Margo Dill's Read These Books and Use Them!

Tuesday Tales: Aries Rising by Bonnie Hearn Hill (Blog Tour and Book Giveaway Contest)

Administrator — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:41 +0000

I’m very happy to host Bonnie Hearn Hill’s blog tour today on Read These Books and Use Them. Bonnie is part of WOW! Women On Writing’s blog tour, and she is doing 31 blogs in 31 days. She’s a busy woman. She’s also giving away a copy of the first book, Aries Rising, from her teen series to one winner from each blog. So, leave a comment or question below for Bonnie about anything you want–even just a “pick me” comment. We love to hear from you! The drawing for the book will be Friday, March 12 at 11:55 p.m. CST.

Short, short summary: When Logan McRae discovers a magical book called Fearless Astrology, all she wants is to change her sucky life. In order to get into the summer writing camp of her dreams, she needs the recommendation of her stubborn and irritable English teacher Mr. Franklin. Logan also has her eye on Nathan, the hottest guy in class. Unfortunately, so does popular, beyond-gorgeous Geneva, editor of the high school paper.

Logan’s two best friends, Chili and Paige, are always there to give her the advice she needs. But now that she has Fearless Astrology, Logan discovers a whole new way to overcome her dilemmas–while helping the three of them land the guys they’re crushing on.

When the Gears, a group of boys, starts causing trouble in school and out, she decides to identify them using astrology. Her goal: to impress Mr. Franklin, Nathan, and the kids who believe she is faking her new found knowledge. The answers are in the stars, all right, but can Logan decipher them before it is too late?

So, what do I do with this book?

I was lucky enough to interview Bonnie, so here’s what she has to say!

Margo: Hi, Bonnie. Welcome to Read These Books and Use Them! I hope you’re having fun on your 31-day blog tour. So, let’s get started. What are the major themes and/or issues that you are exploring in Aries Rising?

Bonnie: Of course, astrology plays a large part in the books. As Logan learns that “What’s your sign?” is only the beginning, so does the reader. I hope the book also says something about the importance of friendship–and that while guys are wonderful, we need other goals as well. Ultimately, I think it says that the power is within you. No one and nothing can do it for you–not your parents, not your guy, not astrology. It comes from within.

Margo: I love that–”It comes from within!” And what a great message for teens. How can parents or teachers “use” your book with teens? What are some issues that they can discuss using your book as a starting point?

Bonnie: Readers read for four reasons–to be informed, instructed, inspired, or entertained. My goal is to entertain first and then to inform–about astrology, about friendship, about the magic in cream cheese brownies when the teacher is a Taurus–about whatever interests the reader. Each reader takes something different from the story. I don’t write from the issue in; I write from the story out. Logan and her friends, Chili and Paige, are as real to me as my own friends.

Margo: I agree with you completely that each reader takes something different from the story. So much of a book’s message comes from our own life experiences! Why do you enjoy writing for a teen audience?

Bonnie: Well, I’m a Gemini, so I never grew up. I mentor a lot of young people who want to write, and I know they are interested in learning more about themselves. Astrology is a way to understand the way you are, so that you can use your strengths and work on your challenges. I didn’t decide to write for teens; I decided to write a story. And targeting it to teens seemed the best way to tell it. I cried when I finished every book–not because I thought I’d created brilliant prose–but because I was so emotionally involved with my characters.

Margo: I’m sure this series is going to be quite a hit–the astrology part is just fascinating, and obviously your characters are well-developed and like real people. Tell us a little about what else is in store for readers with this series!

Bonnie: Taurus Rising (May [release]) follows Logan to Monterey, where she meets the guy of her dreams and encounters what may be a ghost. In Gemini Rising (August [release]), in order to try out for an astrology columnist position for a teen magazine, she has to figure out the astrology chart of one of the celebrities attending the magazine’s costume launch party on Halloween–a Gemini who seems to be heading for trouble.

Margo: The whole series sounds just great, Bonnie. Congratulations to you, and thank you very much for stopping by today. Readers, don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win Aries Rising from Bonnie!

