Professional Book Review: Disrupting Thinking

In addition to reviewing children's, young adult, and adult books, I think it is important to help teachers and education scholars find quality texts to improve their practice. Today, I'm sharing my first professional book review. 

I had been hearing about this title for a while, so I requested it through my university's library system and spent the next month slowly reading it. I think professional books should be read slowly so that the ideas have time to marinade. 

Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters by Kylene Beers & Robert E. Probst

The main premise of this book is that the way reading has conventionally been taught does not always encourage and motivate children to continue reading. Specifically, somewhere along the way, it was decided that children should be questioned after they read. Today, children read a book and immediately have to answer several questions about the text. I don't know about you, but I would find this very unmotivating. As a reader, I read for many reasons, but being able to correctly answer questions isn't one of them. Moreover, I may not remember every detail of the text, but I do remember things that mattered to me and how I felt as I read. Those are more motivating than remembering arbitrary details. 

I like Disrupting Thinking because it helps teachers follow a framework for introducing literature in their classrooms and helping students read with motivation. Interestingly, when children are motivated to read, they often do better on comprehension based tasks. The text also encourages teachers to let children show their knowledge through different measures, such as book talks, creative experiences, and dialogue. Again, the goal is to mirror how readers engage with text when they are not being tested in a school setting. 

One critic I do have of this text, is that I would have preferred to see more strategies for engaging students in reading and helping promote motivation. The authors really centered their discussion on a framework they developed. While I believe this is a good framework, I just expected more hands-on strategies that teachers could take and use in their classrooms. 

Overall, I recommend this book for literacy professionals who are looking for ways to vary their reading instruction and focus on motivating readers. 

Happy Reading!!

Review: I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

*I received a copy of I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

I heard about this book for the first time about a month ago, and since that time, I seem to be hearing about it EVERYWHERE. Most recently, it was nominated for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. 

I'm so excited to review this book! 

I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez

This is the story of Julia, who is not the perfect Mexican daughter. She is outspoken, and she spends most of her time being grounded. When the book opens, Julia and her family are at the funeral of Julia's older sister Olga. Olga was the perfect Mexican daughter. She was obedient, loving, and enjoyed spending most of her time at home with her family. Olga was hit by semi-truck, so her death was unexpected and surprising.

The book follows the next two years of Julia's life. She is struggling to find her self and figure out what life may look like after high school. She has an inspiring teacher, in her AP English teacher, who helps her develop her love of reading. He leads the class in thorough discussions of literature and Julia loves this. As she struggles with her grief, this is a welcome distraction. 

Shortly after the funeral, Julia is struggling to sleep and begins spending nights in her sister's room. Soon she begins finding some strange items that lead to questions about her sister. She begins thinking that her sister may not have been so perfect and was certainly hiding something. Sometime scandalous and possibly dangerous. Over the next two years, Julia attempts to put the pieces together and uncover her sister's secrets.

This book is a great read for adolescent readers. I love that the main character is a POC, and that she is struggling to identify with her family and herself during a challenging time - preparing for college. The book also does a great job of exploring her grief and presenting her with decisions that have big consequences.

I highly encourage this book as an independent read to motivate adolescent readers. 

Happy Reading!!

KidLitExchange Review: Dear Martin

**Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.**

Oh my, this book! First of all, I knew from the title that this book would capture my interest, but I had no idea how amazing it would be. Right now, there is a trend for young adult book's to focus on topics that adolescents actually care about. One of those topics includes discussions of race, the law, and when force should be used. 

For teachers, I think this book would fit nicely with The Hate U Give and Piecing Me Together. All three of these books circle similar topics, and share sage advice for young people trying to make sense of the world around them. This is five-star read that will be available on October 17, 2017!

