Understanding the misunderstood worm

 

Spring is in full force and as people tend to their gardens, one animal that inevitably pops up is the worm.  Love them or hate them, they are here to help the earth in many ways.  As a teacher, parent and librarian, I seek out picture books to help young people understand the why behind creatures in nature so Marie Boyd's debut story, Just a Worm, does exactly that! Other than the sweet story of a worm, Boyd also has illustrated the book with an artistic paper cut technique called, quilling. You can learn more about her craft on her website where she has a tutorial on how to make a snail! I am excited to share this with my students and daughter. 

I had some questions for Marie Boyd regarding her book, its topic, her inspiration and other topics. Here are her responses: 

1.    Why did you decide to write about a worm of all creatures?

 

Hi Fallon, Thanks so much for having me on The Story Spectator! I’m excited to be here. I decided to write about a worm because when my son was younger, I often told him “It’s just a worm” when he saw worms on the sidewalk. One day I started thinking about how a worm might respond if it could understand my words. That question led to my debut picture book Just a Worm.

2.    What do you hope readers will gain after reading your book?

 

In Just a Worm, after being called “just a worm” by two children, Worm embarks on a journey through the garden to prove them wrong. Along the way, Worm encounters several insects and other creatures, each of which has important qualities. But what can Worm do? I wrote Just a Worm for everyone who has ever compared themselves to others and felt that they have fallen short. I hope that Just a Worm will encourage readers to consider the special ways that they contribute to their families and communities.

3.    How did you get into quilling?

 

I learned about quilling by chance. I was at a craft store buying fabric when I came across some quilling supplies. I didn’t know what quilling was, so I looked it up on my phone. I was intrigued by what I saw and bought the supplies. I started quilling cards for my family and friends and quickly fell in love with quilling. I had a lot of paper that I had collected over the years for various craft projects so eventually I began cutting my own quilling strips. That opened so many new creative possibilities, and eventually led to me using quilled paper to illustrate Just a Worm.

 

4.    What came first, the words or the illustrations?

 

The story started with the phrase, “it’s just a worm,” but when I thought about what Worm’s garden would look like I imagined it quilled.

 

5.    Do you have a special experience or memory with gardens?

 

I have so many special memories with gardens and the illustrations in Just a Worm draw on some of those memories. As a child, I often helped my parents in the yard and many of the plants in Just a Worm are inspired by plants from their garden.  I love gardens so much that I got married in a garden.

 

6.  What advice do you have for people who think worms are gross?

 

Worms play an important role as decomposers and it is possible to appreciate worms and what they do from a distance.

 

Thanks again for hosting me and allowing me to share a bit about Just a Worm. If your readers are interested in learning more about how I illustrated Just a Worm, I share quilled crafts and more on my website at www.marieboyd.com. Happy reading! 

The book, Just a Worm, is released by Greenwillow, an imprint of HarperCollins, on March 14, 2023, so you can get it now!   A big thanks to author Marie Boyd for taking the time to speak with me about her first picture book.  I hope to see many more of her works in the future. 
 

Snoozefest: The Surprising Science of Sleep

 

Snoozefest: The Surprising Science of Sleep by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and Valéry Goulet is a nonfiction, middle grade book that explores the topic of sleep through multiple lenses.  Readers will be intrigued by how sleep science has changed over time.  The topics are posed as questions, like, can a human survive on little to no sleep?  

Every chapter's readability is what stands out the most for me.  Getting middle grade readers to read nonfiction can be a struggle, but I don't see that happening with this book. With extra information in the sidebars and beautiful illustrations, this book reads like a dream! Pun intended.

Another part that I think will be of importance to young readers is the section dedicated towards age and sleep.  Teenagers' sleep patterns and needs are different in that stage of their life so the impacts upon having school start times be moved to a later time, for example, are discussed.  The authors also discuss the physiological reasons behind these needs leading to readers better understanding their bodily development. 

