustrator)

Booktalk: On May 6, 1937, the giant German airship the Hindenburg exploded in a ball of fire as it attempted to land at Lakehurst Navel Base in New Jersey. Of the 93 people on board, a remarkable 62 survived, including Werner Franz, the ship’s 14-year-old cabin boy.

Snippet: As the Hindenburg‘s cabin boy, 14-year-old Werner had many chores to do for the officers and crew–setting tables, washing dishes, making beds, cleaning boots and uniforms. Much of the time, Werner lived and worked below deck.

BONUS! Download the teacher’s guide!
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Chapter Book of the Day

Attack of the Killer Video Book Take 2: Tips and Tricks for Young Directors
by Mark Shulman and Hazlitt Krog (Authors) and Martha Newbigging (Illustrator)
76 pages

Booktalk: Originally published in 2004, Attack of the Killer Video Book has become indispensable for budding filmmakers and video production classes. This updated edition has been revised to include new technology, with hot tips on digital cameras and editing; shooting on a phone or webcam; adding cool and safe special effects; and much more. Aspiring directors will discover tricks and techniques for becoming a camera sharpshooter; lighting like a pro; making awesome music videos; and using social networking sites to post and promote their movies.

Snippet:
Let There Be Lighting:
Your camera can adjust to the color of light because it has an automatic light balance. That means it works to make white things look white, even if there’s yellowy light on them. Then all of the other colors shift, too.

BONUS! See inside the book!
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Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up is here at Booktalking.

Nonfiction Detectives

100 Scope Notes

Shelf-employed

Kidlit celebrates Women’s History Month

The Swimmer Writer

Jean Little Library

Boys Rule Boys Read!

Pink Me

Wrapped In Foil

True Tales & A Cherry On Top

Anatomy of Nonfiction

Biblio File

Archimedes Notebook

All About Books with Janet Squires

NC Teacher Stuff

SimplyScience

GatheringBooks

GeoLibrarian

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Spring 2012 Call for Nonfiction Monday Hosts

We’re looking for Spring 2012 Nonfiction Monday Round-up hosts.

Go here to sign up.

Edited to add: The list filled up before noon!

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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012

Susan Goldman Rubin booktalks Music Was IT: Young Leonard Bernstein

on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…

Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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March 2012 Carnival Of Children’s Literature

• Our March 2012 host is Just Children’s Books!.
• Add YOUR post to this carnival by commenting here.
• The deadline for adding your post is TODAY, March 26th.
• The carnival will go live on March 28th.

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My NEW chapter book is Just So, Brianna (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Amy at the Honolulu Academy of Arts

I’m thrilled and delighted to welcome award-winning author and independent children’s book editor Amy Novesky to Alphabet Soup today.

She’s here to tell us more about her latest picture book, Georgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O’Keeffe Painted What She Pleased (Harcourt Children’s Books, 2012), which will be officially released next Tuesday, March 20th.

Did you know that in 1939, Georgia spent nine weeks touring the Hawaiian Islands? She was commissioned by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company “to create two paintings to promote the delights of pineapple juice.” Though she loved the time she spent in Hawaii and painted flowers, waterfalls, and feathered fish hooks, initially she refused to paint any pineapples.

She found the sharp and silvery fruit quite strange and beautiful. She wanted to live nearby so she could study it up close.

But the pineapple company would not let her . . .

Instead, they presented her with a pineapple. Georgia was disgusted. She did not want to paint the fruit now that it had been picked, and she would not let anyone tell her what to paint.

Georgia was just being herself — committed to painting what she saw, as she saw it, in her own way, so that is precisely what she did.

(click to enlarge)

Amy and illustrator Yuyi Morales have done a brilliant job of presenting this little-known chapter in Georgia’s life, a rare instance in which she allowed her art to be used for commercial purposes. Despite the pineapple problem, Georgia was fascinated and intoxicated by Hawaii’s unique and varied land and seascapes — lush flora, interesting lava formations, mountains, gorges, waterfalls, beaches, caves, streams, and of course, abundance of tropical blossoms. She thrived in this natural paradise, as she explored remote areas in Hana, Maui, and strolled along the black sand beaches on the Big Island with her trained eye fixed on unspoiled vistas of singular beauty.

Amy’s lyrical, sensual text and Yuyi’s evocative acrylic paintings rendered in textured jewel tones (forest/moss greens, fuschia, aquamarine/prussian blues, fiery oranges, earthy browns) beautifully echo the iconic artist’s creative spirit gladdened by a place of pure enchantment.