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

In this book, we meet Justyce. When the story opens, Justyce is on his way to find his ex-girlfriend who has had too much to drink at a party. He wants to offer her a ride home, but when he finds her, she is stubborn and gives him a hard time. As he struggles to help her, a cop shows up and immediately forces Justyce to the ground and puts him in handcuffs. Hours later, the situation is resolved, but Justyce is left with emotional scars, in addition to the physical bruises on his wrists.

Justyce begins an exercise following this altercation. He decides to start writing letters to Martin Luther King, Jr. He keeps these in a notebook and divulges his concerns about race and how the law perceives young Black men. His letters are raw and show the internal struggle Justyce faces.

As the story progresses, Justyce is repeatedly presented with situations involving race. He constantly has to make a choice to stand up for himself, or allow racial inequalities to continue. His friends, his teachers, and his family also weigh in on what they are concerned about. The story eventually escalates and has severe and traumatic consequences for Justyce, opening his emotional scars and forcing him to decide the kind of person he wants to be. 

I think Nic Stone has perfectly captured the emotion and discussion young people are having today. They are concerned about their future, and she presents those conversations as if she watched adolescents as they spoke. I think this is a great book for adolescents to read and can help teachers begin difficult conversations with their students. I know my former students would have loved this book, especially now. 

Happy Reading!!

Integrating Picturebooks into Math Instruction

When I talk to teachers about integrating children's literature into their classroom instruction, the most common question I get is "but how do I do this in math?". Additionally, when I talk to teacher candidates about using books in their future classrooms, I get the most push back on discussions around how to integrate literacy into mathematics. 

Today, I am sharing three of my favorite picturebooks that integrate mathematics and literacy. These books are great for getting students interested in math content. Teachers can read one of these books at the beginning of a lesson to help students gain interest in the topic. Or, teachers can read the book alongside instruction to reiterate important concepts. Finally, these books can be quality models for helping students write in math. 

The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns and Syd Hoff

This book is so much fun and also aligns to my previous discussion of accepting yourself. In this book, we meet a triangle who desperately wants more sides. Throughout the book, he gains more sides until he becomes a circle and realizes, he wishes he were a triangle again. 

The vocabulary in this book is in a class on its own. I love that the author uses complex vocabulary such as "polygon" and defines it for young readers. Students can learn about shapes and math terminology, while learning an important lesson about being their self. 

One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale by Demi

This book is so clever! I love that this book is a folktale and exposes children to a genre they may not see very often - this is great for exposing children to different genres and cultures. In this book, we learn about a society that stores rice in case of famine. Each member of the society must bring a portion of their rice to the raja (leader) annually. However, when a famine does strike, the raja is reluctant to let the rice go and send it out to his people. This is mostly out of fear, but also greediness.

One day, a young girl develops a plot to fool the raja into giving up his rice. She shows her loyalty and respect for the raja and he wants to honor her. She asks for one grain of rice. He insists on giving her more, and she says he can double her rice every day for 30 days. The first few days, she has little rice. However, very quickly she is overcome by rice, until she has more than enough to share with her village.

This book is a great resource for teaching estimating, calculations, and logic. I also like that the moral of the story is positive and shows the consequences of having a selfish leader and how citizens can stand up against that.

The Crayons' Book of Numbers by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

I'm a big fan of the crayons books! I was so excited when I saw this book coming out about the crayons and their adventures with numbers (there is also one for colors). This book is great for young, emergent readers or children just beginning their math studies. The focus of this book is on counting and it is presented in a very simple manner. 

This book is great for young children to develop a basic understanding of counting and to begin to understand the importance of math in their lives. This book is simple, but powerful. 

Happy Reading! 

Accepting Yourself: Two Picturebooks for Helping Children Accept Themselves

Accepting yourself is an important lesson to learn through life. Children should be encouraged to learn about their personality, interests, and dislikes to begin to understand what makes them unique. When I was a teacher, I taught a unit about acceptance that included reading texts that circled around the theme of accepting oneself, accepting one's family, and accepting others. It was one of the best units I ever taught. 