Maniac Monday: Children’s Choice Book Awards

Administrator — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:05:14 +0000

You might have noticed this new widget I have on my sidebar, courtesy of JacketFlap and the Children’s Book Council. It is announcing several nominees for the Children’s Choice Book Awards. In case you didn’t know, the Children’s Choice Book Award nominees have been announced in each category: Kindergarten to second grade, third to fourth grade, fifth to sixth grade, teen choice, author of the year, and illustrator of the year. There are five books or people nominated in each category.

Here’s a little blurb about the contest from the CBC website: “The favorite book finalists were determined by close to 15,000 children and teens. Thousands more will be able to cast their votes for their favorite book, author, and illustrator at bookstores, schools, libraries, and at BookWeekOnline.com from March 15 to May 3.

The Children’s Choice Book Awards winners will be announced live at the Children’s Choice Book Awards gala on May 11 in New York City as part of Children’s Book Week (May 10-16, 2010), the oldest national literacy event in the United States.”

When looking at the list, I am just thrilled. Here are some of my favorites from the list of nominees:

*Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
*City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
*Carl Hiassen for Scat
*Rick Riordan for The Last Olympian
*James Patterson for Max
*Victoria Kann for Goldilicious (Illustrator)

To see the full list of nominees, you can go here.

So, mark your calendars to let your children or your students vote on their favorites. If you haven’t read these books, then go to the library or bookstore and check them out! You have until May 3 to vote, so that’s plenty of time to devour these titles. If you have a favorite from the list, let us know here. You can find some of these authors and their books on this site. Go to the second sidebar on the right-hand side of this page, go to the category they write (such as YA), and click on their name. I have reviewed and provided activities for Suzanne Collins, James Patterson, Cassandra Clare, and Carl Hiassen.

Happy reading!

Un-Forgettable Friday: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Administrator — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:22:33 +0000

photo by midweekpost www.flickr.com

*Young adult, urban contemporary fantasy
*Teenage girl as main character
*Rating: City of Ashes, the sequel to City Of Bones, is a page-turner. You won’t want to stop until you read every last word of the Clary-Simon-Jace saga.

Short, short summary: It’s hard to summarize this plot without giving anything away. But I’ll try my best. Since this is book two, if you, your teen, or your students haven’t read book one of The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, I highly recommend you do. Otherwise, you’ll be, well, just really confused. At the end of book one, we find out that Jace and Clary are brother and sister, and their father is Valentine. At the beginning of book two, both are trying to deal with this–Jace and Clary hate Valentine since he is the most evil and disturbed Shadowhunter in the world. In spite of being brother and sister, they still find themselves attracted to each other. Simon, Clary’s best friend, is doing his best to try to make Clary attracted to him instead of Jace, even calling her “his girlfriend” and engaging in some make-out sessions. Alec is still dealing with being comfortable in his sexuality, and we even get a glimpse into Isabelle’s dating life when the characters have to visit the Seelie Court (help me with the spelling, folks–I listened to this book on audio, and it turns out there are several ways to spell it?). Basically, someone is killing downworlders and making it look like the vampires are running crazy in the city, but Jace and the other Shadowhunters don’t believe the vampires are doing it. (Hmmm? Who could it be?) The Lightwoods are not so sure about Jace because of whom his father is–can they trust him anymore? The Inquisitor, a very powerful lady in the Clave, also seems to have it out for Jace. I won’t go on, but as you can see, this book is a good mix between the personal lives of the characters and an action-filled fantasy story.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Teens will probably read City of Ashes as part of their independent reading, home school curriculum, or in a book club. So, these activities will focus on those types of readings. First, teens (or adult readers) can find out more about the series and the author (I love her website–very straightforward, direct, and talking to teens) on the author’s website and the series website. Let teens explore these two resources.

2. Exploring and discussing the characters in City of Ashes is a must as character-development is one of Clare’s strengths. Ask teens which character in the novel is their favorite and/or which character they relate to the best. What do they think about Clary and Jace or Clary and Simon? Do they think Jace and Clary are really brother and sister? What are the special “powers” that Valentine has given his children? What about the Inquisitor? What is her motivation? What is the significance of the Inquisitor’s last action? These are all questions that can be discussed or written about in reading response journals. (Some of these answers will not be revealed until book 3, but teens can predict!)

