It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR is a community of bloggers who link up to share what they are reading. Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give it a #kidlit focus and encourage everyone who participates to visit at least 3 of the other #kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Our Reads This Week:

Terrific Tongues  by Maria Gianferrari  Illustrated by Jia Liu

Did you know that tongues can be like a sword, straw, nose, whip or even a windshield wiper?   I learned so much from reading Terrific Tongues, an amazing non-fiction picture book which teaches readers fascinating facts about an important organ.

I absolutely love the format of this fabulous text.  Maria Gianferrari introduces each animal with an if and a might.  For example, if you have a tongue like a mop, you might be a…. Readers turn the page to discover not only the animal but also a short description of how the animal’s tongue is similar to its comparison.  Jia Liu’s lively illustrations literally jump off the page;  I especially love the monkey’s facial expressions and emotions as each new animal is introduced.  Readers of all ages will enjoy Terrific Tongues from start to finish.  At the end of the book, there are additional facts about tongues, which will make readers tongue-tied with all the incredible facts!

A very special thanks to Maria Gianferrari for sending an ARC of Terrific Tongues to my #bookexcursion group. Since I sponsor a second grade class for #classroombookaday, I am always in search of nonfiction picture books to read and share with students.  Look no further than Terrific Tongues!  It publishes in April 2018 so pre-order now to secure your copy!

Anna, Banana and the Friendship Split by Anica Mrose Rissi Illustrated by Meg Park

In the first book of the series, Anna is excited about celebrating her birthday with her best friend Sadie and her dog, Banana.  She knows her birthday wish-a trip to Water World.  Right before she blows out her candles, Sadie tells Anna to wish for a pony.  Because Anna cannot say no to Sadie, she changes her wish at the last minute. Surprisingly, Anna receives a pony necklace from her grandparents, which Sadie now feels is half hers.

Being a good friend, Anna lets Sadie wear the necklace.  Not long after, the best friends get into an awful fight with Sadie leaving wearing the necklace.  The next day at school, Sadie ignores Anna and acts like their friendship never existed.  Anna desperately wants to save their friendship, but she wonders… what if Sadie no longer wants to be friends?

Anna, Banana and the Friendship Split is a realistic story about friendship. Like Anna, I am a pleaser and always want to fix things. With her mom’s help, Anna realizes that sometimes friends need a break from each other, and it is possible to have more than one friend.  This is a good lesson for children to learn because all true friendships have their ups and downs.  I can’t wait to share the Anna, Banana series with my transitional readers.

Our Featured Dog Selection of the Week:

The Very Very Very Long Dog by Julie Patton

Wanting to spread the dog love, Beagles and Books has a new weekly feature by highlighting a literary selection with a canine main character.

Bartelby is a lucky dog. He lives in a bookstore; he loves his home, his walks, and his friends.  Bartelby’s only problem is he is very, very long.  So long in fact that his walks create mess, calamity, and chaos.  Poor Bartelby did not realize that it was his bottom causing all the mayhem.  When he discovers his rear is the culprit, he is devastated.  Fortunately for Bartelby, he has amazing friends who research and devise a plan to solve his problem.

The Very, Very, Long Dog is such a perfect read aloud!  Children will instantly fall in love with adorable Bartelby and feel empathy for him when he discovers his long coming (Oops! I mean shortcoming). Julia Patton’s illustrations are so endearing and charmingly depict Bartelby’s and his friends’ range of emotions throughout the story.

Thanks for visiting Beagles & Books. Have a great week. Happy Reading!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR is a community of bloggers who link up to share what they are reading. Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give it a #kidlit focus and encourage everyone who participates to visit at least 3 of the other #kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Our Reads This Week:

The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City by Jodi Kendall

Being one of five kids living in a cramped city house, Josie Shilling feels invisible.  Except for gymnastics, Josie does not have anything that is truly her own.

So when Josie’s college age brother Tom brings home a piglet named Hamlet on Thanksgiving, Josie instantly clicks with the little runt.  She convinces her parents to let her keep Hamlet with the stipulation she must find the piglet a home by New Year’s Day.