Children want to be accepting and are naturally curious about others and the world around them. I am linking two picturebooks today that help being conversations about acceptance and help students see that who they are is valued and supported. 

Six Dots: A Story of Louis Braille by Jennifer Fisher Bryant

I love this book so much! I saw this book mentioned in the American Library Association's annual awards and could not wait to get my hands on it. This week, that finally happened. This is the true story of Louis Braille, a young boy who loses his sight at the age of five. Braille was born with sight and lost it, not blind from birth. yet, he lost his vision at a critical time when children often learn to read. While his peers around him were learning to read, he could not. 

Braille decided to create his own alphabet and system to allow him to read and engage in what he lost. This became the system we know today. The book also includes the Braille alphabet and allows students to feel how to read the letters. I love that tactile approach to understanding how the alphabet works. 

This book is great for teaching acceptance because it shows students that just because they do something differently, does not mean they are less capable. Braille showed great courage and perseverance when he decided to create his own alphabet. It also helps children see how important reading can be. Braille was missing out and did not want to be hindered. 

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy

There are hardly words to describe how much I love this book. Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun is the story of a young girl who is a bit different from many of her classmates. She has curly brown hair and eats spaghetti served in a hot dog bun for lunch. Her classmates make fun of her for both of these traits. She is especially teased by a young boy who does not accept her. Her father talks with her and helps her see that she is wonderful the way she is and that she should not let someone else bring her down. As it turns out, the bully she is dealing with may need her help in the future.

This book is truly about being yourself and staying true to your family values and customs, even if they are not accepted by your peers. People are afraid of what they do not understand, but that does not mean things others do not understand is wrong. Lucy, the main character, learns to remain true to who she is and not be affected by others.

This is a great book for helping children be okay with their unique qualities. It also provides a model for how to handle bullying in a respectful way. This is a great book to use in a classroom setting to help begin a conversation about differences in cultures and customs. 

Happy Reading! 

Ada Lovelace - The World's First Computer Programmer (in 2 picturebooks)

This past week, I held class for my teacher candidates in the library attached to our building. That's right, I'm lucky enough to have an education library attached to the building I teach in. I wanted my teacher candidates to have easy access to lots of picturebooks for our class session, and it was wonderful. Of course, I couldn't resist checking out a few picturebooks myself.

I left the library with five books in tow! When I returned to my office, I discovered I picked up two books about Ada Lovelace, so today, I am featuring those selections. 

Often, women get omitted from history. This is a product of societal norms that have evolved (somewhat) to the present day, but it is still difficult for women to enter into specific professions. More concerning, many people believe it is a unique choice for women to be part of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. That is simply not true. Women have been part of these fields for as long as they have existed, but their contributions have not been recognized. 

Both of the selections below do an excellent job providing information about an important historical figure, who happens to be a woman. :)

Ada Lovelace: Poet of Science by Diane Stanley

Ada Lovelace is getting a lot of love these days, and for good reason. She is credited with being one of the first computer programmers in history, and the first woman. YAY! I also did not know that she was the daughter of Lord Byron, who had quite the reputation with the ladies (which I did know). 

In this book, we learn about Ada Lovelace's life. This book begins by telling a little information about Ada's father and mother. Her father was Lord Byron, a famous, well-respected poet. He was a big deal in his time. Her mother was a mathematician and very logical and organized. She put her daughter in a heavy, rich educational program to steer her away from creativity so she would not be like her father. It didn't work, and she capitalized on being both logical and creative. 

I loved this book! It was fun to read, interesting, and engaging. I really enjoyed seeing Ada's life unfold and learning about how she became a computer programmer (in the context of history). There is a lot of history and science in this book, and it is beautifully illustrated. 

Ada's Ideas: The Story of Ada Lovelace, the World's First Computer Programmer 

by Fiona Robinson

A second book about Ada Lovelace - I told you she was popular. This book would make a great pairing with the previous title. Students could examine how two different authors detail Ada Lovelace's life and accomplishments. 