3. The setting of City of Ashes is “an alternative present-day Manhattan.” What makes this an “alternative” setting? Discuss with students if the world that Clare has built is believable and realistic in the context of the book? How does Clare do this? Is the setting like another character in City of Ashes?

I can’t wait to listen to book three of The Mortal Instruments series–I’ve reserved it at the library and am number three in line. I’ll let you know what I think of the whole series once I get to listen to it. So far, I’m a fan. If you like Twilight or Holly Black’s urban fantasy series that starts with Tithe, you’ll like Cassandre Clare’s series, too!

Timeless Thursday: And to Think that I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss

Administrator — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:00:21 +0000

Talk about timeless–how about this book from 1937? It’s Dr. Seuss’s first children’s book, and I thought I’d wrap up this week of celebrating his birthday with talking about one more of his classic books. And to Think that I Saw It on Mulberry Street is, of course, a fantastical version of an actual street from Ted Geisel’s childhood–Mulberry Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. I’m telling you, Dr. Seuss is one of those living-proof legends that wrote what he knew with great success!

So, if you’ve never read this classic Dr. Seuss tale, then here’s a quick summary: Marco’s dad always says to him, “Marco, keep your eyelids up and see what you can see.” So, Marco does, but he’s a bit frustrated because when he tells his dad the things that he has seen, his dad says, “Your eyesight’s much too keen. Stop telling outlandish tales.” So, what kind of outlandish things does Marco see on Mulberry Street? Well, there’s the zebra pulling a wagon–actually a chariot; and oh wait–it’s not a chariot with a zebra, it’s an elephant pulling a big brass band. Marco’s imagination (or keen eyesight) continues to see this wagon pulled by an animal in all sorts of ways, and he just can’t wait to tell his dad until he gets right there with him–and Marco winds up telling him that he saw “a plain horse and wagon on Mulberry Street.”

Children today will love Marco’s imagination and keep turning the page to see what he comes up with next. They’ll also want to see what he reports to his father. Since teachers and parents are often complaining that children don’t spend enough time imagining any more because they are playing video games and watching movies and TV, And to Think that I Saw It on Mulberry Street is an important book to share with children and celebrate imagination.

After reading this book to students or your children, discuss with them what they could turn the wagon and horse into in their imaginations. Ask them to draw their versions and write a sentence about them. You could even do this activity in an art class with older students–especially if you want to study Dr. Seuss’s illustration style.

And next time you and your children (or students) are outside looking at a street, what can you imagine that you see on South Street or Main Street or Green Street? Create your own version of Dr. Seuss’s celebration of imagination And to Think I Saw it On Mulberry Street!

Wacky Wednesday: Check out Milk + Bookies Website!

Administrator — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:56:08 +0000

photo by idovermani www.flickr.com

First, I want to apologize if this photo from Flickr.com makes you hungry for cookies and milk today if you are on a “healthy eating plan.” (That’s what I like to call a diet. ) But I won’t apologize for this great information I have to share today with parents, librarians, and teachers. I am so lucky to have great Facebook and Twitter friends, and they are often sharing links with me. This link was brought to my attention on Facebook last week–Milk + Bookies. First of all isn’t the name of the organization just the greatest? I love clever people. So, let me tell you about this site.

Here’s what they say on their website: “Milk + Bookies is a non-profit organization that teaches young children how great it feels to give back while celebrating the love of a good book.” It was founded in 2004 by Meredith Alexander, who has two sons and lives in L. A. She was joined five years later by Heidi Lindelof and Laura Zimmerman, also moms in L.A. When people hold Milk + Bookies events, children are given an opportunity to select, purchase, and inscribe a book for someone less fortunate. The events also have storytime, activities, and you guessed it–milk and cookies.