Amy, please tell us about your connection to Hawaii. How would you describe it to someone who’s never been there? What’s one thing most people would be surprised to know?

My family began visiting the island of Kauai when I was a kid and eventually created a home away from home there. I’ve been going to the same place every year since; now, with my own family, including my six year old son, who wants to live there.

There’s no place like Kauai. It’s green and gorgeous. The air is soft and warm and fragrant with the scent of flowers and saltwater. The ocean is full and lovely; one of the places I feel most deeply connected to everything. The people are warm and wise and generous. How I’d love to live in a place where people wear flowers!

But, it’s easy and dangerous to romanticize such a place, to call it paradise. Hawaii is a real place like any other. People live and work and raise kids and have worries. There’s traffic and trash. And that beautiful ocean? Just recently, a massive die-off of heart-shaped sea urchins was discovered in several spots off Kauai’s southern coast. It’s a foreboding sign of things to come. The ocean is dying, even in Hawaii.

How did you first learn about Georgia being commissioned by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company to do two paintings? What made you want to write a children’s book about it?

I was researching Georgia’s work for a very different book I planned to write and discovered her Hawaii paintings in a comprehensive monograph. That first book fell through and I had to find another story to tell. And then, I was standing before Georgia’s Hawaii paintings in the Honolulu Academy of Arts, and that’s when I knew which story I was meant to tell all along.

I had no idea that Georgia had painted in Hawaii, and I think most people don’t. Also, I always try to find a personal connection to a story I am writing. Anyone can write a book about Georgia O’Keeffe, but I felt that, given the Hawaiian setting, and my years visiting there, this was the Georgia O’Keeffe book I was meant to write. I’ve always wanted to write a book about Hawaii, too — as a way to give back to a place that has given so much to me — and so the two converged into one book.

(click to enlarge)

What kind of research did you do? What did you enjoy most?

I read every book written about Georgia O’Keeffe. The challenge with this story was that Georgia’s Hawaii trip amounted to a footnote in most books, if it was mentioned at all. There had been very little written about her time in Hawaii. That said, there is a wonderful, now, sadly, out-of-print museum catalog written by Jennifer Saville and originally published by the Honolulu Academy of Arts to coincide with an exhibit in 1990 of Georgia’s Hawaii work. Unfortunately the exhibit was well before my interest in writing a book; I would have loved to have seen it. But the book was tremendously helpful.

And, interestingly enough, the only other book about Georgia’s time in Hawaii — Georgia O’Keeffe’s Hawaii by Patricia Jennings and Maria Ausherman — was published nearly the same month as mine! How I would have loved to have had access to this book as a resource for my own, but I think it’s great that both books came out at the same time; I think they complement each other. Jennings’ and Ausherman’s book is not a children’s book, but it includes the story of Jennings’ experience as a young girl hosting the famous artist at her family’s Maui plantation. It includes photographs, reproduction of Georgia’s paintings and letters. It’s wonderful.

As for the book’s setting, I relied upon my own experiences of Hawaii to bring it to life in an authentic way. I enjoyed imagining Georgia O’Keeffe in a place that I love.

Could you please share an interesting or surprising tidbit that you discovered about Georgia that didn’t make it into the book?

Some of my favorite details about Georgia’s travels were cut from the story itself but made it into Yuyi’s beautiful artwork. For example, Georgia arrived in Hawaii wearing a wool ensemble, but by the end of the trip she had shed her heavy clothes for a straw hat and wood sandals the locals wore, a flower behind her ear. That is one of my favorite paintings in the book. Also, that she regretted not picking up a rare piece of red coral on the Big Island is not in the story but is mentioned in the author’s note and shown in the art. Georgia told her friend, Ansel Adams, that going to Hawaii was one of the best things she ever did, which is a bit surprising, given her original reluctance, but not surprising given how special a place Hawaii is.

Also, interestingly, I just learned that pineapples take 2-3 years to grow; I find that fascinating, since, once cut and cored, they take far less time to eat!

Which is your favorite of her 20 Hawaii paintings? What’s your favorite Hawaiian flower?

I love the waterfall paintings from the Iao Valley in Maui. On my last trip to Kauai, in Hanalei, I stood before a tall green mountain with a white thread of a waterfall, and I felt like I was standing in one of her paintings.

My favorite Hawaiian flower, that’s a tough one. I love the more delicate, fragrant, lei-making flowers best: plumeria and pikake.

Do you happen to know which island Georgia loved the most and why?

