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Welcome to Ms. K's Library!  Feel free to scroll through the blog, or if you'd like, you can interact with the blog from Miss K's library classroom at this link.

Note: Any posts highlighted in green are NOT for the Reading Blog assignment grade, but are books or resources that I used for other assignments this semester 😊.

Questions about anything here? Contact kaylyn-wade@utc.edu.

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Title: Front Desk
Author: Kelly Yang
Narrator: Sunny Lu
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Publication Information: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, 2018, 7 hours

Mia Tang is a ten-year-old who has the coolest job ever.  Her immigrant parents manage the Calivista Motel, and that means that Mia gets to run the front desk and take care of the guests while they they clean the rooms.  But there's more.  Unknown to Mr. Yao, the mean owner of the motel, Mia's parents have been letting other immigrants stay at the hotel for free when they come by needing help.  And Mia is one of only two Chinese kids in her class, and she's still struggling to become fluent in English even though she loves writing and words.  Mia is brave, kind, and smart, but will that be enough to keep her going through the year?

Target audience: ages 8-10, grades 3-5

Strengths: Front Desk is a great window that introduces some struggles that immigrant families deal with, but is also humorous and highlights the helpfulness and kindness that people can give to each other no matter their own circumstances.
- The narration in this audiobook is lively, engaging, heartfelt, and authentic to a story told by a 10-year-old.

Awards: Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, 2019

Listen-alikes:
- Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga, narrated by Vaneh Assadourian - When the situation in Syria becomes too dangerous, Jude and her mom leave her brother and father behind in Syria and come to the U.S. to live with relatives in Syria.  Follow Jude's story as she deals with the constant noise, the new label of being "Middle Eastern," makes new friends, and joins the school musical.
- Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, narrated by Bahni Turpin - Della has always known that she doesn't fit in.  She's constantly having to change schools, her mom is in prison, and now she's in foster care.  But she always, always has her older sister Suki to watch out for her.  She just didn't realize that no one was watching out for Suki.  This is the story of two young sisters who experience a terrible trauma and have to learn to speak up for themselves while they lean on each other.
- A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd, narrated by Cassandra Morris - Like Mia, Felicity loves words.  Unlike Mia, though, Felicity just moved to a town with a history full of magic, and she sees words everywhere that just may help her figure out how to turn the town's magic back on.

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Title: Storyworks
Publication Information: Scholastic, Vol. 29, No. 3, Dec. '21/Jan. '22
Access this free promotional issue plus additional online content by visiting storyworks.scholastic.com.

Do you love stories?  All kinds of stories?  Then Storyworks is for you!  Every issue is filled with a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and plays, plus interviews with interesting young people and writing tips.  Scholastic also has videos and slideshows accessible online for students who want to know more to pair with the articles in each issue.

Target audience: ages 8-10, grades 3-5

Strengths:  In addition to the videos and slideshows available online, there are also Read-Aloud versions of each article, which is a great addition for accessibility.
- Though the magazine is all about stories, the illustrations and photography featured are also very engaging and informative, and really add to the reading experience.

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WorldeBook, accessible in TN via the Tennessee Electronic Library Student landing page.

WorldeBook is a database for students to freely access a host of educational ebooks.  Most titles are nonfiction, but there are also a few fiction titles thrown in.  The interface is reminiscent of a very user-friendly library catalog, with thumbnail images of all the book covers laid out for students to browse.  There is a search function, and users can choose the subject they would like to browse, such as Animals: Birds and Mammals, Early Readers, or Mysteries and Wonders.

Target audience: all K-12 students

Strength/Weakness:  There is no ability to filter or sort the available ebooks for age range or reading or grade level.  As you browse through the books, you can tell from the cover art that some (for example, many of the animal books) are targeted at a younger audience, while others (many of the history books) are more likely meant for high-schoolers.  A filter or sort feature would allow students to only see books that are intended for their age or grade level.  However, not having that feature also makes it more likely that students will come across an interesting book that is above their current level and stretch themselves, as opposed to strictly using only sources that are targeted at their current grade or age. Of course, this could also work in the opposite direction, allowing students to use sources that are written for younger students.

Strength: Many of the books come with a Read Aloud function, which is a great accessibility feature.

Strength:  Because the interface resembles that of an OPAC, this database is a great way to to introduce students to database functions like searching and browsing.

Strength:  The ebooks in this database are displayed as exact replicas of the physical books, which gives students a more enjoyable and engaging reading experience than something like a Kindle ebook.

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Expect the Miraculous at Barrow Elementary Media Center, with Media Specialist Andy Plemmons.

Expect the Miraculous is written by Andy Plemmons, the School Media Specialist at Barrow Elementary School in Athens, GA. He uses this platform to write about programming that he undertakes in his school library, such as a yearly Student Book Budget Project, where students help with yearly collection development, and a Genre Reading Challenge, where students challenge themselves to read books from different genres throughout the school year. He also strongly emphasizes the ways in which he includes student voices and takes student opinions into consideration in all his library programming and decision-making.

