Friday, March 15, 2024

THE HUMAN BODY: AN ALIEN'S GUIDE: A Graphic Novel Review by Guest Blogger Brooke Leela-Ann White

The human body… more like the heroic body!


The Human Body: An Alien’s Guide, written by Ruth Redford and illustrated by Leandro Cunha, is a graphic novel about human biology. This book features two aliens, Zag and Zog, who go on an adventurous mission to learn about the human body. 

I read it to my 5-year-old brother, Noah-Austin.



 REVIEW


I recommend this book for kids in grades 3-4 since it is interesting, fun, and an easy read. Zag and Zog break down the human body into percentages:




The alien has three big eyes and the other guy looks like an oval!”- Noah-Austin White

The aliens fly through seven systems of the body on their spaceship.

In the skeletal system, the curious aliens learn about the bones of the body, cartilage, how bones can heal themselves, and the joints' functions. 

I taught Noah-Austin about his funny bone.


In the muscular system, Zag and Zog learn about the different types of muscles and their location.


 

Why is an alien in the body? They should be on the moon right now!”

- Noah-Austin White

 

Zog talks like an alien: "That’s it? Do they ever just feel zorpy?” he says when the two learn how many muscles the face uses.

The two aliens discover the nervous system and learn about electric signals sent to the brain notifying the brain what action it needs to perform. They also discuss how nerves are needed in different places for different movements.

In the circulatory system, these cool little monsters learn about blood, blood cells, germs, blood vessels, arteries, the heart, and blood clots.

 

The cells mistake them for enemies and start to attack them! Luckily, the extraterrestrials escape. 


In the immune system, they learn about oxygen, carbon dioxide, lungs, mucus, viruses, and, infected cells. But real trouble awaits in the digestive system. 


“The stomach mush looks like poop.”-Noah-Austin White


In the digestive system, the one-eyed and three-eyed aliens are educated about the process of how the body digests food, the small intestine, the large intestines, feces, heartburn, stomach ache, urination, infections, and lots more! Then, the aliens start to get trapped by the stomach acid made when the human experiences heartburn, but they find a way out (phew!) without any chaos, or digestion drama in the mix.


      Why does he have so many arms?” Noah-Austin asked.


Lastly, in the endocrine system, the spacelings learn about puberty, hormones, the pituitary gland, the pineal gland, the parathyroid, the thymus gland, the pancreas, the adrenal glands, and the thyroid glands. I had no idea these were such things--I can’t even pronounce them! The octopus-like aliens also discover how emotions affect hormones.


I find this story fascinating because the facts are formatted in a way that’s easy to understand. This story differs from other biology books because it is a graphic novel and kid-friendly. I also enjoyed how in each system the aliens don’t only learn about the parts of the body, but they also have an adventure/exploration!


I recommend THE HUMAN BODY: An Alien's Guide to any kid who wants to learn about human biology. I love this book because it helped me learn a lot of important information quickly. The illustrations helped me better understand what the parts of the body look like, and the cartoony art style gave it a fun feel. 



Brooke Leela-Ann White is an 11-year-old 5th grader who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has written two books, “ Cupcake the Lying Unicorn” and “Cookie Cat and the Tagalongs”. When Brooke isn’t reading or writing you’ll probably spot her sewing, scootering, swimming, or studying. This is Brooke’s fourth book review, She has been dreaming about becoming a book reviewer ever since she could read!


GIVEAWAY

If you are interested in adding this book to your home or school library, leave me a comment by March 19. If you are new to my blog, make sure you leave your email address. If you are a new subscriber to my blog or an educator or librarian, I'll put your name in twice. 


Don't forget to check out Greg Pattridge's great MMGM blog every Monday!  

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Food, Memories, and Writing: Connecting Food & People

As I mentioned in a recent blog post, I'm participating in Charlotte's Community Read for 2024. The "Food, Memories, and Writing" workshops are going well and I'm having a blast. The first event was held at Visart Video and the participants ate it up--excuse the pun. 


We talked about Buttermilk Graffiti, the showcase book for the event, and how chef Edward Lee appreciated the layers of food history with each dish he tasted. He made me appreciate how different cuisines-like  Peruvian food in Patterson, NJ, or Nigerian food in Houston, TX, has become a part of the American landscape. 




We quickly settled into tasting, smelling, and savoring food prepared by Visart Cafe.


As attendees recorded their associations with the food and drink, I challenged them to write like Lee and capture specific details. Then improvising on George Ella Lyon's "I am From Poem,'' everyone remembered, freely associated, and wrote. There were no right answers--each person's creation was their own.

