The Ogress and the Orphans-trust, power & love

 

The Ogress and the Orphans, a middle grade chapter book by Kelly Barnhill, reads like a fairy tale: a town dominated by an evil, glowing, greedy man, an orphanage full of sweet children who only hope of a better life ahead, and an outsider, the Ogress, who lurks nearby and leaves the community members gifts in order to alleviate their suffering.  It is no surprise that this book was a National Book Award Finalist.

From the first page the reader knows that all of the characters will come to a head at one point and the journey to that climax is well worth the wait.  I loved how skillfully Barnhill describes the relationships of the children towards one another and their caregivers.  The mystery of the community's fire lingers over the whole story as they are told to hate the Ogress by their greedy, orange leader.  The Ogress is my favorite character of the entire story. She has a gentleness that many can envision in a friend and the way she is treated is just heart-breaking. Children who read this will root for her and there will be discussions of the choices the characters make that drive the story forward.  

This book is similar to Barnhill's other fantasy novel, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, a Newbery Medal winner.  They both feature a misunderstood magical creature who is portrayed as the villain by power-hungry forces.  Readers will delight in both of these stories as the action-packed scenes, humor, and heart over-ride any reminder that they are indeed, fantasy stories. Both of these lend themselves well to read-aloud books for teachers, parents, and caregivers. Every reader will want to discuss these rich stories that are sure to be classics. 

Black History Month: celebrating excellence

 Black History should be recognized year round, however, since 1915, what started out as a single week to honor the contributions and trials and tribulations of Black people has turned into a month in February to  do so. There is a yearly theme on which to focus and this year's theme is on "Black Resistance." There are a number of books that feature Black heroes who pushed against society's repression.  We have also have stories of the joy and pride in Black people's lives that should be celebrated and shared with young people.  

I hope that these ideas below spark an idea that works with these stories or the books in your class, home or library collection:

Music: Sing a Song (Lift Every Voice and Sing--the Black National Anthem written in honor of President Lincoln's birthday in 1900)

 The Roots of Rap

 How the Beat was Born

 Harlem's Little Blackbird

Writing: Maya Angelou (Little People, Big World) 

 Change Sings 

 DeShawn Days 

Dance: Firebird 

 Bunheads 

 Josephine

Artists: Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery

 Radiant Child

 Ablaze with Color

Scientists: Blast Off into Space Like Mae Jemison

How We Got to the Moon

Little Leaders Bold Women in Black History

Black Joy: I Am Every Good Thing

Princess Hair

Princess Truly 

Hair Love

Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut

Black Joy: Sulwe

Honeysmoke

Magnificent Homespun Brown

Magic Like That

Parker Looks Up

Black Joy: Not Quite Snow White

Posey Monster Slayer

Dream Big, Little One

New Kid

Twins

Black Joy: SnapDragon

All Because You Matter

Ambitious Girl

Black is a Rainbow Color 

Community: Thank You, Omu

Kamala and Maya's Big Idea

Loretta Little Looks Back

Step Right Up

Child of the Dream

Shaking Things Up

Community: Before She Was Harriet

A Good Kind of Trouble

No Small Potatoes

Genesis Begins Again

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

Community: When Stars are Scattered

Evelyn Del Ray is Moving Away

Nana Akua Goes to School

Emily's Fortune

Enough!

Athletes: Before the Ever After

Becoming Muhammad Ali

Mo'Ne Davis: Remember My Name

Black Heroes of the Wild West

Fearless Mary: Mary Fields, American Stagecoach Driver

Athletes: Let'Er Buck!

The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali

A Nation's Hope

Flying High

Game Changers 

Folktales: Tristan Strong series

The Jumbies Trilogy 

The Year I Flew Away

Black Author/Illustrator studies: Jason Reynolds, Derrick C. Barnes, Kwame Alexander, Vashti Harrison, Carole Boston Weatherford

Book Awards: Coretta Scott King Award 

Teaching ideas: Choose a Black person from history, research them to find out how they are a CHANGE maker and design a slide, collage, video, song, acrostic poem or artifact that represents them and their accomplishments.

Pick a Black person from history whom you admire.  What qualities did they have and how did that help them and the world?

For more ideas and resources, I like to use the American Association of School Librarian's Resource Guide to Black History Month.  

What do you like to use to share the importance of Black History Month? Share in the comments!