Athletes' need for sleep and rest is also addressed.  Many readers may be surprised to learn about the world-famous athletes who dedicate so much of their training towards rest.  Coaches, health teachers and physical education instructors can use this part of the book to supplement their lessons they use with students and athletes.  

Animal lovers will be happy to see their favorite creatures featured.  How do different animals' sleeping habits and needs differ?  What are the reasons behind those differences?  Readers will be able to learn a great deal from the information in these sections. 

I have a lot of students who are interested in the science behind dreams.  This book looks at the origins of dream science and describes it in an understandable way.  What do our dreams mean?

Overall, I would recommend this book to any middle grade reader, teen and adult for that matter.  The topics Snoozefest are well-suited for book clubs, discussions and inquiry projects. Do you have other titles that address the science behind sleep? If so, please share them in the comments and a big thank you to publisher, Kids Can Press, for sharing a copy with my book review group, #BookExcursion.  

Once Upon a Camel: middle grade fantasy, adventure

 

Once Upon a Camel, a middle grade chapter book written by award-winning author Kathi Appelt with pictures by Eric Rohmann is a heart-warming, educational story that is perfect for animal & history lovers.  The twist is that this story is told from the point of view of Zada, an old camel who is thrust into protecting the baby chicks of two kestrel friends as a wind storm rushes their way.  Zada takes the journey seriously as they make their way across the wilderness towards safety and hopefully the chicks can reunite with their parents who were carried away by the storm.  To help the time pass, Zada recalls how she came to live in Texas from Turkey. Through a series of flashbacks the touching tale leaps off the page and ends in the most uplifting, surprising way imaginable.  

I highly recommend this for elementary, middle school and home libraries, especially those with readers who enjoyed The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. If readers like this book, then I suggest offering them  Exiled: Memoirs of a Camel by Kathleen Karr about the perspective of an Egyptian camel who ends up in the U.S.  There are similarities between the camels' experiences and those interested in the real-life history of camels being brought to the U.S. in the 1850s to be part of the camel corps for the U.S. Army. The illustrations also help the story move forward and softens the high stakes situations in which Zada finds herself. 

Appelt shares more about her book and reads an excerpt in the video below:

 Here's an entertaining book trailer to share with readers:

Run, Little Chaski! An Inka Trail Adventure: Peruvian Voices picture book

Run, Little Chaski! An Inka Trail Adventure by Mariana Llanos and illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson is a delightful picture book for preschoolers all the way up to middle schoolers.  It tells the story of a messenger who is given the task of delivering a khipu (KEE-poo: a recording system made of rope and hanging knotted threads) to the king before the sun sets.  Along the way he encounters animals who need his help.  Will he reach the temple in time or will his mission be a failure?

What stood out to me about this book was the message of resilience.  His older brother, father, and grandfather tell him he must be strong, swift, and sharp.  So he has the pressure of needing to do his job, but when he sees animals who need his help, he cannot turn the other way.  I think this is a great message to send to our readers.  Readers can discuss times when they helped someone out and how it made them feel.  

Another part of this book that made me want to share it with my students is the authentic voice of the author and the beautiful, vibrant illustrations of the illustrator.  The reader is transported to another time and place completely.  The animals that are in the story are ones that my students will want to learn more about and even make puppets to retell the story.  The animals are adorable and unique to the area so readers can compare those to animals in their own community.

Finally, the best part about this whole story is the language, back matter and map provided in the end.  The glossary is helpful for whomever is reading the story aloud to know how to pronounce the Quechua words.  There are phrases that get repeated throughout the story which increases participation in the reading.  There is also easy to understand explanations of who the Inka and the chaskis were, what they delivered and more about the Inka Trail itself.  Older readers can research the Inka and how Spanish conquistadors affected the region.  Readers can also make their own khipus out of yarn or string.

Thank you to Barefoot Books for the copy of the book! It will be well-loved in our school library.

 

A Father's Day Booklist

Stories about fathers abound in our library.  Readers think about the characteristics of the characters and the relationships they build with those around them.  These are books that our students have come back to read and discuss over and over again. If you have other titles you recommend, please add them in the comments!