My guess is Maui, where she spent the most time and had, likely, the most freedom to move about and paint. And I wonder if the Big Island, and meeting the Hawaiian cowboys, reminded her a bit of her beloved Southwest. But I’d love to believe that Kauai was her favorite, just because.

Do you think the short time Georgia spent in Hawaii influenced her later work? How?

I believe travel deeply influences our work, and so I can’t imagine that Georgia wasn’t influenced by her travels in Hawaii, despite it amounting to a footnote in her biography. Her primary landscapes at the time were New York City and the Southwest — two very different landscapes. Hawaii must have felt quite exotic and foreign and very far away (It is the most isolated archipelago in the world). No doubt she was out of her element and the trip was challenging at times, as all good travel is. On top of that she was painting on commission; she wasn’t there to paint what she pleased, although she did; she was there to paint what the Hawaiian Pineapple Company wanted her to. So, maybe she was influenced not to take commissions after that!

(click to enlarge)

Did you have a say in selecting Yuyi Morales as illustrator for this book? Which of her paintings is your favorite and why?

Authors generally don’t have a say in the illustrators for their book. But I was thrilled when Harcourt chose Yuyi Morales and she agreed to paint the book. I love the work that she did; I think it’s a gorgeous book. I love, “And Georgia painted flowers!” on that rich, ginger-pink background, and I love the painting of Georgia on the ocean liner on her way home, the loose flowers from her lei like an offering to the islands and to the sea. But I think my very favorite painting is “Georgia was even starting to look like an island girl” as this one is set in Koloa, on the island of Kauai.

If you could meet Georgia in person today, what would you ask her?

I’d ask her how her trip to Kauai was, and what she liked best about that island. And I would ask her how her experience in Hawaii changed her life.

What do you hope young readers will take away from this book?

To me, the book not only celebrates the beautiful artwork of Georgia O’Keeffe, it celebrates the beautiful islands of Hawaii. The book’s subject is of course, Georgia, but I consider Hawaii a compelling supporting character in the story.

As for the story, what I like about it is that Georgia only painted what she was inspired to paint. And she knew what she needed to do her best work. She had a high level of artistic integrity (as well as a healthy (unhealthy?) amount of stubbornness!) and I think that’s really important: to live and work with integrity. And I’d like to believe that Georgia painted the pineapple not so much for the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, but for the people of Hawaii, as a way to give back to Hawaii all that it had given to her.

What’s next for you?

I have a picture book about photographer Imogen Cunningham, illustrated by Lisa Congdon, coming out in the fall from fledgling children’s book publisher, Cameron and Company. My book, MISTER AND LADY DAY, about Billie Holiday and her beloved dogs, illustrated by Vanessa Newton, will be published early next year by Harcourt. And I am at work on a few new picture books about artists, as well as a book about the ocean — in particular, the Northern Pacific Hawaiian Islands — which I am working on with Hawaiian contemporary artist, Sally French.

* * *

As Amy mentioned, eventually Georgia did paint a pineapple, but not until after she had returned to the mainland and the Hawaiian Pineapple Company (later Dole) found the paintings she had submitted, of a heliconia flower and a papaya tree, unacceptable:

Hoping to persuade her, they airlifted a pineapple plant to her in New York, where she finally painted “Pineapple Bud,” which was used in their advertising campaign and shown a year later at the NYC gallery An American Place along with her other Hawaii paintings.

Georgia in Hawaii, a perfect read for Women’s History Month, includes both Author and Illustrator Notes, as well as lovely endpapers featuring paintings of nine Hawaiian flowers. It has already received glowing reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus, and a *starred* review from Publishers Weekly, which calls it, “a rich and unexpected depiction of a treasured artist.”

Reading it took me home to central Oahu, where I grew up not too far from those same fields where Georgia saw her first pineapples. What did she think, I wonder, when she bit into her first juicy chunk, 73 years ago?

Inspired by this book, I’ll be visiting the Honolulu Academy of Arts on my next trip to Hawaii, just to see Georgia’s Iao Valley Waterfalls. ☺

GEORGIA IN HAWAII: When Georgia O’Keeffe Painted What She Pleased
written by Amy Novesky
illustrated by Yuyi Morales
published by Harcourt Children’s Books, March 2012
Picture Book Biography for ages 6-9, 40 pp.
Cool themes: art, artists, Hawaii, women’s studies, travel, independence, nature.
Available now for pre-order.
On shelves March 20,2012. 

♥ Learn more about Amy Novesky, her books and editorial services at her website.

♥ Yuyi Morales’s official website and blog.

