I spy Youth Fiction

Both these books which cover some pretty important topics!

Regina Petit’s family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government signs a bill into law that says Regina’s tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes “Indian no more” overnight–even though she was given a number by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that counted her as Indian, even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations.

With no good jobs available in Oregon, Regina’s father signs the family up for the Indian Relocation program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She’s never met kids of other races, and they’ve never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism, personally and toward her new friends.

Meanwhile, her father believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like white Americans. But it’s not that easy. It’s 1957 during the Civil Rights Era. The family struggles without their tribal community and land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At least they are all together.

In this moving middle-grade novel drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis’s own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian? Is she American? And will she and her family ever be okay?

The bed creaks under Santiago’s shivering body. They say a person’s life flashes by before dying. But it’s not his whole life. Just the events that led to this. The important ones, and the ones Santiago would rather forget.

The coins in Santiago’s hand are meant for the bus fare back to his abusive abuela’s house. Except he refuses to return; he won’t be missed. His future is uncertain until he meets the kind, maternal María Dolores and her young daughter, Alegría, who help Santiago decide what comes next: He will accompany them to el otro lado, the United States of America. They embark with little, just backpacks with water and a bit of food. To travel together will require trust from all parties, and Santiago is used to going it alone. None of the three travelers realizes that the journey through Mexico to the border is just the beginning of their story.

Youth Series Books – Lolo

I am going to try to post series of books because I think it is important!

Keep reading!!

For Lolo, every day’s a new adventure. Whether it’s earning gold stars at school or returning a lost ring, she’s ready for anything. Follow along with Lolo as she learns lessons about sharing, being brave, and being a good friend. In these easy-to-read stories, we meet the curious, fun-loving, adventurous Lolo, a girl living in South Africa with her mother and grandmother, Gogo. Woven with heart and humor, and illustrated with charming black-and-white drawings, these stories are perfect for the beginning reader. In Here Comes Lolo, Lolo gets a gold star at school, longs for a cute floppy hat, finds a missing ring, and helps to rescue a dog, all with her trademark humor and quirky style.

Hooray! Hurrah! Hurray! for Lolo, the energetic, curious, and fun-loving girl at the center of Niki Daly’s series of books for beginning readers. She’s thoughtful, funny, and always ready for anything. Whether it’s helping to babysit baby Bongi or learning all about the library, she’s sure to do it with kindness and humor.

In this collection of easy-to-read stories, we meet Lolo, a girl who lives in South Africa with her mother and grandmother, Gogo.

I spy Spanish Picture Books

Today I spy — Spanish Picture books!

It is the future, so it is not unusual for a group of elementary students to go on a trip to the Moon. They leave the space station in their school ship and disembark to play and eat their lunch on the satellite. But while the others explore and have fun on the lunar surface, there is someone who stays away from the group, drawing with her crayon box, and who will fall asleep without realizing that the ship is leaving and nobody has noticed its absence! Luckily you will soon meet some lunar beings who have great interest in their colors. And that is not the only surprise that awaits the reader.

Discover the lost art of the high five and improve your slapping skills just in time for the annual high five contest! From hand-limbering stretches to lessons on five-ing with finesse, readers are guided through a series of interactive challenges, each goofier than the next.

When Miguel and his parents move from Puerto Rico to the U.S. mainland, Miguel misses their home, his grandparents, and his pet frog, Coquí, but he soon realizes that New York City has more in common with back home than he originally thought.

Little Donkey loves to eat grass. And only grass. Nothing else. He has grass for breakfast, lunch and dinner. YUM. Will his mum ever persuade him to try some new food?

Carlitos lives in a happy home with his mother, his abuela, and Coco the cat. Life in his hometown is cozy as can be, but the call of the capital city pulls Carlitos across the bay in search of his father. Jolly piragüeros, mischievous cats, and costumed musicians color this tale of love, family, and the true meaning of home.