New Year, New Plans

As the first month of the new year begins, I am reminded of how quickly time passes. Planning ahead is one of my major efforts to better capture special observances and opportunities for community partnerships for the last half of the school year.  Here are the events and dates on my radar as I plan for library units, lessons, speakers, etc.  

What are you looking forward to celebrating and what do you do? Comment below!

January

MLK, Jr. Day - January 16

Lunar New Year - January 22

Crayola Creativity Week - January 23-29

ALA Youth Media Awards - January 30

February

World Read Aloud Day - February 2

Black History Month 

(Coretta Scott King Literature Connections)

Kindness / Friendship Day (Valentine's Day) - February 14

March

March Madness Book Tournament 

Women's History Month

Music in Our Schools Month

April

Poetry Month

Children's Book Day - April 2

School Librarian Day - April 4

Earth Day - April 22

Library Week - April 23-29

State Book Award Voting (varies by state)

May

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

June

Pride Month

Poetry: the art of language

 

April is National Poetry Month, but the art of language is to be celebrated all year long.  When my students first hear that we are going to study poetry, many groan, unsure of what is to follow.  Thankfully, after these engaging and creative ideas, they change their perspective to one that celebrates the various forms and topics that one can express through the art of language.  

Shape or Concrete Poems:  a poem that takes the shape of its subject matter.  Some books that help illustrate this are:

First, we read several concrete poems and students form the definition for a concrete poem.  Then I take them through a group writing experience where we brainstorm a list of items they generate. Then we take one and I loosely sketch an image that is associated with that. Then we come up with descriptive words, feelings, similes, metaphors, and analogies to write our ideas in the borders of the shape.  Students who are able can try this out on their own, or for those who need scaffolds you can provide the outline of various shapes along with vocabulary for students to cut out and glue to form their concrete poem.  

Blackout Poetry:  this is when writing that has already been published is used as inspiration for carving out a poem from those words already printed.  The poet can circle those words they wish to use and black out the rest of the words through patterns, other colors, or by blacking them out.

Rather than use books for this I like to use images from Google to show examples of blackout poetry and ask students to tell me what they notice about the poems.  

Note: I used to use newspapers for this, however, I had to be careful about the subject matter, vocabulary and layout of the articles in comparison to the advertisements, so ever since those experiences I have turned to using pages of discarded or weeded books to give to students for this type of writing.

Homophones, homonyms, idioms, puns:  poetry doesn't have to be lyrical or rhyme. Poetry can be the juxtaposition of words with multiple meanings and clever sayings explained in literal terms.  My students enjoy exploring this aspect of language because it is in small bites rather than long poems to analyze or just rhyming poems meant to  entertain.  Some books that we study during this topic are:

A video that my students like to watch and sing along with is below:

Poetry Slam:  lyrics of songs and poems are meant to be heard aloud, therefore, I invite students to read or recite poetry or songs aloud in front of an audience or if they'd rather, record and edit a video of their poem or song on a video production application, like Apple CLIPS or iMovie.  Students should be given time to find a poem or song with which they connect and choose to share it with others. For the Poetry Slam experience, I hang twinkle lights up, spread out picnic blankets and a variety of flexible seating options around as the lights dim and we can enjoy one another's love of language.  

Book Spine Poetry: this is one of my favorite types of poetry to share with students. First we look at a variety of examples and students form a definition for what is included in a book spine poem.  Then students are sent in partners or small groups to a certain part of the library to create their own book spine poem.  I ask students to take a photo of their poem on their device so that I may project it for the class, but they also like to display their book spine poems for others to read.  The best part of this experience is that students always find books that they want to read that they may have never even chosen if not for this opportunity to look for interesting book titles. 

An extension of this is to add music or other effects to the mood of their poems using a collage of photos or a technology application, like iMovie, FlipGrid, Seesaw, or Apple CLIPS.

Although some librarians hesitate to use book spine poetry with students due to the large amount of shelving that will follow the experience, Mike Rawls, a.k.a. The Book Wrangler, suggests using paper spines with book titles already on them or you can photocopy.  

Novels-in-Verse: a story written in verse is one of my favorite formats to share with students. Much like a chapter book or graphic novel or picture book format, a novel-in-verse is another way that writers tell a story, but in lyrical form.  

Do you have a favorite way to share poetry? Please leave a comment below!