♥ Amy will be reading Georgia in Hawaii at Book Passage in Corte Madera, California, on April 1st, 4 p.m.

Mahalo and Aloha, Amy!

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Today’s Nonfiction Monday host is Rasco from RIF. Check out all the cool posts being shared around the blogosphere, and have a great week!

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*Photo Credits:

Pineapple chunks by traci+jake/flickr.

Pineapple plant by fotos by foofy/flickr.

Lei Pikake by jennasflowers/flickr.

*Spreads posted by permission, text copyright © 2012 Amy Novesky, illustrations © 2012 Yuyi Morales, published by Harcourt Children’s Books. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2012 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper
by Ann Malaspina (Author) and Eric Velasquez (Illustrator)

Booktalk: See how Alice Coachman, born poor in Georgia, became the first African American woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics.

Snippet:
Alice’s teacher saw
something special
in that never-sit-still girl.
She took her to a track meeet
whereS a boy leaped
over a crossbar
into a pile of sawdust.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Right To Play
by Jesse Goossens (Author)
144 pages

Booktalk: Johann Olav Koss, triple world skating champion and winner of four Olympic gold medals, wants to make it possible for everyone, everywhere, to have the opportunity to play. “Everyone” includes those children who, through war, natural disasters, violence or famine, have lost everything. It is for this cause that Koss has given up his career as a top class athlete to found the organization Right to Play. This book takes the reader on an adventure around the world–through schools in Rwanda, refugee camps in Palestine, the slums of Mali and the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The reader will meet child soldiers who have returned from war, children who have to survive on the streets of Africa, and boys with nothing but a rolled up T-shirt as a football because they have nothing else to use.

Snippet: Barely two weeks after the death of his father, Isaac had to pack his things together. He found it hard to keep back the tears when bidding his mother, brother and sister goodbye before getting into the van for Rwanda.

BONUS! See the video!

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Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Rasco From RIF

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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012

Ginger Wadsworth booktalks First Girl Scout: The Life of Juliette Gordon Low

on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…

Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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Literary Link

A Survival Guide for Beating Information Addiction (via @zenhabits)
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My NEW chapter book is Just So, Brianna (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Zero the Hero
by Joan Holub (Author) and Tom Lichtenheld (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. That’s what all the other numbers think of Zero. He doesn’t add anything in addition. He’s of no use in division. And don’t even ask what he does in multiplication. (Hint: Poof!) But Zero knows he’s worth a lot, and when the other numbers get into trouble, he swoops in to prove that his talents are innumerable.

Snippet: Unlike most numbers, Zero believed himself to be a hero. He just needed a chance to prove it.
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on March 9, 2012

is at Practically Paradise.

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Chapter Book of the Day

I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems of American Slavery
by Cynthia Grady (Author) and Michele Wood (Illustrator)
34 pages

Booktalk: Through imagery drawn from quilting and fiber arts each poem in this collection is spoken from a different perspective chronicling the various experiences of American slaves: a house slave, a mother losing her daughter to the auction block, a blacksmith, a slave fleeing on the Underground Railroad. Each poem is supplemented by a historical note.

Snippet:
North Star:
Age six saw me with a new master. He
was no slaver. Instead of tobacco
fields, I plowed the planes of Euclid. Instead
of flax, I spun my way through Homer’s verse.
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Gathering Books

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Nonfiction Monday on March 12, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on March 12, 2012

is at Rasco From RIF.

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My NEW chapter book is Just So, Brianna (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Here Come the Girl Scouts! The Amazing All-True Story of Juliette ‘Daisy’ Gordon Low and Her Great Adventure
by Shana Corey (Author) and Hadley Hooper (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Juliette Gordon Low–Daisy to her friends and family–was not like most girls of the Victorian era.

Prim and proper?

BOSH!

Dainty and delicate?

HOW BORING!

Snippet: Daisy grew up in Savannah, Georgia when proper young ladies were supposed to be dainty and delicate. But Daisy came from a family of pathfinders and pioneers. She wanted adventure and excitement!
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Chapter Book of the Day

Cleopatra Rules!: The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen
by Vicky Alvear Shecter (Author)
128 pages

Booktalk: Cleopatra didn’t just rock the boat when she turned queen at seventeen. She rocked the world with brilliant alliances that kept her in power and in control for decades.

Snippet: She ruled all of Egypt, had Romans trembling in their togas, and made kings weak at the knees. Yet the glamour queen of the ancient world started out as…a bookish nerd.
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Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is 100 Scope Notes

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Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month. Read all about it at the Library of Congress.