Zonia’s home is the Amazon rain forest, where it is always green and full of life. Every morning, the rain forest calls to Zonia, and every morning, she answers. She visits the sloth family, greets the giant anteater, and runs with the speedy jaguar. But one morning, the rain forest calls to her in a troubled voice. How will Zonia answer?

Emma Every Day

I came across these Beginner Read books at work and I just had to share them!  The reason why I wanted to share these books is because that these fiction books is related to having a character who is is deaf that has a cochlear implant and uses American Sign Language.   It is so cool to see books that have deaf fictional characters in it.

Personal note:
Not all deaf people use American Sign Language or have a cochlear implant. 

 

There are four books in the set.  The illustrations are so cool.

Fall is Emma’s favorite season. She loves the weather, the leaves, and most of all, the apples! Every fall, Emma’s dad takes Emma and her best friend, Izzie, to the apple orchard. And every year they pick dozens of apples so they can make apple pies, applesauce, apple tarts, and other apple treats. But this year, things don’t go as planned at the orchard. Follow Emma and Izzie on their apple adventure in this early chapter book from the Emma Every Day series. An ASL fingerspelling chart, glossary, and content-related questions complete the book.

Emma is excited about Izzie’s birthday party. But she’s also nervous. Is her dress too fancy? Will she know anyone else at the party? Did she buy the right gift? Will Emma’s worries ruin her chance to have fun? Find out how Emma handles her party problems in this early chapter book from the Emma Every Day series. An ASL fingerspelling chart, glossary, and content-related questions complete the book.

Click. Clack. Tap, tap, tap. Emma just started dance lessons and is determined to learn the routine perfectly. But dance isn’t as easy as she had hoped. Thankfully Emma doesn’t give up easily. Emma proves that hard work and practice will take those tap dance troubles away in this early chapter book from the Emma Every Day series. An ASL fingerspelling chart, glossary, and content-related questions complete the book.

It’s the first field trip of the year! Emma’s class is headed to a history museum. Field trips are supposed to be fun, but how much fun can you have looking at old things all day? Leave it to Emma to find the fun in everything, including history, in this early chapter book from the Emma Every Day series. An ASL fingerspelling chart, glossary, and content-related questions complete the book.

Youth Fiction

I spy with my little eye today:  youth fiction books!  The covers are fantastic!  Each story seems really unique!   Get kids to read these books!  Maybe one of these books will appeal to a kid.

Why Can’t I Be You?
Melissa Walker|
Age Range: 8 – 12 years
Grade Level: 3 – 7
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date: June 19, 2018

Claire Ladd knows that this summer is going to be special. She and her two best friends, Ronan and Brianna, are turning twelve. She is leaving camp behind and gets to do what she wants all day. She feels everything starting to change.

But things don’t always change for the better.

With Brianna’s cousin Eden visiting for the summer, Claire feels like a third wheel. Even though she is only a year older, Eden seems so much more sophisticated and glamorous . . . and when she’s around, she takes up everyone’s attention, including Brianna’s.

But that doesn’t explain why things have felt awkward with Brianna ever since she moved to a fancy new house, or why Ronan, who lives in the trailer next to Claire’s, has started acting moody anytime anyone mentions his dad.

Claire has always been happy with her life just as it is, but as the summer wears on and the issues with her friends start to grow, she can’t help but wonder: Would everything be better if she could just be someone else?

The Impossible light
Lily Myers
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 – 9
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Philomel Books
Date: June 6, 2017

 Fifteen-year-old Ivy’s world is in flux. Her dad has moved out, her mother is withdrawn, her brother is off at college, and her best friend, Anna, has grown distant. Worst of all, Ivy’s body won’t stop expanding. She’s getting taller and curvier, with no end in sight. Even her beloved math class offers no clear solution to the imbalanced equation that has become Ivy’s life.

Everything feels off-kilter until a skipped meal leads to a boost in confidence and reminds Ivy that her life is her own. If Ivy can just limit what she eats—the way her mother seems to—she can stop herself from growing, focus on the upcoming math competition, and reclaim control of her life. But when her disordered eating leads to missed opportunities and a devastating health scare, Ivy realizes that she must weigh her mother’s issues against her own, and discover what it means to be a part of—and apart from—her family.