Target Audience: School Librarians

Strength/Weakness:  If you're looking for a blog with lots of book recommendations, this is not the place to look.  However, if you're looking for programming ideas and ways to include student voices in your school library decision-making, you'll find this blog incredibly useful.

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Informational Text: Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold

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Informational Text: Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold

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Title: Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold
Author: Joyce Sidman
Illustrator: Rick Allen
Genre: Nonfiction, Poetry
Publication Information: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 28 pages.

Did you know that there are animals who live outside all winter long?  And guess what?  Some of them even have homes and secret lives under the snow!  Pick up this book for beautiful poems about wintertime creatures, illustrations that show them living their lives, and interesting details about how they survive through the coldest parts of the winter.

Target audience: ages 6-8, grades 1-3.

Strengths:  The combination of poetry, illustration, and informational prose is sure to attract all kinds of young readers to this book and keep them interested as they learn about these cold weather creatures.

Uses:  Ask children what they would do if they had to live outside in the cold.  Where would they live?  What would they eat?  What could we learn from these creatures if we ever did have to live out in the cold?
- Ask children if they've ever seen any of these creatures out in nature.  When and where did they see them?  What about other creatures that they see outside in the winter?

Awards: N/A

Read-alikes:
- Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen - Did you enjoy Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold?  Then you're sure to love Joyce Sidman's 2011 Newberry Honor book Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night, full of poetry, information, and beautiful illustrations of nocturnal creatures.
- In the Wild by David Elliott, illustrated by Holly Meade - With a combination of woodcut and watercolor illustrations, this book of poetry brings children into the wonderful world of wild animals like lions, rhinoceros, and polar bears.
- The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer, illustrated by Jesse Reisch - If you enjoyed learning about winter creatures, then you're sure to also like this book about how cultures around the world celebrate the winter solstice and why the shortest day of the year is important.
- Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann - Follow one honeybee as she makes her way through life.  Learn about her habitat, her physical characteristics, and her behavior as she grows, learns to fly, and goes on adventures out in the world.

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Title: The Book Hog
Author: Greg Pizzoli
Genre: Early Reader
Publication Information:  Disney - Hyperion (an imprint of Disney Book Group), 2019, unpaged.

The Book Hog LOVES books.  He loves the way they smell, he loves the way they feel, and he reeeaallly loves the pictures in them.  There's only one problem.... the Book Hog doesn't know how to read.  Then one day the Book Hog finds a building that smells like books (spoiler alert: it's a library!).  Inside the building he finds an elephant named Miss Olive who asks him "Would you like to join us for storytime?"

Target audience: ages 3-6, grades PreK-1.

Strengths:  The Book Hog is a wonderful early reader that not only has simple language and adorable cartoon-style pictures for those who are just learning how to read, but it also encourages young readers to love books and libraries as much as The Book Hog does!

Uses: Ask children "If you were out on your scooter searching for books, where would you go to find them?" and have a discussion about where all kids can go to find books.

Awards: Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor

Read-alikes:
- How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Melissa Sweet - What's the best way to read a book?  Well, the first step is to find a comfortable place to sit.  If you liked how The Book Hog encourages kids to love books and reading, How to Read a Book is a great next step!
- The Not So Quiet Library by Zachariah OHora - Oskar and Teddy were ready for a quiet Saturday in the library... but this day in the library turns out to be not quiet at all!  Can the two friends save the library from the hangry five-headed monster who wants to eat all the books?!
- Nia and the New Free Library by Ian Lendler, illustrated by Mark Pett - Nia loves the Littletown Library, but then a tornado comes through town and blows it away!  Now all the people in town want to build something else (a skyscraper, a parking lot) where the library used to be.  What can Nia do to convince them that their town really needs a new library?
- Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli - Did you love the illustrations in The Book Hog?  Then you should meet Crunch, the very shy brontosaurus.  He really wants to come out and play, but he needs a friend who knows how to be kind to people who are different from themselves.

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Title: Tiger vs. Nightmare
Author: Emily Tetri
Format: Graphic Novel
Publication Information: First Second, 2018, 62 pages.

Tiger has a Monster who lives under her bed.  But Monster isn't scary, Monster is Tiger's best friend!  They play games, eat dinner, and then after bedtime Monster scares away nightmares that try to get to Tiger.  That is, until the biggest, scariest nightmare of all comes along and Monster can't scare it away.  If Tiger and Monster work together, can they scare away the worst nightmare of all?

Target audience: ages 5-7, grades K-2.

Strengths: Tiger vs. Nightmare is a great introduction to the graphic novel format for early readers.

Uses:  Talk to children about nightmares.  Do they have nightmares?  Are they scary?  What did Tiger teach us about nightmares?  (They're not real!)