_____________________________________________________________________

March 2012 Online Workshops

The March 2012 workshops will begin on Wednesday, March 7th.

Which workshop is best for you?

New to children’s books?
Learn about the different types of children’s books in the Children’s Book Genres Workshop.

Passionate about literacy?
Find out how you can write for children learning to read in the Children’s Literacy Workshop (for Writers).

Ready to write?
Write and edit your book in the

• Intensive Picture Book Workshop,
• Easy Reader Workshop,
• Children’s Chapter Books Workshop or the
• Children’s Novels Workshop.

After you finish a writing workshop you can work through two more edits in a “work-in-progress” workshop, by rewriting your picture book or easy reader or working on the next chapter of your children’s chapter book or children’s novel.

The March workshop dates are March 7-April 25, 2012.

_____________________________________________________________________

My NEW chapter book is Just So, Brianna (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Down by the Station
by Jennifer Riggs Vetter (Author) and Frank Remkiewicz (Illustrator)

Booktalk: An expanded version of the classic rhyme with trucks and trains and boats and planes!

Snippet:
Down by the depot, early in the morning
See the yellow school buses all in a row
See the school bus driver warming up the engine
Vroom vroom beep beep! Off we go!
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Dori Reads

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Chapter Book of the Day

A Black Hole Is Not a Hole (Junior Library Guild Selection)
by Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano (Author) and Michael Carroll (Illustrator)
80 pages

Booktalk: If a black hole is not a hole, then what is it? Find out what black holes are, what causes them, and how scientists first discovered them.

Snippet: Nothing can out-tug a black hole. No army of tow trucks, no convoy of supersized earth haulers, no fleet of giant rocket engines. Not all of them combined.
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on February 24, 2012

is at NC Teacher Stuff.

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Nonfiction Monday on March 5, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on March 5, 2012

is at 100 Scope Notes.

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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku
by Lee Wardlaw (Author) and Eugene Yelchin (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A cat is adopted from the shelter and taken to a new home in this clever story told in haiku….

Snippet:
The Car Ride
Letmeoutletme
outletmeoutletmeout.
Wait–let me back in!

BONUS! Download a teaching guide

Winner of the 2012 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award!
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Check it Out

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Chapter Book of the Day

Snowmobile: Bombardier’s Dream Machine (Junior Library Guild Selection)
by Jules Older (Author)
64 pages

Booktalk: The true story of Joseph-Armand Bombardier’s journey to invent the snowmobile.

Snippet: “Ours is not the only child who cannot get to the hospital in winter. Now stop pacing and go invent something that will go on snow.”
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on February 24, 2012

is at Rourke Publishing.

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Nonfiction Monday on February 27, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on February 27, 2012

is at The Childrens War.

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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Mother Goose Picture Puzzles
by Will Hillenbrand (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: Twenty Mother Goose rhymes with {pictures} taking the place of some words. (Yes, it’s a rebus book!)

Snippet:
Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory, dickory, dock,
the {mouse} ran up the {clock}.
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Gathering Books

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Chapter Book of the Day

A Warmer World
by Caroline Arnold (Author) and Jamie Hogan (Illustrator)
32 pages

Booktalk: Over the past several decades, our world has been warming at a faster rate than ever before.

Snippet: Polar sea ice is shrinking and growing thinner, sea levels are rising, and patterns of rainfall are changing.
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

This week’s STEM Friday Round-up is hosted by Nomad Press.

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Nonfiction Monday on February 20, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on February 20, 2012

is at Lori Calabrese Writes!.

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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Rosa’s Bus
by Jo S. Kittinger (Author) and Steven Walker (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Like all buses in Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1950s, bus #2857 was segregated: white passengers sat in the front and black passengers sat in the back. Bus #2857 was an ordinary public bus until a woman named Rosa Parks, who had just put in a long day as a seamstress, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger.

Snippet:
When Bus #2857 rolled off
the assembly line in 1948,
no one cheered,
no one paid attention
no one knew that one day
Bus #2857 would be famous.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Getting Elected: A Look at Running for Office
by Robin Nelson and Sandy Donovan (Authors)
40 pages

Booktalk: A look behind the scenes at what it means to be elected to political office…

Snippet: The United States is a democracy. In a democracy, the government is run for the people and by the people. But people don’t do all the work. They choose representatives to make decisions for them.
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Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Wrapped in Foil

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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012

Larry Dane Brimner booktalks Black and White

on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…

Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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Literary Links

Timesavers to use right now to speed up your workflow. (via @freelancesw)
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My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.