This Impossible Light explores the powerful reality that identity and self-worth must be taught before they are learned. Perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson and Ellen Hopkins.

The Novice
Taran Matharu
Age Range: 12 – 18 years
Grade Level: 7 – 9
Series: The Summoner Trilogy (Book 1)
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Square Fish;
Date: Reprint edition (May 10, 2016)

 Fletcher is working as a blacksmith’s apprentice when he discovers he has the rare ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must travel with his demon, Ignatius, to an academy for adepts, where the gifted are taught the art of summoning.

Along with nobles and commoners, Fletcher endures grueling lessons that will prepare him to serve as a Battlemage in the Empire’s war against the savage Orcs. But sinister forces infect new friendships and rivalries grow. With no one but Ignatius by his side, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of the Empire is in his hands. . . .

The Summoner Trilogy
The Novice
The Inquisition
The Battlemage

Also in the Summoner series

The Outcast (Summoner: The Prequel)
The Summoner’s Handbook
A Fine Welcome: Othello’s Journey (A Summoner Short Story)

Story of Our Lives

• Helen Warner
• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Graydon House
• (February 13, 2018)

What is it about:

They think nothing can tear their bond apart, until a long-buried secret threatens to destroy everything.

Every year they have met up for a vacation, but their time away is much more than just a bit of fun. Over time, it has become a lifesaver, as each of them struggles with life’s triumphs and tragedies.

Sophie, Emily, Amy and Melissa have been best friends since they were girls. They have seen each other through everything—from Sophie’s private fear that she doesn’t actually want to be a mother despite having two kids, to Amy’s perfect-on-the-outside marriage that starts to reveal troubling warning signs, to Melissa’s spiraling alcoholism, to questions that are suddenly bubbling up around the paternity of Emily’s son. But could a lie that spans just as long as their friendship be the thing that tears them apart?

Are you going to read this?  It looks like an interesting book to read!  I saw the cover and I knew I had to put it on my blog.  It is not my usual cup of tea but once in a while I will read something totally different.    Check out the author’s website when you get a chance.  Click on her name up above to learn more about her and her other books too!

 

Children Books

I spy some cute children books to enhance young readers!
(All images are not mine)
Check them out….

• by Steve Antony
• Age Range: 3 – 5 years
• Grade Level: Preschool – Kindergarten
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (February 27, 2018)

Meet Blip. Blip loves being plugged into her computer. When a blackout occurs, Blip trips over her wire and tumbles outside.

Suddenly, Blip’s gray world is filled with color and excitement. She plays with her new friends and has adventures all day long. When Blip finally returns home, she realizes that the world can be even brighter once you unplug.

 

• by Jess Walton and Dougal MacPherson
• Age Range: 3 – 6 years
• Grade Level: Preschool – 1
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (May 31, 2016)
• Language: English

Errol and his teddy, Thomas, are best friends who do everything together. Whether it’s riding a bike, playing in the tree house, having a tea party, or all of the above, every day holds something fun to do.

One sunny day, Errol finds that Thomas is sad, even when they are playing in their favorite ways. Errol can’t figure out why, until Thomas finally tells Errol what the teddy has been afraid to say: “In my heart, I’ve always known that I’m a girl teddy, not a boy teddy. I wish my name was Tilly, not Thomas.” And Errol says, “I don’t care if you’re a girl teddy or a boy teddy! What matters is that you are my friend.”

 

• By Andrew Joyner
• Age Range: 4 – 8 years
• Grade Level: Preschool – 3
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (December 26, 2017)

Here is a clever story that follows the journey of a pink hat that is swiped out of a knitting basket by a pesky kitten, blown into a tree by a strong wind, and used as a cozy blanket for a new baby, then finally makes its way onto the head of a young girl marching for women’s equality.

Inspired by the 5 million people (many of them children) in 82 countries who participated in the 2017 Women’s March, Andrew Joyner has given us a book that celebrates girls and women and equal rights for all!