The Unlikely Story of a Pig in a City will warm both your heart and soul.  As the New Year approaches, Josie discovers that her love for Hamlet opens her eyes and mind to her other talents besides gymnastics.  As a dog mom, I can totally relate to how my love for my pups changed my life. Josie also comes to realize that her family truly does see her and has and will always be her biggest cheerleader.  What powerful messages for readers for all ages!

Special thanks to Jodi Kendall who provided our #bookexcursion group with an ARC prior to The Unlikely Story of a Pig in a City’s October 2017 publication.

Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez

Stella Diaz is a third grade student who loves to write stories, draw, and read about marine animals. While she is a very good student, Stella is not confident in her language abilities; as a Mexican American, she accidentally speaks Spanish instead of English and turns roja in embarrassment.   This year, school is also more challenging because her best friend Jenny is in another class, which makes Stella feel lonely.

Stella is excited about researching fish for her animal project, but she is nervous about having to present in front of her whole class including the new student Stanley. And it doesn’t help that one of her fellow classmate always picks on her for being quiet.  Fortunately, Stella has the support of her mom, older brother Nick, and best friend Jenny to make her realize her strength.  As her mom told her, “That’s why your full name is Estrella.  You’re my star.  You can light up the dark.”  Can Stella live up to her name?

Stella Diaz Has Something to Say is such a delightful novel.  Children can identify with Stella with a variety of reasons.  Her parents are divorced and she has a strained relationship with her father.  She is shy and finds it difficult to make friends.  I fell in immediately fell in love with Stella and was rooting for her to find her strength.  I appreciate the author’s note where Angela Dominquez shares that Stella’s story is 82.9% based on her own childhood and how like Stella, we all must discover our inner starfish. In addition, Dominguez’s black and white illustrations appear throughout the novel and visually enhance Stella’s story.

Special thanks to Angela Dominguez for sharing an ARC of Stella with our #bookexcursion group.  Pre-order now, for the book will be released in January 2018.

Our Featured Dog Selection of the Week: 

My Pet Wants a Pet  by Elise Broach Illustrated by Eric Barclay

Wanting to spread the dog love, Beagles and Books has a new weekly feature by highlighting a literary selection with a canine main character.

A little boy want something to take care for on his own. His mom finally relents and permits him to adopt a puppy. Not long after, the boy decides the puppy needs a pet. While the mom thinks this was a terrible idea, the boy empathizes and the puppy gets a pet kitten setting off a chain reaction. The kitten gets a pet bird; the bird gets a pet worm and so on. Mom is not happy. “NO MORE PETS!,” she says. How can the boy fix things and make his mom happy again? Read My Pet Wants a Pet to find out!

My Pet Wants a Pet is an endearing story reminding us that we all want to love and care for something. The charming illustrations adorably show each animal’s loving relationship with its “pet.”

Special thanks to Christian Trimmer and Mark Podesta of Henry Holt Books for Young Readers for sending an ARC to Beagles and Books. Please look for My Pet Wants a Pet in the new year, for it publishes in March 2018.

Etta, Bella, and I thank you for visiting Beagles and Books. Have a great week!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR is a community of bloggers who link up to share what they are reading. Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give it a #kidlit focus and encourage everyone who participates to visit at least 3 of the other #kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Our Reads This Week:

The Boy and the Blue Moon by Sara O’Leary Illustrated by Ashley Crowley

Blue moons are rare; therefore, it is no surprise that extraordinary things can happen when they occur.

On the night of the blue moon, a boy and his cat take their usual walk through the forest but tonight, their journey is a little different.  The boy hears a song first from the blue bells and then from the waves in a lake that magically appears.  At the edge of the water, the boy and the cat find a boat. They row to the middle of the lake where the moon becomes within their reach. Remembering that anything can happen on the night of a blue moon, the boy (and the cat too) wish extra hard that they can go to the moon, and magically their wish comes true.