This book read more historical than the first, while the first book I mentioned read more scientific. Here, we get more details about Ada's life, like the fact that she became severely ill with the measles as a child. She became so weak, she had difficulty walking for three years! This event led to her being an avid reader, which shaped her accomplishments later in life. In this book, there is also a greater focus on how women were treated in Ada's day and how she overcame stereotypes against successful women. 

As a teacher, I would pair this book with other texts about women or about Ada Lovelace. This would make a great text set selection or a great fiction/nonfiction pairing.

Happy Reading!!

Children's Literature Review: Wishtree

At ILA this past summer, I heard about this new book, Wishtree. The sales representative that mentioned it didn't say anything about the plot, just that it was a "book to read". When it comes to books, I'm easily convinced I should read it, so I pre-ordered it far ahead of its September 26th release date. 

Then, it showed up on my doorstep, and I quickly enjoyed the story. This book is so sweet, and I'm happy that I've read quite a few "sweet" and "charming" books this year. I'm not usually interested in overly sweet books because that doesn't ring true to reality, but I do like them as an escape. While I describe this book as "sweet", it still has a deep and powerful message for young readers.

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

The most interesting aspect of this book is that it is told from the perspective of a tree, a wishtree to be specific. The tree begins narrating the story by telling about his/her (the tree is dioecious, meaning it includes both male and female organs) life. The Wishtree counts his/her rings and tells about the animals that live within its branches. The Wishtree also describes how different species in the plant and animal kingdom are named. 

This first part of the book would be interesting to combine with instruction in science. Applegate defines some science vocabulary and does a good job breaking down the animal and plant kingdoms. I think it would be a good way to get students interested in learning about different species and understanding how plants and animals live in harmony. 

Next, the Wishtree tells about the human activity surrounding it. The Wishtree has seen humans evolve and describes how the neighborhoods grew up around it. This part of the story includes quite a bit of history that would be interested for students and teachers to explore. 

Finally, the crux of the book comes in the present day. A new family moves to town and at the same time, Red, our Wishtree, is vandalized. Someone carves a sinister message into Red's trunk. This causes Red to discuss how humans can be damaging, not only to nature but to each other. When all hope seems lost, Red also gets to witness a hopeful friendship between two children in the neighborhood. 

I like this book for elementary readers because it is very easy to read and Applegate defines words that may be difficult for young readers. There is science, history, and cultural content within the book that can be explored by readers and teachers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it gave me a lot to think about. It definitely lived up to its hype from ILA!

Happy Reading!

Diverse Reads for Adolescents

Diverse books can help young people develop positive beliefs about cultures, races, and social identities that differ from their own. Additionally, research shows that diverse books are often more enjoyable reading experiences. People like to read about other people who are different from them and have different lived experiences. Intuitively, I think this makes a lot of sense. I don't want to read about a life just like mine, I live that every day. 

Today, I'm sharing three of my favorite diverse books for adolescent readers. These books are each told through the lens of someone with a different life experience than my own. They also tackle big issues in accessible ways, so are great for starting difficult conversations with teenagers. Best of all, each of these books is written by a person of color, who can speak on the topic from their own experiences. 

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

One of the book clubs I'm a member of read this book as our YA pick last spring. I hadn't heard of this book at that point, and just wasn't too sure about it. However, I LOVE YA, and I love my book club so I gave it a try. It was one of the best surprises and one of the best YA books I've read this year. 

First of all, let's talk about that cover. I'm not usually one to choose a book based on the cover. In fact, I actually prefer books that are simply one solid color; however, I think this is such a cool, artistic cover. I like seeing this book on my shelf. 