This is one of my favorite paragraphs from their website: “Milk + Bookies combines two essential and worthwhile efforts: LITERACY PROMOTION AND SERVICE LEARNING. While the book donations are imperative to our mission, just as important is instilling the seed of giving into each teenage host and their young guests, sparking feelings of importance, self-confidence and the desire to give and give again.” WOW! These ladies are brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

So, what can you learn and do by visiting this site? You can learn how to get teens and college students involved with this organization and information about helping them to throw their own Milk + Bookies event. You can visit the blog. You can view information about their first ever celebrity-filled Story Time Celebration and donate money to the cause.

I love to see organizations like this because reading is just so important–I mean how do you even figure out how to make macaroni and cheese without being able to read the directions on the box. If kids/people can develop a love of reading, it just makes their lives more fulfilled and easier, in my humble opinion.

So, grab some milk, cookies, and a book today while you check out the Milk + Bookies organization. If you know a teen or college student looking for a service learning project (or even a whole class), check out this website today!

Tuesday Tales: If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss

Administrator — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:09:24 +0000

photo by mape_s www.flickr.com

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders, fantasy
*Young boy as main character
*Rating: Dr. Seuss is at his best in If I Ran the Zoo–from made-up creatures to fantastical places to those ever-clever rhymes.

Short, short summary: Gerald McGrew says that his local zoo is a “pretty good zoo.” But it just has the normal, old animals that all zoos have. So, if Gerald ran it. . .he would do things a little differently. For example, he would travel up past the North Pole in his Skeegle-mobile and bring back a family of “What-do-you-know!” He would hunt in the mountains of Zomba-ma-Tant and even brave the blistering sands of the Desert of Zind. People from all over, of course, will want to see these amazing animals at the McGrew Zoo. And as he points out at the end, Gerald would just make a few changes to the zoo. (BTW, did you know that Dr. Seuss’s father actually ran a zoo in Springfield, Massachusetts for thirty years? Write what you know, everyone. )

So, what do I do with this book?

1. If I Ran the Zoo is full of Dr. Seuss’s wonderful illustrations. You can do two activities with illustrations. You can read the descriptions of a creature to your students and ask them to draw what they imagine. You can also ask them to create an animal for McGrew’s Zoo, name it, and even write a description–depending on their age and ability levels.

2. Students can write their own versions of If I Ran the Zoo by writing about what they would do with a zoo, or they can also change the place: If I Ran the School or If I Ran a Pizza Parlor. If you have young students, you can do this as a shared writing activity with the repeating sentence: “If I ran the zoo, I would have a ____________________.” If you have older students, they can create their stories themselves.

3. Some of the places such as the North Pole, Africa, and North Dakota are real (of course). Other places, it is clear that Dr. Seuss made them up. Ask your students to give you a thumbs-up if the place you are reading about is a real place (with made-up creatures) or a made-up place. You can also make a list of both on chart paper in a T-table. This can also lead to a discussion of what makes If I Ran the Zoo a fantasy even though parts of it are real.

Maniac Monday: Read Across America 2010

Administrator — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:49:57 +0000

photo by librarianjill www.flickr.com

Tomorrow is Dr. Seuss’s birthday, and children across the United States will be involved in Read Across America activities. But before I get into this, I want to announce the winner of the book giveaway contest I held on this blog last week. The winner is. . .Clara Gillow Clark. Thank you to everyone who left comments! I will be hosting another contest next week for a YA book as part of a WOW! blog tour, so stay tuned.

I love Read Across America day. When I taught remedial reading at David Barton Elementary School in Boonville, MO, we had a great celebration for Dr. Seuss. We all had these really cute t-shirts from NEA (and I swear to you that I am wearing mine as I type this post). Some teachers went a step farther and dressed up as Dr. Seuss’s characters such as the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2–even making their own blue wigs out of blue Easter grass. (Some people are just so creative–it makes you sick! ) We read Dr. Seuss books to kids that day, talked about his funny rhymes, voted on our favorite books in our classrooms, did Dr. Seuss activity sheets, and just celebrated reading. What a great day and a great message–celebrate reading!