Sara Crowley has written a beautiful story for wishers and dreamers.  After reading the last page, it reminds me that that our dreams can become reality if we believe in ourselves. Ashley Crowley’s illustrations are absolutely breaktaking and gorgeous.  I especially love that Crowley’s illustrations of the cat hinted that this particular night was going to be special.

Special thanks to Christian Trimmer and Mark Podesta of Henry Holt and Company Books for Young Readers for providing my #bookexcursion group with an Advance Reader’s Edition of The Boy and the Blue Moon. It will be released in February 2018.

Jasmine Toguchi: Mochi Queenby Debbi Michiko Florence Illustrated by Elizabet Vukoric

Being the younger sister is no fun for Jasmine. Her big sister Sophie always bosses her around and gets to do everything first including rolling mochi balls, a New Year’s tradition with all the women in the family. If she can’t help the women, Jasmine comes up with a new plan; she will join the men in the tradition of pounding the mochi rice.

To prove she is tough enough, Jasmine works on strengthening her arm muscles by washing dishes and hanging on branches. After a run in with her mean cousin Eddie, Jasmine finally appeals to her dad and shares her wishes to pound, not roll mochi. Will her dad agree and let Jasmine break tradition?

I love that Jasmine is an independent thinker and is determined to break the silly rule that only boys can pound mochi. Like Beatrice Zinker, I cannot wait to share the Jasmine Toguchi series with my second grade literacy lunch bunch. Jasmine teaches an important lesson that strength does not come from your arm muscles; it comes from believing in yourself! Looking forward to read Jasmine’s next adventures in Super Sleuth and Drummer Girl!

Our Featured Dog Selection of the Week: 

Floatyby John Himmelman

Wanting to spread the dog love, Beagles and Books has a new weekly feature by highlighting  a literary selection with a canine main character.

Mr. Raisin is a grumpy curmudgeon who only likes to sew.  One day, a basket appears on his doorstep.  When Mr. Raisin opens the basket, he thinks it’s empty until he sees a puppy floating along his ceiling.  At first, Mr. Raisin does not wish to keep the dog but then realizes the puppy will float away.  He brings the dog inside and slowly develops an affection for the dog, which he aptly names Floaty.

One morning on a walk, Floaty’s leash snaps, and the dog floats away.  Mr. Raisin is devastated that his dog disappears into the sky.  Finally admitting his fondness for Floaty, he makes several attempts to rescue him which fail.  But don’t fret, Mr. Raisin soon realizes the perfect way to bring Floaty home!

Floaty is both a hilarious and heartfelt story that teaches us sometimes the best things in life happen unexpectedly and we must welcome those surprises.  John Himmelman’s bold and colorful illustrations convey how Mr. Raisin’s changes in the story and how his love for Floaty grows.

Special thanks to Christian Trimmer and Mark Podesta of Henry Holt and Company Books for Young Readers for providing my #bookexcursion group with a preview copy of Floaty, which will be released in January 2018.

Etta, Bella, and I thank you for visiting Beagles and Books. Have a wonderful week and happy reading!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR is a community of bloggers who link up to share what they are reading. Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give it a #kidlit focus and encourage everyone who participates to visit at least 3 of the other #kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Our Reads This Week:

Beatrice Zinker Upside Down Thinkerby Shelly Johannes

I had the great privilege of reading an ARC of Beatrice this past July and fell in love with her and her way of looking at the world!  I host literacy lunch bunches with students where we enjoy our food and talk about books.  There are 3 second grade students who are obsessed with Junie B. Jones and have pretty much read all the books in the series.  So of course, I knew which book to recommend for our next read-Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker!

It isn’t easy being an upside down thinker in the right side up Zinker family.  Beatrice has always been different and focused on the MAYBEs, WHAT-IFS,  and COULD-BES.  Luckily, Beatrice’s best friend, Lenny is ready and willing to join her in Operation Upside by wearing her matching black ninja suit to school on the first day of third grade.

But when an imposter Lenny walks into Mrs. Tamarack’s classroom, Beatrice cannot believe her eyes.  Why is Lenny wearing a skirt and a sparkly pink sweater instead of all black?  Where are her green glasses?  And to make matters worst, Lenny gets to sit next to her new friend Chloe in class while Beatrice’s desk is right under her teacher’s nose.  Suddenly, Beatrice realizes her friendship is in trouble and she needs to think and act quickly to save Operation Upside.