The results were delicious. One participant remembered the spiky okra plants in her grandmother's garden; another wrote about Bourbon in his home state of Kentucky. Watermelon chunks, olives, and triangles of toasted cheese sandwiches (along with small cups of tomato soup--of course) generated a bowlful of memories. 

A woman of Mexican heritage remembered how grilled cheese sandwiches and apple pie and ice cream seemed exotic to her as a child. Growing up, she envied this all-American food instead of the tortillas that her mother made from scratch every day. One woman brought little containers of tapioca pudding because it had been a Pennsylvania childhood favorite. Prompted by the way Lee found the history of different dishes, she was surprised to discover that tapioca had South American heritage.

One of my hosts, Mason Bissett, the adult services librarian at the Independence Branch, enjoyed watching strangers come together and--over the camaraderie of shared food--felt safe enough to share personal stories. I was impressed with the result: haikus, rhyming, and free verse poetry complete with personification, interesting points of view, and mood-inspiring words. 



Mason was glad that each person left with the realization that they could express their voice through writing. And even though they might not have thought of themselves as writers, for ninety minutes on a Saturday morning, this diverse group dug into a soup pot of memories and found delectable morsels that they served to the rest of us.

Edward Lee would have been proud. 

I didn't collect their papers so I can't share their work here. But Elliott Kurta, one of my talented teen book reviewers, agreed to share two of his poems with you. 


FOOD INSPIRED POETRY


Watermelon Children

by Elliott Kurta

 

I am from heat

My tendrils spiral into the soil, sipping its moisture

Fat on dew, I am swollen with the spirit of summer.

 

You slaughtered me in the kitchen

Cracked my green skull into pieces.

You sucked pulp and marrow from the rinds,

Spilled my seeds across the marble countertop.

Hands sticky with sin

You cleansed yourself with chlorine and sunblock

Took fireflies hostage so they couldn’t share what they’d seen.

Greedy children.

 

But I shall have my revenge

For I have lodged a dark afterthought inside your body

Planted a seed in the folds of your stomach.

Green with youth and chlorophyll

You shall know what it is like to be full with the spirit of summer.


                                                🍉🍉🍉

 

Ode to Olives

by Elliott Kurta

Athena’s promise

Briny as the Aegean Sea

Swollen crabapples.

 

A Note on this Haiku

            According to an ancient Greek legend, the citizens of Greece were once in conflict over what to name their newest city. Athena, goddess of wisdom and combat, and Poseidon, god of the seas, both wanted to be the city’s namesake. Poseidon offered the people a well of salt water as a gift, but as it was so salty, they were unable to drink from the well or water their crops with it. Athena gifted the city an olive tree, explaining that the wood could be used to build ships, the oil could be used in lamps and to heal wounds, and the olives could be eaten. Athena won the competition, and the people named their city “Athens” in her honor.

                                                                                🫒🫒🫒



Elliott at work.



REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Do you wish you could have been there for all the fun? It's not too late to sign up in these Charlotte branches. Here is the schedule:


North County. March 18, 12:30-2. Register here.


Matthews. March 26, 6:30-7:45. Register here.


Main at The Market @7th Street. March 27, 10:30-12. Register here.





FOR EDUCATORS & LIBRARIANS

You can adopt this activity for use in your home, classroom, or library. Keep it simple. Pick non-messy foods that kids can pop into their mouths. If you want a copy of the "I Am From" poem which I adapted, please email me

Congratulations to Heather Skinner who won Underwater World from last week's blog.



Monday, March 4, 2024

OUR UNDERWATER WORLD by Sue Lowell Gallion: A Nonfiction Picture Book and a Giveaway


Some of you may remember a few years ago when I shared Sue Gallion's unique board book, OUR WORLD (Phaidon, 2020).  Since that book came out, she published OUR SEASONS: THE WORLD IN WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER, and AUTUMN and now has another book in the series. OUR UNDERWATER WORLD: A FIRST DIVE INTO OCEANS, LAKES, and RIVERS (also illustrated by the talented Lisk Feng) is a poetic exploration of our natural waterways. 


Open the book--and you have a globe!
Photo courtesy Sue Gallion



BOOK REVIEW


The book opens with a gentle invitation:

Rivers run, oceans flow, 

Ever wonder what's below?

 


Let's explore, take a dive....

                    (page turn)

                   The underwater world's alive!


 

With soft pastel illustrations and sensory poetry, young readers will be drawn into the world of fish, mangrove trees, sharks, kelp, and coral.  

Although the poems are simple, each word packs a punch. Consider this illustration:




paired with these words:

Mountain streams

in liquid motion

Rivers stream into the ocean. 


 Readers discover:

Sea life thrives 
In layered light,

                   (page turn) 

 


In deepest ocean,
Always night.

The book concludes with a global perspective and a simple plea for conservation.