2022 - A Year of Book Picks

2022 was quite the year in publishing. We are so lucky to have more inclusive and broader range of perspectives represented in literature. Thinking back to my year in reading, here are my highest rated chapter books that I recommend for children, teens and adults: 

Early Readers (ages 5-9)

Slug Days - realistic fiction, autism, school, friendship

Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey - realistic fiction, overcoming fears, friendship, family

Surely Surely Marisol Rainey - realistic fiction, school, self-confidence, friendship

The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat and a Casserole - fantasy, mystery, humor, sisters

Bee & Flea and the Compost Caper - science, biology, humor

Ada Twist and the Perilous Plants - science, inquiry

Pet That Cat! - nonfiction, cat care, cat behavior

Middle Grade (ages 9-14)

Fantasy 

Cress Watercress - fantasy, animals, grief, humor, adventure, community 

The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez - fantasy, military families, bullying, mystery, Cuban folklore

The Ogress and the Orphans - fantasy, community, family, social commentary 

Too Bright to See - paranormal, mystery, grief, ghosts, identity, LGBTQ, family, friendship

The Last Mapmaker - fantasy, family, mystery, adventure, humor, dragons

Lalani of the Distant Sea - fantasy, Filipino folklore, adventure, monsters

Lotería - magical realism, Mexico, mortality, fate

Scary Stories for Young Foxes: The City - fantasy, suspense, scary, animal adventure, sequel to Scary Stories for Young Foxes

The Silver Arrow - fantasy, train travel, family, friendship, mystery, humor

The Marvellers - fantasy, action, family secrets, magic school

Pony - supernatural, historical fiction, 1860s, U.S., horses, grief, sons, fathers, horses, bandits

Snapdragon - fantasy, graphic novel, friendship, LGBTQ, mystery

Zatanna and the House of Secrets - fantasy, magic, graphic novel, family secrets, mystery

Scritch Scratch - paranormal, Chicago, tragedies, family, friendship

The Year I Flew Away - fantasy, historical fiction, 1980s New York City, Haitian folklore, immigrants in the U.S.

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, Book 1 - fantasy, humor, adventure, grandfathers, magic, clumsiness

Frances and the Monster - fantasy, adventure, humor

Historical Fiction

The Other Side of the River - historical fiction, Mexican revolution, immigrants in the U.S., identity, sequel to The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna

The Door of No Return - historical fiction, Africa, slavery, family

The Blackbird Girls - historical fiction, 1980s Chernobyl Explosion, Russia, family, friendship, religion

Red, White and Whole - historical fiction, 1980s, Indian, immigrants the U.S., ill parent, family, identity

My Own Lightning - historical fiction, 1940s Pennsylvania, mystery, sequel to Wolf Hollow

Long Road to the Circus - historical fiction, 1900s, U.S. farms, gender roles, family

Starting from Seneca Falls - historical fiction, 1800s, U.S., women's rights, child abuse

Moonwalking - historical fiction, 1980s New York City, novel in verse, art, autism, friendship, ill parent, bullying, race

By the Light of the Fireflies - historical fiction, American Revolution, child hero, family

Being Clem - historical fiction, 1940s Chicago, grief, race, family, friendship, class

The Legend of Auntie Po - historical fiction, graphic novel, 1880s NW U.S., LGBTQ, Chinese voices, logging history

A Place to Hang the Moon - historical fiction, WWII, England, siblings, orphans, community 

 

Nonfiction

Alias Anna - biography, WWII, novel in verse, music, family

While I Was Away - memoir, immigrants in the U.S., Japanese, friendship, family, grandparents

Short Stories

Beyond the Stars - short stories, Irish authors, emotional

Hope Wins - short stories, inspiring, overcoming challenges

Realistic Fiction

Stuntboy, in the Meantime - realistic fiction, graphic novel, anxiety, bullying, community, family

Out of My Heart - realistic fiction, disability POV, friendship, sequel to Out of My Mind

The Best Liars in Riverview - realistic fiction, mystery, LGBTQ, friendship, bullying 

Maizy Chen's Last Chance - realistic fiction, identity, racism, immigrants in the U.S., Asian, family, community

Efrén Divided - realistic fiction, immigrants in the U.S., Mexico, deportation, friendship, family

Worser - realistic fiction, school, friendship, family, ill parent, autism, bullying, community activism

Golden Girl - realistic fiction, novel in verse, Pakistani immigrants in the U.S., family, kleptomaniac

Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence - realistic fiction, friendship, pets, inspiring 

New From Here - realistic fiction, COVID lockdown, Asian, racism, community, family, ADHD

Tune it Out - realistic fiction, homelessness, sensory processing disorder, family, friendship