It might be too late at your school, in your classroom, or with your home school to plan a big event for tomorrow like this, but you can still celebrate Dr. Seuss’s day and reading with simple activities like taking more time than usual for silent reading, sharing a favorite Dr. Seuss book with your students or children (even if they’re high schoolers), asking students to write a poem or story in Dr. Seuss style with silly made-up words, watching a Dr. Seuss movie and comparing/contrasting it to the book, or even asking children to write about their favorite Dr. Seuss book and why.

The National Education Association has some free resources on their website to use tomorrow. You can find bookmarks, a Read Across America poem, posters, booklists, and even information for parents (if you click on “For Parents” in the sidebar). Here are some Dr. Seuss books to check out, and you can find activities for some of his books on my blog by clicking on his name in the category list on the right-hand side bar. It’s super easy–just look under PICTURE BOOKS and then click on DR. SEUSS!

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Un-Forgettable Friday: Happy Birthday to You! by Margot Theis Raven; Illustrations by Chris Soentpiet

Administrator — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:50:45 +0000

photo by weglet www.flickr.com

*Nonfiction picture book for preschoolers through second graders (historical)
*Sisters who wrote the song “Happy Birthday to You!”
*Rating: Happy Birthday to You! is a great nonfiction picture book to share with kids about a subject near and dear to their hearts AND with wonderful illustrations!

Short, short summary: Happy Birthday to You! by Margot Theis Raven tells the story of Patty and Mildred Hill and how they composed the music and wrote the words to a song they named, “Good Morning to All” in 1889 for their kindergarten students. While teaching, they started adding other words to the melody such as “Happy Journey to You!” “Happy Christmas to You!” and of course, “Happy Birthday to You!” That’s where the picture book ends–there are some author notes for teachers and parents at the end of the book that talk about how the Hill sisters didn’t have the copyright for their song at first and how they eventually got it.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Either as a shared writing activity or a small group activity, ask your students to compose a new birthday song (or any other holiday song). Have fun with this. You can even use another tune that’s familiar to students and change the words. This will help students go through a similar process to what the Hill sisters did.

2. Young students love to talk, write, and draw about their birthdays. Ask students to draw or write (depending on their age) a journal entry to go with this book about their own birthday.

3. Talk with your young students about the time period when this book was written. Ask them to notice things that are similar or different to their lives. How are the people in the illustrations dressed? What are they doing? What do their homes look like? How does kindergarten look the same or different than their classroom? You can make a Venn diagram with students comparing and contrasting the past and the present.

Timeless Thursday: Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary

Administrator — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:03:28 +0000

Henry Huggins is the lesser known resident on Klickitat Street, but he’s got a lot to offer kids and their parents even sixty years later! You are probably more familiar or might remember better from your childhood Beezus and Ramona books, but these two lovable sisters show up in Henry Huggins, too! Plus who can resist Ribsy? Okay, some of you cat lovers might be able to resist him; but as we all know, I’m a dog lover for sure!

Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary begins with Henry in the third grade and wishing that something exciting would happen to him. And that’s when he meets Ribsy, a lost and hungry dog, while eating an ice cream cone that the dog wants and eventually gets. Of course, somehow in this same chapter, Henry ends up in a police car, but you’ll have to find a copy of Henry Huggins and share it with your children or your class to remember why! Besides getting a stray dog in this book, Henry also brings home a bag full of guppies, throws his friend’s ball into an open window of a passing car, and has to be Timmy in the Christmas play!

So, what makes Henry Huggins a good read still today? Well, I appreciate Henry’s independence, creativity, and imagination. Won’t your students or your children be shocked at how much fun Henry can have without TV and a Nintendo DS? I also think Henry is funny. Kids need to laugh at books. This is a great chapter book for first through third graders to read who are ready to go beyond picture books. It’s good, wholesome fun! Plus, Henry gets into trouble, and many children will be able to empathize with him and discuss some of the things he could have done to stay out of trouble. These are timeless themes!

What’s your favorite Beverly Cleary book?

Don’t forget, there’s a contest going on until Friday, February 26 at 11:55 p.m. (CST). Click here for more information.