I cannot wait to meet with my students and talk about Beatrice.  She teaches us great lessons about having the courage to be yourself- true friends will always appreciate your uniqueness!

Shark Nate-O by Tara Luebbe and Becky Cattie  Illustrated by Daniel Duncan

Nate LOVES sharks!  Because Nate knows lots of cool facts about sharks, his nickname is Shark Nate-O. But Nate has a one slight problem-he can’t swim.  How can he really be a  shark if he can’t swim?

Luckily, Nate has a plan-swimming lessons!  At first, swimming does not come easy to Nate, and he needs a lot of support and rescuing from Coach Debra.  But Nate reminds himself that sharks are fearless and he does not give up.  Soon Nate is ripping through the water like a speedy mako shark.  While Nate is proud that he can swim on his own,  his ultimate goal is to become a member of the Amity Sharks swim team like his brother, Alex.  Can Nate live up to his nickname Shark Nate-O?

An added bonus is Nate shares some of his shark facts at the end of the book, which will definitely encourage readers to research sharks on their own.  A very special thanks to Tara Luebbe for sending an advance copy of Shark Nate-O to Beagles and Books, which I have shared with my #bookexcursion group. Preorder now, for Shark Nate-O will be published in April 2018.

To read my full review, please click here.

The Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman

Fish and Snail are friends.  Every day, Fish comes home with a new story to share with Snail.  But this time is different.  Fish wants to show, not tell Snail the new book.  Snail is not adventurous like Fish and wishes to stay put.  An argument ensues and Fish decides to jump out of the current book for the new story.

Snail realizes that their book cannot be The Story of Fish and Snail with no Fish.  So Snail has a difficult decision to make.  Can Snail leave its comfort zone and take a leap of faith with Fish?

The Fish and the Snail is a true story of friendship.  Friends don’t always agree and disagreements do occur.  But real friends find a common ground and are willing to compromise.

Freedman’s illustrations are absolutely gorgeous using a mix of both color and black and white. She perfectly captures the emotions of each character.  As a reader, you truly feel a part of Fish and Snail’s story because as their conflict heightens, the illustrations become larger.  After my first read, I found myself revisiting each page to enjoy the illustrations once more.

Our Featured Dog Selection of the Week:

Penny & Jelly: The School Show by Maria Gianferrari Illustrated by Thyra Heder

Wanting to spread the dog love, Beagles and Books has a new weekly feature by highlighting a literary selection with a canine main character.

Peabody Elementary is hosting a talent show and everyone is ready to perform except Penny.  While her classmates plan on singing, dancing or both,  Penny is not sure of her talent.  With the support of her best fur friend, Jelly, Penny makes a list of possible talents, but unfortunately, none of them seem to be the right fit.  She continues to brainstorm and try out other ideas.  Will Penny find her true talent in time for the show?

I absolutely love the friendship between Penny and Jelly; the illustrations truly capture their love for one another.  Penny teaches young readers perseverance because she does not give up and learns that her talent was always there; she just had to find it with Jelly’s help of course!  Now, next on my to be read list is Penny and Jelly Under the Stars. Looking forward to their next continued adventures together!

Etta, Bella, and I thank you for visiting Beagles and Books.  Have a great week!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR is a community of bloggers who link up to share what they are reading. Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give it a #kidlit focus and encourage everyone who participates to visit at least 3 of the other #kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Our Reads This Week:

The Art of the Swap by Kristine Asselin & Jen Malone

The Art of the Swap is an intriguing and inventive mystery of two 12 year-old girls who switch places in time. Hannah Jordan lives in the present day at The Elms,  a mansion-turned-museum with her caretaker father. Margaret Dunlap, known as Maggie, is an American heiress in 1905 who spends time at the Elms as a guest of her aunt and uncle.  By way of a mysterious mirror, Hannah and Maggie swap places with each other.  Hannah goes back in time to 1905 whereas Maggie lands in the modern world.