A world deserving,

Our protection

                    (page turn)

 

Around the globe,

Our blue connection.

For older readers, each page has a text box with more in-depth information. Having read the book, I can unequivocally say--I didn't know there were more volcanoes underwater than on land and that whales swallow thousands of krill in a single mouthful!

Sue Gallion is a masterful poet whose love for our earth caresses every page. This book will be a "treasure trove" -- like a precious coral reef -- for home and school libraries. I picture art and language art units culminating with bulletin boards stocked full of underwater scenes inspired by OUR UNDERWATER WORLD. It will become a kindergarten through second-grade classroom favorite. Activities related to the book will be on Sue's website in April. 

GIVEAWAY

Do you want to win a copy of this book? Leave me a comment by March 7. Let me know if you are an educator or librarian, or if you sign up to receive my blog. I'll put your name in the hat twice. U.S. addresses only. If you are new to my blog make sure you leave your email address.

By the way, Sue has another book coming out in the fall from Phaidon. We can look forward to hearing all about it!

Saturday, February 24, 2024

RAT: A Book Review by Tween Guest Blogger, Brooke White

The book RAT by Jan Cheripko is an upper middle-grade/young adult novel offering a unique, first-person perspective of Jeremy, a disabled boy in high school. I would recommend this book for readers 11+ who can comprehend the use of mature language, suggestive dialogue, violence, abuse, and swear words. 

 




We start in a courtroom, with Jeremy a witness in a trial, stating what he saw when his basketball coach, Coach Stennard, physically abused a cheerleader, Cassandra Diaz. He explains that the coach was trying to kiss Cassandra and physically disrespect her boundaries.

 

He explains his passion for basketball, expressing that he’s not too good, but that doesn’t change how he likes the sport. He then tells the judge that his nickname is Rat because his “friends” always call him a gym rat! 

 

Jeremy states that the coach threatened to cut a slit in his throat if he told anyone about what he saw. Jeremy also stated that he saw Cassandra crying, with her blouse ripped.

 

Jeremy and his “friends” talk about the incident. Jeremy learns that his “friends” are only concerned about getting a new coach and are mad at him for testifying against Coach Stennard.  Jeremy thinks about how his injury at birth to his right arm affects his life. He says the reason he’s good at basketball is because he concentrates and doesn’t miss the hoop. In the gym, Simpson bullies Jeremy, and then Josh, another “friend” says, “Leave it alone”. 

 

In a basketball game, Simpson chooses Felipe and Josh, while Mr. O’Connor chooses two girls, Katie and Megan. Jeremy is hurt that he hasn’t been chosen, but he still watches the game. In the end, Mr. O’Connor and the girls win!

 

For Jeremy, it feels good to see Simpson defeated, but that ends quickly. Jeremy attempts to shoot the basketball in the hoop, but then Simpson steals the ball and pins him down using the basketball. Simpson pushes the basketball into Jeremy’s right arm and into his back. Jeremy wiggles on the floor and the kids laugh at him. I found this part of the story a great visual and a good example of what Jeremy experiences.

 

Mr. O’Connor, the new basketball coach, tells the team that Jeremy is the new assistant manager. No one responds. Mr. O’Connor gives the team a basketball handbook and discusses the principles with the players.

 

Once Simpson bullies Jeremy again, Coach O’Connor meets with Jeremy in his office. He talks about honesty and reminds him that honesty is the first principle in the handbook. Jeremy thinks about Coach Stennard and reflects on the terrible experience, then decides to reassess. My favorite character is Mr. O’Connor.  I look up to his encouraging, rule-following, and empathetic personality.

 

Once I started reading this book I couldn’t stop turning the pages! This story guides us through many of Jeremy’s real-life experiences, which we can learn from. Some lessons that stuck out to me were the importance of understanding how to be comfortable in your own skin, and the special perspective of how a relationship with God can be strengthened through trials. In the climax of the story, Jeremy starts to pray to help find his way. 

 

There are multiple plots in this story, which may be hard for some readers to follow along with, but the subplots lead to the adrenaline-pumping and fast-paced novel that it is.

 

The reader is left asking questions. Will Jeremy get into more trouble with his team? Will Coach Stennard get out of jail?  Will Jeremy ever find a real friend?     

 

In conclusion, I would recommend this young adult novel, Rat for ages 11+ or anyone who can process imperfect behavior, violence, and bullying.

 

Brooke loves books and basketball!