Wacky Wednesday: An Interview with Author Ronica Stromberg

Administrator — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:52:37 +0000

Today, I am so happy to interview Ronica Stromberg, author of A Shadow in the Dark, which I featured in yesterday’s “Tuesday Tales.” Don’t forget you can leave a comment on this blog post or yesterday’s for a chance to win this tween (which is basically younger YA) mystery book with Christian themes. For more information on the other themes and plot of the book, please see yesterday’s post. You can leave a comment on either post for a chance to win the book. The winner will be chosen on Friday, February 26 at 11:55 p.m. (CST).

So, on to the interview. . .

Margo: Ronica, thanks so much for joining us today. I found your book refreshing and full of things that tweens would love. You have three books published by Royal Fireworks Press, including A Shadow in the Dark. Please tell us a little about Royal Fireworks Press and why their books are good for the school or home school market.

Ronica: Royal Fireworks Press produces fiction that can be used in the classroom and for enrichment, as well as for pure pleasure. It targets gifted and talented children and home schoolers. Many of the publisher’s novels are “edutainment,” books that engage children in a core area of the curriculum–such as history, science, or math–through story. These books offer inquisitive children something beyond the standard fare.

Royal Fireworks Press also recognizes that many parents and home schoolers seek wholesome reads for their children. The publisher is careful about the language, situations, and values portrayed in its books.

The publisher gives discounts to teachers when they buy classroom sets of 20 or more books. Anyone can order books online from Royal Fireworks Press at http://rfwp.com and receive a 20 percent discount. For my latest books, the direct link is: http://rfwp.com/series96.htm.

Margo: I’m so glad you shared information about Royal Fireworks Press and “edutainment.” Many of my readers who are parents/teachers and are also writers can use that information–and maybe submit some of their own work to the publisher. A Shadow in the Dark is part of the Kirsten Hart series. Can you give us a glimpse into this series and how it will be useful for educators and parents?

Ronica: A Shadow in the Dark and Living It Up to Live It Down are the first two books in a series about one teen girl’s journey of faith. Readers are given a rare peek into the lives of young teens to whom faith really matters. This book and its sequel, Living It Up to Live It Down, could be used in reading groups of middle schoolers or teens interested in discussing faith and other teen issues. (Questions are posted on my site at http://ronicastromberg.wordpress.com/questions-for-book-groups/.)

The books also fits with the multicultural curriculum in public schools. Recognizing diversity and building tolerance are key goals of multicultural curricula, and religion is undeniably a part of that diversity. In our own country, Christianity has tremendously influenced our culture and still does. These books can help students understand Christianity, the main religious influence on our society, and build tolerance.

Margo: I love that there are all these parent/child book club groups popping up and that you provided questions to help them on their journeys! Tell us about your other book with Royal Firework Press.

Ronica: The Glass Inheritance is a mystery for upper-elementary readers. As a 12-year-old girl solves a mystery surrounding the Depression glass she inherits, she learns about The Great Depression, World War II, and the glassware made during those time periods. The book fits especially well with the fifth-grade curriculum in most schools.

Margo: I love historical fiction, and I think it is a brilliant way to get kids interested in history. Why did you decide to write books for kids and teens?

Ronica: I knew I wanted to write books since I was eight years old, and it was natural as a child to plan to write what I was reading, children’s books. That never changed even though I now read “grown-up” books as well as children’s books.

Margo: That is so wonderful that you are living your dream that you had since you were eight years old. I read “grown-up” books now, too; but obviously, my love for children’s books hasn’t gone away either. What are you currently working on?

Ronica: I just finished a short story for a magazine and am gathering information for a possible nonfiction children’s book, which would be my first in that genre. I still have ideas for other books in the Kirsten Hart Series and for picture books, also. I have more ideas than time, but that’s a good problem to have.

Margo: (smiles) No doubt! We wish you the best of luck, and I have to admit–I hope there are more Kirsten Hart books in the works. It’s great to have an inspirational series with a strong female teen character like Kirsten out in the world!

**Remember to leave a comment or question for Ronica on either today’s post or yesterday’s for a chance to win A Shadow in the Dark.