With themes of empathy, equality, and solidarity, The Pink Hat is a timeless andtimely story that will empower readers and promote strength in the diverse and active feminist community.

 

• By Amy Krouse Rothenthal and David Roberts
• Age Range: 3 – 7 years
• Grade Level: Preschool – 2
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (April 3, 2018)

Here’s how it works: if you can avoid getting to the end of this book, you can avoid bedtime, simple as that. (It’s a pretty sweet deal, actually.) But each time you blink, you have to turn a page. Those are just the rules. So whatever you do, DON’T BLINK!

• By Alexandra Boiger
• Age Range: 3 – 5 years
• Grade Level: Preschool – Kindergarten
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers (March 27, 2018)

Max and Marla know how to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. So when the first sunny day of spring comes along, they’ve got the perfect plan–a picnic! They pack up their favorite dishes and their comfiest blanket and then they’re off to the lake. Once they settle in, Max realizes the picnic needs one more thing to be just right: a bouquet for Marla. But while he’s gone, Marla falls asleep, leaving their picnic prey to some thieving squirrels. Max returns to find their spread ruined and says it’s all Marla’s fault. But best friends can’t stay mad for long . . .

 

• By Steve Campbell
• Age Range: 4 – 8 years
• Grade Level: Preschool – 2
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (August 26, 2014)

Who have YOU hugged today? Open your arms to this delightfully tender, goofy, and sweet tale.

Watch out world, here he comes! The Hug Machine!

Whether you are big, or small, or square, or long, or spikey, or soft, no one can resist his unbelievable hugs! HUG ACCOMPLISHED!

This endearing story encourages a warm, caring, and buoyantly affectionate approach to life. Everyone deserves a hug—and this book!

Children Books

Age Range: 9 – 12 years
Grade Level: 4 – 6
Paperback: 306 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks;
Date: Reprint edition (April 26, 2016)

THE PIECES

Thirteen extremely valuable pieces of art have been stolen from one of the most secretive museums in the world. A Vermeer has vanished. A Manet is missing. And nobody has any idea where they and the other eleven artworks might be . . . or who might have stolen them.

THE PLAYERS

Calder, Petra, and Tommy are no strangers to heists and puzzles. Now they’ve been matched with two new sleuths — Zoomy, a very small boy with very thick glasses, and Early, a girl who treasures words . . . and has a word or two to say about the missing treasure.

The kids have been drawn in by the very mysterious Mrs. Sharpe, who may be playing her own kind of game with the clues. And it’s not just Mrs. Sharpe who’s acting suspiciously — there’s a ghost who mingles with the guards in the museum, a cat who acts like a spy, and bystanders in black jackets who keep popping up.

Age Range: 8 – 12 years
Grade Level: 3 – 7
Series: Problim Children
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (January 30, 2018)

Filled with mystery, humor, and adventure, the first book in this new trilogy is an unforgettable tale of adventure, family, and finding the courage to face any problem heart-first.

When the Problim children’s ramshackle bungalow in the Swampy Woods goes kaboom, the seven siblings—each born on a different day of the week—have to move into their grandpa’s bizarre old mansion in Lost Cove. No problem! For the Problim children, every problem is a gift!

But rumors about their family run rampant in the small town: tales of a bitter feud, a hidden treasure, and a certain kind of magic lingering in the halls of #7 Main Street. Their neighbors, the O’Pinions, will do anything to find the secrets lurking inside the Problim household—including sending the seven children to seven different houses on seven different continents!

Picture Books

I spy these Picture books today:

 

Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin

Alphonse that is not okay to do  by Daisy Hirst

Life on Mars by Jon Agee

 

Goodnight everyone by Chris Haughton

Bob not Bob by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey vernick

 

Dad and the Dinosaur by Gennifer Choldenko

 

Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey

 

 

Why did the Farmer Cross the Road by Brooke Herter James

Mommy Loves You by Helen Foster James

 

 

I’m a Lot of Sometimes by Jack Guinan

Please Don’t Make Me Fly by Ellito Kreloff