Awards: Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor

Read-alikes:
- Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths by Graham Annable - Peter and Ernesto are the best of friends, but they couldn't be more different.  In this graphic novel for very young readers, separate adventures bring two very different friends closer together than ever.
- Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song - A graphic novel for early readers about two best friends who discover that they will do ANYTHING for a donut.
- Bug Boys by Laura Knetzger - Follow the Bug Boys, two young beetles, in this graphic novel for young readers as they explore their own thoughts and feelings and the world around them.
- Stuck Together (Pea, Bee, & Jay Book 1) by Brian Smith - Pea meets Bee, and know-it-all bee, and Jay, a bird who hasn't figured out to fly, after he rolls all the off the farm on a dare that was a very bad idea.  Follow Pea, Bee, and Jay through their adventures as they try to roll Pea safely back home in this early reader graphic novel.

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Title: Outside In
Author: Deborah Underwood
Illustrator: Cindy Derby
Genre: Picturebook
Publication Information: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020, unpaged

Outside is always near us, always around us, and always waiting to welcome us with warm sunshine, birdsong, or the bright colors of a butterfly.  This gorgeously illustrated picturebook helps us remember that Outside is never too far away and that we are just a small part of a big, beautiful world.

Target audience: ages 4-6, grades K-2.

Strengths:  The artwork in Outside In is absolutely gorgeous, and makes you want to go explore outside to find more beautiful things.

Uses:  Do an activity with your kids to find things in nature that match what they see in the book!

Awards: Caldecott Honor

Read-alikes:
- The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ekua Holmes - If you love Outside In for the artwork, then you'll also love The Stuff of Stars.  This book is a gorgeously illustrated story of the universe, how stars and planets came to be, and how each of us are part of the cosmos.
- Here and Now by Julia Denos, illustrated by E.B. Goodale - Here and Now is a beautifully illustrated book about connecting with nature and finding peace in our own minds and spaces.
- Little Things by Nick Dyer, illustrated by Kelly Pousette - In this book, a young girl sees the beauty in small things all around her, and comes to understand that small things can can be the most beautiful.
- Hike by Pete Oswald - Follow this child and father pair on a hike into the mountains, where they discover the magic of nature and the small parts we can play in preserving the beautiful world around us.

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Title: Three Times Lucky
Author: Sheila Turnage
Genre: Mystery
Publication Information: Dial Books for Young Readers (a division of Penguin Group), 2012, 312 pages.

Mo is looking forward to a summer fishing and taking karate lesson with her best friend Dale before they start sixth grade next year.  But their summer plans are interrupted when a particularly cranky citizen of Tupelo Landing, North Carolina turns up dead! Of course, Mo and Dale have to set up their own detective agency to find his killer.  Mo's been lucky before, can she be lucky enough this time to save the people she loves and solve the mystery too?

Target audience: ages 8-11, grades 3-5.

Strength: If you love a novel where the main character has a distinctive voice and a strong personality and sense of self, then Three Times Lucky is for you!

Uses: Read a chapter at a time and create a mystery board!  Can you solve the mystery any faster than Mo and Dale?

Awards: Newberry Honor

Read-alikes:
- The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing (Mo and Dale Mysteries Book 2) by Sheila Turnage - So you loved Mo and Dale?  Pick up this book to read all about their next mystery-solving adventure!
- Greenglass House series by Kate Milford - Meet Milo, who was adopted as a baby twelve years ago by the couple who owns the local inn.  Now it's time for Christmas break and Milo is ready to relax... but the inn's mysterious guests have different plan.
- Last in a Long Line of Rebels by Lisa Lewis Tyre - Lou is determined to save her family's Civil War-era house from being condemned by whatever means necessary.  Did you love the southern setting in Three Times Lucky?  Are you interested in a story about exploring prejudice, justice, and family histories?  Then give Lou's story a try!
- Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein - A night locked in Mr. Lemoncello's famous game-filled library with 11 other kids sounds like awesome fun, right?  Right!  That is, until morning comes and the doors are still locked....  Can Kyle and his fellow library lovers solve all the games and clues to Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library?

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Title: Never Caught, The Story of Ona Judge: George and Martha Washington's Courageous Slave Who Dared to Run Away
Author: Erica Armstrong Dunbar and Kathleen Van Cleve
Genre: Nonfiction
Publication Information: Aladdin, 2020, 252 pages
Awards: National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction

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Title: The Inquisitor's Tale, or Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog
Author: Adam Gidwitz
Illuminator: Hatem Aly
Publication Information: Dutton Children's Books, 2016, 363 pages
Awards: Newberry Honor, 2017

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Title: A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
Author: Marlon Bundo and Jill Twiss
Illustrator: E.G. Keller
Genre: Picturebook
Publication Information:  Chronicle Books, 2018, unpaged

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Title: Islandborn
Author: Junot Diaz
Genre: Picturebook
Publication Information: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2018, unpaged
Awards: Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor, 2019

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Title: Scary Stories for Young Foxes
Author: Christian McKay Heidecker
Genre: Horror
Publication Information: Henry Holt & Co., 2019, 314 pages
Awards: Newberry Honor, 2020

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https://mgbookvillage.org/blog/

A great resource for learning about new diverse children's books, plus lots of interesting author interviews!