In this book, we meet Jade, a teenager who lives in two worlds. She is one of only a handful of Black students to attend a private school outside of her neighborhood. Jade attends on a scholarship and must constantly walk the line between her home life and her school life. One thing I appreciated about this book is the discussion of providing opportunities based on "false empathy". Jade gets annoyed that she receives different programs and is expected to be overly grateful for them, just because is Black. In particular, Jade is selected to be part of a women's mentoring program, in which she will be mentored by a former female student who graduated and is now successful. Jade isn't too sure about this program and finds her mentor to be very distracted and self-absorbed with her own life concerns. 

This book is so good because the characters engage in tough conversations about race, class, and being a woman in the 21st century. All topics I think should be discussed more and should be discussed with teenagers. The book is bold when it needs to be and quiet when it needs to be, and provides enough information to let the reader make up his or her mind about the topics. I highly recommend this book for teenagers and adults. 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Alright, the only way you haven't heard of this book is if you've been living under a rock during 2017. Undoubtedly, this is THE YA book of 2017. I pre-ordered this one and could not wait to get my hands on it. Angie Thomas tackles hot-button issues in such a real and fascinating way. Similar to Piecing Me Together, we have a high school student, Starr, who lives in multiple worlds. She attends a school outside of her home neighborhood and constantly straddles the line between her two worlds. 

One night, Starr is at a party with some of her neighborhood friends, and she bumps into an old friend, Khalil. When Starr is ready to leave the party, Khalil gives her a ride home. They are pulled over by a cop, who says Khalil was speeding, which he wasn't. The cop forces Khalil to get out of the car and when Khalil turns to ask Starr if she is okay, the cop shoots Khalil. He does not survive. This act becomes a major news story and Starr becomes the sole witness of the account. The communities erupt and take sides on the issue, and Starr is stalked by the media. Fake news, race issues, police use of deadly force, and freedom of speech are all tackled in the story that follows. 

This is a bold book, and I recommend teenagers be encouraged to have the tough discussions that will certainly follow. There is a lot to chew on in this book and Thomas provides multiple perspectives. Once again, I highly recommend this book for teenagers and adults alike and think it would greatly help our society have some of the discussions we desperately need right now. 

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I have loved Saenz every since reading Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. First, I want to talk about that title. I'm obsessed with Saenz's titles - they are always powerful and make me want to dig right in. The book is just as good as the title.

We meet Sal, a Mexican-American teenager with a single father who is openly gay. Sal's father is an amazing character; he is thoughtful, caring, compassionate, and presents choices in a way that help his son make the right choice. However, he is deeply sympathetic when Sal messes up and helps him work to be a better person. Sal has a pretty great life, but everything begins to change as he enters his senior year of high school. Sal's best friend is Samantha, and they are mostly inseparable. However, as they begin to think about their futures, they become uncertain of how to remain friends. Their relationship is completely plutonic, which I appreciate for showing teenagers that friendships with the opposite sex are valuable. 

Over the course of the book, Sal struggles with applying to college, discovering his beloved grandmother is dying of cancer, helping Samantha deal with her complicated relationship with her drug-addicted mother, and assisting a friend who he discovers is homeless. Big issues! Sal also has to reconcile his feelings toward his father's old friend (and he discovers former boyfriend) who mysteriously comes back into their lives.

Once again, I love this book because it tackles so many issues. Sal's father is the parent I hope to be someday - he's that good of a person. The book discusses lots of perspectives on parents; Sal's father is single and gay, Samantha's mother is a drug-addict who is always in a domestically abusive relationship, and another classmate is in a home stricken by deep, systemic poverty. These are all issues that teenagers deal with, either personally or through friends. At the same time, all of the teenagers are working to figure out who they are, who they want to be, and what they want to do once they graduate high school. 

This book was so good, I could not stop reading. Saenz's writing is so good, and I was so sad when I finished reading. Saenz also knows how to pull the emotions, so there were definitely tears involved. 

It's important to help teenagers and young adults learn about the world around them, and diverse books can help accomplish that goal. Each of these books are perfect for starting those conversations, but are equally important for adults to read. 

Happy Reading!