Turtle Boy - realistic fiction, identity, friendship, grief, religion, death

Brave Like That - realistic fiction, adoption, identity, friendship

Five Things About Ava Andrews - realistic fiction, friendship, social anxiety, community activism

96 Miles - realistic fiction, family, survival, friendship, mystery, suspense

This Last Adventure - realistic fiction, grandparents, Alzheimers, friendship

The Amelia Six - realistic fiction, friendship, mystery, gender, humor

Jennifer Chan is Not Alone - realistic fiction, friendship, mystery, identity, bullying, Asian, aliens

Solving for M - realistic fiction, ill parent, friendship, family

Stuck - realistic fiction, learning disabilities, friendship, school, family

Lemon Drop Falls - realistic fiction, grief, OCD, anxiety, family, friendship

Samira Surfs - realistic fiction, novel in verse, Rohingya refugees, gender roles, identity, Bangladesh, surfing

One Time - realistic fiction, school, imagination, friendship, identity

How to Become a Planet - realistic fiction, LGBTQ, anxiety, depression, family, friendship

Violets are Blue - realistic fiction, opioids, divorce, friendship, special FX makeup 

Count Me In - realistic fiction, Indian, immigrants in the U.S., racism, community activism, friendship

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant - realistic fiction, adventure, Sri Lanka, friendship, class

Young Adult (ages 14 +)

Nonfiction

Black Birds in the Sky - nonfiction, Tulsa Race Massacre, racism, American history, Oklahoma

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry - nonfiction, true crime, Asian, justice, American history 

Fallout - nonfiction, Cold War, espionage, nuclear war, Soviet Union, United States, communism

Revolution in Our Time - nonfiction, Black Panthers, history, politics

The Woman All Spies Fear - nonfiction, biography, code breaker, heroism

Historical Fiction

Last Night at the Telegraph Club - historical fiction, 1950s San Fransisco, LGTBQ, Chinese immigrants, gender, identity

A Sitting in St. James - historical fiction, 1860s Louisiana, enslaved generation, plantation life, identity, racism, class 

I Must Betray You - historical fiction, Romania, Communism, spies, romance, family  

Under a Painted Sky - historical fiction, 1849 Oregon Trail, romance, friendship, gender roles

Displacement - historical fiction, graphic novel, Japanese-American Internment Camps, WWII, Asian

Realistic Fiction

All My Rage - realistic fiction, immigrants in the U.S., romance, ill parent, abuse, identity, trauma, Middle Eastern

Firekeeper's Daughter - realistic fiction, Ojibwe, identity, mystery, thriller, family

You Should See Me in a Crown - realistic fiction, LGBTQ, high school, friendship, social pressure

Jagged Little Pill - realistic fiction, sexual assault, multiple narrators, community, friendship

Ain't Burned All the Bright - poetry, COVID, Black voices, social commentary

Blackout - short stories (intertwined), realistic fiction, identity, LGBTQ, relationships, romance

Fantasy

A Snake Falls to Earth - fantasy, Indigenous futurism, family, community, Lipan Apache, supernatural

Me (Moth) - supernatural, romance, grief, identity, spiritualism, Navajo

Gleanings - short stories, dystopian, death, power, part of the Arc of a Scythe trilogy

Poster Girl - dystopian, mystery, power, family

Adult

When Women Were Dragons - fantasy, gender roles, family, mystery, social commentary

Nightcrawling - poverty, crime, realistic fiction, law enforcement

Wrong Place, Wrong Time - organized crime, time travel, family, betrayal 

The It Girl - mystery, suspense, murder, Oxford, friendship, romance 

Book Lovers - romance, family, book publishing industry

Tracy Flick Can't Win - realistic fiction, dark humor, community, high school, sequel to Election

One Italian Summer - realistic fiction, grief, marriage, mothers, romance

She Come By it Natural - nonfiction, culture, music, feminism 

This Tender Land - historical fiction, 1930s ,Great Depression, midwest U.S., epic quest

Compiling this list reflects the genres I gravitate towards and what I need to seek out more.  The upcoming year provides the perfect time to read more books that will leave their mark in my psyche.  If you have any suggestions for me, please leave them in the comments. 90% of these books I read come from others' recommendations!

 I'm incredibly grateful to be a part of book clubs, review groups and other professional learning networks that allow me to discuss the best books.  The American Library Association's Youth Media Awards are also a source of my selected books to read in the coming year.  The nominees and winning books are announced on January 30, 2023 from 8 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. CENTRAL time. I can't wait!