Picture Books:

In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall, a collection of poems by outstanding Black writers and illustrated by Javaka Steptoe.

Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry and gorgeously illustrated by Vashti Harrison is about a young girl and her father helping her style her hair into a beautiful, natural style that is all her.

My Papa is a Princess by Doug Cenko is a story of snapshots from the point of view of a young daughter who shares the activities her father does with her.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and illustrated by John Schoenherr is the story of a father and daughter who venture out deep into the night to find the beauty in looking for owls.

Elena's Serenade by Campbell Geeslin and illustrated superbly by Ana Juan is about Elena, a girl in Mexico who wants to become a glassblower. With the help and support of her father, she reaches her goal.

A Different Pond by Bao Phi and illustrated so beautifully by Thi Bui is about a boy whose father tells him about his life before he immigrated to Minneapolis from Vietnam.

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle is a story about how the male seahorses carry the eggs in their belly after they are laid by the mothers.

Dad and the Dinosaur by Ginnifer Choldenko and illustrated marvelously by Dan Santat is about a boy whose toy dinosaur goes missing and how his father helps him find it again.

Pete's a Pizza by William Steig is about a time when a boy couldn't go out to play with his friends because of the weather so his father plays a game with him to cheer him up--by turning him into a pizza!

One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads by Johnny Valentine and illustrated by Melody Sarecky is about the different ways that families form and function, but in the end, love is what is the same.

Chapter Books:

The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead, about Bea, a ten year old girl, whose parents divorced because her father is gay and is planning to marry again.

Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary, about 7 year old Ramona whose father just lost his job and she must deal with how their lives will change as a result of that.

Squirm by Carl Hiaasen is about Billy, a tween whose father left him and his mother when he was 3.  Now Billy discovers his address in Montana so he sets off from Florida to find him and get some answers.  Along the way there are adventures, new family and the possibility to build a relationship with his dad.

Before the Ever After a novel in verse by Jacqueline Woodson is from the point of view of ZJ, a son whose father plays for the NFL but he is acting strange.  Doctors do not know about the lasting effects of concussions and brain injuries for football players at this point, so putting the pieces together and learning to live with a new personality is the heart of this story.

The Crossover, a novel in verse by Kwame Alexander is about a pair of 14 year old twin basketball stars, Josh and Jordan, and their lives as their father's health goes downward.

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks, 12 year old Zoe, who is a budding baker, receives a letter from her biological father whom she has never met while he is serving time in prison for a crime he did not commit.  

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park is a historical fiction story about a half-Chinese girl named Hanna whose father and their journey to the Dakota Territory in the 1880s to begin a new life after her mother passes away in California.

37 Environmental Picture and Chapter Books for Children & Middle Schoolers

How is the Earth connected to its creatures?  Why is it important for humans to be aware of the Earth's needs and be able to protect it as much as possible?  These questions and more can be discussed with readers in the following chapter and picture books that have environmental themes.  From plays to nonfiction and fiction books, there is something interesting for everyone. 

Need more ideas? Check A Mighty Girl's blog for additional titles.

Scary Stories for Young Foxes: family, sacrifice & bone-chilling danger

 

Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker and illustrations by Junyi Wu is a chapter book for older readers (age 10 and above) who enjoy good stories with danger, villains, underdogs and family.  

When 6 kits approach an older vixen storyteller for a spooky tale, it's not surprising that only one kit remains to hear the last of the story.  Told in 8 chapters, each story builds upon the last one with clues that make them more complex than they seem.  Readers can use the names of the chapters and the illustrations that accompany them to predict what will happen next.  There are humorous moments but those moments change to doubt as to the survival of the foxes in the story. 

The way the story is told from the perspective of the foxes is what makes this book stand out. There is always fear and uncertainty in the wild but to read it from the point of view an animal in that world is unique.  It made me understand animals much better and what they have to do in order to survive.  

Questions that come to mind when reading this is if the reader agrees with the decisions made by the various characters in the story.  Which chapter did they like the most?  Were they surprised by the ending or did they see it coming?