Read Brooke's last review of Hidden Truths on my blog here

 

COMMUNITY READ + FREE WRITING WORKSHOP

 If you live in or near Charlotte, NC, I hope you will join me for a fun, free writing event in cooperation with Charlotte Mecklenburg's Community Read program. The book, Buttermilk Graffiti by Chef Edward Lee, chronicles Lee's culinary adventures as he tastes a variety of foods throughout the country. But unlike other foodies who talk about food with restaurant owners, Lee discusses the history and ethnic background behind each type of food or drink he samples. The book is more than about enjoying West Virginia pepperoni rolls that coal miners used to pack for lunch, participating in Ramadan in Dearborn, Michigan, or smoking a Cuban cigar in Miami. It is about the generations who have imbued their food with memory and identity. Listening to Lee's book was like savoring word candy. His descriptions are original, unexpected, and thought-provoking. 



In conjunction with this book, I am giving a workshop, "Food, Memories, & Writing," in four library locations in March.  Participants will sample food, record their memories associated with each one, and create two poems inspired by the food or drink that elicit strong emotions.  

Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Find the branch closest to you. I hope to see you there!

                                                    ****

March 2 from 11-12:30 at Visart Video. Co-sponsored by the Independence branch.


March 18 from 12:30-2 at the North County branch. Click here to register.

March 26 from 6:30-7:45 at the Matthews branch. Click here to register.

March 27 from 10:00-11:30 at the Market @7th Street. Sponsored by the Main branch. Click here to register.  



Monday, February 19, 2024

TRUCKER KID: A Picture Book Review, Author Interview, and Giveaway!


TRUCKER KID  (Capstone, June 2023)

 From Amazon:

"Although Athena misses her truck-driving daddy when he's on the road, she thinks he has the most amazing job in the world. She loves showing off her love of all things trucking. But her classmates don't quite get her or why she calls herself Trucker Kid. Can Athena change their minds and show the other students that it's cool to be Trucker Kid?"

Written by Carol Gordon Ekster with lively illustrations by Russ Cox, this book teaches kids about the life of a trucker's family and is full of trucking similes and metaphors that both kids and adults will enjoy. 

REVIEW

Athena's got a problem. Her truck-driving dad is leaving for a week and she'll miss him!


"When she heads inside, she deflates like a flat tire."


She stays busy playing with her trucks, drawing trucks, and reading about trucks.

But at school, no one seems to understand her fascination with trucks. 



Her answer is simple:


After Athena tells her friends how she holds the mic for the CB radio and sleeps in the truck's cab, they decide they want to be trucker kids too.

Athena's dad is happy to bring his truck to the school and let everyone explore it.


The story ends perfectly on the play
ground with a "traffic jam of drivers" joining Athena.


AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Carol B.: Can you tell us about your path to publication?

Carol E.: In March 2013 I visited my daughter in Taos, NM and we dined at our favorite restaurant. I couldn't help but overhear a family's conversation at a nearby table. Three-year-old Athena was discussing a trucking trip she took with her daddy. My writing brain ignited, and I immediately had my title, Trucker Girl. I told the family that I was a children's author, and how their discussion inspired a title, and I asked for their contact information.

 I came home and took out library books on trucks and trucking. I knew nothing! About one month later I started e-mailing the dad to ask some questions. A month after that I brought the manuscript to a critique group.

 

There have been so many critique buddies weighing too many revisions to count. It gathered close to one hundred rejections!  But then during COVID, I pulled it out again. I had seen how trucks and their drivers were during this difficult time. I added in back matter to show how we rely on trucks and tightened the manuscript. It ended up being one of three manuscripts that helped me secure my first agent.


That agent sent it out on a small round of submissions. Capstone editor, Chris Harbo, acquired it. He was a dream editor and included me in all aspects of the process. Capstone requested a title change from Trucker Girl to Trucker Kid, and of course, I said yes! Almost ten years after that night at the restaurant, I held the book in my hand. 


I love the mysteriousness of this writing life. What if we had not gone to that restaurant at that time or sat next to that family? Trucker Kid was meant to be! My illustrator, Russ Cox, has a son who happens to be a trucker!


CLASSROOM RESOURCE

Carol has a ton of activities on her website for your K-first grade classroom. Teachers could talk about the figurative language used throughout the story and ask students to create their own. In addition, students could look at trucking routes across the United States.

GIVEAWAY

Capstone is providing two copies for two different blog followers. Make sure if you are a librarian or educator to let me know in the comments; your name goes in twice. Please leave your email address if you are new to my blog. If you choose to follow my blog you'll also get an additional chance. U.S. addresses only. The giveaway ends February 21. 

Congratulations to Kathy O'Neill who won Rosie Woods in the Little Red Writing Hood. 

THE HUMAN BODY: AN ALIEN'S GUIDE: A Graphic Novel Review by Guest Blogger Brooke Leela-Ann White

The human body… more like the heroic body! The Human Body: An Alien’s Guide , written by Ruth Redford and illustrated by Leandro Cunha , is...