At first, Hannah and Maggie are unsure of why the switch occurred.  Soon they realize that the swap took place on the very day that Maggie’s portrait painted by the now famous Mary Cassatt was stolen before its unveiling at a grand party at the Elms. Hannah and Maggie must collaborate quickly to solve the legendary art heist in order to return to their proper places.

What I love most about the novel is how the authors depict how the role of girls/women have changed over the last century.  Through the swap, Maggie does not want to be known as spoiled and useless, would rather read than sew, and relishes the fact that she can wear trousers, run, and climb trees in 2017.  Meanwhile, Hannah realizes that she has been raised to have a very different mindset-she can do and be anything.  She admits to Maggie that while women have equal rights on paper, women still have to earn them in people’s hearts.  Both girls learn an important lesson about their purposes in life and how they can each make a lasting contribution to society, which to quote Hannah and later Maggie is pretty cool!

Special thanks to Kristine Asselin and Simon & Schuster/Aladdin for sending an ARC of The Art of the Swap to our #bookexcursion group. It will be published in February 2018.

To read my full review, click here.

Max and Bird by Ed Vere

Max, wants to be friends with Bird, but there is a slight problem.  Being a cat, Max wants to chase and then perhaps eat Bird.  Bird is not pleased with the nature of their friendship and explains to Max that “friends have fun together and help each other out.”  Max agrees to help Bird learn how to fly and then they can talk about chasing and the other stuff (like eating, I suppose).

But how does a cat help a bird learn to fly?  Go to the library, of course! They learned that there are 3 simple steps to flying.  Unfortunately, the steps do not work for Bird or Max.  Luckily for Bird, the friends run into Pigeon for some advice.  In a short time, Bird is successful. But wait, does that mean Max will now chase and eat Bird?

I absolutely love the Max series.  Max is simply adorable with his big eyes and wagging tail.  I also love that Max makes a pro and con list of eating Bird.  While Bird may be tasty, Max would then be without a friend.  Of course,  friendship wins ( as it always should) so I hope there are more Max and Bird adventures to come!

Bear and Chicken by Jannie Ho

On a walk, a hungry Bear finds a chicken frozen in the snow.  Bear takes Chicken home to a warm fire for defrosting.  When Chicken wakes up, Bear says “You are just in time.”  “Just in time for what?” thinks Chicken.  But when Chicken sees a huge pot of water boiling and Bear chopping herbs and vegetables, she assumes she knows what is up.  Quickly. Chicken runs for her life out back into the cold woods.  Was Chicken’s suspicion correct or did she misjudge Bear?

At the end of the book, the author includes a recipe for Bear’s Vegetable Soup (Oops! spoiler) as well as facts about black bears.  I highly recommend Bear and Chicken to teach children not to judge book by its cover or more specifically, a Bear by his cooking!

Featured Dog Selection of the Week:

Antoinette by Kelly DiPucchio Illustrated by Christian Robinson

Wanting to spread the dog love, Beagles and Books has a new weekly feature by highlighting a literary selection with a canine main character.

Antoinette is the follow-up to the beloved picture book, Gaston.  In this story, Mrs. Bulldog knows all her puppies are special.  Antoinette’s brothers know their strengths, but she isn’t so sure yet.  Mrs. Bulldog encourages Antoinette to keep her chin up because she will discover her talent in time.

During their daily trip to the park, Antoinette’s sister, Oh-La-La disappears chasing a butterfly.  While her brothers try to use their talents to locate her, they are unsuccessful.  Antoinette not does give up her search for Oh-La-La and not only locates and saves her sister, but also finds her special talent.

Like Gaston, Antoinette teaches us that we must celebrate our differences.  In addition, it teaches children the power of yet.  Finding your talent may take time; therefore, the lesson is never give up!  DiPucchio and Robinson are a truly fabulous team!  DiPucchio’s story is uplifting and positive, and Robinson’s warm and detailed illustrations make readers want to linger and savor each picture before turning the page.

Etta, Bella, and I thank you for visiting Beagles and Books.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!